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April 29, 2024
 

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Jason Jenkins

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Jason Jenkins
Jason spent 13 years in Tokyo writing about cameras, parenting and the arts. In 2013 he left to travel, homeschooling his kids in Spain, Mexico and Southeast Asia before moving back to Japan in 2019.
For Jason Jenkins's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
CULTURE / Japan Pulse
Sep 3, 2009
Has Tokyo's art-fair scene got the goods?
Credit crunch be damned. Tokyo art fairs are going strong, with more coming to the roster. And now Tokyo Photo is coming into focus.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Japan Pulse
Aug 31, 2009
Latin lovers in Japan
Whether it's homegrown or imported, Latin-infused rebel rock is coming to a stage near you.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Japan Pulse
Aug 27, 2009
Say you'll build it (and they will come)
Architecture on display in Tokyo galleries is building a steady followers, and it appears that a vast majority are men.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Japan Pulse
Aug 15, 2009
Privacy you can dance to
If we had the chance, we'd ask the world to dance, and we'll be dancing with ourselves.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Japan Pulse
Aug 13, 2009
Fell in love with a Gypsy
Ever seen 200 Japanese kids mosh to accordions and violins? It's magnificent.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / Japan Pulse
Aug 10, 2009
Recession wedding (bring your own champagne?)
You would think the recession would inspire couples to economize their nuptials, but it appears that the marriage industry and the matchmakers that fuel it are not scaling back.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 8, 2008
15 minutes with the Grandmaster
If you are a fan of hip-hop, then you have Grandmaster Flash to thank. He is one of the art form's earliest exponents, and the first hip-hop artist in history to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jul 4, 2008
Plunging into the abyss
I'm hanging from a rope, high above the churning froth of an ice-blue river. My friends are waving and shouting out to me, but the roar of the waterfall muffles their voices. I pull myself off a wooden seat and lower my legs. Now there's nothing between me and the water below but crisp mountain air. Then I remember my guide's advice: "When you let go, the key is to look straight up," he says with a wink. "That way, you'll fall straight down." I squint at the sky, let go of the grip and plunge into the foaming pool below.
CULTURE / Art
May 29, 2008
Hideaki Kawashima: Wavering
Tomio Koyama Gallery, Kiyosumi-Shirakawa
CULTURE / Art
May 15, 2008
"Hideki Kuwajima: Vertical/Horizontal"
Radi-um von Roentgenwerke AG
CULTURE / Art
May 1, 2008
"Bob Richardson" and "Terry Richardson"
Zel Cafe in Roppongi and LaForet Museum in Harajuku
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 10, 2008
The making of a market center
Almost everything was sold before he even arrived at Art Fair Tokyo, but that didn't stop gallerist Peter Nagy from coming to Japan anyway. The impulse to dip his toes into what could become contemporary art's next deep pool was just too strong to resist, so three large canvases by artists Thukral & Tagra from his hot Indian gallery, Nature Morte, made the journey with him.
CULTURE / Art
Mar 20, 2008
Kiyosumi gallery complex
Wedged between a park, a cement factory and a taxi station, the Kiyosumi gallery complex is Tokyo's largest, both in space and influence. Its perch atop a warehouse is arguably ideal for observing the directions contemporary art takes in Japan. Yet, despite so many heavyweights being under one roof, it's surprisingly rare to walk away enthusing about more than one exhibition.
CULTURE / Art
Mar 6, 2008
39art Day
Taking place internationally on March 9
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / HOME COMFORTS
Feb 22, 2008
Pursuing the flavor of the American South
For many North Americans in Japan, a case of gastronomic homesickness can easily be remedied at the nearest burger or pizza joint. But for someone craving the cuisine of the American South, the local Kentucky Fried Chicken will never, ever do.
CULTURE / Art
Feb 7, 2008
"Wako Works of Art: 15 Years/Part III"
Wako Works of Art, Shinjuku, Tokyo
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 6, 2006
The art of the party at Fuji Rock
No one denies the power of danger and vice to push boundaries, and whether we admit it or not, the two have a way of rattling some pretty inspired performances out of people. No surprise, then, that Fuji Rock Festival has been a breeding ground for such mischief, and that the Palace of Wonder, Fuji's own little renegade province, has shown what happens when these forces are left to their own devices.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 15, 2006
Fuji Rocking 10 years on
Fuji Rock Festival is the biggest event on the calendar for many Japanese and foreign residents alike. Sure, it costs a stack of cash to go, but the festival is not your typical commercial venture. Word on the street is that it has been anything but a money spinner for concert promoter Smash Japan. Instead, think of it as one man's idea of how to throw Japan's biggest (and best) party of the year. That man is Masa Hidaka, head of Smash. As the event is about to turn 10, he talked to The Japan Times at his Hiroo office about love affairs, creating chaos and his old friend Joe Strummer (R.I.P. 2002), the legendary Clash guitarist and patron saint of Fuji Rock.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 17, 2006
Balancing melody with noise
Its inevitable: No matter how unique a band may be, someone will find a way to compare them to other bands. For San Francisco four-piece Deerhoof, parallels continue to be drawn to Japanese artists: Cibo Matto, The Boredoms and Yoko Ono. Deerhoof's main vocalist, Satomi Matsuzaki, did grow up in Tokyo, but still, guitarist John Dieterich doesn't understand the constant comparisons.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 3, 2006
M.I.A. terrorizes the dancefloor
Maya Arulpragasam sighs into the phone. I've asked her if journalists have accurately depicted her life story, and she seems tired of the question.
Number of homeless in Japan hits record low
Homeless people sleep on the street in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward in August 2021.
In Japan, regional revitalization fails to halt population decline
Sakiyama elementary school in Tamba, Hyogo Prefecture, in March .Over the past decade, the government has directed efforts toward policies designed to give young people incentives to base themselves in rural areas.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.
Ukraine is far from doomed
When comparing Ukraine’s military situation in 2024 to Europe’s in 1941, Russia’s defeat seems entirely possible.
When will Japan intervene to support the yen?
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki has reiterated the government's readiness to take an appropriate action as the yen continues to slide against the U.S. dollar.
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.
Casa del Cibo: A thriving jewel born from Tohoku’s harsh past
When chef Ryohei Ikemi moved to Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, and opened Casa del Cibo in 2011, it was the first proper Italian restaurant in the city.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.
Kyotographie's strong 12th edition shines light into the margins
Yassine Alaoui Ismaili, who goes by Yoriyas, turned to photography, shooting motion while in motion himself, after an injury forced him to give up his career as a professional breakdancer.

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

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Leading Japan’s sustainability from Tokyo
Leading Japan’s sustainability from Tokyo

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