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James Hadfield
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 12, 2019
'Lupin III: The First': A 3D animation with a nostalgic heart
Master thief Lupin III returns to steal treasure — and a few hearts — in Takashi Yamazaki's take on the loveable rogue.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / 2010s: Decade in Review
Dec 5, 2019
Trendy neighborhoods in Tokyo came and went during the 2010s, but did capitalist conformity move in for good?
The protester, the party animal, the professional millennial — it seems like the Japanese capital had a place for every foreign stereotype imaginable in the past decade. We look back on a few favorites.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 5, 2019
'My Girlfriend is a Serial Killer': A rom-com slasher for killing time
In this adapation of the lurid manga series 'Peephole,' Yosuke Sugino plays a suicidal shut-in who falls for his murderous neighbor.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 22, 2019
Shintaro Sakamoto: The art of disappearing in plain sight
The former Yura Yura Teikoku frontman discusses his absence from the live music scene and how he feels singing in Japanese is no longer a barrier to international acclaim
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 21, 2019
'Earthquake Bird': A solid adaptation, but no high flyer
An adaption of a 2001 novel by Susanna Jones, 'Earthquake Bird' looks at Tokyo in 1989 and tells the story of an explosive love triangle
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 14, 2019
Japan's decade of 'closed country' cinema
As Japanese box office figures hit record highs in the 2010s, the country's film industry became increasingly insular
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 14, 2019
'i: Documentary of the Journalist': Japanese press freedom laid bare
Tatsuya Mori follows Tokyo Shimbun journalist Isoko Mochizuki as she attempts to get answers from government officials in this bleak look at press freedom and integrity in Japan
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 7, 2019
'One Night': A family drama both deep and dark
Kazuya Shiraishi's latest tells the story of three siblings whose mother kills their abusive father and then abandons them for 15 years, before returning to check on their progress in life
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 30, 2019
Shin Adachi's mission to bust the myth of marital bliss in 'A Beloved Wife'
Shin Adachi discusses his latest feature, 'A Beloved Wife,' which will be screened in the main competition at the 2019 Tokyo International Film Festival
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 30, 2019
'Family of Strangers': An admirable ode to the institutionalized
Hideyuki Hirayama's latest feature, filmed in a real psychiatric hospital in Nagano Prefecture, tells the story of three residents of an institution who form an unlikely bond
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 24, 2019
Ang Lee: The filmmaker decades ahead of his time
Filmmaker Ang Lee has dedicated himself to filming in high-resolution and 3D, techniques that most cinemas are not yet equipped to handle
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 23, 2019
'No Smoking': Poking the embers of Haruomi Hosono's career
Marking the 50th anniversary of Haruomi Hosono's musical career, 'No Smoking' takes a look at his life and some of his famed concerts
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 16, 2019
'Special Actors': Ueda fumbles sophomore feature
Shinichiro Ueda, best known for 2017's 'One Cut of the Dead,' releases his second solo feature, again using a largely unknown cast
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 10, 2019
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra pulls out all the stops for 30th anniversary
After three decades in the business, Japan's best known ska band is in the midst of a full year of celebrations, including nationwide tours, gigs overseas and an upcoming album
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 2, 2019
'The Forest of Love': Netflix feature lets Sono be Sono
Sion Sono's return to filmmaking sees him blend all of his hallmarks into one gore-drenched epic
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 25, 2019
'Ninkyo Gakuen': Yakuza comedy fails to make the grade
Hisashi Kimura's latest film sees a band of yakuza get involved with a local high school, serving justice and forming bonds along the way
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 11, 2019
'They Say Nothing Stays The Same': Stunning visuals and a stellar cast
Actor Joe Odagiri makes his directorial debut with a beautifully shot tale of the life of a boatman in a Japan of the past.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 21, 2019
'It Feels So Good': An explicit escapade, artfully told
The average bride-to-be spends the final days before her wedding fretting about seating plans and whether she'll be able to squeeze into her dress, but Naoko (Kumi Takiuchi) decides it's a good time to hook up with an old flame instead.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 14, 2019
'Cherry Blossoms and Demons': Swan song remains an ugly duckling
The late Kirin Kiki maintained such an industrious work schedule that moviegoers have had multiple chances to pay their last respects since she passed away last September. "Cherry Blossoms and Demons" is her actual swan song, albeit one that all but the most ardent fan can probably skip.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 7, 2019
Chanmina's 'Never Grow Up' delivers pop hooks and hip-hop heartache
The J-pop world could use a few more artists like Chanmina. In the leap from high-school MC battles to the commercial mainstream, she has managed to hone her pop appeal without sacrificing her swagger. Anyone who calls their debut single "Fxxker" isn't trying to make fans the old-fashioned way.

Longform

Sociologist Gracia Liu-Farrer argues that even though immigration doesn't figure into Japan's autobiography, it is more of a self-perception than a reality.
In search of the ‘Japanese dream’