INSIDER
[Insider] Urine Nation: Japan’s 150-Years-Long War Against Peeing in Public
During Japan's Edo Era, peeing in the street wasn't a crime, but a contribution to the economy. Here's how Meiji Japan, anxious…
Edo era
INSIDER
FOOD
I Ate Edo-style Sushi for Less than $10 at a Japanese Train Station
Want to eat sushi like they ate it during the time of the shogun? A shop in Shinjuku Station is offering this…
HISTORY
Kikuya: The Cast-Out Dancer Who Invented the Geisha
The Tatsumi Geisha were the first female geisha of Japan. And they owe their existence to a woman driven out of her…
TRAVEL
Kiyosumi-Shirakawa: Tokyo’s Quiet Neighborhood of Coffee, Art, and Edo History
Kiyosumi-Shirakawa is one of Tokyo's quietest neighborhoods, where Edo history, a Mitsubishi-built stroll garden, contemporary art, and Japan's third-wave coffee scene sit…
TRAVEL
Hanabi Taikai: A Traveler’s Guide to Japan’s Summer Fireworks Festivals
Japanese summer is impossible to imagine without hanabi taikai, the riverbank fireworks displays that pack millions onto seawalls every July and August.…
FOOD
Nekomanma: The “Ill-Mannered” Japanese Food That Used to be a Commonfolk Staple
Is pouring miso soup onto rice bad manners? It is in modern Japan. But this "cat food" was a commoner staple for…
HISTORY
Tokugawa Ieyasu: Japan’s Most Cutthroat Health Nut?
Japan's most ruthless and efficient ruler believed a good diet was the key to success. Here's how he kept his edge, according…
HISTORY
Shinjuku: The History and Origins of the World’s Biggest Nightlife District
The world's largest nightlife district, Shinjuku is nearly synonymous with Tokyo itself - yet wasn't even part of old Tokyo. Where do…