#japanese-culture

Strange Tale: The Foxfire Grand Festival

Deep in a mountain valley, there was a small shrine.

5 Japanese Gut Health Habits for Summer

Summer is supposed to be a season of sunshine, vacations, and fresh food. Yet for many people, it’s also a season of bloating, sluggish…

Why Japanese Audiences Are So Hard on Their Own Action Movies

Samurai, superheroes, and the strange way familiarity can make a culture harder to appreciate

How Martial Arts Shaped Japan’s Modern Efficiency

After the U.S. dropped the atomic bombs, Japan was in ruins — though not for very long.

Why Did Samurai Carry Two Swords?

If you’ve ever seen a samurai in a movie, you’ve probably noticed something distinctive: they carried two swords.

The Stories Brands Tell

How Japanese brands connect with their customers

Female Emperor vs. Matrilineal Emperor: Two Japanese Terms Even Many Japanese Confuse

When discussions about Japan’s Imperial Family appear in the news, two terms often come up:

Why Did Samurai Wear Topknots?

When most people picture a samurai, they imagine a sword, armor, and a distinctive hairstyle — the famous chonmage, or topknot.

The Ultimate Waiting Game: How History’s Most Patient Samurai Won It All

The Japanese “Coolies” Who Impressed Isabella Bird

When British explorer Isabella Bird traveled through Japan in 1878, she encountered a side of the country that many Westerners had never…

When a Harvest Disappears Overnight: Why a Pear Theft Has Sparked Strong Reactions in Japan

A look from a Japanese editor based in Japan at why the theft of thousands of premium pears has become more than a local crime — and what…

When Tourism Growth Feels Too Fast: Understanding Japan’s 60-Million-Visitor Debate

A local Japanese perspective on overtourism, resident anxiety, and why respectful behavior matters more than spending power.

What Japanese Ikebana Can Teach Tech Products About Asymmetric Balance

About the Author

I’m Japanese. Here Are 5 Things I Do to Survive 40°C Summers in Japan

From mugicha and uchimizu to parasols and fan-equipped vests, these are the habits that help me through Japan’s brutally hot summers.

Why Do Japanese Gods Feel So Familiar to Indians

A thousand-year conversation we never noticed

Japan: Beyond Perfect

The Athlete Everyone Admires But Not Everybody Is Rooting For

The Japanese Wind Chime That Has Cooled Summers for 400 Years

Long before air conditioning, Japan had a quieter way to survive the heat — one you could hear.

The Power of Chowa

While binge-reading Japanese books in preparation for my Japanese adventure next month, I stumbled upon ‘ The Power of Chowa’ by Akemi…

The Wall Where the Flower’s Shadow Remains

Imagine a single ikebana arrangement placed before the tokonoma. There are not many flowers: one slender branch, one flower not yet fully…

The 2 Chopstick Mistakes That Quietly Horrify Every Japanese Person

Most dinner-table slip-ups in Japan cost you nothing worse than a smile. Two of them are different. Two of them will drop the temperature…

The Night Gion Matsuri Shows You What It Really Is: Fire, Water, and the Mikoshi Arai

A first-hand account of July 10 in Kyoto — the lantern procession, the great torches, and the river purification that most visitors never…

The Hidden Lessons of Love Behind Japan’s School Cleaning Time and Lunch Duty

Cleaning, Serving, Belonging: The Quiet Education Behind Japanese School Life

A Quiet Journey West, Part 1

A Day of Gentle Connections at Izumo Taisha

Why Japanese Children Are So Well-Behaved

Inside shitsuke — Japan’s quiet way of raising kindness and imagination

Why Japanese School Sports Days Look Like Tiny Battles

Undokai isn’t just about sports. It’s about learning how to move, shout, compete, and belong as a group.

The 6:30 A.M. Ritual That Starts Japan’s Summer

Every July, children across Japan wake before their parents to exercise in the park — and the reason is a stamp card

In Japan, There’s a “Right Season” to Buy a Wallet. Here’s Why.

Most of us buy a new wallet whenever the old one falls apart. In Japan, that would make people wince a little. Because there, when you buy…

Today, I’m going to introduce a Japanese snack: "Baby Star Ramen Otsumami."

Japan’s Racetracks Are Showing a Different Side

From “Hashire Kotaro” to “Fanfare,” how horse racing came to mean more than bets and results

Why Do Japan’s Most Successful CEOs Clean Their Own Toilets?

Here’s a scene that surprises a lot of visitors to Japan. The founder of a billion-dollar company — someone who could hire an army of…

In a Japanese Office, Nobody Tells You Where the Line Is

Where you sit, and when you stand up, may decide what you are responsible for.

Before the Scissors Touch the Flower

Imagine a scene on a low table where the plant materials have been laid out but not yet cut. The suiban has already been placed, and the…

How Westerners Feel God vs. How Japan Senses the Divine

In the West, there is only one God. The underlying concept is that a single God rules the world and establishes order.

Homemade Japanese Sesame & Kinako Sweet Bites | An Easy Healthy Snack

This is one of my favorite homemade snacks.

Living on a Small Island in Japan: What My Everyday Life Really Looks Like

A list of all 1045 Sanrio characters (with links to their Hello Kitty Wiki articles)

Sanrio’s universe of characters is enormous — over a thousand of them, spanning everything from household names to one-off mascots that…

From Endurance to Disengagement in Japan

Older generations survived by enduring. Younger people may be surviving by not caring too much.

Dagashi Diaries #15: Cut Yocchan — Two Sheets, Two Very Different Chews

Cut Yocchan costs ¥59 (about $0.37). The bag contains two types of product — both cut into small pieces, both coated in sanbaizu, the…

How to Enjoy Matcha More: Why the Japanese Matcha Bowl Matters

Matcha is not only about the powder. The bowl in your hands can change the color, rhythm, and feeling of the whole tea moment.

Can Believers or Leaders of Other Religions Be Enshrined as Shinto Kami?

Mysterious Japan Part 4

A 2-Night Summer Itinerary in Biei & Furano, Hokkaido — Staying at a Private Villa

Summer in Hokkaido is short, bright, and unforgettable. The lavender fields are in full bloom, the hills of Biei roll out in every shade of…

The Future of Rural Japan

(If We Do Nothing)

Finding Your Ikigai Can Improve Your Health

What neuroscience and global longevity research reveal about purpose as a biological necessity, not a philosophical luxury

Are Japanese People Really Peaceful?

Why “Japanese People Don’t Do X” Is the Wrong Question

Being Asked About “Popular Matcha Cafés in Japan” Made Me Realize a Cultural Gap

“Can you recommend popular matcha cafés in Japan?”

FLM7・A Flower, A Cosmos

Flower Light Mysterious Japan

The Unlabeled Bottle at My Neighborhood Izakaya

In a quiet corner of Osaka, I found a place where familiarity arrives before conversation

เที่ยวญี่ปุ่น 6 เมืองกับวันหยุด 6 วัน

เชื่อว่าหลายคนที่มีโอกาสไปเที่ยวประเทศญี่ปุ่น ส่วนใหญ่ก็มีความรู้สึกแบบเดียวกันคืออยากกลับไปยืนสัมผัสอากาศหนาวอยู่ที่นี่…

Traditional Japanese Sweets Loved in Kamakura — Tomoya Kamakura Komachi Store

While walking along Komachi Street in Kamakura, there is a Japanese sweets shop that naturally catches your attention.

The Courage to Stay Neutral

Finding your own rhythm instead of forcing yourself to fit in