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Lance Henderstein
For Lance Henderstein's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / PHOTO ESSAY
Dec 10, 2016
Arakawa River: In search of a bygone 'water city'
For much of its history Tokyo was known as city of water. Like Venice or Bangkok, canals were the arteries of commerce, and life was lived in close proximity to rivers and creeks. But that legacy was, for the most part, hidden under concrete in the rushed development leading up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / PHOTO ESSAY
Oct 22, 2016
Coffee from another age: The last 'kissaten' of Yanesen
Shigeo Ota spends six days a week behind the counter of his cafe, Aroma, watching TV and waiting for customers who rarely come. The cafe is in Komagome, a town in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward, close the quiet neighborhoods of Yanaka, Nezu and Sendagi (collectively known "Ya-ne-sen"). There isn't much foot traffic here by Tokyo standards.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / PHOTO ESSAY
Jul 9, 2016
Yuasa: The salty, fermented heart of Japan
Craftsmen from two regional factories — one makes miso; the other, shoyu — ponder the future of their little town and its centuries-old traditions

Longform

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree