Stories of humans in Japan
Conversations with artisans, residents, travelers and storytellers — the people shaping contemporary Japan.
He Grew Up Hating Tatami. Now He Ships It to 30 Countries.
Fumio Kuboki inherited a dying craft in Fukushima. He found its future by first admitting he’d never understood it. Fumio Kuboki makes…
Tochinoshin: The Georgian Sumo Wrestler Who Rose to Ōzeki
Tochinoshin is the ring name of Levan Gorgadze, the Georgian former ozeki who spent nearly two decades in professional sumo before retiring…
Weaving Tradition into Modern Life: The Art of Tsumami Zaiku
Interview by Leo The traditional Japanese craft of tsumami zaiku—the intricate art of folding and pinching square pieces of cloth into three-dimensional…
Michael Parker: 18 Seasons in Basketball and Life in Japan
The Journey of a Basketball “OG” Q: Could you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background? Michael: My name…
Shingo Nakamura’s 15-Year Journey to Going Full-Time: Choosing Music Over Stability
Interview by Leo For 15 years, Shingo Nakamura lived a double life.By day, he worked as an office employee in Japan. By…
What Is Warosoku? Inside ISOBE, Japan’s Oldest Candle Shop
Warosoku are traditional Japanese candles made with plant-based wax and a hollow wick of washi paper and rush pith. Unlike many Western…
What Is Authentic Kintsugi? A Tokyo Artist Explains Japan’s Art of Repairing Pottery with Urushi
Watch the full interview with Chiari Matsumoto on YouTube. Interview by Japan Documented Many people imagine kintsugi as the Japanese art of…
Marrying a Monk and Cultural Revival through Adversity in Rural Japan with Junko Higuchi
Reference Video: https://youtu.be/74M9TH_PR7o Introduction Can you introduce yourself?My name is Junko Higuchi. I was born and raised in Tokyo but moved to…
Single Mother in Japan, beauty pageant finalist, and cultural navigator with Kimiko Kitamura
Reference Videos: https://youtu.be/v8ax6Kjisc4 Introduction A finalist in Tokyo’s unique beauty contest, Today’s Woman, Kimiko is not just a competitor but a single…
Daniel Kahl: 40 Years in Japan – Yamagata Dialect, TV Stardom, and True Japanese Culture
Reference Video: https://youtu.be/MMYDhQBxpUo For over four decades, Daniel Kahl has been a familiar face and voice in Japan. Originally from Southern California,…
Chris Hart: American Jpop Star on Life, Japanese Culture, and Music
Reference Video: https://youtu.be/2uVCoBYxa80 Life Journey Leo: Could you start by telling us a bit about yourself and how your journey in Japan…
Konishiki: The Hawaiian Sumo Legend in His Own Words, and Where He Is Now
Konishiki Yasokichi is a Hawaiian-born former sumo wrestler who in 1987 became the first foreign-born wrestler to reach ozeki, the second-highest rank…