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July 04, 2025
 

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James Hadfield
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 21, 2020
Think you streamed everything? Dig deeper on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime
Cinemas have cautiously started to reopen in parts of Japan, but many of us are still having to sit tight and do all our movie-viewing at home. If, by now, you’re feeling like you’ve reached the bottom of the streaming barrel, fret not: There are still choice morsels of domestic and overseas offerings...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 14, 2020
Kazuhiro Soda shows how streaming could help save cinema with online release of 'Zero'
With COVID-19 having hit Japan's independent film industry hard, filmmakers such as Kazuhiro Soda are looking for new ways to reach their audiences.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
May 1, 2020
Musicians and DJs fight against COVID-19 closures and learn to live it up online
With gigs off and venues closed, Japanese artists are getting more creative in staging shows for fans staying at home.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 23, 2020
Recent ambient releases create sonic sanctuaries
In stressful times, it’s natural to seek comfort in the familiar. But even for people still inclined to hunt for new music, some genres can feel more welcoming than others. Thankfully, the current vogue for ambient, drone and music on the new age spectrum means there’s never any shortage of fresh...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 27, 2020
Squarepusher speaks up for a little human kindness
In 2016, shortly after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, Tom Jenkinson released a plaintive protest song under his Squarepusher alias, titled “MIDI Sans Frontieres.” Though he’s better known for maximalist explosions of breakbeats, hyperactive acid synths and fusion-jazz frippery,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 26, 2020
'Mishima: The Last Debate': Careful revival of a battle of wits
It was the title match of the decade: the rumble in the academic jungle. On May 13, 1969, literary titan Yukio Mishima strutted onstage in front of a 1,000-strong audience at the University of Tokyo to debate with representatives of the All Campus Joint Struggle Committee, otherwise known as Zenkyoto....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Mar 20, 2020
Fuji Rock keeps calm and carries on despite coronavirus fears
You can’t fault the organizers of Fuji Rock Festival for failing to predict how thoroughly the COVID-19 outbreak would engulf the planet when they released a solemn announcement in late January, titled “Festival Crisis.”
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 20, 2020
Gezan's Mahito The People says music won't be beaten by a virus
These are trying times for gigging musicians. As COVID-19 continues its relentless spread, tours are being cancelled and artists and promoters are having to adjust to a brutal new reality, in which the activities that livelihoods depend on are suddenly rendered taboo. When I meet the members of alternative...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 19, 2020
'All About March': A love story that puts years on you
While some people end up finding the right partner, others spend their whole lives wondering why they didn’t shack up with their high-school crush instead. “All About March” follows the fortunes of a pair of schoolmates who were clearly made for each other, even if it will take them half a lifetime...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 12, 2020
'Stardust Over the Town': Golden oldies musical loses the plot
After spawning seven plays, dramatist Ryuji Mizutani's Hello Nights, a fictional cadre of crooners, make their cinematic debut.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Feb 28, 2020
Deconstructing the avant-garde art of butoh with Taketeru Kudo
As Taketeru Kudo takes a new approach to butoh, the dancer says the art is gaining a strong following overseas.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 20, 2020
'Fictitious Girl's Diary: The Movie': An honest portrait of office minutiae
Comedian Bakarhythm brings his nameless female bank clerk character to the big screen and lovingly documents the trivial goings-on in the life of a Japanese office worker.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 13, 2020
'Beneath the Shadow': Too obscure for its own good
Keishi Otomo's latest film looks at two colleagues whose blossoming bromance threatens to turn into something more mysterious.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 6, 2020
'AI Amok': Futuristic flick rehashes old tech
In Yu Irie's sci-fi film set in 2030, Takao Osawa stars as a scientist who must save Japan from an artificial intelligence system he created.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 30, 2020
'Prison Circle': A rare look at life behind bars
Kaori Sakagami's feature-length documentary offers an intimate view of inmates going through the process of therapy in a Japanese prison.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 23, 2020
'Voices in the Wind': Loss and a haunting journey home
Serena Motola gives a raw performance as a young survivor of the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 in Nobuhiro Suwa's latest film.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 16, 2020
'Last Letter': Love letter delivers sweetness and slush
Takako Matsu reunites with director Shunji Iwai to play a middle-aged woman who exchanges letters with her late sister's high school flame.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 9, 2020
Raving from the past into the future with WaqWaq Kingdom
Shigeru Ishihara and Kiki Hitomi release a second album, fusing an eclectic mix of genres with a deep and personal set of lyrics
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 9, 2020
'On-Gaku: Our Sound': Indie anime seven years in the making is a surefire classic
Director Kenji Iwaisawa's hand-drawn anime, with voice acting by former Yura Yura Teikoku frontman Shintaro Sakamoto, taps into the riotous power of music.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / 2019 in Review
Dec 26, 2019
2019 served as a reminder of the importance of community in music
As music scenes fragmented, the year showed a renewal in community events for alternative music in Japan, with festivals and gigs taking to new venues and battling the weather
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Onosato's yokozuna promotion causes rare quirk in new sumo rankings
Newly promoted yokozuna Onosato holds a copy of the latest banzuke ranking in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture, on Monday.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Over 900 earthquakes strike Tokara islands in space of two weeks
A screenshot shows many quakes occurring in the Tokara islands over the past 30 days, in this image taken from the U.S. Geological Survey website.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

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

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

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