There are few countries as dedicated to embedding philosophies of beauty into all aspects of culture as Japan, where the influential concepts of wabi-sabi (a reverence for patina and transience), ...

Shirakawa-go is famous for its gassho-zukuri farmhouses, which are more than two centuries old. These thatched-roof houses are built to endure heavy snowfall, making them architectural marvels. The ...

Have you had the feeling recently that everyone you know has been (or is about to go) to Japan? You’re not wrong. Last December there was an almost 30% increase in international visitors from ...

Hay fever (allergic rhinitis), or kafunsho in Japanese, is a growing health concern for millions of Japanese individuals. The rise in this allergic condition is due to a mix of environmental factors, ...

The government hastily shelved a program to provide a cash incentive to single women to relocate to rural areas upon marriage following a storm of criticism. Hanako Jimi, state minister for ...

A property in the countryside of Japan is on the market with an intriguing asking price. The traditional home located in the Shimane Prefecture – a mountainous coastal region in the western part ...

Japan is famous for combining ancient traditions with futuristic cities, but it also has a surprising side. Scattered across the country are places that look like they belong somewhere else entirely: ...

Katsunori Tanaka spent most of his 19 years at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. scrutinizing Japan’s biggest banks as an equity ...

A 400km ride through Kyoto – the prefecture, not the city. Farms in this lush countryside supported the ancient capital's unique cuisine and tea culture, while artisans used local wood and stone ...

My husband and I paid $230 for Gran Class tickets on the Shinkansen bullet train in Japan. On our way from Tokyo to Nagano, we enjoyed complimentary snacks and drinks. Overall, we thought the ...