Articles | Page 2 | Japan Story

24 Mar 2021

Myanmar’s coup is a disaster for Japan

The coup in Myanmar is a huge blow to Japan, one of the main investors in the country.

17 Mar 2021

Let’s liven up Japan’s Schools

Writer and teacher Felicity Tillack shares her personal experience of a more active approach to learning in the classroom.

14 Mar 2021

TV in focus

What assumptions lie behind the way Japan is reported? In this video discussion, the chairman of the Japan Society Bill Emmott is joined by eminent correspondents from the BBC and NHK, John Simpson and Aiko Doden. The host is Duncan Bartlett, founder of Japan Story and former BBC Correspondent in Tokyo.

24 Feb 2021

Goodbye, Dad and thank you

Tomoko Parry gives a moving account of her final farewell to a parent in a faraway land.

17 Feb 2021

Japan is crying out for female leaders

Strange myths about gender roles sometimes hold women back from positions of leadership.

10 Feb 2021

Making Music for My Tiger Mom

Fierce parents want their kids to thrive but what happens when they apply too much pressure?

3 Feb 2021

How to enjoy volcanic spring baths – nature’s gift to Japan

Going to a hot spring bath, known as an onsen, can be a daunting experience at first but if you overcome your diffidence it can be a real joy.

13 Jan 2021

Tongue Fu Panda

Tomoko Parry explains what happens when her inner panda gets angry and overpowers her Japanese politeness.

3 Jan 2021

South Korea’s deep rift with Japan

South Korea and Japan have much in common but the legacy of the past sours their current relationship.

16 Dec 2020

The deadly treat that tastes so good

Sashimi connoisseurs have a fondness for fugu. But if it’s not prepared correctly, one bite of its innards could stop your heart - permanently.

About Japan Story

Are you ready to read unexpected stories about life in Japan? This website brings you hundreds of original articles and new ones are posted every week.

I’m a former BBC correspondent in Tokyo and now a freelance writer and editor, specialising in Asia. I start by looking at themes about Japan which are being reported in the news and then I try to go beyond the headlines. Many posts cover issues relating to politics, news and current affairs.

There are fun pieces, too. Inside you’ll find tales of ghosts, wild animals and even monsters that eat people’s dreams.

I’m particularly grateful to the guest writers who have contributed their own perspectives on Japan and I welcome suggestions for other topics. Please read on, as we tell Japan’s many stories.

You can contact me through

Recent articles

Who will find the Osaka clock in 5000 years time?

Posted: 15 June 2021

This week, I managed to get a brief glimpse at Japan’s far distant future. I was invited to consider the year 6970, to be precise. On that date, it is believed that someone, or something, will open a time capsule which is buried in Osaka and find messages from a generation of people, who will […]

Sumo saved Charlie Chaplin from assassination

Posted: 2 June 2021

Extremists planned to kill the US film star Charlie Chaplin in the office of Japan’s Prime Minister. The plot was designed to provoke a war. However, a sumo match in Tokyo changed the course of history.

Is it time to end licence fees for the BBC and Japan’s NHK?

Posted: 26 May 2021

TV licences have been a contentious issue for years but recent scandals have prompted more calls for them to be scrapped.

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