Kaori Shoji - The Japan Times

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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

Sep 18, 2019

Scoring a try against gender barriers

In the late 1980s, a group of Japanese women came together to form the country's first female rugby club, efforts that have been immortalized in a short film by Mackenzie Sheppard

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Sep 18, 2019

'Liberty Fields': Short on duration but lacking nothing in emotion

Mackenzie Sheppard's short take on the birth of women's rugby in Japan is a lesson in inspiration, emotion and breaking down barriers

Japan Times

LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL

Sep 16, 2019

Listening for the subtle sounds of autumn

Everyone's talking about the weather. While it's great to know the vocabulary needed to express seasons and temperature, there are also a few adverbs that will come in handy.

Japan Times

LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH

Sep 9, 2019

Let's discuss summer homework

With summer homework a staple for many Japanese children, are youngsters suffering from exhaustion and do their parents support the allocation of studies during vacation?

Japan Times

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Sep 7, 2019

YouTuber Koichi Kuwabara offers free hugs in a bid to bridge divide between Asian neighbors

Thirty-five-year-old Koichi Kuwabara has been offering free hugs in cities around the world since 2011. His efforts certainly haven’t gone unnoticed on social media, with the first video he uploaded on YouTube since attracting more than 1 million views.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?

Aug 31, 2019

Nicole Bargwanna: A different style of living

Founder of Tokyo-based fashion PR company explains how she could move from the bustling metropolis to the U.K. countryside without compromising business.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Books

Aug 24, 2019

'Perfume: In Search of Your Signature Scent': Up the distinguished nose of an olfactory detective

Neil Chapman's passion for scents has taken him all over the world and incited him to write 'Perfume,' a 'scent atlas' that takes the form of a gorgeous 288-page guidebook.

Japan Times

LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL

Aug 19, 2019

Schedule some time to learn the uses of 'yotei'

The word 'yotei' can translate as 'schedule' in English, but it also means 'plans.' That makes it very useful in and out of the office.

Japan Times

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Aug 17, 2019

Excessive homework may be exhausting students in Japan during their summer vacation

The school summer holidays are now in full swing but an increasing number of parents and their children are spending the break hunched over a desk with a stack of workbooks instead of enjoying ice cream in the park.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Jul 31, 2019

'Into the Spider-Verse' director Peter Ramsey extols the virtues of a good bit of animation

Earlier this year, filmmaker Peter Ramsey's name flashed into the collective consciousness when "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" won the Academy Award for best animated feature, elbowing the Japan-made nominee, "Mirai," to the side. As co-director of a three-man directorial team, Ramsey also became the first African American director to win in the animation genre.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?

Jul 27, 2019

Yumi Nagashima: Keeping the funny side up

Vancouver comedian subverts the demure Japanese woman stereotype.

Japan Times

LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL

Jul 22, 2019

Japanese features a lot of ways to complain about the heat in summer

As we make the shift from u6885u96e8 (tsuyu, rainy season) to u590fu672cu756a (natsu honban, summertime in earnest), you'll find that the weather will take center stage in many Japanese conversations.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?

Jul 13, 2019

Aika Miyake: Film editor makes the cut in both Japan and U.S

There aren't many female filmmakers in Japan, making even fewer female film editors. Aika Miyake is an exception.

Japan Times

LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL

Jun 17, 2019

In praise of the perfect Japanese compliment

The Japanese haven't traditionally complimented one another in the workplace, but a book on the power of positive reinforcement has garnered a following.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Jun 12, 2019

Dai Watanabe: Forging his own path, away from the familiar

Though he rarely acknowledges the fact in public, Dai Watanabe is the son of Ken Watanabe: arguably Japan's most internationally known actor since Toshiro Mifune. Among Japanese media, the fact is common knowledge, though in interviews with Watanabe junior, the subject is often off-limits.

Japan Times

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Jun 7, 2019

Chemical firm hit for punishing worker who took paternity leave with transfer halfway across Japan

Chemical producer Kaneka Corp. faces allegations of harassment after an employee returned from paternity leave to find that he — and, one presumes, his family — was being transferred to a different branch in another part of the country.

Japan Times

LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL

May 27, 2019

Speaking up in Japanese for quality time off work

Decades ago, the mid-1980s to be exact, I complained to my mom that my dad worked too much. Like legions of middle-aged Japanese salarymen, my father was never home before 9 p.m. and spent his weekends on 海外出張 (kaigai shucchō, overseas business trips). He was also big on 休日出勤 (kyūjitsu shukkin, working on holidays) as he claimed the nearly empty office helped him to concentrate. Needless to say, he never took a vacation.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?

May 18, 2019

Mari Yamamoto: Staying international on and off camera

Becoming an actress was a way to liberate Mari Yamamoto from a salaryman way of life.

Japan Times

LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL

Apr 8, 2019

Use 'shin' to make a new start in the Reiwa Era

Spring is the time for new life, the new school year, new coworkers and, in 2019, a new Imperial era.

Japan Times

LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL

Mar 18, 2019

Hay fever season gets people sneezing and talking

A good way to start a conversation in Japanese at this time of year is to talk about allergies and hay fever in particular. Learning the vocabulary for sore eyes and runny noses can also help at your local pharmacy.

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

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.

Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree

By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

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