Stories about Japan
Japan announces timeline to dilute, dump radioactive water from Fukushima plant
The decision to release the wastewater poses seriously implications for fishing communities along the Fukushima coastline.
In another blow for Japan's Summer Games, male chauvinist “Olympig” is forced to resign
Yet another setback for the 2020 Olympic games, already postponed a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and plagued with gaffes.
Farewell to Japanese sculptor who became a local hero in Prilep, North Macedonia
'During his short lifetime, and even shorter career, Ryota Koshika became one of the most prominent classic sculptors working in marble from Japan.'
Japanese skincare company faces online backlash and boycott after CEO's racist remarks
Critics are also drawing attention to the DHC's connections to the Japanese far-right and its efforts to distribute conspiracy theories online.
What drives ‘J-Anon’, QAnon's Japanese counterpart?
Donald Trump seems to have found supporters amid Japan's religious cults.
COVID-19 infects Japan's ‘kanji of the year’
密 (mitsu), in some cases, means "close, crowded, or confined."
‘Queer Japan’ documentary introduces Japan's vibrant, multifaceted LGTBQ+ community
The film features a variety of individuals involved in art, activism, nightlife, and politics in Japan.
Newly-found vintage playing cards shine a light on post-war occupied Japan
The vintage playing cards feature what was arguably the most prominent figure of daily life in early post-war Japan: the American soldier.
How Japan followed the US presidential election
In Japan, Trump is not always regarded with the dismissiveness or loathing that is so common in the United States or even in Canada.
Decision to dump radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear disaster site into the ocean sparks alarm
About 1.25 million tonnes of contaminated water is currently stored at the Fukushima Daiichi installation.
This beatboxing Buddhist monk from Japan is making music to ‘reduce suffering’
Yogetsu Asakusa combines beatboxing beats with traditional Buddhist sutras.
Japan's ‘least attractive’ prefecture gets a little more love in 2020
After ranking last for seven consecutive years, Ibaraki jumped up five spots on an annual survey ranking Japan's prefectures by "attractiveness."
New literary magazine makes contemporary Japanese fiction accessible to English readers
The literary journal's debut issue translates a plethora of Japanese literature both old and new, and facilitates discussion about the translation itself.
A media adversary's long battle with Japan's new Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide
In the days leading up Suga's to ascension as prime minister of Japan, one longtime media adversary wondered what his leadership might mean for journalism in Japan.
‘Please kill me now': Japanese Twitter reacts to Osaka Expo 2025's unusual new mascot
Japanese Twitter nicknamed the logo "koroshite-kun", which roughly translates as "Mr. Please Kill Me Now."
How the world's six largest economies are faring amidst the global political economy of COVID-19
"The political economy of any one nation, however, is interlinked with the global economy, and because of this the scale of activities in the largest economies really does matter."
Japan reacts to tennis star Naomi Osaka’s protest in support of Black Lives Matter
Before I'm an athlete I am a black woman. And as a Black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand.
Hiroshima Timeline project under fire for racism, fabricated history
An innovative project about the August 1945 bombing of Hiroshima has come under fire for using racist epithets to describe Koreans, political interference, and for potentially fabricating historical source material.
‘Hiroshima Timeline’ uses tweets to portray real-time experience of world's first atomic bombing
Three Twitter accounts use an "on-this-day" format to share observations and experiences of daily life from 75 years ago in the months leading up to the August 6, 1945 bombing.
Popular YouTube channel documents what it is like to be black in Japan
Popular YouTube channel and website The Black Experience Japan features interviews with dozens of Black residents of Japan.
About our Japan coverage
Nevin Thompson is our Japan editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.
