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CULTURE / Film
Apr 14, 2020
For filmmaker Nobuhiko Obayashi, freedom was the most important thing of all
Director Nobuhiko Obayashi, who died on April 10 at the age of 82, was incredibly prolific during his six-decade career. A pioneering experimental filmmaker in the 1960s, he went on to direct 2,000 television commercials (by his own estimate; no exact count exists) and 43 theatrical features.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 13, 2020
Keep a distance of 1.8 meters to avoid a catastrophe
The future of Japan depends on decisions by leaders and actions taken by every individual.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 3, 2020
Actress Aoi Mizuhara explores Asian family values in 'The Farewell,' her Hollywood debut
Japanese actress Aoi Mizuhara explores Asian family values in her debut Hollywood film, 'The Farewell,' which is set for release in Japan in April.
CULTURE / Books
Mar 28, 2020
The seemingly perfect world of author Clarissa Goenawan
Set in Japan, Clarissa Goenawan's eagerly anticipated second novel, 'The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida,' has a winsome tone, harkening to the early works of Banana Yoshimoto.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 25, 2020
Lee Ufan: The same but different
Lee Ufan’s new paintings look very different depending on where you are standing. From a distance, when you can take in several of the large canvases at the same time, abstract shapes seem to emphatically announce themselves as existing; however, they are also pointedly ambiguous as to what they are....
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 21, 2020
Dramatizing the reality of a nuclear meltdown
As with many feature films based on real-life incidents, "Fukushima 50," which opened nationwide March 6 and depicts the actions of the men who struggled to contain the disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant following the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 2011, is a blend of factual exposition...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 20, 2020
Gezan's Mahito The People says music won't be beaten by a virus
These are trying times for gigging musicians. As COVID-19 continues its relentless spread, tours are being cancelled and artists and promoters are having to adjust to a brutal new reality, in which the activities that livelihoods depend on are suddenly rendered taboo. When I meet the members of alternative...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 17, 2020
Tame Impala and The Strokes set to headline Fuji Rock 2020
With the festival set to the be held in late August, all eyes will be on whether the COVID-19 situation improves before then.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 12, 2020
'Stardust Over the Town': Golden oldies musical loses the plot
After spawning seven plays, dramatist Ryuji Mizutani's Hello Nights, a fictional cadre of crooners, make their cinematic debut.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 9, 2020
A sea change for Japanese sculptors
'Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe 2020' in Western Australia, brings together eight Japanese sculptural works, including Harayuki Uchida's new 2.5-ton stainless-steel kinetic 'Merry Gate.'
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 5, 2020
'Shirobako the Movie': Unboxing the nitty-gritty of anime
Tsutomu Mizushima's television series about the ins and outs of making anime movies gets the big-screen treatment, bringing back familiar characters, situations and jokes.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
Feb 29, 2020
'Shadow of the Fox': Secrets, scrolls and an epic quest to save the world
Demons, spirits and other things that go bump in the night come to life in Julie Kagawa's epic young adult fantasy 'Shadow of the Fox.'
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
Feb 22, 2020
'The Japanese Discovery of Chinese Fiction': A literary classic's outsize impact on Japan
In 'The Japanese Discovery of Chinese Fiction,' William C. Helberg delves into Japan's fascination with 'The Water Margin,' and how its influence spread beyond the confines of pure literature.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 13, 2020
'Beneath the Shadow': Too obscure for its own good
Keishi Otomo's latest film looks at two colleagues whose blossoming bromance threatens to turn into something more mysterious.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 7, 2020
Pixies: 'We're weird enough and we're catchy enough'
As the Pixies prepare for three live shows in Japan, guitarist Joey Santiago speaks of his love for the band's latest album, and his love of Denny's chopsticks.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Feb 5, 2020
Trump strikes defiant tone, using State of the Union to tout economic accomplishments
Donald Trump struck a triumphant tone in Tuesday's State of the Union address, staking his bid for re-election squarely on the U.S. economy and embracing the deep partisan rancor over his presidency on the eve of his likely acquittal in the Senate's impeachment trial.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 4, 2020
Olympics and Year of the Rat give starring role to capybaras at Japanese zoos
Sinking into steamy hot springs, the giant rodents of Izu Shaboten Koen flick their ears and close their eyes against the camera clicks of fascinated onlookers, drifting into a hazy midday nap.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jan 31, 2020
Bringing Haruki Murakami's 'The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle' to Japan's stages
Murakami's enigmatic masterpiece has been adapted for Japanese stage for the first time, with Songha and Daichi Watanabe taking on the role of Toru Okada.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 29, 2020
Adidas to launch new fabrics from recycled ocean plastic and polyester
Adidas will launch new fabrics made from recycled polyester and marine plastic waste and expand the product lines that use them after the success of shoes made with the Parley for the Oceans initiative, the sportswear firm said Tuesday.

Longform

A man offers prayers at Hebikubo Shrine in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward. The shrine is one of several across the country dedicated to the snake.
Shed your skin and reinvent yourself in the Year of the Snake