TRAVEL
Japanese Police Shut Down Tourist Sword “Tryouts”
Wanna slice something open with a samurai sword while in Japan? Well, you can't, because the Japanese police are party poopers.
yamagata prefecture
TRAVEL
FOOD
This City Proudly Remains The Ramen Capital of Japan for a Third Year
Who downs the most ramen per capita in Japan? An annual report from Japan's government crowns a repeat winner.
TRAVEL
Onsen City in Japan That Gets 85x More Tourists Than Residents Institutes New Rules
A popular onsen in Yamagata Prefecture brings in so much traffic that the city has instituted new rules to reduce congestion.
LAW & CRIME
The Town of Abu vs. The Gambler
A small town accidentally gave a man a small fortune. What the man did next has made national headlines in Japan.
HISTORY
Iidesan, Fukushima’s Odd Border: Gods, Mountains, Lines in the Sand
In western Fukushima Prefecture, an odd salient of territory extends, wedged between Niigata and Yamagata Prefectures. So why is it there?
HISTORY
The Sacred Peaks: An Introduction to the Dewa Sanzan
Learn about the Dewa Sanzan, the three mountains that are the pride of Japan's north - and a deeply spiritual site for…