K-ballet brings back 'Giselle' and introduces new leads

May 30, 2013

K-ballet brings back 'Giselle' and introduces new leads

As summer approaches with the misty other-worldliness of Japan’s rainy season, Tokyo’s K-Ballet graces the stage in June with a revival of the hauntingly romantic masterpiece “Giselle.” Six different ballerinas will perform the lead role as the production synthesizes K-Ballet’s changing image from a ...

Irrepressible Irishman promotes Japan culture

Apr 6, 2013

Irrepressible Irishman promotes Japan culture

Humor may be the hardest genre to translate, but laughter speaks any language. Poet and literary translator Peter MacMillan’s recent foray into visual art, “Thirty-Six New Views of Mount Fuji,” delights with wry whimsicality, employing mixed-media print-making to reveal a multicultural drollery. It’s exactly ...

Dine with a backdrop of cherry blossom

Mar 29, 2013

Dine with a backdrop of cherry blossom

With an ephemeral canopy of pink sweeping Japan, the JT’s food writers know the perfect spots to dine with an eyeful of sakura (cherry blossom) — or just the right sake to sip as you picnic under the petals. Innsyoutei, Tokyo When it comes ...

Abashiri astounds with its ice and convict connections

Mar 24, 2013

Abashiri astounds with its ice and convict connections

In April 1890, the Japanese government shipped more than 1,200 political prisoners from all over the country, including samurai insurgents from the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion against the government of Emperor Meiji. Nine years before, more than 250 years of rule by the Tokugawa shoguns ...

Photography buff thrives in the capital of cameras

Mar 23, 2013

Photography buff thrives in the capital of cameras

Bellamy Hunt’s name is part of his business: Japan Camera Hunter, a one-man enterprise supporting film photo buffs around Asia and the world. His work mainly involves hunting down vintage cameras, whether an elusive early model Nikon or a classic Leica. Although Hunt appreciates ...