This sprawling land of reeds, winding rivers, and open sky is Japan’s largest wetland and a sanctuary for rare wildlife.

This vast landscape of volcanic peaks, deep forests, and wild rivers is home to hot springs, adventure, and a rich Ainu heritage. Nature and local communities coexist in one of Japan’s most ...

This dynamic landscape of volcanic peaks, steaming hot springs, and island-strewn seas brings together fire and water in one of Kyushu’s most distinctive national parks.

From former whaling ports and hidden Christian sites to coral-rich seas and quiet farming villages, this maze of islands form a maritime landscape shaped by wind and tide—and faith, community, and ...

Floating in the calm waters of the Seto Inland Sea, Shodoshima is a place shaped by climate, by centuries of small-scale industries, and most of all by the people who live here. It is often associated ...

Japan’s titans of the ring live and train at roughly 40 sumo stables, with the majority located in Tokyo. A visit to one of ...

As I walked toward the center of the cascading waterfalls, severe coldness gripped my feet, and the rhythmic chants of a Shinto priest disappeared under the sounds of torrents pounding the rocky ...

For residents and visitors to Tokyo, the closest isle worthy of the Cat Island designation lies in Kanagawa Prefecture, the capital’s neighbor to the south. Enoshima, which can be accessed from a ...

For the next thousand years, Japanese paper folding was largely restricted to religious ceremonial use, as paper was expensive. However, paper-making was one of the many industries that flourished ...

Kobe is home to some 200 pearl companies and an international port that dates back to 1868. In the port’s early days the city had a foreign settlement and a hall for traders from abroad. Japanese ...

Tales of the samurai are synonymous with swordsmen around the world, but in fact some of Japan’s most celebrated warriors were women. Technically, women couldn’t become samurai. But samurai was a ...

Bread first came to Japan through Portuguese traders and missionaries in the mid-16th century. However, Christianity was banned in the early 17th century, and any toehold bread had made went with it.