Dai Nippon Printing’s new training centre, by architect Kenya Ishihara, was designed to inspire its employees. With a spa and views of Mount Fuji, it seems more like a retreat than a place of work but with this incentive…
A few of our favourite things, including a new mobile phone by Bic and a waste disposal unit by Loofen. Plus, where to find the best room in the best ryokan at the foot of Mount Fuji.
Music festivals have become big business in Japan, whether you want kodo drummers at The Earth Celebration or J-pop at A-Nation. But the one that started the boom is still the biggest and the best: Fuji Rock. We headed to…
In the second of our series on niche airlines, we take a trip on one of two planes – one red, one blue – run by the tiny, but ambitious, Fuji Dream Airlines.
Embedding a tiny chip into the pages of a passport is standard practice for thwarting counterfeiters. But in Japan’s latest attempt to prevent forgeries the foreign ministry plans to use art: ukiyo-e woodblock prints by…
In Japan seeing the sunrise on 1 January is an auspicious kick-off to the New Year. But finding the best viewing spot will cost you. Consider two Japan Airlines flights from Tokyo’s closest airports, Narita and Haneda. Both…
From how to create a welcoming lobby with just the right amount of hubbub to who to hire to tend your kitchen, here is our advice for budding hoteliers looking to create a spot that is welcoming for both locals and out-of…
Catching a train to Kyoto isn’t just part of Tokyo-based architect Jun Aoki’s weekly ritual – it’s a chance for him to reflect and a constant source of inspiration.
When luxury cosmetics brand Three decided to open a shop, spa and restaurant in central Aoyama, it needed a space that would echo its understated image yet stand out from the crowd. We meet the team behind the evolving…
Kazakhstan's capital finishes its Metro, Japan's rare deepwater salmon is given a reprieve and the Indian state of Tamil Nadu gets some new urban planning.
Fiona Wilson reporting from Tottori, Japan: To run a great hotel, sometimes all you need to do is leave well alone. Fortunately the owners of Toukouen have let their 1960s architectural hot property mellow with age.