JAPAN BLUE – Bringing Tradition Closer to Everyday Life
(By Shiho Starla Kay for JAPAN Forward) “Japan blue” is the color of the emblem for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, as well…
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‘Accessible Japan’: Disabled Blogger is Helping PWDs Enjoy Japan
(By Arielle Busetto for JAPAN Forward) Josh Grisdale is a Japanese citizen originally from a small town in Canada. He was in a wheelchair, but…
A Rose Garden of Lights At the New Tokyo Mega Illumination
(by The Sankei Shimbun via JAPAN Forward) A 10-meter-high light installation in the shape of a large tree sits at the center of the square….
![[Hidden Wonders of Japan] There’s A Hello Kitty Extravaganza at Keio Plaza Hotel!](https://grapeejapan.com/wp-content/uploads/Kitty-Town-in-Tama-1-1024x683.jpg)
[Hidden Wonders of Japan] There’s A Hello Kitty Extravaganza at Keio Plaza Hotel!
(by JAPAN Forward) The Keio Plaza Hotel screams elegance. With its many branches in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district and other locations, it has always delighted guests…
Osaka World Expo Targets 8 Billion Visitors — Thanks to Virtual Reality Technology
by Yuya Hosoda The city of Osaka’s dream for the 2025 World Expo is to use cutting-edge technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), to welcome…
Tokyo Michelin Guide 2019: Onigiri Gets Bib Gourmand Status!
Japan is famed for the stellar level of its cuisine. This year’s Japan Michelin Guide confirmed this high-quality trend by awarding Bib Gourmand status to…
Ajirojima Islet: Where ‘Crumbs of Shooting Stars’ Sleep
(by JAPAN Forward) The moon peeks out between the clouds, silhouetting the profile of the islet. Depicted in a long-exposure photograph are a host of…
s**t kingz: This Japanese Dance Crew Wants the World to Sit Up and Watch
(by Arielle Busetto, JAPAN Forward) You might imagine my slight amazement when I found out that a comedy dance crew by the name of s**t…
Tokyo 1964 and 2020: How the Olympics Have Transformed the City
by Robert Whiting, via JAPAN forward It is something my wife and I look forward to: every morning we walk along the glimmering waterfront at…
Blind Spots among the Neon Lights – Homelessness in Japan’s Urban Areas
Despite being one of the richest and most developed countries on this planet, Japan is not the perfect heaven of modernity the inner parts of…
Station Master Tama the Cat Remains Railroad Goddess After Her Death
JAPAN Forward, Kaichi Iwamoto Tama’s Enduring Popularity The popularity of the endearing “station master” Tama, a female calico cat on the Wakayama Electric Railway Kishigawa…
![Fuji Rock 2018 and YouTube – Japan’s Music Magic goes Global [Video]](https://grapeejapan.com/wp-content/uploads/fujirock1.jpg)
Fuji Rock 2018 and YouTube – Japan’s Music Magic goes Global [Video]
20th Fuji Rock Recap On July 3, YouTube and Softbank announced for the first time ever that this year’s Fuji Rock Festival would be available…
![[Hidden Wonders of Japan] This is How They Line Up at Shinagawa Station](https://grapeejapan.com/wp-content/uploads/shinagawa-station.jpg)
[Hidden Wonders of Japan] This is How They Line Up at Shinagawa Station
The neighborhood of Shinagawa, with its high-rise buildings, is a vibrant heart of business in Tokyo. Large groups of salarymen in black suits seemingly rushing…
Omiya Railway Museum Showcases Dawn of Railroads in Japan Until Sept. 30
© Japan Forward Text: Earl H. Kinmonth, Professor Emeritus, Taisho University This year is the 150th anniversary of the Meiji Restoration. In a narrow sense…
The Art of Shinkansen: Bullet Trains in Japan
The Bullet trains in Japan—Shinkansen—are famous worldwide for their speed, efficiency, comfort, and sheer elegance of shape. They are so elegant, in fact, that the…