History | Longform May 15, 2022
Documenting Okinawa's changing identity over the past half century
by Alex K.T. Martin
A photographer captures the changes that have taken place in the archipelago since it was returned to Japan 50 years ago.
Business | Longform May 9, 2022
Out of the box: Japan's vending machines get a modern makeover amid pandemic
by Alex K.T. Martin
The health crisis has highlighted the merits of the unmanned dispensers, leading to a flurry of new — and sometimes bizarre — products being offered by the electronic boxes.
Style & Design | Longform May 2, 2022
Reworking utopia: Contemporary Japanese garden design
by Stephen Mansfield
Modern gardens have moved away from seeking to mirror nature and instead function as mediums for self-expression.
National / Crime & Legal | Longform Apr 25, 2022
Inside the mind of a mass murderer: Japan's killers increasingly seek notoriety
by Rob Gilhooly
Violent offenders in Japan are increasingly seeking the notoriety that comes with being sentenced to death for their crimes.
Environment | Longform Apr 18, 2022
Japan’s ‘hydrogen economy’ runs the risk of being powered by coal
by Francesco Bassetti
The government-led drive to boost hydrogen energy and lower emissions may end up giving coal-fired power plants a new lease on life.
Environment | Longform Apr 11, 2022
As the crow flies: A bird’s eye view of Japan’s urban ecology
by Alex K.T. Martin
Tokyo’s once booming crow population has plummeted amid the COVID-19 pandemic. What does that mean for the world’s largest city?
Business | Longform Apr 4, 2022
Reimagining Japan’s growing glut of empty homes
by Tim Hornyak
Entrepreneurs see an opportunity in Japan’s abandoned properties as businesses try to change them from liabilities into assets.
National / Social Issues | Longform Mar 28, 2022
For some shrinking towns in Japan, depopulation isn't all bad news
by Alex K.T. Martin
For the first time, more than half of all municipalities in Japan will be designated by the government as wholly or partially underpopulated from April 1.
Environment | Longform Mar 14, 2022
Plastic love: Proliferation of PET bottles in Japan complicates a sustainable future
by Kathryn Wortley
Japan recycles and reuses its ubiquitous plastic container more than almost any other country — but some say it’s still not enough.
Business / Economy | Longform Mar 7, 2022
Is Japan on the brink of its own ‘Great Resignation’?
by Alex K.T. Martin
The pandemic has prompted millions across the globe to leave their jobs for more fulfilling, flexible roles. Should Japan’s employers be worried?
Winter Olympics | Longform Feb 21, 2022
After Beijing 2022, uncertainty clouds the future of the Olympics
by Rob Gilhooly
The Olympic flame flickers amid faltering reforms and fading interest as the pandemic exposes shortcomings in the commercial goals of the Summer and Winter Games.
National / Social Issues | Longform Feb 14, 2022
How social norms have influenced Japan’s COVID-19 response
by Alex K.T. Martin
Without any legally enforceable lockdown measures, the watchful gaze of the public eye has kept the nation’s citizens in check.