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Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 5, 2023

‘Angry Son’: A sensitive portrayal of modern youth

Kazuki Horike gives a standout performance as a gay biracial teen in Kasho Iizuka's flawed but heartfelt coming-of-age tale.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Jan 3, 2023

Casinos in Macao deal themselves a tough hand with nongaming investment pledges

Casinos have committed to investing a total of $15 billion in the coming decade, 90% of which must be spent on nongaming.
CULTURE / Books / 2022 in Review
Dec 31, 2022

Japanese stories captivated overseas audiences in 2022

This year marked increased recognition for female Japanese authors, while Japan-based stories provided the inspiration for Hollywood adaptations such as 'Bullet Train' and 'Tokyo Vice.'
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / 2022 in Review
Dec 22, 2022

Anime continued its dominance in 2022

Anime proved to be bankable content in chaotic times, with 'One Piece' and 'Dragon Ball' scoring big at the box office, while major streaming services expanded their anime offerings.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 20, 2022

'It all fell on me': Russian mothers alone as draft exiles dads

The chaotic and hurried exodus of tens of thousands of military-age men has torn apart families and piled pressure on mothers.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / 2022 in Review
Dec 16, 2022

Marginalized voices in film spoke louder in 2022

While Ryusuke Hamaguchi's 'Drive My Car' and Chie Hayakawa's 'Plan 75' received wide acclaim at home and abroad, the Japanese film industry took stock of a sobering reality.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Dec 16, 2022

Is it too late to save the Japanese giant salamander?

Environmental journalist Mara Budgen comes on the show to talk about the Japanese giant salamander, which is well-protected within Japan through various laws but is still at risk of becoming an endangered species.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 25, 2022

Russian lawmakers approve bill banning LGBTQ 'propaganda'

Activists say the legislation ramps up the crackdown on 'non-traditional' relationships in Russia, affecting everything from books and films to social media posts.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 25, 2022

Kah Wai Lim's ode to Japanese mini-theaters gets meta

The director's new film, 'Your Lovely Smile,' is a love letter to indie cinema that doubles as a plea for help to keep struggling theaters open.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / EVENTS AND INFORMATION
Nov 18, 2022

Anime translation project to stream videos in Ukrainian

The Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy is a school in Tokyo that offers courses on becoming a translator of visual media, mainly between Japanese and English. But for its upcoming streaming event, the academy’s adding a third language to its repertoire: Ukrainian.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 17, 2022

‘Remember to Breathe’: Tensions simmer in mother-daughter drama

Mao Inoue gives a subtle but poignant performance as the long-suffering adult child of an aging single mother in Masakazu Sugita's muted sophomore feature.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / JAPAN TIMES GONE BY
Nov 7, 2022

Japan Times 1997: 15 Japanese wives arrive on visit from North Korea

Twenty-five years ago, the Japanese media became fascinated by the women who left Japan for North Korea with their husbands 40 years prior.
BUSINESS / Longform
Oct 31, 2022

Can Japan’s pandemic-hit amusement parks return with a bang?

Does the opening of Ghibli Park in Aichi Prefecture reflect a turnaround in fortunes for theme park operators in Japan?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 20, 2022

‘Journey Beyond the Night’: A bad trip worth savoring

Takayuki Kayano's genre-switching drama starts slow but delivers a one-way ticket to weirdness.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 20, 2022

‘The Ring’ at 20: Millennial horror that’s still infecting movies today

The film that kicked off the West's J-horror fascination was made in the shadow of 9/11. Its influence can be seen in “Smile,” “It Follows” and more.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Oct 2, 2022

For Constance Wu, there’s more to the story

The actor reveals her isolation, racism in her career and how she's moving on in her memoir, “Making a Scene.”
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 19, 2022

Frugal is the new cool for young Chinese as economy falters

Penny pinching by China's youth is a problem for China's economic policymakers, who have long relied on increased consumption to bolster growth.
Actor Nicholas Hoult, Rachel Brosnahan and David Corenswet attend the Los Angeles premiere of “Superman” at the TCL Chinese Theater on July 7.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 1, 2025

