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Podcast mania: Whether you’ve been on the bandwagon from the start, or have only recently begun to listen, podcasts are a great source of entertainment.

Japan on air: The best podcasts about the Land of the Rising Sun

by Claire Williamson

Whether you’ve been on the podcast bandwagon from the start, or have only recently begun to listen, new shows pop up constantly. They’re a great way to keep up-to-date with the news, get a new perspective on a personal interest or simply learn something interesting. There’s a podcast for every to...

Remnants: Shoes for a man, a woman and a child left in the Aokigahara Jukai forest on the flank of Mount Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture. The name in part translates as "Sea of Trees," though with good reason it is often referred to as "Suicide Forest."

Inside Japan’s ‘Suicide Forest’

by Rob Gilhooly

I am walking through Aokigahara Jukai forest, the light rapidly fading on a mid-winter afternoon, when I am stopped dead in my tracks by a blood-curdling scream. The natural reaction would be to run, but the forest floor is a maze of roots and slippery rocks and, truth be told, I am lost in this ...

Already facing stiff competition in the retail sector, traditional shopping arcades nationwide are rallying together with their local communities to battle sluggish sales amid the pandemic.

Japan’s traditional shopping arcades struggle to remain relevant

by Rebecca Saunders

Every shōtengai in Japan has its own story to tell. These traditional shopping arcades are a living, breathing part of local communities, each with their own unique specialties, atmosphere and character. They’ve struggled in recent times as large supermarkets and department stores nationwid...

Have faith: “We operate in the belief that we will keep going,” says Tonkatsu Tonki’s proprietor, Izuhi Yoshihara.

Tokyo’s restaurants stare down COVID-19: ‘We have to stay open’

by Dan Buyanovsky

It’s a Friday in early July at 3:45 p.m. and a line is forming in front of notable Meguro restaurant Tonkatsu Tonki. Within minutes, every seat in the open-format eatery will be taken by customers hungry for Tonki’s signature egg, flour and panko-coated tonkatsu (pork cutlet). It feels like a ret...