Contemporary Culture

As shown above, the possibilities of taking an ordinary thing and making it completely extraordinary are endless. Japan’s customized goods boom is a lifesaver from those who want to see…

The JCP has won government recognition of workplace injuries and fatalities, and its legal assistance has helped secure compensation for workers and their families in several instances of such accidents.…

The members of Doglegs, the self-described "superhandicapped" pro wrestling league, aren't looking for your pity, however. They want you to watch, wide-eyed, and feel the power, the ability, and the…

Tokyo, by Dan Ryan It was a little like the scenario in that Kinks song “Lola”, but only in passing. I met her in a little place called Seoul Bar,…

The award is given in honor of the late Michiel Brandt, a former MIIS student from Japan who died of leukemia while preparing for a career in combatting human trafficking,…

Japan has more than 50 gigantic nuclear “pressure cookers” ripe for exploitation by terrorists. In Japan, getting access to a nuclear power plant is very simple: fill out a job…

Japan's infamous 'Speed Tribes' - kamikaze styled biker gangs- have, for decades, delighted would-be rebels and terrorized the general public. Idolized in the underground, demonized by the mass media and…

Japan has a fascination with death and suicide. But sometimes suicide here isn't simply motivated by "honor" nor is it actually suicide.

The Japanese language is rich with expressions and words that extol the virtues of corporal punishment aka taibatsu (体罰) but the penchant some older Japanese have for slapping their younger…

I feel funny writing about personal things, but the anniversary of the tsunami in Japan had me thinking a lot about loss, and the unexpected events that change our lives…