People have misunderstood Kamiya. He's really just complaining about these machines.

We've still got Teruyo Nogami, Kurosawa's assistant-turned-documentarian, and who is 98. We've got Kyōko Kagawa at 93, youngster Akira Terao at 78. But for *STARS* - actors who led those hard-hitting dramas and trend-setting genre films of the golden age - this is it. This is the end. RIP Nakadai.

Nakadai was so much more than just a Mifune replacement in Kurosawa's final epics. He was a legendary presence working with Japan's greatest filmakers from the 60s to the 90s. I always love watching an older film and having him unexpectedly appear - as in Naruse's When a Woman Ascends the Stairs.

Good news: Itō Shiori's BLACK BOX DIARIES, her documentary about her sexual assault case, will finally air in Japan over a year after its release. The screening was delayed after some challenged whether Itō had the rights to air certain footage. buff.ly/RnrAB64

Yeah, when you get cursed out in Japanese, you know it.

Now that I think about it, it's rather apt that Twitter is now known as "X" because when you consider the symbol "X" (not the alphabet) in Japanese, JP people would typically think of ❌ (as in バツ、バッテン、ペケ) which is a symbol for wrongness and other meanings in the general direction of "failure".

Still planning your Japan 2026 cherry blossom trip? Avoid the crowds - let Unseen Japan Tours craft a custom itinerary suited to your interests and take you to the spots that only locals can usually access.

Pretty special at nighttime.

Back in Hiroshima for the second time in four days, and actually staying on the island of Miyajima for the first time. Watching the tide come in at Itsukushima Shrine is something special.

Halloween's a day away; it's your last chance to indulge in Japanese horror before the holiday. Amongst the J-horror catalog, one classic holds perhaps more prestige than any other: Kwaidan, the eerily beautiful anthology film by director Kobayashi Masaki. Learn more in our vid: youtu.be/36hkBck_uNU

My absolute favorite thing about Rise of Skywalker is the character Ochi (who you won't recall because he's barely mentioned/featured but he ties the ENTIRE forward momentum of the plot together) This is someone's explanation of Ochi and what he did

Saboru (to cut class) in Japanese is indeed a word with a foreign origin - something even native speakers of Japanese might not be aware of. But it's not your standard loan word. Learn how it came about during the age of labor protests and modernization.

Yui, the baby, and I are currently doing a piecemeal walk around the entire Yamanote -- and Gaijin Mommy, as usual, your insight knows no bounds.

By none of the power vested in me, I propose that for the Yamanote line’s 100th birthday this weekend we temporarily wave all copyright restrictions and replace each station’s arrival/departure medley with the following tunes:

Recently, really treasuring each time I get to go down to Osaka. Enjoying reconnecting with Japan’s great second city.

More tourists say they're using AI translation to get around in their host countries. But many admit they don't actually like the experience. Here's why some businesses in Japan hate it too, and what you can do instead of talking through a machine. buff.ly/9mYFLiP

RIP Tomiichi Murayama. I interviewed him in 2015 and found him to be a decent, principled man, still sharp as a tack in his nineties. “Japanese schools didn’t teach much history (of World War 2) because the government couldn’t decide if it was a good war or a bad war,” he said.

Reminder that in Japanese, this guy has the charming name of ウーパールーパー (Uupaaruupaa) thanks to a 1980s cup soba TV campaign.

I don't think I've ever seen a film fail in so many different ways as Winterbeast. Watching this film is a shamanic rite, and you will not be unchanged by it. blasphemoustomes.com/2025/10/13/w... #ohmc #horror

With the release of the Hokkaido-set Ghosts of Yotei, many abroad are having their first exposure to Japan's vast northernmost main island. But how did Hokkaido, home to the indigenous Ainu, once known as Ezo, become part of Japan? One of our earliest videos explores just that. youtu.be/VJTfGfwY878

One Batou After Another

We reached a nice milestone over on our YouTube channel - 1 million total views! And just in time, with a major video releasing in the coming days. If you haven't joined us yet, consider subbing for in-depth, full-length videos on JPN history, language, media, and more. www.youtube.com/@UnseenJapan/

In a new Japan Daily Briefing, Komeito debates breaking the coalition ahead of a meeting of party leaders Friday, Takaichi tries to salvage it, and the CDP continues to try to organize an alternative coalition to prevent a Takaichi premiership. open.substack.com/pub/observin...

[Insider] Want to see something beyond Shibuya Scramble? The famed ward of Tokyo is so much more than its bustling heart and Harajuku. In our latest paid newsletter, we dive into some of the less-traveled areas a short walk away from the station. buff.ly/FhBzPou

There's something about Airbnb using an (admittedly well-made) bit of art depicting, of all things, the "Shibuya Yokocho" in Miyashita Park as their representational image of Tokyo. A corporate bit of faux-Showa nostalgia that apes real yokochos, with among the more mediocre kitchens in the region.

