Growing up in the 1990s with a love for American martial arts and action movies, it was impossible not to notice Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. It’s said that great actors “make love” to the camera, but the Tokyo-born Tagawa instead looked into the camera with so much fury, it often felt … | Continue reading
Japan is mourning the loss of Ken-chan, the beloved black cat who spent seven years trying to slip past the sliding doors of the Onomichi City Museum of Art. Ken-chan’s passing, announced on November 11 on the museum’s X account, immediately sparked a wave of tributes from fans. … | Continue reading
Justin Bieber’s new brand, Skylrk, just wrapped up its hugely successful pop-up store in Tokyo, welcomed by an overwhelming queue of adoring fans that was reportedly about 2 kilometers long. Opening its doors for four days only, the Harajuku pop-up launched — among other merchand … | Continue reading
What Are Fukubukuro? The countdown to the new year is almost upon us, and with it — lucky bag shopping season. Fukubukuro are a yearly retail tradition. Combining the kanji for fuku (福, meaning “good fortune”) and fukuro (袋, meaning “bag”) to create “lucky bags,” fukubukuro come … | Continue reading
When winter arrives in Tokyo and the night air grows cold enough to see our breaths, there’s something special about warming up next to a real fireplace. While the city is packed with sleek bars and chic cafes, only a handful offer that intimate fireside ambiance. Here are some o … | Continue reading
In this week’s news roundup we report on the trial of Tetsuya Yamagami, the man accused of assassinating Shinzo Abe. Sanae Takaichi’s “work, work, work, work and work,” comment is named Japan’s buzzword of the year. The ramifications of her statement about Taiwan, though, continu … | Continue reading
If you’ve ever wished you could express your deepest love for someone with the help of Tom Nook, Godiva is making that dream an adorable reality. Launching January 9 and available until February 15, the “Godiva meets Animal Crossing” collection brings together the adorable Ninten … | Continue reading
Japanese cuisine has always revolved around shun (seasonality), and winter is the moment for deep broths, slow cooking and meals meant to warm the body from the inside. Ramen and tempura might be reliable favorites, but the true heart of Japanese comfort food beats loudest when i … | Continue reading
One of the biggest pop culture conventions in the world, Tokyo Comic Convention (abbreviated as Tokyo Comic Con) returns for its 9th year, hosted at Makuhari Messe events center from December 5 to December 7. This year will host a record number of celebrity guests, including Seba … | Continue reading
More women’s universities are beginning to accept transgender students in Japan. A nationwide survey conducted by the Mainichi Shimbun between September and October found that six establishments currently accept transgender women who were assigned male at birth but identify as fe … | Continue reading
The Great Fire of Meireki in 1657 was one of the worst disasters to ever hit Edo (modern-day Tokyo). The blaze destroyed 60% of the city, including the keep of Edo Castle, and killed around 100,000 people. The horrors did not end once the flames were put out, though, as armed gan … | Continue reading
At a press conference on Monday, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara was asked about claims made in a Chinese newspaper that questioned Japan’s sovereignty over the southern island prefecture of Okinawa. “What is the government’s stance and response?” asked the journali … | Continue reading
From Godzilla to Demon Slayer, Japanese pop culture has a long history of reinventing millennia-old stories and legends for modern audiences. This very much includes the dark fantasy manga/anime Jujutsu Kaisen and its antagonist Ryomen Sukuna, a powerful sorcerer and demonic “Kin … | Continue reading
Over the past decade or so, anime has surged in popularity worldwide, receiving widespread recognition pushed by a growing fandom of energetic enthusiasts and creatives. Now more than ever, anime and its related cultural exports are furthering their reach, finding untapped market … | Continue reading
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein premiered in October to critical acclaim and has already found its way to Netflix, giving people around the world a chance to ponder questions first posed by Mary Shelley’s classic novel. For instance, can a pursuit of knowledge be dangerous or i … | Continue reading
As Tokyo lights up with holiday illuminations this December, the city’s indoor art spaces are offering equally beautiful sights. Leading the cultural agenda are several returning events: Tokyo Art Book Fair, a global hub for art publishing and zines; Mori Art Museum’s triennial c … | Continue reading
