TRAVEL
Bon Odori: Inside Japan’s Soulful Summer Dance Tradition
Every summer, neighborhoods and remote mountain villages across Japan ring with taiko, flute, and shuffling feet. Bon Odori is Japan's quietly extraordinary…
akita prefecture
TRAVEL
FOOD
Rice Prices Up 90% in Japan as Crop Crisis Continues
It's getting more expensive to eat rice in Japan, with prices nearly doubling. Will a release of strategic reserves help?
SOCIETY
Akita Governor Says He’d Threaten to Send Bears to People’s Homes
The governor of Akita Prefecture has some choice words for people who object to Akita City's decision to exterminate a bear that…
SOCIETY
One Week After Bear Occupation, Japanese Supermarket Finally Reopens
An Itoku supermarket in Akita City finally re-opened after a bear invaded and occupied it for over two days. While residents are…
CULTURE
Namahage: In Japan’s Akita, Demons Ring in the New Year
The namahage are wild, Krampus-like New Year's mountain gods of Akita Prefecture. But what's the story behind the horns and straw coats?
CULTURE
Hachiko: Japan’s Most Famous Dog (and His Statues)
Who's a good boy? For many in Japan, the answer is Hachiko. Learn about the dog who touched a nation's heart.
JAPANESE LANGUAGE
Zuzu-ben: How Japan’s Northern Dialects Became Shorthand for “Hick”
Why a wide range of local dialects in Japan's north are intrinsically - and unfairly - associated with rural backwardness.
CULTURE
The Lesser-Known Festivals of Japan: Dangerous Edition
Bamboo battles, precarious log rides, and a literal firefight make up three festivals in Japan that'll get your blood pumping - but…