Years ago, a subscription drive was what resulted in my epic livetweet of Clavell's "Shogun." Now, I'm doing it again. 100 subs (12 more than what I have now) at buff.ly/R3YnYhq and I will livepost my read of Christopher Nicole's "Lord of the Golden Fan," which was Shogun before Shogun.

According to Gearoid Reidy, Kishida is a "center-left figure"??

My mother, who is Japanese, has no problem with young children calling their parents “mama” and “papa,” but finds it cringy and childish when adults continue to call their parents “mama” and “papa.”

There's a pervasive myth that the Japanese language lacks swear words. It's true that Japanese doesn't have a codified list of socially egregious expletives à la English. Yet there does, in fact, exist a level of words beyond mere rudeness. buff.ly/V2uPbqm

The witching season is upon us, and Halloween fast approaches. In the mood to enter the eerie world of Japanese horror in anticipation? Look no further than these five classic films, all by masters of their craft: youtu.be/MRXcaLcfV2A

Hiroshima is a popular travel destination. Yet many people don't go far beyond the Peace Memorial Museum and Miyajima. Let our author, whose family hails from the region, fill you in on what you're missing (and where to go to avoid the crowds). buff.ly/iXzqIom

“In every industry, AI is being used to replace all the creative things that bring us joy instead of the boring, tedious tasks we hate doing,” she says.

Yui made an apple pie for Rosh Hashanah - real Jewish-American new year here in Japan! 😆🍎

The funny thing about the Rapture coming while living in Japan is that the country is <1% Christian, so no one will even notice

It’s… it’s actually comfortably cool out? In Tokyo? What is this witchcraft!

Friends & authorities in Makkari, Hokkaido were looking for an 87yo man who went missing while foraging for mushrooms. While Fuji News was interviewing his friends, the man emerged from the woods: "Hey guys, sorry." buff.ly/VCY9EP0

It's more important than ever in this climate of increasing censorship to support independent media. Some great recs below

He’s known as one of Japan’s most prolific and important writers. Now, thanks to BookTok, anime, and the newly released translation of his short stories, Dazai Osamu is laying bare his soul once again for a new global audience. buff.ly/9JYSBE3

Despite its very 70s vibes, international settings, and jazzy music, Lupin often features deep Japanese cultural pulls. Transposing the action to late 16th-century Japan works more easily than you might imagine. buff.ly/WNSNfTF

Someone recently asked me what’s the weirdest #torii I’ve seen outside of Japan. I’m always hesitant to answer bc they often cannot compete (respectfully) with the weirdness of torii found INSIDE Japan! Case in point: Kitakata Ramen Museum and Ramen Shrine in Fukushima prefecture. ⛩️🍜

The beloved and long-lived Lupin III anime series has an excellent kabuki adaptation running at the Minami-za in Kyoto. Read our new review to learn more! unseen-japan.com/we-saw-the-l...

There’s one great thing about the Kabukicho Tower - the Shinjuku 109 Premium Theater with sound designed by Sakamoto Ryuichi. Relaxed lounges with great views too. The rest, though? I’ve used it as an example as to how /not/ to portray Japan.

Sorry for the relative silence this week, folks. It's been a case of "life happens" for pretty much every one of our writers. We have a backlog of content that's coming in now and we will be posting over the next week (including this week's Insider newsletter), so stay tuned!

Kabukicho Tower is plastic, gaudy, and largely a bust as a tourist attraction. But none of that matters to its owner. We examine how the building still generates revenue - and why its mere existence may benefit Japan's right wing - in our latest subscriber-only article. buff.ly/yOqWjp3

This week, police in Saga Prefecture, Japan, admitted that an employee falsified crucial DNA evidence in 130 cases. The incident raises serious questions about prefectural police’s quality control procedures. buff.ly/FXVvPg5

Guns. Fast cars. Sideburns?! Part 2 had it all, and back in the early 00s, Pioneer had their sights set on Monkey Punch's famous five's second anime outing. Not all heists end in success, though. Check out our article by @amazingchrisgodbey.bsky.social today! 👇 www.lupincentral.com/home/america...

Good morning. Apologies for not being so active recently. Birthing the magazine you see below has taken up a lot of my time. A year in the making, LUXE is a new, JP & EN bi-lingual magazine for Japan. Launching 8th Sept. More news soon. More details in ALT. Have a great weekend. Luv&peace 🙏❤️

Who could have possibly been jet lagged enough to make this?

Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)