Japanology Plus mini

We bring you a five-minute digest of "Japanology Plus," a show that explores Japanese culture from various angles. This time we focus on swords as weapons, status symbols and works of art.

Japanology Plus explores Japanese life and culture. In this five-minute digest, we look at bladed tools. These items are used in countless situations, from cooking at home to providing frontline medical care. Made using incredible skill and traditional techniques, Japan's bladed tools even play an integral role in Japan's cuisine.

Japanology Plus explores Japanese life and culture. In this five-minute digest, we look at the significance of cats in Japan. Cats have recently become the most-owned pets in Japan, and their popularity continues to grow with cat cafes and similar businesses proliferating. However, feral cats are a problem in cities, and local communities are searching for solutions.

Japanese paper, known as washi, is attractively textured and extremely durable. In Japan, it's used in everything from sliding doors to banknotes. Paper first arrived from China around the 7th century and spread alongside Buddhism. Recently, crafts featuring washi have been getting attention outside Japan, and new paper production methods―including using vegetable scraps―have been popping up. In a 5-minute digest, we explore washi's role in modern society and examine how it represents Japanese aesthetics.

In recent years, a sense of nostalgia has been spreading among young people in Japan for the Showa era, which lasted from 1926 to 1989. A theme park has opened a recreation of a 1960s shopping street. Radio-cassette players and colorful retro designs are once again popular. And long-established cafes serve recipes that haven't changed in decades. We introduce some of the cultural elements defining an era that many Japanese people consider the "good old days."

Ueno is home to world-class cultural facilities, a bustling street market, a historic shrine, and much more. We look at some of the many features that make this diverse urban environment so popular.