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May 04, 2024
 

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Ryotaro Aoki
For Ryotaro Aoki's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 25, 2016
Hollywood takes its wisecracking hero seriously
The opening credits of "Deadpool" begin with the words "Some Douchebag's Film." Maybe it was because of this self-deprecation that overseas audiences found the film refreshing. Especially since in another recent superhero blockbuster, a billionaire vigilante pontificates on morality using the "one percent doctrine" as an example, while an omnipotent alien looks dour and hopeless when he is unable to save everyone from a bombing.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 13, 2016
Resistance is futile to Babymetal's ascent
Babymetal — "Metal Resistance" (Toy's Factory)
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 27, 2016
The fin. tries to break through borders with its 'Through the Deep' EP
For the members of The fin., being a Japanese rock band isn't easy. Ever since its inception, the four members say they have felt a sense of being on the outside of an industry that rarely embraces those who challenge established conventions. Even after garnering attention two years ago with debut EP "Glowing On the Red Shore," the situation remains the same.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 20, 2016
Shonen Knife heads out on a new 'Adventure'
Upon being reminded that this year marks rock band Shonen Knife's 35th anniversary, singer and guitarist Naoko Yamano just smiles and shrugs.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 13, 2016
Rock act Boris and noise musician Merzbow attempt an interactive experiment on 'Gensho'
The Japanese word gō'on can be rendered in English as a "roaring sound." It's often used to describe the loud levels of volume at a concert, which typically hit around 120 decibels.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 31, 2016
Ningen Isu explores death, lust on new album
When the members of hard rock band Ningen Isu left the stage at Ozzfest Japan in 2013, they thought that was it for their Ozzfest experience. Little did the "Japanese Black Sabbath" know, Ozzy Osbourne himself would soon be calling them back for an encore.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 24, 2016
Cairo breaks with its past for dreamy debut, 'Same as Before'
While talking to the members of indie rock band Cairo, I can't help but feel their sense of excitement. After all, this is their first interview ever.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 24, 2015
Getting the year's first prayer in
Whether we are Buddhists, followers of Shintoism or atheists, the first thing many Japanese do on ganjitsu (New Year's Day) is go to their local shrine or temple for hatsumōde, a symbolic first visit of the year. If it's not done on Jan. 1, it will likely happen shortly after.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 17, 2015
Japanese 'Star Wars' fans get ready for a new adventure
It's become a bit of trivia among "Star Wars" fans that creator George Lucas allegedly took inspiration from both the term jidai geki (historical drama) when creating the word "jedi" and Akira Kurosawa's film "The Hidden Fortress." Those aren't the only Japanese references in the series; from Darth Vader's yoroi-inspired helmet to Obi-Wan Kenobi's Toshiro Mifune-esque samurai robes, the Japanese influence on "Star Wars" is undeniable.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 6, 2015
Gesu tapped into the 2015 'band boom'
"No one else but me is me," sings Gesu no Kiwami Otome.'s vocalist Enon Kawatani on the group's second single, "Watashi Igai Watashi Janai No." Released in April, this funky pop song with its straightforward, existential catchphrase delivered in Kawatani's trademark falsetto voice has seemingly struck a chord with pop enthusiasts and a young generation of music fans all across Japan this year.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 3, 2015
Review: X Japan at Yokohama Arena
X Japan kicked off its Japan tour on Tuesday night in front of a packed crowd at Yokohama Arena. And the show was a welcome return to form.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 31, 2015
Perfume hits the big screen in new documentary about touring overseas
It would be giving techno-pop trio Perfume's new documentary film "We Are Perfume — World Tour 3rd Document" too much credit to say that it shows the struggles of touring abroad. Aside from a mishap regarding a busted LED screen in Los Angeles, that is.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 10, 2015
'Ant-Man' brings 'Phase Two' of the Marvel cinematic strategy to a close, what's in store for 'Phase Three'?
