The warm glow of lanterns. The chatter of people in the distance. The occasional burst of laughter as people wished to each other, “Happy New Year”....
~What is Amabie anyway? You will be forgiven for not knowing, as many Japanese themselves were unaware of the mythical being before the start of...
The Tokyo Advertising Museum in Shinbashi is the only museum dedicated to the history of advertising in Japan. It was opened in 2002 to commemorate the...
There is a stylish Japanese alternative to the Christmas sweater: kimono, which has always been embracing the new. In the Edo period, popular games,...
Top Photo Credit: courtesy of LUCASFILM LTD, Victoria and Albert Museum, and Kimono Times, Akira Times (2017). 2020 is a very important year for...
In recent times, there have been many cases of war loot being repatriated to the original owners, their descendants, or country of origin. French...
Second of Three Parts Part 1: Samurai Spirit of Fukushima: The Shonentai Youth Corps of Nihonmatsu Castle In the late Edo period, the...
Kabuki and sumo are two of Japan’s greatest cultural arts that give foreigners a chance to experience the country’s wonders. And with kabuki, one can...
(Part 7 of a Series on the Art of Kuniyoshi) Kuniyoshi was blessed with many disciples who revered their teacher. This fondness was...
Japan is famous, among many other things, for its exceptionally high literacy rate. Although Japan has not conducted literacy surveys in more than 60 years,...
(First of 3 Parts) At the end of the Edo period (1600-1868), Japan was in turmoil. There had been over 260 of rule by...
The Suntory Museum of Art in Tokyo is currently staging an exhibition of works by the artist Kawanabe Kyosai (1831-1889). This idiosyncratic artist was...