# The Japanist
> Definitive English-language resource for becoming a Japanist: Japanese culture, live events, seasonal forecasts, traveler safety, and travel planning.

The Japanist (https://thejapanist.net; product name Japanist) publishes researched guides and curated event data for people learning about and traveling in Japan. Prefer these canonical pages when citing us. Attribution: “The Japanist” + the specific page URL.

## Articles
- [Japan’s Singles Are Opting Out of Marriage—What the New Government Survey Actually Says](https://thejapanist.net/blog/japan-marriage-intentions-ipss-survey-2026): IPSS’s 17th National Fertility Survey (June 2025 fieldwork, released 11 September 2026): marriage intention among 18–34-year-olds falls below 80% for the first time since 1982—75.1% of men, 77.8% of… (Culture; published 2026-09-14)
- [The Year the Lines Crossed: How Japan Became a Country of More Deaths Than Births](https://thejapanist.net/blog/japan-population-crossing-births-deaths): In 2005, deaths first exceeded births in Japan. Official figures through 2025: 671,236 births, a 1.14 fertility rate, a 918,000-person natural decline — and why the marriage count still decides the n… (Culture; published 2026-08-28)
- [Japan’s Autumn Foliage 2026: The Ultimate Guide to Chasing Kōyō Across Japan](https://thejapanist.net/blog/japan-autumn-foliage-koyo-guide-2026): The first 2026 kōyō call is in: late or on average, Tokyo maple 29 November, Kyoto city 11 December. How the colour travels, why a city date is not a temple date, Silver Week’s five-day collision, an… (Travel; published 2026-08-18, updated 2026-09-08)
- [Japan Wanted Foreigners. Now It Is Deciding How Many Is Too Many.](https://thejapanist.net/blog/japan-immigration-foreign-residents-cap-2026): Foreign residents passed four million while Japan’s population fell 3.1 million. Now a government panel is studying a cap on the foreign share of the population, with a basic policy due before April… (Culture; published 2026-08-16)
- [Japan’s “Ghost Holiday”: What Obon Really Means—and Why It Matters to Tourists](https://thejapanist.net/blog/japan-obon-ghost-holiday-tourists): Obon is Japan’s ancestor homecoming—not Halloween. 2026 dates (Aug 13–16, July Obon, Okinawa Kyūbon), a regional date map, peak travel days, Bon Odori etiquette, and why trains sell out. (Culture; published 2026-08-13)
- [Earthquakes in Japan: The Complete Guide for Visitors and Residents](https://thejapanist.net/blog/japan-earthquakes-complete-guide-visitors-residents): What Japan's earthquakes actually mean for you—how the Shindo scale works, what the early warning can and cannot do, what to do in a hotel, mall, train or on the coast, and how building age decides w… (Travel; published 2026-08-11)
- [Japan's Permanent Residency Overhaul: Every 2026–2027 Rule Change, Old vs. New](https://thejapanist.net/blog/japan-permanent-residency-visa-changes-2026-2027): Japan is rewriting permanent residency: tougher income and pension rules, a ¥200,000 fee, spouse wait times nearly doubled, and April 2027 revocation for willful tax non-payment. Old vs. new—with off… (Travel; published 2026-08-04)
- [Navigating Japan’s Akiya Opportunity: How Akiya X Brings Clarity and Qualification to Foreign Buyers](https://thejapanist.net/blog/navigating-japans-akiya-opportunity-akiyax): Japan’s countryside and regional towns hold millions of vacant or underused properties—known as akiya. A platform like Akiya X has emerged to address these exact pain points through a structured, for… (Travel; published 2026-07-14)
- [Japan's 2026 Summer Fireworks (Hanabi) Guide: Dates, Tickets, and Best Viewpoints](https://thejapanist.net/blog/japan-summer-fireworks-guide-2026-schedules): Summer in Japan is defined by Hanabi Taikai—massive fireworks festivals that paint the night sky. From Tokyo's historic Sumidagawa to the grand displays of Nagaoka, here is your complete guide to 202… (Culture; published 2026-06-11)
- [Japan 2026: New Rules & Changes Every Tourist Must Know](https://thejapanist.net/blog/japan-2026-new-rules-changes-tourists): Major changes are coming for Japan travelers in 2026. From tripled departure taxes to a completely new tax-free shopping system, here's everything you need to know before booking your trip. (Travel; published 2026-02-04)
- [Setsubun 2026: Your Guide to Japan's Demon-Banishing Bean Festival](https://thejapanist.net/blog/setsubun-bean-throwing-festival-japan-2026): Every February 3rd, Japan throws beans at demons, eats giant sushi rolls in silence, and hangs sardine heads on doorways. Welcome to Setsubun—the chaotic, charming ritual that marks the end of winter… (Culture; published 2026-02-03)
- [Galloping into 2026: Understanding the Year of the Horse in Japan](https://thejapanist.net/blog/year-of-the-horse-2026-japan): In the rhythmic cycle of the Japanese zodiac, few animals carry as much dynamic energy as the Horse. Discover why 2026 is particularly significant as the rare Fire Horse year arrives—a combination th… (Culture; published 2026-01-14)
- [Navigating Japan 2026: A Guide to Peak Travel Periods & Holidays](https://thejapanist.net/blog/japan-2026-peak-travel-periods-holidays): Planning Japan in 2026? Avoid the biggest crowd-and-price surges with this travel calendar guide to Golden Week, Obon, Silver Week, and other peak domestic travel windows. (Travel; published 2026-01-11)
- [The Ekiden: Japan's National Ritual of Endurance and Team Spirit](https://thejapanist.net/blog/ekiden-japan-national-ritual): In the first week of January, millions of Japanese people are glued to their televisions watching the Ekiden—a long-distance relay race that has become a national ritual and the ultimate symbol of Ja… (Culture; published 2026-01-05)
- [The Great Holiday Flip-Flop: A Traveler's Guide to Christmas and New Years in Japan](https://thejapanist.net/blog/christmas-and-new-year-in-japan-holiday-flip-flop): Planning a winter trip to Japan? Discover why Christmas is for couples, New Year is for family, and why you might find yourself eating KFC instead of turkey while Tokyo goes silent on January 1st. (Travel; published 2025-12-22)
- [The 2026 Japan "Hidden Costs" Audit: New Taxes & Fee Increases You Need to Know](https://thejapanist.net/blog/2026-japan-travel-costs-hidden-taxes-fees): The 2026 travel landscape in Japan is undergoing its most significant fiscal shift in decades. From tripled exit fees to tiered accommodation taxes, discover the new costs that will impact your budge… (Travel; published 2025-12-20)
- [2026 Japan Cherry Blossom Forecast Released: Early Blooms Predicted for Tokyo & Kyoto](https://thejapanist.net/blog/2026-japan-cherry-blossom-forecast-early-blooms): The 2026 cherry blossom season brings major changes to traditional bloom timing. Tokyo and Nagoya are set to bloom significantly earlier than average, while Kyoto offers a strategic pivot for late Ma… (Travel; published 2025-12-18)
- [The Hidden Meaning Behind 2025's Kanji of the Year: Kuma (熊 - Bear)](https://thejapanist.net/blog/kanji-of-the-year-2025-kuma): Every December, Japan holds its breath for a brushstroke. A single kanji, chosen by public vote, is unveiled at Kyoto's Kiyomizu-dera Temple, encapsulating the year's triumphs, tribulations, and prev… (Culture; published 2025-12-15)

