A disgusting new scam in Japan is explicitly targeting Chinese nationals. The threat? Pay up - or get deported. Learn more about how authorities are trying to combat this new scourge in our latest.
Did you know that Japanese once only had four colors? Taking a closer look at the history of colors in Japanese provides a surprisingly deep insight into Japanese culture and history.
Japan verschärft Regeln für Besucher des Berges Fuji
Japan verschärft die Regeln für Bergsteiger, die den Fuji besteigen wollen. Der Vulkan zählt zu den beliebtesten Sehenswürdigkeiten des Landes. Zuletzt gab es wegen der Masse an Touristen Sicherheits- und Naturschutzbedenken.
Fushimi-Momoyama Castle (伏見桃山城) is on a hilltop in southeastern Kyōto, and not easily accessed, so very few Japanese or inbound tourists go there. It makes a good hike for the same reason. The #castle is a reproduction of the intended retirement residence of the national unifier Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but it was near the end of the turbulent Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1600), to which the castle contributed the Momoyama part of its name. Although I am mostly interested in the relatively peaceful palaeolithic to Heian periods, this castle is nevertheless elegant, as befits a predecessor of the Shōguns.
Q: Someone asked if I saw a reproduction of Hideyoshi’s gold-leafed tearoom.
A: Visitors aren't allowed in. There never seem to be staff there. The place has an unfortunate history!
Q: The Meiji Emperor's mausoleum is very close by. Why was this location chosen?
The original site was taken for the tomb of Emperor Meiji! The castle is now nearby.
Have you ever had a coworker who smelled so bad you felt nauseous being near them? There’s now a term for that in Japan: smell harassment (スメルハラスメント), often shortened to sume-hara. Here's why it's a growing issue in the Japanese workplace.
On May 10th this year, Japan Railways’ Suica experienced an IT issue that prevented users from charging their cards using either Mobile Suica or the online EkiNet Web site. That left a few people inside of their destination stations without a sufficient balance to exit the gates.
A lesbian couple in Japan say conditions for them were so bad in their home country that Canada has granted them refugee status. Learn why they applied for asylum - and what this says about the state of LGBTQ rights in Japan - in our latest.