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February 13, 2026
 

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Yuko Tamura
A mother and daughter take part in a buffet of sweets and desserts ¡ª a perfect way for many to spend Valentine¡¯s Day this year.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Feb 13, 2026
In Japan, Valentine¡¯s Day has become a personal luxury
Valentine¡¯s Day in Japan is shifting from obligation to indulgence, as people embrace life¡¯s small luxuries for themselves.
Whether it¡¯s working out or cheering on your favorite team, fitness and sports look like they¡¯ll play a large part in public life in 2026.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 2, 2026
What ¡ª and who ¡ª helps us stick to our New Year¡¯s goals
How emphasis, intention and social support shape the words we use when we promise ourselves we¡¯ll stick to our resolutions.
A sign in the woods uses the kanji for "bear" to warn hikers of their presence in the area.
LIFE / Language / 2025 IN REVIEW
Dec 14, 2025
The ¡®bear¡¯ defined kanji in 2025. The internet defined almost everything else.
Japan¡¯s kanji and buzzwords of 2025 reveal a split: old-media traditions colliding with the chaotic, meme-driven language of new media.
People in Japan are increasingly opting for digital New Year greetings as postage prices rise.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 5, 2025
Are new year postcards becoming a thing of the past in Japan?
Japan¡¯s new year postcard tradition is fading as more people opt for digital holiday greetings.
The language of ¥µ¥€¥Ð©`¥»¥­¥å¥ê¥Æ¥£ (saibš¡ sekyuriti, cybersecurity) involves a lot of katakana versions of English terminology.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 14, 2025
Japanese words of caution in the online world of cyberattacks and phishing
From earthquakes to cyberattacks, Japan¡¯s cautious mindset even shows up in its grammar, such as in phrases meaning ¡°better safe than sorry.¡±
Parents in Japan consider everything from kanji meaning, sound and total strokes when choosing names for their newborns.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 8, 2025
¡®Deep Blue,¡¯ ¡®Morning Sun,¡¯ ¡®Clear Sky¡¯: Japan¡¯s top baby names for 2025
Single-kanji names jumped in popularity this year, possibly in reaction to a new law aiming to crack down on overly creative ¡±kira kira¡± names.
Screens display stock market information while news breaks about Japan's new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, at foreign exchange brokerage Gaitame.Com Co. in Tokyo on Oct. 21.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 30, 2025
Trick or trade: Talking about the stock market's 'Halloween effect' in Japanese
Japanese investors say Halloween is the best time to buy stocks ¡ª a seasonal trend known as the ¡°Halloween effect.¡±
Local authorities want Japanese Halloween to refocus on the children, so expect plenty of community-organized events that are family friendly.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 23, 2025
Have you heard? This year Shibuya wants us to have a ¡®good Halloween¡¯
As Shibuya moves from prohibition to permission, learn how to ask where and how to celebrate Japan¡¯s most haunted holiday.
What¡¯s worse, waking up to find a bear going through your trash or getting an earful from your neighbor on garbage separation?
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 3, 2025
Don¡¯t poke the bear: Learn how to sort your garbage the right way
Bears are increasingly wandering into towns and cities looking for food. Make sure you don¡¯t tempt them with your leftovers.
Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce kisses partner ¡ª?now finacee ¡ª?Taylor Swift as they celebrate after his team won Super Bowl LVIII in 2024.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 10, 2025
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce¡¯s announcement hits all the right notes in Japan
Japanese culture is in the depths of a nostalgia wave, and the engagement announcement for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce fits in with it nicely.
Experts say staying off your phone and sticking to a sleep schedule can help those who have trouble dozing off.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 2, 2025
Mark Japan¡¯s Sleep Day by making some lifestyle changes
The Japanese are not getting enough sleep. Luckily, everyone from scientists to Shohei Ohtani are offering solutions.
A boy looks at samples of Pokemon toys available with the McDonald's Happy Meal set in Tokyo earlier this month.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 28, 2025
How to complain politely: Lessons from the McDonald¡¯s Pokemon debacle
In Japan, the right phrasing can mean the difference between a request and harassment.
A pop-up advertisement for the newly opened Chiikawa Park in Tokyo's Ikebukuro neighborhood demonstrates how the country is chockful of cute characters ¡ª to the detriment of trends like Labubu.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Aug 23, 2025
Character-crazed Japan has little appetite for Labubu
The monster dolls may be driving fans wild elsewhere, but Japan has long had plenty of its own domestically produced characters that know exactly what consumers want.
