Google Japan paid tribute to the inventor of the tenji block, Seiichi Miyake, on March 18. It seems a good time to reflect on this...
Top Photo Source: Osamu Sasaki In a small city in Japan, on a cold morning with no wind between October and April, you might...
It is often said that the strongest of friendships are forged during the hardest of times. Sometimes strength can come from tragedy, as it did...
Many visitors to Japan make it a point to see Kyoto and Tokyo. But just next door to Osaka, not far from Kyoto and an...
When I flew home to Italy for the Christmas holidays, I had a friend ask me: “You’re Japanese, right? Have you seen the new Marie...
How much is Japan doing to make the global economy more sustainable? On March 1, Social Innovation Japan — a social enterprise founded by...
As celebrations for Girl’s Day on March 3 drew to a close, you might be guessing that a celebration for male children wouldn’t be far...
Shochiku – the famous Japanese movie studio and production company – has organized a new nightlife event for foreign tourists in Tokyo's popular Ginza...
Progress was slow, but no one seemed to mind. This was a festival, and people were in a good mood. As the purple-robed Shinto...
Tokyo’s Akihabara district is known as a place for otaku culture, such as anime, manga, maid cafes, and underground idols. However, 11 years ago a...
What is a mikoshi and what is Mayumi Mikoshi? A mikoshi (or omikoshi) is a “portable shrine parade” where a small palanquin shrine is...
Ah, February. A short month with long, dark nights and brief days consisting of bitter winds and plunging temperatures. The depths of winter always seems...