Bobbie van der List
These Athletes Came to Japan in 2019 To Train for the Games. They’re Still Stuck There.
The Olympians don't mind the long wait: "In South Sudan, we have sandy running tracks, so you can imagine this is a lot better."
Why the Black Lives Matter Movement Fell Flat in Japan
“I can’t forget the look in the eyes of people seeing our march. They were ignoring us, not interested at all.”
Japan Has COVID Under Control. So Why Are Women Being Forced to Give Birth Alone?
Expecting mothers and experts are raising their voice against what they view as unnecessarily strict virus control measures in hospitals.
Japan’s Hard-Drinking Bar Culture Meets the ‘Sober Curious’ Movement
Alcohol is an integral part of socializing with colleagues in Japan. But now there are alternatives for teetotalers.
How Deceitful Propaganda Lured Japan’s ‘Zainichi’ to North Korea
Before the end of the occupation of the Korean peninsula, thousands of Koreans came to Japan. After the war ended, discrimination towards the ‘Zainichi’ community intensified. North Korea saw an opportunity.
How Stigma Created Japan’s Hidden Drug Problem
There's extreme social shame around doing drugs, and yet the underground drug scene is thriving in Tokyo.
Meet the Japanese Moms Running a Citizens' Lab to Track Nuclear Radiation
After the 2011 tsunami triggered a nuclear disaster in Fukushima, there were widespread fears about radiation leaking into the environment. Now a group of volunteers—who are mostly mothers—is tackling the issue head-on.
The Women You Can Rent as Your BFF
Business is booming for Japan's rent-a-friend industry, where you can pay someone $50 an hour to pretend to be your friend. We talk to two women who provide the popular service.
'You're Contaminated': The Stigma Against Japan's Fukushima Survivors
A 2011 quake and tsunami led to a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, killing thousands and displacing more. Two 'nuclear refugees' explain why returning home is more complicated than it seems.
'You're Contaminated': The Stigma Against Japan's Fukushima Survivors
A 2011 quake and tsunami led to a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, killing thousands and displacing more. Two 'nuclear refugees' explain why returning home is more complicated than it seems.
'My People Are Brainwashed': The Women Who Escaped North Korea
From putting their families at risk of execution to struggles with guilt and paranoia, freedom comes at a cost for those who flee the Hermit Kingdom.
'My People Are Brainwashed': The Women Who Escaped North Korea
From putting their families at risk of execution to struggles with guilt and paranoia, freedom comes at a cost for those who flee the Hermit Kingdom.