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July 16, 2024
 

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James Hadfield
A married couple (Arata Iura, left, and Rena Tanaka) returning to their home village from a posting in occupied Korea become witnesses to a bloodbath in Tatsuya Mori’s historical drama, “September 1923.”
CULTURE / Film
Aug 31, 2023
‘September 1923’ stylizes an oft-overlooked brutality
Tatsuya Mori’s drama is an important act of historical reclamation, but it’s practically indigestible.
A transfer student (Yuta Kishi, bottom center) hoping to find romance at his new school gets more than he bargained for in Toichiro Ruto’s manga adaptation, “G-Men.”
CULTURE / Film
Aug 24, 2023
‘G-Men’: Pop heartthrobs surprise in silly smackdown
Toichiro Ruto’s film about a class of delinquent high-school brawlers scrapes by with a passing grade.
A deceased schoolgirl lures members of pop group Generations into her world with a killer earworm in “Sana.”
CULTURE / Film
Aug 10, 2023
‘Sana’: Boy band horror flick is largely fan service
Takashi Shimizu’s film about a deadly ditty infecting members of J-pop group Generations offers generic scares with real-life concert footage.
As zombies take over the world, a salaryman (Eiji Akaso) decides to live his best life before his inevitable demise in “Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead.”
CULTURE / Film
Aug 3, 2023
‘Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead’: Zombie comedy has no bite
Netflix’s adaptation of the manga series about a salaryman making the most out of a zombie apocalypse is like scrolling through a mediocre Instagram feed.
Investigators involved in the case shed light on one of Japan’s biggest crime stories of the 2000s in “Tokyo Police Files: The Lucie Blackman Case.”
CULTURE / Film
Jul 27, 2023
‘Tokyo Police Files: The Lucie Blackman Case’: Notorious crime story gets slick Netflix treatment
The detectives are the stars in the Japan-only version of Netflix’s true-crime documentary about a missing-person investigation that captured the nation’s attention.
Japan Times
Film / Reviews
Jul 13, 2023
‘Graveyard of Youth’ dispenses tough love for human flaws
Despite its discomforting scenes, Yosuke Okuda’s latest offering is his warmest and most rewarding film to date.
Japan Times
Film / Reviews
Jul 6, 2023
'With Each Passing Breath': A compassionate and richly textured documentary
As summer festivals return to Japan in full force, a film dives into the lives of the people who keep the cultural elements behind them alive.
Japan Times
Film / Reviews
Jun 29, 2023
'Hoarder on the Border': A film that gets better as the layers pile up
Hoarding is a serious social issue, but it’s given a disarmingly breezy treatment in Takayuki Kayano’s “Hoarder on the Border.”
Japan Times
Film / Reviews
Jun 23, 2023
‘River’: A creatively contained time-loop flick
Flooded with ingenuity, the team behind “Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes” renews a winning trope for a captivating, addictive watch.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 8, 2023
‘Firing the Lighter Gun’: A gripping addition to the post-Fukushima canon
Kohei Sanada’s sophomore feature doesn’t always hit the mark, but it’s a grimly compelling portrait of the aftermath of a nuclear accident.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 30, 2023
With ‘Monster,’ Hirokazu Kore-eda makes a welcome return to form
The Palme d’Or-winning director’s homecoming to Japanese-language cinema is powerful and poignant as it unspools an intimate story about bullying, misunderstandings and family dynamics.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 18, 2023
‘Nagisa’: A beautiful fever dream of guilt and grief
Takeshi Kogahara’s drama is a ravishing and disquieting tale of hauntings and forbidden lust that rewards close attention.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 11, 2023
‘Hard Days’: Cop thriller remake proves bigger isn't always better
Michihito Fujii’s take on the South Korean movie “A Hard Day” is more convoluted, more implausible and not nearly as much fun as it should be.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 5, 2023
Meiko Kaji conjures the underworld of 1970s Japan
The 'Urami Bushi' singer harks back to a film era of vengeful women, smoke-wreathed bars and gambling dens on the reissue of “Hajiki Uta,” one of her solo albums from the 1970s.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Reviews
May 3, 2023
‘Sanctuary’: Bad boy of sumo’s journey doesn’t pack a punch
Centered on a brutish underdog, the Netflix series about professional sumo offers satisfying heft in its action sequences, but its uneven storyline is anticlimactic.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 27, 2023
‘Tokyo MER: Mobile Emergency Room’: Ryohei Suzuki stands out in formulaic adaptation
The actor gives a blockbuster performance in an entertaining but predictable feature film spin-off of the hit TBS medical drama.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 13, 2023
‘Side by Side’: A dreamy vision wrapped in an enigma
Chihiro Ito’s sophomore film in which mortal and spirit realms coexist marks her as a director with a distinctive style.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 6, 2023
‘From the End of the World’: An unlikely teen dream savior
Lead actor Aoi Ito lends believable vulnerability to Kazuaki Kiriya’s patchwork swansong about a young girl with the ability to avert an impending apocalypse in her sleep.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 5, 2023
The unyielding spirit of Ryuichi Sakamoto
The award-winning composer and member of Yellow Magic Orchestra showed a rebellious streak throughout his life, which not only influenced musicians worldwide but also effected social change.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 30, 2023
‘Self-Revolutionary Cinematic Struggle’ is an experimental slog
Gakuryu Ishii's rambling treatise on art and self-actualization spends much more time talking about the magic of movies than actually invoking it.
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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Exploring Japanese culturevia Tohoku’s festivals
Exploring Japanese culturevia Tohoku’s festivals

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