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July 24, 2026
 

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Florentyna Leow
Kyoko Watanabe made a home for herself in Ishinomaki after moving there to participate in disaster relief efforts following 3/11, and now operates a business focused on the creative reuse of <i>akiya</i> (abandoned houses).
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Mar 17, 2025
From abandoned houses to ¡®creative communities¡¯: An Ishinomaki entrepreneur¡¯s vision for rural Japan
Kyoko Watanabe moved to Miyagi Prefecture to help with disaster relief efforts following 3/11. She ended up building a company and a vision for revitalizing rural Japan.
Few in Japan may be more passionate about the 'onigiri' (rice ball) than Yumiko Ukon, owner of an onigiri specialty shop in Tokyo's Otsuka neighborhood.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 8, 2024
¡®When I die, I would like to come back as a rice ball¡¯
There¡¯s no denying the cultural significance of the ¡®onigiri¡¯ (rice ball). But there comes a point where an onigiri is surely just an onigiri.
Clara Kumagai¡¯s young adult debut, ¡°Catfish Rolling,¡± follows a teenager who lost her mother during a major earthquake caused by the movements of a powerful catfish, which fractured Japan into different ¡°time zones.¡±
CULTURE / Books
Jan 13, 2024
Genre-defying novel ¡®Catfish Rolling¡¯ navigates grief in a fractured land
Mixing folklore, science and philosophy with magical realism, Clara Kumagai¡¯s impressive young adult debut explores the emotional aftermath of a powerful earthquake.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Apr 15, 2023
Artisans update timeless craft of intricate ¡®puzzle cabinets¡¯
Although the craft of making karakuri-dansu is slowly disappearing, a craftsman and his son are keep the tradition torch lit with story-filled pieces for collectors and enthusiasts.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 26, 2023
Jim Rion casts a keen eye on the spirit of Yamaguchi
Author, translator and certified sake professional Jim Rion puts people at the heart of sake production in his nonfiction debut, ¡®Discovering Yamaguchi Sake.¡¯
Japan Times
LIFE
Feb 12, 2023
Fukui¡¯s dwindling washi makers hold on to paper-thin margins
As a product, washi¡¯s beauty is unassailable. As an industry, it¡¯s future is in doubt.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 11, 2022
Sweden¡¯s ¡®slightly rotten¡¯ fish tests Japan foodies
Japan is known for its affinity for seafood, but Sweden¡¯s infamously pungent surstromming challenges even the strongest of stomachs.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Aug 14, 2022
¡®Just Enough¡¯ offers ideas for a modern crisis
Azby Brown¡¯s comprehensive survey of Japan during the Edo Period serves up lessons that could aid in efforts to promote sustainability as the climate crisis grows more dire.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jul 31, 2022
¡®Trinity, Trinity, Trinity¡¯: A commendable exploration of nuclear power
Erika Kobayashi delves into the history of nuclear warfare and its consequences in a speculative thriller that appears to be a literary riff of her ¡®My Body, Your Voice¡¯ exhibition.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jul 17, 2022
Banana Yoshimoto¡¯s ¡®Dead-End Memories¡¯ is the literary equivalent of a lo-fi playlist
The award-winning author¡¯s collection of short stories is a comfort read that will transport readers to a melancholy world for an hour or two.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jul 10, 2022
¡®Life Ceremony¡¯: Sayaka Murata dishes out the grotesque with humor
Sayaka Murata¡¯s collection of hilarious and macabre short stories ask readers to take a hard look at humanity and reassess what is ¡®normal.¡¯
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 10, 2022
Toast in translation: Aomori¡¯s ¡®British¡¯ sandwich mania
Aomori¡¯s favorite bakery treat comes straight from Old Blighty ¡ª or does it?
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 19, 2022
Will Japan¡¯s nonvegans bite on plant-based yogurt?
After perfecting a homemade recipe, this coconut yogurt devotee is trying to convert the rest of Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 21, 2022
Approaching tea like you would wine, Zach Mangan gives Japan¡¯s main drink its due
In his book, ¡®Stories of Japanese Tea: The Regions, The Growers and The Craft,¡¯ Zach Mangan hopes to pay respect to a dwindling number of true artists.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 15, 2022
¡®This Monk Wears Heels¡¯ is a thing of beauty
Makeup artist, Buddhist monk and LGBTQ advocate Kodo Nishimura¡¯s memoir is a heartfelt and fun read that asks us to look inward with clear compassion and love ourselves.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 24, 2022
¡®Cold Enough for Snow¡¯: A meditation on the intricacies of mother-daughter relationships
Jessica Au¡¯s finely observed novel about understanding the inner lives of those close to us draws readers into a dreamlike vision of Japan.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 24, 2022
Mushi Charo: From hellish waters, heavenly flavors
With thousands of hot-spring sources in Beppu, it¡¯s no wonder the town¡¯s chefs have started putting geothermals to good use in the kitchen.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 4, 2022
¡®Moonlight Shadow¡¯ director Edmund Yeo praises the Japanese work ethic and the dedication of producers
Though filmmaking is not a particularly popular career path in Malaysia, Edmund Yeo still managed to follow his dream of being a director.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Dec 19, 2021
How Amanda Tong finds balance in life and ceramics
Being marooned in Japan due to COVID-19 has helped the Hong Kong artist begin a new journey of discovery.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 14, 2021
Resurrecting the tachibana, Japan¡¯s oldest native citrus
Once revered as ¡°the fruit of immortality,¡± the tachibana has long fallen out of culinary favor. The Nara Tachibana Project hopes to save it from endangerment.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse&#039;s brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo&#039;s Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan&#039;s relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces&#039; Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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