Japan and KFC have long had an unusual history. From its Christmas tradition as a replacement for turkey dinners to its reputation as a high quality restaurant chain. Quite the opposite of what we think of in North America when…
Japan’s a country known for its cutting-edge tech and innovation but if you’ve ever visited, you’d know that innovation and adoption are two different things. Despite coming up with some of the most bleeding-edge stuff, the average Japanese person lives…
Even if you’re not a bookworm, you’ve probably heard of Haruki Murakami at some point. His books are international bestsellers that captivate a worldwide audience across various cultures and languages thanks to how universally relatable his characters and their inner…
In the realm of culinary impact, nobody gets to stand as tall and proud as Momofuku Ando. Without his genius and perseverance, college dormitories, busy office break rooms, and countless broke people would starve. You see, Ando is the brilliant…
When it comes to dollar stores, Americans know about Dollar Tree and Dollar General, they’re everywhere. But in Japan, a giant called Daiso stands above the others. It’s Japanese billionaire founder, Hirotake Yano, a man famous for bringing affordable products…
Sake too generic for you? Let’s delve into a spirit that’s more generic yet lesser known by most outsiders. Today we’ll talk about shochu (stylized shōchū), the spirit that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. If you’re unfamiliar with…
Have you ever heard of an izakaya before? If not, you’re about to find your new favorite hangout spot in Japan. Although Japan is an introvert’s heaven, there are places for people to hang out and socialize. I mean there…
Scrolling through IG, I came across a post by livinginjapan mentioning that up in Hokkaido, there’s a traditional six-story Japanese castle you can buy for 10M yen or $64k USD at the current exchange rate. That’s a hair above 10k…
Shizo Kanakuri (sometimes stylized Kanaguri) is a man whose name isn’t known much outside of Japan and obscure Swedish Olympic Games enthusiasts. Yet he’s the world record holder for the longest marathon spanning 54 years in which he’d gotten married,…
Towering over Ushiku city in the middle of Ibaraki prefecture, is a 120 meter (390ft) tall statue of a buddha made of bronze. You can’t drive through Ibaraki and not stop to visit if you’re on a trip. After all,…
