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…
literature
TRAVEL
CULTURE
Bar Lupin: Drink Where Japan’s Modern Literary Masters Hung Out
In a Ginza basement, Bar Lupin has poured drinks since 1928 for Dazai Osamu, Ango, and other Japanese literary greats.
LGBTQ
Tokyo Court Awards Damages to Outed Transgender Author
Award-winning author Li Kotomi won a small but symbolic ruling against a lawyer who had been involved in the Aum Shinrikyo trials.
TRAVEL
More Than Matcha: A Guide to Uji, a Kyoto Travel Gem
Discover temples, tea culture, and hidden history just outside Kyoto.
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…