In the 1980s Jean-Michel Basquiat ジャン=ミシェル・バスキア emerged as probably the first real-deal African-American art superstar. Beginning as a graffiti artist…
Paul McInnesMarch 18, 2025
Spring means cherry blossoms and ohanami parties in Japan, but what are the rules we need to know while enjoying…
Maria PeñascalMarch 10, 2025
During Hinamatsuri literally “doll’s celebration”) beautiful ornamental dolls are displayed in Japan's household to celebrate the good fortune of girls.
Todd FongFebruary 21, 2025
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car is a road trip in more ways than one. What started out as a cinematic…
Cherise FongFebruary 5, 2025
What is the climate like in Japan? What temperatures can you expect during your visit? And when is the best…
Daniela TravagliniFebruary 4, 2025
Eating mamemaki during Setsubun is a well-known Japanese custom, but for those from Kansai ehoumaki is preffered to welcome the…
Maria PeñascalFebruary 4, 2025
Welcome to the latest installment of Voyapon’s new (ish) series where we share some of the best under-the-radar events happening…
Paul McInnesFebruary 3, 2025
Many Japanese may recall their childhood memories of mamemaki. While chanting “Evil out! Luck in!” beans are scattered around the…
Maria PeñascalJanuary 28, 2025
Death. That mystery yet to be solved. That unanswered phenomenon that all cultures try to understand. The path to the…
Maria PeñascalJanuary 23, 2025
Throughout history, humans have always sought to explain the mysterious or illogical phenomena around them. To make sense of what…
Lucia TsujiguchiJanuary 21, 2025
Have a tattoo and want to visit Japan? Fear not! Here's a guide to visiting Japan when you have tattoos…
Gaël FaulconnierJanuary 15, 2025
A visit to a likely-heaving (Buddhist) temple to see out the old year (when the 108 worldly desires of attendees…
Richard Koyama-DanielsJanuary 9, 2025
Welcome to the latest installment of Voyapon’s new (ish) series where we share some of the best under-the-radar events happening…
Paul McInnesDecember 29, 2024
New Year is one of Japan's most important national holidays, known as oshogatsu (お正月). Comparable in significance to Christmas or Thanksgiving…
Stefania Da PontDecember 25, 2024
Akita Prefecture, located in the northern Tohoku region of Japan, is known not only for its natural beauty but also…
Paul McInnesDecember 3, 2024
Welcome to the latest installment of Voyapon’s new (ish) series where we share some of the best under-the-radar events happening…
Paul McInnesNovember 29, 2024
Kyoto, it can be said, is a complex city. Imbued in tradition and history, it’s also a fascinating and modern…
Paul McInnesNovember 21, 2024
In the social media-fueled new world of tourism, we are tempted to hurry from one Instagrammable spot to the next,…
Todd FongNovember 11, 2024
I don’t particularly like new stuff. It makes me sad, for example, to think of factories churning out an ever-growing…
Richard Koyama-DanielsOctober 22, 2024
I spent much of my time in Britain, in the latter half of the 1990s, hoisting kegs of real ale…
Richard Koyama-DanielsOctober 8, 2024
A phoenix is rising in the shadow of Osaka, but you'll need to look closely. It rises slowly and deliberately…
Todd FongOctober 1, 2024
I think it was the moment Orochi arrived. A phantasmagorical rendering of the eight-headed, eight-tailed serpent from Shinto myth, cavorting…
David McElhinneySeptember 24, 2024
Welcome to the next installment of Voyapon's My Japan series, in which we introduce you to our more or less…
Yvonne TanakaSeptember 19, 2024
Across many parts of the western world, the bitter gray tedium of winter is made just about bearable by the…
Richard Koyama-DanielsSeptember 13, 2024
"Ah, Barcelona! Olympic Games, Sagrada Familia." An almost unanimous chant uttered by many older Japanese people (old enough to remember…
Toshiko SakuraiSeptember 9, 2024
When I was asked if I’d like to contribute to the Voyapon My Japan series, I faced a dilemma. The…
Cassandra LordAugust 23, 2024
Just a short walk from the Gojo Bridge, site of the warrior-monk Benkei’s fateful 1,000th duel, there is a typically…
Richard Koyama-DanielsAugust 16, 2024
