SOCIETY
Osaka Station’s “Exclusion Art”: Hostile Architecture Comes to Kansai
Why did 150 concrete blocks outside JR Osaka Station spark outrage? We explore the divide in Japan's "exclusion art" debate.
architecture
SOCIETY
CULTURE
Why There’s an 11-Meter Goddess Inside This Tokyo Department Store
It's impossible to miss: a soaring goddess ensconced inside a paragon of capitalism. What inspired a sculptor to carve this mysterious figure…
TRAVEL
Ashiya: How to Visit Japan’s Most Exclusive Small Town
Ashiya, a leafy enclave between Osaka and Kobe, carries a cachet no other Japanese town quite matches: old money, hillside mansions, and…
TRAVEL
Exploring Naoshima: The Stunning Art Islands of Seto Inland Sea
The islands used to be known for copper production. These days, they're one of the most-discussed art destinations worldwide.
CULTURE
Why the Ishikawa Prefectural Library in Japan Is Such a Huge Draw
The library, reopened to fanfare in 2022, continues to bring in more visitors every year than people who live in the prefecture.
TRAVEL
Shirakawago, a World Heritage Site, Strains Under Record Tourism Numbers
The village, which sees a swell of tourists in the winter, wants to remind people it's a living community, not an open-air…
TRAVEL
This Japanese Village Gets 1000x More Tourists Than Residents – And Loves It
Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture is a village of 1,400 people that sees over one million tourists yearly. And they want more.
LIVING IN JAPAN
“Only The Emperor Lets Us Sit For Free”: Tokyo Residents Decry Vanishing Benches
A recent viral tweet bemoaned the lack of free places to sit in Tokyo - a trend that only seems to be…