Lifestyle

As Japan's ama (female divers) numbers dwindle, younger divers strive to find ways to pass down the culture.

What is so special about mingei (folk crafts)? For Muneyoshi Yanagi it was significant that ordinary, unknown and largely uneducated craftsmen used natural materials to make objects that were sublimely beautiful.

No ordinary pastor, Kazuhiro Sekino wields a bass guitar like a rock star to bring his congregation together.

Built into a repurposed elementary school, the Kyoto International Manga Museum, one of the most impressive manga repositories in the world, will keep kids entertained for hours.

In Jeffrey Montgomery's Lake Lugano home, items that are no longer used in everyday life in Japan, or that might even be at risk of being thrown away, find new purpose and bring new charm.

While officially trained artisans making traditional decorative hair ornaments dwindle, modern artisans are choosing to create new types of accessories using the same techniques.

Today, Jeffrey Montgomery's mingei (folk crafts) collection is well-known among international dealers and many of his pieces are of a quality rarely seen today, even in Japan; some are unique.

The smallest of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, the rat had only an outside chance in the Jade Emperor's race to determine the zodiac's order. Yet its intelligence, agility and quick-thinking enabled it to win the contest and become the first year ...

Jeffrey Montgomery began collecting mange (Japanese folk crafts) about 40 years ago and has now accumulated more than 800 pieces. He believes mingei is an important part of humanity's shared heritage.

Amid the hard news of the past year, there were some trends that lit up Japan's media offered the nation a sense of, if not a little hope, at least some relief.

The end of the year is a time for thorough cleaning to ready the home for the arrival of Toshigami-sama, the god of the new year. Modern lifestyles notwithstanding, the custom remains deeply ingrained in Japan. Two leading floral designers and an in-demand stylist ...