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July 16, 2024
 

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Kaori Shoji
Kaori Shoji writes about movies and movie-makers for the Film Page, plus takes a turn at the Bilingual Column. Biggest mistake of her career: taking the very dignified Nagisa Oshima to McDonald's for an iced coffee.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 25, 2017
'Suffragette': The strength of women
Believe it or not, "Suffragette" is the first feature film out of Britain to focus exclusively on the suffragette movement. What took the country so long? Completed last year, it has finally made it to Japan, and in the light of all that's happening in Western politics, it couldn't be coming out at a...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Jan 25, 2017
Helen Pankhurst: The suffragettes were just the beginning
As women march to protest Donald Trump's presidency and "Suffragette" is released in Japan, the words of Helen Pankhurst, activist and British suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst's great-granddaughter, should resonate with many filmgoers.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 23, 2017
New Year's festivities in Japan ain't what they used to be
For one thing, it's too warm. Back in mid-century Tokyo, お正月 (o-Shōgatsu, New Year's Day) used to be so cold, according to my grandmother, that peoples' laundry froze on the 物干し竿 (monohoshizao, bamboo drying pole).
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 18, 2017
'Doctor Strange': When seeing is not always believing
In case you're wondering if the entire superhero film genre is being monopolized by Marvel, it is my regrettable duty to tell you that it does look that way. There are no superhero free agents out there anymore, and if a lone wolf should be found lurking on a street corner, a Marvel representative will...
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Jan 18, 2017
The truth is still out there
"The truth is out there." This tagline to the sci-fi TV series "The X-Files" used to give me chills when it was first aired on Fox in 1993. The series touted an intriguing minimalist elegance — from its set designs to FBI agent Dana Scully's pristine white shirts and smart suits, contrasted with...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 11, 2017
'Dirty Grandpa' is quite a stinker
...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 4, 2017
'Nerve': For the watchers
Japanese millennials aren't interested in cars, sex or marriage according to economists and business magazines such as Toyo Keizai. Yawn — so, what else is new? Every night I go to sleep hoping to wake up to a world where people go on proper dates and then grow old together and hold hands in cafes...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 4, 2017
From Japanese horror to American intrigue
As a second-generation Japanese-American working in Hollywood, Shintaro Shimosawa stands out. Take his name for example, he prefers Shintaro over his given "American name," Edward.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 28, 2016
Mount Meru: for those who like to aim high
If Mount Everest is the iconic goddess of mountains, then Meru in the Indian Himalayas is the unattainable, unknowable bad-ass rock star, beckoning to a chosen few from an impossibly remote place high in the sky. Unlike Everest, Meru isn't famed for its legendary climbs and world records. New Zealand...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 28, 2016
'Stonewall': We need to talk about Danny
...
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 26, 2016
2016: The year Japan said 'sayonara' to some sexist terms
What a year 2016 has been. Recently, a usually frugal girlfriend of mine drained her bank account by moving into a new, swanky apartment, and by buying a bag and shoes from Prada.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 21, 2016
Finding courage and hope in 2016
The Year of the Monkey is drawing to a close. Despite the events in the real world, this year at least brought us some soulful films. Perhaps the filmmakers wanted to prepare us for the impending yuckiness of future reality. Still, my picks for the best films of the year intriguingly combined sweetness...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Dec 21, 2016
Quotes of 2016, from 'Die, Japan' to 'Trump shock'
Some of the good, bad and ugly of what various people said or shouted out loud in 2016.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 14, 2016
'Don't Breathe': To rob someone blind has its payback
'Don't Breathe" is another in a line of horror movies that confirm my belief that when it comes to scary tales, it's like burgers: Low-budget is best. When you add fancy trimmings to make them swanky, bam! — the authenticity goes out the window.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 7, 2016
'The Lady in the Van': Getting old can sometimes cause a stink
...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 30, 2016
'Freeheld' stirs talk of minority rights in Japan
What's wrong with gay marriage? Absolutely nothing, as the United States finally acknowledged in 2015. Up until then, however, gay people had to fight for the same rights that heterosexual couples took for granted.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 30, 2016
'Florence Foster Jenkins': Not quite a nightingale
'Florence Foster Jenkins" is a fairy tale of glorious optimism and unclouded love. The titular lady (a real-life New York heiress and socialite during the 1940s) goes chasing after her dream of becoming an opera singer with a mountain of passion but zero talent. To say that Florence (played by the ever-brilliant...
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 28, 2016
Some Japanese find frustration, others freedom in foreign tongues
The Japanese have never been skilled at communication, but they have been able to fall back on the belief that everyone understood each other without saying anything. Unfortunately, this has never applied to non-Japanese.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 23, 2016
'Ants on a Shrimp': How Rene Redzepi found himself in Tokyo
Rene Redzepi is having his moment — and it's a long one. It began in 2010 when his Copenhagen restaurant, Noma, was deemed by Restaurant Magazine to be the best on the planet. Noma has now been voted to the No. 1 slot on the magazine's World's 50 Best Restaurants list four times and Redzepi remains...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 23, 2016
'A Bigger Splash': Sex-and-power drama under the sun
'A Bigger Splash' marks Luca Guadagnino's third team-up with Tilda Swinton, and once again he has assembled just the cast to offset her majestic presence.
Bloodied Trump survives assassination attempt at political rally
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is surrounded and evacuated by Secret Service agents at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. Trump was rushed off stage at the rally after shots rang out.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
Amid same-sex marriage ban, LGBTQ couples opt for 'photo weddings'
A lesbian couple, consisting of a 35-year-old woman (left) and 40-year-old woman, cover their faces with bouquets as they pose for wedding photos in Yokohama on Nov. 1.
China and Russia conduct joint Pacific military patrol
The Russian corvette Gromkiy enters the Chinese port of Zhanjiang as part of a joint China-Russia naval exercise on Saturday.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
After Trump shooting, U.S. presidential race might take a violent turn
United States Secret Service Counter Snipers stand guard on a rooftop during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Avoca, Pennsylvania, in 2020.
No AC this summer? No problem (for me).
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
She’s paying ¥1 million to help behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics
Mai Tarumi, who previously volunteered at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has a travel budget of ¥1 million for her trip to volunteer at the Paris Games.
How to tweak your diet when temperatures spike
Most people think of hydration as a strictly liquid-based concept, but eating foods with high water content is an essential part of making it through a Japanese summer unscathed.

Podcast

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.
Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
By Tomoko Otake

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Exploring Japanese culturevia Tohoku’s festivals
Exploring Japanese culturevia Tohoku’s festivals

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