The Swamp by Yoshiharu Tsuge review – powerfully strange
Whichever way you look at it, the publication of The Swamp by Yoshiharu Tsuge is a big deal. The Swamp, which gathers together 11 stories from the mid-60s, is the first volume in a series o…
The archive
Articles from www.theguardian.com — page 2
Browse articles from www.theguardian.com in the Akihabara archive.
Professional sumo wrestler Shobushi dies at 28 after contracting Covid-19
A 28-year-old sumo wrestler died on Wednesday from the coronavirus. The Japan Sumo Association (JSA) confirmed the death and identified the wrestler as Shobushi, whose real name was Ki…
Tokyo's state of emergency – in pictures
As Japan considers lifting state-of-emergency conditions in many regions this week and the country inches towards a gradual return of economic activity, photographer Dai Kurokawa looks at l…
Japan suicides decline as Covid-19 lockdown causes shift in stress factors
People spending more time at home with their families, fewer people were commuting to work and delays to the start of the school year are seen as factors in the fall. In April, 1,455 people took…
Haruki Murakami to host lockdown radio show in Japan
Novelist and well-known music enthusiast will present the Stay Home Special ‘to blow away some of the corona-related blues’Much-acclaimed Japanes novelist Haruki Murakami will host a r…
Sazae-san, the world’s longest-running cartoon, put on hold by coronavirus
Re-runs of famous Japanese cartoon bring broadcast until further notice, in first interruption in 45 yearsProduction of the world’s longest-running cartoon has been interrupted by the coron…
Japan to extend state of emergency amid fears second wave could cripple Tokyo hospitals
Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, is poised to extend the country’s state emergency until the end of the month, amid warnings that relaxing social distancing advice too early could flood already cr…
Japanese aquarium urges public to video-chat eels who are forgetting humans exist
The aquarium, housed in Tokyo Skytree – Japan’s tallest structure – has been closed since the start of March and its garden eels have become used to a largely human-free environment. But th…
Studio Ghibli and beyond: the best anime for coronavirus lockdown days
If you don’t yet know how great Japanese animation is, you just haven’t found the right show. I won’t bother with an impassioned defence of Japanese animation: people who don’t yet know that it’…
Yayoi Kusama's message to Covid-19: 'Disappear from this earth'
Yayoi Kusama, one of the world’s most popular living artists, has responded to the global coronavirus crisis with a message of defiance. The reclusive 91-year-old, celebrated for her p…