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October 14, 2025
 

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Mark Schilling
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 10, 2021
‘Under the Open Sky’: Harsh realities about ex-cons hit home
Koji Yakusho delivers a captivating performance as a former yakuza thug struggling to adjust to life after leaving prison in Miwa Nishikawa's drama.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 3, 2021
‘Suicide Forest Village’: Little box of horrors goes over the top
Takashi Shimizu's latest horror offering about two sisters tormented by a deadly box presents the urban legends of Aokigahara, the titular forest, as fact.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 27, 2021
‘A Family’: This sentimental ode to yakuza life ignores reality
Michihito Fujii's yakuza film waxes nostalgic about the old-school days of gangsterdom with soggy sentimentality.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 20, 2021
‘Otona no Jijo’: When dinner guests stop being polite and start getting real
This remake of Italy's hit comedy “Perfect Strangers,” convincingly adapts the “party from hell” storyline for local audiences with a more heartwarming, less cynical undertone.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 13, 2021
‘The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window’: Stylish scares with a side of romance
Director Yukihiro Morigaki's horror-mystery film based on a u2018boys' love' manga focuses more on confronting inner demons rather than battling ghouls.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 7, 2021
Japanese films you won't want to miss in 2021
This year's release lineup is stacked with domestic films that have little competition for audiences as many Hollywood films have been set back by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 6, 2021
‘Angry Rice Wives’: Rousing take on 'rice riots' is sure to inspire
Katsuhide Motoki's drama about the “rice riots” in 1918 shows the bravery of female protestors who fought against sexism and the deep poverty that threatened their livelihoods.
CULTURE / Film
Dec 28, 2020
How ‘Demon Slayer’ came to be Japan’s biggest box-office hit of all time
The anime film beat out former record holder “Spirited Away,” due in part to fortuitous timing and word-of-mouth popularity.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / 2020 in review
Dec 16, 2020
One anime to slay them all: How Japanese film fared in 2020
The film industry was hit hard by the pandemic, with the closure of theaters and festivals moving online. However, that's what made the triumph of “Demon Slayer” all the more surprising.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 16, 2020
‘Hold Me Back’: Listen to the voice in your head
Akiko Ohku's charming rom-com explores the inner struggles of working women in modern-day Tokyo.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 9, 2020
‘Bolt’: A noirish depiction of the dark days after 3/11
Director Kaizo Hayashi's three-part film based on the meltdown disaster of 2011 at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant is a mishmash of noir, sci-fi and fantasy.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 3, 2020
‘Mrs. Noisy’: Loving your neighbor can be tough
Chihiro Amano's humorous film about rowdy next-door neighbors coming to blows makes a well-meaning plea for tolerance and kindness toward others.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 25, 2020
‘Underdog’: This two-part boxing epic packs a punch
Director Masaharu Take's 276-minute film was inspired by Martin Scorsese's boxing saga “Raging Bull.”
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 18, 2020
‘Any Crybabies Around?’: Banishing your inner child is hard to do
Taiga Nakano gives a raw performance as a social pariah who attempts to make amends with his family and town in Takuma Sato's film.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 11, 2020
‘Life: Untitled’: The fables and foibles of sex work
Kana Yamada's film about a motley crew of employees at an escort agency called Crazy Bunny is based on her own stage play.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 6, 2020
'Sumodo' documentary offers a rare inside look at the competitive world of sumo
Director Eiji Sakata's documentary reveals the human side of Japan's wrestlers.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 5, 2020
‘Ora, Ora Be Goin’ Alone’: Grandma isn’t done living life to the fullest
Shuichi Okita's film about a lonely elderly woman searching for meaning in her life presents old age with humor and pathos.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 28, 2020
‘Living in the Sky’: Trust your cat, not your lover
Cannes winner Shinji Aoyama and the pop group collective Exile Tribe joined forces for this film about the complexities of personal relationships.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 21, 2020
10 days of J-horror: From funny frights to shock and gore
Halloween is only 10 days away, so here's a list of J-horror films to watch each day to settle into the spooky season.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 21, 2020
‘Ainu Mosir’: A coming-of-age tale, respectfully told
Takeshi Fukunaga's film centered on the indigenous people of northern Japan tells the story of a 14-year-old boy learning to appreciate his heritage.
As the Osaka Expo comes to a close, what will its legacy be?
After a run-up marked by apathy, organizers soon found they had the opposite problem as crowd control became a concern.
Hypothermia in the land of the rising Sanae
Amid the election of Sanae Takaichi as Liberal Democratic Party president, and possibly the next prime minister, Japan's economy shows signs of recovery, but weak wages, a conservative corporate culture and currency issues raise doubts about a true economic thaw.
Ghost of Yotei’s bloodstained fun sidesteps Ainu identity
Ghost of Yotei, the follow-up to 2020's smash hit Ghost of Tsushima, is a violent, vengeful and engaging romp through 17th-century Hokkaido that fails to stick the landing on its most sensitive cultural material.
After ruling bloc collapses, LDP and opposition scramble to find needed votes for PM
Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on Friday after leaving the ruling coalition earlier in the day.
What if everything we think about obesity is wrong?
Recent research shows obesity may be driven by ultraprocessed and hyperpalatable foods that disrupt fullness signals and lead to overeating.
A frenetic diplomatic schedule looms for Japan’s next leader — whomever that may be
As horse-trading and speculation surge over who will be elected the next prime minister in parliament — the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Sanae Takaichi or a possible candidate put forward by a unified opposition — Japan’s next leader will be confronted with a quick succession of key diplomatic events.
Ghost of Yotei’s bloodstained fun sidesteps Ainu identity
Ghost of Yotei, the follow-up to 2020's smash hit Ghost of Tsushima, is a violent, vengeful and engaging romp through 17th-century Hokkaido that fails to stick the landing on its most sensitive cultural material.
At Osaka Expo, gas giants promote a greener future. But is it a lot of hot air?
The Gas Pavilion had welcomed around 500,000 visitors by the end of August, making it one of the most popular exhibits at the Osaka Expo.
‘Takaichi trade’ starts unwinding as political calculus upended by Komeito exit
Less than a week ago, Sanae Takaichi seemed set to become Japan's first female prime minister.
‘Save the Ring’ calls intensify as Osaka Expo’s end nears
Visitors lounge on the grassy hill on the top of the Grand Ring during the 2025 Osaka Expo in the city of Osaka in May.

Podcast

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

Longform

Rock group The Yellow Monkey played K-Arena Yokohama in June as part of a nationwide tour. Concerts are increasingly popular in the age of social media as users value in-person experiences.
Inside Japan’s arena boom: Sports, sound and city-building
By Patrick St. Michel

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