Where to enjoy yakitori and yakiton under the tracks at Shinbashi
It’s all too easy to assume that Japanese people spend all their time eating sushi and tempura. In fact, when they go out with friends…
Written By : George Lloyd
Tips for smokers in 21st century Japan
It’s not easy being a smoker in Japan anymore. In the early ’90s, when I first arrived, it was very much a smokers’ paradise, and…
See Tokyo (almost) as nature intended at the National Institute for Nature Study
The summer months in Tokyo, when the cicadas are at their loudest and even the greenery seems to be wilting in the heat, are an…
A potted history of Kabukichō, nightlife capital of Tokyo
Kabukichō is a visual fest. It must have more neon than any other Tokyo neighbourhood, which is no small boast in the most neon-saturated city…
Cures and remedies and the Tokyo temples and shrines that dispense them
Prudence and caution are highly valued in Japan. Perhaps that’s why, despite making up just 1.7% of the world’s population, the Japanese pay 18% of…
The wadokei: the old way of measuring time in Japan
Though less used than the Western calendar, the old Japanese calendar is still used for special occasions like births, deaths, and marriages. A new cycle…
The lucky animals that protected health, wealth and happiness in Edo-era Japan
Lucky animals have always been popular in Japan. People pray for safe childbirth, family health and longevity, as well as for business prosperity and success…
Thrills and spills at Takadanobaba’s Yabusame archery festival in mid-October
If the equestrian events at the Olympics whetted your appetite for all things horsey, you might like to know about yabusame. Yabusame (流鏑馬) is traditional…
‘Hello Kitty is not a cat’ and other surprising facts about the world’s favourite feline
What is the appeal of Hello Kitty? To her fans, she is the embodiment of innocence. As such, you can’t help but empathise with her….
Tokyo’s Kabukichō district isn’t just about the nightlife – it has traditional festivals too
Kabukichō 歌舞伎町 may be known for its adult-oriented nightlife, but September is festival season in the district. The festivals started out as a way to…
Shinjuku: the humble beginnings of Tokyo’s most dynamic sub-city
Rather than a city with a centre, it is more helpful to think of Tokyo as a ring, with at least five sub-cities dotted on…
Fukurokuju: the Lucky God with the very long head
According to Japanese mythology, there are Seven Lucky Gods. You may have seen them aboard the Takarabune (宝船 Treasure Ship), sailing from heaven bound for…
Puk Pupa Teatro in Shinjuku: puppet shows for kids since 1929, now offering online shows
The Puk Pupa Teatro is Japan’s first modern theatre created specifically to stage puppet plays. It regularly holds performances in its charming Shinjuku theatre, and…
Kigumi Museum in Waseda is great for fans of traditional Japanese carpentry
As the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games demonstrated, one of the native traditions of which Japan is proudest is carpentry. For millennia, its carpenters…
Treaty of San Francisco, cornerstone of U.S. Japan defence pact, turns 70 in September
On 8 September 8th, the world will mark the 70th anniversary of the Treaty of San Francisco that Japan signed with the United States in 1951….