Did Japan stop dreaming of androids?

Humanoid robots are all the rage. Why aren’t more of them Japanese?

Aug 26 • Matt Alt

29

6

7

Toy Story

A farewell to Katsushi Murakami, an architect of Japan's giant robots -- and soft power

Aug 10 • Matt Alt

42

5

9

July 2026

Fight! Cool Japanese Bureaucrat

Meet the New Cool Japan Strategy: same as the old Cool Japan strategy

Jul 6 • Matt Alt

40

8

7

June 2026

Make Japan Uncool Again

Japan's best pop culture isn't "cool." It's dorky, weird, and out-there.

Jun 26 • Matt Alt

42

11

7

May 2026

Hug of death

Will Japan's content industries survive the government's efforts to promote them?

May 28 • Matt Alt

41

24

10

April 2026

Press any button to continue

The government's quixotic quest to make games a pillar of the Japanese economy

Apr 30 • Matt Alt

31

3

1

Disorganized Religion

How Japanese spirituality sheds light on American faith

Apr 10 • Matt Alt

39

7

10

So you want to be a manga millionaire

The principles behind the success of Japan's biggest hits

Apr 2 • Matt Alt

42

13

8

February 2026

Japan's AI Affinity

The reasons many Westerners despise AI explain why Japanese don't

Feb 22 • Matt Alt

78

18

20

Sanae vs. Anime

What does Prime Minister Takaichi’s landslide mean for Japan's pop culture?

Feb 13 • Matt Alt

39

4

6

January 2026

Altered States

America's in trouble. Where are the artists?

Jan 30 • Matt Alt

39

20

4

December 2025

Sony Goes for Peanuts

Some thoughts on Japan's acquisition of an American icon

Dec 21, 2025 • Matt Alt

53

12

9