Maki Otsuki was just coming to the end of her One Piece track “Memories” when the music suddenly cut and the stage lights dropped. Performing in Shanghai at the Bandai Namco Festival 2025 on Friday, the Japanese performer was then ushered off the stage by crew at the venue. The f … | Continue reading
A look at upcoming exhibitions and art shows across Tokyo for the month of December. Whether you want to see some traditional Japanese art or a modern exhibit, here’s everything worth checking out. Tokyo Art Shows in December Tokyo Exhibitions in December Related Posts How Skwat … | Continue reading
Here is what’s happening across Tokyo for the month of December. Check out exhibitions, festivals, events and more! Tokyo Exhibitions and Art Shows in December Tokyo Festivals and Outdoor Events in December Tokyo Live Music and Night Life Events in December Tokyo Anime and Manga … | Continue reading
On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake generated a massive tsunami that sent wave after wave crashing into Japan’s northeastern Pacific coast. These waves were responsible for most of the estimated 19,729 lives lost during the disaster. Over a decade later, 2,500-plus peop … | Continue reading
On this day 10 years ago, Japan lost one of its most beloved manga artists. Shigeru Mizuki, who in 2025 was posthumously inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame, is best remembered for reviving interest in yokai — supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore — wh … | Continue reading
Anyone who has been in Japan recently will have seen the signs — crowds spilling out of Onitsuka Tiger shops, tourists clinging to the shoe brand’s black-and-red shopping bags and entire friend groups wearing matching Mexico 66s. In this atmosphere of Onitsuka Tiger obsession ent … | Continue reading
Toei’s iconic Super Sentai series will reportedly end, with its current incarnation, No.1 Sentai Gozyuger, scheduled to conclude in early 2026. Perhaps best known to Western audiences as the basis for Power Rangers, the franchise defined the “brightly colored masked teams of supe … | Continue reading
Blurring the lines between inspiration and appropriation, AI manga has long been seen as a controversial topic in Japan. Considered a major threat to creators’ livelihoods, many believe stricter guidelines should be put in place to protect artists. Last month, 17 of the nation’s … | Continue reading
Two decades after it played a starring role in Sofia Coppola’s film Lost in Translation, the New York Grill & Bar at the Park Hyatt Tokyo is set to reopen on the 52nd floor of Shinjuku Park Tower next month. To celebrate, we thought we’d have a look at some of the best hotel bars … | Continue reading
Japan is a place where tradition and modern don’t clash, but rather coexist — and nowhere is this more striking than in Osaka, where you can step off a shinkansen and, minutes later, watch a classical artform unfold onstage. Bunraku is a form of traditional Japanese theater perfo … | Continue reading
Asakusa is one of Tokyo’s most visited districts, with roughly 30 million people passing beneath the iconic red Kaminarimon lantern at Sensoji Temple each year. But the district is not defined solely by the storied temple, nor by the colorful stalls of Nakamise-dori, the bustling … | Continue reading
Located steps from Sensoji Temple, the newly opened Engawa Asakusa is meant to serve as a hub for Japanese culture and craftsmanship. In addition to an on-site cafe that serves authentic sencha drinks and baked goods, it has a dedicated shop filled with hundreds of award-winning, … | Continue reading
In this week’s news roundup we report on the ongoing spat between China and Japan. US President Donald Trump allegedly called Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi advising her not to antagonize China. Japan’s chief cabinet secretary has since denied this. China’s Defense Minist … | Continue reading
Located in what is today Higashi-Nihonbashi, the Yagenbori area of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) was where the city’s doctors and herbalists lived. In the 17th century, it established itself as the birthplace of shichimi, the popular red chile pepper spice mix that’s still widely used i … | Continue reading
In our Perfect Days column, we ask notable Tokyoites to share how they’d spend an ideal day in their home city. Born in Fukushima and raised in Northern Virginia, Keegan Hasegawa moved to Japan four years ago for two reasons: to explore his Japanese roots and pursue a career in … | Continue reading
Few actors convey inner turmoil as gracefully as Hidetoshi Nishijima. Best known for his starring role in Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Oscar-winning Drive My Car, the Tokyo native is one of Japan’s most sought-after leading men, known for bringing quiet intensity and emotional precision t … | Continue reading
