| Birthplace of L.A. Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto |
LA Times Mini |
10 Dec 2025 |
| Home of Himeji Castle |
LA Times Daily |
07 Nov 2025 |
| Osaka's country |
USA Today |
22 Oct 2025 |
| Godzilla's home |
Thomas Joseph |
02 Oct 2025 |
| Where Mount Fuji is |
|
|
| Origin of "The Tale of Genji," considered by many to be the world's first novel |
New York Times |
13 Sep 2025 |
| Shohei Ohtani's home |
Wall Street Journal |
10 Sep 2025 |
| Harajuku country |
|
|
| Where Akitas originated |
Thomas Joseph |
04 Sep 2025 |
| Tokyo's country |
The Telegraph Mini |
26 Aug 2025 |
| Where Akitas originated |
Thomas Joseph |
07 Aug 2025 |
| Birthplace of tennis star Naomi Osaka |
LA Times Mini |
23 Jul 2025 |
| Where Iron Chef originated |
|
|
| Nagoya's land |
Commuter |
02 Jul 2025 |
| Country made up of 14,125 islands |
USA Today |
01 Jul 2025 |
| A 2021 pro-tipping campaign in this country was abandoned in 2023; local culture deems tipping restaurant staff rude |
|
|
| Kyoto's country |
Commuter |
19 Jun 2025 |
| Despite on-track success becoming more difficult lately, this country is still the big one in the motorcycle industry. (5) |
|
|
| Kobe's country |
Wall Street Journal |
16 Jun 2025 |
| Country with the most vending machines per person |
Wall Street Journal |
14 Jun 2025 |
| Osaka setting |
Thomas Joseph |
10 Jun 2025 |
| Samurai land (5) |
|
|
| Asian country known for 4 down (5) |
|
|
| Country that gave us karaoke |
|
|
| Country where "Lost in Translation" is set |
|
|
| Country made up of 14,125 islands |
LA Times Daily |
09 May 2025 |
| Country where the eight words in this puzzle's theme entries originated |
|
|
| Naruhito's empire |
Wall Street Journal |
29 Apr 2025 |
| Country entering key trade talks with the US to reduce trade deficit and secure more access for goods. (5) |
|
|
| Tokyo and Kyoto locale |
|
|
| Short month with aide in the country (5) |
|
|
| Phillies' pitcher, Kyle Kendrick, was duped into believing he was being traded to Mount Fuji's country! |
|
|
| Where most anime is produced |
TV |
30 Mar 2025 |
| Country with 14,125 islands (and only 260 inhabited!) |
New York Times |
28 Mar 2025 |
| Women's World Cup team that had a rivalry with the U.S. during the 2010s |
New York Times Mini |
23 Mar 2025 |
| Country in E Asia (5) |
|
|
| What country is known as Nihon or Nippon by its people? (5) |
|
|
| Tokyo is there |
|
|
| Where Japanese live (5) |
|
|
| Home of manga and anime |
USA Today |
17 Feb 2025 |
| Harajuku country |
|
|
| Setting of James Clavell's "Shogun" |
LA Times Mini |
11 Feb 2025 |
| Home to Kyoto |
|
|
| Hokkaido home |
|
|
| The number 39 is slang for "thank you" in this country's language, since the numbers for 3 ("san") and 9 ("kyu") sound similar to "thank you" in English |
|
|
| Geisha's home |
|
|
| Shiny top coat needed for the country (5) |
|
|
| Sea of -, that part of the Pacific Ocean east of North Korea |
Mirror Quiz |
27 Jan 2025 |
| 2020 Olympics host |
Newsday |
09 Jan 2025 |
| Tokyo |
