• Music | JAZZ NOTES

  Female jazz acts are the real Cool Japan

  by Sean Smith

• Music | Strange Boutique

  A postmortem on how promoters let a Blur gig in Japan slip away

  by Ian Martin

• Music | JAZZ NOTES

  Newbies to Japanese jazz get a soundtrack to a primer

  by Sean Smith

• Music | Strange Boutique

  R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Find out what it means to indie's new talent

  by Ian Martin

• CD Reviews | FOR DOWNLOAD

  Various Artists 'Upwards and Onwards' (Ano(t)raks)

  by Patrick ST. Michel

• Music | Strange Boutique

  MBV inspires Japan to keep staring at its feet

  by Ian Martin

• TV | CHANNEL SURF

  Private tutor as crime solver; inner workings of the human body, dramatized; CM of the week: Acom

• TV | CHANNEL SURF

  Womens fashion fail-off; celebs discuss transgender issues; CM of the week: Boss

• TV | CHANNEL SURF

  Two documentaries on the rougher side of sports; CM of the week: Bandai Namco's Gundam games

• TV | CHANNEL SURF

  Enka queen sings jazz; documentary on dementia; CM of the week: g.u.

• TV | CHANNEL SURF

  'The Cat Lawyer and the Invisible Man'; Imalu as a barista; CM of the week: Loto 7

• TV | CHANNEL SURF

  Profiles of Japanese living overseas; CM of the week: Astalift