Art & Culture

Tsutaya Dedicated To Japanese Pop Culture Opens in Ikebukuro

Whether it’s idol music, manga, anime or video games, Japanese pop culture is a huge…

The Ninth Okinawa International Movie Festival: Sun, Stars, and Sustainable Development

Now in its ninth-year Okinawa International Movie Festival has become much more than a movie event.…

Yubari’s Film Festival Is a Fantastic, Unpretentious Romp Amidst the Snow

Full of sex, blood and lots of snow, Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival is truly…

A Wedding Chapel as Lovely as the Landscape That Surrounds It

A pair of spiral staircases give this unique wedding chapel an immediate appeal – and…

The People of Okinawa: Meet Three Creative Locals

The islands of Okinawa are having a moment: tourist numbers are climbing as the world…

Why Three Days in Ishikawa Prefecture Just Isn’t Enough Time

Ishikawa Prefecture has always been an intriguing travel destination, but the lack of a direct…

Teenage Author and Illustrator Draws Her Own Conclusions About Life in Japan

It’s not often you meet a teenager who has written and illustrated a book based…

Be Dazzled at Hakone’s Glass Forest Museum

Take a glittering tour of one of Hakone’s classic museums. Like the art form of…

Take a Journey into the Heart at The Museum of the Little Prince

The Museum of the Little Prince in Hakone offers a trip into outer space –…

Get on Board This High-Speed Gallery on Rails

In Japan, it certainly wouldn’t be far-fetched for someone to hop on a Shinkansen in…

Book and Bed Hostel Looks To Be a Bookworm Traveler’s Dream

This new budget getaway in Tokyo is turning the page on conventional hostel concepts. Rather…

Kyoto International Film & Art Festival 2015

Like the city in which it’s based, Kyoto International Film and Art Festival revels in…

Made in Akita

A vast variety of traditional hand-crafted, bespoke products have been lovingly made for many generations…

Akita’s Daisen: A Garden City That Blooms at Night

Daisen’s history has been cultivated by Japan’s national crop, but it has gained its fame…

Floating Through History: Akita’s Hikiyama Matsuri

Generations past come to vibrant life on the rolling stages of this Akita festival. The…