In an era of executions and forced suicides, this is one presentation you wouldn’t want to doze off in.
history (Page 19)
There was a time when sumo wrestlers and kimono-clad ladies made shipping companies look beautiful.
If you’re a history buff, or time traveler, this could come in handy.
Nijo Castle is one of Japan’s hottest tourist destinations…but for a truly unique historical tour, you need this Minecraft recreation based on the original design!
Experience the samurai spirit first-hand with original swords and armour at the recently opened Samurai Museum.
The family of a Baptist missionary stationed in Japan in the 1930s sent DVDs of the Reverend’s home movies of the era to the Hiroshima town of Onomichi.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, this color footage of the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima should speak entire volumes.
Thousands paid their respect when Nintendo company president Satoru Iwata passed away in July, facing the brunt of typhoon at his service in Kyoto or leaving notes and letters at The Nintendo World Store in New York and the Nintendo headquarters in Redmond, Washington.
Lovers of art, history and animals are celebrating the release of an exclusive set of ukiyoe woodblock prints from 1857 that are now free to download and share online.
What would be the ultimate luxury in personal service for a highborn aristocrat? Someone to draw your bath? Peel your grapes? Fan you with palm fronds? How about a servant whose job it is to take the blame for your farts.
Black and white photos of the Philippines from as far back as the late 1800s look shockingly modern with just a splash of color.
If you take a seat on the Yokohama subway next month don’t be surprised if a warlord from China’s Three Kingdoms period advises you on proper public transport behavior.
Wei leader Cao Cao showing you how to give up your seat, or legendary warrior Lu Bu advising you not to run onto trains are but two of the nine posters recently previewed online. Let’s take a look at them all!
Earlier this month, we looked at a collection of photos taken by the late Kusakabe Kimbei that showed the cityscapes of Japan as they looked in the late 1800s, right before the country’s rapid modernization. But Kimbei didn’t just photograph Japan, he also photographed the Japanese, so today we’re taking another trip back in time, but with a more personal touch, with dozens of photographs that show what daily life was like for the people of Japan generations ago.
For most modern gamers, the idea of rival video game giants Nintendo and Sony collaborating on a project is pretty much unthinkable. But believe it or not, back in the day when the Super Nintendo was king, Sony and Nintendo were supposed to team up to make a new console. Unfortunately the deal went sour, and it was thought that all prototypes of the mythical Sony-Nintendo console were gone.
Until now. A working copy of what has been dubbed the “Nintendo PlayStation” was recently brought to light and shown off online for the world to see. Join us after the jump to witness what could’ve been…
On 4 November, Ei Nakayama of The University of Shiga Prefecture made a historic announcement that eight man-made pillars had been found standing upright at the bottom of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture.
Despite the country’s long history and relatively changeable landscape due to seismic and volcanic activity, this is actually the first time ruins have ever been found underwater in Japan.
While much of the world is celebrating Marty McFly coming back to the future on October 21, 2015, some of us are taking a look back to the past. A Chinese newspaper recently republished a batch of famous photos by French photographer Louis-Philippe Messelier depicting 1930s Shanghai, bringing them back into the limelight.
Japan’s Meiji period ushered in revolutionary changes to the country. As over 200 years of self-imposed isolation came to an end, centuries of economic, political, and scientific advances came flooding into Japan, and the nation’s thinkers and entrepreneurs began scrambling to modernize. Thanks to their efforts, soon after the Meiji period began in 1868, Japan had its first railways, banks, and apparently a dog-powered butter-making machine.


















Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
Is this the most relaxing Starbucks in Japan?
Secret staff cafeteria in Tokyo is a hidden gem you won’t find in travel guides
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
Japanese avoiding domestic travel as foreign tourists increase, possibly creating vicious cycle
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
This is Japan’s, and the world’s, first capsule hotel, and you can still stay there
Naruto’s favorite noodle shop Ichiraku Ramen is real, and we just visited it!
W.T.F. Japan: Top 5 strangest kanji ever 【Weird Top Five】
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Street Fighter Hadouken Churros to be launched and eaten in Tokyo, Okami pudding on offer too
Japanese woman mistaken for bear
Return of Totoro sequel short anime announced for Ghibli Park
Starbucks on a Shinkansen bullet train platform: 6 tips for using the automated store in Japan
More Shinkansen trains being added to Japan’s “golden route” to meet traveler demand
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods and a rhinestone tumbler that costs 19,500 yen
Japanese train company is letting fans buy its actual ticket gates for their homes
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
The 10 best day trips from downtown Tokyo【Survey】
Tokyo considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area
Nintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
This is Japan’s, and the world’s, first capsule hotel, and you can still stay there
Naruto’s favorite noodle shop Ichiraku Ramen is real, and we just visited it!
W.T.F. Japan: Top 5 strangest kanji ever 【Weird Top Five】
New Evangelion short anime, written by Hideaki Anno, to have world premiere early next year
Large amount of supposed human organs left in Osaka marketplace
A Japanese dating app matched our bachelorette with a Buddhist monk, and she learned some things
What’s it like to eat goat sashimi from a Japanese vending machine?