|
|
| Asian land noted for its azaleas, chrysanthemums and cherry blossom (5) |
|
|
| Tokyo's land |
Newsday |
03 Dec 2024 |
| Setting for the Emmy-winning series "Shogun" |
New York Times Mini |
24 Nov 2024 |
| 2002 FIFA World Cup cohosts with South Korea (5) |
|
|
| Berlin's positive response to Greek god in Shinto nation (5) |
|
|
| Country girl hugs father (5) |
|
|
| Land of laquer (5) |
|
|
| Anime's country of origin |
|
|
| Rising Sun land |
The Telegraph Mini |
19 Oct 2024 |
| It's ruled by its diet |
Wall Street Journal |
16 Oct 2024 |
| Tokyo is here |
|
|
| Black varnish |
The Times Sunday Concise |
29 Sep 2024 |
| Country mainly discussed on this page! (5) |
|
|
| Asian country that hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics |
Universal |
27 Sep 2024 |
| Tokyo's country |
Commuter |
27 Sep 2024 |
| Land where the sun never sets? |
|
|
| Masi Oka's birthplace |
|
|
| Hokkaido is part of it |
|
|
| Tokyo's country |
The Telegraph Mini |
19 Aug 2024 |
| Where Nissan and Nintendo are headquartered |
New York Times |
05 Aug 2024 |
| Country with a famed bullet train |
LA Times Mini |
04 Aug 2024 |
| Birthplace of L.A. Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani |
LA Times Mini |
16 Jul 2024 |
| In which country has KFC become a traditional Christmas meal? (5) |
|
|
| Land of Emperor Naruhito (5) |
|
|
| Country with Shinkansen bullet trains |
|
|
| The Sea of is that part of the Pacific Ocean east of North Korea (5) |
|
|
| Emperor Naruhito's nation |
Wall Street Journal |
24 Jun 2024 |
| Home market of the Eunos Roadster (5) |
|
|
| Asian varnish (5) |
|
|
| Nihon (5) |
|
|
| Tokyo's land |
Commuter |
06 Jun 2024 |
| Kobe's country |
Eugene Sheffer |
04 Jun 2024 |
| Asian empire whose capital is Tokyo (5) |
|
|
| Tokyo 2020 host country |
USA Today |
31 May 2024 |
| Osaka is there |
|
|
| Month with father in the country (5) |
Puzzler Cryptic |
27 May 2024 |
| Who was at war with Russia 1904-5? (5) |
|
|
| Country with one of the highest life expectancies in the world |
LA Times Daily |
24 May 2024 |
| Asian country known for cherry blossoms |
Universal |
23 May 2024 |
| The "J in J-pop |
|
|
| Asian country whose top level of professional football is the J. League (5) |
|
|
| Country of tennis star Naomi Osaka |
|
|
| Where to find father in the beginning of the year (5) |
|
|
| Honshu's country (5) |
The Guardian Quick |
03 May 2024 |
| Land of lacquer (5) |
|
|
| Munich Agreement to sweep across nation (5) |
|
|
| 2019 Rugby World Cup host nation and quarter-finalists (5) |
|
|
| What the J stands for in J-pop |
|
|
| Big In _ (5) |
|
|
| Land of Toyota and Tamagotchi |
|
|
| Varnish apparently secured in early part of year (5) |
|
|
| Foreign country (5) |
|
|
| Isuzu's homeland (5) |
|
|
| Blacken in Nippon (5) |
|
|
| Miyazaki's home country |
|
|
| In the Far East, yes, an ancient god! |
|
|
| Harajuku country |
|
|
| ___ black: finish on early autos, as Ford Model T |
|
|
| Yokohama's country |
|
|
| Varnish from the Far-East (5) |
