Culture

TW Local Style Profiles: Kaori Nishikawa on Her Brand Banner Barrett and Her Favorite Tokyo Shops

Each month, we interview Tokyo-based designers or trendsetters to find out what inspires their style…

Fast Retailing Donates 10 Million Masks to Medical Institutions

In support of efforts to combat the global spread of COVID-19, Fast Retailing (parent company…

Former Miss World Japan Priyanka Yoshikawa on Launching a Brand of CBD Oils in Japan

Born in Tokyo to a Japanese mother and a Bengali Indian father, Priyanka Yoshikawa is…

Japanese Poetry: A Brief Introduction to Kanshi, Waka and Haiku

Japanese poetry is how I first became interested in Japan. It pulled me away from…

Shop Japan #15: Our Monthly Roundup of Artisanal Japanese Gifts and Souvenirs

Looking for something quintessentially Japanese for that perfect gift or souvenir? Each month, we round…

Discover the Charms of Shinagawa’s Traditional Shopping Streets

While Tokyo is known for – and loved – for its hustle and bustle, its…

Learning Japanese: Is Katakana More Difficult to Use Than Kanji?

The idea of learning 2,500 characters isn’t as intimidating as the idea of learning 5,000.…

Yogurt Sake Infuses Hidetoshi Nakata’s Latest KitKat Collab

Last summer, we traveled to Kochi to learn more about Nestle Japan’s yuzu-sake KitKat. Former…

How Tokyo’s Yamanote Train Line Inspired a Unique Art Poster Project

When the first section of Yamanote Line was built in 1885 it served as a…

Photographer Zhang Yu’s Instagram Series Shows a Rarely Seen Side of Japan’s Past

Though it can be easy to mindlessly scroll through Instagram for hours without ever landing…

Tokyo DJ Peter Barakan on His 45-Year Career, Why He Quit Twitter, and Sharing Music Taste with Bowie

As I sit down with Peter Barakan in an artsy Roppongi café, a barristo mentions…

Tokyo Art Guide: 4 Must-See Exhibitions This March

This month, we embrace a mix of traditional and contemporary art of all shapes and…

“Bizarrely transfixing” – We Took a Ride in Tokyo’s First Autonomous Taxi

I was lingering at a taxi stand in Tokyo’s Ningyocho district, actively trying to temper…

Travel Japan: A 48-Hour Adventure in Chiba

What do you think when I say the word, Chiba? Call me presumptuous but I…

7 Ways to Eat Caramel: Jiyugaoka’s Latest Speciality Shop Is All About the Sweet Life

When I moved to Japan, I triple-checked that I had the following three things in…