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January 24, 2026
 

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LIFE

Travel
Digital
Food & Drink
Style & Design
Language
Lifestyle
Turning "konnyaku" into braids is an easy way to present the low-calorie ingredient in a fun shape.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Washoku Essentials
Twists and turns to spice up the mild 'konnyaku'
By Elizabeth Andoh
A staple of Setsubun, the gelatinous food can be easily enlivened by shaping it into braids and sprinkling them with some fiery chili peppers.
Cold-weather tips that work in Western countries usually need some tweaks to keep you cozy in Japan's winter months.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Don’t let Japan’s next winter storm catch you cold
By Simon Daly
Not used to snow and frigid temperatures now pummelling the Sea of Japan coast? Learn how to keep yourself warm until balmier temperatures return.
The English “I” has gendered equivalents in Japanese that give the listener hints as to how the speaker identifies.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Just between you and me: Gender and Japanese pronouns
By Peter Backhaus
Japanese pronouns reveal gender in unexpected ways, complicating how speakers express identity compared with current English.

Travel

Japan saw more tourists last year than ever — and a new report suggests its popularity among travelers is only going to grow.
Travel
Data-driven travel rankings crown Japan as world’s top destination
By Owen Ziegler
According to travel planning outlet World Travel Index, the weak yen is a major factor in Japan’s enduring popularity with global tourists.
Travel
At the origin of the ‘Mackerel Road,’ this seaside town fed Kyoto
By Edward J. Taylor
Travel
Seeing Kyushu slowly aboard the 36+3 tourist train
By Gendel Gento
Travel
The enduring charm of Japan's oldest Edo Period amusement park
By Aiko Imaizumi
Travel
Park Hyatt Tokyo reopens, and nothing's been lost in renovation
By Owen Ziegler
Travel
InterContinental Sapporo kicks off Hokkaido capital’s MICE push
By Owen Ziegler
Travel
Chasing dragons across the temples of Nara
By Greg Goodmacher

Digital

Justin Scarpone, Sega's global head of transmedia, believes the gaming icon has all the right conditions to become a multimedia powerhouse.
Digital
The American bringing a Disney flair to Sega’s nongaming push
By Gendel Gento
As Sega’s global head of transmedia, Justin Scarpone sees ‘character, environments and stories’ as key to success outside gaming.
Digital / 2025 IN REVIEW
In 2025, Asia got tough on nuisance streamers. Japan did not.
By Owen Ziegler
Digital / 2025 IN REVIEW
In 2025, Japan became the canvas for the year’s best video games
By Owen Ziegler
Digital
Hearing colors and seeing sounds with Tetsuya Mizuguchi
By Gendel Gento
Digital
Ninja Gaiden 4 revives series with kinetic carnage, clumsy platforming
By Gendel Gento
Digital
How Japan’s greatest psychological horror game came home
By Gendel Gento
Digital
Mass-produced AI podcasts disrupt a fragile industry
By Thomas URBAIN

Food & Drink

Turning "konnyaku" into braids is an easy way to present the low-calorie ingredient in a fun shape.
Food & Drink / Washoku Essentials
Twists and turns to spice up the mild 'konnyaku'
By Elizabeth Andoh
A staple of Setsubun, the gelatinous food can be easily enlivened by shaping it into braids and sprinkling them with some fiery chili peppers.
Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Stay warm with a Japanese-style ‘pot-au-feu’ stew
By Makiko Itoh
Food & Drink
With a dose of old-world charm, Bacha Coffee brews its way to Tokyo
By Weiwen Lin
Food & Drink
At Driftwood, cocktails flow to the sounds of city pop
By Weiwen Lin
Food & Drink
Sakemaking takes root beyond Japan, from India to Singapore
By Aarohi Narain
Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Hot chocolate and soy sauce make perfect bedfellows in winter
By Simon Daly
Food & Drink
Start 2026 with familiar flavors of home
By Shyam Bhardwa

Style & Design

Valentino Garavani waves as he arrives for the premiere of the movie "Valentino: The Last Emperor" in Venice on Aug. 28, 2008. The Italian fashion designer died Monday at 93.
Style & Design
Valentino, Italian haute couture 'emperor' who painted fashion red, dies at 93
By Giulia Segreti
From Hollywood glamour to Paris haute couture, Valentino built an empire on elegance, devotion to beauty and one unforgettable shade of red.
Style & Design
Noto's Suzu ware reemerges from the earthquake rubble
By Jessica Kozuka
Style & Design
Designtide Tokyo 2025 closes this weekend with a creator-led marketplace
By Erik Augustin Palm
Style & Design / Longform
Why Japan’s internet looks weird — unless you live here
By Thu-Huong Ha
Style & Design
Frank O. Gehry, titan of architecture, is dead at 96
By Nicolai Ouroussoff
Style & Design
Florist Nicolai Bergmann flourishes outside the box
By Elizabeth Beattie
Style & Design
New generations of designers carry Issey Miyake's legacy
By Phoebe Amoroso

