Japan's cities look very beautiful at night: the lights of the city shimmer amidst the darkness of ocean and mountain. Kobe, Hakodate and Nagasaki are sometimes considered the top 3, but Tokyo also has some brilliant nighttime landmarks. The Japanese have long enjoyed moon viewing and sitting under cherry blossoms at night. Recently, after-dark tours of industrial factories have become quite popular. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, our theme is nighttime scenery.

Japan is a global motor vehicle superpower, and about 40% of the cars on its own roads are K-cars. Technically one size down from compact cars, K-cars are trim, economical vehicles that still manage to be stylish and loaded with features. The first four-seat K-cars, selling at affordable prices, shattered the image that cars were only for the rich. Today there are K-cars that are roadsters, and even K-car camper vans. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, our theme is K-cars.