Hollywood has lost the plot on telling stories

Western culture seems to have reached an impasse — wistful for our youth and unable to come up with any new ideas.
Filmmakers interview the general manager of a Bald Men's club for an upcoming Flix Oven documentary that will be available via the streaming platform Samansa.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Aug 14, 2025

Samansa bets on commuter cinema

As attention spans get shorter, a Japanese startup is banking on short films as easily digestible entertainment.
Currently, operators of theaters and music halls can get a one-third reduction in the fixed property and city planning taxes if they carry out barrier-free renovations that meet government standards.
JAPAN
Aug 14, 2025

Japan eyes tax relief for barrier-free movie theaters

The initiative aims to help people enjoy cultural and artistic activities regardless of their disability.
A middle school student (Chiyuri Nishiguchi) tries to keep her family afloat following the sudden death of her mother in Yoshihiko Taniguchi’s “Happy Life.”
CULTURE / Film
Aug 22, 2025

‘Happy Life’ brings dignity to family’s struggle with grief and poverty

Yoshihiko Taniguchi’s film balances realism and compassion in its depiction of a family adrift after a sudden death.
Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
JAPAN / History / Longform
Aug 22, 2025

From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past

One man’s experience traces the capital's arc from wartime devastation to modern megacity in a story of resilience and reinvention.
The first installment of "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle" trilogy released in July, had earned ¥31.42 billion as of Sunday.
CULTURE / Film
Sep 9, 2025

Latest 'Demon Slayer' film slays at box office, earning over ¥30 billion

The latest film topped ¥10 billion in box-office revenue in the first eight days of its release and ¥22 billion in the first 25 days before hitting ¥31.42 billion as of Sunday.
A statue of young swordsman Tanjiro Kamado, the main character in the "Demon Slayer" anime franchise, is on display at a cinema in Tokyo's Ikebukuro neighborhood.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Sep 17, 2025

Japan’s box office belongs to 'Demon Slayer' as latest film ranks second all time

“Infinity Castle” entry has overtaken “Spirited Away,” making the franchise the undisputed king of Japan’s all-time box office.
The process of making “Baan” was personal and enlightening for Maneetapho, who spent years talking about anime on his YouTube channel and podcast before making the jump to becoming an anime creator himself.
CULTURE / Film
Sep 19, 2025

YouTuber Gigguk shifts from talking anime to making anime

Garnt Maneetapho, who runs the YouTube channel Gigguk, makes the jump from critic to creator with his short film “Baan — The Boundary of Adulthood.”
Filmmakers Chloe Zhao and Lee Sang-il will receive the Kurosawa Akira Award, given to filmmakers who have “left their marks in cinema and will be entrusted with the film industry's future,” at this year's edition of the Tokyo International Film Festival.
CULTURE / Film
Sep 24, 2025

Tokyo film festival to open with Everest and close with some Shakespeare

Japan’s main movie event kicks off Oct. 27 with the true story of the first woman to summit Mount Everest. It closes Nov. 5 with Chloe Zhao’s "Hamnet."
Anshul Chauhan’s Japanese film “Tiger” won the Hylife Vision Award for independent films at this year’s Busan International Film Festival.
CULTURE / Film
Oct 4, 2025

Japanese films win crowds but few prizes at Busan festival

From art house cinema to commercial hits, 24 films showcased Japan’s range at the 30th edition of the Busan International Film Festival.
Kabuki has been trying for years to attract a new generation of fans. One way to do this has been to adapt manga and anime franchises, such as “Naruto,” for the stage. 
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 3, 2025

The summer kabuki came roaring back

A hit film and shifting demographics are drawing new audiences to kabuki, sparking hopes for a revitalized future.
“KPop Demon Hunters” director Maggie Kang discussed how she fused Korean folklore with K-pop spectacle at Netflix’s Creative Asia event in Busan.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Oct 5, 2025

With Hollywood facing headwinds, Netflix looks eastward

The streamer’s Creative Asia event at the Busan International Film Festival unveiled new initiatives designed to expand the region’s storytelling role.
“Mother Bhumi” takes place in a multiethnic rice-farming community where Chinese, Thai and Malay lineages intertwine.
CULTURE / Film
Nov 6, 2025

Across borders and screens, Tokyo film festival finds humanity in migration

Five films screened at this year’s TIFF put migration and its human impact front and center.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years