100 Items Tagged

Japan

Kamakura, Japan

Shōchiku Ōfuna Studio Site

Iconic Japanese movies were made at this forgotten film-studio-site-turned-mall.

Vancouver, Washington

Japanese Castaways Memorial

A monument dedicated to three unlikely visitors to North America.

Mesopotamia

The only Kurdish restaurant in Japan invites you to learn and feast.

Nokishita711

Sip “liquid cuisine” made with meat, vegetables, and insects.

Robert Hellyer's book explains how America's taste in tea shifted over time.

Japanese Green Tea Once Fueled the Midwest

It's a forgotten moment in American beverage history.

Andrew Coletti April 25, 2024

In Nara City, Japan, sika deer have been protected for over a thousand years due to their sacred status in Shintoism.

Decoding the Sacred Genetics of Japan's Sika Deer

The deer of Nara Park are part of a millennium-old genetic lineage—does that make them more deserving of protection?

Roxanne Hoorn April 9, 2024

Both speed of speech and information density have an impact on how "fast" a language can be.

What's the Fastest Language in the World?

Theansweriscomplicated.

Dan Nosowitz April 2, 2024

Wagashi are bite-sized treats ranging from jellied to doughy, that compliment earthy Japanese green teas.

The Woman Putting a West-Coast Spin on Japan’s Traditional Tea Sweets

Wagashi is a way to celebrate the beauty of the seasons.

Roxanne Hoorn December 11, 2023

Oarfish sport red spine-like fins on their head and a long dorsal fin running the length of their body, as well as two oar-like pelvic fins, giving them their name.

The Legend of Japan's 'Earthquake Fish'

The serpent-like oarfish has long been considered an omen of natural disaster. Scientists are shaking up that old superstition.

Roxanne Hoorn October 3, 2023

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: Chocaholic

AO Puzzles August 21, 2023

A school crossing sign in Fukuoka offers a variation on Tobita-kun.

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

How hand-painted signs known as Tobita-kun became beloved local mascots.

Allan Richarz July 25, 2023

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: Let Gravity Sort It Out

AO Puzzles June 26, 2023

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: When Tetris Meets the Four-Color Theorem

AO Puzzles May 22, 2023

All Illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: A Different Way to Paint by Number

AO Puzzles April 24, 2023

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: Pointing the Way

AO Puzzles March 27, 2023

Welcome to the uncanny valley.

Issen Yoshoku

This kitsch-forward diner is dedicated to an almost-forgotten “one-cent” prototype of okonomiyaki.

Koytili hamsei, or sheep tongue salad.

Silk Road Tarim Uyghur Restaurant

Sample specialties from Xinjiang at this Shinjuku neighborhood gem.

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: Going Home

AO Puzzles January 30, 2023