TRAVEL
Sayonara, Doctor Yellow: Shinkansen Test Train Headed for Retirement
It's said that "seeing it brings happiness." But no more: Japan's famous "Doctor Yellow" diagnostic Shinkansen train is entering retirement.
history
Page 11
TRAVEL
FOOD
The Most Popular Sushi Ingredients: How Japanese & Foreign Tastes Differ
How does Japan like its sushi? Here are the most popular ingredients for the dish - and how its consumption differs abroad.
SOCIETY
An Empress of Japan? New Poll Shows a Majority Support It
Will the next emperor of Japan be an empress? A new poll shows a clear majority support it - but there are…
BOOK REVIEWS
Review: Takaoka’s Travels – This Surrealist Pilgrimage Delights and Disturbs
A new English translation of Takaoka's Travels by Japanese author Shibusawa Tatsuhiko is a funny, fantastical fever dream.
HISTORY
To Kill a Shogun: The Sad Tale of Minamoto no Sanetomo
In 1219, the shogun Minamoto no Sanetomo, samurai lord of all Japan, was slain on the steps of Tsurugaoka Shrine in Kamakura,…
ENTERTAINMENT
Review: Shogun Is Great TV – But It’s Not About Colonialism
The 2024 Shogun TV series stacks up pretty well to history, says a Japanese historian - but the surrounding conversation around "colonialism"…
HISTORY
Stolen Ryukyu Artwork, Found in US, Returned to Okinawa
The rediscovery of Ryukyuan artwork lost during the Pacific War offers a ray of hope for those seeking to restore Okinawa's cultural…
TRAVEL
Shizuoka Wants to Toll Mt. Fuji to Curb Overtourism
To prevent overtourism, Shizuoka Prefecture wants to charge users of its three Mt. Fuji trailheads. The problem? It doesn't own them.