Nipponica

Walt Disney and Japan’s Oriental Land Company unveiled plans on Tuesday to launch a new cruise ship that will set sail from Tokyo in 2029, adding a ninth vessel to the brand’s growing fleet.

The new ship will be modeled after the Wish, the largest vessel in Disney’s fleet. OLC, the operator of Tokyo Disneyland, will also operate the new cruise vessel.

The best news of this announcement is that operations will be run by OLC, who has surpassed Disney itself in providing excellent service at their parks.

The recent words of FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki back up these ostensible labor wins for Japanese workers. Of the mass layoffs that are happening in the US and elsewhere, Miyazaki said, “as long as this company is my responsibility, that’s something I would not let happen.” But more so than the personal benevolence of leaders like Miyazaki, it is the country’s robust labor regulations that most protect workers.

Tongue firmly in cheek with the headline, but overall this is a well researched article about how Japanese tech & gaming companies treat layoffs versus their American counterparts.

A reportage of stations along the circular JR Yamanote line in Tokyo, capturing the hustle and bustle at the heart of the world’s biggest urban area. In service since 1885, the line is the city’s oldest, most important and most famous, with millions cramming on to the 35km (22-mile) route’s distinctive green cars every day

Some nice photography inside of the transport infrastructure that keeps Tokyo alive.

Orin metallic bowls, which are used in Buddhist rituals and ceremonies, produce a clean and clear high-pitched sound when struck. The purifying sound stretches out as if echoing in the ears.

The orin made by Kazuya Nanjo transcend the conventional framework of Buddhist implements. They move people’s hearts even when used in interior decoration or as a musical instrument.

A great look into the craftsmanship of making these precise bowls and the determination of keeping a tradition alive.

You are on the small island of Kouri, seated in the plush dining room of 6 Six, a restaurant with a small name but a reputation that is growing fast. The cuisine it serves is usually described as innovative French. It would be closer to the truth to call it one of a kind.

The name, whose French pronunciation sounds like "cease" (rendered in Japanese as "shisu"), apparently refers to the sixth sense — intuition or an elevated sensibility. Certainly, all the standard five senses are given an extended workout over the course of a dinner that can take almost three hours from sitting down to the final coffee and mignardises (petits fours).

According to Fujishiro Shrine, located in the Wakayama Prefecture city of Kainan, a family named "Suzuki" moved from the Kumano region in the south Kii Peninsula to Fujishiro (present-day Kainan) around the late Heian period (794-1185), and from their base there, they spread the Kumamo faith centering on the three grand shrines of Kumano.

Sounds like an interesting visit to celebrate all the Suzukis in your life.

Objects and signs in the shape of glasses are not the only decorations found on the city’s streets; designs of glasses are hiding in all kinds of places, such as on benches and bollards, making the city a photo hotspot for social media users.

Proper madness but if you are going to do it, at least they are going all the way.

Thrill-seekers looking for an adrenaline hit can head to the iconic Tsutenkaku Tower in the western Japan city of Osaka, where a new obstacle course that involves leaping off the side of the major landmark opened this summer.

Nope. Nope. Nope.

According to a Mitsubishi Research Institute survey, 27% of respondents expressed an interest in visiting the Expo as of April this year, almost unchanged from the previous survey conducted in October 2023 and four points lower than in October 2022. The number of pre-ordered tickets sold was approximately 2.8 million as of June 19, or only 20% of the target.

This is unfortunate but not unexpected. As a bit of a World Expo nerd, I am really excited to visit simply because my mid-20th century utopian ideals still haven't been totally purged from my psyche. Events like the 1964 World Expo and places that ape the Expo ethos like 1980s EPCOT Center had an optimistic, global view of the future which is sadly rare nowadays. Expos have always been driven by a commercial drive for pavilion sponsors and business in the host city, but it could be much more than that. Hoping that Osaka can provide a unique experience that will drive people to visit.

During the Yamato Period (300-710), this village was one of the earliest capitals of the nascent Yamato state, even meriting its own aptly named Asuka Period (552-645) — a time of cultural blooming and political consolidation (indeed, it was during this era that the country of Japan began to refer to itself by the modern name of “Nihon” instead of the archaic “Wa”).

A cycling tour of this former capital does sounds like a relaxing way to spend a day. Lots of ruins from the earliest eras of human settlement in Japan to see.