Culture & Mindset– category –

Walk through any quiet, residential neighborhood in Japan as dusk settles, and you might notice a particular kind of light. It’s not the sharp, sterile glow of a convenience store, nor the warm, inviting lantern of an izakaya. It’s a sof...

If you spend enough time in Japan, you’ll eventually have an encounter that leaves you utterly bewildered. It might be in a business meeting, where your Japanese colleagues nod enthusiastically at your proposal, showering it with praise,...

Ask someone outside Japan what they know about shinrin-yoku, and you’ll likely hear the translation: “forest bathing.” It sounds pleasant, a bit poetic, maybe something you’d find on the menu at a high-end spa in California. The term con...

You asked why everyone in Japan seems to get so profoundly emotional about cherry blossoms. It’s a fair question. From the outside, it can look like a simple, if widespread, appreciation for a pretty flower. But once you’re here, once yo...

You’ve probably heard of shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing.” In the past decade, the term has blossomed in the global wellness scene, popping up in everything from yoga retreats and corporate wellness programs to scented candles and smart...

Imagine it’s 1995 in Tokyo. A woman in her mid-twenties, dressed in a smart but conservative navy blue suit, steps off a crowded train at Shinjuku Station. She navigates the throng with practiced efficiency, her expression a mask of prof...

You see it happen at almost every major temple or shrine in Japan, usually off to the side, away from the main crush of people taking photos. There’s a small, quiet office with a window, and inside, a priest or a shrine attendant sits be...

You see your first one moments after stepping out of the airport. It stands under the fluorescent lights of a train platform, humming quietly, a perfect grid of illuminated choices. It’s just a drink machine, you think. Nothing special. ...

I once watched a friend’s grandmother peel an apple. It was a quiet, mesmerizing ritual. She didn’t just hack away at the skin; she used a small, sharp knife to spiral it off in one long, unbroken ribbon. When she was done, she didn't to...

Walk into any traditional Japanese martial arts dojo, and the first thing that strikes you isn't the sound of kiai—the explosive shouts that accompany a strike—or the rhythmic thud of bodies hitting the mat. It's the opposite. It's the p...

You’ve probably seen the stereotype in a movie or an old anime. The Japanese salaryman, suit slightly rumpled, briefcase in hand, swaying on the last train home long after midnight. He’s a figure of both pity and a strange sort of respec...

You’ve seen them. If you’ve spent more than ten minutes in a Japanese train station, airport, or highway rest stop, you’ve seen them. Endless, immaculate stacks of beautifully designed boxes, each one promising a regional delicacy. White...