SEX & NIGHTLIFE
Hihōkan: Japan’s Vanishing Roadside Sex Museums, and the Tokyo Bar Keeping Them Alive
Learn more about the hihōkan, the erotic museums where drunken salarymen used to while away their time before dinner.
art
SEX & NIGHTLIFE
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…
CULTURE
Japan’s Zine Boom: Self-Made Magazines Take Off in the AI Era
Why more people in Japan are forsaking YouTube and TikTok videos and crafting their own magazines by hand.
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.
TRAVEL
Shikoku: Japan’s Most Overlooked Main Island for Travelers?
It may take a while to get there. But from hiking to udon, there's plenty to do in this gem of Japan…
HISTORY
Hanafuda: How a Banned Card Game Defined the Pre-Pokémon Era
Before Mario, Nintendo sold hanafuda cards to the yakuza. Read the 400-year forbidden history of the flower cards that tricked the Shogun.
ENTERTAINMENT
How an AI Manga Became a Bestseller on Japan’s Largest e-Book Store
How did a fully AI-generated manga hit number one in Japan? And what does its success portend for the future of the…
CULTURE
Photo Contest in Japan Rescinds Award for Stolen AI-Generated Pic
The submitter confessed that they didn't even "create" the work themselves but instead took a pre-generated image from a website.