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CULTURE / Books
Jul 19, 2009

We all live in a 'yellow peril' submarine

This 454-page thriller, written in the time frame between the outbreak of SARS and swine influenza, puts a new twist on biological warfare. Indeed, what if an insidious crime syndicate were to infiltrate medical research and then, seeking huge profits, practice extortion on a worldwide scale?
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jul 19, 2009

History in a stunning setting

It may be hard to imagine of a Saturday night in the gaijin gulches of Tokyo's seething Roppongi entertainment district, but back in the 16th century, foreigners — especially of a Western ilk — were a complete novelty in Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 17, 2009

'Futoko'

Since its start in 1978, the Pia Film Festival has served as a proving ground for young Japanese indie filmmakers, with many of its prize winners going on to greater fame, if not always fortune. Among them are Ryosuke Hashiguchi ("Gururi no Koto"), Shinobu Yaguchi ("Happy Flight"), Naoko Ogigami ("Kamome...
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 12, 2009

Ethnic profiling threatens very ethos of EU

BRUSSELS — Several years ago, as terrorism, immigration, and unrest in suburban Paris were at the top of the news in France, a French police officer confided to a researcher: "If you consider different levels of trafficking, it is obviously done by blacks and Arabs. If you are on the road and see a...
Japan Times
CULTURE
Jul 10, 2009

Gundam goes green

Starting tomorrow, prominent Tokyo landmarks — with their fixed steel columns and beams — will likely be feeling a bit inadequate as a new, mobile player is set to rise up and illuminate the capital's skyline.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 10, 2009

Artist Yoko Ono is honored

On June 6, the Venice Biennale presented artist Yoko Ono with one of its most prestigious honors, the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. Ono was nominated for the distinction along with American John Baldessari by the director of this year's biennale, Daniel Birnbaum.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jul 10, 2009

The monster that was made of fear

What's a nue? A sobbing thrush? A splendid monster? Or the shattered souls of those excluded from society?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 10, 2009

'Wallace & Gromit in 'A Matter of Loaf and Death''/'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'

It's summertime, and the livin' is easy; cicadas are chirping and skirts are riding high. And we all know what that means for the cinema: a wave of sequels and franchise movies to last us until there's a chill in the air once again. The "Transformers" sequel is already out there, proving that the fanboy...
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / STYLE WISE
Jul 9, 2009

Maria H. at the beach, Peaches in Japan, denim art at Diesel and limited editions at Gap

Stylish swimmers Finnish designer Maria Hietanen wants to give the hard bodies of summer a sophisticated makeover with her Maria H. line of beachwear.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Jul 5, 2009

Teen vampire drama, Kusanagi's return and a vengeful spirit

Because supernatural adolescents are staple features of manga and anime, it's unlikely that the new Fuji TV drama series, "Koishite Akuma" ("The Loving Demon"; Tues., 10 p.m.), was directly inspired by the worldwide success of the teen vampire saga, "Twilight," but that success certainly won't hurt its...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jul 4, 2009

A look into the secrets of the Kanji family

Japanese is comprised of three syllable alphabets: kanji, hiragana and katakana. Yeah, you've heard this before. But do you know the history behind the three?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 3, 2009

ART iT transforms into digital forum

When Tokyo-based quarterly magazine ART iT announced the discontinuation of its print edition and that all content would move online following the publishing of its June 2009 issue, it seemed like yet another example of how the popularity of the Internet had combined with a global economic recession...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Jul 3, 2009

Imperial jazz festival 2009

The Imperial Hotels in Tokyo and Osaka will swing to the sound of jazz in August when they hold their annual, star-studded "Imperial Jazz Complex 2009" festival.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / IGADGET
Jul 1, 2009

Resilient fax machines, tinier computers, USBs

Think you know small?: Before netbooks, all the buzz was about the UMPC, or ultra mobile PC. These devices are smaller than netbooks, with 7-inch screens. They also outdo their more celebrated compatriots for innovation, as UMPCs come with touch screens. Despite the bid to do something different, the...
CULTURE / Books
Jun 28, 2009

Making cycling trips cultural experiences

Among the thin crop of books on cycling in Japan are Josie Dew's hilarious account in "A Ride in the Neon Sun," of her trip from Tokyo to the edges of Okinawa and the extraordinary people and hospitality met. Then there is Leigh Norrie's more recent "Japan: 6,000 Miles on a Bicycle," an engaging account...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jun 26, 2009

A creative life that blossomed in the asylum

To view the pictures of Aloise Corbaz is to enter a fantastic, colorful world of a beautiful young woman with her handsome suitor, filled with carriages and crowns, roses and nights at the opera. The belle is Aloise herself, or, perhaps more precisely, Aloise's ideal self, center stage in a theatrical...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 26, 2009

'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'

Director Woody Allen was interviewed on the radio program Fresh Air (American National Public Radio) the other day, and repeatedly insisted that, whatever his fans may think, the characters in his films bear no resemblance whatsoever to the real him. His own marriage to a woman 34 years his junior, or...
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: DESIGN
Jun 25, 2009

Almost everything's gone green

The minimalist
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / IGADGET
Jun 24, 2009

A new camera that packs portable power

Phone book: Toshiba's new mobile phone, the Biblio, aims to capitalize on the e-book boom. The Biblio, which is a KDDI handset under its au brand, looks at first glance like an iPhone clone with its 3.5-inch touchscreen. However, the phone sports unusually good e-book reading credentials. In particular,...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 24, 2009

Pattern found when stars of love align

When people searching for love find their perfect mate, they often liken the convergence to "chemistry" — that special something that brings one certain individual to the head of the class.
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Jun 21, 2009

Punchy posters urge Tokyoites to mind their manners

It doesn't take a genius to realize that public spaces in Japan are filled with numerous audible and visual reminders about the importance of maintaining personal decorum.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 19, 2009

South Korean festivals suffer a setback

In 2006, South Korean promoters I-Yescom Entertainment and Yellow9 launched the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival to coincide with the Fuji Rock Festival in the hope of capitalizing on the amount of foreign acts touring Japan every July.

Longform

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