You history buffs out there might recall that the mid-1940s was a busy time for Japan. With the empire’s defeat at the end of World War I...

Once upon a time, there was a young American boy who grew up to become a handsome prince. Oh wait, this isn’t a fairy tale. That young...

Back in March, I posted an article about Japan’s declining birthrate, identifying the nation’s key demographic concern and offering the k...

When parking an automobile, most drivers in western countries go headfirst, driving forward into their parking spaces. However, drivers i...

Japan is looking for new ways to woo foreigners, hoping to blunt the impact of its declining population and labor pool. Just last week, t...

In Shakespeare’s most famous romantic tragedy, Juliet tells her lover Romeo, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other na...

This Monday, March 13, was a bright day in Japan, not just from the increasingly springlike weather, but also because of a newfound facia...

Japan is shrinking. Although dutiful Japan Rail employees may still cram passengers into rush-hour trains from time to time, it’s all an ...

Last week, I reviewed the international security and diplomacy elements of Prime Minister Kishida’s 2023 policy speech before the Japanes...

A few weeks ago, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio summarized his administration’s policy goals at the opening of the 211th session of the Die...

When you wander around Japan, be it the countryside or in urban areas, you notice right away that there are a lot of Japanese people here...

Under Japan’s original 1889 constitution, all sovereign power rested in the person of the Emperor. He was the head of the Japanese Empire...

Earlier this month, my wife and I decided to watch “Best Artist 2022,” a music special broadcast on Nippon TV (日テレ). It was presumably a...

Consider the humble katana sword. If you are a fan of jidai geki historical dramas, you understand the kind of damage these weapons can i...

Japan is famously known as one of the safest countries on earth. Nobody gives a second thought to walking alone early in the morning or l...

Earlier this week, North Korea launched a series of ballistic missiles, including one that sailed high over Aomori Prefecture, at the nor...

A core requirement of many grown-up activities in Japan is having a savings account. But there are some adults—law-abiding, financially s...

When I first arrived in Japan, getting a driver’s license was a piece of cake. I moved from a place that had a full reciprocal agreement ...

This past Sunday, I visited an English-language church in Tokyo. After the main service, they had an adult Sunday school class where the ...

When foreigners first move to Japan, they typically enter the “honeymoon” phase. During those first months or years, “God’s in his heaven...