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Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 4, 2015

In the cinematic wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster

In January 2013 Eiga Geijutsu magazine released its annual "Best 10 and Worst 10" lists. The two worst films of 2012, as chosen by the magazine's panel of critics, were Sion Sono's "Himizu" and "Kibo no Kuni (Land of Hope)." The former is about a teenage boy (Shota Sometani) driven to violence by his...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 4, 2015

The End of the World and the Cat's Disappearance: A post-pandemic tale of a heroic webcam idol

At their best, films about the future — sci-fi, fantasy and anything in between — offer up mind-expanding speculations and deep-drilling allegories, if not necessarily accurate predictions. Hardly anything in Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" came to pass by 2001, but its vision of something...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 4, 2015

Song One: 'anyone not in a coma can see where this is going'

Years of working as a film critic have given me some sort of special mutant superpower to see deep into the cinematic future. That little cough in the first act will surely be a terminal illness in the last, and that seemingly casual close-up of the keys on the counter will be the crucial prop when the...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 4, 2015

Coming Home: 'a woman victimized by Chinese politics, who retains an inner core of resilience'

"Coming Home" celebrates two relationships: the one depicted in the movie, of a man reuniting with his wife after two decades in prison during China's Cultural Revolution, and the other of director Zhang Yimou partnering once again with his iconic leading lady Gong Li. Together, the pair made their international...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 4, 2015

Into the Woods: 'mashed up Brothers Grimm and hammy performances'

The fairy-tale reboot trend continues with "Into the Woods," Disney's big-screen version of the Stephen Sondheim musical that debuted on Broadway in 1987. Set in and around a creepy forest that looks like a leftover "Harry Potter" stage, "Into the Woods" mashes up a bunch of well-known Brothers Grimm...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 4, 2015

Diplomacy: 'arguing, raging and spluttering over the destruction of Paris'

One of the miracles of World War II was the preservation of Paris. In 1944, as the Allies drew close, "the City of Light" only narrowly missed being totally demolished by the Nazis.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 4, 2015

Mujin Chitai (No Man's Zone)

Director: Toshi Fujiwara Language: Japanese (subtitled in English)
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 4, 2015

Hercules

Director: Brett Ratner Language: English
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 4, 2015

Frank

Director: Leonard Abrahamson Language: English
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 4, 2015

Gamba looking for more success after glittering 2014

Gamba Osaka surpassed all expectations by winning the treble last season, but manager Kenta Hasegawa believes there is still room for improvement in 2015.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Mar 4, 2015

Netanyahu's U.S. speech draws mixed response in Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have made an argument that many Israelis support when he warned Congress Tuesday about a potential nuclear deal with Iran, but critics are asking whether it was worth the widening rift with the White House.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Mar 4, 2015

U.S. author recounts 'lecture' he got about 'comfort women' from uninvited Japanese guests

The American historian whose book has been slammed by the Japanese government for its content on WWII sex slaves speaks out.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Mar 4, 2015

Stance on 'comfort women' undermines fight to end wartime sexual violence

The prime minister's declarations on preventing sexual violence in wartime fly in the face of his government's refusal to recognize Japan's responsibilities toward the 'comfort women.'
EDITORIALS
Mar 4, 2015

Society failed to save Uemura

Educators, local government officials and police officers need to reflect deeply on what could have been done to prevent the murder of Ryota Uemura.
EDITORIALS
Mar 4, 2015

Update discriminatory Civil Code

The Supreme Court should not hesitate to rule that Civil Code provisions related to marriage surnames and remarriage after divorce are discriminatory and thus unconstitutional.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 4, 2015

Countermeasures for Japan's changing demographics

The government can no longer afford to postpone efforts to effectively address Japan's population problem.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 4, 2015

Impose a land tax to fight inequality in the U.S.

Henry George advocated forcefully for a land tax in his 1879 book, 'Progress and Poverty.' More than 135 years later, perhaps its time is ripe.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 4, 2015

No, Obama, Russia's economy isn't in tatters

It's time to bury the expectation that Russia's economy will fall apart under pressure from falling oil prices and Western sanctions, and that Russians, angered by a drop in their living standards, will rise up and sweep President Vladimir Putin out of office.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 4, 2015

John Caird delivers home truths with 'Twelfth Night'

As an Honorary Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, John Caird may be one of the leading pillars of the English theater establishment, but in a recent interview with The Japan Times, this acclaimed director of plays, musicals and opera declared, "In a sense, some part of me is becoming...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 4, 2015

Kabuki icon takes Dazzle dancers to new levels

Street dance has been growing in popularity for years among younger generations in "Cool Japan," with displays often attracting crowds of passers-by.
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 4, 2015

China says NGOs need regulating for 'national security reasons'

China needs to better regulate foreign non-governmental organizations (NGO) operating in the country for national security reasons, an official said on Wednesday, as the government drafts a law that has unnerved many aid groups.

Longform

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