Kamata Hakensha engraves your name on a new knife in about three minutes, free. Here is how to shop Tokyo's kitchen street and get the blade home legally.
The Emperor's home opens its inner gates on two days a year. On most other days, a free 2.2 km walk past moats and keeps..
Golden Gai's 280-plus bars sit on private land with their own house rules, and a free 45th floor deck shows Mount Fuji o..
Kawagoe's old warehouse street is 26 minutes from Ikebukuro; Nikko's shrines need the best part of two hours each way. P..
He wrote 34 novels and was considered for the Nobel Prize five times. The best place to begin is a short love story set ..
His headstone carries no name, just one character meaning nothingness. Here is the director buried beneath it, his 54 fi..
Niku no Sato only starts frying at noon. Time your Yanaka Ginza visit around that, then walk on past the last shogun's g..
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What's On
10 years covering Japanese culture across the UK, from landmark London exhibitions to small events that most listings miss. Curated, current, worth going out for.
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In Japanese, “Nakama” embodies the spirit of companionship, membership, and fellowship. For us, it’s the sense of belonging to a vibrant community united by a shared love for Japan.
Why would a composer write fingerings into a score, then demonstrate them to the shamisen master who taught him? Dai Fujikura explains Reizei.
Japanese artists and designers are among the most dedicated in the world, as seen by their outstanding achievements in modern architecture, art, design, and Shodō, to name a few. Our content explores some of Japan’s most cherished trades, including unique elements of the Japanese lifestyle and beliefs.
He wrote 34 novels and was considered for the Nobel Prize five times. The best place to begin is a short love story set on a tiny fishing island....
A slogan on a 1989 album cover gave a scene its name, and a Roblox dress-up game handed it to a new generation. Meet the bands behind the make-up....
The series sold so well that the publisher added ten more prints and kept the old title. Here is each view, from the Great Wave to the pilgrims on the...
Shrines, battlefields and village Bon dances had the big drum to themselves for centuries. One idea from 1951 put whole bands of drummers on stage....
A Tokyo publisher sold Japan's new woodblock prints mostly to buyers abroad, then lost his blocks in the 1923 earthquake. The artists he found still d...
If you have dreamed of a trip to Japan or even if you have already been and are still dreaming of that trip, our Japan travel articles are for you. From places & cities to visit to the sights and sounds to experiences, to detailed experiences, we’ll share with you reasons to visit and keep visiting Japan.
Kamata Hakensha engraves your name on a new knife in about three minutes, free. Here is how to shop Tokyo's kitchen street and get the blade home lega...
The Emperor's home opens its inner gates on two days a year. On most other days, a free 2.2 km walk past moats and keeps gets you surprisingly close....
Golden Gai's 280-plus bars sit on private land with their own house rules, and a free 45th floor deck shows Mount Fuji on clear winter days....
Kawagoe's old warehouse street is 26 minutes from Ikebukuro; Nikko's shrines need the best part of two hours each way. Pick your trip by the clock....
Niku no Sato only starts frying at noon. Time your Yanaka Ginza visit around that, then walk on past the last shogun's grave to Nezu Shrine....
Immerse yourself in the perfect blend of ancient traditions and modern marvels
Experience Kyoto’s ancient temples, tranquil gardens, and refined traditions year round in Japan.
Discover Osaka’s vibrant street food, neon nightlife, and iconic landmarks in one dynamic modern city.
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His headstone carries no name, just one character meaning nothingness. Here is the director buried beneath it, his 54 films and where to watch them....
His first film only reached cinemas because Yasujiro Ozu spoke up for it. Here is everything Kurosawa made after that, in order, and the ten to start ...
He walked past the camera as an extra in Seven Samurai and ended up carrying Ran. Eleven films for Kobayashi, five for Kurosawa, and the school he lef...
The blind masseur who became the longest running action hero in Japanese cinema. What his name means, why he fights backwards, and which film to start...
Across misty battlefields and quiet villages time bends as stories of honour violence and survival reshape how the past is remembered...
Mia Kobayashi braced for polite silence when A Chorus Line toured Japan. On some nights the house went wild instead, and she has not forgotten it.
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As culture links with Japan’s historical foundations, the Japanese way of life never ceases to amaze. Japanese thinking, beliefs, and dedicated traditions appeal to those seeking paths of self-improvement and clarity by developing their own meaning for "Ikigai."
For almost 400 years every kabuki role, princesses included, has been played by men. Here is how that happened, and where to see it in Tokyo or London...
A theatre in Akihabara opened in 2005 to an audience of seven. Its group, AKB48, went on to change Japanese pop by letting fans meet the members....
VeXpo brings VTubers to the NEC in Birmingham every September. It began in 2024 with 78 guests, and in 2026 hosted hololive's first UK convention appe...
Most of Japan’s etiquette is never written down. Here are the everyday habits that catch visitors out, from paying and bathing to eating and riding th...
Original loose socks from 1990s Japan now sell for up to ¥12,000. Here is what Heisei retro and Juminocore actually are, and where to find the look....
