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May 03, 2024
 

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Alyssa I. Smith
For Alyssa I. Smith's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 27, 2018
Katherine Waterston discusses making magic in 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald'
From the get-go, "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" makes it clear that the new installment of J.K. Rowling's "Fantastic Beasts" franchise will be gloomier and heavier than the first film, a playful romp set in New York during the age of jazz.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Sep 27, 2018
Japanese film has its own 'Crazy Rich Asians' if you know where to look
"Crazy Rich Asians" made headlines this summer for being the first Hollywood film in a quarter of a century to feature a main cast entirely comprised of actors of Asian heritage. The movie hits Japanese cinemas this weekend, but audiences here are obviously used to all-Asian casts.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 11, 2018
The Lagerphones look to charm Japan one coffee shop at a time
If you're in a foreign band trying to plan a tour in Japan, you sometimes need to improvise when it comes to booking venues. That may be why you're more likely to find Australian six-piece The Lagerphones at a cozy cafe than a grimy Shibuya live house.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Aug 8, 2018
Manga and kabuki collide in an action-packed 'Naruto'
Here's a sight you may not expect at a kabuki performance: A blue-haired boy bolts toward a massive snake that writhes menacingly on stage. He brings his sword down on the beast, slicing it into sections that fall apart dramatically. I thought a kabuki performance would've been a bit less extravagant, but actor Nakamura Hayato says a scene like this isn't entirely out of place.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jun 6, 2018
Navigating our way through Broadway's biggest night
The 72nd annual Tony Awards are being presented at New York City's storied Radio City Music Hall on June 11 (8 a.m. Japan time), but that doesn't mean those of us in Japan have to miss out.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
Jun 2, 2018
'Mixing Work with Pleasure': a candid reflection of a life at Studio Ghibli
Toshio Suzuki, co-founder of Studio Ghibli, recounts his collaborative partnerships and lifelong bonds with Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, the third of Ghibli's founders.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 31, 2018
Four female directors extol the virtues of short films in presenting new points of view
The red carpet at any film festival is known for star power and fashion, but when 82 women walked arm in arm down the red carpet at Cannes last month, it became a place for politics, too.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 31, 2018
Short Shorts festival entries give Japan a starring role
From "You Only Live Twice" (1967) to "Black Rain" (1989) and "Lost in Translation" (2003), directors who choose Japan as a filming location are often well-rewarded with beautiful backdrops. The local flavor that works its way into a movie can sometimes be as important as the characters or plot.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 9, 2018
'The Florida Project' looks at life's hardships through the eyes of a child
America is portrayed many ways in film, but the way Japanese audiences tend to get to see it is through the rose-tinted lens of a Hollywood blockbuster.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Apr 26, 2018
Yuko Takeuchi steps into an iconic role on 'Miss Sherlock' with elementary ease
Guinness World Records announced in 2012 that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes was the most portrayed character on film and TV, depicted 254 times by more than 75 different actors.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Apr 25, 2018
'Kurios: Cabinet of Curiosities': Cirque du Soleil's whimsical steampunk is thrilling
When Cirque du Soleil was founded in Canada in 1984, it redefined the idea of the circus. Its latest show, "Kurios: Cabinet of Curiosities," lives up to the troupe's unique reputation of being about more than just jugglers and acrobats — though those characters are still accounted for.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 24, 2018
Ready Player Win: Morisaki represents Japan in his first Hollywood gig
As far as Hollywood debuts go, it doesn't get much bigger than stepping into a Steven Spielberg blockbuster. For Win Morisaki, it's a giant leap toward his goal of becoming an international actor.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 10, 2018
Artisan Junichi Mitsubori presents his new art of wagashi
A rapt audience watches in silence as a delicate confection in the shape of a flower blooms in the experienced hands of a wagashi master. Junichi Mitsubori, a third-generation wagashi (Japanese dessert) artisan hailing from Yokosuka City, Kanagawa, does not embellish his movements as he crafts the sugary gyūhi (glutinous rice flour mochi) with his fingers and a haribashi (stylus).
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Feb 3, 2018
Finnish broadcaster targets youth vote with anime-inspired video
On Jan. 27, the day before Finland’s presidential election, a Finnish social media news and current affairs service called Kioski released an election video that caused a stir online, receiving over 700,000 views since its release. While President Sauli Niinisto’s landslide victory with 62.7 percent of the vote may have little correlation to the video’s popularity, the video proved so effective at engaging younger voters that it caught the attention of Japanese internet users.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jan 13, 2018
Debate continues over mothers taking their babies to work
 The hashtag #KozurekaigiOK, which translates roughly as “It’s OK to bring a child to a meeting,” began trending in late November. The trigger was a female politician’s decision to bring her child to a Kumamoto assembly session, which sparked a nationwide debate on child care options for parents juggling work and family responsibilities.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Dec 30, 2017
'Wagohan: The ABCs of Japanese Cuisine': Reiko Yamada's ode to Japanese comfort food
Food is "the most basic form of diplomacy" for cooking adviser Reiko Yamada. With this philosophy in mind, "Wagohan: The ABCs of Japanese Cuisine" aims to bridge cultures and present the "versatility and beauty of Japanese cuisine."
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Dec 23, 2017
A picture of food is worth 1,000 words for businesses on Instagram
With end-of-year parties now in full swing, social media users are curating their profiles with "Insuta-bae" photographs that capture them enjoying enviable times.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Dec 9, 2017
Women unimpressed with advice on how to spend time alone
Women's magazine Ginger Web created a stir in late November by publishing an article that offered single women advice on how to spend time alone.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Nov 25, 2017
'Crappiest apartments of 2017' hashtag bemuses Twitter users
Anyone who's been living in Japan for any length of time has probably seen their fair share of perplexing apartment layouts. Microscopic storage spaces, unfathomably low kitchen sinks and shared bathroom amenities immediately spring to mind.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 25, 2017
'The Sacred Era': Yoshio Aramaki introduces a post-apocalyptic world governed by religion
Lauded as the most important work of the Japanese science-fiction writer, Yoshio Aramaki, "The Sacred Era" is a bold undertaking.
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.
Biden calls ally Japan ‘xenophobic’ along with rivals China and Russia
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in Syracuse, New York, on April 25.
Number of vacant homes in Japan hits record high of 9 million
A vacant house in Tokyo is seen demolished in January 2020.
Harajuku strives to reclaim its former glory — and surpass it
Laforet Harajuku, which celebrated its 45th anniversary last year, has been a witness to the district's evolution over the years.
Saudi Arabia steps up Gaza-related arrests as Israel ties edge closer
The arrests for Gaza-related posts indicate Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s regime will take a hard line against citizens not toeing the line when it comes to normalizing ties with Israel.
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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