The latest Japan travel and culture news

ENTERTAINMENT

Three Lesser-Known Subgenres of Japanese Pop Music

These three subgenres of Japanese pop combined Western and Japanese musical traditions to produce unique sounds that captured the spirit of their…

VIDEO

Video: Husband Management – Women in Japan and the Struggle at Home

"How do you protect your daughter when you can't even convince your own husband?" A discussion of a challenge facing many Japanese…

FEATURED

Taisho Era: Five Facts About Japan’s Shortest Modern Period

The Taisho Era may have been short, but it was anything but uneventful. Learn more about this short but tumultuous era in…

HISTORY

The Historical Periods of Japan

How well do you know your Japanese history? Join us for a sweeping overview of the historical periods of Japan - from…

HISTORY

Video: The Explosion of Mt. Bandai

The video version of our essay on the explosion of Mt. Bandai in Fukushima during the Meiji Era - and how Japan…

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Some Japanese Izakaya Go Virtual During COVID-19

From free high-speed wi-fi to shamizen serenades, enterprising bar owners in Japan are going virtual to soften the damage wrought by COVID-19.

CULTURE

Japan and Controlled Substances: A Short History

Learn about Japan's history with controlled substances - from the use of marijuana in the Jomon era to the Japanese chemist who…

HISTORY

Stranded: Edo Era Castaways in the Russian Empire

In the Edo era, when setting foot on foreign soil was punishable by death, 16 castaways risked it all in an epic…