TRAVEL
More Than Matcha: A Guide to Uji, a Kyoto Travel Gem
Discover temples, tea culture, and hidden history just outside Kyoto.
literature
TRAVEL
ENTERTAINMENT
Dazai Osamu Wants Us To Feel Less Alone
A new collection of the Japanese author's short stories in English comes as he enjoys a resurgence thanks to BookTok and anime.
JAPANESE LANGUAGE
Giccho?! Here Are Some Dead Japanese Words That Only Old Folks Use
You may still hear these words or see them in print - but you won't hear them come from the mouth of…
HISTORY
Iboshi Hokuto: The Legacy of the Ainu Poet-Activist
Spurred by colonialist propaganda that called his people "a dying race," Iboshi Hokuto spent his short life in service to his belief…
NEWS
Why One Hundred Years of Solitude Is (Finally) a Hit in Japan
It's been in print for almost 60 years now. So why did it take until 2024 for Gabriel García Márquez's magnum opus…
ENTERTAINMENT
Inside the Akutagawa Prize, Japan’s Biggest Literary Award
The Akutagawa Prize has made the career of many up-and-coming Japanese writers - but it's not without its controversies. Learn more about…
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.
WOMEN
Tamura Toshiko: The ‘New Woman’ Feminist in Early Modern Japan
In Taisho era Japan, Tamura Toshiko emerged as one of the preeminent writers of the "New Woman" movement. Her legacy extends farther…