Japanese Language
Kanji Kentei: Inside the Japanese Test That Even Japanese People Find Difficult
Forget the JLPT. If you want to take a truly hard Japanese test, check out the Kanji Kentei, whose highest levels have…
The latest Japan travel and culture news
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Japanese Language
Food
Is That Izakaya a Trap? Japanese Eaters Say Watch Out for These Warning Signs
What you need to know to avoid the typical izakaya traps: all about touting, snuck-in fees, and fishy business practices.
Travel
Japan’s Love Hotels Advertising as Ordinary Hotels is Biting Travelers (Not in the Good Way)
Sometimes, love hotels mask themselves as ordinary hotels. Learn the key differences and what to look for when booking your next trip.
Insider
Why Japan’s Legal Nightlife Workers Get Publicly Shunned
A canceled baseball pitch demonstrates how Japan's nightlife workers are stigmatized, even after they move on with their lives.
Japanese Language
Japan Discovers Changing Your “Kira-Kira” Name is Cheap (But Not Easy)
A viral post brings to light that changing a name in Japan is much cheaper than you might think... but that doesn't…
Japanese Language
Why Do Japanese People Say That Chinese Sounds “Scary”?
A recent social media discussion that could have turned dicey instead became a referendum on a single Chinese particle.
Sex & Nightlife
Coffee Shop Cool: Inside the Kabukicho Kissaten That (Almost) Never Sleeps
How a coffee shop with rock-bottom prices became a home away from home for the diverse denizens of Kabukicho.
Book Reviews
Review – Pink Auteur, Red Outlaw: Adachi Masao and Japan’s Cinema of Revolution
William Andrews’ new book explores Adachi Masao's radical cinema, the Japanese New Left, and decades of involvement with the infamous Japanese Red…