Despite what Miyazaki films may have led you to believe, nowhere in the world is perfect, not even Japan.

For nine years, I lived in Japan, pursuing what I thought was my dream job. I had always been captivated by Japanese culture and learned the language at age 16. Later, I got a master’s degree in ...

Having grown up and lived in the US my entire life, my first night in Tokyo as a fresh college graduate was a full-on culture shock. I couldn't read the restaurant menu, so I had to point at pictures ...

Japanese Mindset of the Day highlights the meaning of “Ikigai.” The concept reflects the search for purpose, fulfillment, and ...

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Emery Bowles, a 52-year-old who lives between Japan and the US. The following has been edited for length and clarity. In 2008, I got divorced and ...

While working as a teacher in Atlanta, Georgia, Lexi Smith, 24, found herself dreaming of seeing more of the world and living a simpler life. "I wasn't quite loving the school system from having an ...

Maddy Longwell at Chureito Pagoda in Fujiyoshida, Japan, with Mt. Fuji behind her. (Photo courtesy of the author.) The first thing I learned about Japan was that the summers are hot. Extremely hot and ...

Nearly every aspect of the country’s life is changing to adapt to the growing elderly population, from its public spaces to its social policies. One of the oldest geishas still working in Japan, Ikuko ...