Japanese cities are fantastic places to explore with children, but if this column has proven anything, it’s that I like to get away from urban centers whenever I can. Japan is full of natural and cultural wonders for curious families, but they are not confined to cities such as Tokyo, ...
Studies on the long-term effects of habitual barefoot walking or running are scarce, and there is only limited evidence for more foot problems and no evidence for higher injury rates among people who are often barefoot, according to a new review. “Having the huge ...
Walking around Tokyo, you may have noticed a number of tall, narrow chimneys rising above the skyline every so often. Such stacks are a good indication that you’ve stumbled across a sento, or communal bath house. Long-time residents, however, will perhaps have noted that ...
The Halloween juggernaut — buoyed up its synchronization with cosplay, corporations’ search for new marketing opportunities and its affinity for social media — continues to grow in Japan yearly. Here are your portraits of the kawaii (cute) and the kowai (scary) of Halloween in ...
Aged just 17 and still living with her family, Rina Fukushi has seen more of the world than most Japanese schoolgirls. She is the newest model sensation making waves in Europe and New York, wowing on the runway for the likes of Miu Miu ...
In Japan’s housing market, there has always been one verity: Certain parts of Tokyo will always be popular and, therefore, profitable for developers. However, according to various media reports, that verity may have collapsed, at least when it comes to new condominiums. In its ...
When Seiko Kita took her 3-year-old to an Osaka hospital for treatment of injuries, including damage to her ears and other body parts, she never expected the service would be such a godsend. But Nuigurumi Byoin — a self-styled hospital for stuffed toys — ...
Strutting her stuff in a gold-hemmed mini-skirt, white leather boots and shaking silver pom-poms, octogenarian Fumie Takino has discovered her elixir of youth — cheerleading. Takino and her troupe of spirited grannies tweak the nose of old age, even if their rambunctious routine to ...
Hiking in Japan is always fun with family, and with summer subsiding, some of the best months for a mountain walk are around the corner. Japan offers countless choices in its vast mountain ranges, but one of my favorite family hikes is only 90 ...
Scientists confirm that sleep deprivation has a detrimental impact on physical and mental health.
There is one precise moment when I question the wisdom of taking my two young daughters to visit the Snoopy Museum in Tokyo’s Roppongi district. It comes as my 2-year-old kicks her shoes off and makes a barefoot beeline for a fire extinguisher in ...
There has been a recent trend among Japanese comedians to go big — with their workouts. Toshiaki Kasuga, Nakayama Kinnikun and Yoshio Kojima all incorporate flexing into their routines, playing up macho stereotypes for laughs. However, Shun Kaneko isn’t laughing. “On Japanese TV, when ...
A cat lover’s paradise has opened in Osaka’s Shinsaibashi commercial district, housing cat-themed shops and cafes as well as a space for visitors to interact with rescued strays in the hope they will be adopted. More than 100 patrons a day from across Japan ...
