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…
kobe
TRAVEL
JAPANESE LANGUAGE
Why This Japanese Phrase from Kansai Sounds Strange to the Rest of Japan
It's a phrase that confuses Tokyoites. But to many in the Kansai region, it's a daily expression rooted in the region's unique…
FOOD
Baumkuchen: The German Dessert’s Long Japanese History
Read the intriguing history of how baumkuchen, the tree trunk-shaped German cake, grew in popularity in Japan.
FOOD
This is Not a Croquette: How Japan Changed French Food
You say croquette, Japan says korokke. Our Japanese author looks at how staples of French cooking changed to suit her country's palette.
SOCIETY
“Hidden Anpanman” Braille Blocks Draw Concern From Museum Visitors
A gimmicky use of Braille blocks at the Anpanman museums has some blind users concerned the facilities are elevating novelty over safety.
HISTORY
Saboru: The Strange Origins of “Cutting Class” in Japanese
Mass strikes, the creation of the 8-hour workday, and an early 20th-century vogue for foreign words - all led to the most…
LIVING IN JAPAN
Japan’s Most Liveable Cities – Ranked with Data
By collecting extensive data on 119 large Japanese cities and scoring them on a variety of factors, we found an answer to…