BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Why Subway is Dying in Japan – and Why Starbucks Keeps Growing
While Subway stores in Japan shutter left and right, Starbucks thrives. Why has the one failed where the other succeeded?
culture
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BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
FOOD
Rice Flight: Why Japan’s Eating Less Rice Than Ever
Japan is considered synonymous with rice. So why has consumption decreased steadily for decades?
SOCIETY
Singles Culture in Japan on the Rise
Why singles life in Japan tends to be less like The Bachelor and more like The 40 Year Old Virgin.
CULTURE
Hatsumode: Japan’s First Shrine Visit of the New Year
How Japan's most popular New Years custom has changed over the centuries.
CULTURE
New Years in Japan: Its History and Traditions
How the oldest celebrated holiday in Japan has changed throughout the years, and the traditions that have come along with it.
CULTURE
Mottainai Culture: The History and Philosophy of Waste in Japan
Though sometimes honored more in the breach than the observance, Japan's philosophy of "waste not, want not" strongly influences everyday culture.
WOMEN
Kimura Komako: The Dancing Feminist
Born in an era in Japan when women's rights were more oppressed than ever, Kimura Komako never gave up the fight -…
CULTURE
Shinto: The History and Practice of Japan’s Native Religion
Shinto is more than a religion - it's also an indelible part of Japanese culture. Krys Suzuki discusses the structure, beliefs, and…