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June 23, 2026
 

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COMMUNITY

Our Lives
How-tos
Issues
Voices
American author Hannah Kirshner recently opened Mokkei as a hub for local knowledge-sharing and a retreat for tourists. Kirshner had spotted the century-old farmhouse years ago and dreamed of making it a ¡°lifelong art project.¡±
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
How a U.S. author found ¡ª and helped build ¡ª community in a Japanese hot spring town
By Michele Laudig
With a new home base, Hannah Kirshner hopes to build even deeper community and cultural connections in rural Ishikawa Prefecture.
Dipu Tamang from Nepal is among more than 400,000 international students in Japan.
COMMUNITY
In Japan, Nepalese students navigate a growing study-to-work pathway
By Mai Yoshikawa
A growing stream of young people see the country less as a traditional study destination and more as a structured route into work and long-term opportunity.
Manish Kumar, who asked that his face not be shown, at his restaurant in Tsurugashima, Saitama Prefecture, on June 1.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Fear and uncertainty for foreign business owners after Japan revises rules
By Elizabeth Beattie
The life that restaurateur Manish Kumar built in Japan for he and his family has been upended after Japan enacted stricter rules for the business manager visa.

Voices

The Austrian team at this year¡¯s International Snow Sculpture Contest ¡ª (from left) Michelle Steinmetz, Karl Pont and Daniel Nachbaur ¡ª pose with their creation.
Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
In Sapporo, snow becomes a shared language
By Karl Pont
Working in temperatures as low as minus 6 degrees Celsius, artists from around the world convened in Sapporo this February to continue a tradition 50 years running.
Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
¡®Returnees¡¯ reckon with a Japan that sets them apart
By Eri Yabe
Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Shinkansen vs. Amtrak and the lost art of small talk
By Daniel Traylor
Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Making a home in Japan with holiday meals and memories
By Karen Hill Anton
Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Young Indonesians in Japan find their political voice
By Nadila
Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Wielding a weapon of yore at a community dojo
By Monique Bae
Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Beauty in slowness: Life lessons from Japanese embroidery
By Cassie Xu

Issues

Tokyo native Noemi Minami founded Koen Book Club in 2021 with two friends. The club continues to meet monthly in public parks across Tokyo, weather permitting.
Issues / The Foreign Element
Anglophone bookworms unite across Japan
By Mike Fu
Book clubs, book swaps and other reading events are providing a space for wholesome offline socializing in Tokyo and beyond.
Issues
As immigration rises, Kawasaki¡¯s foreign council shows path toward inclusion
By Moe Shimizu
Issues / The Foreign Element
Fujisawa flashpoint: A mosque project stokes nativist fears
By Simon Scott and Ben Stubbings
Issues / The Foreign Element
Women in Law Japan marks 10 years amid persistent gender gap in the profession
By Louise George Kittaka
Issues / The Foreign Element
In Onomichi, urbanists redesign public life via vacant homes
By Sneha Nagesh
Issues / The Foreign Element
Kyoto bids farewell to a storied poets¡¯ cafe
By Felicity Tillack
Issues / The Foreign Element
Recentering Okinawa, one story at a time
By Kris Kosaka

How-tos

Navigating cancer treatment as a foreign resident of Japan can be an added layer of stress, but nonprofit organizations and community resources are available to support those with a diagnosis.
How-tos
Counseling and community for foreign cancer patients in Japan
By Jason Bartashius
Navigating cancer treatment as a foreign resident can be daunting, but mental health clinics, nonprofit organizations and other platforms can support the journey.
How-tos
Please your palate with Tokyo¡¯s international grocery stores
By Mike Fu
How-tos
Tax-advantaged investments no lost cause for U.S. residents of Japan
By Gendel Gento
How-tos
A furever friend: Tips for responsible dog ownership in Japan
By Kat Joplin
How-tos / Age Wise
Planning for the future in a time of inflation
By Gendel Gento
How-tos
How to navigate Japan¡¯s e-commerce platforms and online flea markets
By Jessica Speed
How-tos
How to make it as an English-language author in Japan
By Kat Joplin

Our Lives

American author Hannah Kirshner recently opened Mokkei as a hub for local knowledge-sharing and a retreat for tourists. Kirshner had spotted the century-old farmhouse years ago and dreamed of making it a ¡°lifelong art project.¡±
Our Lives
How a U.S. author found ¡ª and helped build ¡ª community in a Japanese hot spring town
By Michele Laudig
With a new home base, Hannah Kirshner hopes to build even deeper community and cultural connections in rural Ishikawa Prefecture.
Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Sturdy Tanpopo is a ¡®dandy lioness¡¯
Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Exuberant eater Minori will bless your home
Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
¡®Goofy fluffball¡¯ Gammo has a heart filled with joy
Our Lives
Italian creatives find their niche in Japan
By Agnese Dionisio
Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Black-and-white beauty Izanami is here to chill
Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Labrador mix Luca is a bundle of love
Read more COMMUNITY stories
Japan to raise visa fees for foreign nationals in first revision in 48 years
Tourists from abroad wearing kimonos pose for a souvenir photo with cherry blossoms in the city of Kyoto in March.
Japan to allow local governments to ban private lodging
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in March. Various cities around the world have cracked down on private lodgings, such as in Barcelona where the city is attempting to eradicate all short-stay apartments by 2028.
Beyond crabs and dinos: Japan¡¯s least-touristed region rethinks its appeal
Fukui Prefecture is home to 80% of Japan¡¯s dinosaur fossil discoveries, yet it is routinely one of the least-visited regions in the country.
Japanese companies get serious about workplace DEI
People working in human resources departments participate in a workshop in Tokyo in January. The participants played a card game in which they took on roles of people with various disabilities.
Japan¡¯s AI goldrush faces backlash as data centers sprout up in urban areas
Erin and Munekazu Tanikawa look out from their balcony at the construction site of a planned 52-meter-tall data center that would dominate their surroundings, in the city of Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, last month.
Japan-South Korea detente persists ¡ª but breakthrough remains elusive
While Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung have kept relations from sliding backward, experts say they have struggled to turn stability into concrete steps forward.
Japan¡¯s AI goldrush faces backlash as data centers sprout up in urban areas
Erin and Munekazu Tanikawa look out from their balcony at the construction site of a planned 52-meter-tall data center that would dominate their surroundings, in the city of Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, last month.
Distracted walkers in Japan are a real safety risk. My mother knows firsthand.
In Tokyo and other major Japanese cities, <i>aruki-sumaho</i> ¡ª walking while using a smartphone ¡ª has become a persistent safety concern as commuters navigate crowded stations and sidewalks while focused on their devices.
Can automation offset Japan¡¯s military workforce shortage?
A Ground Self-Defense Force uncrewed ground vehicle takes part in a live-fire military exercise at the Higashi Fuji Training Field in Shizuoka Prefecture on May 7.
Japan¡¯s World Cup picture comes into focus after rout of Tunisia
Japan&#039;s Ko Itakura clears the ball during the first half against Tunisia during a Group F match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Monterrey, Mexico, on Saturday.

Podcast

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

Longform

Social camouflaging can help neurodivergent people navigate social situations, but researchers say the effort often comes with significant emotional and mental strain.
The challenge of being neurodivergent in Japan¡¯s culture of conformity
By Tomoko Otake

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