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Tokyo Life
By Ben Cooke
A few stops down from Shinjuku on the Keio New Line lies the inconspicuous neighborhood of Hatagaya. It may not look like much upon arrival but make your way down Nishihara Shotengai…
By Stephan Jarvis
Nakameguro, just two stations from Shibuya on the Toyoko Line, is mostly known for its gorgeous riverside cherry blossoms and high-end bars and restaurants. A frequent hangout for Japanese celebrities, it’s no…
By Benjamin Leighton
A city as big as Tokyo means it’s easy to overlook some of what the smaller suburbs have to offer. One such under-the-radar neighborhood is the former university town of Gakugeidaigaku which…
Popping salty umibudo pearls in your mouth under kawara roof tiles and Orion beer lanterns is the quintessential Okinawan izakaya experience. It’s just that, this time, you’re technically in Tokyo, but does…
By Zoria Petkoska
When we moved from Paris to Tokyo I didn’t know much about Kagurazaka except that it would be our new home. I did, however, hear that the neighborhood was referred to as…
By Tatiana Milovanovic-Mladenovic
In the last month of 2021, Chiba is celebrating the holiday with some sparkly lights and winter flowers. Shops and restaurants bring out their Christmas specials, offering some great feasts that should…
By Hiroko Asano
For this week’s news roundup, Tokyo Weekender spoke to Jack Stone, who yesterday began a hunger strike outside Japan’s National Diet Building. His purpose is to end sole parent custody in this…
By Matthew Hernon
Last week, it was announced in Spain that a draft had been approved for a bill that would introduce menstrual leave. Women suffering severe menstrual pain and discomfort will, if the bill…
By Lisandra Moor
Something of a public art piece, the Tokyo toilets are definitely an eye-catching piece of modern infrastructure. Initiated by the Nippon Foundation, the Tokyo Toilet Project invited 17 talented architects and designers to renovate…
By Lyn Tsuchiya
One day I was standing outside my local ward office staring forlornly into the distance, the way people are wont to do when they undergo stress-inducing encounters with Japanese bureaucracy, when an…
By David McElhinney
Like him or loathe him, the world’s richest man always seems to garner a big reaction whatever he says. Elon Musk’s tweet about Japan’s low birthrate this week was no exception. “At…
In Japan, Sustainable Development Goals (or SDGs for short) are often associated with the current climate crisis. But SDGs cover a wide range of issues, ranging from gender inequality to hygiene. The…
It’s no secret that every startup hub wants to be the Silicon Valley of whatever country they’re based in. And Fukuoka, Kyushu’s largest city with 1.5 million residents, is one of Japan’s…
One of the good things about Japan’s rainy season (tsuyu) is the hydrangeas that come with it. The blue-purple flowers have been admired since as far back as the 8th century. In Japanese literature,…
By Kim Kahan
Before the rainy season arrives, check out some live outdoor events. This week, there’s the “Greenroom Festival ’22,” a music festival in Yokohama, Danish DJ and Producer, MORTEN will be performing in…
By Weekender Editor
It’s going to be a cloudy week in Tokyo. However, there’s no need to fret as there is always something on the agenda to keep oneself busy. On the events schedule this…
Spring in Japan is usually short-lived and comes between winter and tsuyu, Japan’s rainy season. Tsuyu – also pronounced baiyu in some regions – while not an official season, is often referred to as Japan’s…
The Japanese government recently announced that it is planning to slowly reopen the borders to tourists for the first time since 2020. Now, there are many strings attached to this, mainly that they…
Tokyo is back to its bustling self. On the events schedule this week: A Bollywood party, Latin American cuisine, a live stage reading and more. Many of these events are happening this…
This week in Japan is Golden Week, a series of national holidays. Most of the country’s working population is off, making it the perfect time to catch up on new things happening…
An online survey about IVF in Japan conducted in January and February 2021 received responses from roughly 47,000 national public employees. It showed 1.8 percent were undergoing fertility treatment. 10.1 percent, meanwhile, said…
By Emi Schemmer
On Monday, October 4, the committee review meeting to discuss the proposal for over-the-counter access to the emergency contraceptive pill (a.k.a. EC, or the morning-after pill) was held at the Japanese Ministry…
By Jes Kalled
Gender equality organizations are urging the Japanese government to grant over-the-counter access to emergency contraception. They have the public’s backing. A conservative government, however, continues to resist and consider their options. “Accessible…
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
Aoba-Japan International School is an accredited IB (International Baccalaureate) World School with a diverse student body made up of global-minded, innovative and confident students. This year, it is conducting its inclusive high…
By Alexandra Ziminski
Fukuoka International School (FIS) began its story in 1972 amidst the rapidly growing international community of Kyushu. Since then, the non-profit school has grown from under 30 students to approximately 300 with…
I still remember the day we brought the youngest member of our family home. She was so tall and heavy; I could barely carry her. And she was crawling with bugs who…
By Andreas Neuenkirchen
With over 300 million registered users, it’s impossible to talk about language learning apps without talking about Duolingo. It was the first educational software to be chosen as iPhone App of the…
Coinciding with innovations in big data, artificial intelligence and robotics have come major changes in education, namely an increasing emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in secondary education and closing gaps…
By Taylor Stewart
Located in the Daikanyama neighborhood of Shibuya ward, Elite Open School Learning Resource Center Tokyo (EOS LRC Tokyo) offers an international school experience like no other establishment. A micro-school that is part…
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
