-
More Than a Mask: Unpacking Japan’s Pre-Pandemic Mask Culture
Walk through any major Japanese city before 2020, and you would have seen them everywhere. On the packed morning trains, in the quiet aisles of a convenience store, weaving through the neon-drenched streets of Shinjuku. White, black, pin... -
Where the Famicom Generation Goes to Drink
You’ve probably heard of them, or at least seen them in movies. Those little bars tucked away in the back alleys of Shinjuku or down a dimly lit staircase in a provincial city. They’re called sunakku, or snack bars, and they are relics o... -
The Sun-Kissed Rebellion: How Shonan Became Japan’s California
Every weekend, a subtle but significant migration happens. The relentless forward momentum of Tokyo, its packed trains and crowded crosswalks, seems to reverse course for a fraction of its population. They flow south, drawn by a differen... -
The Bitter Taste of Awakening: Why Japan Forages for Mountain Vegetables
Walk into any Japanese supermarket and you’ll be greeted by a vision of curated perfection. Vegetables are washed, polished, and uniformly sized, sealed in crisp plastic under the unwavering glow of fluorescent lights. It’s a world of cl... -
Why Japanese Game Centers Aren’t Just Arcades
Walk past a game center in any Japanese city and the first thing that hits you isn’t a sight, but a sound. It’s an overwhelming, chaotic, and somehow harmonious wall of noise—a crashing wave of digital music, synthesized explosions, anno... -
More Than a Hobby: Inside Japan’s All-Consuming School Club Culture
In Australia, where I grew up, after-school activities were a pleasant supplement to the main event of education. You had soccer practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays, maybe a piano lesson on Wednesdays. Weekends were largely your own. It w... -
Beyond the Wall: Japan’s Mastery of Borrowed Scenery
You’re standing in a Japanese garden, perhaps in Kyoto. It’s not enormous, not by the standards of a European palace, but it feels boundless. The moss is a perfect velvet, the stones are placed with an almost divine sense of purpose, and... -
The Armor of Cuteness: How 2010s Harajuku Weaponized ‘Kawaii’
If you took a time machine back to a Sunday afternoon in 2012 and stepped out near Harajuku Station in Tokyo, you’d be hit by a sensory tidal wave. It wouldn’t just be the crush of people, but a tsunami of color and texture. You’d see gi... -
Stripped Down: Finding Community in Japan’s Neighborhood Bathhouses
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... -
More Than a Fan: Decoding Oshikatsu, Japan’s Lifestyle of Devotion
When you think of a dedicated fan, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s a teenager with posters plastered on their bedroom walls, or sports fans painting their faces in team colors. In the West, we call it fandom, a hobby, maybe even a guilty ... -
Eating with Your Eyes: The Uncanny Art of Japan’s Fake Food
You’ve seen them. Peer into the window of almost any restaurant in Japan, from a high-end sushi counter in Ginza to a humble ramen shop tucked down a Kyoto alleyway, and you’ll find an immaculate, glistening display. It’s a full-course m... -
More Than a Meal: The Universe Contained in ‘Itadakimasu’
You’ve probably seen it. Maybe on your first trip to Japan, sitting in a ramen shop, or watching a movie. Before anyone touches their food, they bring their hands together, give a slight bow of the head, and murmur, “Itadakimasu.” You as...
