I get this question a lot, usually after someone’s just watched a Studio Ghibli film for the first time. They’ll ask, “Are there really places in Japan like the ones in Spirited Away or My Neighbor Totoro? Places that feel… well, other?”...

You asked why the humble neighborhood public bath, the sento, still exists. It’s a fair question. In a country where practically every home, no matter how small, is equipped with a pristine, often technologically advanced private bathroo...

Imagine a party that lasted for a decade and then, almost overnight, the music stops. The lights come on, and everyone realizes the champagne was borrowed and the bill is due. That was Japan at the dawn of the 1990s. The dizzying heights...

So, you’ve heard about the gokon. On the surface, it sounds simple enough: a group of single men and a group of single women, usually three-on-three or four-on-four, meet up for dinner and drinks. It’s a group date, a casual mixer arrang...

You are standing on the wooden veranda of a small temple in the northern hills of Kyoto. The garden before you is simple, almost austere. It consists of meticulously raked white gravel, a few thoughtfully placed stones, and a low, clippe...

Walk down almost any street in Japan, from the hyper-caffeinated arteries of Shinjuku to a sleepy alley in a remote fishing village, and you will eventually see it: a soft, rectangular glow humming quietly in the dark. It’s the light of ...

Ever found yourself scrolling through a Japanese website and feeling an immediate, almost subconscious sense of calm? Or perhaps you’ve walked into a Muji store and felt your shoulders relax, surrounded by objects that don't scream for y...

When you think of spring in Japan, you probably picture cherry blossoms. You imagine delicate pink petals drifting on a warm breeze, picnics under blooming trees, and a general sense of pastel-colored relief after a long winter. And you ...

Picture this. It’s ten o’clock at night, the city has settled into a low hum, and a sudden, undeniable craving hits you. You want something sweet. Not a chalky chocolate bar from a vending machine or a sad, stale pastry from a 24-hour ga...

You’re in a business meeting in Tokyo. The proposal is laid out, the numbers make sense, and you’ve made your case with what feels like crisp, American-style logic. You look to your Japanese counterpart, Mr. Tanaka, for a decision. He sm...

You know the feeling. The sun is high but not yet oppressive, casting a brilliant, almost-white glare across the sand. The air is thick with salt and the lazy scent of sunscreen. Waves crash in a steady, hypnotic rhythm—a metronome for t...

Ask anyone to name a Japanese food, and you'll likely get a familiar roster: jewel-like sushi, exquisitely plated kaiseki dinners, maybe a perfectly grilled piece of wagyu beef. This is the Japan of glossy magazines and international acc...