
Culture | 2019 in Review Dec 27, 2019
In video games, 2019 was the year of Death Stranding
by Jason Coskrey
The year saw an array of original titles hit the shelves, alongside a selection of reboots of existing francihses
In video games, 2019 was the year of Death Stranding
The year saw an array of original titles hit the shelves, alongside a selection of reboots of existing francihses
The dawn of a new era and a change in J-pop
2019 brought changes to Japan's pop scene, including established acts finally embracing the internet as a way of reaching fans
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
2019 brought both tragedy and triumph to Japan's anime industry
While the anime world was rocked by a fatal arson attack at the studios of Kyoto Animation, a diverse range of new films and series gave the year a creative boost.
Netflix led the streaming race with original Japanese content in 2019
The battle of the streaming giants saw some first class productions on offer in 2019, from original anime series, Japanese exclusives and fresh takes on established franchises.
The year that musicals took on Japanese stages
While song and dance kept audiences flocking to theaters in Japan in 2019, the non-musical side was kept afloat by established dramatists rather than new faces
2019 saw just a few glimmers of hope in an otherwise mediocre year for Japanese film
The year predictably saw new iterations of long-running anime favorites top the box office, but the year's truly interesting films lay much further down the financial rankings.
Japanese television relied heavily on tried and tested formulas in 2019
While the Rugby World Cup and the enthronement of Emperor Naruhito brought the viewers flocking, television networks did little to offer anything else new in 2019.
Future design in Japan: Recycle, upcycle and reinvent
The focus on traditional artisanship is still strong, as is the global obsession with minimalism, but what about sustainability and ethical consumption?
Creative expression stifled by 'safety concerns' in Japan
As the taboo-busting comic Joan Rivers used to say after pressing her audience's buttons, "Can we talk?" On the evidence of this year's Aichi Triennale, if it's about World War II atrocities, the answer seems to be "no."