Musashino Art University, a renowned institution for artistic pursuits, recently hosted its annual "art festival" after a three-year hiatus, welcoming an audience once again. Here, students immerse themselves in creative endeavors spanning …

Near the Port of Osaka, three aging apartment buildings stand in a row. Constructed in 1965, during a period of prosperity for the shipbuilding industry, they currently house roughly seventy households. Within their walls, residents share a…

The pork and egg okonomiyaki costs four hundred and thirty yen; the beef yakisoba, four hundred and fifty. Tucked away in a shopping street in Kobe is a small okonomiyaki shop, a local favorite enjoyed by people of all ages, from children t…

A peculiar pier extends 160 meters into Tokyo Bay from the sandy shores of Minami-Boso, Chiba. Constructed during the Taisho era (1912-1926) for facilitating fish landings, its purpose faded with the relocation of the fishing port some fift…

From the radio drifted the sounds of Ugaminshoran, Hagee – the language of Amami Oshima Island. This issue finds its focus at a small FM station nestled on the island in Kagoshima Prefecture. Islanders appear on air, and many programs are h…

Nestled at 1,350 meters on Mount Adatara in Fukushima Prefecture, the mountain lodge has stood for sixty years. For climbers ascending its slopes, it offers a sanctuary to rest and shed the strain of the ascent. A hot spring and lodging are…

As the year draws to a close, buses surge through the express terminal in downtown Fukuoka, a hub where over a thousand vehicles arrive and depart daily. A woman journeys to Nagasaki to visit her father, citing the cost as a deciding factor…

The winter air bites as people seek warmth. At a street corner in Osu, Nagoya, a ramen stall offers a haven: four seats and a steaming bowl for five hundred yen. Regulars, often businessmen returning from journeys, bring back small tokens o…

Judicial scrivener, condominium manager, state civil servant, labor consultant specializing in social insurance… The path to these professions demands a rigorous series of examinations. This stage serves as a crucial training ground for tho…

Hatsuyamabetsu Village, a community of roughly a thousand souls nestled in northwestern Hokkaido, is caught in the embrace of a snowstorm. The heart of this isolated place is its sole convenience store, stocked with the usual fare, though n…

Their eyes are exquisitely crafted, so lifelike they seem almost human. The doll market is estimated to be worth a staggering ten billion yen. In Akihabara, specialized doll shops line commercial streets, drawing considerable crowds. Some o…

The menu offered a comforting array: hormone udon, stamina-boosting set meals, pork cutlet bowls, ramen, and yakiniku—grilled meats. This roadside eatery in Bizen City, Okayama, thrives as a stopover for travelers along Route 2, the highway…

Nestled in Ofunato, Iwate, the newspaper company overlooks the tranquil sea. A modest operation employing thirty people, it has served the community for sixty-five years and remains deeply cherished by the locals, many of whom visit the off…

In Yamaguchi Prefecture, the Hofu Tenmangu Shrine hosts an annual "Doll Thanksgiving Festival." It is a time for offering and release, as people bring dolls and stuffed animals to the shrine grounds. A father might arrive with his daughter'…

Takeshita Street in Harajuku, a hub of current trends, provides a vibrant backdrop. Here, within a modest 100-yen shop lining the thoroughfare, a surprising array of 18,000 items awaits: everything from everyday essentials to cosmetics and …

Each spring, an island blooms with cherry blossoms in the Seto Inland Sea. Iwakijima, located in Kamijima-cho, Ehime Prefecture, boasts some four thousand cherry trees and is often called “Tennyo no Hagoromo,” or the angel’s robe of feather…

Documents are dispatched abroad. Packages destined for loved ones back home. The logistics of relocation. This time, the scene unfolds within a post office on a bustling street corner in Minami, downtown Osaka. Each day, a steady stream of …

