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Places visited in Takasaki, Japan
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children

The 'Darting Children' That Helped Japan Win Its War on Traffic Accidents

How hand-painted signs known as Tobita-kun became beloved local mascots.
July 25, 2023
Gastro Obscura
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holidays

Why the Japanese Calendar Is Full of Unofficial Food Holidays

A linguistic quirk created both Banana Day and Strawberry Day.
July 14, 2022
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security

In Japan, School ‘Intruder’ Drills Are Full-Contact and Unpredictable

In response to safety concerns, teachers and staff are trained to subdue and disarm.
May 13, 2022
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modernism

Why Rustic Hamlets Host Some of Japan’s Most Striking Modern Architecture

Nostalgia, tourism, and a desire for relevance help drive the trend.
June 18, 2021
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uncrowded japan

'Ghost Houses' Haunt a Rapidly Aging Japan

Young heirs are abandoning the family homes of their forebears.
July 14, 2020
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rock and roll

The Pandemic Hasn't Dulled Japan's Special Love for Queen

Fans are finding new ways to celebrate the band during the 45th anniversary of their first arrival there.
April 23, 2020
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spirits week

The Graveside Festival That Celebrates the Dead in Okinawa

Shimi, or “grave-sweeping festival,” takes place every April on the southernmost islands of Japan.
October 31, 2019
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uncrowded japan

How Do You Convince 125 Million People to Embrace Wolves?

It would be good for Japan's forests and farms (less so the deer).
August 26, 2019
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uncrowded japan

Every Day at 5:00, Japan Tests Its Disaster Warning System With Folk Tunes

The "5 pm chime" has taken on many meanings over the years.
June 13, 2019
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uncrowded japan

On the Hunt for Japan's Elaborate, Colorful Manhole Covers

Dedicated enthusiasts travel the country and scour the ground to see them.
March 15, 2019
Gastro Obscura
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cryptography

During WWII, Bletchley Park Was Home to Codebreaking and Tea Shenanigans

Staff at "Station X" threw their teacups into lakes and stuffed them into hedges.
January 31, 2019
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world war ii

40 Years Ago, Okinawans Returned to Driving on the Left

A stone monument marks this symbolic last moment of post-WWII repatriation.
July 30, 2018
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transportation

According to Japanese Traffic Lights, Bleen Means Go

The country's bluish-green signals are the results of linguistics and legalities.
September 12, 2017
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features

The Intense Corporate 'Hell Camps' of 1980s Japan

They involved night hikes, forced public singing, and "ribbons of shame."
May 30, 2017
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trains

Why Japan's Rail Workers Can't Stop Pointing at Things

A seemingly silly gesture is done for the sake of safety.
March 29, 2017
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world war ii

The WWII Plan to Mess With the Japanese by Dyeing Mt. Fuji

It was certainly an ambitious proposal.
March 1, 2017