The artists, musicians and writers pushing past decades of historical erasure.
Category: Japan
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Many Cultures Borrow. Japan Transforms.
Throughout its history, the country has taken imports and changed them into something else entirely.
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How Impermanence Became Central to Japanese Thought
Transience has come to inform so much of Japan’s culture — even its sense of self.
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What Will Be the Next Big Thing From Japan?
We asked some of our favorite chefs, designers and artists to predict what will become our new obsession.
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How Japanese Superfans Redefined What It Means to Be Obsessed
Otaku, people for whom hero worship is a way of life, have changed everyone’s relationship to the culture.
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The Darker Side of Japan’s Love of Cuteness
From Hello Kitty to Pikachu, the country changed what the world considers adorable. But do these characters represent joy — or rage?
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The Japanese Citrus You’re About to See Everywhere
Yuzu has already gone mainstream. Which fruits will make a splash on menus next?
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How Japan Turned Packaging Into an Art Form
A look at Japan’s love of packaging, from impeccably crafted cardboard to lacquered works of art.
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How Japan Remade American Culture
Convenience stores, ice and whisky first came as U.S. imports. Then, they were reinvented.
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Why Japan Is Best Experienced By Foot
In Japan, the simple act of walking has long been connected to working toward enlightenment.
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Osaka World Expo Recalls a Faded Dynamism From Japan in 1970
The event is stirring memories of an exhibition in 1970, when the postwar Japanese economy was taking off and “you could have dreams about the future.”