The world feels topsy-turvy these days. Many things seem out of place. To protect the people we care about, we must keep our distance. Some…

Even after lockdowns are lifted across the world, it’s likely many of the measures in place to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus will remain…

(Yukari Tanaka, for JAPAN Forward) Why not add a little practical beauty to this worldwide fight against the novel coronavirus? Some countries are just now…

The ‘state of emergency’ implemented to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has hit the Japanese economy hard. One of the sectors hardest hit…

The coronavirus and state of emergency have turned the world upside down. In this state of exception, everyone is wondering if we’ll ever be able…

Since the onset of the Coronavirus in Japan, face masks have become scarce and increasingly expensive in stores nationwide. The internet has been awash with…

The Covid-19 pandemic has unquestionably affected most people’s day-to-day lives over the last few months. With Japan’s government declaring a nationwide state of emergency in…

The lockdown of 2020 sees us spending a lot of our time finding ways to keep ourselves occupied, whether that entertainment comes from home studying,…

If you were planning an escape from the clutches of societal expectations and the roar of the media screaming “COVID-19” by taking a break at…

A 600-year-old Wisteria tree that normally sees thousands of visitors each year during the blossom season, has had it’s flowering branches cut and removed in…

In response to a shortage of hand sanitizer due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, Japan’s health ministry decided to exceptionally allow beverages with an alcohol…

As the pandemic continues to wreak havoc worldwide, it’s only natural for us to have very strong emotional reactions to this existential challenge. Some may…

Akiko Shigematsu, Sankei Shimbun, published in JAPAN Forward on April 28th, 2020 Seasonal changes that accompany the coming of spring are normally highly anticipated —…

If you’ve been reading grape Japan lately, then there’s a good chance that you know about Amabie アマビエ. Legend has it the yōkai 妖怪 (monster)…

For the last few weeks, the coronavirus lockdown has been in full effect across Japan. Although criticized as “toothless” by many—the power of the government…