|
|
| Far eastern company |
|
|
| During short month father sees the country (5) |
Puzzler Cryptic |
18 Nov 2023 |
| Honda's headquarters |
Newsday |
08 Oct 2023 |
| Lacquer, usually Black Country |
The Telegraph Toughie |
06 Sep 2023 |
| Nintendo's country |
|
|
| Honshu home |
Thomas Joseph |
21 Jun 2023 |
| Asian country whose capital is an anagram of its former capital |
Universal |
30 May 2023 |
| Kyoto setting |
Thomas Joseph |
09 May 2023 |
| Kyoto setting |
Thomas Joseph |
20 Apr 2023 |
| Tokyo's nation |
Thomas Joseph |
11 Apr 2023 |
| Tokyo's country that won the 2006 and 2009 editions of the World Baseball Classic tournament |
|
|
| Osaka setting |
Thomas Joseph |
13 Mar 2023 |
| Godzilla's home |
Thomas Joseph |
26 Jan 2023 |
| Mount Fuji's locale |
New York Times |
09 Jan 2023 |
| Country whose capital is an anagram of its former capital |
New York Times |
01 Jan 2023 |
| Locale of the 1964 and 2020 Summer Olympics |
New York Times |
30 Nov 2022 |
| Kiyomizu-dera Temple's country |
USA Today |
07 Oct 2022 |
| Country where almost half the world's zippers are made |
New York Times |
16 Sep 2022 |
| WWII belligerent to criticise Munich Agreement at first |
The Times Cryptic |
12 Sep 2022 |
| Asian archipelago |
LA Times Daily |
28 Aug 2022 |
| Asian country consisting of 6,852 islands |
Universal |
19 Jun 2022 |
| Okinawa's country |
USA Today |
19 Apr 2022 |
| Kyoto setting |
Thomas Joseph |
15 Feb 2022 |
| Country where a gamer known as Sal 9000 married Nene Anegasaki, an avatar in a computer game, in 2009 |
|
|
| Godzilla's home |
Thomas Joseph |
04 Nov 2021 |
| 2020 Olympics host country |
The Washington Post Sunday |
03 Oct 2021 |
| Hard black varnish containers – one not closed |
|
|
| Kyoto's country |
The Washington Post |
07 Aug 2021 |
| Kyoto's country |
LA Times Daily |
07 Aug 2021 |
| Nintendo's home |
Newsday |
13 Jun 2021 |
| Jack goes up wine valley in the Far East |
Irish Times Crosaire |
12 Jun 2021 |
| Marie Kondo's country of birth |
Universal |
12 May 2021 |
| Godzilla's home |
Thomas Joseph |
07 May 2021 |
| Land east of the Yellow Sea |
New York Times |
19 Apr 2021 |
| Noh drama nation |
Universal |
17 Mar 2021 |
| "Shogun" setting |
LA Times Daily |
02 Mar 2021 |
| 'Shogun' setting |
The Washington Post |
02 Mar 2021 |
| Varnish judge used on a vessel |
|
|
| Nippon |
The Sun Two Speed |
22 Jan 2021 |
| China: an Asian country |
The Sun Two Speed |
22 Jan 2021 |
| Neighbor of Korea |
Newsday |
21 Dec 2020 |
| Country made up of 6,852 islands |
LA Times Daily |
15 Dec 2020 |
| Country made up of 6,852 islands |
The Washington Post |
15 Dec 2020 |
| Osaka's country |
USA Today |
01 Dec 2020 |
| Osaka setting |
Thomas Joseph |
24 Nov 2020 |
| Eastern country |
The Times Concise |
23 Nov 2020 |
| Nintendo's headquarters |
Newsday |
15 Nov 2020 |
| A person's first month outside country |
|
|
| Emperor Naruhito's country |
|
|
| "Shogun" setting |
Thomas Joseph |
14 Aug 2020 |
| Sapporo setting |
Thomas Joseph |
13 Aug 2020 |