Yohji Yamamoto’s menswear, primarily showcased through his main line Yohji Yamamoto Pour Homme, has long defied the rigid conventions of Western tailoring. At the heart of his aesthetic is a masterful command of black, expanded into a rich spectrum of grays that highlights his ga … | Continue reading
Shuzo Hamachi is unusually tall for someone who works with diminutive trees. At nearly 2 meters, he dwarfs the bonsai he trims, tends and studies each day in his Fukuoka studio. The scale is inverted: an artist of stature devoted to the discipline of miniature worlds. Bonsai trac … | Continue reading
When I was growing up in the early 2000s, we expressed our identities through carefully selected knickknacks — dress-up dolls, trading cards, obscure band posters — and through allegiance to specific brands. Abercrombie & Fitch polos had a generation of preppies in its grip; ever … | Continue reading
Beneath the steady hum of passing trains on the JR Joban Line, a stretch of long-neglected storage bays under the elevated train tracks has been transformed into a multiuse cultural space. Once a vacant parcel of land in Kameari, a humble shitamachi (downtown) area in eastern Tok … | Continue reading
In the summer of 2024, Steven Hagan took over as the sommelier at Grand Hyatt Tokyo — a sizable undertaking, given that the hotel operates 10 world-class dining and drinking establishments. A certified wine and sake sommelier with over a decade of experience, Hagan set out to cra … | Continue reading
In the history of Japanese design, few figures possess the enigmatic brilliance of Tsuguya Inoue. Standing in dramatic contrast to classic design conventions of minimalism and universal clarity, his works feature a dynamic, often unsettling fusion of photography and typography — … | Continue reading
In our Perfect Days column, we ask notable Tokyoites to share how they’d spend an ideal day in their home city. Hong Kong-born Sarene Chan has been living in Tokyo since 2017, working in graphic design and other creative fields. She’s an art director at Tokyo-based design studio … | Continue reading
Facing the Sea of Japan in Ishikawa Prefecture, Kanazawa is famed for its three historic geisha districts, Higashi Chaya, Nishi Chaya and Kazuemachi Chaya, where Edo-era streets and teahouses have been carefully maintained. The city also boasts the Nagamachi Samurai District, onc … | Continue reading
Discover Engawa Asakusa: A Hidden Sanctuary Near Sensoji Just a few steps from Sensoji, Engawa Asakusa offers a calm counterpoint to the bustle of Asakusa’s main streets. Opened in October 2025, the space feels like a hidden sanctuary, its sleek, minimalist design accented with r … | Continue reading
Hikari could not have chosen a more fitting stage name; in Japanese, it means “light” or “radiance.” The director, born in Osaka as Mitsuyo Miyazaki, laughs easily and loudly, talks to everyone like they’re an old friend, hugs goodbye with people she’s just met. When I meet her a … | Continue reading
Opening the doors to Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura Tokyo feels like entering a jewelry box: floral walls accented with mirrors, dusty pink lamps and lush green velvet furniture. It’s an interior that echoes the fashion house’s heritage of innovative and timeless beauty. There … | Continue reading
A Chinese tourist in Japan died on Tuesday after falling from a suspended roadside near the fourth floor of Terminal 1 at Kansai International Airport in Osaka. The incident occurred at approximately 2:30 p.m. According to police reports, officers arrived at the scene after recei … | Continue reading
The Ainu — Indigenous people of Hokkaido — have spent centuries fighting against assimilation efforts to keep their traditions alive. To truly understand the Ainu’s deeply spiritual culture which is closely intertwined with the natural world, Nibutani is an ideal place to visit. … | Continue reading
If you’ve recently seen a man sprinting sideways across your timeline like a particularly motivated crab, don’t worry, your algorithm isn’t broken. It’s just Ooba Katsunori, also known as Ooba Kamon, the researcher responsible for turning Edo-period running techniques into one of … | Continue reading
Tokushima Modern Art Museum can finally breathe a sigh of relief after years of displaying a phantom masterpiece. One of its paintings, long admired as the work of French Cubist Jean Metzinger, has been exposed as a sophisticated fake by the infamous “genius forger” Wolfgang Belt … | Continue reading
Fuji Soba, a restaurant chain primarily located in the Kanto region, sparked an online debate recently when one of its eateries put up a sign urging tourists to refrain from visiting during lunchtime. The sign, written in English, Mandarin, Cantonese and Korean, appeared at the c … | Continue reading