Articles tagged as Japan | Smithsonian Magazine

Cool Finds

Japan Testing “Space Tether” to Knock Junk Out of Orbit

The KITE experiment will use a half-mile long cable to guide some of the 500,000 chunks of space junk out of orbit

December 12, 2016

The Sikiorsky JRS-1 "was right in the middle of it,” Robinson says. “She went out along with other airplanes from the (Navy) Utility Squadron One searching for the Japanese fleet.”

At Pearl Harbor, This Aircraft Risked It All to Find the Japanese Fleet

The Sikorsky JRS-1 flew right through the middle of it on December 7, 1941

December 6, 2016

The shipworm, scourge of sailors everywhere, is actually a kind of ghostly saltwater clam.

How a Ship-Sinking Clam Conquered the Ocean

The wood-boring shipworm has bedeviled humans for centuries. What’s its secret?

December 5, 2016

The attack on Pearl Harbor was the worst day in the U.S. Navy’s history and the shock of a lifetime for just about any American who had achieved the age of memory.

How (Almost) Everyone Failed to Prepare for Pearl Harbor

The high-stakes gamble and false assumptions that detonated Pearl Harbor 80 years ago

December 2016

People crossing a Tokyo street are caught in a mirror. As the country's foreign population grows, racism is thought to be on the rise.

Just how widespread is racism in Japan? An unprecedented survey aims to find out

November 1, 2016

Cool Finds

Toyota Hopes This Adorable Robot Will Make Japan Less Lonely

Meet your $390 best friend

October 6, 2016

Katsuren Castle in Okinawa, Japan is an unlikely place for a cache of ancient Roman coins.

Cool Finds

Archaeologist Finds Ancient Roman Coins in 12th-Century Japanese Castle

East meets west

September 29, 2016

Cool Finds

World’s Oldest Fish Hooks Discovered in Okinawa

The 23,000-year-old barbs are made from snail shell. The discovery shows that early people had the resources to survive on the isolated island

September 20, 2016

Behind the scenes at Nissan Motor's factory in Kyushu, Japan

How Eight Conglomerates Dominate Japanese Industry

Each keiretsu can have as many as 30 sub-companies—from breweries to camera and auto makers

September 7, 2016

While the role is ceremonial, abdication could mean a political battle

August 8, 2016

Japan’s Most Mouthwatering Dishes Are Made of Plastic

Discover sampuru, the art of mind-blowingly realistic fake food

August 4, 2016

The Sleepy Japanese Town Built Inside an Active Volcano

It’s been about 230 years since the last eruption killed half the population. But locals won’t let the volcano dictate their future

July 5, 2016

Cool Finds

Japan Honors the Creator of the California Roll

Some may see it as an affront against sushi, others see an ambassador for culture

June 16, 2016

Ronald Reagan signing the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 that apologized for the internment of Japanese American citizens and permanent residents during World War II.

These are a few instances where the U.S. admitted it had done wrong

May 27, 2016

An artist's representation of an artificial meteor shower.

Could the only thing better than fireworks be fireworks launched from space?

May 25, 2016

Japan Is Getting “Invisible” Trains That Blend into the Landscape

Admiring the scenery just got even better

April 28, 2016

A print of Lake Suwa from the series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.

Historic records from “citizen scientists” in Japan and Finland give researchers centuries of data on ice conditions

April 27, 2016

Discover the Real Ramen at a Shrine to Slurpy Noodles

The iconic dish has surprising regional roots

April 21, 2016

A wild boar and her little squeakers explore in Duisburg Forest, Germany.

Weird Animals

Radioactive Boars Rampage Around Fukushima

A boom in the wild boar population is causing problems for farmers near the site of the 2011 nuclear disaster

April 12, 2016

This spring, think about looking for cherry blossoms in unexpected places.

Where to See the Best Cherry Blossoms Around the World

The blossoms in Japan and Washington, D.C are breathtaking, but you can see beautiful flowers in places like Stockholm, too

March 30, 2016