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July 24, 2026
 

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Mike Fu
Kasumi Asakura (left) and Chito Kosagawa won the 175th Naoki and Akutagawa Prizes, respectively, for their novels ¡°Kengwai¡± and ¡°Zonbi Kaishufu.¡±
CULTURE / Books
Jul 15, 2026
Chito Kosagawa and Kasumi Asakura win Japan¡¯s top literary prizes
Tech-dystopian fiction and a historical novel claimed Japan¡¯s highest literary honors on Wednesday.
Yo Katami found a permanent home for Loneliness Books in Higashinakano in August 2024, but still travels for book pop-ups at fairs and events in Japan and across Asia.
CULTURE / Books
Jun 28, 2026
How a private collection of queer books became a cultural hot spot
Since establishing a permanent location in Nakano Ward in 2024, Tokyo¡¯s queer-focused bookstore Loneliness Books has become a hub of events and activities for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies.
Netflix limited series ¡°Soul Mate¡± stars Hayato Isomura (right) and Ok Taec-yeon as two men whose friendship unfolds from a chance encounter in Berlin.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
May 21, 2026
¡®Soul Mate¡¯ reaches for pathos but remains hollow
With a globe-spanning story and plenty of melodrama, Netflix¡¯s queer-themed limited series ultimately falters under the weight of its own ambiguity.
Tokyo native Noemi Minami founded Koen Book Club in 2021 with two friends. The club continues to meet monthly in public parks across Tokyo, weather permitting.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
May 18, 2026
Anglophone bookworms unite across Japan
Book clubs, book swaps and other reading events are providing a space for wholesome offline socializing in Tokyo and beyond.
Japanese content creators in China have emerged as informal ¡°digital diplomats,¡± using social media to share everyday experiences amid a period of deepening tension between Tokyo and Beijing.
LIFE / Digital / Longform
May 11, 2026
How Japanese influencers in China are bridging a growing divide
Japanese creators in China show daily life to audiences in both countries amid rising tensions and mutual suspicion.
Islamic Yokocho in Shin-Okubo is home to a plethora of grocery stores specializing in halal food and fresh produce, among other goods and services.
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Apr 6, 2026
Please your palate with Tokyo¡¯s international grocery stores
The capital has a surfeit of specialty supermarkets with ingredients from all over the world ¡ª if you know where to look.
Asako Yuzuki¡¯s novel about female obsession offers timely and shrewd social critiques ¡ª but not catharsis.
CULTURE / Books
Mar 20, 2026
¡®Hooked¡¯ but not reeled in by Asako Yuzuki¡¯s new release
Asako Yuzuki¡¯s second novel to appear in English presents a claustrophobic dynamic between prospective gal pals but shies away from the catharsis that this type of story needs.
From fiery Sichuan to Inner Mongolia feasts, Tokyo's Chinese hot pot scene is heating up.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 27, 2026
Where Tokyoites go for Chinese hot pot
The fiery alternative to Japanese hot pot, ¡°huoguo¡± is a tongue-numbing Sichuan staple that has found many fans in the Japanese capital.
In its second season, "The Boyfriend" allows more time to show the diversity of individual experience.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Wide Angle
Feb 6, 2026
Vulnerability, love and the limits of reality TV on ¡®The Boyfriend¡¯
Netflix Japan¡¯s same-sex dating show may be several layers removed from reality, but it nonetheless offers an important space for dialogue and representation.
The second season of Netflix Japan's ¡°The Boyfriend¡± is bringing together a new set of bachelors to find romance and learn more about themselves.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jan 23, 2026
Second season of ¡®The Boyfriend¡¯ lets love take its time
Netflix Japan¡¯s same-sex dating show returns with a season that lets relationships unfold at their own pace.
While the 23 Japanese words that the Oxford English Dictionary added to the English lexicon in 2024 were predominantly gastronomic in nature, the latest list of 11 terms is somewhat unexpected.
