Music Sep 25, 2019

Carl Stone: Plugging into the sounds of the changing city

A resident of Japan for 20 years, Carl Stone has established himself in the local electronic music scene, performing with domestic and visiting musicians

Food & Drink Sep 7, 2019

Sipping the spectrum of Kanazawa coffee

Kanazawa has a reputation as a hub for traditional Japanese arts and culture, but its coffee shops, new and old, offer a glimpse of how locals live and enjoy this historic city.

Music Aug 27, 2019

Delving into a century of Japanese sound

Robert Millis has been playing guitar, making music from field recordings and old records, and making compilations of music from all around Asia for decades. The musician and sound artist has also written books and made movies and sound installations about music and old recordings. ...

Food & Drink Aug 3, 2019

Fukumitsuya Sake Brewery puts a twist on Kanazawa culture

Fukumitsuya Sake Brewery has focused on high-quality sake and capitalized on Kanazawa's rich history and culture to stay relevant in a competitive market.

People | WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN? Jul 6, 2019

Hitoshi Miyazawa: Taking a multicourse adventure in Australia

Kaiseki, the multicourse meal that is the height of refinement in Japanese cuisine is the modus operandi of Hitoshi Miyazawa, head chef for Ishizuka in Melbourne, Australia.

Lifestyle Jun 30, 2019

What is the role of small towns in Japan?

Kiryu in Gunma Prefecture looks into potential ways art could help revitalize the small town.

Music Jun 25, 2019

Sadao Watanabe, Japan's godfather of jazz, passes on his wisdom

Before he became one of Japan's best-loved jazz musicians, saxophone player Sadao Watanabe was one of the first Japanese musicians to study in the United States. As a young man he studied at Berklee College of Music, in Boston. "Back then, the journey was long. ...

Music May 21, 2019

The jazz cafe offering sounds of the 1960s in a Shinjuku basement

For many Tokyoites, Shinjuku is inextricably linked with the 1960s and '70s and with jazz. "There used to be jazz kissa (cafes) everywhere," says Dug cafe owner and jazz photographer Hozumi Nakadaira. During these decades, the district came to be known as a Mecca ...

Art May 7, 2019

Miwa Komatsu: An artist's vision of Shinto and its divine beings

'When I was in elementary school, I was taking a nap under a tree in my garden. Then I had a dream, that would later come true, of having an exhibition as a painter and being an artist. That felt very real, and I ...

Our Lives | TELLING LIVES Apr 17, 2019

Amil Khanzada brings meditation and tech together at one of Japan's Zen landmarks

Japan's rural towns have mainly been facing the same big challenge for the past decade: A migration to urban centers for work has left them with declining populations, which leads to a further decrease in job opportunities that makes them less attractive places to ...