A small store in northern Kyushu has revived the Japanese equivalent of jeans called Monpe, which were traditionally worn by farmers. Unagi-no-Nedoko (translated as “Eels’ Bed”) in Fukuoka Prefecture designs these Monpe with local weavers, using...
During my visit to FemTech Week in Tokyo from October 17 to 19, 2024, I was struck by the variety of products focusing on feminine care, beauty, health, and wellness. However, the one innovation that stood out the most was the 3D-constructed...
In Eastern medicine, keeping the body warm is essential for a healthy lifestyle. It is associated with blood circulation, the conveyor of nutrients throughout the body, including internal organs. A warm body and healthy blood flow can thus enhance...
These days, traveling is much more than checking popular destinations out, eating local food, and shopping for souvenirs. It has become about seeking contentment and happiness through self-discovery. Wellness tourism, which promotes health and well...
Have you seen the 2006 movie Blood Diamond with Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou? Gems, precious stones and rare metals have been the source of beauty as much as misery, creating violent competition and destroying nature. Now...
Japan is experiencing an unexpected rice shortage driven by misguided agricultural policy, an influx of tourists and extreme weather. When calculated by calorie consumption, Japan’s food self-sufficiency is only 38% (lower than the UK’s 61%...
How do we maintain our well-being when we might live over 100 years? Japan boasts the world’s longest average life expectancy at 84.6 years (the number is higher for women at 87.14 years), trailed by Singapore’s 83.7 years and Australia and Norway’s...
Any visitor to Tokyo will step into Shinjuku at least once. It is where the world’s busiest train station accommodates 2.7 million passengers per day and where the Tokyo Metropolitan Government manages GDP as large as the Netherlands’. It is also...
Imagine if women and girls could wear special underwear during their periods without the need for pads, tampons or cups. This would save money, reduce waste and alleviate the stress of feeling uncomfortable when purchasing these products, making...
Japan is rarely associated with poverty. Its nominal GDP remains the world’s fourth largest after the U.S., China and Germany, and it has the lowest unemployment rate among the top seven advanced economies. Yet Japan slips to the 24th spot when...