Kyoto's Uzumasa Movie Village reopened on March 28, 2026 after a 50th-anniversary overhaul, reborn as an immersive Edo-period experience park aimed at adults. It features a 360-degree real-time drama staged across the whole village, R-18 night events including a torture house and dice gambling, samurai training, a non-verbal ninja show and hands-on cultural workshops: a side of Kyoto beyond temples and shrines.
Japan's largest Kampo maker, Tsumura, will acquire the core business of Yomeishu Seizo, maker of the 400-year-old medicinal herbal liquor, for about $45 million. We break down the unusual multi-stage deal run through activist investor Yoshiaki Murakami's vehicles, and why Japanese traditional medicine is looking outward.
For 6,000 years Japan has eaten fugu, a pufferfish carrying tetrodotoxin, a toxin Japanese authorities describe as 500 to 1,000 times more potent than cyanide, with no known antidote. From a warlord's ban to a prime minister's storm-night dinner, from a Living National Treasure's fatal last meal to a licensing exam half the candidates fail, this is how Japan turned the world's most dangerous fish into high art.
Japan's sacred goshuin, handwritten temple and shrine stamps given as proof of worship, are being resold for up to $33 on flea-market apps. Comedian-turned-Shinto-priest Eiko Kano's plea to stop the reselling has reignited national debate. Legally a gray area, spiritually a sacrilege: we explore where faith meets commerce in Japan.
Japan's sumo entertainment brand HIRAKUZA debuts at Adelaide Fringe, the Southern Hemisphere's largest arts festival. With 33 performances over five weeks, this marks a major step in bringing authentic sumo culture to global audiences through immersive stage shows.
Sanrio announces Hello Kitty's first designer change in 46 years. The iconic character's 3rd designer Yuko Yamaguchi passes the baton to 4th designer "Aya" in 2026. Explore the legacy of character succession and fan reactions from Japan.
Japanese fashion brand MIYOKO unveils its latest collection in New York during Fashion Week 2026, transforming traditional kimono fabrics—including Yuki-tsumugi, Ojiya-tsumugi, Hon-Shiozawa, and Yuzen—into 14 contemporary garments. Backed by 50 years of craftsmanship, the brand showcases Japanese textile heritage on a global stage at Manhattan's historic St. Bartholomew's Church.
Shigeki Matsuoka, head of Tokyo furniture workshop KOMA, has won 50 international design awards across 8 countries—including all three of the world's top design prizes. Recognized as a "Contemporary Master Craftsman" by Japan's government, his hand-tool philosophy and the concept of "keinen-bika" (beauty through aging) are redefining what Japanese craftsmanship means for the world.
A 25-room luxury accommodation is coming to the former grounds of Todai-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Nara, Japan. Kintetsu Miyako Hotels will build low-rise pavilions across a 12,000 m² site where the ancient Western Gate once stood. Opening fall 2028, the retreat will feature a tea ceremony room, local cuisine restaurant, and immersive cultural experiences. Here's what this historic collaboration means for Nara's tourism future.
A 1908 mansion built by Hakodate's wealthiest merchant is reborn as a 3-room heritage hotel. Japan's new "Kazeno Heritage" brand lets guests sleep inside nationally designated cultural properties — and help preserve them.
Echizen City in Fukui Prefecture is emerging as a craft tourism destination where visitors can enter real workshops of 1,500-year-old washi paper, nail-free tansu furniture, and hand-forged knives. Artisans share how welcoming tourists is helping preserve traditions, attract new audiences, and revitalize their community—all made more accessible by the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension.
