Culture & Life

Sushi, ramen, and izakaya food may be what travelers first associate with eating in Japan. But for a glimpse of what people actually bring home for dinner, try walking through a supermarket. The seafood counter, the tofu shelves, the rows of small prepared dishes—ordinary supermarket aisles can reveal a surprising amount about everyday life in […]

Travel through Japan for a few days, and you may find yourself visiting far more shrines and temples than you expected. You pass beneath a vermilion gate, climb a moss-covered stone stairway, or stand before a hall where incense drifts through the air. The setting may feel unmistakably Japanese, yet it is easy to leave