Japan struggles to address growing number of empty houses
Nearly nine million homes remain abandoned, even in Tokyo, where officials on bikes keep an eye on empty buildings so they don’t pose a threat to neighborhoods
Good manners become collateral victims of mass tourism in Japan
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
‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ sweeps Japan after a 50-year delay
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 Great Wave off Kanagawa’: From a T-shirt design to illustrating Japan’s new banknotes
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
Cats inspired Japanese culture centuries before the social media fervor
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
My robot and I: Japanese stories of technology and old age
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
Oki Sato, the minimalist designer inspired by manga cat Doraemon
Like the cosmic feline, the founder of design studio Nendo has a magical talent for producing infinite, people-pleasing inventions from nothing
Author who won Japan’s top literary award with help from ChatGPT: ‘AI helps you compensate for your weaknesses’
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 Tokyo toilets that inspired Wim Wenders’ Oscar-nominated film ‘Perfect Days’
The latest release from the German director pays tribute to a unique bathroom-themed design project involving 17 major names in architecture
Japanese movies tell heartfelt stories about the ravages of dementia and age
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
Akihiko Kondo, married to the virtual singer of his dreams
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
Hachiko, the Japanese dog who died waiting 10 years for his owner
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
Fumio Kishida: The prudent politician who wants to change Japan
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
Tokyo opens first poop museum to explore a taboo topic among Japanese youth
The new institution, which adheres to the ‘kawaii’ esthetic, mixes the cute and cheesy with the grotesque. Social media influencers are its target demographic
How sex scenes are shot in Japan, where physical distance is the norm
Intimacy coordinator Momo Nishiyama discusses the challenges of choreographing romantic sequences in a country where kissing and hugging rarely occur in daily life
A Japanese company is selling Spain’s botched art restorations as keychains
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
Leading Japanese flamenco venue says “sayonara”
El Flamenco, epicenter of the Spanish music scene in Tokyo, closes its doors months before celebrating its 50th anniversary
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Trump administration introduces new changes to student loans
The mystery of orange cats is solved: A gene explains why most are male
Seven women, one mansion, and $10 million in one month: The inside story of the OnlyFans house
Hervé Kempf, journalist: ‘The super-rich like Musk and Bezos promote a cultural model that represents an ecological disaster’
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