| Island home of 100+ million |
Newsday |
14 May 2020 |
| Country of more than 3,000 islands |
Irish Times Simplex |
21 Apr 2020 |
| Where karaoke originated |
Wall Street Journal |
31 Mar 2020 |
| Tokyo's country |
LA Times Daily |
18 Nov 2019 |
| Tokyo's country |
The Washington Post |
18 Nov 2019 |
| Tokyo's country |
|
|
| Where Akitas originated |
Thomas Joseph |
09 Nov 2019 |
| Asian country where Kazuo Ishiguro was born |
|
|
| Country which hosts the Formula 1 race at the Suzuka International Racing Course |
|
|
| Tokyo's country |
Newsday |
22 Oct 2019 |
| Land of the Rising Sun |
Eugene Sheffer |
02 Aug 2019 |
| Where Honda and Mazda are headquartered |
New York Times |
29 Jul 2019 |
| Consent from Germany to criticise its wartime ally |
|
|
| Tokyo's land |
Newsday |
18 Jun 2019 |
| Polish man comes out of palanquin |
|
|
| Kyoto setting |
Thomas Joseph |
14 May 2019 |
| Dovetail (with) |
New York Times |
25 Apr 2019 |
| Kyoto's country |
Newsday |
17 Apr 2019 |
| Hello Kitty's home country |
Universal |
15 Mar 2019 |
| Akita's land |
USA Today |
31 Jan 2019 |
| Country of 47 prefectures |
|
|
| Where Honda and Mazda are headquartered |
|
|
| Country with the second greatest number of McDonald's restaurants after the U.S. [2,900+] |
|
|
| Akita's land |
|
|
| Hello Kitty's home country |
|
|
| Nippon |
The Telegraph Quick |
29 Dec 2018 |
| Where 'besuboru' is played |
USA Today |
11 Dec 2018 |
| Yokohama's nation |
The Washington Post Sunday |
02 Dec 2018 |
| Varnish jack and ace before card game's over |
|
|
| Hirohito's home |
New York Times |
13 Jun 2018 |
| Hirohito's home |
|
|
| Kyoto's land |
USA Today |
25 May 2018 |
| East Asian island nation |
The Telegraph Quick |
10 May 2018 |
| Country known as the "Land of the Rising Sun" |
|
|
| Tokyo's nation |
Thomas Joseph |
19 Feb 2018 |
| Where "besuboru" is played |
USA Today |
19 Jan 2018 |
| Tokyo's country |
|
|
| Kyoto's land |
|
|
| Where "besuboru" is played |
|
|
| Stuff mostly found on a container of varnish |
|
|
| See 20-Across |
New York Times |
05 Aug 2017 |
| Land of kendo |
USA Today |
17 Jul 2017 |
| Tokyo's land |
New York Times |
03 Jul 2017 |
| Far Eastern country |
The Telegraph Quick |
30 Jun 2017 |
| ''Seven Samurai'' setting |
Newsday |
10 Feb 2017 |
| Glossy black varnish or lacquer |
The Telegraph General Knowledge |
22 Jan 2017 |
| Land of kendo |
|
|
| See 20-Across |
|
|
| Tokyo's land |
|
|
| Titular destination in a 1978 'Bad News Bears' sequel |
The Chronicle of Higher Education |
02 Dec 2016 |
| Dad supports German agreement with neutral country |
|
|
| Nation consisting of a 6,852-island archipelago |
Wall Street Journal |
12 Oct 2016 |
| Follower of a diet system |
New York Times |
22 Jul 2016 |
| Country governed by its diet |
Wall Street Journal |
06 Jul 2016 |
| Tokyo setting |
Eugene Sheffer |
15 Apr 2016 |
| 4-Down's location |
Wall Street Journal |
19 Feb 2016 |
| Nation constitutionally prohibited from declaring war |
Wall Street Journal |
17 Feb 2016 |
