Tradition And Technique Meet In New Japanese Match Style Incense Sticks
Two traditional crafts of Hyogo prefecture, matchmaking and incense production, have come together in a simple but innovative new design called Hibi: incense sticks in…
Culture
Shibuya Parco Reborn: Nintendo’s First Store in Japan, A Unique Pokemon Center and More
Shibuya Parco reborn On Friday, November 22nd, the reborn Shibuya Parco will finally open its doors to the public. Featuring 180 unique stores, organized around…
Fearsome Palm Tree Japanese Folklore Dragon Gives Goosebumps In Okinawa
The Shimadakara (“Island Treasure”) Art Festival in Urama, Okinawa celebrates the people, culture, and nature of Japan’s southern islands. One aim of the festival is…
Japan Celebrates Year Of The Rat With Impossibly Cute Capybara Hot Spring
“World’s largest living rodents” can be a bit of a hard sell in terms of cuteness for the uninitiated, but anyone familiar with Capybara knows…
[Kimono Style] Jūnihitoe: Empress Masako’s Sumptuous Enthronement Dress
Sheila Cliffe, for JAPAN Forward The recent enthronement ceremony of the new Emperor and Empress has been a talking point in the last few weeks,…
Ikuboss: Managers In Step with The Times Promoting Father-Friendly Workplaces in Nagasaki Prefecture
Ikuboss Have you heard of ikuboss? A portmanteau term derived from the Japanese word ikuji 育児, meaning “child care” and the English loan word “boss,”…
Frustration Grows With Japanese Companies Prohibiting Women From Wearing Glasses
On November 6th, Japanese morning news variety program “Sukkiri” aired a segment addressing the issue of Japanese companies prohibiting women employees from wearing glasses while…
Japanese Bamboo Art Captivates Western Collectors and the World
Ayako Kurosawa for JAPAN Forward Japanese bamboo art has become a hot sensation overseas, although in Japan such works are viewed more commonly as crafts…
Workaholic Japan Has A Buddhist Ceremony To Mourn Your Unused Holidays
Workaholic Japan and Labor Law Reform While the ethic of hard work has served Japan well in the past, the country’s workaholic culture has taken…
Japanese Voices: YuNi no All Night Nippon i – Episode 18
Japanese Voices 日本語のままクールジャパン is a regular series designed for learners of Japanese to enjoy real Japanese language programming from Nippon Broadcasting System, one of the…
10-Foot Tall “Guardian Beasts” Appear at World Heritage Site Enryaku-ji Temple in Kyoto
UNESCO World Heritage Site: Enryaku-ji Many foreign tourists interested in exploring Kyoto’s religious and cultural heritage make it a point to visit the “Historic Monuments…
Life, Death and Dreams: The Beautiful and Fashionable Art of Shikimi
Some of our readers may recall Shikimi’s designs from our article on the latest Yuru-Hakama loungewear series (now enjoying a wildly successful crowdfunding campaign on…
Japanese Painter Yoshiyasu Tamura’s Art Called “Too Steamy” in Norway Despite Praise Online
Yoshiyasu Tamura 田村吉康 is a painter, manga artist and illustrator who has made a name for himself around the world. He is known for manga…
Joban-Mono: The Most Delicious Fish In Japan Powering Fukushima’s Revival
Located in southeastern Fukushima Prefecture, the coastal city of Iwaki, which is in process of recovering and and showing resilience following the Great East Japan…
The Eerie Costumers Of Japan’s Night Parade of One Hundred Demons
Japan and cosplay go hand-in-hand, so it’s no surprise that every year the gigantic Halloween celebration in Shibuya (which unfortunately erupted into complete chaos last…