National May 18, 2023
The religious right’s hidden sway as Japan trails allies on gay rights
As a G7 summit nears in Hiroshima, Japan is under pressure to show greater support for equality. A national Shinto group has spread a more hostile message.
Lifestyle Apr 22, 2023
A Japanese island where the wild things are
From badgering nuisances to downright evil forces, yōkai fill some of the most colorful corners of Japanese folklore. These artists are dreaming up even more.
Asia Pacific Feb 2, 2023
Asia is loosening rules on masks. Here’s why people still wear them.
Many other countries dropped pandemic mask requirements months ago. But in places like South Korea, which got rid of its rule this week, masks remain common.
National Jan 8, 2023
As Asian societies age, ‘retirement’ just means more work
Across East Asia, populations are graying faster than anywhere else in the world, and while younger generations shrink, older workers are often toiling well into their 70s and beyond.
Life Nov 28, 2022
Beauty over brains: Japan’s skin-deep university pageants
The contests perpetuate a culture that often places women in rigid gender roles, and have seen some contestants face abuse and harassment from organizers.
Life Oct 9, 2022
A tiny Tokyo apartment: ‘I wouldn’t live anywhere else’
Meet the young Japanese who have decided to live in a shoe box.
National / Crime & Legal Aug 14, 2022
Rushdie attack recalls 1991 killing of his Japanese translator
Hitoshi Igarashi was stabbed to death at Tsukuba University, where he taught comparative Islamic culture — the crime remains unsolved.
National May 5, 2022
Japan says it needs nuclear power. Can host towns ever trust it again?
The decision to restart plants is fraught with emotions, not to mention the gargantuan technical task of fortifying the stations against future disasters in an earthquake-prone nation.
Lifestyle Apr 25, 2022
Discreetly, the young in Japan chip away at a taboo on tattoos
Exposed to body art on social media, more young Japanese are getting tattoos, even if that means hiding them at work.
Summer Paralympics Sep 4, 2021
Disabled Japanese are often invisible. Will Paralympics bring lasting light?
Tokyo improved its infrastructure before the Games, but activists wonder how long the focus will continue in a country with a long history of excluding people with disabilities.