THE FOREIGN ELEMENT

Issues | THE FOREIGN ELEMENT Nov 23, 2020

Cheap, spacious, crowd-free: Rural Japan is having a moment with the foreign community

by Jessop Petroski

Laura Blackhall took a risk purchasing an empty house in the Ibaraki countryside. Amid and following a pandemic, though, it's a choice that just might pay off.

Issues | THE FOREIGN ELEMENT Nov 16, 2020

An outsider's look at the problems plaguing rural Japan

by Eric Margolis

When new people come to town they bring a flurry of new ideas with them. In the small town of Nakatsugawa, this has meant an exciting cultural exchange.