JQR Special
Keeping the City Clean
It can be easy to forget when you live here, but despite how many people live and work in Japan, cities are kept remarkably clean.
This applies not only to the roads or the train stations, but across all forms of public transportation, including trains, buses, and taxis.
It takes quite a lot of people to keep our cities beautiful. In this feature, we visit those cleaners at work.
Feature
“Small”and“Cozy”Really Are Better!
Most of us grow up believing bigger is better.
But given the finite availability of land and the depletion of our resources, we may have reached the limit of how much space we should hope for.
Depending on your needs, though, a few ideas and a little ingenuity can make small spaces perfectly comfortable.
Smart use of small spaces—it’s what the world needs, and it’s great!
JQR Interview
Taste Testing Convenience Store Desserts
Convenience store shelves are always lined with a mouthwatering array of desserts, and every month new products get put to the test in this extremely competitive market.
New desserts only have a week to prove themselves in trial sales, and those that don’t sell get taken off the shelves.
We asked three people in the food business to give their independent opinions of the top-selling desserts.
And the results...?
Quality-Review
A Poet Breathes Life into Duralumin
The Shozo Izushi Selection No. 6
The evolution of bags created by Aero Concept
Travel
Kyoto - Experiencing Machiya
Kyoto has a history spanning 1200 years.
Since time immemorial, it has nurtured a mesmerizing breadth and depth of tradition and culture.
To touch upon the heart and soul of Kyoto, it is best to immerse yourself in the traditional lifestyle.
We suggest a leisurely stay in a machiya townhouse, the dwellings built many years ago for the common townspeople, in order to explore and appreciate the hidden charm of the city.
It will unlock the door to a realm of travel.
Traditional & Culture
“Chilling” the old-fashioned way
Eco-friendly options for beating this year's summer heat
For centuries the Japanese have been experts at incorporating nature in everyday living.
As serious efforts to reduce power consumption and save energy gather momentum, this summer is the perfect opportunity to remind ourselves of the wise ways of our forebears, hone our senses and test some time-honored techniques for combating soaring temperatures.
