No trip to Japan, even if it’s your second or third time, is complete without a stop in Kyoto. As travel returns to Asia over the next few years, the ancient capital…

Several years ago, Kyoto was at a crossroads as the city pushed to adapt to the influx of foreign tourists. The sometimes-difficult process of pivoting to the needs of visitors over the…

For some tourists, all it takes to spoil a lovely day of sightseeing in Tokyo is a few centimeters of raised concrete. Most of us trod over steps, bumps and slopes without…

Late 1945. Four pilots sit on the beach of a tiny Pacific island. Their planes are being fueled on the tarmac nearby. The tanks are not filled completely, for these young men…

Nintendo has become a global phenomenon, but it wasn’t always that way. When they entered the Western video game market in the early 1980s, it was seen as a risky move. By…

If you’ve always been curious about Zen, there’s a silver lining to the situation we now find ourselves in. Self-isolation and working from home allow for plenty of time to explore zazen…

It’s early afternoon on one of those enjoyable early April days that feels more like mid-May, and something remarkable is happening in a remote corner of Kyoto. Otagi Nenbutsuji temple, located on…

Ask a Japanese person to explain the concept of wabi-sabi and you might be met with moment of apprehensive silence. It’s not an easy idea to talk about, and there exists a…