今日吃瓜

November 11, 2026

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COMMUNITY

Voices

Known as <i>kikokushijo</i>, Japanese children or teens who go abroad with their families and later return to Japan often struggle with stereotypes and suspicions throughout the course of their lives.

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Feb 2, 2026

‘Returnees’ reckon with a Japan that sets them apart

By Eri Yabe

“Kikokushijo” — Japanese youth who live abroad as children or teens and then return to Japan — and the struggles they face reflect a country unsure of what it means to be global.

The Amtrak Cascades line provides service along the Pacific Northwest from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Eugene, Oregon.

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Jan 19, 2026

Shinkansen vs. Amtrak and the lost art of small talk

By Daniel Traylor

After years steeped in the sacred silence of the shinkansen, a Japan Times staffer returns stateside and gets his sea legs with small talk aboard Amtrak.

Anton (right) came to Japan in 1975 and, through her participation in the community, formed long-lasting relationships with her neighbors.

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Dec 22, 2025

Making a home in Japan with holiday meals and memories

By Karen Hill Anton

An American writer reflects on Christmas cake, New Year’s food and the communities she has found in Japan over the course of 50 years.

Indonesian students at Hiroshima University hold posters of the 17+8 Demands, demanding transparency and action from their homeland’s government.

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Nov 1, 2025

Young Indonesians in Japan find their political voice

By Nadila

From Hiroshima to Tokyo, Indonesian diasporic communities in Japan are expressing their support for compatriots back home and building solidarity online and offline.

The traditional naginata is a long wooden pole with a curved blade at the end. Though the naginata used in the dojo were entirely bamboo, they nonetheless made for striking displays of power and agility.

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Oct 27, 2025

Wielding a weapon of yore at a community dojo

By Monique Bae

An American in Tokyo embarks on a thrilling course in Japanese weaponry after noticing an advertisement in her ward newspaper.

<i>Sashiko</I> dates to the Edo Period (1603-1868) and began as a technique that allowed working-class people to prolong the lifespan of their clothing.

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Oct 13, 2025

Beauty in slowness: Life lessons from Japanese embroidery

By Cassie Xu

After taking up the practice of sashiko stitching six years ago, a Chinese Canadian woman found an anchor in the traditional craft amidst major life transitions.

James Reynolds, a video producer and professional stormchaser, sets up his equipment to document Typhoon Jebi in 2018.

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Sep 22, 2025

When a typhoon isn’t really a typhoon, I’ll be there to tell you about it

By Daniel Traylor

The nomenclature and strict definition of what constitutes a typhoon are not as straightforward as most people might think.

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Famima Park Azabudai is a concept store by FamilyMart that combines convenience store staples with branded apparel, merchandise and a landscaped outdoor space.

Convenience stores, toilets and the allure of everyday Japan

By Elizabeth Beattie

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