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October 17, 2025
 

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Mark Schilling
An internet influencer (Tina Tamashiro) loses her identity to AI in Daisuke Miyazaki’s “#Mito.”
CULTURE / Film
Aug 24, 2023
‘#Mito’: Sharp satire riffs on the dark side of AI and social media
Daisuke Miyazaki’s drama offers an intimate look at an influencer’s life and career stripped of surface glamour and glitz.
A father-daughter duo keeps a beloved local tofu shop running despite disagreements and obstacles in Mitsuhiro Mihara’s “Takano Tofu.”
CULTURE / Film
Aug 17, 2023
'Takano Tofu': Cranky craftsman serves up heartwarming drama
In Mitsuhiro Mihara’s touching drama, Tatsuya Fuji adds layered nuance that sets his tofu-making protagonist apart from the typical cinematic elder.
A divorced mother (Aika Yukihira) finds herself wrapped up in a complicated sexual relationship with her old high school boyfriend (Sho Aoyagi) in Hideo Jojo’s “S-friends.”
CULTURE / Film
Aug 12, 2023
‘S-friends’: Female-centered plot proves refreshing
Hideo Jojo’s drama about a divorcee venturing into a sexual relationship with a man from her past touches on the real-life problems of middle-aged women.
Members of the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists walk a picket line outside of Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles. Hollywood actors and writers are currently on strike, effectively bringing the giant movie and television business to a halt in the first industry-wide walkout in 63 years.
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Aug 10, 2023
The Hollywood strike is a wake-up call to Japan's film industry
With Hollywood writers and actors on strike, what lessons can creatives in the Japanese film industry learn from the fray?
A retired assassin (Haruka Ayase) fights off military imperialists in Isao Yukisada’s “Revolver Lily.”
CULTURE / Film
Aug 10, 2023
‘Revolver Lily.’: Lavish anti-war actioner racks up body count
Haruka Ayase plays the titular assassin intent on thwarting an imperialist plot to start a war with stylish confidence.
A woman (Rinko Kikuchi) shut off from the world confronts her unresolved fury toward her dead father in “Yoko.”
CULTURE / Film
Jul 28, 2023
Rinko Kikuchi completely commits to raw performance in ‘Yoko’
The Oscar-nominated actor plays a socially isolated woman who attempts to hitchhike her way to her estranged father's funeral in Kazuyoshi Kumakiri’s powerful road movie.
Director Christopher Nolan (right) poses with "Oppenheimer" cast members (from left) Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt at the film's premiere in Paris earlier this month.
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Jul 27, 2023
Summer film releases in Japan and the 'Oppenheimer' problem
Moviegoers may not get their "Barbenheimer" moment, as Japan likes to keep things family friendly in summer.
Director Hirobumi Watanabe (second from left) stars alongside his brother Yuji (far right), who has served as composer on all of his films, in his new feature “Techno Brothers,” which follows a sibling trio on the road to Tokyo to find success in the music business.
CULTURE / Film
Jul 21, 2023
Foolish Piggies Films keeps humor at its heart
Indie director Hirobumi Watanabe looks back on 10 years of making distinctive, micro-budget films with his brother and seeking out new challenges on and off screen.
A lonely woman (Ayaka Nakagochi, left) develops romantic feelings for her personal care humanoid (Kosei Kudo) in “12 Months of Kai.”
CULTURE / Film
Jul 20, 2023
‘12 Months of Kai’: When Prince Charming is too perfect to be real
Mutsuki Kameyama’s sci-fi romance about a woman who falls in love with a handsome humanoid delves into the difficulties of “unconventional” relationships.
Japan Times
Film / Reviews
Jul 13, 2023
'Techno Brothers': Off-kilter road trip comedy pays homage to techno pioneers
Hirobumi Watanabe finds inspiration in Kraftwerk and 'The Blues Brothers' while maintaining his personal style, which blends minimalist arthouse influences with offbeat humor.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 7, 2023
Director Takeshi Fukunaga opts for authenticity over 'falsely uplifting' in new film, 'Mountain Woman'
With ‘Mountain Woman,’ director Takeshi Fukunaga has looked back at a time of famine and woe in Japan, and given viewers lessons for the modern day.
