Japanese Footwear Waragutsu: Straw Boots for Snow and Survival
When Sandals Were Not EnoughIn much of Japan, straw sandals were sufficient for daily life. But in colder regions, espec...
Japanese Footwear 
Japanese Footwear Before Rubber: Straw Sandals in Traditional Japan — For People and Horses
Walking on Straw: Life Before Modern ShoesBefore rubber soles and leather boots became common, everyday life in Japan de...
Places & Landscapes The Silent Cathedral of Industry
Hiroshima’s Naka Incineration PlantA Gate Framed in SteelAt first glance, it does not look like a waste incineration fac...
Japanese Culture The Well of Authority: Water at the Heart of Edo-period Governance
IntroductionIn many countries, a well is simply a source of water.In Japan, however, water often carries something more ...
Japanese Culture Kanro Soy Sauce: A Traditional Taste from Yanai, Japan
Yanai is a small historic town in western Japan.It is known for its preserved streets and traditional culture.One of its...
Japanese Culture From Wood to Sake
A quiet journey through traditional sake brewing1. Wood Before Steel(Tradition before efficiency)Long before stainless s...
Japanese Culture Before Brewing Sake, We Set a Boundary
A Small Japanese Ritual Called SetsubunBefore brewing sake, there is something we do in Japan that may seem strange at f...
Japanese Culture Title: A Soul in Silk: Discovering the Haunting Beauty of Jusaburo Dolls in Japan
The Gaze That Pierces the SoulYesterday, I had a rare and breathtaking experience at theJusaburo Tsujimura Doll Museumin...
Japanese Culture Where Sake Begins: Rice Polishing
Where Sake Begins: Rice PolishingBefore yeast ferments and before koji transforms starch into sugar, sake is already tak...
Japanese Culture Edo Tenpō I-sui (江戸天保井水)
In Japan, every sake brewery relies on its own unique brewing water (shikomi-mizu).The mineral balance of this water—sof...