Despite topping physical health rankings, Japan¡¯s children face a worsening mental health crisis due to limited early education, inconsistent counseling support and poor awareness of their rights.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 3, 2025
It¡¯s time to take children¡¯s mental health seriously
Given these disparities, it is clear the government needs to build a consistent school system with appropriate emotional support mechanisms
It is recommended that screen time for children should be kept to under two hours a day.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jul 24, 2025
Study first, screens later: Japanese kids have summer projects to do
From book reports to free research, parents are helping kids build good habits ¡ª and grammar ¡ª over summer break.
People carry a portable shrine at Sensoji temple during the Sanja Festival in May. The festival is one of the three largest in Tokyo.
LIFE / Language
Jul 5, 2025
What¡¯s the first thing you think of when you think of a Japanese summer?
Fireworks and festivals are part of the traditional Japanese summer, but what do people associate with the season these days?
Though Kyotoites play down their reputation for not meaning what they say, there are certain phrases you should look out for if you¡¯re invited to a home.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 20, 2025
How to get kicked out of a Kyoto home with a smile
In Kyoto, a polite offer of tea might really mean ¡°please leave.¡± Learn how to decode Kansai¡¯s indirect dialect through a few phrases.
More and more older Japanese people are joining health clubs, with Pilates becoming a popular form of exercise.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 11, 2025
So long, gateball. Japan¡¯s seniors are ready to work those core muscles.
Japan¡¯s seniors are trading gateball for Pilates, chasing strength, stability and a new kind of aging ¡ª with core control.
Reports claim that children with unusual names were being bullied at school and facing difficulties finding jobs.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 6, 2025
What¡¯s in a name? With new guidelines, the Japanese government wants to know.
Japan now requires official furigana for names in the family register, aiming to limit overly creative "kira-kira" readings.
As humidity rises in the rainy season, it¡¯s a good idea to get some moisture absorbers and place them around the home.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 30, 2025
How to talk about change in Japanese ¡ª one forecast at a time
Use the changing seasons as a springboard to learn how Japanese expresses cause-and-effect shifts.
Germany considers joining GCAP fighter project with Japan, U.K. and Italy
A concept model of the Global Air Combat Program fighter jet on display at the Defense and Security Equipment International Japan conference in Chiba last May
Struggling Nissan forecasts $4.2 billion full-year net loss
Nissan intends to reduce the number of its vehicle production plants from 17 to 10 by March 2028, and is targeting 20,000 job cuts worldwide by that date.
Why Asia can¡¯t undo decades of falling fertility rates
Singapore¡¯s stalled birthrate reflects a broader pattern across wealthy Asian economies where higher living standards, shifting values and gender imbalances have made low fertility persistent and resistant to quick policy fixes.
Why we¡¯ll never see a yokozuna in the Super Bowl
Wrestlers from Onoe stable with Fujitsu Frontiers cornerback Al-Rilwan Adeyemi (front) at the Rice Bowl at Tokyo Dome on Jan. 3, 2017
Yen strengthens decisively after strong showing by LDP boosts confidence
The yen has strengthened decisively since the Liberal Democratic Party gained a supermajority in the Lower House.
Japanese skier hits back at trolls and brings attention to online abuse at Olympics
Freestyle skier Kokone Kondo skis during a training session in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 4.
Inside Yokohama¡¯s ¡®quit your job¡¯ bar, where drinks and advice are free
At the new Tenshoku Sodan Bar, owner Shota Umemoto (right) and recruiting staff from Yokohama-based LIA Group serve up cocktails and career advice in equal measure.
Landslide election victory lets Takaichi confront China on her terms
The resounding victory by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party in Sunday's general election has sent a strong signal that Takaichi is likely to be around for some time, giving her the bandwidth to adhere to her strategy of putting the onus on Chinese President Xi Jinping to reengage with Japan.
Is Takaichi on course for a long-term reign?
Sanae Takaichi, prime minister and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, at the party¡¯s headquarters in Tokyo on Sunday
Against the grain: Japanese wine aged in local barrels
At Buryu Winery, owner Keiji Yamaguchi (left) and assistant winemaker Kaede Narita created a cedar-infused red wine by fermenting it in a 1,000 liter "kioke" cedar tub.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Experts say emotional bonds with AI are often shaped by prior experiences ¡ª or disappointments ¡ª in human relationships.
Love, engineered in the age of AI
By Elizabeth Beattie

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