Language

The English “I” has gendered equivalents in Japanese that give the listener hints as to how the speaker identifies.
Language / BILINGUAL
Just between you and me: Gender and Japanese pronouns
By Peter Backhaus
Japanese pronouns reveal gender in unexpected ways, complicating how speakers express identity compared with current English.
Language / BILINGUAL
Just because you broke your resolution doesn’t mean you failed
By Mishu Callan
Language
From ‘senpai’ to ‘love hotel’: 11 new Japanese words enter the Oxford dictionary
By Mike Fu
Language / BILINGUAL
What — and who — helps us stick to our New Year’s goals
By Yuko Tamura
Language / BILINGUAL
Japan’s milestone birthdays: Why 60, 77, 80, 88 and 99 matter so much
By Yaeko Kabe
Language / BILINGUAL
Why Japanese musicians don’t need rhymes to sing
By Eric Margolis
Language / 2025 IN REVIEW
The ‘bear’ defined kanji in 2025. The internet defined almost everything else.
By Yuko Tamura

Lifestyle

Cold-weather tips that work in Western countries usually need some tweaks to keep you cozy in Japan's winter months.
Lifestyle
Don’t let Japan’s next winter storm catch you cold
By Simon Daly
Not used to snow and frigid temperatures now pummelling the Sea of Japan coast? Learn how to keep yourself warm until balmier temperatures return.
Lifestyle
Set your children up for financial success with the new NISA
By Gendel Gento
Lifestyle / Longform
Running hot in 2026: What's in store for the Year of the Fire Horse
By Kathryn Wortley
Lifestyle
Japan’s original decluttering queen cleans up your new year
By Angeles Marin Cabello and Steve John Powell
Lifestyle
Will Japan's 'fire horse' curse strike again in 2026?
By Thu-Huong Ha
Lifestyle
Why is 'Harry Potter' so big in Japan? ‘Oshikatsu’ fandom.
By Gendel Gento
Lifestyle / 2025 IN REVIEW
Osaka Expo and ‘Kokuho’ top 2025’s sumo-style consumer interest rankings
By Mark Schreiber
Read more LIFE stories
Thai woman arrested in Japan for smuggling 'zombie cigarettes'
Seized cartridges containing etomidate are shown at Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture on Tuesday.
Government unveils tighter policies on immigration and foreign residents
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara (far left) speaks in a meeting of ministers on policies regarding foreign nationals and immigration at the Prime Minister's Office on Friday.
Sightseeing helicopter carrying three people goes missing in Kumamoto
What appears to a heavily damaged body of a helicopter is seen inside the crater of Mount Aso in Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Tuesday.
Tennis greats criticize Naomi Osaka for breach of 'basic etiquette'
Sorana Cirstea speaks to Naomi Osaka after their match at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday.
Growing number of anime studios setting up bases outside Tokyo to secure talent
Mappa’s employees work at the anime studio’s office in the city of Osaka in September. Some parts of the image are blurred for privacy reasons.
At peace with baseball and refusing to be benched by surgeries, Warren Cromartie mulls legacy
Former Giants star Warren Cromartie worked with Kazuma Okamoto during his stint as a guest hitting instructor for Yomiuri.
In calling a snap election this soon, Takaichi is making it personal
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announces her will to dissolve the Lower House in Tokyo on Monday.
U.S. and Japan turn to drones to help offset China’s military advantages
Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drones are positioned on the tarmac at a base in the U.S. Central Command operating area in November.
Snap election in February presents wintry challenges in Hokkaido
Workers in Sapporo's Odori Park prepare for the annual Snow Festival, which will take place during next month's Lower House campaign and Feb. 8 election.
Shinkansen vs. Amtrak and the lost art of small talk
The Amtrak Cascades line provides service along the Pacific Northwest from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Eugene, Oregon.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The reflection of one of Ueno Zoo’s twin pandas is seen at their enclosure. The animals’ popularity has prompted concern among local businesses that their departure could hurt foot traffic in surrounding neighborhoods.
What happens when the pandas leave Ueno?
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

A Ukrainian rises in the traditional world of sumo
A Ukrainian rises in the traditional world of sumo

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