Shimokitazawa (下北沢) is just about the trendiest neighborhood in Tokyo. Also known as Shimokita for short, the district is a hub for stage theater and live music. With its numerous cafes, music outlets, vintage clothing … [Read more...]
Over the last six months or so, Japanese police have been cracking down on nightclubs, breaking up illegal activity and arresting people. What's going on in these clubs? Are people fighting, doing copious amounts of drugs, … [Read more...]
When I think of Japan I tend to think of beautiful design. Zen gardens, temples, shrines, tea ceremonies, manga, anime, wabi-sabi... the list goes on and on. Yet for some reason Japan just can't put any of this together to … [Read more...]
Being a baka gaijin is not always easy. Being just a baka, or just a gaijin isn't always that hard, but being both at the same time? Now that's an achievement. Because I want all of you to achieve your goals and be the … [Read more...]
Every Sunday we gather the week's weird Japanese news and present it to you in our Sunday News column. It might not always be hard-hitting, but we hope that it still informs and entertains you. … [Read more...]
As of late it seems like there've been a lot more all-girl bands popping up in Japan. No, I'm not talking about the happy-go-lucky pop groups such as AKB48 and the like, I'm talking about the all-female hardcore metal … [Read more...]