| Follower of a diet system |
|
|
| Titular destination in a 1978 "Bad News Bears" sequel |
|
|
| Sea or country |
Universal |
17 Aug 2015 |
| Mount Fuji locale |
Newsday |
09 Aug 2015 |
| Anime's origin |
Newsday |
31 Jul 2015 |
| Kobe's home |
Premier Sunday |
26 Jul 2015 |
| Center of Shintoism |
New York Times |
26 May 2015 |
| Anime's origin |
|
|
| Mount Fuji locale |
|
|
| Tokyo's country |
|
|
| Tom Waits "Big in ___" |
|
|
| Nation of sushi and sumo |
|
|
| Sea or country |
|
|
| "Seven Samurai" setting |
|
|
| Center of Shintoism |
|
|
| Kobe's home |
|
|
| Country where first of two vessels is docked |
|
|
| Land of sake and Sasuke |
|
|
| Nation of 47 prefectures |
|
|
| Kobe's home |
|
|
| 2020 Olympics host |
|
|
| Shogun's domain |
|
|
| Land of the Rising Sun |
|
|
| Mount Fuji setting |
|
|
| Honda's headquarters |
|
|
| Ninjas' home |
|
|
| Ring of Fire country |
|
|
| Three-time host nation of the Olympic Games |
|
|
| Godzilla's birthplace |
|
|
| Tokyo's country |
|
|
| Source of anime |
|
|
| "The Mikado" locale |
|
|
| Tokyo's home |
|
|
| Osaka's land |
|
|
| Mount Fuji's locale |
|
|
| Where some ex-major-leaguers play |
|
|
| Country where people are governed by their diet |
|
|
| Mount Fuji's nation |
|
|
| Osaka's country |
|
|
| Mount Fuji's nation |
|
|
| Its national anthem is "Kimigayo" |
|
|
| Kobe's country |
|
|
| Home to the Great Buddha of Kamakura |
|
|
| Major country with the longest life expectancy |
|
|
| Where 7-Down is based |
|
|
| Nintendo's home |
|
|
| Home for 22-Across |
|
|
| Land of the Rising Sun |
|
|
| Land of the Rising Sun |
|
|
| Tokyo locale |
|
|
| Neighbor of Korea |
|
|
| Where Mount Fuji is |
|
|
| Land of the Rising Sun |
|
|
| "The Mikado" setting |
|
|
| "Seven Samurai" setting |
|
|
| "The Mikado" locale |
|
|
| Where one may have a yen to spend |
|
|
| Iwo Jima's country |
|
|
| Source of anime and manga |
|
|
| Iwo Jima's country |
|
|
| Sumo stomping grounds |
|
|
| Nintendo's headquarters |
|
|
| Its anthem is "The Reign of Our Emperor" |
|
|
| Where noh originated |
|
|
| Land of the Rising Sun |
|
|
| Kyoto locale |
|
|
| "Shogun" setting |
|
|
| Where Akitas originated |
|
|
| Shogun's home |
|
|
| Black varnish |
|
|
| Black lacquer |
|
|
| Locale of 48-Down |
|
|
| Hitachi's home |
|
|
| Where the Pokémon craze originated |
|
|
| Where pachinko is played |
|
|
| Kobe country |
|
|
| Modern name for old Cipango |
|
|
| Godzilla's stomping grounds |
|
|
| "The Mikado" setting |
|
|
| Kobe's land |
|
|
| Godzilla's stomping grounds |
|
|
| Setting for "The Last Samurai" |
|
|
| Russia's adversary in 1904-05 |
|
|
| Tokyo's country |
|
|
| Honda's home |
|
|
| Where "Kimigayo" is the national anthem |
|
|
| Osaka's land |
|
|
| Hard, black varnish |
|
|
| Where shiatsu originated |
|
|
| Where "besuboru" is played |
|
|
| Country ruled by a diet |
|
|
| Perry opened it to the U.S. |
|
|
| Where to earn yen |
|
|
| Decorative, enamel coating |
|
|
| Country whose flag is a red circle on a white background |
