01Culture
Yokai: The Real Places Behind Japan's Monster Folklore
Yokai are having a very online second life through anime, but the folklore is centuries old and tied to real, visitable places — starting with a Tottori port town.
2 min
文化
Culture
The customs, manners, and unspoken rules that shape daily life in Japan.
9 articles
02Culture
Japan's Onsens Are Quietly Dropping the Tattoo Ban
The 'no tattoos at onsen' rule is one of the most repeated pieces of Japan travel advice, and it's slowly becoming less true. Here's where things actually stand.
2 min
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03Culture
Sento: Japan's Neighborhood Bathhouses, and Why They're Disappearing
Not an onsen, not a spa — the sento is a regulated, cheap, deeply local institution that's vanishing fast. What makes it different, and why it's worth seeking out now.
3 min
04Culture
Shrine and Temple Etiquette: What Not to Do
They are different religions with different rules, and almost every visitor mixes them up. How to tell a shrine from a temple, and what to do at each.
4 min
05Culture
Why Japanese Trains Are Never Late
The average Tokaido Shinkansen delay has been measured in seconds. That is not a cultural quirk — it is a set of very deliberate engineering and operational choices.
3 min
06Culture
Why Japanese People Wear Masks When They Are Not Sick
Mask-wearing in Japan predates the pandemic by a century and has never been mainly about avoiding illness. The real reasons are hay fever, etiquette, and something more subtle.
3 min
07Culture
Why Tokyo and Kyoto Are Basically the Same Word
One means "capital," the other means "eastern capital." The story of how Japan's two most famous cities ended up with names that are really just one name, said twice.
6 min
08Culture
5 Anime That Actually Shaped Japan (Not Just a Popularity Poll)
Forget fan votes. These five anime are ranked by sales records, box office numbers, and sheer cultural staying power inside Japan itself.
3 min
09Culture
Onsen Rules: A Guide for the Nervous First-Timer
Yes, you are fully naked. No, nobody is looking. Everything you need to know before your first Japanese hot spring, including what to do about tattoos.
3 min