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August 11, 2026
 

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RURAL LIFE

At a new rural retreat backed by the founder of Aman Resorts and JR East, the nature of Iwate Prefecture is as much a part of the luxury offerings as any of its facilities.
LIFE / Travel
Jul 31, 2026
Luxury is pastoral at Iwate¡¯s Azuma Farm Koiwai
The rural accommodation finds decadence in the northern prefecture¡¯s natural resources.
Seiichi Yamaguchi has spent decades growing rice in Yaita, Tochigi Prefecture. Now in his early 70s, he says modern machinery has allowed him to keep farming longer than he once thought possible.
JAPAN / Society / Photo essay
Jul 31, 2026
A succession crisis in Â鶹´«Ã½ fields
Technology has transformed rice farming in Japan, extending older farmers¡¯ careers while making succession a matter of choice.
A new incentive program is under consideration to certify small and midsize businesses in rural areas of Japan that provide child care support for local communities.
JAPAN
Jul 28, 2026
Government to certify rural businesses that promote child care support
The new system will recognize efforts to develop products for raising children, establish nursing rooms and support operations of child-focused community cafeterias.
Several times a year, workers and paying guests at the Tanabe Tataranosato build up and continuously tend to a traditional "tatara" (furnace) over 24 hours.
LIFE / Travel
Jul 25, 2026
In the hills of Shimane, Â鶹´«Ã½ steelworking tradition forges on
The remote communities of Unnan, Okuizumo and Yasugi were once historical centers of steel production for katana. Today, artisans and experts are keeping that history alive.
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 ¡ª and helped build ¡ª 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 Â鶹´«Ã½ 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: Â鶹´«Ã½ least-touristed region rethinks its appeal
Fukui Prefecture routinely ranks among Â鶹´«Ã½ 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 Â鶹´«Ã½ 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 ¡ª 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 Â鶹´«Ã½ 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 Â鶹´«Ã½ 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.
America¡¯s cyberforces grapple with cluster of deaths by suicide
The U.S. Cyber Command building (center) stands on the National Security Agency campus at Fort Meade, Maryland.
Many Indonesians named after Japanese anime characters
Some people in Indonesia are named Doraemon, the name of a lead character of the blockbuster anime series with the same title.
Yasukuni Shrine introduces ban on military attire and cosplay
People gather in front of thousands of lanterns on display at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on July 15 during the Mitama Matsuri, one of the capital's largest summer o-Bon festivals.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
Â鶹´«Ã½ brewers experiment with a secret ingredient: music
At Smoke Craft, a craft beer brewery in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, music isn't just a background to the brewing process ¡ª it's an ingredient.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
J. League enters new era as league kicks off first fall-spring campaign
Players from each J. League club pose during a kickoff event on Monday ahead of the start of the 2026-27 campaign.
Speaking Japanese at the movies with ¡®Chiikawa¡¯
A "Chiikawa The Movie" poster is seen at Toho Cinemas in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Disaster relief workers Taichi Kato (left) and Seiji Yoshimura enter the collapsed living quarters at Kyuganji temple in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture.
What Kumamoto revealed about Â鶹´«Ã½ earthquake readiness
By Alex K.T. Martin

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