culture/ Mar 8, 2026
The Ninth Inning Nation
Organised cheering sections, beer vendors with kegs on their backs, and why losing to Venezuela at 2am still hurts
- culture/ Mar 1, 2026
A Thousand Tiny Courts
Hundred-year-old dolls on red-draped tiers, the superstition about putting them away on time, and what Girls Day reveals about tradition
- travel/ Feb 22, 2026
Gates and Bells
Torii or sanmon, clap or bow — a Kyoto native on telling shrines from temples and why the line keeps blurring
- daily-life/ Feb 14, 2026
How Japan Votes
Pencils, not pens. Names, not boxes. A systems guide to Japanese democracy from someone who cannot participate
- food/ Jan 15, 2026
The Marbled Truth
What makes Kobe beef Kobe beef, how the grading system works, and where to eat it without overpaying - or overcooking
