Kitri: Sisters are doin' it for themselves
Monami Kida can't remember the last time she had an argument with Hinano, her younger sister and partner in the classical-meets-pop project Kitri. "It might have been a disagreement regarding the order of the songs we would play live," Monami, better known as Mona, says. ...
Japan jumps into the music stream
The biggest moment for streaming music in Japan this year came via a handwritten letter. In late June, Kenta Matsumoto of pop-punk trio Wanima shared a note on Twitter announcing that his band's entire catalog would be uploaded to streaming music platforms like Spotify ...
'Tokyo Ghoul "S"': A college, a cafe and a cannibal
Big pop-culture franchises generate movie sequels as naturally as chickens lay eggs. Directed by first-timers Kazuhiko Hiramaki and Takuya Kawasaki, "Tokyo Ghoul 'S'" is a follow-up to "Tokyo Ghoul," a 2017 sci-fi horror film based on Sui Ishida's hit manga about a college boy who ...
'Under Your Bed': Sleeping with the enemy
Rare is the child who hasn't lain awake at night, terrified by the monster they imagine is lurking beneath their bed. But in a country where many people grow up sleeping on futons, such fears are perhaps less deeply rooted. That would explain why, ...
Tomorrow's film legends descend on Saitama
'Tourism': Not quite the trip of a lifetime
'Five Million Dollar Life': Assessing the value of a single life
Anime's aging but active artists: Mamoru Oshii on his latest project, 'Vladlove'
'Diner': Maybe find another place to eat
'Strawberry Song': Reuniting is such sweet sorrow
George Porter Jr.: The man bringing the funk to Fuji Rock
If the Beatles are Liverpool's fab four, The Meters are New Orleans' funky four. During the 1960s and '70s, bassist George Porter Jr., drummer Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste, keyboardist Arthur "Art" Neville, and guitarist Leo Nocentelli created music that is still recognized globally as some of ...
The Let's Go's: Guitar, bass, drums, vocals and plenty of beer
Johnny Kitagawa, founder of agency that launched numerous boy bands, dead at 87
Emi Meyer: Trading in the jazz standards for original songs
A musical pilgrimage to an adopted homeland with DYGL
The Lethal Weapons: Locked and loaded on the streets of Tokyo
Yokoyama Kazan: The Edo Period influencer
The Edo Period painter Yokoyama Kazan's imaginative works depicting Kyoto, inspired not only artists but also intellectuals and writers, including the novelist Natsume Soseki.
'Hiroshi Kobatake: Called by Wood'
'The World of Yamamoto Nizo: Animation Art Director Born in Goto Island, Nagasaki'
How folk craft found its place in the art world
'Visible Nature / Invisible Nature: Lois Weinberger'
'Children and Adults: What Does This Look Like?'
What's in a name? Ask Ichikawa Ebizo, a kabuki scion
When it comes to kabuki, there are few names as recognizable as Ichikawa Ebizo. A member of the illustrious Ichikawa kabuki family, Ebizo has been a mainstay of Japanese traditional theater since his stage debut in "The Tale of Genji" in 1983 at the ...
Mastering the art of multilingual performance
The life of a professional Japanese doppelganger
'Disturbance' gives a voice to victims of domestic violence
Building bridges to Bangkok through stage
Ancient Greek ideas get a fresh airing in Japan with 'The Great Tamer'
Samuel Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot' is brought into the Reiwa Era
When Wu Ke-xi was looking for a frightening plotline for her latest film, she didn't need to look further than her own industry. The Taiwanese actress and screenwriter's latest movie, "Nina Wu," is the story of an actress who, in pursuit of a role that ...
Massachusetts drops Kevin Spacey sex assault case after alleged victim refuses to testify
Emmy award nominations for Marie Kondo and her Netflix show may spark joy
South African musician Johnny Clegg, vocal white foe of apartheid, dead at 66
Iran spy TV show 'Gando' seen glorifying hard-liners imprisoning reporter
'The Ten Loves of Nishino': Ten tales to chronicle the growing sadness of an aging Casanova
Hiromi Kawakami's "The Ten Loves of Nishino," a collection of interconnected short stories centering around the titular character, is a poignant examination of gender relationships in Japan and a bittersweet ode to an ageing playboy.
Two women named for Japan's Akutagawa, Naoki literary awards
Taro Gomi: Still writing, still drawing, still beloved
Hot new Japan book releases for the sweltering summer
'The Last Train': High-stakes crime in glitzy Roppongi
'Inhabitation': A boy and a lizard, both down on their luck
'Gentle Black Giants': Diplomacy, sport and Japan's early love for baseball
I'm just going to say it: Episode 8 of "Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020" is the best episode of "Friends" that never made it to air. High jinks, misunderstandings, dating woes — it had everything. The show starts out typical enough. Kaori and Shohei are on ...
Ep. 7 'Woman to Treat and Woman to Split the Check'
Ep. 6 'The Grass is Greener on the Other Side'
Japan's king of comedy, Yoshimoto Kogyo's Hiroshi Osaki, expands his realm
