In the closing days of 1945, the Japanese town of Kokura escaped atomic destruction not once, but twice, due to fortunate turns in weather. 

Among other Americanisms adopted by Okinawa during the post-War administration by US forces—such as an abiding love of A&W restaurants and SPAM—was the requirement to drive on the right, in contrast to the rest of Japan.With the...

THIS PAST APRIL, FAMILIES ACROSS Okinawa gathered as they do each spring at island cemeteries for a lively graveside party. Family members sat under canopies and on blue tarps, laid out neatly in small courtyards in front of family tombs...

THERE ARE FEW FOREIGN BANDS that whip Japan’s famously stoic audiences into a frenzy the way that English rockers Queen traditionally have. Every April 17 is Queen Day there, with a slate of events to celebrate the day that ...

In Japan, even something as mundane as manhole covers can be turned into beautiful works of urban art. Join us as we discuss the history and philosophy of ornate, enameled manhole covers found in 95% of Japanese municipalities....

September 2nd – known to history as VJ Day – marks the signing on-board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay of Japan's formal surrender. Under the watchful eye of the 31-star American flag that had accompanied Matthew Perry and his Black Ships in...

Phones left in taxis. Briefcases forgotten under train seats. Dropped wallets, abandoned umbrellas, misplaced purses. Japan’s 126 million residents lose a vast number of personal items every year. But a remarkably high percentage of them ar...

Walking through Tokyo's labyrinthine Shinjuku Station can be a challenge for even seasoned commuters. Hundreds of exits, countless corridors and the constant crush of passengers in the world's busiest train station are not for the faint of hear...

Apologies for the delay in this week's episode! A last minute re-record was neededto add in some information newly reported this week in Japanese media.For two decades, it was the lament of inexperienced visitors to Japan: Where...

IN THE WANING MONTHS OF World War II, as the likelihood of a land invasion of the Japanese home islands loomed, the United States’ Joint Intelligence Center, Pacific Ocean Areas (JICPOA) instituted a new psychological warfare unit un...

Parts I and II of our look at the psychology that goes in to the planning and operation of Japanese rail stations, combined into a single episode.

It takes more than physical engineering for Japan's rail stations to carry out the smooth transport of some 13 billion passenger trips each year. Rail station design is a master class in "Nudge Theory" at work, perhaps most not...

Take a train in any Japanese city and it is impossible to miss: rail employees in crisp uniforms pointing smartly at an array of buttons, knobs and dials. It is "shisa kanko" - pointing-and-calling - an industrial safety techni...

Tokyo Confidential is a weekly podcast examining the lesser-seen history, culture and trains of the world's most interesting city.Based on articles in the New York Times, CityLab, Globe and Mail, Atlas Obscura and other publications...