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May 02, 2024
 

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Mark Schilling
For Mark Schilling's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
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.
Japan Times
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.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 20, 2023
‘Ripples’: A refreshing and hilarious skewering of Japanese society
Mariko Tsutsui masterfully juggles humor and drama in Naoko Ogigami’s dark comedy about the silent pressures women face in modern Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 11, 2023
‘Alone Together’ docudrama revisits loneliness and anxieties of the pandemic's early days
Yukiko Mishima’s film depicts the profound impact that living in isolation in fear of an invisible enemy had on everyday life in Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 3, 2023
‘Father of the Milky Way Railroad’: Writer biopic plays to domestic audience's love of a good cry
Koji Yakusho and Masaki Suda give strong performances as father and son in a film about Kenji Miyazawa, one of Japan’s beloved authors of children’s literature.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 27, 2023
‘Okiku and the World’: Rare romance plot refreshing for period drama
Junji Sakamoto’s tender drama aptly balances lowbrow comedy with sumptuous visuals to portray a romance between urban commoners that defies conventions.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 20, 2023
‘J005311’: Silent collisions spark human truths
The production for director Hiroki Kono’s drama may be barebones, but its enigmatic and suspenseful storytelling keeps the audience engaged until the end.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 13, 2023
‘The Village’: Backwater hometown hero plot smells off
Michihito Fujii’s drama about a young man struggling in a village that is overshadowed by a large recycling plant is simplistic and contrived.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 8, 2023
‘People Who Talk to Plushies Are Kind’: Finding comfort in friendly faces
Yurina Kaneko delves into the plushie subculture to explore a prevalent sense of isolation among Japan’s youth in her first directorial feature.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 30, 2023
‘Brats, Be Ambitious!’: Childhood friendships get dark
Set in the late 1980s, Shin Adachi's melodramatic coming-of-age film about a quartet of scrappy boys draws inspiration from Rob Reiner's 1986 classic “Stand By Me.”
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 25, 2023
‘Baby Assassins 2 Babies’: Flying fists with a side of social commentary
Yugo Sakamoto channels Quentin Tarantino in comedy style and verbosity in his action film about a pair of bickering hitwomen who find themselves on the outs with their assassins guild.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 18, 2023
‘Do Unto Others’ makes an unconvincing case for euthanasia
Part whodunit, part tearjerker, Tetsu Maeda’s film frames its protagonist as a noble caregiver in favor of dispatching the elderly.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 9, 2023
‘December’: Powerful courtroom drama serves up shades of gray
Anshul Chauhan shifts toward the mainstream with his third feature and delivers skilled storytelling while tackling universal themes centered on a domestic dilemma.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 2, 2023
‘In Her Room’: An unsettling journey of self-discovery
Director Chihiro Ito's captivating dreamscapes are eerie and mysterious in her slow-burning relationship drama.
'So hot you can't breathe': Extreme heat hits the Philippines
A pedestrian cools himself with a folding hand fan as he waits for a ride along a road in Manila on Wednesday, as extreme heat hit the Philippines.
Did Japan intervene to prop up the yen? Analysts think it did.
A man walks past an electronic board displaying the exchange rate for the yen against the U.S. dollar (right) in Tokyo on Tuesday.
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.
Number of vacant homes in Japan hits record high of 9 million
A vacant house in Tokyo is seen demolished in January 2020.
Weak yen fattens tourist wallets in Japan
People visit the Ameya Yokocho market in Tokyo's Ueno district during the Golden Week holiday on Tuesday.
Kishida sets sights on energy and climate in South America trip
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will use a policy speech in Sao Paulo to set out his vision for ties between Japan and South America, almost 10 years after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe advocated for stronger ties between the two in the same city.
Yellow sand allergy: A health issue made worse by climate change
A screenshot of the Meteorological Agency's satellite image of clouds and yellow sand (in pink) on Sunday.
Climate change, chalky grains and the risks for Japan’s rice farmers
A farmer plants seedlings in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture. Japan’s self sufficiency rate for rice is nearly 100%, compared with 38% for food overall, on a calorie basis.
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.

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

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

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