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June 30, 2026
 

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CULTURE

Books

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How a private collection of queer books became a cultural hot spot
CULTURE / Books
How a private collection of queer books became a cultural hot spot
Since establishing a permanent location in Nakano Ward in 2024, Tokyo’s queer-focused bookstore Loneliness Books has become a hub of events and activities for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies.
CULTURE / Books
Tidying guru Marie Kondo and ‘Exit 8’ director team up for a cozy fiction book
An unlikely collaboration between tidying guru Marie Kondo and filmmaker and author Genki Kawamura plays with the tropes of the popular cozy fiction genre.
CULTURE / Books
Prewar poet Chuya Nakahara’s complete works get a new life in English
A new translation, and the first publication of Chuya’s complete works in English, aims to introduce the poet to readers abroad.
Cafe Phosphorescence, owned by Osamu Dazai fan Miyuki Daba, is located about 15 minutes away from where the novelist used to live.
CULTURE / Books
Jun 15, 2026
In Tokyo’s Mitaka, a search for traces of Osamu Dazai
By Eric Margolis
The novelist’s hometown honors his memory, but with many buildings demolished, a pilgrimage is an exercise in imagination.
Vladislava Simonova in her Poltava apartment in April
CULTURE / Books
Jun 3, 2026
Ukrainian haiku poet finds small miracles in war
Celebrated in Japan, Vladislava Simonova is almost unknown in her own country.
A staff member taking a printed newspaper out of the machine at the Kyoto Shimbun factory in Kumiyama, Kyoto Prefecture.
CULTURE / Books
Jun 1, 2026
‘AI simply can’t replicate it’: Japan embraces zine trend
By Natsuko Fukue and Atish Patel
Independent artist and writers have been turning ever more to self-published or handmade small print publications, reflecting a love of paper in the digital era.
Shueisha is one of the major Japanese manga publishers and its Weekly Shonen Jump has been awarded the Guinness World record for bestselling manga magazine in 2022.
CULTURE / Books
May 26, 2026
Shueisha turns 100 with an eye on the future of manga
By Erik Augustin Palm
Japan’s record-breaking manga publisher Shueisha marks 100 years in the business with a slew of projects that make its titles more accessible to readers.
Though mothers in Japan aren't expected to bear the entirety of the family's child-rearing burden as in decades past, author Lisa Katayama says the strain still falls largely on their shoulders.
CULTURE / Books
May 9, 2026
In Japan, ‘moms pull weight in ways that are superhuman’
By Mishu Callan
In a new book, a mom raised in Tokyo but living abroad reflects on how Japan’s conception of motherhood helps her raise her young daughters.
Haruki Murakami returns this summer with his new novel, "The Tale of Kaho," which is centered on a 26-year-old picture book author.
CULTURE / Books
Apr 24, 2026
Haruki Murakami to release first novel in three years with ‘The Tale of Kaho’
By Alyssa I. Smith
The beloved author’s new work, set to be released July 3, marks his first female-led novel — and a return to the uncanny.
Jimbocho, Tokyo’s book town, has gained popularity online and some travel companies are already selling book-centric tours for foreign visitors.
CULTURE / Books
Apr 20, 2026
Now on the multilingual margins, can Japanese bookstores be more than just a vibe?
By Eric Margolis
While some travel companies are now offering book-centric tours around Jimbocho, foreign visitors are often leaving bookstores empty-handed, despite intentions to buy books.

Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Chinese and Russian bombers and fighter jets stage joint patrol near Japan
A Chinese Air Force H-6 bomber is seen during a joint patrol with Russian military aircraft on Saturday.
U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived
Soldiers conduct the first Typhon midrange capability live-fire exercise outside of the continental United States, firing an SM-6 missile in July last year in Australia's Northern Territory during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
LGBTQ+ families are building lives Japanese lawmakers still struggle to see
Haru Ono founded Nijiiro Kazoku in 2010 after forming a same-sex stepfamily. She said the impetus for founding the organization was that she couldn’t find much reliable information out there for families such as hers in Japan.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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