LIFE / Language
Jan 9, 2026
From ¡®senpai¡¯ to ¡®love hotel¡¯: 11 new Japanese words enter the Oxford dictionary
Japanese culture keeps reshaping the English language ¡ª sometimes in unexpected ways.
The miniseries "Queen of Mars" was made in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the NHK.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Dec 13, 2025
NHK envisions a multicultural Mars in its newest sci-fi series
The new sci-fi show was created with involvement of scientists and space experts to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the NHK.
Juzo Itami's 1985 movie "Tampopo" has inspired many restaurateurs around the world to open their own ramen shop with the same name, such as this establishment in Auckland, New Zealand.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 22, 2025
¡®Tampopo¡¯ lives on in bowls of ramen around the world
Decades after its release, the ¡°ramen Western¡± continues to shape the menus of those who¡¯ve seen the film.
While Fan Bingbing brings emotional energy to the lead role in Chong Keat Aun¡¯s ¡°Mother Bhumi,¡± the film¡¯s narrative layers don¡¯t coalesce in a satisfying way and ultimately leave the viewer adrift.
CULTURE / Film
Nov 14, 2025
At TIFF, East Asia¡¯s veteran stars tread new territory with mixed results
Fan Bingbing, Zhang Ziyi and Takeshi Kaneshiro stepped into their darkest roles yet ¡ª but the stories didn¡¯t rise to meet them.
Pen-ek Ratanaruang's "Morte Cucina," starring Bella Boonsang, is a food film par excellence.
CULTURE / Film
Nov 6, 2025
Asian auteurs stole the show at this year¡¯s TIFF
Zhang Lu and Pen-ek Ratanaruang delivered standout entries at this year¡¯s Tokyo International Film Festival.
The byzantine process for converting a foreign driver¡¯s license into a Japanese one entails mountains of paperwork and significant stamina ¡ª unless you're a lucky license holder from a country or region where these requirements are waived.
COMMUNITY / Issues / Longform
Oct 22, 2025
Driving in Japan isn¡¯t hard. Getting the license is.
From the desperate and defeated to the blissful and breezy, readers share their experiences of getting a driver¡¯s license in Japan.
Ryan Gander¡¯s ¡°The Find¡± transforms Okayama into the site of a scavenger hunt for coins that anyone is free to take home.
CULTURE / Art
Oct 5, 2025
Artists turn Okayama into Murakami-esque city of wonder
The fourth edition of the triennial Okayama Art Summit transmutes the sensibility of Haruki Murakami¡¯s ¡°1Q84¡± into an urban art program.
¡°The Summer Hikaru Died¡± is a slow-burn horror and a coming-of-age narrative, but its thematic layers and queer undertones open conversations about friendship and belonging.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Sep 6, 2025
Dark folklore meets teenage angst in ¡®The Summer Hikaru Died¡¯
Slow-burn horror in the countryside coupled with queer undertones makes for a memorable anime adaptation.
Tokyo Rainbow Pride is wrapping up for the year, but a slew of events in cities all over the country, from Hokkaido to Kyushu, lies in store in the second half of 2025.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Jun 12, 2025
The persistence of Pride: LGBTQ+ events in Tokyo and beyond
Pride isn¡¯t just a one-off weekend ¡ª a slate of activities and programs in support of the queer community continues in full force, from Hokkaido to Kyushu.
June is Pride Month, which means it¡¯s the perfect time to get acquainted with how sexual minorities have been represented in Japanese fiction if you¡¯re not familiar with these narratives already.
CULTURE / Books
Jun 11, 2025
Pride and prose: Novels that illuminate queer lives in Japan
From Yukio Mishima and Haruki Murakami to Li Kotomi and Akira Otani, dive into Japanese fiction¡¯s LGBTQ+ narratives in honor of Pride Month.
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'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'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.
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'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' 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.
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot sleepless nights
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night¡¯s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.
Maya Ongaku¡¯s DIY dream is getting bigger
The members of Maya Ongaku ¡ª (from left) Tsutomu Sonoda, Shoei Ikeda and Ryota Takano ¡ª grew up on the Shonan Coast south of Tokyo and have been friends since their school days.

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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