After Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency in April, Japanese people acted in a remarkable manner. The government declaration was not legally...
From the psychedelic Shibuya-like dreamscapes of the “Super Mario” universe, to the mystically redolent re-imaginings of furusato (historic rural Japan) in the “Legend of Zelda,” Nintendo...
(Introduction to a series on one of Japan’s artistic icons, Hokusai) Other parts of the series: Part 1. [Eternal Hokusai] The Enduring Appeal of the ‘Great Wave’...
Nagao Ryou does not remember his school days too fondly. “I was mocked for my bushy eyebrows and sharp features,” recalls the 19-year-old student. Ryou...
Photo Credit: Kyodo News, Official Website of Game Discontinued After Accusations of Plagiarism “鬼殺の剣” A company in South Korea producing games for smartphones was accused of...
Japan has lost a lot of ground to China these past 20 years. Japan’s roaring economy used to be the world’s second biggest, after her...
A common misconception people hold about Japan is that it is a weird place. Particularly where male-female relations and sex are concerned. The stereotype...
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...
I have sided with China and North Korea in the past. I was staying at the Friendship Hotel when I taught in Beijing, then suffering...
From as early as page one, the reader can see that Onibi: Diary of a Yokai Ghost Hunter is a genuine attempt by its French...
It does not get much better than regular deliveries of small-batch Japanese food. I should know. On the 18-hour-plus haul across the Pacific Ocean from...
Except for the uninitiated, most everyone in Japan will know that daruma is normally a papier maché good luck doll, often about the size of...
