Culture
Book Review: Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa
a sharp and uncompromising voice in modern Japanese fiction
The Japanese Aesthetic of Transparency: From Hokusai to Pocari Sweat
"Toumeikan" is symbolized by water and made visible by the color blue
What is Zakka Style?
A kind of curated coziness
Artist Tomei: Curating Transparent Life (+Aesthetic Jelly Recipe)
Interview with mysterious artist Tomei on the beauty of clear things.
Book Review: The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami
A quiet return to memory, longing and surreal boundaries
The Most Handsome Anime Crushes of 2026
The hottest heartthrobs this year
Traditional Japanese Performing Arts
A guide to the major styles of Japanese Performing Arts
Museums and Art Galleries to Visit in Tokyo
An art-lover’s dream itinerary
Inside the 2026 Akutagawa & Naoki Prizes
The Most Prestigious Prizes in Japanese Literature
7 Japanese Romance Movies That’ll Break Your Heart (in a Good Way)
So you can sob while practicing your Japanese listening skills
The Best Anime Songs of All Time
Certified bangers, no skips
10 Japanese Horror Movies That’ll Make You Switch the “Big Light” On
Eerie films to haunt your nights this spooky season
Your Summer Reading List 2026
Our best new recommendations from Tokyo’s literary scene
Why Are There So Many Cats in Japanese Fiction?
Literary symbol or cultural cliche?
Godzilla: The Kaiju That Remembers
A Creature of Fallout and Postwar Memory
The Door Knockers: Jehovah’s Witnesses in Japan
*bing bong*
How the English Language Failed Banana Yoshimoto
Looking back at the Japanese literary icon 30 years after the translation of her debut novel ‘Kitchen’
Based in Japan: Inside Rakugo With Katsura Sunshine
Translating Japan’s Traditional Comedic Storytelling
8 Art Events in Tokyo To Visit This Spring
Fill your calendar with these must-see art exhibitions
Why Do So Many Japanese Love Stories End in Double Suicide?
How a trope lasted from its birth in theatre to its role in anime
Anime and Manga to Keep an Eye on in 2026
From returning blockbusters to new adaptations shaping the anime landscape this year
Anime and the Adverse Effects of Growth
Milking the proverbial cash cow dry
Inside the Life of a Kabuki Actor
Kabuki actor Monnosuke on the art of becoming someone else
Edo-Tokyo Museum Returns After Four-Year Renovation
Two Names, One City, Centuries of History
Shuna’s Journey: Miyazaki’s Forgotten Masterwork
The 1983 illustrated story that helped shape Miyazaki’s later films
Your Essential Sumo Wrestling Vocabulary Guide
Ready to wrestle? Prepare for the upcoming sumo tournament with this sumo wrestling vocabulary guide and master the essential lingo and must-know moves.
Japanese Color Theory: How Japan Sees Color Differently
What a thousand years of Japanese color tradition can teach us about the way we see
Eight Japan-Based Influencers to Have on Your Radar
From food creators and fashion figures to cultural voices shaping life in Japan today
Why CDs Are Still Big in Japan
On the country's love for the plastic disc
Open Mic Session with Stand-Up Comedian Yurié Collins
Bringing sharp wit and cross-cultural insight to Japan's comedy scene.
What Niseko Says About the Future of Travel in Japan
A weekend in Hirafu's luxury bubble, staying at Niseko Kyo and dining at Masonry
Tokyo Cafés Featured in Anime
Tokyo Cafes to visit in real life that your favorite characters dined at
MOMAT Spring Festival 2026
Celebrating spring at the National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo
Japanese Makeup Products Professionals Love in 2026
J-beauty Picks—From Tokyo Sets to Hollywood red carpets and K-Pop Stages