Latest posts by Nevin Thompson from February, 2015
Whoever Said Japanese Students’ Indoor Shoes Had to Be Boring?
Parents and children alike are personalizing students' "uwabaki", or indoor shoes. Students, teachers, and visitors are all required to remove their street shoes before entering the school.
Read First-Hand Accounts of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings, Translated to English
August 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Arrival of Yellow Dust Marks Start of Spring Headaches for Japan
Fukuoka in Japan is experiencing its first "yellow dust" day of the season, three months early.
Take a Stroll Through the Backstreets of Japan
One Japanese YouTube user, satobo3104, has joined the Slow TV movement and uploaded hundreds of videos documenting walks through old neighbourhoods all over Japan.
Japan Seizes Syria-Bound Photographer's Passport Amid ISIS Fears
This follows the brutal murder of two Japanese nationals by ISIS in January. There is now a vague sense in Japan that some places that are not acceptable for travel.
Japan Needs Apartheid, Says Influential Conservative Author
Noted Japanese author and conservative political activist Ayako Sono advocated in a newspaper column that immigrants to Japan be separated by race and forced to live in special zones.
Hungry for a Meme? Try Japan's ‘English French Toast’
This isn't exactly high-end fusion food. The somewhat contradictory nature of the local Japanese treat's name has become a minor Internet meme.
Don't Let ISIS Crisis Hobble Free Expression in Japan: Petition
More than a 1,000 people have signed the online declaration. During the recent hostage crisis, some people in Japan called for "self-restraint" in light of criticism of the government.