Michihiko Sasaki is the CEO of Minami Sanriku Winery, in the town of Minami Sanriku in Miyagi Prefecture. 10 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake and the tsunami that left the town in ruins, the team at Minami Sanriku Winery are using wine as a way to give life back to the place and…
How Science Helps in Revitalizing Japan’s Fishing Industry
Takashi Suzuki is an assistant professor at Kagoshima University and a former project researcher at the University of Tokyo. Now a specialist in marine life and fisheries, he was a student on the Iwate Prefecture campus of Kitasato University student when the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake happened. Since then, he has been devoting his studies and activities to…
The Fascinating Life of a Tokyo Rickshaw Driver
For a long time, I ignored that the rickshaw was actually a Japanese invention! This old profession still subsists today in a newer form in Japan: the rickshaw drivers double as guides who often speak several languages. Let me introduce you to Mr. Taira, a rickshaw driver you can meet in Asakusa, Tokyo. All the…
This Shamisen Player and Mangaka Draws People’s Portraits While Singing
Chie is a nagashi artist: her job consists of wandering the streets of Arakicho (a part of Shinjuku ward), going from tavern to tavern to play and sing to entertain the customers. She’s also a mangaka and draws people’s portraits while singing. I met Chie by chance at the Ringo no Hana tavern in Arakicho back in 2018, and we talked…