Those who have traveled on a bullet train in Japan will know what a treat it is to ride. For those who haven’t, you...
Let’s just start with the premise that, if you are anything like me, you probably have the green thumb of a two-year-old who is capable...
June has arrived, and along with it an unusually early rainy season comes knocking at the door. Muggy days, alternating between scorching sunshine and...
Many people of our generation might not have even been familiar with it before 2020, but the traditional half-mermaid and half-bird yokai (supernatural monster) Amabie...
Japan released many prefectures from the state of emergency as of May 21, but the heavily-hit Tokyo area — including Kanagawa (Yokohama), Chiba and Saitama —...
Why not add a little practical beauty to this worldwide fight against the novel coronavirus? Some countries are just now passing their peak; others...
In the not-so-distant past, having robots to welcome guests in a hotel would have seemed futuristic and impersonal. But then came COVID-19, and robots...
It’s a worldwide reality: facemasks are a scarce commodity these days. In places where masks are a prerequisite to venturing outside, people have even been...
In a time of COVID-19, when many feel helpless towards the invisible enemy, it can be tempting to just throw caution to the winds....
What do you dream when you think of the beach? Is it of the white sands shining like tiny crystals in the summer sun, and...
“Locals of Tottori Prefecture are eating pink curry.” This is the rumor that’s been going around, especially in Thailand. It all started from a...
It was March 3 at Awashima Shrine, just off the coast in Wakayama Prefecture. Hundreds of delicate female-shaped dolls, in typical Heian costume, were hoisted...