[Festivals of Japan Season 2] A grand scene ensues as mikoshi portable shrines batter each other in a display of strength and pride. The Nada Fighting Festival is held annually in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, and is the largest festival among numerous "fight festivals" in Japan. Every year on October...

[Colors in Japan] Tochigi City has a long history of producing wooden barrels for fermenting food. Despite the rise of plastic containers, one dedicated craftsman continues to make barrels using traditional techniques. The barrels are crafted from cedar heartwood and tied with local timber bamboo. Click here to preview this...

There are 2.5 million people from all over the world currently living in Japan. How did they end up there? What drew them to come to Japan in the first place? Or more importantly, what made them want to stay? In this series, we take a look at various non-Japanese...