Lifestyle Mar 21, 2020
In bloom? Celebrating Japan’s iconic cherry trees in a time of pandemic
by Alex K.T. Martin
Blossoms are beginning to open in Tokyo, but will this year's celebrations wither due to concern over the new coronavirus?
National / History Mar 14, 2020
The 1970 Osaka Expo: Looking back at the past to gauge where Japan sits in the present
by Eric Johnston
The 1970 Osaka Expo laid down a bold statement about Japan's future. Fifty years later, has the country been able to live up to its promises?
Lifestyle Mar 7, 2020
Altered perspectives: The 'interactive' Okinawan garden
by Stephen Mansfield
If Japanese landscape gardeners looked toward mountains and river valleys for inspiration in creating the rock arrangements that form the power grids of their gardens, infusing natural elements with Taoist and Buddhist principles, it is likely that Okinawans cast their eyes over the seas ...
Style & Design Feb 29, 2020
Classic kicks: Japan’s sneaker obsession rebounds
by Andrew McKirdy
The 1990s sneaker craze eventually cooled off, but over the past four or five years a new wave has risen, towering over anything that came before.
Business Feb 22, 2020
Michi no eki: Japan's rest areas are kings of the road
by Alex K.T. Martin
This isn't your modest highway truck stop with parking, public toilets, a few vending machines and a kiosk. Occupying 5 hectares of land by Route 64, a road that makes its way through the scenic hills and pastures gracing the mountains of northern Gunma Prefecture, ...
Stage Feb 15, 2020
Virtual idols, anime and a rock 'n' roll spirit: Nakamura Shido II leads kabuki's evolution
by Andrew McKirdy
The audience, most of whom are in their 20s and 30s, wave glow sticks and holler as the lights go down for the start of the show. Above the stage, a frame of blue lights throbs and pulses like a circuit board before the ...
Lifestyle Feb 8, 2020
Muddy waters: The battle to save Japan's ailing freshwater pearl industry
by John Spiri
While Lake Biwa played a key role in the establishment of a domestic freshwater pearl industry, farmers are now facing a bleak future.
Culture Feb 1, 2020
Back to the future: The world celebrates the 50th anniversary of Doraemon
by Russell Thomas
As the blue robot cat turns 50, we examine the past, present and future of a Japanese icon.
Environment Jan 25, 2020
Japan 2030: Tackling climate issues is key to the next decade
by Masami Ito
The new decade kicked off with images of Australia in flames. As the country's bushland has burned over the past few months, more than an estimated 10 million hectares have already been reduced to ash. At least 28 people and more than a billion animals ...
Environment | The Climate Crisis Jan 18, 2020
Balance of power: Redefining Japan's energy needs
by Alex K.T. Martin
Sitting silently among the rolling pastures, rice paddies and lush forests of the idyllic village of Otama are rows upon rows of photovoltaic solar panels — vast swaths of dark gray injecting dissonance into the postcard-like landscape local residents pride themselves on. These solar farms ...
Environment | The Climate Crisis Jan 11, 2020
Throwaway society: Rejecting a life consumed by plastic
by Andrew McKirdy
How much single-use plastic do you think you consume in an average week living in Japan?
Environment | The Climate Crisis Jan 6, 2020
Emergency on 'lucky island': Iki Island seeks to lead Japan's fight against the climate crisis
by Oscar Boyd
It's golden hour on Iki, a pristine island in southwestern Japan. A gentle breeze cools the day to a perfect 24 degrees Celsius. The roads are clean, the trees are green, a playground sits atop a grassy hill. Locals call Iki a "lucky island" ...