Journal

The Kotoba Interactive journal.

Editorial features on the cultures, history and languages of Asia. Filter by culture, by topic, or search for what inspires you.

Glossary

2 articles

Japan

Society9 min

Karoshi: Understanding Death by Overwork in Japan

Karoshi, or death by overwork, has haunted Japan since the 1980s. The origins of the word, the Dentsu case, the reforms: the anatomy of a social ill.

July 18, 2026Read

Japan

Society8 min

Hikikomori: The Social Withdrawal That Is Ageing With Japan

Hikikomori, the prolonged social withdrawal born in Japan, is no longer a teenage affair: it is ageing, becoming chronic, and unsettling an entire society.

July 18, 2026Read