Kamachi
Rating: * * 1/2 (out of 5)
Director: Rokuro Mochizuki
Running time: 115 minutes
Language: Japanese
Currently showing
[See Japan Times movie listings]

"Live fast and leave a beautiful corpse" James Dean used to say -- and he famously followed his own advice by dying in a car crash at the age of 24. Writer Yukio Mishima took it one step further: He not only committed seppuku (ritual suicide) just as he was about to enter middle age, but worked for years to buff a once scrawny body to the appropriate state of perfection for the ultimate legend-making act.

A few Dead Legends, though, are genuine -- not self-made -- tragic figures, who died just as they were about to realize their greatest potential.

One, Kamachi Yamada, may not be as well known as Dean abroad, but his flame burns brightly for the thousands of fans here who still read his poems and view his paintings, more than a quarter century after his death at the age of 17.

For three key Cabinet posts, Takaichi turns to an eclectic trio
Shinjiro Koizumi — son of a former prime minister and rival to the current one — was appointed defense chief after falling short in his bid for the Liberal Democratic Party presidency earlier this month.
Rare female yakuza walks path to redemption in Japan
Retired yakuza Mako Nishimura sorts fallen leaves during a clean-up activity at the Gifu Gokoku shrine in Gifu Prefecture on Sept. 28.
Driving in Japan isn’t hard. Getting the license is.
The byzantine process for converting a foreign driver’s license into a Japanese one entails mountains of paperwork and significant stamina — unless you're a lucky license holder from a country or region where these requirements are waived.
New ‘immigration minister’ post signals Takaichi Cabinet’s priorities
Kimi Onoda, economic security minister and minister for harmonious coexistence with foreign nationals, arrives at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Japan's first female PM promised more women in her Cabinet. She picked two.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi poses with members of the newly formed Cabinet on Tuesday night.
The newly formed LDP-JIP coalition may not be as solid as it seems
Ruling Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi and Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura sign a policy agreement between the two parties at the Diet in Tokyo on Monday.
AI-optimized cybercrime increasingly targeting Japan
A recent cyberattack on brewer Asahi Group Holdings resulted in the company suspending shipments.
K-pop idol Chanyeol does J-pop his own way on ‘Hibi’
South Korean singer Chanyeol made his Japanese-language solo debut with the EP “Hibi,” which features six tracks inspired by his love of Japanese music.
In pictures: The day Japan’s glass ceiling finally cracked
Takaichi, surrounded by LDP influencers
London exhibition perhaps sumo's most successful trip abroad
With the recent sumo jaunt to London being essentially a goodwill exercise, <i>rikishi</i> were far more outgoing and relaxed than normal.

Our Planet

The Gas Pavilion had welcomed around 500,000 visitors by the end of August, making it one of the most popular exhibits at the Osaka Expo.
At Osaka Expo, gas giants promote a greener future. But is it a lot of hot air?
By Joel Tansey

Podcast

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

Longform

The byzantine process for converting a foreign driver’s license into a Japanese one entails mountains of paperwork and significant stamina — unless you're a lucky license holder from a country or region where these requirements are waived.
Driving in Japan isn’t hard. Getting the license is.
By Thu-Huong Ha and Mike Fu

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo
Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER

Latest News

Trump completes demolition of White House East Wing
21 mins ago
Trump says U.S. eyeing land strikes next after drug boat attacks
26 mins ago
Trump to meet Xi in South Korea as part of Asia swing
49 mins ago
Oil surges 5% after U.S. sanctions Russian firms Rosneft and Lukoil
1 hour ago
Police raid closed Hokkaido zoo for unauthorized land development