Akiya, or vacant houses in Japan, have become a hot topic on international news websites. Articles about Japan giving away countryside houses for free or for 500 US dollars have fueled the dreams of people desiring to come and live in the Japanese countryside. Reality is much more complex—although rural real estate in Japan can…
Discovering Kyoto’s Gardens through Interactive Live Documentaries
Andrew William is a U.S. national who has been living in Kyoto for more than 10 years. After a career in garden design in both countries, his love for the town and its lesser-known gardens has led him to share them with guests in a very unique way. Through his company, An Design, he offers…
The Temple University Library: Unique English Resources Hidden in the Middle of Tokyo
In early December 2021, I was invited to visit Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ) by Justin Sanders, head of its Continuing Education Department and Kokoro Media reader. The visit focused mainly on the university’s library, as I had been told it was packed with wonderful resources in the English language. It was an occasion for…
The Importance of Good Soil
Here is the end-of-the-year report from the Kokoro Media field. Last time, Masamichi, the organic farmer, showed us how to select the most vigorous plants just by looking at the buds. This time, he shows us how the plants have grown, and tells us about the importance of making good soil for organic farming. More…
Aguyoshi’s Funny Tokyo Street Dances
Aguyoshi is a very peculiar dance duo. You may have seen some of their intriguing, poetic, and funny videos on social media, especially on Twitter and Instagram. Formed by contemporary dancers Aisa Shirai and KEKE, the duo explores the streets of Japan (mainly in the wider Tokyo area), letting the places’ shapes and rhythms influence…
Inami, the Japanese Woodcarvers’ Town
Inami is a town of 8,000 inhabitants located in Toyama Prefecture. With more than a hundred sculptors’ workshops, it is said to be the number one city for sculptors in Japan. After moving there in 2016, architect Tomotsugu Yamakawa decided to turn part of his recently refurbished house into an accommodation for visitors to use…
Selecting the Most Vigorous Plants
Here is our monthly report from the Kokoro Media field! (You can find the previous episodes of our remote farming project here.) Last time, organic farmer Masamichi harvested edamame and gave us tips about shiso. Since then, he has cleaned the field to grow the vegetables you selected in our last survey! In this new video,…
Hunting Kyoto’s Ghosts Through Art
As I explained in my previous interview, in Japan, summer is the season for ghosts. That is why this interview also deals with this spooky topic, as I talk with a young artist who made a series of art pieces about Kyoto’s ghosts. Michael Hirschbichler is a German-Austrian-Swiss artist and professor at the Academy of…
Harvesting Edamame at Higa Farm
Here is our monthly report from the Kokoro Media field! (You can find the previous episodes of our remote farming project here.) Last time, our friend, organic farmer Masamichi, explained to us how to water vegetables the right way so that they can survive the Japanese summer heat. He also showed us the growing fruits of…
Gochiso Chaji: A Documentary That Will Change Your Perception of Japanese Tea
Some time ago, one of our readers, Luisa, kindly messaged me to introduce me to the movie “Gochiso Chaji – A Film About Japanese Tea.” She had just watched the movie at a preview with the Global Japanese Tea Association and, like the rest of the audience, was “amazed at how it really delivers the…