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Tokyo Life
By Cole Lubchenko
As Tokyo gears up for the August heat, an Olympic-themed event, seasonal food fairs, a couple of new Don Quijote stores and a bespoke east-west fusion restaurant are all featured in the…
By David McElhinney
As the clouds of the rainy season fade away and in come the blue summer skies, it’s a great chance to take advantage of the new takeout options that are opening up…
Bakurocho is a little-known name within the lineup of Tokyo neighborhoods, even for long-term residents. Tucked in where the Sumida and Kanda rivers conjoin in the downtown region toward the city’s eastern edge, the…
By Kimberly Hughes
Better known for popular evening entertainment venues such as Ageha, Studio Coast and 1st Ring, Shin-Kiba has more going for it during the daytime than you might know. In contrast to an image…
By Stephan Jarvis
An assemblage of all things hip and all things Shimokita, the Reload shopping area recently opened on the wonderful new development of the former Odakyu Line tracks. It’s by far the most exciting…
Ikebukuro and its surrounding neighborhoods are often overlooked for some of Tokyo’s more popular hubs — yes, I’m looking at you Shibuya and Shinjuku. In spite of this, Ikebukuro is home to…
By James Krick
Host nations always tend to do pretty well at the Olympics. Yet, even with that in mind Team Japan has, thus far exceeded expectations, leading the medal table for much of the…
By Matthew Hernon
I remember the night I fell in love with synchronized swimming. It was mid-summer and London 2012 had gripped the nation. I had just wobbled home from a drinking session of Olympic…
The Olympians are taking over TikTok with their antics inside the Olympic Village, showing us just how well they maintain healthy work-life balance
By Camilla Chandra
For every Michael Phelps there is a Ryan Lochte. The first American swimmer won five gold medals at the 2016 Rio Summer Games. The latter drunkenly urinated outside a Rio gas station,…
By Nick Narigon
Which country changed its name to Eswatini in 2018 upon royal decree? Which nation is called “the land of the nomads” in the local tongue? There is only one national flag that…
Protests and online petitions aren’t stopping netizens from contributing to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic conversation. One can always count on Twitter to keep you in the loop. Even if you’ve muted, blocked…
By Lisandra Moor
Preamble: Team events for the Olympics officially began on Wednesday July 21 with individual competitions starting three days later. We’ll keep you up to date with all the big sporting stories from the Games with our…
Tokyo Weekender's guide to the best events, activities and things to do in Tokyo this July. Fill your calendar before the summer heat cranks up.
By Weekender Editor
The rainy season is forecasted to wrap up soon with sunshine and blue skies set to take over. Boasting beautiful coastlines and lush greenery, Chiba Prefecture is a great destination for a summer vacation from…
By Hiroko Asano
The Japanese proverb “Nana korobi ya oki” which roughly translates as “fall down seven times, get up eight,” reflects the Japanese spirit and how we should learn from victory, but learn even more from a…
By Alma Reyes
Museum entrance fees in Tokyo can be quite pricey, but you can equally enjoy eclectic flavors of art for free inside some of Tokyo’s luxury hotels. Hotel Gajoen Tokyo in Meguro, The…
Healthy eating practices and veganism helped tofu gain a foothold in the West relatively recently. It started slowly in the 1960s and has grown ever more popular. However, Japan has been eating…
By Cezary Jan Strusiewicz
Having spent the past few months freely lamenting the patent lack of expediency in Japan’s vaccine campaign, it’s time to give credit where indeed it is due. The turnaround has been quite…
Rice is an essential part of Japan. Not just the Japanese diet, but also the country itself. Beyond being the staple food source for centuries, the meaning behind this simple grain has been deeply ingrained…
By Sean King
When most people begin their study of reading and writing Japanese kanji, they often learn numbers, days of the week or other simple characters such as “river” and “mountain.” I began mine…
By Shannon Cothran
When is Japanese milk not milk? What may sound at first like a Zen koan riddle is actually a legitimate question that you may want to know the answer to because a…
One of the more surprising aspects of Japanese cuisine, when presented to those who’ve never experienced it, is the array of raw dishes. While people around the world are familiar with sushi, sashimi,…
The first time I tasted amazake was at the entrance of a temple during the celebration of oshōgatsu, also known as the Japanese New Year. Among the classic stands offering okonomiyaki, chocolate-covered bananas and…
By Eleonora Badellino
A wonderful resource for struggling students and bookworms, libraries are usually free and open to everyone. In addition to national and university libraries, your ward or city surely has one too. Foreign residents…
By Paula Chiarino
Building on a ten-year history, student-led TEDxWasedaU is shaping the future while commemorating the past
A British prep school in the heart of Tokyo and Hokkaido is set to open its doors for the first time this summer. August 30 is the date for the grand opening…
Sometimes, when I’m too lazy to go grocery shopping in the morning or afternoon, I still get these thoughts: ‘Oh, I will do it when I pick up Hana.’ And then it hits…
By Andreas Neuenkirchen
For most international families living in Japan, the question of whether they should send their children through the Japanese schooling system or an international — or an alternative (does that exist?) —…
By Ally Hongo
With the second state of emergency announced earlier this month and the ongoing spread of Covid-19, we all know that it’s crucial to stay at home as much as we can afford…
By Sayaka Mitsui
Sex educator June Low has a simple message for parents: if you’re leaving it up to schools to teach your child about sex, then you are shirking your responsibility. Considering that sex…
By Kirsty Kawano
