A Tale of Two Times: Edo Japan Encounters the European Clock
In country that followed a time-keeping system with variable hours, the fixed-hour clock of the Europeans had only symbolic value.
After the Volcano Erupts
The catastrophic eruption of Japan’s Ontake-san allowed residents to reconsider and reinvent their relationships to the mountainous landscape.
Sacred Trees in Japan
In the modern city of Tokyo, mature forests and trees form a spiritual bridge between past and present.
The Disappearance of Japan’s “Third Gender”
Gender roles in Edo Japan recognized an in-between position for young men, called Wakashu, that was erased as Japan westernized.
The Unlikely Role of Kitchens in Occupied Japan
After World War II, "occupationaries" tried to spread American-style domesticity to Japanese women.
When Scientific Management Came to Japan
Japanese workers, many of them women, worked up to 17 hours a day in the early 20th century. Yet experts still wondered why they “wasted” time.
A History of Human Waste as Fertilizer
In eighteenth century Japan, human excrement played a vital role in agriculture. Can similar solutions help manage waste today?
Selling Toys with the Sailor Moon Transformation Sequence
From her nails painted glossy red to the tiara appearing on her forehead, if you time it out, the transformation in Sailor Moon lasts 40 seconds.
What Is the #KuToo Movement?
Japanese women are protesting the widespread policy of mandatory high heels at work.
Restaurants Built Modern Japan’s Identity
In the early 20th century, Japan's embrace of exotic cuisines helped strengthen its connections both to China and to the West.