A field guide to Japan
There is more to the Japan you think you know.
知っているつもりの日本の、その先へ
Short, curious reads on how Japan works: the habits, crafts and quiet rules that nobody stops to explain. Each one starts with something you have probably seen.
- Start from the familiar Every story begins with something you have seen.
- Follow one question One small why, followed all the way.
- Hear the original Japanese in its own words, with our translation.
- No expiry date Stories that stay true long after the news moves on.
Where to start
Technology
Kaizen is a business-book buzzword. What does it mean on a Toyota factory floor?
Self-help calls it small steps; consultants call it a system. On a Toyota line it means workers improving their own jobs. Where did that come from?
Mind
Why does Japan give cute mascots to its police, its towns and even its army?
Story
Isekai: why are so many anime about being reborn in another world?
Way
Why is it fine to slurp your noodles in Japan?
Mind
Why Do Some People in Japan Wear a Mask When They Aren't Sick?
Eight ways into Japan
See all- Mind Why apologies come first, and other habits of the inner life. See all
- Spirit Gods, nature, and the rituals that outlive belief. See all
- Way Tea, craft and martial arts: getting better by repeating. See all
- Society The bow, the pause, and the art of reading the room. See all
- Education Swept classrooms, school clubs and the entrance exam. See all
- History The parts of the past that still shape today. See all
- Story Myths, manga, and why the villain often has a point. See all
- Technology Bullet trains, fax machines and the design of daily life. See all
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From the original
学校生活を豊かにし、明るい社交性及び協同の精神を養うこと。
To make school life richer, and to grow a cheerful ease with other people and a spirit of working together.
学校給食法, 第二条第三号, from The school lunch where a classmate holds the ladle
Read the story