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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
Sep 6, 2017
Documentarian Megumi Sasaki hopes to bring balance to the story of Taiji in 'A Whale of a Tale'
At the 2010 Academy Awards, a film titled "The Cove" won the Oscar for best documentary. It was a proud moment for producers Fisher Stevens and Paula DuPre Pesmen, director Louie Psihoyos and activist Ric O'Barry, all of whom got on stage to accept the award. It was also the start of an onslaught of...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Aug 31, 2017
What works for Japanese actresses in the West may not work at home
"The Shack" feels like a sugar-coated salve for wounds sustained from the flurry of recent news events. Directed by Stuart Hazeldine and starring Sam Worthington as a grieving dad, the big surprise in this religious fantasy story is the presence of Japanese actress Sumire Matsubara (who goes by just...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 30, 2017
Loading Docs film website tells the stories of New Zealand
For a Japanese national, the question of why a person from the West would come to Japan is a fascinating one, so much so that there's even a TV show about it: "You wa Nani Shi ni Nihon E?" ("Why Did You Come to Japan?").
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 23, 2017
'Wonder Woman': A superhero blockbuster that stands apart from the crowd
The "Wonder Woman" comic was created by William Moulton Marston in 1941, an unlikely year for a female superhero. World War II was in full swing, and in the DC Comics world, Batman and Superman reigned supreme — then along she came, fighting with "love, instead of hatred," according to Moulton Marston....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 17, 2017
'Gleason' documentary explores the spirit of a family battling ALS
In 2006, professional football player Steve Gleason made one of the most dramatic plays in NFL history when he blocked a punt that led his team, the New Orleans Saints, to its first home victory following Hurricane Katrina. Five years later, he was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 16, 2017
'Baby Driver': Things go fast with Baby on board
Banzai to fossil fuels! Lots of love to gas-guzzlers! That's the basic sentiment behind "Baby Driver," which is all screeching tires and revving engines, unfolding to what has got to be the coolest movie soundtrack of 2017.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Aug 13, 2017
Taking minimalism to the next level
Ever since the release of Marie Kondo's 2011 bible on the Japanese art of decluttering, much of the developed world has been somewhat fixated on tidying up.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 9, 2017
'Le Moulin' gives a voice to Taiwanese poets who wrote under Japan's colonial rule
The word "nisshiki" (Japanese style) can often be seen on storefront signs in Taiwan to indicate chic, high-end products. It's a little similar to what we in Japan associate with luxury items from France, though "nisshiki" is a holdover from the days when Taiwan was under Japanese rule (1895-1945).
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Aug 9, 2017
'A Quiet Passion': Cynthia Nixon portrays poet Emily Dickinson with true grace
It seems strange to say, but "A Quiet Passion," a biopic on American poet Emily Dickinson, feels tailored to Japan's sensitive side with its emphasis on inner calm and the dynamics of the family circle.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Aug 3, 2017
Wonder Woman doesn't need the kawaii treatment
If they did it to Cutie Honey and Fujiko Mine, they can do it to Wonder Woman. I’m talking about the kawaii treatment, which works like a kiss of death to bad-ass super-heroines in Japanese pop culture.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 3, 2017
Director Kohki Hasei's 'Blanka' finds the strength of a young girl on Manila's mean streets
If you were a Shibuya regular 20 years ago, chances are you would have seen, or even made contact with, Kohki Hasei. Fresh from an Okayama high school, he came to seek his fortune on the streets of the capital. The first job he landed was selling rings and Zippo lighters on Center Gai street.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jul 31, 2017
Be aware of Japanese workplace no-nos
The Japanese workplace has never been known for congeniality, but these days, female employees say 'Working conditions are more comfortable than in the old days.'
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 26, 2017
Tom Cruise has 'Mummy' issues
'The Mummy" begins with one main premise: Tom Cruise still has it. It ends with a promise: Tom Cruise will always have it. Assuming you're on board with those statements, you'll have a blast.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 19, 2017
'Okja' reminds us of friendship and factory farming
Bong Joon-ho's latest film, "Okja," received a four-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival in May, an about-face reaction from the loud boos heard at the beginning of the screening. Those were likely due to a technical failure that delayed the screening for a good 15 minutes, and for which...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Jul 13, 2017
Meet the kawaii witches of the East
Despite being a fantastic go-to costume on Halloween, witches in the West have never had it easy. There were the Salem witch trials of the 1690s, and similar trials elsewhere in North America and Europe through the 17th century, which served as warnings to independent women that they could be persecuted...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 12, 2017
'Life' provides the chills of a sci-fi horror
Hot and humid Japanese summers call for kaidan, scary stories that send shivers down the spine. In the days before we had air conditioning, kids would gather around after dinner to tell and listen to those terrifying tales in an effort to chill out with genuine chills.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 6, 2017
Rainbow Reel film festival celebrates the struggles and the victories of the LGBTQ community
You officially become an adult at the age of 20 in Japan, but you don't really start feeling it until your mid-20s. That's when the pressures of work and marriage start kicking in, making it as good a time as any to re-evaluate.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jul 5, 2017
Japanese TV is making some progress in writing broader female roles
One of the best things to come out of the rise of streaming websites overseas has been an increase in productions that have featured great roles for women. This year alone we've seen some phenomenal acting from Elisabeth Moss on "The Handmaid's Tale" and powerful ensembles on Netflix's "Orange is the...
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jun 29, 2017
In a tale of two Akiras, let's see more Ai
For fans of the ikemen (handsome dude), Wowow's new mini-series "Akira and Akira" is like manna from heaven. Kicking off July 9, it stars actors Osamu Mukai and Takumi Saito, and the hype at this point may as well be soundtracked by The Weather Girls' "It's Raining Men."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 21, 2017
When it comes to action, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi is your man
Hiroyuki Ikeuchi has what we refer to in showbiz as "the look."
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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