Featured stories about Japan
Stories about Japan
16 October 2017
What's at Stake in Japan's Snap Election? The Country's ‘Peace Constitution’, for One
Japan votes on October 22. The campaign has seen the disintegration of one political party, and the birth of two new ones, plus plans to change the 'peace constitution.'
7 October 2017
Achieving Barrier-Free Access Proves a Hurdle in Japan's 2020 Paralympics Preparations
With only three years to go until the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, the Japanese government will have to work quickly to make the games truly barrier-free.
6 October 2017
How People Hang Things Up to Dry In Japan
Some people have fun hanging clothes in Japan, while others appear to be indifferent to the task.
4 October 2017
Aoyagi Bisen's Beautiful Calligraphy Has Earned Her a Social Media Following in Japan
Aoyagi Bisen's video of her writing one of the most complicated Chinese characters went viral in September.
2 October 2017
Japan's Removal from South Korea's Winter Olympics Map Revives Old Disputes Between the Two Neighbors
The organizing committee of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics explained that the omission of Japan on the map was a simple technical mistake.
21 September 2017
The Perils of Military Engagement Against North Korea
"Any country that considers an attack on North Korea must confront the question of who turned the DPRK into such a defiant rogue nation."
18 September 2017
For Some Stunning Photos of Japan, Check Out Tokyo Camera Club
Whether you live in Tokyo or not, anyone can submit an image to be considered for Tokyo Camera Club's feed, as long as the photo is of someplace in Japan.
16 September 2017
Vending Machines Around the World that Japanese People Find Surprising
Japan is often considered to have some of the world's most unusual vending machines, but there are a few in other countries giving them a run for their money.
7 September 2017
Chinese Are Questioning the Government's Response to Pyongyang's Nuclear Tests
"Maintaining [social] stability is more important than human life?"
5 September 2017
Ishinomaki's Reborn Arts Festival: Art Therapy for a Tsunami-Scarred City's Soul
The city of Ishinomaki had recovered physically from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, but still lacked its former vitality. Enter the Reborn Art Festival.
3 September 2017
Offbeat ‘Objets d'Art’ Are Rather Commonplace in Japan
"When walking around town, especially in parks and playgrounds, you often see strange 'objets d'art'. Wondering who and what are they for... I am still not sure of the answer."
31 August 2017
Okinawans Protesting US Military Base Asked If They ‘Understand Japanese’
"Okinawa has historically been discriminated against because of its dialect and has suffered under American occupation. It's hard to forgive such language."
24 August 2017
A Popular Japanese Cosmetic Surgeon Is Called Out for Admiring Nazism
"The last thing our world needs today is the embrace of Nazi ideology, under whose banner physicians carried out unspeakable crimes in the name of ‘progress.’"
20 August 2017
A New Documentary Shows the Human Side of Male Sex Work in Japan
"The clients are powerful," says one interviewee in "Boys For Sale." "I end up giving in... So no matter what the customer forces me to do. I cannot really refuse."
13 August 2017
On Anniversary of Nagasaki Bombing, Japanese Government Criticized For Refusing to Sign Ban on Nuclear Weapons
“Whose country are you leader of anyway?” — a representative of survivors of the 1945 bombing lashes out at Prime Minister Abe Shinzo
6 August 2017
Japanese Politician Pressures School Principal About the Use of History Textbook that Explains the ‘Comfort Women’ Issue
‘Why was this textbook selected?’ trended on Twitter after a Japanese politician questioned the selection of a school textbook referencing the ‘comfort women’ issue.
3 August 2017
Japan Reacts With Alarm to Venomous Fire Ant Invasion
Fire ants have never been observed in Japan before.
30 July 2017
A Request to ‘Imagine the World Differently’ One Year After Mass Murder at Japanese Care Home
The video features how residents in a care home for people with intellectual disabilities responded to the largest mass murder in Japan after World War II.
21 July 2017
Between Worlds: The Complicated Life of a Young Japanese Returnee
'We said "sorry" in Japanese, to which she replied, “Oh, you're Japanese? Then always speak Japanese, you foreigner!”'
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