Japanology Plus

Japanese public bathhouses, also called sento. From the outside, some of them look like Shinto shrines or Buddhist temples. Inside, they have many features that help to create a space for retreat and relaxation. More than just a place to w…

Ramen is one of Japan's favorite foods. Broth, noodles and toppings are the 3 elements, but within that basic framework there is almost endless variation. An annual gathering in Tokyo of the best ramen shops from around Japan draws hundred…

Mt. Fuji is Japan's tallest peak. Its beauty changes from season to season, from day to day. Frequently featured in ukiyo-e woodblock prints and other artworks, Mt. Fuji is also a place of worship, and home to a deity. The gentle slopes of…

Maneuver your pieces to capture the opponent's king - that's the essence of shogi, Japan's most popular board game. Descended from the same ancient Indian game as chess, shogi dates back more than 400 years, and has been a widely enjoyed p…

Springtime in Japan means cherry trees in bloom. Cherry blossoms flower gloriously, but briefly, then their petals fall like confetti on the spring breeze. This yearly occurrence strikes a deep chord in the Japanese soul. Our expert guest …

Akihabara, with its mix of gadgets and geekdom, is a one-of-a-kind experience. Shops selling everything electronic from appliances to cutting-edge robots crowd its streets. Japan's famous video game and anime subcultures are another big pa…

Wagashi, Japan's traditional sweets. Each colorful, exquisite morsel contains a clear sense of the season - wagashi are an essential part of various annual events. This time, we'll sample the freshest modern flavors, and the 1,000-year his…

Under cover of darkness, moving by stealth, ninja used superb physical skill and special equipment to infiltrate and disrupt their enemies. Ninja appeared during Japan's age of regional conflict, and their origins seem to lie in small comm…

From sushi to sake, rice is an absolutely essential part of Japanese cuisine. Appliance makers offer state-of-the-art rice cookers with elaborate functions, while a "rice-cooking wizard" keeps on making rice the time-honored way. Our exper…

Japan's castles are masterworks of wood and stone. They bristled with defences and functioned as symbols of authority. Today they are cherished local landmarks and popular tourist spots. With their architectural elegance and ingenious fort…

This time, we present an installment of our special talk-show series Japanophiles, which features lively interviews with foreigners living in Japan. Elizabeth Suzuki, originally from Switzerland, has been practicing kamikiri—the Japanese a…

This time, we present another of our special talk-show series Japanophiles, which features lively interviews with foreigners living in Japan. The photographic artist Everett Kennedy Brown uses the old-fashioned wet-plate technique to creat…

This time, we present an installment of our special talk-show series Japanophiles, which features lively interviews with foreigners living in Japan. Carolin Eckhardt is a young German manga artist. Her debut comic, about a cross-cultural m…

Microphone in hand, tens of millions of people in Japan belt out songs in private party rooms known as karaoke boxes. These intimate spaces are great places for friends to build camaraderie... although solo boxes are also gaining popularit…

Bento are portable boxes of food, typically composed of rice, protein-rich main dishes, and vegetables on the side. They've evolved from a purely practical means of sustenance into a fun way to eat - these days, there's even a fad for bent…

Through the ages, bamboo has been profoundly important to Japan's industry, culture and everyday life. But why does bamboo grow so quick, and when does it flower? A great deal about these familiar plants is not yet fully understood. This t…

Japan's taiko drums—made in many shapes and sizes, played at various occasions—are an ancient heritage. Originally taiko were an integral part of festivals and rituals, used to summon the gods. In recent years, taiko drumming has been admi…

Tokyo's Tsukiji Market is the world's largest fish market - hundreds of kinds of seafood from around the world are sold there. 40,000 people work at Tsukiji each day, and hordes of foreign tourists come to check out the vast, buzzing hive …

Festivals are held in every region of Japan throughout the year. The oldest date back well over a millennium, and typically feature prayers for good harvests or peace and stability. These days, festivals in Japan have become vital to many …

This time on Japanology Plus, our theme is Japanese gardens, compact evocations of nature's majesty. Japan has many garden styles: from tea gardens, to the dry gardens of Zen Buddhism, to the pocket gardens of city-dwellers. Our expert gue…

Origami, the traditional Japanese art of creating objects by folding paper. It's a classic pastime that everyone in Japan has done at some point, and with roots in religious rituals and social etiquette, it expresses many facets of Japanes…

Japanese Buddhist statues come in countless shapes and forms, and they are not just objects of prayer but also meticulously crafted works of art in their own right. When Buddhism reached Japan in the mid-6th century, religious statuary cam…

Yokai: the collective name for all sorts of bizarre creatures and supernatural phenomena in Japanese folklore. They have a very long history in Japan, and these days they often feature in video games, anime, manga and many other contexts. …

The Shinkansen is Japan's bullet train system. Since it debuted 50 years ago as the world's fastest train service, its speed, safety and on-time performance have enabled it to carry more than 6 billion passengers. Today, we explore the sec…

Whether it's learning about a traditional custom, or a newly popular sport, people in Japan love to take lessons and develop a skill. It's estimated that there are 86,000 such classes being offered in Japan right now. Courses held before o…

Japan is a robotics superpower. There are approximately 300,000 industrial robots at work in Japan—that's more than any other country, and a quarter of the world total. Japan is also known for its cutting-edge humanoid robots, many of them…

Sports days are all-day athletic meets held annually at schools in Japan—pretty much every Japanese person has taken part in one. Students compete in all sorts of team-based physical challenges; they are also heavily involved in planning a…

With just one plant in one pot, you can create your own personal vision of nature. This is bonsai. Although in Japan it's often regarded as a hobby for old men, bonsai's popularity is growing among younger people and women. On this edition…

Sushi is basically vinegared rice topped with something else—usually seafood. Simple ingredients, but proper preparation demands the delicate skill of a trained chef. Sushi originally came to Japan from Southeast Asia about 2,000 years ago…

A private banquet in the company of geisha is considered the ultimate in elegant hospitality. A common misconception is that geisha are courtesans; in reality, they are skilled practitioners of traditional performing arts. At one time, the…