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The incredible success of Muji, both in Japan and abroad, expresses a desire to return to basics. Since the end of the Second World War, […]

Japanese products are well-known for their quality and beauty. We found out how it all began. The “Zakka – Goods and Things” exhibition currently taking […]

Though there are numerous indications that the situation in the Japan’s provincial regions is worsening, there are still signs of resistance. When travelling through the […]

In a region deep in crisis, winemaking has proved to be the best way to escape the current rural decline.  I wanted to prove that […]

A victim of population decline, this port city has been rejuvenated through innovative ideas to present its heritage. Last September the town of Onomichi, in […]

This port city is being rebuilt five years after the ravages caused by the tsunami, thanks to the commitment of the local inhabitants. On the […]

For years the Japanese government has sought to revitalize the country’s regions, but their methods are outdated. At the end of 2014 the Abe administration […]

Whether you like it or not, motorbikes are synonymous with Japan, if only because of the pivotal importance of Japanese motorbike manufacturers. Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki […]

Biker culture is changing in Japan. It needs to adapt to an ageing population. For many people around the world, Japanese motorbikes are still synonymous […]

God Speed You! Black Emperor by Yanagimachi Mitsuo is an unusual film that bears witness to a bygone era. Since the end of World War […]

To attract more tourists, the local council has invited Lala the cat to help visitors discover the town from a new angle. The small port […]

A little island lost in the middle of the Inland Sea has become a tourist attraction for cat lovers, but the locals aren’t happy… As […]

Tokyo Metropolitan Library Hokusai’s talent would not have gained such great recognition without the help of the publishing houses. One cannot talk about artists such […]

©Hinako Sugiura・mS.hS ©Ｍasaya Suzuki Thanks to her talent and her wide knowledge of Edo culture, this mangaka’s work has become a point of reference. Born […]

Since it first appeared on the market in the 1950s, this appliance has become a musthave for all those who love eating rice. Hong Kong […]

In Kamagawa, southeast of Tokyo, one organization is preserving the increasingly rare terraced rice fields, with no help from grants or subsidies. For those who […]

For several years now, the consumption of this millennia old food has been decreasing across the Japanese archipelago. Can we even begin to imagine Japanese […]

The combination of an ageing population and a rural exodus is threatening the existence of matsuri in the provinces. As summer approaches Iwai Toshio gets […]

The spirit of the paintbrush is celebrated annually just twenty kilometres from Hiroshima. In the soft morning drizzle a dozen men and women line up […]

The matsuri is a communal event which unites all Japanese, whatever their origin. In his office in the heart of the old Asakusa district Watanabe […]

Whatever the season or the region there is always a traditional festival to go to. Here is a short guided tour. You can’t imagine visiting […]

The reinterpretation of tradition is fundamentally important to the work of Atushi and Mayumi Kawamoto. Atsushi and Mayumi Kawamoto – the husband-and-wife partners who founded […]

Maeda Keisuke champions the ideal of architecture working in harmony with the surrounding landscape. UID (an acronym for Universal Innovative Design) was founded by architect […]

Manuel Tardits has lived in the archipelago for many years, and shares his fulfilling experiences as an architect there with us. “Does the imagination grow […]

Japanese houses are not just works of art to be stared at in confusion on the pages of coffee-table books. What kind of images come […]

Immensely famous film director in Japan, but little known abroad, here is Yamada Yoji. When I was young I thought that Ozu’s movies were boring,” […]

Four years after the tsunami that destroyed everything, including the railway, getting the service going again has been greeted with great enthusiasm locally. It took […]

Many wounds inflicted by the disaster remain unhealed. They need to be treated before people can move on. It was raining in the city of […]

Four years have passed since the earthquake on the 11th of March 2011, and the city is starting to get back into shape once again. […]

Relations between Japan and North Korea are complex, and the situation weighs increasingly heavily on Japanese society. On the 13th of January, TV news programmes […]

The head of the Tokyo Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park reminds us of a few common sense rules. According to the Japanese government, the chances of […]

Vulnerable to the whims of nature, Japanese people learn to prepare for the worst through fun and games. Living in Japan is like sitting on […]

Despite the danger they sometimes present, these mountains of fire still have a powerful attraction for the Japanese. On the 27th of September, a few […]

A kappa, as imagined by Katsumata Susumu, an extract from issue 67 of Garo, October 1969. collection Claude Leblanc Yomota Inuhiko was a long standing contributor […]

When you next travel to the Japanese capital, don’t forget to visit these magical places. here are some we recommend. Tokyo is the depachika capital […]

Set off on an adventure to discover one of Japan’s best-kept secrets: the basements of large department stores. According to some foreign visitors, Japan’s so […]

The idea of special excursion trains was first developed on Kyushu Island. They are now multiplying across the rest of the country. Travelling by train […]

In Kitakata, the Yamatogawa brewery produces a 100% guaranteed alcohol while supporting the region’s producers. Situated at the extreme northwest of Fukushima, on the border […]

Not only is it architecturally remarkable, Tsutaya Daikanyama also owes its success to its original business model. This place made the Flavorwire website’s list of […]

Created by a group of mothers, the Kodomo no honya bookshop’s reputation now stretches beyond the capital. Sometimes the best places in Tokyo are tucked […]

The manager of Post has chosen to promote one publisher at a time to enable their work to become better known. If you are tired […]

To give one the time to stop and think; this is the aim of the founders of Cow Books.   Naka-Meguro is considered a hip […]

In 2013 there were 1,675 bookshops in the capital of Japan, compared to only 802 in London. Just as in other parts of the world, […]

Even someone not often inclined to go shopping cannot resist the appeal of Tokyu Hands. Being someone who doesn’t like shopping and whose idea of […]

Located in the young district of Shibuya, this department store is a unique place frequented by a wide range of curious customers. To visit Tokyo […]

Machida Shinobu has made a study of sento for the past 30 years. He knows all the secrets of public baths. Taking a bath may […]

The Matsuyanagi family have been managing this establishment in Yotsuya for the past 45 years. It is growing in popularity again. The first time I […]