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....
This is the first installment in a series on the turbulent era of Bakumatsu Japan and encounters between the British legation and samurai of the Meiji...
There’s a lot to appreciate about traditional Japanese artwork. The stereotypical image of a smooth ink brush strokes, floating world aesthetic has made ukiyo-e, woodblock...
Japan’s castles are very popular for both inbound and outbound travelers as a source of relics of the past for each region, especially during the...
As January draws to a close, the preparations for the Hina Matsuri on the third of March are underway, even though it may be in...
It’s the day and age travelling has become easier, and we can go to more places than our elders could have hoped for in their...
Nanshun Kyokudo is not your typical Sakamoto Ryoma fan. For starters, she only found out about the Japanese rebel while at university — much later...
Shoko Kanazawa, 34, a Japanese calligrapher who also happens to have Down Syndrome, decided that the kanji for the first New Year of the...
Thanks to you, our dear readers, JAPAN Forward reached new milestones in monthly and daily readerships in 2019. Millions of users around the world followed our...
When searching for Japanese-style clothes, many newcomers are at a loss of where to start. Kimono, while luxurious, can be a bit pricey. While perhaps...
Emperor Naruhito carried out the most traditional and important of the rituals to becoming emperor of Japan, the Daijosai, starting from the evening of...
In the United States and the United Kingdom, “Mickey Mouse” is used to mean something trivial, insignificant, or senseless. While foreign media coverage of the...