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June 30, 2026
 

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‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
LIFE / Style & Design
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
Originally published as a six-volume series in the 1930s, “A Dictionary of Color Combinations” has become a go-to for creatives in Japan and around the world.
LIFE / Style & Design
Ohi Chozaemon XI: ‘We cannot make tradition the absolute rule’
The 11th head of the Ohi ware school of ceramics believes his craft can only survive if history is a set of guidelines, not laws.
LIFE / Style & Design
‘Sashiko’ needlework artisan says craft is about ‘the stories behind the stitching’
In a new book, a third-generation craftsman explores how the origins of his art are at risk of being lost in an upswell of popularity.
The Sui Collection, a Cabinet Office-backed showcase of traditional Japanese artisanship, is visually stunning, but what is lost in translation when the state is a partner in cultural communication?
LIFE / Style & Design
Mar 28, 2026
What happens when Japan curates its aesthetic for the world?
By Erik Augustin Palm
The Sui Collection of traditional artistry demonstrates how Japan wants to be seen — both domestically and abroad.
In recent years, while Yamaha has worked to introduce guitar models with innovative features, the basic shape has remained unchanged.
LIFE / Style & Design
Mar 14, 2026
After 60 years, Yamaha guitars still striking the right chord
By Jordan Allen
This year marks six decades since the company put out its first acoustic folk guitar, the FG180.
In a country where self-expression is limited during children's school years, nail art is often one of the first avenues of experimentation for many young women in Japan.
LIFE / Style & Design
Feb 7, 2026
‘In Japan, people pack everything they love on their nails’
By Mishu Callan
Tokyo’s nail artists say their customers view their chosen designs as reflections of their inner selves.
Valentino Garavani waves as he arrives for the premiere of the movie "Valentino: The Last Emperor" in Venice on Aug. 28, 2008. The Italian fashion designer died Monday at 93.
LIFE / Style & Design
Jan 20, 2026
Valentino, Italian haute couture ‘emperor’ who painted fashion red, dies at 93
By Giulia Segreti
From Hollywood glamour to Paris haute couture, Valentino built an empire on elegance, devotion to beauty and one unforgettable shade of red.
Since all 22 kilns in Suzu were destroyed in the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, many of the local potters came together for a joint firing in the municipal kiln.
LIFE / Style & Design
Jan 1, 2026
Noto’s Suzu ware reemerges from the earthquake rubble
By Jessica Kozuka
Two years after the 2024 earthquake and tsunami, Noto potters find purpose in carrying on their craft.
Designtide Tokyo returns for a final weekend of a designer-run marketplace, including one student exhibitor chosen to join the main field of professionals.
LIFE / Style & Design
Dec 20, 2025
Designtide Tokyo 2025 closes this weekend with a creator-led marketplace
By Erik Augustin Palm
After returning in 2025 following a 12-year break, the event finished with a chance for designers and buyers to meet face to face.
Crowded with links, icons and graphics, Japan’s major web portals deliver information at full volume, echoing an online culture that favors abundance over empty space.
LIFE / Style & Design / Longform
Dec 15, 2025
Why Japan’s internet looks weird — unless you live here
By Thu-Huong Ha
A closer look at Japan’s maximalist web design shows how cultural values and practical needs create an online world richer than it appears.

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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