7 Eco Bags That Meet Function and Style

As you may have heard – or alarmingly noticed during a grocery run – Japan…

Zero as You Are: Miyuki Tokoi’s Documentary Spotlights Japan’s Ostracism of Gender Minorities

Despite being born a female, Takamasa “Sky” Kobayashi entered middle school officially recognized as a…

Japan’s Plastic Footprint Is Larger Than You May Think

Anyone who’s visited Tokyo has seen it: the feeble trash can, hardly holding up, meant…

Unagi: Japan’s Summer Power Food That Rose To Fame Thanks To Genius Edo-period Marketing

As the scorching hot Japanese summer days are fast approaching, our appetite naturally shifts to…

5 Designer Face Masks to Help You Weather the Summer in Style

Though the city has returned to its old rhythm, face masks remain pretty much ubiquitous.…

Tanabata: A Japanese Holiday of Love

It is pretty much the symbol of summer in Japan: a busy street peppered with yukata, lined…

5 Collectibles (& Post-Lockdown Goodies) at Tokyo’s New Kamen Rider Store

Disneyland may have opened to the cheers of antsy visitors (no fireworks yet, though) –…

8 Japanese Office Goods for a Post-Lockdown Desk Makeover

While Zoom is becoming a staple of Japanese offices, the analog activities of journaling and…

10 Waterproof Shoes To Buy in Japan This Rainy Season

However turbulent 2020 has been, one thing is constant: Japan’s rainy season. As workers creep…

10 of the Best Takeout Menus in Tokyo

Even as the city slowly comes back to life following the end of Tokyo’s state…

SMTK’s Marty Holoubek Talks New Album and Tokyo’s Post-Covid Jazz Scene

Jazz bassist Marty Holoubek first came to Japan on a maybe-vacation with The Lagerphones in 2015.…

Can Japan’s Illegal Exotic Animal Trade Lead to Another Pandemic?

From the questionable conditions of Joe Exotic’s “zoo” to American politicians’ viral accusations against China,…

New Jiyugaoka Diner Brings Hawaiian-style Crepes to Tokyo

Oahu is flush with some of the best plate lunch vendors in the world, but…