Member Content

Cashless Payment in Japan: What’s Available & How to Use It

Wanna go cashless in Japan? You have options. Almost too many, in fact. Here’s what’s available – for both tourists and residents.

January 14, 2024 No Comments

How the Samurai Saw the U.S. Civil War

When the U.S. Civil War broke out in 1861, samurai still ruled Japan. How did the samurai – recently forced into trade with the US and on the cusp of their own war – react?

July 6, 2023 No Comments

Moga: Japan’s “Modern Girl” of the Taisho Era

She was a symbol of prewar prosperity – and controversy. How the “modern girl” of Japan’s roaring 1920s defined a new path for women.

June 12, 2023 No Comments

A illustration of a Japanese man with headlight on head and armed with a gun and bladed weapons strides past a red background. Text reads "Japan's Proto-incel incident: The Tsuyama Massacre."

Was The Tsuyama Massacre Japan’s First Proto-Incel Incident?

In 1938, a disaffected young man stalked his mountain village, killing dozens of his neighbors. Was the Tsuyama Massacre the first incel mass murder?

April 24, 2023 No Comments

How Odaiba Got its “O”: A Brief Tokyo History

The island of Odaiba is one of Tokyo’s major landmarks. Not long ago, however, it didn’t even exist. Discover Tokyo history rising from the depths.

January 27, 2023 No Comments

The Galapagos Effect: How Japan Sometimes Ends Up Standing Alone

What happens when technology in Japan develops independently from the rest of the world? A brief history of the Galapagos Effect.

January 10, 2023 No Comments

As Twitter Goes Down, Japan Teases a Return to Mixi

A mixi revival?! Fears over Twitter’s future since Elon Musk’s takeover have led some in Japan to consider social messaging like it’s 2004.

November 9, 2022 No Comments

Will Japan’s Press Finally Leave Komuro Kei and Mako Alone?

The Japanese and New York press’ hounding of former Princess Mako and her husband Komuro Kei has been nothing but disgraceful.

October 29, 2022 No Comments

Is Kishida’s Fall Good News for Japan’s Opposition? Well…

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio is sinking rapidly in public opinion polls. Here’s why that means nothing will change anytime soon.

October 5, 2022 No Comments

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