Walk into any of Germany’s federal, state, or city archives, and the first thing that strikes you is the quiet. […]

Walk into any Japanese classroom, and you will see the visible structures of a modern education system: digital whiteboards, students

To imagine Japan without Buddhism is to imagine a world without the serene countenance of a Zen garden, the haunting

To understand Japan is to listen for a quiet, persistent whisper beneath the noise of its modern cities and the

When World War II ended in 1945 with Japan’s surrender, the nation stood devastated. Its cities lay in ruins, its

In the heart of Tokyo, a stone’s throw from the bustling districts of Shinjuku and Shibuya, lies the Ichigaya district.

In the heart of Tokyo, amidst the sleek skyscrapers and bustling crowds, sits a quiet, unassuming building. This is the

The image is one of the most striking contrasts of the 20th century: black-and-white photos of smoldering rubble in Hiroshima,

The image is one of the most striking of the 20th century: General Douglas MacArthur, standing tall and informal beside

To understand modern Japan is to understand the profound and unhealable rupture of World War II. The conflict was not

The story of World War II in the Pacific is often told through the lens of pivotal battles—Midway, Iwo Jima,

To stand in the heart of Tokyo today—amidst the neon-lit skyscrapers, the relentless, orderly flow of humanity, and the pervasive