Emily Johnson– Author –

Osaka. The name itself crackles with an electric energy, a city whose soul is stirred into bubbling pots of takoyaki and pressed onto sizzling okonomiyaki grills. It’s Japan’s kitchen, a place where the mantra “kuidaore”—to eat oneself i...

Step out of the station and into another time. The air in Shinsekai crackles with a peculiar energy, a vibrant hum that’s part carnival, part time capsule. Looming above it all is the Tsutenkaku Tower, a steel sentinel straight from a re...

Forget the hushed temples and manicured gardens for a moment. Forget the sleek, futuristic face of Japan you see in magazines. I want to take you somewhere real, somewhere with a bit of grit under its fingernails and a whole lot of heart...