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The “Dark Matter” of Japan’s Fantasy-Industrial Complex
The secret to being loved by everybody: taking political stances discernible to nobody
Sayonara to a Techno-pop Pioneer
A farewell to Ryuichi Sakamoto, architect of sonic futures.
Joe Versus Video Games
The day America declared war on Japan’s biggest game companies
What can karaoke teach us about AI?
Karaoke's disruption of the music world presaged AI's disruption of creative fields today.
Anime's Woodstock
Forty-three years ago today, cartoons morphed from entertainment into lifestyle.
AI and Japan as a Safe Space
OpenAI is American. Why is their latest product announcement so Japanese?
Boys vs Girls
There’s an emerging gender divide everywhere but Japan. Why?
To boldly go where no toy has gone before
JAXA's landing of a Transformer on the moon signals a new frontier for soft power: space.
If Algorithms are the Enemy, is Anime the Antidote?
How an auteur-driven artform illustrates a way out of digital dystopia
2023: The Year Japan's Sun Rose Again
Read to the end for a holiday bonus!
“Hoarder Hygge” is the Anti-Zen
Sorry, KonMari fans: Japan’s most charming spaces are its least tidy
Umami is MSG
The long and winding road of a fantasy-delivery device for our palates
“Godzilla Minus One” Doesn't Quite Add Up
Takashi Yamazaki delivers an exquisitely rendered postwar Japan. But does his re-envisioning of history go too far?
Halloween Special: the Yokai Guy
Manga master Shigeru Mizuki breathed new life into the undead
Halloween Spooks Shibuya
A neighborhood’s love-hate for the holiday boils over
An interview with Alfred Birnbaum
Translator of Haruki Murakami’s "A Wild Sheep Chase," and many others
Murakami didn’t, but a Norwegian would
What we talk about when we talk about Haruki Murakami’s elusive Nobel Prize
Osamu Tezuka's "Com"
A revolution in storytelling that played out against an actual revolution.
Japan's Moonshot
Japan has long reached out to the world through its toys. Now it’s sending them to the stars.
Tokyo Heat
More thoughts on how climate change is reshaping Japanese culture
Head in the Clouds
Anime lost a legend this week: art director Nizo Yamamoto. His work transformed the medium from fantasy into an all-enveloping reality for fans.
Making Out in Japanese: An Oral History of a Seminal Text
A repost of an interview with the creators of a hugely influential guidebook series.
An American Icon, Made in Japan
Barbie has a secret: she may have been dreamed up in the US, but she came to life in a Tokyo hotel room.
A Package of Pure Invention-related Podcasts
Tune in to a trio of appearances
In America, “Barbenheimer” is a success. In Japan, it’s a scandal.
The linking of nuclear holocaust to summer entertainment is backfiring spectacularly here
Manga is the Rock 'n' Roll of Gen Z
And the biggest hits come from Shonen Jump, which turns 55 this month
Did Mario teach Zuckerberg everything he knows?
Nintendo's Famicom laid the groundwork for the attention economy
How Do You Live, Mr. Miyazaki?
Some spoiler-free thoughts on Studio Ghibli’s latest anime
Japan failed at social media
And won the bigger game.
Konbini: the life-changing Japanese magic of convenience stores
People love Japanese convenience stores, but they have a ferocious side.
The Bells of Booya
Thoughts about Shibuya's transformation, from 1993 to today.
Invaders on Broadway
Is this replica of Tokyo's past Japan's future?
The Evolution of Walkmankind
A team of misfit engineers built the gadget. But we consumers built the future with it.
Machine Man
What a picture from 1985 Akihabara says about 2023 Japan
When Japan cool meets American violence
The bizarre confluence of a Japanese toymaker and an online agent of chaos.
The Smile Trade
What our fascination with weird tales from Japan says about us
The Pac-Man Who Sold the World
The pale yellow dot that gobbled the globe turned 42 this week.