On the surface, Nagoro is like any other sleepy village in southern Japan. Until you realize the town’s “villagers” are actually life-size scarecrows – and they outnumber human residents ...

Ever since Ayano’s return to Nagoro in 2002, many of the older residents, including her next-door neighbors, have passed away, while the younger ones moved to Japan’s larger towns and cities ...

Around 550 kilometres southwest of Tokyo, the village of Nagoro has become known as the valley of dolls after a local resident began placing scarecrows on the street to inject some life into her ...

If Japan wants to spur innovation from startups, it shouldn't try to replicate Silicon Valley. That's the message from James Riney — head of venture capital fund 500 Startups Japan — to ...

Japan’s lack of cultural diversity and the high value it places on social conformity prevent the kind of independent thinking that has led to world-changing companies common in Silicon Valley ...