The latest Japan travel and culture news

Upskirts Cases Skyrocket in Japan

Nonconsensual photography is becoming a big problem in Japan. Who are the perps - and what can be done to curtail it?

A representative image shows four politicians, only one of them being a woman.

Recent JP Elections Highlight Continued Lack of Women in Politics

Where are the women? The recent Japanese diet elections have continued the country's long stint as among the world's least gender-balanced governments.

Two recommended JLPT Practice Test guides

Japanese Language

Pass the JLPT! Taking a JLPT Practice Test

On my first practice test, I would've automatically failed, simply because I couldn't finish the test. It was what I did next…

The lifting of border restrictions could result in more reunions.

Travel

Japan to Finally Relax Some Border Restrictions

After a year and a half of almost no movement, Japan's strict border control is finally being relaxed for business, trainee, and…

History

Banei Racing: Hokkaido’s Stubborn Settler Sport of Strength and Spirit

Hokkaido's fascinating Banei Racing, where massive draft horses pull weighted sleighs up slopes, is an intriguing remnant of a colonial history.

Kwaidan showcases the Japanese tradition of horror stories.

Entertainment

Kwaidan: A Filmic Venture into Uncanny Japan

Eerie and beautiful, Kwaidan is the perfect introduction to the classic ghost stories of Japan. Further revelations await those who look deeper…

Dual tornadoes strike the Izu islands in Japan.

Living in Japan

Tornadoes in Japan: A Rotating Rarity?

Tornadoes are far from the first natural disaster one thinks of in association with Japan - yet they occur more often than…

An illustrated samurai stands eats an apple in front of an orchard

Food

Samurai Cultivator: The Birth of Modern Apple Cultivation in Japan

Apples, such as the delectable fuji, are ubiquitous in Japan. Yet cultivation of the fruit began relatively recently - during the waning…