, an American student who spent the last year at Tokyo's Waseda University, rehearses Saturday for the Japanese-language recitation play "The Day the Dragonflies Were Gone" with fellow performers from China, Japan, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Sweden and Ukraine. AKEMI NAKAMURA PHOTO

On Saturday, the student from California State University Sacramento, who has just finished a year of studying Japanese culture and history at Waseda University, was part of a group reading the Japanese play "The Day the Dragonflies Were Gone" in Tokyo. He read with seven others -- a combination of amateurs and professionals from Japan, China, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Sweden and Ukraine.

Our Planet

Though vegan restaurants have been on the upswing since 2017, Japanese vegans still lack a wide variety of options.
In meat- and fish-loving Japan, veganism is making a comeback

Longform

Eme-Ima Kitchen is one of over 10,000 kodomo shokudō in Japan. A term first used in 2012 to describe makeshift eateries offering free or cheap meals to disadvantaged kids, it now refers to a diverse range of individuals, groups and organizations working to provide not only food but a sense of belonging to both children and adults.
Japan’s ‘children’s cafeterias’ are booming — but is that a good thing?