Menu
Search
 
July 08, 2025
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

LIFE

Lifestyle

Travel
Digital
Food & Drink
Style & Design
Language
Lifestyle
Japan is mad about pets, and the Interpets trade fair showed to what lengths some owners will go for their furry friends.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Cats, dogs, meerkats, goats: Interpets trade fair draws furry hordes
From June 19 to 21, a veritable animal kingdom (and their owners) descended on the Intex Osaka convention center to try new foods and meet new friends.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Why Japanese sunscreen is going viral — and selling out
Japanese skincare is getting its moment in the sun thanks to the help of beauty influencers on YouTube and other social media platforms.
LIFE / Lifestyle
The science of shinrin-yoku: Why forest bathing feels good
Science suggests that three days of “shinrin-yoku” forest bathing is enough to boost immunity for an entire month.
Held from June 7-8, the Japan Rapid Chess Championships is the latest major event put on by the country's chess supporters who hope to capitalize on the game's global momentum.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 14, 2025
Under shogi’s shadow, Tokyo’s chess lovers make their move
By Shyam Bhardwa
Japan has long resisted the lure of chess, but the stage is being set for the country’s first-ever grandmaster, one expert says.
Japan has a deep rogues' gallery of age-old "yōkai" (spirits), but a museum on the island of Shodoshima has released a new book collecting yōkai that reflect the uncertainties of the modern world.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 14, 2025
'Rice swindler,' 'Face thief': Worried citizens invent new monsters
By Thu-Huong Ha
A decade-old contest for original "yōkai" art reflects what keeps people up at night in Japan.
More and more older Japanese people are joining health clubs, with Pilates becoming a popular form of exercise.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 11, 2025
So long, gateball. Japan’s seniors are ready to work those core muscles.
By Yuko Tamura
Japan’s seniors are trading gateball for Pilates, chasing strength, stability and a new kind of aging — with core control.
Located in Nagano Prefecture, Samurai Gakuen tries to help young and old individuals who have withdrawn from society rediscover their places out in the world.
LIFE / Lifestyle
May 31, 2025
How ‘hikikomori’ shut-ins ‘start to have dreams for the future’
By Eric Margolis
As many as 1.5 million “hikikomori” shut-ins withdraw from social life in Japan, but one school in Nagano is finding success is coaxing them back into the world.
Japan's growing ranks of centenarians are redefining what it means to live in a super-aging society.
LIFE / Lifestyle / Longform
May 12, 2025
What comes after 100?
By Tomoko Otake
The number of Japanese centenarians is on the rise, providing new models for how to live in a super-aging society.
2025 Osaka Expo mascot Myaku-Myaku dances on the stage during the event's official opening ceremony on April 12.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Apr 28, 2025
Expo '25 gives the world a masterclass in mascots
By Patrick St. Michel
At Expo 2025 in Osaka, mascots from around the world borrow from Japan’s character culture — but none can match Myaku-Myaku’s gloopy charm.
The Tokyo version of the globe-trotting exhibition features a Ministry of Magic set, which includes an imposing replica of the Magic Is Might monument representing magical fascism.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Apr 18, 2025
Calling all Potterheads: ‘The Goblet of Fire’ comes to Tokyo
By Gendel Gento
The grand scale and attention to detail is likely to impress — just make sure to withdraw some galleons at Gringotts before coming.

Heatstroke alert issued for 19 prefectures as Japan enters 'once-in-a-decade' heat wave
Japan will experience a heat wave through mid-July on a “level only seen once in a decade,” the Meteorological Agency said on June 30.
Japan braces for more quakes as authorities dismiss doomsday hype
Evacuees from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecuture, arrive at Kagoshima Port on Friday.
Foreign nationals' presence in Japan emerges as key issue in Upper House poll
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba delivers a campaign speech next to a Liberal Democratic Party candidate for the Upper House (top center left) in Yokohama on Sunday.
Hidden AI prompts in academic papers spark concern about research integrity
Waseda University is one of 14 institutions in eight countries found to have used hidden prompts in research papers.
Trump announces new tariff rate on Japan — and extension of deadline to Aug. 1
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt holds a trade letter sent by the White House to Japan during a news conference at the White House in Washington on Monday.
Foreign nationals' presence in Japan emerges as key issue in Upper House poll
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba delivers a campaign speech next to a Liberal Democratic Party candidate for the Upper House (top center left) in Yokohama on Sunday.
Lawson to let visitors use larger parking lots as paid car campsites
A Lawson convenience store in Yachiyo, Chiba Prefecture. A new service from the company comes amid the rise in inbound tourists, making hotels and inns harder to book and more expensive.
The future is bright inside the visionary mind of architect Sou Fujimoto
The exhibition of Fujimoto’s architecture surveys his career to date, as well as looks ahead as shown in his proposal of a future floating city designed in collaboration with data scientist Hiroaki Miyata.
A tiny mountain hamlet keeps traditional log rafting afloat
Once a way to transport lumber from the mountains to the coast, log rafting is now Kitayama's biggest attraction.
A furever friend: Tips for responsible dog ownership in Japan
Dog ownership may seem daunting in Japan, but with the right tools and logistical knowledge, you can ensure a healthy, happy life for your pet.

Podcast

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

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Muji has been sustainable from the beginning
Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER

Latest News

Musk faces a daunting path in challenging U.S. two-party system
30 mins ago
Japan to set up 'control tower' for crimes by foreign residents
2 hours ago
Japan stands its ground after Trump letter delivers 25% U.S. tariff shock
2 hours ago
Ishiba thanks outgoing South Korean envoy
2 hours ago
Three years after Abe's shooting, where do things stand?
3 hours ago