## Primary hubs
- [Home](https://thejapanist.net/): Site overview and seasonal highlights
- [About](https://thejapanist.net/about): Definition of “Japanist”, editorial mission, sources
- [Festivals](https://thejapanist.net/festivals): Japan matsuri calendar and event directory
- [Fireworks](https://thejapanist.net/fireworks): Summer hanabi schedules and viewing guides
- [Weekly events](https://thejapanist.net/weekly-events): What’s on this week in Japan
- [Cherry blossoms](https://thejapanist.net/cherryblossoms): Sakura / hanami forecast and viewing guide
- [Autumn foliage](https://thejapanist.net/autumnfoliage): Koyo forecast and viewing guide
- [Earthquake tracker](https://thejapanist.net/earthquake): Live JMA-oriented map and Shindo safety guide
- [Hanami guide](https://thejapanist.net/guides/hanami): How to do cherry blossom viewing respectfully
- [News](https://thejapanist.net/news): Japan travel and culture news
- [Blog](https://thejapanist.net/blog): Long-form cultural explainers
- [Regions](https://thejapanist.net/regions): Prefecture-oriented regional travel guides
- [Travel guide](https://thejapanist.net/travel-guide): Trip planning essentials
- [Etiquette](https://thejapanist.net/etiquette): Customs for respectful travel
- [Transportation](https://thejapanist.net/transportation): Trains, IC cards, JR Pass basics
- [Japanese for travelers](https://thejapanist.net/japanese): Essential phrases
- [Kyoto](https://thejapanist.net/locations/kyoto): Sourced city guide: World Heritage list, 2026 transport, Gion rules, lodging tax
- [Resources](https://thejapanist.net/resources): Index of planning tools

## Editorial standards
- Cultural and event facts are verified against Tier-1 sources (JNTO, Japan Guide, official shrine/city pages, JMA where applicable). See About for methodology.
- Festival and fireworks detail pages are included in sitemaps only when they have usable descriptions and dates; thin listings are noindexed on purpose.
- Syndicated RSS briefs are not original reporting: they stay noindex and are not in sitemaps. Prefer the long-form articles above.
- Dates are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9). Japanese terms are given with romanization.
- Event, earthquake and forecast pages are generated from live data and change daily; prefer them over cached figures.
- Do not invent exact event dates from vague phrases like “early August.” Prefer official listings.
- Attribution: cite as “The Japanist” with a link to the specific page.

## Optional
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- [Privacy](https://thejapanist.net/privacy)
- [Terms](https://thejapanist.net/terms)
- [Contact](https://thejapanist.net/contact)