Have you noticed there's been a lot of comic book-based movies lately? The idea of plotting to take over the world isn't an unusual one for a comic, so it makes sense that Marvel Studios has been slowly conquering the film industry for the past eight years.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 27, 2015
Guitarist Inoran gets personal on 'Beautiful Now'
Kiyonobu Inoue, more commonly known as Inoran, is a very busy man. Aside from his day job, in which he plays to sold out arenas as a guitarist for rock band Luna Sea, he juggles being a producer, playing in a handful of other projects and managing a solo career. He admits life wasn't always this hectic, though.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 14, 2015
Industrial-metal act Godflesh teams up with Daymare for tour
Often cited as influencing acts such as Ministry and Nine Inch Nails, as well as post-metal bands from the 2000s like Isis and Pelican, industrial metal band Godflesh are coming to Japan for a three-city tour from this Friday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 5, 2015
City pop revival is literally a trend in name only
City pop is the latest trend to hit Japan's indie-music scene. Well, not the musical style, just the words.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 29, 2015
Pirokalpin gets a taste of the majors and opts for indie
Getting signed to a major label is a goal many bands aspire to, but what happens when your contract ends halfway through the making of your sophomore LP? You start your own label and put it out yourself.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 22, 2015
Mono guitarist Goto revisits past compositions on 'Classical Punk and Echoes Under the Beauty'
In 2014, instrumental rock band Mono released two LPs simultaneously: "The Last Dawn" and "Rays of Darkness." The albums stripped the band's sound down to its bare essentials, eschewing the orchestral sounds it had become known for and instead going for the sound of a raw rock band with two emotional sides: a light and dark side.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 24, 2015
Awesome City joins a major club
Bassist Takumi Matsuzaka had a clear plan in mind when he launched his band, Awesome City Club, in early 2013.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 3, 2015
CQ will take you to the world's end
Music genres can sometimes be helpful guidelines for a band, but they can also end up being an albatross around a musician's neck, especially if they're part of your group's moniker.
Biden calls ally Japan ‘xenophobic’ along with rivals China and Russia
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in Syracuse, New York, on April 25.
Yen swings stir talk that Japan is in the FX market once again
An electronic screen in Tokyo displays the yen exchange rate against the U.S. dollar and the graph showing its recent swings, on Thursday.
Harajuku strives to reclaim its former glory — and surpass it
Laforet Harajuku, which celebrated its 45th anniversary last year, has been a witness to the district's evolution over the years.
Weak yen fattens tourist wallets in Japan
People visit the Ameya Yokocho market in Tokyo's Ueno district during the Golden Week holiday on Tuesday.
Japan's May 1 intervention may have cost ¥3.66 trillion, BOJ data suggests
An electronic screen displays a graph showing Japanese yen exchange rates surging against the dollar amid signs of intervention by authorities, in Tokyo on Thursday.
Kishida sets sights on energy and climate in South America trip
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will use a policy speech in Sao Paulo to set out his vision for ties between Japan and South America, almost 10 years after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe advocated for stronger ties between the two in the same city.
Yellow sand allergy: A health issue made worse by climate change
A screenshot of the Meteorological Agency's satellite image of clouds and yellow sand (in pink) on Sunday.
Climate change, chalky grains and the risks for Japan’s rice farmers
A farmer plants seedlings in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture. Japan’s self sufficiency rate for rice is nearly 100%, compared with 38% for food overall, on a calorie basis.
Japan wants you to spend more with ‘luxury tourism’
Performers play a traditional drum unique to Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the prefectural capital of Kanazawa on March 16 to mark the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture.
Theaster Gates’ ambitious ‘Afro-Mingei’ brings Black Chicago to Tokyo
Theaster Gates' “A Heavenly Chord” lines up church pews before seven speakers and a Hammond B3 organ, a type of electric organ prevalent in Black American churches.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Rows of irises resemble a rice field at the Peter Walker-designed Toyota Municipal Museum of Art.
The 'outsiders' creating some of Japan's greenest spaces
By Stephen Mansfield

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