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A Ququri living space designed by Spilytus Co.

Downsized dwellings: Inside Tokyo’s tiny living spaces

by Alex Martin

Twenty-five-year-old Sotaro Ito lives in a 9.46-square-meter apartment with a loft in the capital's retro-hip Koenji district. His apartment looks more like an office cubicle, with a desk and computer chair dominating a third of the room. A reading pillow is propped up against one of the walls...

Royal outing: Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko arrive in Ise, Mie Prefecture, last week on what was his last regional trip before his abdication next week.

Kōshitsu yōgo: Terminology that’s fit for an Emperor

by Haruka Murayama

Next week will see the 退位 (taii, abdication) of the current Emperor, who will pass the role on to his son, Crown Prince Naruhito, on May 1. It's a historic event, made even more so because the current Emperor is still alive. Usually this kind of handover comes under much sadder circumstances, ...

Let’s discuss the 10-day Golden Week holiday for 2019

This week's featured article KYODO In a move that will create a 10-day Golden Week holiday period in 2019, the government plans to designate May 1, when the new Emperor is planned to ascend the throne, as a one-off holiday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday. Abe also said that a ritua...

Eyeing the prize: Young models on stage at Tokyo Top Kids Collection, which was held at Yoyogi No.2 stadium, on Aug. 1, 2012 (above and below).

Material girls: Japan’s preteen model boom

by Ayako Mie

AKB48 has reshaped the landscape of youth culture in modern Japan. The pop-idol group's rapid rise to stardom across a wide array of formats has provided the country's children with a fairly straightforward path to commercial success: fame is ultimately achieved by attracting a broad fan base via...