Sake from Fukushima Prefecture has recently garnered top honors at a national competition for innovative brews. At the heart of this resurgence is Kenji Suzuki, a researcher often called the "god of sake," who has been instrumental in eleva…

For over three decades, Hoboku, a non-profit organization based in southwestern Japan, has offered vital assistance to the homeless and those struggling with hardship. Pastor Tomoshi Okuda leads the group, which undertakes numerous initiati…

In Hokkaido Prefecture lives Sorachi, a vibrant three-year-old boy cherished by his parents. At home, Sorachi’s interactions with his family possess a unique quality. He navigates conversation with both spoken words and sign language, a nat…

Based in Nagoya, central Japan, Washio Tomoyuki is an artist celebrated for his versatility, defying categorization with his diverse range of styles. He recently completed a large-scale mural for the entrance of a new hotel at the city's ic…

The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated restrictions on visitation in many eldercare facilities, severing vital connections between residents and their families. The absence of familiar faces has taken a heavy toll, leaving many residents em…

Ryuji is a rapper whose experience mirrors that of many others – his family included – who were displaced from their hometown of Namie in Fukushima Prefecture following the 2011 nuclear disaster. His songs are often imbued with his feelings…

Nestled in Yamanashi Prefecture, west of Tokyo, Kosuge Village maintains a population of roughly 700. Though modest in size and inhabitants, the village possesses an enduring vibrancy and a willingness to embrace innovation. It fosters nume…

A single, powerful thrust of the harpoon can bring a swordfish weighing over 220 pounds to the surface. Konno Misaki, at twenty-one, follows in his father's footsteps as a fisherman. The tsunami that ravaged Misaki's hometown following the …

In a daycare center for seniors in western Japan, staff gather with residents to record their recollections of the past. Many who attend have dementia; while they may struggle with recent events, their memories of earlier times remain remar…

"I am the vine, and you are the branches." This familiar verse from scripture serves as a guiding principle for a group of young people, each bearing the mark of separation from their birth families – a consequence of circumstances that spa…

Decades after the close of World War II, the task of clearing unexploded ordnance remains a commonplace occurrence throughout Okinawa Prefecture in southwestern Japan. Estimates suggest it will take seventy years to eradicate all such remna…

Minamiaso once drew six million visitors annually. The 2016 Kumamoto earthquake inflicted catastrophic damage on the region's tourism industry. At one inn, two guests perished; another took five years to rebuild, while a third reopened just…

In the northern Japanese town of Akkeshi, Mori Tetsuya continues a family tradition as a third-generation fisher, earning a living from the sea urchins and other marine life he harvests. In 2021, the town experienced its first red tide, dev…

Three decades past, a young boy was turned away from a swimming school due to his disability. Yet, one courageous coach extended a hand of help. From this initial connection between two individuals has blossomed a school now serving over th…

In Osaka Prefecture, Tanahara Yasuko is almost universally known as Auntie. This moniker reflects the warmth and respect she has earned over decades as a baseball coach. At eighty-two, she’s long employed a demanding but deeply caring appro…

Fukuoka City is defined in part by its vibrant food stalls, known as yatai, offering delicious fare in a relaxed setting. At twenty years old, Takada Yoshimasa navigated a fiercely competitive process to become the city's youngest yatai pro…

The 2021 mayoral election in Suttsu, a town in northern Japan, centered on a single, divisive issue between the two candidates: whether to proceed with the initial phase of establishing the town as a long-term repository for nuclear waste. …

Arai Yoshinori, a junior high school teacher situated just north of Tokyo, was nearing retirement in March of 2022. At thirty-four, he had lost his sight. For a time, he wrestled with a desire to give up. But he came to understand the uniqu…

In Nagano Prefecture, Zenkoji Temple holds a cherished significance for the community. This spring, it joyfully hosted the long-awaited Gokaicho Festival, a vibrant celebration delayed by the pandemic. For nearly four decades, master builde…

Two decades spent on the mainland had drawn him away from the quiet island of his birth, a place nestled in the far north of Japan. He’d forsaken a promising surgical career for the opportunity to assume stewardship of the local hospital, a…

In western Japan, a circle of women prepared for their first performance in three and a half years – a milestone since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Each of them is a mother, bound by the shared experience of raising children with chronic il…

The Nakanomata Kagura, an ancient ritual practiced in a secluded mountain community in Japan, has faced the threat of extinction due to dwindling numbers. Yet, a renewed vitality is stirring, brought about by young people from beyond the vi…

The diagnosis of dementia at forty-six felt to Shimosaka Atsushi like the end of everything. Yet, through connection with others grappling with the same illness and a renewed embrace of photography, his outlook slowly shifted. He documents …

In 1963, an American hamburger chain established its first location in Okinawa Prefecture, a time before the islands' return to Japan. Originally catering to American service personnel stationed there, the restaurant’s fare gradually gained…

Nestled in a hot springs resort town in Ishikawa Prefecture, a distinctive library emerged during the Covid pandemic. In Mikan, the books themselves are owned by residents, displayed on shelves they lease. Each collection offers a glimpse i…

High in the mountains of Wakayama Prefecture, a group of young people embarked on a project: to restore an old thatched-roof house and draw visitors to the region. Lacking both experience and funds, they turned to *yui*, a local tradition o…

Fifty years have passed since Okinawa Prefecture rejoined Japan, a milestone commemorated in 2022. In Osaka, a western Japanese city with a significant Okinawan population, these communities offer mutual support while fiercely upholding the…

Shizue Ukaji dedicated her life to uplifting the lives of Japan's indigenous Ainu. Having herself been Ainu, she had sought refuge in Tokyo to escape prejudice, eventually dedicating herself to the unification of her people. After facing co…

Summer of 2022 saw the return of the celebrated Kanto Festival in Akita Prefecture, a vibrant event suspended for three years by the Covid-19 pandemic. For Kishi Toshiki, the traditional lantern festival is more than just an annual occurren…

In central Japan, Watakano Island was once a vibrant center of leisure, but its economy has suffered a recent downturn. The local government has dispatched Toge Hiroyuki, a thirty-one-year-old, to breathe new life into the community. Follow…