Japan
Perspectives was a regular feature on this website and its
immediate predecessor between 2001
and 2019. It
gradually evolved into an unlikely mix of humorous, serious,
provocative and poignant pieces on everyday life in Japan. Some
items were fairly recent, some beginning to show their age, others
simply timeless — among them polished pearls that might have been
lost forever. So I decided to bring back a good selection of them, and in
the process repair a
surprising number of broken links still out there on the World Wide Web.
Once again, heartfelt thanks to the knowledgeable and talented writers who supported this project and kindly contributed their thoughtful articles on a broad range of issues. I am sure you will agree that the sum of their combined efforts and considerable experience makes for an engaging and enjoyable read.
David V. Appleyard
David V. Appleyard
BBC Japan came and went on 'wrong' first-choice satellite
Can Japan afford all its public holidays?
English OS PCs once a challenge in Japan
Junior high school English: '3 years to read 20 pages'
Lafcadio Hearn, rolling stone who gathered moss in Japan
Barry Brophy
Amy Chavez
Don't let bad bicycle days run you down
J. Sean Curtin
International marriages in Japan
Living longer, divorcing later: The Japanese silver divorce phenomenon
Sarah Dale
Boyé Lafayette De Mente
Branch of Tokyo Sky-Tree sprouts beer pubs
Experiencing other cultures in Japan
Fascinating story of inns in Japan
The extraordinary merits of modern-day karate
The return of Japan's castle culture
Why foreign men like Japan (It's the girls!)
Duco Delgorge
Plethora of barriers narrows food choices for Japanese
Thomas Dillon
Longtime expatriates all play 'Survivor'
Remembering the ghost of a Christmas past
When cultures clash — 'sizing' up the opposition
Spencer Fancutt
Educational reform in Japan [satire]
John Haffner
Immigration as a source of renewal in Japan
Japan in a post-American world
Noriko Hama
The importance of questioning fearlessly and answering honestly
Toby Harward
When in Rome, do as Romans do?
Stephen Hesse
Alex Kerr's view: Japan — a land gone to the dogs?
Sven Holm
A high-school student's workweek
Phillip Howe
Mindy Kotler
Chyi Lee
Seiza — the traditional Japanese sitting posture
Jean-Pierre Lehmann
English-language deficit handicaps Japan
Matthew Maclachlan
Mark Magnier
Home buyers in Japan up against a stacked deck
David McNeill
Hospital death exposes 'tip of malpractice iceberg'
Sherry Nakanishi
Lance Olsen
Organized crime and the forest
Peter Osborne
Japanese system stifles foreign scientific talent 
Renata Piazza
Summer grass — A 'gaijin' among volunteers
Devin T. Stewart
Bill Stonehill
Classified ads? Forget about them
Crime and the U.S. servicemen in Okinawa
Like Japanese food? Try a spaghetti sandwich
Masaru Tamamoto
Ronald E. Yates
Foreigners in Japan say openness all talk
In Japan, fast food is fast becoming a health hazard
In one remote corner of Japan,
Emperor still considered a god
Japan's rebels rare, but hard-core
Japan's 'returnees' face rejection, find that coming home isn't easy
Japan's Takarazuka Theater makes women, and men, of talented girls
