Things that may look ordinary in Japan but strange, surprising, or different from outside Japan.
Culture Gaps Why Japan Is Obsessed With High School Baseball: The Beauty and Cruelty of Koshien
Why is Japan obsessed with high school baseball? Summer Koshien is more than a tournament: it is youth, nostalgia, inequality, heartbreak—and a national ritual watched by adults who may be remembering their own lost summers.
Culture Gaps Japan Is Good at Avoiding Mistakes. That May Be Part of the Problem.
Japan is known for precision, reliability, and careful work. But its tendency to avoid mistakes may also slow innovation. A calm look at trial and error in ordinary Japan.