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May 17, 2024
 

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Kaori Shoji
Kaori Shoji writes about movies and movie-makers for the Film Page, plus takes a turn at the Bilingual Column. Biggest mistake of her career: taking the very dignified Nagisa Oshima to McDonald's for an iced coffee.
For Kaori Shoji's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 21, 2017
Jackie Chan's latest borrows from the best Westerns
...
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 19, 2017
The Japanese prefer a raw deal in language
The word 'nama' is a favorite among the Japanese, referring to everything from phone calls to foods to legs.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 14, 2017
Discovering the 'it girl' of turn-of-the-century Paris in 'The Dancer'
Loie Fuller was the ultimate "it girl." A little-known dancer from Illinois, she wound up in turn-of-the-century Paris, smack-dab in the middle of La Belle Epoque. Her friends? They were artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and filmmakers the Lumiere Brothers, and her protegee was acclaimed dancer Isadora...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 7, 2017
'20th Century Women': Smoke signals from the late 1970s
American culture in the mid-20th century begs a multitude of descriptions, but if I had to sum it up in one word, it would probably be "smoking." People chain-smoked through the Vietnam protests, Watergate scandal, Stonewall riots and innumerable other events, both historic and mundane.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 7, 2017
Twisted Doc and Marty swap death notes in 'I Am Not a Serial Killer'
As weird as it sounds, 'I Am Not a Serial Killer' feels like a 'Back to the Future' episode gone horribly wrong, proffering a twisted, satanic version of the Doc-Marty relationship.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Jun 1, 2017
Dad-made 'bento' make a splash on the silver screen
Japanese movies tend to portray Japanese dads as male chauvinists who never step into the kitchen if they can help it and have little interest in raising their kids. Consider Yasujiro Ozu's timeless classic "Tokyo Story." Sure, Chishu Ryu played a kind and gentle patriarch — but did he once help...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 31, 2017
'Logan' director takes Wolverine character in unexpected new direction
There's a scene in "Logan" — the latest addition to the "X-Men" franchise — where an aged, ailing Professor X (Patrick Stewart) exhorts Logan, aka Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), to open his mind to the possibility of a normal human existence, with a family to love and care for.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
May 25, 2017
Hollywood's love storyboard
If you're the type who sticks around after a movie to read the credits, you'll know it takes more than one village to make a feature-length film. Ten or even 20 villages is more like it. Among the villagers are people with the title of "storyboard artist" and "film researcher," although, like many artisans...
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
May 10, 2017
'The Bachelor' is looking for love in Japan
There comes a moment of truth in every episode of reality-dating series "The Bachelor" when the handsome and wealthy bachelor must eliminate at least one of the 25 women vying for his affection during a "rose ceremony."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 10, 2017
Opinions aren't split on Shyamalan's comeback
I've always had a soft spot for M. Night Shyamalan, even despite the fact that he has made a total of two truly successful films — "The Sixth Sense" (1999) and "Unbreakable" (2000) — over the course of his over-20-year career. The rest of his work has ranged from mildly disappointing to somewhat...
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 8, 2017
The delicate Japanese art of rom-com title translation
With so much at stake, it's no wonder distribution companies pour so much thought into coming up with workable, attractive Japanese titles for their films.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 4, 2017
As it approaches 50, Iwanami Hall remains vital to cinema lovers
The Tokyo neighborhood of Jinbocho is a favorite of mine. Mostly known for bookshops, it is a bastion of quaintness amid a metropolis that can be downright oppressive at times.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 3, 2017
Woody Allen learns a new trick for 'Cafe Society'
If you were led blindfolded into a cinema and unaware of what movie you were seeing, I still think that if it was a Woody Allen film, within 20 minutes you'd know it.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 17, 2017
Clock ticks for women in Japan seeking love at work
As much as I hate to spoil the 'haru no yoki' (springtime cheer) thing, I have some bad news about Japanese love relationships.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Apr 13, 2017
