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Karaoke Madness! When hard pressed workers need a break article
7 Sep 2020

Karaoke Madness! When hard pressed workers need a break

Foreigners often think Japanese are perennially polite, especially at work. But some staff risk being cheeky to their superiors when they go out.
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Taking stock of Shinzo Abe’s legacy podcast
1 Sep 2020

Taking stock of Shinzo Abe’s legacy

Duncan Bartlett and Zhao Ying discuss Shinzo Abe's legacy and the China-Japan relationship
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Perfectly convenient: In praise of small shops article
26 Aug 2020

Perfectly convenient: In praise of small shops

Japan's thousands of convenience stores are sometimes taken for granted by locals but David Tonge loves them.
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Will praying prevent another Hiroshima? article
12 Aug 2020

Will praying prevent another Hiroshima?

Peace is a theme of all religions. But does prayer help achieve it?
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Shinzo Abe’s final stand podcast
31 Jul 2020

Shinzo Abe’s final stand

Shinzo Abe is Japan's longest serving prime minister. What's on his agenda for his final year in office?
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A Tricky Triangle: Japan, the US and China podcast
30 Jul 2020

A Tricky Triangle: Japan, the US and China

We discuss how Japan handles the dilemma of staying on good terms with both the United States and China.
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Resolving an economic paradox – solutions welcome podcast
30 Jul 2020

Resolving an economic paradox – solutions welcome

Coronavirus and the postponement of the Olympics have put Japan back into recession. Fresh solutions are required.
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The pop star with an identity crisis article
29 Jul 2020

The pop star with an identity crisis

Rina Sawayama was born in Japan but lives in the UK. She therefore wants a British prize for singing.
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Save the urban gardens article
22 Jul 2020

Save the urban gardens

For a country which purports to love nature, there's some rough treatment of plants in Japan's cities.
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Stop selling Zen! article
14 Jul 2020

Stop selling Zen!

Using Zen Buddhism to market all kinds of goods demeans an ancient religion.
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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
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Recent articles

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Changing languages, changing moods

Posted: 2 December 2020

Japanese people sometimes say they feel empowered by using English. But do they lose poetry?

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