Japan: A Longform Reading List of Longform Writing
Some gaijin, like Kelly Luce and Pico Iyer, had been touched by Japanese culture deeply enough to write about it. As we all mourned our imminent return to American toilets with their archaic toi…
The archive
Articles from longreads.com
Browse articles from longreads.com in the Akihabara archive.
Collecting Rare Sneakers from Japan
Japan became a producer of highly sought after limited-edition sneakers in the 1990s. Now rare sneaker culture has crossed from Japanese collectors into the global mainstream, where a new w…
Can Japan Break Its Addiction to Disposable Packaging?
Japan is infamous for its excessive, often elaborate, plastic packaging. The cashier is unconcerned when I say I don’t want a bag, but she looks at me like I’m some kind of eccentric when I say …
Can We Ever Make It Suntory Time Again?
Ninety years later, around a dozen companies distill whisky in Japan, depending on how you count them: Suntory and Nikka. During the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s, there was Hi Nikka, Nikka Gold &a…
The Corpse Rider
— oh, what a delight!”Yukiko soon discovers that the woman’s corpse has somehow attached itself to her own body; doctors cannot pry it loose for fear of tearing Yukiko’s skin. As the Meiji …