Japan’s Blue Impulse aerobatic team skywrites colorful Olympic rings over the skies of Tokyo
The opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics will be held in just a few hours (at the time of writing) at 8:00 p.m. on July…
Only in Japan
Unique Othello boards from traditional Japanese paulownia box maker use reclaimed wood waste
New World Co., Ltd., and Masuda Kiribako Co., Ltd., which has been making traditional paulownia wood boxes, known in Japanese as 桐箱 kiribako, since 1929,…
Vulpix appears on even more awesome Pokemon manhole covers in Hokkaido
A few years ago, Pokemon started collaborating with local municipalities around Japan to create ‘Poke Lids’ (called Pokefuta in Japanese). These are manhole covers with…
Bingoya Handicrafts: probably the best souvenir shop in Tokyo
One of the difficulties of shopping for high-quality Japanese craft products in Tokyo is finding everything under one roof. This is where Bingoya comes in….
Help (not) wanted: immigration politics in Japan
Japan is suffering from a terrible labour shortage. A Manpower survey of human resources managers around the world found that HR managers in Japan have…
Will the 2020s be a decade of entrepreneurship in Japan?
Japan often looks more like a land of corporate titans than budding entrepreneurs. There are certainly examples of entrepreneurship in the Japanese economy in the…
Four spots from which to view beautiful Matsushima Bay
Matsushima Bay is a beautiful bay dotted with 260 islands of varying size on the coast of Miyagi prefecture, 15km north of Sendai, the prefectural…
Kyūkyodō: probably Tokyo’s finest store for calligraphy supplies and high-end incenses
Photo by George Lloyd Kyūkyodō (鳩居堂) is a wonderful store that first opened in Kyoto in 1663 and is still run by the Kumagai family to…
Begin your Pokémon journey in style with the Slowpoke airport bus
Imagine. You’ve just landed at the airport. You’re overflowing with anticipation for the adventure that awaits you. You stride, practically run, through the airport, unable…
What is wabi sabi?
Wabi sabi 侘び寂び is a Japanese concept that often has foreigners scratching their heads in bafflement. The first part of the expression – wabi –…
Tōshō-gū in Ueno Park is the real deal – a shrine dating back to 1627
Tokyo is one of the world’s most phoenix-like cities. Whether shaken to the ground by earthquakes, reduced to ashes by fire or bombed to smithereens…
Chingodō in Asakusa: a shrine dedicated to tanuki (racoon dogs)
Chingodō (鎮護堂) is a small Shinto shrine in Asakusa which is dedicated to the tanuki (狸), a small, furry animal that is a mainstay of Japanese…
Kotodama: the belief in the magic power of words
Kotodama (言霊) refers to the belief that words have mystical powers. It combines the word for ‘speech’ (言 koto) and the word for ‘soul’ (霊 tama). Kotodama presupposes that…
Taya Caves, an underground wonder of ancient Buddhist artistry near Kamakura
Taya Caves is a sacred gem of Buddhist carvings in the grounds of Josen-ji Temple near Kamakura. This maze of halls and galleries is decorated…
These photos from Kyoto’s ‘Temple of Wind Chimes’ captures the magic of Japan’s summer
Located in a part of Kyoto known for matcha, Shōjuin Temple 正寿院 in Uji has been giving tourists a splendid view to enjoy their tea…