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July 16, 2024
 

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Mark Schilling
Japan Times
Film / Reviews
Jan 19, 2023
‘Natchan's Little Secret': Outdated comedy runs out of gas
Yasujiro Tanaka’s comedy about three drag queens who hit the road for a friend’s funeral feels like a throwback to old-school TV shows with over-the-top portrayals of gay characters.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 12, 2023
‘Trapped Balloon’: Grief-stricken characters rise above cliched plot
Though the storyline offers few surprises, Toko Miura and Masahiro Higashide give layered and raw performances as two islanders grappling with loss in Hiroyuki Miyagawa's drama.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 5, 2023
‘We Make Antiques! Osaka Dreams’: Con-men hijinks bring on laughs
The third installment in the “We Make Antiques!” series may not steal many new hearts, but Kiichi Nakai and Kuranosuke Sasaki provide enough laughs to keep the capers going.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 22, 2022
‘I Am What I Am’: Knights in shining armor need not apply
Toko Miura takes on her first starring role in Shinya Tamada's drama that pushes back on rom-com conventions and focuses on a woman who seeks out independence rather than a romantic partner.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / 2022 in Review
Dec 16, 2022
Marginalized voices in film spoke louder in 2022
While Ryusuke Hamaguchi's 'Drive My Car' and Chie Hayakawa's 'Plan 75' received wide acclaim at home and abroad, the Japanese film industry took stock of a sobering reality.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 15, 2022
‘Small, Slow but Steady’: An exploration of human fragility
The focus of Sho Miyake's drama is less on blood-flecked pugilism and more on outside-the-ring drama, including the protagonist's struggle with her own reasons for fighting.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 8, 2022
‘Dr. Coto's Clinic 2022’: Heartwarming drama offers predictable prognosis
Much of the original cast from Fuji TV's 2003 drama “Dr. Koto's Clinic” return for this feature film about the highs and lows of life as an island physician.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 1, 2022
‘Phases of the Moon’: A thoughtful yet unconvincing tale of rebirth
Ryuichi Hiroki's melodrama about reincarnation adeptly navigates multiple timelines with a sensitive touch while revealing unspoken Japanese beliefs.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 25, 2022
Kah Wai Lim's ode to Japanese mini-theaters gets meta
The director's new film, 'Your Lovely Smile,' is a love letter to indie cinema that doubles as a plea for help to keep struggling theaters open.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 24, 2022
‘She Is Me, I Am Her’: A masterful portrayal of pandemic life
Actor Nahana delivers powerful performances as four different characters in Mayu Nakamura's omnibus film about the loneliness of the pandemic.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 17, 2022
‘A Man’: A searing study of Japan’s prejudices
Kei Ishikawa's piercing drama unravels the mystery of a man's decisions to leave his past behind while laying out society's intolerance of “outsiders.”
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 10, 2022
'2 Women': Shinobu Terajima shines as celebrated novelist
The actress gives a luminous performance as a fictional version of Jakucho Setouchi, an author turned Buddhist nun, in Ryuichi Hiroki's biopic.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 3, 2022
‘Your Lovely Smile’: A sincere tribute to indie cinemas
In Kah Wai Lim's drama about a struggling director who wanders around Japan pitching his films to independent theaters, Hirobumi Watanabe plays a version of himself with heart and humor.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 27, 2022
‘Whisper of the Heart’: First love story is sweet but shallow
Yuichiro Hirakawa's live-action adaptation of a manga by Aoi Hiiragi predictably pulls at heartstrings, but doesn't measure up to the classic anime version released in 1995.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 20, 2022
‘The Three Sisters of Tenmasou Inn’: Life in limbo becomes too sentimental
The stellar main cast and Non's undeniable energy are the bright spots of Ryuhei Kitamura's cloying drama about a woman who finds herself in a realm between life and death.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 13, 2022
‘Sadako DX’: J-horror icon goes viral
Japan's favorite long-haired spook gets tech savvy in a Hisashi Kimura film that takes on horror cliches with meta commentary and comedy.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 6, 2022
‘To the Supreme!’: Clever rom-com keeps twists coming
Santa Yamagishi's rom-com about four women with lackluster love interests is cleverly plotted but takes a while to get to the drama.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 29, 2022
‘My Broken Mariko': Childhood friendship drama rings true
Yuki Tanada's film about a fraught yet deep relationship between two young women is moving and disturbing.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 22, 2022
‘Riverside Mukolitta’: Lessons on death told with pathos
Naoko Ogigami's drama about a man who confronts a past trauma with the help of his neighbors is quirky and comforting.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 15, 2022
'Hell Dogs': Mayhem with a touch of noir
Masato Harada's fast-paced film starring Junichi Okada as an undercover police officer in a yakuza gang delivers blood-spattering action scenes and a flurry of movie references.
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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