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November 22, 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
Apr 19, 2007
'Babel' role simply 'had to be me'
Rinko Kikuchi reveals how she clung to movies like a lifeline during her tumultuous teenage years, and now she views acting as her way of returning the favor -- while director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu says she was robbed of an Oscar
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 13, 2007
Not afraid to mention the war
Filmmaker Roland Suso Richter grew up in Berlin at a time when the Wall and all its connotations had full impact on its citizens. "Being a child in Berlin meant growing up entrenched in war and history. There was no escape from it, it was a part of life," Richter says.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 13, 2007
'Dresden'
German movies are making headway into mainstream international cinema ("Perfume" and "Head On" leap to the mind), opening up a new window from which to view stories of love, obsession, history and war. "Dresden" takes all these themes and weaves them into one episode: the bombing of Dresden during World...
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 10, 2007
Pass the pills to get me through spring's upheavals
Most things go through upheaval in spring, especially so in Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 30, 2007
'Brick'
A woman with fur around her neck and her hair decorated by a huge corsage has her profile tilted toward a man. Her rouged lips are slightly parted and her lashes cast a seductive shadow on her cheek. This is it: a perfect 1930s film-noir moment. She could be Lauren Bacall; he could be Humphrey Bogart....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 23, 2007
'Step Up'
If nothing else, "Step Up" is a great inducement to hit the gym. Or the barre. And the yoga mat. Anything in fact, to tighten those upper body muscles and get those abs to pop out.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 16, 2007
'A positive impostor'
Israeli filmmaker Radu Mihaileanu has only three feature films to his name, but is known for a solid international reputation, the kind of director whose works are eagerly awaited for in film festivals from Toronto to Berlin. Even so, he was surprised by the interest and enthusiasm over his latest, "Va,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 16, 2007
'Va, vis et deviens'
On the surface, "Va, vis et deviens" is a political story, drawing from a little-known chunk of history called "Operation Moses." In 1984, 80,000 Ethiopian Jews (known as "Falasha") were airlifted from their native land to Israel in an effort to save them from drought and famine. That incident is a starting...
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 13, 2007
What women want is to be treated 'like a girl'
Since the Danjyo Koyo Kikai Kinto Ho (Equal Employment Opportunity Law) kicked in two decades ago, it's become the norm for women to work as hard and long as men, though not necessarily under the same conditions. Accordingly, money matters between danjyo (men and women) have become a lot more complicated....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 9, 2007
'Two Sons of Francisco'
At times the tried and true formula works best and this is certainly the case in "Two Sons of Francisco," a Brazilian box-office superhit that had the whole nation rushing to the theaters -- over 5.5. million.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 2, 2007
'Paris, je t'aime'
It's a collage of miniatures, a collection of gemlike vignettes. In "Paris, je t'aime," 21 directors of various nationalities create 18 bite-size shorts (the longest being five minutes) about Paris, each one named after a Parisian neighborhood. Like a plate of hors d'oeuvres from a five-star restaurant...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 23, 2007
'The Secret Life of Words'
There are some things that defy and/or reject the use of words, some occurrences in life that just refuse to be caged within the frames of meaning and logic. Still, philosophers and writers stake their faith in words and its cathartic effects; Jean-Paul Sartre once wrote that to "speak and express oneself...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 16, 2007
'Being Julia'
The great Sarah Bernhardt said all women are actresses in one way or another, and "Being Julia" explores every facet of that quote.
CULTURE / Film
Feb 16, 2007
Conquering the audience
Hungarian filmmaker Istvan Szabo has the distinction of being the only person from his country to receive an Oscar (for his 1981 work "Mephisto").
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 9, 2007
'The World's Fastest Indian'
One of the more intriguing things about Anthony Hopkins -- despite all his success and knighthood -- is that you get the feeling he's not really interested in reaping the benefits of stardom. That deep down, he's a classic workaholic who does the job for the sheer love of it and the trappings don't matter....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 2, 2007
'Shooting Dogs'
When Hitler got his collaborators together and proposed the genocide of Jews, one of the things he said to justify the act was that before long the world will forget the whole thing. He is famed for having cited the example of the Armenian Genocide (1915-1917, in which around a million people were estimated...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 26, 2007
'Election'
"Election" is so hard-boiled you'll need a shovel to crack its surface. It's so male they should have a warning sign for female audiences. And not just any male either, but the silent, unexpressive, tradition-entrenched ASIAN male. Directed by Hong Kong actionmeister Johnny To, "Election" reveals the...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 19, 2007
'Marie Antoinette'
A recurring scene in "Marie Antoinette" shows the young princess (or "Dauphine" as she was referred to in the Versailles Court) with her head leaning against the window of her carriage, looking out at the passing scenery, or craning her neck to look at the sky. She doesn't speak, and the soundtrack is...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 12, 2007
'Lucky Number Slevin'
"Lucky Number Slevin" is slick and frosty: nice to look at but you don't want to get too close. Like that effortlessly attractive, straight-A guy in high school, "Lucky" seemingly has no bumps or flaws and ultimately no soul -- it impresses the hell out of you and leaves it at that. After the oohing...
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 9, 2007
Holidays bring back that lovin' feelin' for work
There's something about the Japanese new year that saps all the energy out of a woman and plunges her into despair. It's little wonder that many a working girl returns to the office after the holidays, heaves a sigh of relief and mutters "shigoto shiteta hoga mashi dawa (it's easier to work)" before...
Two of America’s biggest debt holders are dumping Treasurys
The U.S. Treasury building in Washington. Investors in Japan and China sold a pile of U.S. debt in the last quarter, just before the U.S. presidential election.
Ishiba aggravates his own political failures with diplomatic faux pas
Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba is greeted at the APEC summit in Lima by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday. The Japanese leader was criticized for remaining seated while meeting several world leaders at the event.
Japan's 3.31 million visitors in October set monthly record
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in December 2023. Famous autumn leaf colors contributed to increased tourism demand last month from many markets across Asia, Europe and North America, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said.
Japan ranks last in romance satisfaction for second straight year
In a survey of 31 countries, Japan ranked last in terms of those who felt loved, with just 51% of respondents saying so.
Ruling coalition and DPP strike last-minute deal over economic policy
DPP policy chief Makoto Mahaguchi speaks at the party's policy gathering in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Japan, U.K. and Italy discuss inviting more countries to joint fighter project
A new concept model of a next-generation fighter jet to be jointly developed by Japan, Britain and Italy is on display in Farnborough, Hampshire, in July.
Haruki Murakami's 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls' gives deep deja vu
For “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” translated into English by Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami confronts the ghosts who won't leave him alone.
Japanese expats in Asia find community through rugby
The Taiwan Fivewoods celebrate their victory at the 2023 Asian Japanese Rugby Cup in December of last year.
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.
For Dr. Nakamats, aging is just experience in action
Though he didn't win the recent gubernatorial election in Tokyo, the 96-year-old Dr. Nakamats' run was seen as inspirational in Japan's aging society.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?
By Kathryn Wortley

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mission sustainability vol.12 : Kose Corp.Kose takes pride in creating beauty in the world

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