INSIDER
The Museum of Roadside Art: Inside The Tokyo Museum Where Sex and Kitsch Collide
Inside Tokyo's Museum of Roadside Art, a Japanese photojournalist's mission to save erotic art others consider too "lowbrow" to preserve.
Showa era
INSIDER
SEX & NIGHTLIFE
Hihōkan: Japan’s Vanishing Roadside Sex Museums, and the Tokyo Bar Keeping Them Alive
Learn more about the hihōkan, the erotic museums where drunken salarymen used to while away their time before dinner.
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…
JAPANESE LANGUAGE
The “Dead” Slang Words a Japanese Dictionary Officially Killed
In English, words are rarely deleted from dictionaries. So why in 2021 did a Japanese dictionary publisher give 1,100 words the boot?
TRAVEL
Kissaten: Are Japan’s Old-School Coffee Shops Fading?
Japan’s kissaten are fading fast, but their retro charm is drawing new fans. Explore what's keeping these old-school coffee shops alive.
TRAVEL
Edo-Tokyo Museum Finally Set to Reopen in March 2026
One of Tokyo's most beloved and culturally significant museums is finally set to reopen to the public on March 31st.
HISTORY
Shinjuku’s Moulin Rouge: The Theater That Danced Through War and Censorship
Japanese imperial authorities frequently raided it and censored its scripts. Despite this, the women at the Shinjuku Moulin Rouge danced on.
TRAVEL
Japan Retro Toy Museum Closes Because Customers Keep Breaking Things
The owner says he's "heartbroken" that he has to close the toy museum in Niigata Prefecture because some parents can't control their…