Although the nationwide state of emergency has been lifted in Japan due to the spread of COVID-19, staying at home has become a new normal for many of us. Spending weeks at home can be monotonous, and even overwhelming at times. In this difficult...
Artist Yukito Nishinaka has created a glass version of the traditional Japanese rock garden using recycled bottles, which is now permanently installed at Kyoto’s Honen-in Temple. The work is intended as a statement for sustainability via the reuse...
Insect eating, or entomophagy, may not sound too attractive, especially to those who avoid any contact with insects in their daily lives. Even those who spent their childhood chasing grasshoppers or other insects may feel uncomfortable about...
The company leading a project to create Japan’s largest-scale palm oil power plant in Kyoto Prefecture has informed a citizens’ group fighting the development that it has decided to pull out of the project. On April 23, the group Association...
In 1982, the International Whaling Commission established a moratorium on commercial whaling that remains in place to this day. A few member countries with a history of whaling, such as Norway and Iceland, still hunt whales commercially despite it...
Sexual violence and inadequacy in Japan has become a growing issue over the past twenty years. Although this may be true, laws in Japan have been slow to change and lag behind other global, developed nations around the world. Moreover, there are...
During the coronavirus pandemic, it has been vital to minimize human contact, so grocery shopping can be stressful as you often can’t avoid crowds. Online parking reservation company Akippa is striving to provide a quick and coordinated...
Recently, I saw a Facebook post from an acquaintance, asking friends to fill in the blank: “Vacant Space x ____ = Money”. He was trying to address the problem of vacant houses in Japan, especially in rural regions of Japan. He wanted ideas to create...
Tabe Choku is an online marketplace managed by a Japanese startup called vivid garden Inc. that is connecting farmers and consumers to purchase and sell directly. During Japan’s self-quarantine period, the oversupply of food that were...
