
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.
Documenting Okinawa's changing identity over the past half century
A photographer captures the changes that have taken place in the archipelago since it was returned to Japan 50 years ago.
Out of the box: Japan's vending machines get a modern makeover amid pandemic
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.
Reworking utopia: Contemporary Japanese garden design
Modern gardens have moved away from seeking to mirror nature and instead function as mediums for self-expression.
Inside the mind of a mass murderer: Japan's killers increasingly seek notoriety
Violent offenders in Japan are increasingly seeking the notoriety that comes with being sentenced to death for their crimes.
Japan’s ‘hydrogen economy’ runs the risk of being powered by coal
The government-led drive to boost hydrogen energy and lower emissions may end up giving coal-fired power plants a new lease on life.
As the crow flies: A bird’s eye view of Japan’s urban ecology
Tokyo’s once booming crow population has plummeted amid the COVID-19 pandemic. What does that mean for the world’s largest city?
Reimagining Japan’s growing glut of empty homes
Entrepreneurs see an opportunity in Japan’s abandoned properties as businesses try to change them from liabilities into assets.
For some shrinking towns in Japan, depopulation isn't all bad news
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.
Plastic love: Proliferation of PET bottles in Japan complicates a sustainable future
Japan recycles and reuses its ubiquitous plastic container more than almost any other country — but some say it’s still not enough.
Is Japan on the brink of its own ‘Great Resignation’?
The pandemic has prompted millions across the globe to leave their jobs for more fulfilling, flexible roles. Should Japan’s employers be worried?
After Beijing 2022, uncertainty clouds the future of the Olympics
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.
How social norms have influenced Japan’s COVID-19 response
Without any legally enforceable lockdown measures, the watchful gaze of the public eye has kept the nation’s citizens in check.