New visitors are often uninterested in the cultural aspects of the country, and show no inclination to observe its rules of etiquette. Overcrowding is also a problem on public transportation and at landmark sites
The 1967 novel by Gabriel García Márquez has become the publishing phenomenon of the summer in Japan, largely due to the upcoming release of the Netflix series based on the book
The most reproduced Japanese work of art in the world is still iconic after almost two centuries and is the subject of a new exhibition in Tokyo at the museum dedicated to its creator, Katsushika Hokusai
From Hello Kitty and Doraemon to the works of Haruki Murakami, Hayao Miyazaki and Yukio Mishima, felines have long been a key figure in the Japanese imagination
In the country with the highest life expectancy in the world — currently facing the crisis of an aging population — scientists, healthcare professionals and technology companies are coming together to fight against problems such as loneliness, cognitive deterioration and loss of mobility
Like the cosmic feline, the founder of design studio Nendo has a magical talent for producing infinite, people-pleasing inventions from nothing
Rie Kudan said that only ‘one page’ of the 144 that make up the story was generated with artificial intelligence, in a passage where the main character has a conversation with an AI system
The latest release from the German director pays tribute to a unique bathroom-themed design project involving 17 major names in architecture
The Asian nation’s graying population is center stage in films like ‘Plan 75,’ ‘A Hundred Flowers’ and ‘Great Absence,’ for which octogenarian Tatsuya Fuji won the Best Actor award at the 2023 San Sebastián Film Festival
The passion for manga, anime and video games in Japan has resulted in an increasing number of people who choose fictional characters as their partners
This year marks the 100th birthday of the puppy who waited outside Shibuya train station every day in the hope of being reunited with his deceased master
The Japanese prime minister – who hosted this year’s G-7 summit in Hiroshima – came to power as a moderate reformer. But now, after less than two years in power, he’s overseeing significant shifts in his country’s economy, foreign policy and national defense
The new institution, which adheres to the ‘kawaii’ esthetic, mixes the cute and cheesy with the grotesque. Social media influencers are its target demographic
Intimacy coordinator Momo Nishiyama discusses the challenges of choreographing romantic sequences in a country where kissing and hugging rarely occur in daily life
The notorious ‘Ecce Homo’ painting from Borja and the cartoonish work on a 16th-century sculpture are two of four works that are being dispensed in Gashapon vending machines
El Flamenco, epicenter of the Spanish music scene in Tokyo, closes its doors months before celebrating its 50th anniversary