SEX & NIGHTLIFE
Tattoos and Tokyo Nightlife: Will Some Venues Refuse You Entry?
Will an izakaya, soapland, or happening bar turn you away for having tattoos? Here's what you need to know before exploring Tokyo…
yakuza
SEX & NIGHTLIFE
SEX & NIGHTLIFE
A Crime-Free Kabukicho? Tokyo Police Start “Purging” Touts and Scouts
Touts and scouts in Kabukicho say they feel they're in the middle of a crackdown. Will this new attempt to "clean up"…
HISTORY
Hanafuda: How a Banned Card Game Defined the Pre-Pokémon Era
Before Mario, Nintendo sold hanafuda cards to the yakuza. Read the 400-year forbidden history of the flower cards that tricked the Shogun.
HISTORY
Shinjuku: The Birth of Kabukicho
How Kabukicho, Japan's biggest red light district, arose from the ashes of post-war Japan.
NEWS
‘Kokuho’ Becomes Biggest Live Action Hit in Japanese Film History
Japan has a brand-new top live-action box office record holder in the form of Kokuho, an epic kabuki drama.
ENTERTAINMENT
Kitano Takeshi: The Complete Ranked Filmography – Part 2
We continue with our retrospective ranking of all of the films of Kitano Takeshi - perhaps the most famous entertainer in Japan,…
ENTERTAINMENT
Kitano Takeshi: The Complete Ranked Filmography (Part 1)
Kitano Takeshi, otherwise known as "Beat" Takeshi, is one of the most famous entertainers in Japan. He's also beloved abroad as a…
LAW & CRIME
Bold “Dark Part-Time” Thieves in Japan Are Now Stealing From Yakuza
A case in Saga Prefecture tells of a bold new example of "yami-baito" targeting Japan's infamous (and dwindling) crime families.