Japan's most famous samurai largely emerged from its two most significant feudal conflicts: the Genpei War (1180-1185) and the last years of the Warring States Period (1467-1590). The former war ...

Moving west, we come to Ehime Prefecture, which is also a part of the Shikoku region. Aoshima might be the most sparsely populated of Japan’s Cat Islands, with just 15 permanent residents compared to ...

As I walked toward the center of the cascading waterfalls, severe coldness gripped my feet, and the rhythmic chants of a Shinto priest disappeared under the sounds of torrents pounding the rocky ...

Competitive auto racing has existed in Japan since the 1920s, but it wasn't until the Tamagawa Speedway was opened in 1936 that the sport had a permanent, dedicated track. Soichiro Honda, who would ...

The Edo Period (also called the Tokugawa Era) spans from 1603 to 1868 and saw the emergence of popular figures that all lovers of Japanese culture know well: samurai, geisha, kabuki actors, etc. One ...

Although you probably don’t have the image of island nation Japan as the home of any large dangerous animal, there are in fact two species of bear living here. The Asiatic black bear or “moon bear” as ...

While there are hundreds to choose from, we’ve selected 10 anime that use fascinating and unique real-life settings worthy of visiting! We’ve also ensured a balance of locations across Japan, so you ...

Since 2017, I have been walking sections of the Michinoku Coastal Trail (or “MCT” for short) in Japan’s northeastern Tohoku region. Most recently, I spent 52 days thru-hiking it from south to north ...

The history of origami is challenging to unfold, as any ancient pieces have long since disintegrated. Buddhist monks brought paper to both Korea and Japan from China around the sixth century. While it ...

My passion for the zero-waste town of Kamikatsu began with a research trip for my sustainable tourism master's thesis in 2016. For years, I had been seeking out sustainable communities and zero-waste ...

Japanese society is often concerned with relative status in social relationships. Obviously, higher-ranking employees are considered higher status, but so are guests, those with more experience and ...