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July 12, 2026
 

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RURAL LIFE

Employed people walk more than those without jobs, a study from the University of Tokyo found, suggesting factors beyond the environment also shape how much people walk.
JAPAN
Jun 22, 2026
Study finds large gap in daily steps people in Japan take, depending on area
The study from the University of Tokyo found average step counts tended to be higher in municipalities with environments more conducive to walking.
American author Hannah Kirshner recently opened Mokkei as a hub for local knowledge-sharing and a retreat for tourists. Kirshner had spotted the century-old farmhouse years ago and dreamed of making it a “lifelong art project.”
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Jun 22, 2026
How a U.S. author found — and helped build — community in a Japanese hot spring town
With a new home base, Hannah Kirshner hopes to build even deeper community and cultural connections in rural Ishikawa Prefecture.
Fukui Prefecture is home to 80% of Japan’s dinosaur fossil discoveries, yet it is routinely one of the least-visited regions in the country.
LIFE / Travel
Jun 20, 2026
Beyond crabs and dinos: Japan’s least-touristed region rethinks its appeal
Fukui Prefecture routinely ranks among Japan’s least-visited prefectures, but a crop of young professionals in the tourism industry are pushing a new set of charms.
When bells aren’t enough to prevent encounters with bears, outdoorspeople in Japan now have a wide range of deterrents to choose from.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 6, 2026
In Japan, a bull market for bear deterrents
With no end in sight to the rise in bear encounters, manufacturers are bringing new kinds of deterrents to the market.
Hiroya Masuda (center), head of the Forum for the Future We Choose, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo in March.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
May 27, 2026
Deeply entrenched gender roles a key factor in Japan’s low birthrate
A survey has found that many women in rural areas feel constrained by social norms, which could lead to a demographic crisis if left unaddressed.
Toshimasa Murata (second from right) at his carrot field in Minamiaso, Kumamoto Prefecture, with his wife, Hiroko; daughter, Sumi; and son, Kanta
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Fukushima
May 18, 2026
Farmer from Fukushima works to promote Kumamoto — his new home
Seeing residents of Kumamoto Prefecture supporting one another after a quake there, the Fukushima Prefecture native began thinking he should contribute to revitalizing the area.
The nature guides and conservationists at Picchio Karuizawa focus on nonviolent interventions like collaring and tracking bears to keep the animals away from human settlements and oft-used hiking routes.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
May 9, 2026
Rising bear encounters test Japan’s approach to wildlife management
Government officials and nature guides say more countermeasures can reduce harm caused by rogue bears.
Shingo Takatsu (left) and Soichi Tojima check a crop surrounded by a fence in Oda, Shimane Prefecture.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Apr 27, 2026
Shimane farming districts face onslaught from rising monkey population
Japanese macaques have become used to humans, stealing persimmons and daikons even with people standing nearby.
By the end of March 2027, Japan aims to have around 10,000 people working to revitalize nonurban areas after relocating from urban areas under a government-subsidized program.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2026
Record 8,196 in Japan serve as ‘community reactivators’
The government aims to increase the number of community reactivators to 10,000 by the end of March 2027.
After studying cultural anthropology in London, Nina Otsubo Cataldo (left) started a consulting business in Niigata Prefecture that helps bridge the gap between foreign and local residents.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Apr 3, 2026
In rural Japan, a consultant code-switches and connects
A cultural consultant is combining academic and personal passions in Niigata Prefecture while maintaining an online community for women of similar biracial backgrounds.
Sayaka Eguchi, head of Eguchi Rice Farm, poses with her husband Hiroyuki at their farm in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Apr 2, 2026
An ‘untapped field’: The Japanese women who are seeing growth in agriculture
The traditional gender roles in Japanese agriculture are beginning to shift, giving way to a more flexible division of labor.
Rusutsu lift pass police check that companies guiding and teaching on their resort have a corporate pass.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Apr 1, 2026
Foreign ski instructors and guides operating illegally in Japan spark concerns
Officials and businesses in major winter destinations warn that such illicit operations could disrupt public order, create unfair competition and raise safety concerns.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 23, 2026
‘Alone in Japan’ travels towns in decline and talks to the people left
While Japan’s depopulation is a much discussed issue, Tom Feiling’s book “Alone in Japan” tackles the topic face to face as he travels to remote parts of Japan.
Hiroshima Gov. Mika Yokota speaks during an interview in Tokyo's Minato Ward on Jan. 27.
JAPAN
Mar 4, 2026
Hiroshima governor pushes for woman-empowered workplaces to boost rural areas
Gov. Mika Yokota wants to address the issue of more young women leaving the countryside for cities.
Masako (left) and Takeyuki Satokawa sit on a ridge by one of their rice paddies as they recall their years of farming in Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Feb 2, 2026
‘It would only burden our children’: Aging farmers quit rice production
Training a successor is important, but most farmers have been too busy trying to survive instead, one member of an agricultural cooperative corporation said.
Kunihiro Nitta, a pharmacist at the Sukoyaka pharmacy in Naha, gives medication instructions to a resident on Minamidaito Island in Okinawa Prefecture via a video call in September.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Feb 2, 2026
Pharmacy in Okinawa goes online to reach residents on remote islands
Sukoyaka pharmacy stepped up after two local pharmacies on Minamidaito Island and Yonaguni Island hundreds of kilometers away were shuttered.
Workers' cooperatives in Japan are primarily engaged in fields such as nursing care, retail management and support services for children.
JAPAN / Society
Jan 28, 2026
Local governments tap worker cooperatives for services in depopulated areas
The cooperatives are supported by local government subsidies for startup and operating costs, with central government also working to ease access to financial assistance.
While the number of users of the unprofitable local lines is unlikely to recover amid population decline in rural Japan, people living near the lines want the railroad services to be maintained.
JAPAN
Jan 3, 2026
JR companies and local governments to continue talks on loss-making railway lines
While the number of users of the unprofitable local lines is unlikely to recover amid population decline, people living near the lines want the railroad services to be maintained.
As Japan’s population ages, fewer workers will be supporting more dependents, reshaping the country’s social and economic balance.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Dec 29, 2025
On to 2050: Life in a shrinking Japan
By 2050, Japan’s youth will inherit a transformed country, reshaped by population decline, longer lives and unprecedented demographic imbalance.
Keiji Minatoya, from Kitaakita, Akita Prefecture, reenacts the time he was attacked by a black bear in 2023. Japan’s recent battle with bears has revealed issues that will continue to present challenges for the Japanese government going forward.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 26, 2025
Japan’s growing bear crisis reveals deeper issues
Currently, there are only around 220,000 licensed hunters in Japan, substantially lower than the 532,265 registered in 1970.
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.

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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