Humanities and Philosophy

In the afterword of Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo Volume 3, Gege Akutami revealed that the story of the Simurians' canal was deeply inspired by Tetsu Nakamura, a Japanese doctor who built a 25.5km irrigation canal in Afghanistan. Known in Afghanistan as 'Kaka Murad' (Uncle Murad), here is who he was, both from Japan's perspective and from how Afghans remember him.

The British Museum's first-ever "Samurai" exhibition ran February 3 to May 4, 2026 in London. Featuring around 280 objects from 29 lenders worldwide, including armor gifted by the Tokugawa family to Queen Victoria, contemporary art by Tetsuya Noguchi, and video game tie-ins with Assassin's Creed and Nioh 3, this sweeping show traced 1,000 years of warrior myth and reality. Here's everything you need to know, plus Japanese public reactions.