Japan is an image-conscious society. Just take a train during a weekday morning rush hour. Businessmen have on pristine suits with ne’er a wrinkle, while…

Can you guess what happened here? This summer in Japan felt short, but it was still a hot one. For some people, the heat can…

Japan continues to struggle to limit the effects of the coronavirus outbreak. As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s prepares to step down, the number of daily…

Grape held its essay contest grape Award 2020 this year from May to August. Contestants could write about one of two themes; heart-stirring or heart-stirring…

Do you remember the movie Cable Guy? It’s an old one, but something of a cult classic. Starring Matthew Broderick and Jim Carrey, it tells…

I can still remember stepping off the plane when I arrived in Japan some years ago. Homeless, friendless, and phone-less, I was incredibly nervous and…

Japan can be a rough place for people with disabilities. Spend some time trekking through off-the-beaten-path train stations, and you’ll likely notice an abundance of…

For someone as young as me, 29 years old to be exact, retirement feels like a long way off. It’s hard for me to even…

Takashi Murakami is one of Japan’s best-known modern artists. In 2008, he was named one of Time magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People’, the only visual…

You see then elegantly framed and proudly displayed in people’s homes. Wedding photos. Images that crystalize the happiest moment of life, to be preserved and…

I’d like to start with a (hopefully) simple question. What is the closest star to Earth? Do you know the answer? I feel like I…

If you clicked on this article thinking you’d get to see a real human Yamato driver being attacked by a ferocious feline, sad to say…

Delicious watermelon, people in yukata dancing Bon Odori, impressive fireworks at night, dozens of flavors of kakigoori (shaved ice), cicadas’ sound, nagashi soumen; all are…

Hakone is a popular destination among visitors because of its abundance in greenery and nature, becoming an escape from the buzzing metropolis. It is easy…

Other than a fear of hard work, I have no phobias. Nevertheless, I grew up with my mother and older sister, both of whom have…