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Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 24, 2019
The Cinematic Orchestra: Absence makes the fans grow fonder
Twelve years since its last studio album, The Cinematic Orchestra released 'To Believe' in March. Band-leader Jason Swinscoe talks about his writing process and The Cinematic Orchestra's long hiatus.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 24, 2019
'The Wonderland': Surface-level charm, but no true wonder
"The Wonderland," the new film from director Keiichi Hara ("Miss Hokusai"), certainly has the building blocks of something wondrous: a skilled director, top production values, and a story by beloved children's author Sachiko Kashiwaba.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Apr 20, 2019
Exploring rural Japan from the comfort of your living room with 'The Inaka Project'
Video games usually have some level of conflict or pressure — solve this puzzle, blow up this machine, defeat this monster and so forth. That’s not the case with Inasa Fujio’s “The Inaka Project,” a first-person narrative game that leisurely takes players through Japan’s idyllic countryside....
CULTURE / Books / WORKS BY JAPANESE WOMEN
Apr 20, 2019
Murasaki Shikibu and Sei Shonagon: Two pioneering women in Japanese literature
The Works by Japanese Women series wraps up by examining the various English translations of two of Japan's greatest works of literature, both penned by women: 'The Pillow Book' by Sei Shonagon and 'The Tale of Genji' by Murasaki Shikibu.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Apr 20, 2019
Emperor Go-Daigo: The pride before a fall
The anonymous 14th-century chronicle 'Masukagami' ('The Clear Mirror,' translated by George Perkins), dramatically details the trials and errors of Emperor Go-Daigo, the 96th emperor of Japan.
SOCCER
Apr 18, 2019
Nadeshiko's Saki Kumagai a finalist for BBC honor
With over 100 international caps and six seasons of service for women's soccer titan Olympique Lyonnais, defender Saki Kumagai is already recognized by those in the know as one of the sport's top players.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 10, 2019
Morgan Fisher and all the (not so) young dudes of Mott the Hoople join forces again
In early March, 35 people gathered on the first floor of a two-story house in Tokyo to listen to the British keyboard player Morgan Fisher reminisce about his days with 1970s rock act Mott the Hoople. This month, Fisher is joining a reunion of the band for brief tours of the U.S. and U.K. Since 1985...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Apr 6, 2019
Getting to the bottom of Chicano subculture coverage on Japan
Over the past month and a half, a number of Western media outlets have revisited a topic that has long been a hit for online publications.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Apr 4, 2019
The Tokyo Ballet's 'Swan Lake' gives fans a fresh take on a classic and an uplifting ending
Picture the scene: The Black Swan seduces the Prince away from the White Swan princess for one of the most timeless love triangles ever enacted on stage. Even those who aren't fans of dance are familiar with "Swan Lake." As Yukari Saito, artistic director of The Tokyo Ballet, puts it, "Swan Lake is synonymous...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 3, 2019
The Birthday's 'Vivian Killers' is a solid album, but lacks a killer tune
The 10th studio album from garage rockers The Birthday came as no surprise. The band has been putting out albums regularly since 2006 debut "Rollers Romantics," and has also issued around 20 singles in that time. Selling out venues across the country regularly, the group is also a constant touring entity....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
Mar 30, 2019
Kyoko Nakajima's 'The Little House': Secrets hiding secrets, and much left unsaid
Kyoko Nakajima's 'The Little House' is the story of how generations in Japan talk — or don't talk — to each other, and their inability to connect across eras.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 27, 2019
Suchmos' 'The Anymal' aims high but misses the mark
Of all the acts to emerge during the recent city pop revival, when the funk-inflected AOR of early-1980s Japan seemed to be coming back in vogue, Suchmos has been by far the most successful. Last year saw the sextet graduate to playing arenas and providing NHK's theme song for the FIFA World Cup —...
Japan Times
Figure Skating
Mar 23, 2019
Flower girls always ready to spring into action at figure skating world championships
During the competition at the World Figure Skating Championships, skaters like Yuzuru Hanyu, Nathan Chen and Alina Zagitova are the stars of the show.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Mar 17, 2019
'East of the Rockies': Reliving Japanese-Canadian internment
Innovative augmented reality storytelling app introduces users to the dark history of Japanese-Canadian internment during World War II, via a touching tale by Joy Kogawa.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 16, 2019
'The Unmaking of an American': One thread in a lifetime of cultural exploration
Roger Pulvers' latest memoir, 'The Unmaking of an American,' takes readers on an engaging and occasionally revelatory tour of Japan and Pulvers' own family history.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / WORKS BY JAPANESE WOMEN
Mar 16, 2019
Yoko Tawada: Wondrously strange subject matter from a fantastical imagination
Prize-winning author Yoko Tawada tethers her playful prose to realistic social issues: gender roles, immigration, aging societies. Writing in both Japanese and German, her novels have crossed multiple cultural boundaries.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 7, 2019
Actress Junko Abe breaks into the world of international films
Following her breakthrough role in Naomi Kawase's 2014 Palme d'Or nominated film "Futatsume no Mado" ("Still the Water"), Junko Abe looked as though she was destined to go on to become a big star in Japan. Back then she was known by her stage name Jun Yoshinaga and was viewed as one of the brightest...

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