Japan Times
Film / Reviews
Jul 6, 2023
'One Second Ahead, One Second Behind': Rom-com remake benefits from fantastical twist
A remake of the Taiwanese hit 'My Missing Valentine,' Nobuhiro Yamashita’s rom-com gets decidedly quirkier with a midpoint twist.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Reviews
Jun 29, 2023
‘Mountain Woman’: A steep slope of rural, human cruelty
Co-scripted by Takeshi Fukunaga, the film is set in the latter half of the 18th century with a story inspired by the folklore collection “The Legends of Tono.”
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 23, 2023
Why are Hollywood films falling out of favor in Japan?
American films used to dominate the box office in Japan, but over the past 20 years Hollywood's share has slowly shrunk.
Japan Times
Film / Reviews
Jun 23, 2023
‘Insomniacs After School’: A cute film that barely passes the grade
Chihiro Ikeda’s adaptation of Makoto Ojiro’s manga tugs on the heartstrings but feels devoid of a truly compelling conflict.
CULTURE / Film
Jun 14, 2023
A few small tips for the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia
Our film critic provides his recommendations for Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, which is currently unspooling at cinemas across Tokyo.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 8, 2023
‘Dreaming in Between’: Thoughtful character study stimulates self-reflection
Acting veteran Ken Mitsuishi portrays a flawed middle-aged man facing the end of his life with depth and pathos in Ryutaro Ninomiya’s drama.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 2, 2023
'The Night Before Upheaval' navigates the murky waters of overseas film festivals
Japanese indie director Mutsuki Kameyama explores the ins and outs of the overseas festival circuit in their new documentary.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 1, 2023
‘The Dry Spell’: Realistic drama tackles child poverty
Masaya Takahashi’s film centers on the struggle of Japanese children living below the poverty line.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 25, 2023
‘Spring in Between’: Offbeat love story offers a breath of fresh air
Hio Miyazawa brings depth and unforced commitment to his performance as an artist with Asperger’s syndrome in Rika Katsu’s debut feature.
Coalition talks could bring Takaichi closer to being PM
Nippon Ishin no Kai leader and Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura meets with Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Trump declares U.S.-China trade war as Bessent floats long truce
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during a press conference in Washington on Wednesday.
Asia can learn from Europe’s immigration mistakes
Refugees and migrants, mostly from Syria and Afghanistan, crowd a platform at a train station in Budapest in September 2015. Hungary's focus on pro-natalist policies and minimal immigration has led to a significant improvement in its fertility rate compared to Japan.
Singapore thrived in a U.S.-led world. Now what?
The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt moors at Changi Naval Base in Singapore in April 2018.
Sumo is about to hit London and the West with a force previously unseen
Preparations advance on Monday for the Grand Sumo Tournament at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Sumo is about to hit London and the West with a force previously unseen
Preparations advance on Monday for the Grand Sumo Tournament at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Number of scenarios now on the table for who might be Japan’s next prime minister
Newly-elected leader of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party Sanae Takaichi (right) celebrates with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba after winning the LDP leadership election in Tokyo on October 4.
Pace eyes great strides for Japan’s art market
Pace Japan Vice President Kyoko Hattori, the de facto head of the nation’s business, believes a larger, more lucrative art market will allow Japan to be more attractive for collectors.
A frenetic diplomatic schedule looms for Japan’s next leader — whomever that may be
As horse-trading and speculation surge over who will be elected the next prime minister in parliament — the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Sanae Takaichi or a possible candidate put forward by a unified opposition — Japan’s next leader will be confronted with a quick succession of key diplomatic events.
Ghost of Yotei’s bloodstained fun sidesteps Ainu identity
Ghost of Yotei, the follow-up to 2020's smash hit Ghost of Tsushima, is a violent, vengeful and engaging romp through 17th-century Hokkaido that fails to stick the landing on its most sensitive cultural material.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Rock group The Yellow Monkey played K-Arena Yokohama in June as part of a nationwide tour. Concerts are increasingly popular in the age of social media as users value in-person experiences.
Inside Japan’s arena boom: Sports, sound and city-building
By Patrick St. Michel

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