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Don’t sweat phrases that use the word ‘ase’

by Akemi Tanahashi

Mariko, mata sonna ni asedaku ni natte Mariko, you're all sweaty again Situation 1: Mariko comes back home, dripping with sweat. まり子： ただいまー！ 母： うわ、まり子、またそんなに汗だくになって...。まり子は汗っかきなんだから！すぐ着替えてきなさい。 Mariko: Tadaimaaaa! Haha: Uwa,...

Sukayu Onsen, Aomori Prefecture

Last splash: Immodest Japanese tradition of mixed bathing may be on the verge of extinction

by James Hadfield

In June last year, visitors to the Shiobara hot-spring resort in Tochigi Prefecture were greeted by a notice informing them that one of the area's top attractions was now off-limits. Fudo no Yu, an outdoor bath nestled alongside a secluded forest trail, had been closed indefinitely "due to repeat...

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...

Weekend plans: Heading out to a scenic hiking spot for the weekend? Let's hope your schedule goes according to plan.

Schedule some time to learn the uses of ‘yotei‘

by Kaori Shoji

As Japan comes out of お盆 (o-Bon, a time to honor ancestors), conversations around the coffee machine at work are likely to center on people's 夏休み (natsu yasumi, summer vacations): "お盆休みはどうでしたか？" ("O-Bon yasumi wa dō deshita ka?," "How was your o-Bon holiday?") is one thing you're...

Armed with sumaho (smartphones) and relying on their onna no kan (female intuition), kanshikamera joshi (surveillance-camera women) will send their men dozens of messages an hour, all along the lines of "Dare to nani o shiteiru no?" ("Who are you with and what are you doing?").

Dating in Japan never used to be this difficult — or creepy

by Kaori Shoji

I know, I know (わかってるって, wakatterutte). It's spring, which follows that this is the ren'ai no kisetsu (恋愛の季節, season of love) all over the archipelago. It's actually one of the few times in the year when it's OK to think about love, sex and all the garnishings. We've been given the...