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June 05, 2025
 

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COMMUNITY

Our Lives

Our Lives
How-tos
Issues
Voices
American Robert Jefferson runs a YouTube channel called The Kamakura Gardener that invites viewers to enjoy the pleasures of gardening, cooking and slow living.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
‘A garden is a grand teacher’: The Kamakura Gardener nurtures via YouTube
Veteran broadcaster Robert Jefferson has built up a following through his comforting video content about gardening, cooking and living in Kamakura.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Mateusz Urbanowicz: ‘Miyazaki inspired me to put the audience first’
The Polish artist and animator talks about how he came to Japan and the inspiration he draws from ordinary streets and storefronts.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
This charming Shiba enjoys life’s simple pleasures
Charisma loves soft toys, snoozing in her favorite spot and getting a nice massage.
Born and raised in Japan, Joshua Thomson has been making videos on YouTube and Instagram to poke fun at stereotypes and challenge assumptions about — or from — Japanese society.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
May 23, 2025
Joshua Thomson: ‘Comedy is a pill that’s easier to swallow’
By Laura Pollacco
The bilingual YouTuber talks about his hybrid cultural heritage and his aspirations in the entertainment industry.
Ten-year-old Cupcake lost her home suddenly when her owner was hospitalized and took some time to adjust to her new circumstances.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
May 23, 2025
Tuxedo cat Cupcake is a special treat
At 10 years old, this cat is settled in her ways but shows sweetness over time.
Edison lost his home during the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, but these tragic circumstances led him to a new life with the Makino family in Chiba Prefecture.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
May 15, 2025
A new chapter for a gentle dog
After losing his home in the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, Edison got a fresh start in Chiba Prefecture with the Makino family.
Ayano Kikuchi began practicing yoga in 2014 to alleviate her chronic back pain, and now shares her knowledge with the Karuizawa community as the manager of W Tree House.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
May 10, 2025
Ayano Kikuchi: ‘People need to take care of themselves holistically’
By Olivia Boissel
How a corporate office worker in Tokyo became a yoga studio manager in Karuizawa
Since 2017, Kotomi Li has won some of Japan’s top literary awards and built a formidable career in the face of persistent online harassment. “Authors are tenacious creatures to begin with,” she says.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
May 5, 2025
Kotomi Li: 'I refuse to choose death'
By Kat Joplin
The Taiwanese writer reflects on the importance of queer community, her ascent in Japan’s literary world and her ongoing battles against online harassment.
Vindaloo was rescued from a Gifu temple, along with a number of other dogs, when he was 2 years old.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
May 1, 2025
A Hokkaido cross that’s more sweet than spicy
Eleven-year-old Vindaloo loves going on walks, and especially enjoys a romp in the snow.
Arunima Mazumdar, a New Delhi-based communications professional, began sharing her love of Japanese literature online in 2022. The platform has grown into a robust community known as Dokusha Book Club.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Apr 26, 2025
Arunima Mazumdar: ‘Japanese literature has a niche but deeply engaged readership in India’
By Megha Wadhwa
The founder of Dokusha Book Club talks about why Indian readers love Japanese books and the community that she’s forged, online and offline.

How Japan's youth are slowly changing the country's work ethic
After the asset-price bubble crash of the early 1990s, employment at a Japanese company was no longer necessarily for life. As a result, a new generation is less willing to endure a toxic work culture —life’s too short, after all.
Toyota Industries receives $33 billion buyout offer from group companies
Toyota group companies could establish a new holding company to privatize Toyota Industries.
Japan’s fertility rate hits record low despite government push
The total number of births dropped to about 686,000, marking the first time the figure has fallen below 700,000, according to a health ministry release on Wednesday.
South Korea’s Lee pledges to heal deep wounds as ‘president for everyone’
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung waves with his his wife, Kim Hye-gyeong, following his inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly in Seoul on Wednesday.
Hakuho’s departure highlights worrying sumo trend
Former <i>yokozuna</i> Hakuho performs a ring-entering ceremony at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo in February 2020.
Hakuho’s departure highlights worrying sumo trend
Former <i>yokozuna</i> Hakuho performs a ring-entering ceremony at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo in February 2020.
Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima dies at 89
Shigeo Nagashima (left), then the manager of the Tokyo Giants, waves to fans with players and coaches during a victory parade in central Tokyo in 2000. Nagashima died at the age of 89 on Tuesday.
‘A garden is a grand teacher’: The Kamakura Gardener nurtures via YouTube
American Robert Jefferson runs a YouTube channel called The Kamakura Gardener that invites viewers to enjoy the pleasures of gardening, cooking and slow living.
Waves of umami: Awaji Island's culinary trove
Silversea Cruises' culinary program takes guests on a rich gourmet experience at wellness retreat Zenbo Seinei, where the local produce is presented in an eight-course meal.
Hegseth to prioritize China and more allied spending in Asia — but questions remain
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrives for a trilateral meeting between Japan, the U.S. and Australia at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

After the asset-price bubble crash of the early 1990s, employment at a Japanese company was no longer necessarily for life. As a result, a new generation is less willing to endure a toxic work culture —life’s too short, after all.
How Japan's youth are slowly changing the country's work ethic
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after
Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after

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