The bird’s name derives from its cry, reminiscent of a cat’s meow. From spring through summer, petrels congregate around shrines along the coast of Hachinohe, in Aomori, to breed. Approximately thirty thousand gather there. Many visitors co…

In Ginowan City, Okinawa, a bento shop operates around the clock, offering a diverse menu that spans from affordable bowls of Okinawan soba, starting at 120 yen, to more substantial dishes like taco rice, pork cutlet bowls, tebichi, and sat…

Above, a vast sky unfolds, framed by the vibrant hues of seasonal blooms and the deep greens of foliage. This rooftop garden, perched atop a hospital near Ochanomizu Station in Tokyo, provides a sanctuary for patients and their loved ones. …

At roughly 130 centimeters in height and impossibly narrow, the passage defies passage. Located beneath the railway tracks in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, it demands a forward bend from those who venture within. Yet, people flow through i…

Sunlight filters through the canopy of green trees onto a stone-paved road in Kisoji, a mountain route that connects Nagano and Gifu prefectures. A vital artery during the Edo period (1603-1867), it continues to draw visitors from Japan and…

The small, intimate establishments known as izakaya – the Japanese-style pubs, snack bars, small restaurants, and bars – are facing a changing landscape. In August of 2023, the “Drinking Alley” in the backstreets of Tateishi, Katsushika-ku,…

For around 300 yen, steaming bowls of udon emerge from antiquated machinery. This journey takes us to witness the dwindling legacy of these "udon vending machines" scattered across Japan. We have seventy-two hours to locate and experience t…

The street overflows with Korean gourmet food and sweet shops. This year's event takes place in Osaka Korea Town, nestled in Ikuno Ward. A testament to the growing popularity of Korean culture, it draws two million visitors annually. Origin…

In a quiet corner of Tokyo resides a venerable emporium dedicated to the world of insects. Within its walls, one can find a remarkable collection of one hundred species of beetles and stag beetles, gathered from across Japan and distant lan…

This summer marked a return to normalcy for Fuji Rock Festival, Japan's premier music event, as it welcomed over 200 musicians and a crowd exceeding 110,000 attendees – a first in four years. Held at the Naeba ski resort in Niigata Prefectu…

The day of destiny unfolds with a flurry of interwoven thoughts. A new documentary from the "72h" production team captures the event, employing multiple cameras to observe every angle. This time, the focus is on Koshien, the high school bas…

A substantial rock rests within a landscape of verdant growth. It offers no immediate impression of significance, yet people are drawn to it, steadily accumulating over time. This is Yomotsuhirasaka, nestled in the mountains of Matsue City,…

The air within the game’s world hums with the echoes of triumph and regret. A standing bar, perched directly before the Fukuoka Boat Racecourse, provides a vantage point for this unfolding drama. Inside, a screen relays the live broadcast o…

In the vibrant, neon-drenched district of Kabukicho, Shinjuku, a 24-hour beauty salon occupies a quiet corner. As the city recovers its pre-pandemic pulse, a diverse clientele streams through its doors seeking a fresh style. A male host dye…

In the western reaches of Nagano Prefecture, nestled at the base of the Northern Alps, lies Shirakaba Pass. Here, crowds gather on the slopes of the cut mountain, drawn by the spectacle of migrating hawks soaring overhead. Each autumn, thes…

Ascending the mountain at a leisurely pace, I took in the vibrant hues of autumn leaves. My destination: the aging lift on Mt. Myoken in Hyogo Prefecture. A beloved spot for families for many years, this December will mark its closure – the…

A Chinese restaurant, boasting generous portions of ramen, dumplings, nira-reba sets, and other dishes, provides a constant backdrop to suburban Tokyo. Situated along a busy roadside, it welcomes customers from dawn until long after midnigh…

A vibrant welcome unfolded, filled with song and dance from everyone present. The scene was a distinctive youth hostel nestled on the island of Rebun in Hokkaido. Throughout the four-month summer season, when the hostel opens its doors, it …