Top Photo Credit: courtesy of LUCASFILM LTD, Victoria and Albert Museum, and Kimono Times, Akira Times (2017). 2020 is a very important year for...
(UPDATED after the ceremony) The enthronement ceremony for Emperor Naruhito, called Sokuirei-Seiden-no-Gi, took place on Tuesday afternoon, October 22, and was witnessed in person by...
Bubble tea drinks are all the rage in Japan and shops selling bubble tea, or tapioca タピオカ as it’s called here, seem to be popping up...
Leading up to the abdication of Emperor Akihito on April 30, JAPAN Forward looks back on the pivotal aspects of the Heisei Emperor’s rule. There...
What significance does the tenno or “emperor” have for Japan and the Japanese people? There is no easy answer to that question. Suffice it to...
Part 1: Traveling the San’in: Orochi and the Mythical Origins of the Sword Part 2: Japanese Swords: ‘Tatara,’ the Traditional Iron and Steel Culture...
The date of the Emperor’s abdication, and therefore the beginning of a new era, was finally approved by the Imperial Household Council on December 1....
