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July 12, 2026
 

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DIETS

Recent years have seen "nattō" (fermented soybeans) join a series of fermented foods, from kimchi to kombucha, that have surged in popularity worldwide as Americans in particular seek better digestive health following the COVID-19 pandemic.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 22, 2026
‘A little funky’: Japanese ‘nattō’ disgusts and delights the world
Aside from its supposed health benefits, ‘nattō’ has long been loved in Japan for its stunning affordability — charms the rest of the world seems to be warming up to.
Mounjaro, a diabetes medication also known as a weight-loss drug, on display in Osaka on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 2, 2026
Osaka police refer three to prosecutors over ‘weight-loss’ drug Mounjaro
All three suspects have admitted to selling the drug in violation of the pharmaceutical and medical devices law, investigative sources said.
If millions of Japanese people eat these sticky, pungent, fermented soybeans every day, surely they can't all be wrong?
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
May 31, 2026
A little bit of Japan’s infamously sticky soybeans goes a long way
Unlike some other fermented foods, making “nattō” requires the ability to release heat and condensation produced by the bacteria at the center of the process.
A customer at a supermarket in Yokohama. Under a planned food-labeling revision, consumers will be able to scan QR codes on processed food packages to access detailed product information.
JAPAN / FOCUS
May 17, 2026
Japan to introduce QR code food labels to improve readability
The adoption of digital technology for food labeling is part of a broader international trend.
Sports dietitian Yuka Sanui works behind the scenes to ensure Blue Jays players get the most out of their bodies when they step on the field.
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 27, 2026
The Japanese dietitian who keeps the Blue Jays’ engines running
Japanese dietitian Yuka Sanui is responsible for helping to keep the Blue Jays players in peak condition before games.
Recent research shows obesity may be driven by ultraprocessed and hyperpalatable foods that disrupt fullness signals and lead to overeating.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 13, 2025
What if everything we think about obesity is wrong?
New research offers novel insight into the causes of overeating but it’s being lost to political posturing.
Study by Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine and House Foods Group has found that the sweet-salty combination dulls the sense of avoiding high salt concentrations and can lead to greater salt intake.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Sep 21, 2025
Sweetness dulls salt aversion and may lead to excessive intake, study shows
The tendency is more pronounced among people with chronic kidney disease, underscoring the need for salt reduction that takes the effect of sweetness into account.
An advertisement for McDonald's new protein slice is displayed on an ordering kiosk at a McDonald's restaurant in Bengaluru, India
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Aug 26, 2025
In protein-deficient India, McDonald’s, Bollywood and cricket fuel wellness craze
McDonald’s has joined India’s biggest dairy Amul, startups and a company backed by Bollywood superstar to unleash a marketing blitz with celebrity chefs pushing protein as crucial.
A recent study on the eating habits of Japanese workers has found that those who ate the most washoku were 17% to 20% less likely to show symptoms of depression compared to those who ate it the least.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 25, 2025
Washoku may prevent depression, Japan study says
Participants who ate the most washoku were 17% to 20% less likely to show symptoms of depression compared to those who ate it the least.
The Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 launch event in Seoul in 2023. Studies have shown connections between social media use and eating disorders.
WORLD / Society
Jun 2, 2025
How social media can ‘trigger’ eating disorders in young people
The glorification of thinness and promotion of fake, dangerous advice about diet and nutrition push the vulnerable toward developing eating disorders.
A University of Osaka study of more than 1,400 fourth-graders has found that children who chew poorly and eat quickly are significantly more likely to be obese.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 26, 2025
Study links poor chewing to higher obesity risk in children
The University of Osaka study involving over 1,400 fourth-graders is among the first to demonstrate a clear link between eating behavior and obesity risk in children.
Though vegan restaurants have been on the upswing since 2017, Japanese vegans still lack a wide variety of options.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability / OUR PLANET
Jan 29, 2025
In meat- and fish-loving Japan, veganism is making a comeback
Tourism, climate goals and animal rights concerns are sparking a plant-based renaissance in a country famous for sushi and pork ramen.
Although meat consumption has been dropping, it's not happening quickly enough to meet climate targets, something to keep in mind over the holidays.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 30, 2024
Why are my vegan friends going back to meat?
Helping people eat healthier diets with more fruit, vegetables and fiber would have enormous benefits for human well-being and the planet.
In 2024, efficiency trumped effort among Japan's fitness-focused aspirants.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 20, 2024
Casual workouts, cool living, ‘complete’ food: Japan’s health trends of 2024
This year’s health and wellness fads point to a Japan that desires more wholesome lifestyles but doesn’t have the time or resources to go about it in traditional ways.
Low-carb diets call for the pursuit of good health while consuming appropriate levels of carbohydrates, or between 70 and 130 grams per day.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 17, 2024
Healthy low-carb foods on the rise in Japan
Low-carb diets call for the pursuit of good health while consuming appropriate levels of carbohydrates, or between 70 and 130 grams per day.
Indonesia adopted a measure in 2014 requiring halal labeling for restaurants and food products.
BUSINESS
Oct 16, 2024
Indonesia to check grocery shelves as deadline for halal labels nears
The world’s biggest Muslim-majority country adopted a measure in 2014 requiring the labeling for restaurants and food products.
A food delivery worker rides through Shenzhen's Futian district in May 2022.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Sep 3, 2024
China’s economic malaise seen accelerating obesity rates
Job stress, long work hours and poor diets are growing high-risk factors in cities, while in rural areas, agriculture work is becoming less physically demanding.
Two recent studies have added to the growing body of evidence that a meat-heavy diet may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
WORLD / Science & Health
Aug 21, 2024
Eating meat is linked with diabetes risk, new studies suggest
Two recent studies have added to the growing body of evidence that a meat-heavy diet may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Most people think of hydration as a strictly liquid-based concept, but eating foods with high water content is an essential part of making it through a Japanese summer unscathed.
LIFE / Lifestyle / Boiling Point
Jul 13, 2024
How to tweak your diet when temperatures spike
The one thing everyone can control when the mercury rises is their diet.
With the vegan lifestyle becoming more popular in recent years, Japanese restaurants and inns have begun to offer more vegetarian options.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jul 4, 2024
Asking for food substitutions at a Japanese restaurant
If you’re vegetarian, vegan or have some kind of allergy, then knowing how to ask about what you’re eating is an essential skill to have.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

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