|
|
| Kobe's home |
|
|
| "Land of the rising sun" |
|
|
| No performers are found here |
|
|
| Go home? |
|
|
| Pacific Rim land |
|
|
| Black varnish |
|
|
| Black varnish |
|
|
| "The Mikado" locale |
|
|
| Black lacquer |
|
|
| Kobe country |
|
|
| Godzilla's domain |
|
|
| Godzilla's stomping grounds |
|
|
| The land of the rising sun |
|
|
| 'Shogun' setting |
|
|
| Mongolia may attack it, even though they don't actually share a border |
|
|
| The Land of the Rising Sun |
|
|
| Land of kabuki and haiku |
|
|
| Where Oh played |
|
|
| Where "besuboru" is played |
|
|
| American ally |
|
|
| One of the Big Five at Versailles |
|
|
| Black varnish |
|
|
| Sony's home |
|
|
| Akita's home |
|
|
| Land of the Rising Sun |
|
|
| Sumo land |
|
|
| Whence sumo and sushi |
|
|
| Pacific Rim land |
|
|
| Pacific Rim land |
|
|
| Asian archipelago |
|
|
| One of WWI's Big Five |
|
|
| Legends are made there |
|
|
| Lacquer |
|
|
| Land of sumo and sushi |
|
|
| Naruhito's country |
|
|
| Good place to have a yen |
|
|
| It consists of 47 prefectures |
|
|
| Rodan's land |
|
|
| Locale of 42 Across |
|
|
| Hard black varnish |
|
|
| Godzilla's stomping grounds |
|
|
| Where Akitas originated |
|
|
| Axis nation |
|
|
| Finish, of a sort |
|
|
| Butterfly's land |
|
|
| Another name for Yamato |
|
|
| Hard varnish |
|
|
| Black lacquer |
|
|
| Lacquer |
|
|
| 40's foe |
|
|
| Honshu's locale |
|
|
| "Walk, Don't Run" setting, 1966 |
|
|
| Hirohito's domain |
|
|
| Island empire |
|
|
| One of 38-Across |
|
|
| Legends are made there |
|
|
| Godzilla's land |
|
|
| Oriental expanse |
|
|
| Kind of varnish |
|
|
| Glossy lacquer |
|
|
| ___ Current (Black Stream) |
|
|
| Hard, brilliant varnish |
|
|
| Land of sake |
|
|
| Mikado land |
|
|
| Asian land |
|
|
| Sea of ___ |
|
|
| Where Allison is Ambassador. |
|
|
| Homeland of 25 Across. |
|
|
| Gen. Hull's HQ. |
|
|
| Asian archipelago. |
|
|
| Island empire. |
|
|
| Eastern land. |
|
|
| Brilliant varnish. |
|
|
| Land warmed by the Black Stream. |
|
|
| The industrialized Orient. |
|
|
| Country warmed by The Black Stream. |
|
|
| MacArthur's base. |
|
|
| Base for Korean campaign. |
|
|
| Warring country. |
|
|
| Island chain, population 64 million. |
|
|
| Empire of 3,000 islands. |
|
|
| No place? |
|
|
| Its anthem is "Kimigayo" |
|
|
| FIFA Women's World Cup 2011 winners |
|
|
| Country split into prefectures |
|
|
| Anime's home |
|
|
| Country that has no army or navy. |
|
|
| Where women got the vote in 1947. |
|
|
| Glossy varnish. |
|
|
| Island nation. |
|
|
| Country where ninjas come from |
|
|
| Black lacquer. |
|
|
| One of the gangster nations. |
|
|
| Land of 56 Across. |
|
|
| Eastern nation. |
|
|
| Hard lacquer. |
|
|
| Sea of ___. |
|
|
| See 4-Down |
|
|
| Back in the family of nations. |
|
|
| Island country. |
|
|
| Subject of MacArthur-Dulles airborne conversation. |
|
|
| Cipango. |
|
|
| Varnish. |
|
|
| Nippon. |
|
|
| Land of cherry blossoms. |
|
|
| Ambassador MacArthur's post. |
|
|