The history of the kami honored at the Gion Festival have intriguing parallels - and differences. The Yasaka Shrine claims they are the same, but are...
What’s the debate in Japan, and what’s trending? The Week is a podcast that sets out to help you stay informed on news, culture, music and...
It’s hardly surprising that the Gion festival became an annual event since epidemics have ravaged Kyoto in the oppressively humid summers up to modern times.
This mid-summer spectacle was born from fear, nourished by hope, and today is an expression of unbridled joy and universal yearning for good health.
The security flaws in My 2022 app, which China requires visitors to install on their phones, can open up your data to the Chinese government and...
Native to Iriomote Island in Okinawa Prefecture, the endangered animal is one of only two native wildcats in Japan — with the other being the Tsushima...
The tiny island is full of surprising treasures and traditions in the midst of an azure blue sea. And it boasts national status as a Significant...
The need for lightweight souvenirs gave birth in the 1620s to the Otsu-e, simple paintings on paper with popular themes.
Bookmark is a JAPAN Forward feature that gives you long reads for the weekend. Each edition introduces one overarching thought that branches off to a...
Sometime in late last year, somewhere in Hubei Province in central China, probably in the city of Wuhan, a spiked virus measuring nanometers in...
The “Year of the Rat” has certainly gotten off to an inauspicious start, what with the COVID-19 pandemic, trade wars, a shaky global economy,...
With the COVID-19 continuing to spread like wildfire worldwide, it is not surprising that foreigners living in Japan who have never even visited a doctor...
