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Photo essay: Kyoto without tourists

Travel

Photo essay: Kyoto without tourists

by Oscar Boyd

It is rare to see Kyoto’s most popular tourist spots with so few people, but due to COVID-19, the number of visitors to Japan, and to Kyoto, has plunged to record low levels, leaving many of sightseeing destinations deserted.

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Spreading awareness: People march in support of Black Lives Matter in Osaka on June 7.

The language of Black Lives Matter in Japanese

by Angelyn Labadan

Following the killing of George Floyd in late May, the month of June echoed with marches in support of the ブラック・ライブズ・マター (Burakku Raibuzu Matā, Black Lives Matter) movement here in Japan. Local media has been following the movement, too. Many use the katakana term ブラック・ライブ...

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 ...

Rich soil: The author’s composting project just before stirring in the day’s food scraps

How to compost in a cardboard box at home

by Jane Kitagawa

There’s a smell emanating from my kitchen. The days are marching toward Tokyo’s unrelenting, mold-inducing summer, but I’m not concerned: This odor is earthy, rich and fragrant. I’m making compost in a cardboard box, a method that’s become popular in Japan over the past decade. The cardboar...

Quick meal: You can use mentsuyu to make this quick, cooling chazuke (rice with tea, dashi and various toppings) anytime.

Five refreshing and summer-friendly Japanese recipes

by Makiko Itoh

In Japan’s sweltering summers, the last thing you want to do is to spend a long time in the kitchen over a hot stove. This collection of five summer-friendly recipes starts with a homemade version of mentsuyu (noodle sauce), which is used as the flavor base for the other four recipes. With a good...