Culture

The Secret Behind Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ Epic Success

Animal Crossing: New Horizons‘ release date of March 20, 2020 was set in stone long before…

Nambu Ironware: Everything You Need To Know About Iwate Prefecture’s Famous Metalwork

A 300-year-old Nambu iron bell hung across from the massive room where specialized workers molded…

12 Heartwarming Children’s Books That Teach Kindness and Empathy

For impressionable, wide-eyed, curious children, a book is a gateway to so much. Reading to…

Former Mori Art Museum Director Fumio Nanjo: “Tokyo Can Survive”

Even though the latest Mori Art Museum exhibition curated by Fumio Nanjo closed prematurely to…

10 Films And Documentaries On Black History And Systemic Racism You Can Watch In Japan

May 25, 2020 was a day that forever changed how many condemn injustice and racism. The…

Japanese Literature 101: The Tale of Genji – The World’s First Novel

Every contemporary work of art is the cumulation of centuries of cultural history. In the…

Shop Japan: 19 Artisanal Tableware & Home Items To Take Your Dinner Party To The Next Level

As countries are gradually re-opening their societies following a significant decline in the number of…

Negotiating with Miyazaki: An Insider’s Account of Studio Ghibli

After two years of laboriously negotiating the contract that gave Disney international distribution rights to…

Where a Bed Becomes a UFO: Meet Designer Chinatsu Onitsuka, Japan’s Love Hotel Researcher

The most interesting thing in the room? “The bed,” says Chinatsu Onitsuka. Though a basic…

EU Film Days 2020: Europe’s Diverse Stories Together, Online, in Japan

Tokyo has an appetite for foreign culture — and film is always on the menu.…

Noa Kazama: 5 Things You Need to Know About the Up-and-Coming Japanese Pop Star

If you happened to tune in to our TW Together Instagram Live Lockdown Concert last month,…

Ed’s Picks: Top 5 Japanese Singles of May 2020

May has been a particularly great month for Japanese rock, in its many different forms.…

The Art World: Our Favorite Exhibitions Go Online

For this month’s Art World, we collaborated with Hasard, a Japanese online museum with the…

8 Black Creatives Making Their Mark in Tokyo

The Black Lives Matter movement that ignited in Minneapolis, Minnesota when George Floyd died under…

Essential Kitchen Tools for Japanese Cooking

From crafting the humble bento to tackling various Japanese ingredients, cooking Japanese cuisine for yourself…