Japan

Christianity’s Bloody History in Japan

Japan has had a vexed relationship with Jesus ever since European missionaries arrived on its shores. Banned until 1873, successive leaders have asked whether love of the ‘two Js’ is compatible.

Empire in the Everyday

The everyday concerns of two Korean farmers are a microcosm of the huge changes their country underwent in the early 20th century.

Chadō

The ‘way of tea’ is a ritual experience that embodies the natural world with all its imperfections.

A Shared Culture

How a German colony laid the groundwork for the alliance between Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.

Uncomfortable History

Japan’s responsibility for ‘comfort women’ is avoided by the state and written out of national histories. Activists are working to make Japan confront its past.

Why Japan Stopped Fighting

After a disastrous Second World War, Japan abolished its armed forces and embraced pacifism. With renewed tensions in East Asia, can it last?