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Voices

Opal Lee, the "Grandmother of Juneteenth," visited Japan last month shortly after receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Joe Biden.

COMMUNITY / Voices / Black Eye

Jun 14, 2024

U.S. civil rights icon Opal Lee brings her Juneteenth walk to Tokyo

By Baye McNeil

Juneteenth, held on the 19th of the month, celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. Opal Lee sees it as more than an American holiday.

This untitled work was completed and installed in 1994 by a prominent Nigerian artist named Sunday Jack Akpan.

COMMUNITY / Voices / Black Eye

Jun 3, 2024

How a cache of African art found a home in western Tokyo

By Baye McNeil

When I first encountered these statues, I was just minding my business headed for Tachikawa Station. I was struck dumb, paralyzed damn near mid-step.

Why does it feel like we’re in a ceaseless cycle of seasonal prep?

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

May 31, 2024

Help! I'm stuck in Japan's endless cycle of seasonal prep

By Thu-Huong Ha

Rainy season is here, and so are all the preparations for your home and clothes. Why does living in Japan feel like an endless cycle of gearing up for the weather?

For someone who grew up in a country with a system of street names, finding an address in Japan — or worse: trying to guide someone else to one — is no easy task at first.

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

May 7, 2024

Lost in translation? No, lost in Japan’s maze of streets.

By Jordan Allen

Anyone who experienced wayfinding in Japan before the age of map apps will remember how much sleuthing was required to get to your destination.

Making things work as a foreign, single mother in Japan isn't easy, but these tips and tricks can help you through the hardest parts.

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Apr 28, 2024

Raising kids in Japan as a single parent? It takes a village.

By Harriet Ocharo

As with for any single parent, life can present challenges. For those times, you'll need to learn resilience, perseverance and attention to detail.

Transfers usually take place in March at the end of the Japanese business year, but each family's reasons for living apart are different.

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Apr 8, 2024

When your job separates the family

By Louise George Kittaka

Japan's “tanshin funin” system sees married company employees leaving their families behind when they are transferred to faraway posts.

Runners fill the street in front of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building at the start of the 2023 Tokyo Marathon.

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Mar 25, 2024

Medals, jewelry and veggies: Japan’s race prizes run the gamut

By Jordan Allen

Japan's marathons try everything to offer runners experiences they can’t get elsewhere.

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.

As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals

By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

mission sustainability vol.11 : Sekisui House Ltd.World’s top homebuilder acts on its responsibility

mission sustainability vol.11 : Sekisui House Ltd.World’s top homebuilder acts on its responsibility

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