HISTORY
Kaneko Fumiko: The Japanese Anarchist Who Died Young Defying the Emperor
The state never even recorded her birth. A century after the Japanese anarchist Kaneko Fumiko died in prison at 23, condemned for…
taisho era
HISTORY
TRAVEL
Kimono Rental Shops in Japan: What’s Real, What’s Fake, & How Not to Get Swindled
Learn about the different types of kimono styles and how to tell serious, traditional shops apart from the TikTok trends.
WOMEN
Mibuchi Yoshiko: How Japan’s Trailblazing Female Lawyer Overcame Prejudice
Until 1933, women in Japan were forbidden from being lawyers. This is the story of how Mibuchi Yoshiko overcame the law -…
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…
FOOD
Japan Debates: What’s the Best Raw Egg on Rice Recipe?
Do you stir before putting the egg on - or after? And IS there one right way to eat tamago kake gohan,…
HISTORY
Moga: Japan’s “Modern Girl” of the Taisho Era
She was a symbol of prewar prosperity - and controversy. How the "modern girl" of Japan's roaring 1920s defined a new path…
JAPANESE LANGUAGE
Group Promoting Latin Characters for Japanese Writing Gives Up
Earlier this year, a group that aimed to replace the Japanese writing system with the Latin alphabet admitted defeat.
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…