Fashion's night at the museum
"The First Monday in May" opens April 15 at the Bunkamura Le Cinema Theater in Tokyo's trendy Shibuya Ward (the Japanese title is "Metto Gara, Doresu o Matotta Bijutsukan"). It's a documentary about a Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition titled "China: Through the Looking Glass" in 2015.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 12, 2017
'The Great Wall' is a colorful foray into Hollywood filmmaking for China's Zhang Yimou
"The Great Wall," a lavish Hollywood production that looks like it cost a gazillion dollars (or, more accurately, $150 million), is directed by China's Zhang Yimou — or Yimou Zhang as he's now known on many online film sites.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Apr 6, 2017
When the talent gets religious
"Ankoku Joshi" is a murder mystery involving six pretty JK (slang for joshi kosei, high school girls)" who all have something to hide. The film's title literally means "pitch black girls," which pretty much explains their characters' personalities in what soon becomes a grisly little tale directed by...
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Apr 6, 2017
'Samurai Gourmet' explores the art of the meal
In the first episode of Japan's latest contribution to original Netflix programming, "Samurai Gourmet," Takeshi Kasumi enters a small teishoku (set meal) joint and grapples over whether to have a beer with lunch. Inspired by an imaginary samurai, he gets one. That's it.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 5, 2017
Roger Ross Williams documents one young man's Disney-indebted triumphs in 'Life, Animated'
When Owen Suskind was 3 years old, he suddenly "vanished," according to his mother, Cornelia. The vivacious little boy she knew had retreated into a shell of silence from which he refused to emerge, and doctors diagnosed him with autism.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 29, 2017
'Author: The JT Leroy Story': Was there truth behind the fiction?
Call it a massive literary hoax or twisted identity theft. Or just call it art. Either way, "Author: The JT LeRoy Story" will fascinate and at the same time cause much frustrated head-scratching.
Japanese stripper bids to have her porn movies taken off internet
Plaintiff Miyuki Ariga (left) speaks at a news conference along with her lawyer, Yoshitomo Morohashi, after filing a lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court on Monday.
Kishida defends planned rule to revoke foreigners' residency
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a meeting of the Lower House Judicial Affairs Committee on Wednesday.
Human bone-like objects found at Nippon Steel plant’s molten iron pot, with one worker missing
Police believe it’s highly possible that human bones found in a molten iron pot at Nippon Steel's Oita factory belong to a missing male employee.
Was Onosato's defeat of Terunofuji an era-defining bout?
Onosato (right) defeats Terunofuji at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on May 12. While nothing in sumo is guaranteed, it seems almost inevitable that Onosato is destined for the top of the sport's pyramid.
Japan to review romanization system for first time in 70 years
An advisory panel to the education ministry will consider how the Japanese language should be transcribed into the Latin alphabet, including unifying different romanization styles currently in use.
Japanese rap creates its mecca in Pop Yours
Tokyo-based artist Jumadiba says he forgoes the label of simply “rap” for his music because the Japanese rap scene isn’t confined to a particular sound.
Who’s toughest on China? Biden’s tariff tactic ups ante as election looms.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about new actions to protect American workers and businesses from China's "unfair" trade practices, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on Tuesday.
Was Onosato's defeat of Terunofuji an era-defining bout?
Onosato (right) defeats Terunofuji at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on May 12. While nothing in sumo is guaranteed, it seems almost inevitable that Onosato is destined for the top of the sport's pyramid.
Ishin struggles to set itself apart from other parties
Nippon Ishin no Kai Secretary-General Fumitake Fujita (right) speaks beside Yui Kanazawa, the party's candidate in the Tokyo 15th district by-election on April 28. Nippon Ishin lost in this by-election as well as another in Nagasaki held on the same day.
In Japan, 68,000 people over 65 projected to die alone at home this year
As Japan grapples with its population's rapid aging, supporting people who live and age alone is looming larger on the policy agenda.

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

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
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