Kappabashi is a neighborhood best known for two things: kitchen supplies and a Japanese mythological being, the kappa.
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Explore the fascinating world of untranslatable Japanese that reveal unique aspects of Japanese culture and daily life.
Inspired by ice cream cones, Tokyo’s “temaki-zushi” made sushi handheld, affordable — and a quietly radical moment in Japanese dining.
Hōshi, a traditional Japanese inn in Komatsu, Japan, holds the distinction of being the second oldest hotel in the world—and “the oldest still running family business in the world.” Built in 718 AD, Hōshi has been operated by the same family for 46 consecutive generations.
Since 2018, Sanya Cafe has been building community in one of Tokyo’s most colorful — and infamous — neighborhoods.
Visiting small towns is the best way to discover the real Japan. Here's how to visit small towns in Japan in 2025, 2026 and beyond.
It was the summer of 1952, and the executives of Tombow Pencil were about to revolutionize the Japanese pencil industry—or, possibly, fall flat on their faces. Hachiro Ogawa, the son of founder Harunosuke Ogawa, was Tombow's managing director, and he had just finished a years-long project, at enormous cost,
When I was a kid, I was fascinated by a traditional katana my grandfather had brought home from Japan in 1945. Years later, I decided it was time to find the heirloom’s rightful owner.
Kyushu, often passed over by international visitors, is rich in crafts, history and culture. Here are four destinations to consider.
The humble sticky-rice ball’s popularity has shot up because it’s simple to make, is gluten-free and is versatile.
With subsidies and a $6 billion acquisition, Tokyo wants to make its companies indispensable in the global supply chain.
A shrub in impoverished Nepal now supplies the raw material for the bank notes used in Asia’s most sophisticated financial system.
Tokyo Weekender went to Yamato Samples in Toshima city to find out the ins and outs of Japan’s fascinating food sample culture.
Cassettes are making a comeback yet again, but this time it's Japan that's leading the way.
A look inside the sport’s nutrition — and one dish in particular — reveals athletes who are much healthier than many of us realize. | Sport
Explore new authentic Japanese snacks every month. Indulge in hand-selected seasonal sweets, snacks and tea made by local makers. Worldwide shipping.
In the pantheon of yokai, spooky beings of Japanese folklore embody anxieties ancient and modern. On Shodoshima, an art contest helps bring new ones to life.
In the 20th century, Japanese anthropologists and officials tried to hide the existence of the Indigenous Ainu. Then the Ainu fought back like their cousins, the bears.
Media reports focusing on Japan's quirky vending machine culture dive into what new items are on offer and the risk they face due to competition from convenience stores.
“In Hokkaido where I live, winters are harsh and snows are deep,” says photographer Eiji Ohashi. “Every day can become rather inconvenient” due to the constant snowfall. But heavy snows also bring wintry wonderlands and the discovery of small pleasures. One snowy night. Ohashi was walking