A Samurai History Tour: Japan’s Most Famous Battlefield and a Remarkable Castle
The Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 was a decisive clash of warlords that led to the unification of Japan. Today, you can visit significant historical spots, including a state-of-the...
Small Spaces, Part III: Japanese Ideas for Small and Tiny Homes
The third of a series on innovative, space saving methods from Japanese architecture that can be used in any home. The theme is bringing the exterior into the interior to broaden h...
Small Spaces, Part II: Japanese Ideas for Small and Tiny Homes
Traditional Japan Architecture
The second of a series on innovative, space-saving methods from traditional and modern Japanese architecture that can be used in any home, regardless of size.
Hakko Department: One-Stop Shop for All Things Fermented in Trendy Shimokitazawa
How one man is aiming to change the world with Japan's fermentation culture.
Japan's Amazing DIY Superstores: From Cheap Urban Farming to Building a Home
Information Local Creators' Market
DIY has always been big in Japan. Now a number of stores cater to the creative in all of us, whether its gardening, interior renovation, crafts or even building your own house.
Tokyo's Coolest Farmers Market: A Sustainable Community at UN University
Food & Drink Local Creators' Market
Tokyo's largest farmers market is a hub for regional produce, tasty street food . . . and ideas for building a better future
Tokyo's Best Afternoon Tea Spots
Don your best frock and put your pinkies up! Here are some of the best places to have afternoon tea in Tokyo.
5 Great Tokyo Cocktail Bars
Tokyo is known for its vibrant cocktail scene, with numerous bars offering unique and creative drink experiences. Here is our expert’s list of the city’s top 5 bars!
Why I Love Imari Ware (and Want You to Love It Too)
Arts writer Alice Gordenker shares her appreciation for the Japanese porcelain that has captivated the world for more than 400 years.
Small Spaces, Part 1: Japanese Ideas for Small and Tiny Homes
Innovative, space-saving methods from traditional and modern Japanese architecture that can be used in any home, regardless of size. The first of a series.
The Perfect Weekend in Okayama
One of a series of Perfect Weekends in Japanese cities. Lovers of art, food, history, and nature will all find something to help them spend a fantastic weekend in Okayama.
Onomichi: A Japanese Inland Sea Town That Saved Its Own Life
Cycling Sustainable Development Goals
How sustainability efforts have remarkably revitalized the Inland Sea town of Onomichi by attracting new residents and tourists—with an emphasis on cycling.
The Most Important Japanese Shrine You've Never Heard Of
While Usa Jingu Shrine is the most prestigious shine of the Shinto religion after Ise Jingu Shrine, it is little known, even among many Japanese. But it is an important part of Ja...
Bamboo: the Secret to Takachiho’s Iconic Cuisine
The scenic valley of Takachiho in Miyazaki Prefecture is known for its bamboo cuisine. Here are three of the most popular dishes.
Hope for Fukushima’s Hamadori Coast, Part II: New Ventures Bring Vitality
Fukushima Prefecture’s Hamadori region, which faces the Pacific Ocean, suffered greatly from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and the resulting tsunami and nuclear disaster. Th...
Hope for Fukushima’s Hamadori: Preserving the Past for the Sake of the Future
The coastal area of Fukushima is undergoing a resurgence of hope with the return of displaced residents. We take a look at memorials to the disasters of March 2011 in this first pa...
Tokyo Midtown Yaesu: The City's Trendy New Dining/Shopping Spot
This new complex boasts high-end shops, gastronomic delights, prime office space and the first Japan outpost of Bulgaria Hotel.
Tokyo's 10 Best Outdoor Dining Spots
Noted food critic Robbie Swinnerton picks his favorite places in Tokyo where you can enjoy the outdoors and dine extremely well.
Okinawa's Top 5 Wellness Oils: Nature's Best-kept Secrets
Introducing some lesser known essential oils of the island of Okinawa, where the locals have long known that health is a harmonic state of body, mind and spirit.
Japan's Open Air Folk House Museum: Fascinating, Photogenic, Foreigner-Friendly
Historic homes and rural lifestyles are the focus of this sprawling outdoor museum near Tokyo.
