JapanUp! magazine

A Unique Political Governance In the United States, the governance structure is perfectly unified under a single individual: the President. The U.S. President serves simultaneously as the head of government, the head of state, and the commander-in-chief of the military. However, if you look at the governing system of Japan, you will discover a unique dual structure that coexists at the top of the nation. Japan operates as a constitutional monarchy, meaning the country has both a Prime Minister (Souri Daijin) and an Emperor (Tenno). This division of national roles represents a fascinating balance of modern politics and ancient tradition.…

A High-Tech Country’s Low-Tech Election Japan is globally known as a high-tech powerhouse, famous for bullet trains, advanced robotics, and automated convenience stores. However, if you step into a Japanese voting booth on election day, you will feel like you have traveled back in time to the 19th century. There are no touch-screen voting machines, no electronic apps, and no multiple-choice punch cards. The Japanese voting system is 100% analog. To cast a ballot, every single citizen must physically walk into a polling station, grab a simple black pencil, and physically handwrite the exact name of their chosen candidate onto…

The Subtle “Open” Sign If you walk down the streets of Los Angeles looking for a place to eat, you generally look for a bright, flashing neon “OPEN” sign in the window or a wooden board flipped to show the word “Welcome.” But when you travel to Japan and explore local restaurant districts, you will notice a completely different aesthetic. Hanging outside the front door of traditional restaurants, Izakayas, and cafes is a split fabric curtain that blocks the view inside. This curtain is called a “Noren.” To an American tourist, it might look like a simple privacy screen or…

The Forbidden Direction When rearranging the bedroom furniture in a Los Angeles home, you generally base your layout on aesthetics or logic. You place the bed against the main wall, ensure you can see the TV clearly, or align it with a window to enjoy the morning sun. But if you are setting up a bedroom in Japan, there is one absolute, non-negotiable rule that you must follow: never place your pillow facing the north. This taboo, known as “Kita-makura” (North Pillow), is so deeply ingrained in Japanese society that even modern, non-religious people will completely refuse to sleep in…

A Dangerous Routine Taking care of your personal hygiene is a basic daily routine all over the world. Whether it is clipping your fingernails after a long shower or doing a quick touch-up before bed, most people in America don’t think twice about the time of day they perform these tasks. However, if you are staying with a Japanese family or living with a Japanese roommate, pulling out a pair of nail clippers late at night might cause them to gasp in absolute horror. Japan has an ancient, terrifyingly specific superstition regarding nighttime grooming: clipping your nails after dark is…

The Sudden Japanese Downpour If you live in Los Angeles, you probably don’t even own a heavy-duty umbrella because it rarely rains. But Japan experiences distinct rainy seasons (Tsuyu) and sudden, unpredictable afternoon typhoons. Despite this, if you look at the bustling streets of Shibuya or Ginza during a massive rainstorm, you won’t see a colorful array of expensive, designer umbrellas. Instead, you will see millions of people carrying the exact same item: a cheap, highly transparent, clear vinyl umbrella. It looks like a massive, unified clear canopy moving through the city. Why is this specific umbrella so incredibly popular?…