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July 16, 2024
 

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Mark Schilling
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 1, 2023
‘The Dry Spell’: Realistic drama tackles child poverty
Masaya Takahashi’s film centers on the struggle of Japanese children living below the poverty line.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 25, 2023
‘Spring in Between’: Offbeat love story offers a breath of fresh air
Hio Miyazawa brings depth and unforced commitment to his performance as an artist with Asperger’s syndrome in Rika Katsu’s debut feature.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 20, 2023
‘Ripples’: A refreshing and hilarious skewering of Japanese society
Mariko Tsutsui masterfully juggles humor and drama in Naoko Ogigami’s dark comedy about the silent pressures women face in modern Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 11, 2023
‘Alone Together’ docudrama revisits loneliness and anxieties of the pandemic's early days
Yukiko Mishima’s film depicts the profound impact that living in isolation in fear of an invisible enemy had on everyday life in Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 3, 2023
‘Father of the Milky Way Railroad’: Writer biopic plays to domestic audience's love of a good cry
Koji Yakusho and Masaki Suda give strong performances as father and son in a film about Kenji Miyazawa, one of Japan’s beloved authors of children’s literature.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 27, 2023
‘Okiku and the World’: Rare romance plot refreshing for period drama
Junji Sakamoto’s tender drama aptly balances lowbrow comedy with sumptuous visuals to portray a romance between urban commoners that defies conventions.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 20, 2023
‘J005311’: Silent collisions spark human truths
The production for director Hiroki Kono’s drama may be barebones, but its enigmatic and suspenseful storytelling keeps the audience engaged until the end.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 13, 2023
‘The Village’: Backwater hometown hero plot smells off
Michihito Fujii’s drama about a young man struggling in a village that is overshadowed by a large recycling plant is simplistic and contrived.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 8, 2023
‘People Who Talk to Plushies Are Kind’: Finding comfort in friendly faces
Yurina Kaneko delves into the plushie subculture to explore a prevalent sense of isolation among Japan’s youth in her first directorial feature.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 30, 2023
‘Brats, Be Ambitious!’: Childhood friendships get dark
Set in the late 1980s, Shin Adachi's melodramatic coming-of-age film about a quartet of scrappy boys draws inspiration from Rob Reiner's 1986 classic “Stand By Me.”
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 25, 2023
‘Baby Assassins 2 Babies’: Flying fists with a side of social commentary
Yugo Sakamoto channels Quentin Tarantino in comedy style and verbosity in his action film about a pair of bickering hitwomen who find themselves on the outs with their assassins guild.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 18, 2023
‘Do Unto Others’ makes an unconvincing case for euthanasia
Part whodunit, part tearjerker, Tetsu Maeda’s film frames its protagonist as a noble caregiver in favor of dispatching the elderly.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 9, 2023
‘December’: Powerful courtroom drama serves up shades of gray
Anshul Chauhan shifts toward the mainstream with his third feature and delivers skilled storytelling while tackling universal themes centered on a domestic dilemma.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 2, 2023
‘In Her Room’: An unsettling journey of self-discovery
Director Chihiro Ito's captivating dreamscapes are eerie and mysterious in her slow-burning relationship drama.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 23, 2023
‘Red Shoes’: Boxing tearjerker makes for a lightweight entry
Toshiro Saiga’s drama geared toward a mainstream audience tugs at the heartstrings but doesn’t deliver an emotional punch in the way of Sho Miyake’s “Small, Slow but Steady.”
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 16, 2023
'Yudo': A heartwarming ode to a good, old-fashioned soak
Masayuki Suzuki’s film pays tribute to the neighborhood public bath with a rush of nostalgia and feel-good laughs.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 9, 2023
‘Egoist’: Layered LGBTQ drama offers bittersweet romance
Through Daishi Matsunaga's intimate direction, Ryohei Suzuki delivers a committed performance as a gay magazine editor who falls in love with his financially struggling personal trainer.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 2, 2023
'Baian the Assassin M.D.': Lead actor brings gravitas to killer role
While Etsushi Toyokawa portrays the film's murderous hero with nuance and depth, the period drama's storyline creaks with age.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 27, 2023
Japanese films set to dominate cinemas in 2023
Toei looks to challenge Toho's box-office supremacy with blockbuster hopefuls, while anime maestro Hayao Miyazaki and film auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda are set to unveil new features this year.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 26, 2023
‘The Legend & Butterfly’: A political romance gets a fresh spin
Haruka Ayase dominates the screen as the wife of Oda Nobunaga in a heavily fictionalized telling of the couple's relationship amid the warlord's quest to unify Japan.
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.
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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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