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James Hadfield
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 30, 2023
‘Self-Revolutionary Cinematic Struggle’ is an experimental slog
Gakuryu Ishii's rambling treatise on art and self-actualization spends much more time talking about the magic of movies than actually invoking it.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 10, 2023
Elderly survivors fight to preserve memory of Tokyo firebombing in 'Paper City'
In his documentary, Australian filmmaker Adrian Francis explores the collective amnesia surrounding the wartime firebombings of Japan's capital.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 9, 2023
‘Downfall’: Tortured soul makes for a total bore
Naoto Takenaka’s faithful adaptation of Inio Asano’s manga strikes a chord with creators, but its nihilistic protagonist may leave audiences wanting.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 2, 2023
‘Winny’: True-life tale educates more than it entertains
Masahiro Higashide delivers a transformative performance as the embattled creator of a file-sharing program in Yusaku Matsumoto’s biographical drama.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 23, 2023
‘Tocka’: An existential end-of-the-road trip
Yoshitaka Kamada’s drama about a man looking to end his life is bleak, sometimes beautiful and shot through with dark humor.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 9, 2023
‘God Bless You’: A hastily made yet surprising debut
Keisuke Sakurai’s offbeat crime drama, made in a flurry of productivity during the pandemic, has heart and a striking visual aesthetic that shines despite its truncated storytelling.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 2, 2023
‘Tea Friends’: Sex positivity for the older crowd
Bunji Sotoyama’s film about a call girl service for senior citizens is elevated by its frank depictions of elder sex.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 26, 2023
‘Bad City’: A V-Cinema hero comes out swinging
“Bad City” boasts some bone-crunching action, but seems more interested in proving the awesomeness of producer-star Hitoshi Ozawa.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 21, 2023
Yukihiro Takahashi: Style, substance and the knack for a beat
Yellow Magic Orchestra's principal vocalist and rhythmic linchpin was a leading figure in Japan's music scene, inspiring musicians the world over with his collaborative spirit.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 20, 2023
Mao Fujita makes Mozart's sonatas his own
The 24-year-old concert pianist adds flourish to familiar melodies ahead of his debut recital at New York’s hallowed Carnegie Hall.
Japan Times
Film / Reviews
Jan 19, 2023
‘And So I’m at a Loss’: Cautionary tale turns meta
Daisuke Miura’s drama about a habitual shirker isn’t quite as outrageous as it thinks.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jan 12, 2023
Hirokazu Kore-eda’s ‘The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House’ is light and dusted with sugar
The Palme d'Or-winning filmmaker acts as showrunner and co-writer on this Netflix series that peacefully drifts through a year in a shared residence for apprentice geisha in Kyoto.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 5, 2023
‘Angry Son’: A sensitive portrayal of modern youth
Kazuki Horike gives a standout performance as a gay biracial teen in Kasho Iizuka's flawed but heartfelt coming-of-age tale.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 15, 2022
‘Old School’: A sloppy fun time in the criminal underworld
Yukiya Kitamura brings some hard-knock swagger as a private sleuth trawling Japan's seedy underbelly in Kotaro Ikawa's film noir throwback.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 9, 2022
Sho Miyake's ‘Small, Slow but Steady’ brings audiences into a silent ring
Rather than try to beat the 'Rocky' movies at their own game, the director subverts tropes and focuses on the beauty of boxing in his film about a deaf pro fighter.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 8, 2022
‘Fragments of the Last Will’: You’ll need tissues for this WWII tearjerker
Takahisa Zeze's period drama about the true-life story of a Japanese soldier's fight for survival in a Soviet camp aims for the heart.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Dec 4, 2022
Ryuichi Sakamoto keeps the music going with a 'profound' concert
The upcoming “Playing the Piano 2022” concert will showcase a musician still exploring new horizons while contemplating the finiteness of life.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 1, 2022
‘First Love’: More of a fling than a true romance
A Netflix series inspired by two Hikaru Utada pop songs is frivolously entertaining but doesn't carry much weight.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 24, 2022
‘Motherhood’: More soap opera than psychological thriller
Erika Toda and Mei Nagano offer contrasting perspectives on a frosty parent-child relationship in Ryuichi Hiroki's “Motherhood.”
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 17, 2022
‘Remember to Breathe’: Tensions simmer in mother-daughter drama
Mao Inoue gives a subtle but poignant performance as the long-suffering adult child of an aging single mother in Masakazu Sugita's muted sophomore feature.

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