Tomohiro Osaki - The Japan Times

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Tomohiro Osaki

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Tomohiro Osaki

Tomohiro Osaki is a staff writer in the Domestic News Division. A graduate of Sophia University in Tokyo, he likes to explore under-reported realities of Japanese youth, with a tendency toward the taboo.

For Tomohiro Osaki's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Oct 4, 2012

"Taro Shinoda: Homo Sapiens Sapiens"

In 2007, Taro Shinoda started a project titled "Lunar Reflection Transmission Technique," for which he explored the moon via an astronomical telescope. Shinoda focuses on the relationship between us, human beings, and the moon, the only natural satellite of earth, which is also observable from anywhere...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Oct 4, 2012

"The Heart of the Chef's Hospitality: Tankumakita's Cuisine and Serving Ware"

Japan is well known for its hospitality to foreign visitors, a custom known as omotenashi. This practice has its roots in the Japanese belief of placing harmony with others above that of personal ego. One aspect of this is the way Japanese chefs strive to perfect their dishes for their guests, and Kyoto...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Sep 27, 2012

"Kurigami Kazumi: Portrait of a Moment"

Kazumi Kurigami is a leading Japanese commercial photographer and cinematographer, perhaps best known for his work on numerous TV commercials for various major companies, such as Nissan, Sony and Suntory. In 2009, he also debuted as a film director with "Gelatin Silver, Love."

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Sep 27, 2012

"On the Agenda of the Arts 2012: In the Air"

Tokyo Wonder Site aims to foster worldwide cultural exchange from its Tokyo bases in Hongo, Shibuya and Aoyama. One of the institution's longest-running projects is "On the Agenda of the Arts," which invites artists and curators from around the world, hosts exhibitions, and organizes roundtable discussions...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Sep 27, 2012

Kichizaemon X: Sound of Darkness and Light of Silence

Since his involvement in the establishment of Dumb Type, a collective on Kyoto-based artists, Shiro Takatani has spearheaded the group's works, playing a vital role in design and aesthetics. Kichizaemon Raku, on the other hand, is the latest heir apparent to the prestigious Raku family, whose traditional...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Sep 27, 2012

"Hideo Nagai Solo Exhibition: Painkiller ..."

In 2001, Hideo Nagai surprised the world with a giant sculpture of a half-naked wrestler who was stretched out like a plank between two walls and appeared to be writhing in pain at his gravity-defying feat. The scale and visual impact of the sculpture was an example of what later became his main motif,...

Japan Times

Events / Events Outside Tokyo

Sep 21, 2012

Dual events summon anime fans to Kyoto

Residents of Kyoto Prefecture may be used to the local bursts of festivity that come around this time of year. What's new, though, may be the sudden influx of excited anime enthusiasts.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Sep 20, 2012

"The '70s in Japan: 1968-1982"

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Sep 20, 2012

"Dialogues with Contemporary Art"

Contemporary art is often considered cerebral and complex, leaving some museum-goers frustrated or baffled at trying to decipher what they see as random symbols. The Setagaya Art Museum aims to battle that perceived inaccessibility of modern art by encouraging visitors to not only learn how to uncover...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Sep 20, 2012

"Paintings by Poets"

Despite a lack of artistic training, there have been many writers, particularly poets, who have been able to use their critical thinking, aesthetic sense and imagination to create surprisingly ambitious and sensitive paintings. Visual art provided such writers with another medium that could embody their...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Sep 20, 2012

"The Eye of the Machine: Camera and Lens"

Inspired by advances in technology, photographers in the 1920s and '30s experimented to find the best use of their new high-tech cameras and lenses.

Japan Times

LIFE / WEEK 3

Sep 16, 2012

Sex samaritan keeps walking the walk

Self-styled "sex helper" Shingo Sakatsume has lost count of the abuses he claims the media and the authorities have heaped on him.

Events / Events Outside Tokyo

Sep 14, 2012

Animal headdresses and other alternative artworks to go on display

More than 100 artists will get together in Yokohama this weekend to turn the city into an art lover's paradise.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Sep 13, 2012

"The Osaka Best Art: Our Collection, Our Selection"

From April to July, Osaka Prefecture asked its citizens to vote on their favorite paintings from 100 masterpieces owned by museums in the area. The project attracted ballots from 8,371 people, who voted the most popular work to be "Postman" by Yuzo Saeki (1898-1928), a renowned Japanese painter from...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Sep 13, 2012

"New Footing: Eleven Approaches to Contemporary Crafts"

Recently, artisans have been working on ways to revive traditional Japanese craftsmanship, with some of their contemporary creations garnering international recognition.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Sep 13, 2012

"Automata Exhibition"

During the 19th century, France saw a boom in the popularity of mechanical dolls known as automatons. With mechanisms originally created for music boxes, artisans made the dolls using technology that developed during the Industrial Revolution. Because they appeared to move by themselves, they quickly...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Sep 13, 2012

"Paul Delvaux: Odyssée d'un rêve"

A pioneer of Surrealism in Belgium, Paul Delvaux (1897-1994) is known for his insatiable interest in fantasy. His work often featured recurring motifs, such as trains and skeletons, all of which are believed to be related to his personal experiences. For example, as a child he dreamed of becoming a station...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Sep 6, 2012

It was not until the middle of the 19th century that the world began to re-appreciate the talent of Jean-Siméon Chardin (1699-1779), with artists such as Edouard Manet and Paul Cezanne citing him as a major influence. Unlike Johannes Vermeer, another painter whose work regained popularity after years...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Sep 6, 2012

"James Ensor in Context"

As a young artist, the Flemish-Belgian painter and printmaker James Ensor (1860-1949) developed a strong interest in the effects of light, which he illustrated in many of his early works.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Sep 6, 2012

"Dogū , a Cosmos"

Archaeologists and other experts agree that dogū , ancient Japanese clay figurines were produced during the Jomon Period (c. 10,000 B.C. to 400 B.C.). However, the purpose of dogū remain a mystery. Many believe that they were likely ceremonially displayed at local festivals or used as talismans...

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

Things may look perfect to the outside world, but today's mom is fine with some imperfection at home.

How 'Reiwa moms' are reshaping motherhood in Japan

By Mai Yoshikawa

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Vol. 35: Travel in time — and stay there

Vol. 35: Travel in time — and stay there

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