Tag - 2018

 
 

2018

Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Nov 8, 2018
Republican Brian Kemp declares victory in Georgia governor race; Democrat Stacey Abrams does not concede
Republican Brian Kemp's campaign said on Wednesday he had won Georgia's high-profile governor's race, but Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams vowed not to concede until all ballots were counted.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 7, 2018
Tasuku Emoto talks about directing, acting in English and sounding like Tom Cruise
This has been a busy year for Tasuku Emoto. Long accustomed to appearing in colorful supporting roles, the 31-year-old actor has found himself starring in three films in 2018.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 7, 2018
The bold, the bracingly alive and the barely coherent: The Tokyo International Film Festival wraps up for another year
For once, the best film won. Though the jury at Tokyo International Film Festival has erred in the past, there could be few complaints about this year's choices. Mikhael Hers' "Amanda" was a worthy recipient of the Tokyo Grand Prix: An emotionally devastating portrait of ordinary people coping with a very contemporary tragedy, it left me shaken for days.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Nov 7, 2018
How a Democratic U.S. House could alter foreign policy
Democrats will use their new majority in the U.S. House of Representatives to reverse what they see as a hands-off approach by Republicans toward President Donald Trump's foreign policy, and push for tougher dealings with Russia, Saudi Arabia and North Korea.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Nov 7, 2018
U.S. women voters drive Democratic House victories, Republican Senate gains: Reuters/Ipsos poll
U.S. women increased their support for Democratic candidates for the House of Representatives, providing an anticipated swing to help the party take control of the chamber, according to a Reuters/Ipsos Election Day poll.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Nov 4, 2018
Twitter study finds coordinated pattern in misleading posts on U.S. voter fraud
With the U.S. midterm elections days away, researchers have identified what they called a coordinated network of Twitter accounts that are pushing false and misleading narratives about election integrity with hashtags like #VoterFraud.
Japan Times
MULTIMEDIA
Oct 27, 2018
The faces of the Tokyo International Film Festival 2018: Competition
The 31st Tokyo International Film Festival, which opened on Thursday, is screening a variety of cinema from all over the world at various venues in Tokyo. The festival runs until Nov. 3, when the jury will announce the winning films from the competition.
Japan Times
MULTIMEDIA
Oct 27, 2018
The faces of the Tokyo International Film Festival 2018: Special screenings
The 31st Tokyo International Film Festival, which opened on Thursday, is screening a variety of cinema from all over the world at various venues in Tokyo. The festival runs until Nov. 3, when the jury will announce the winning films from the competition.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CABINET INTERVIEW 2018
Oct 26, 2018
Tasked with bringing North Korea abduction issue to a close, Suga vows to do all in his power
As the government's new point man on the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korean agents, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said he will do all in his power to bring the issue to a close and secure the safe return of all who were kidnapped.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 25, 2018
Masaaki Yuasa: Anime for the discerning fan
Masaaki Yuasa is one of the most exciting directors working in Japanese animation today, with a three-decade career behind him. Yet until last year, you may not even have heard of him. Long the filmmaker of choice for discerning anime fans, the 53-year-old has had a significant profile boost over the past 18 months, releasing two theatrical features — "The Night is Short, Walk on Girl" and "Lu Over the Wall" — and a Netflix series, "Devilman Crybaby," which secured his biggest audience to date.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 24, 2018
Junji Sakamoto points his camera at small-town Japan in 'Another World'
Born in Osaka in 1958, Junji Sakamoto belongs to a generation of Japanese directors who carved out independent paths in the industry, outside the then-defunct studio system. His feature debut, the 1989 boxing film "Knockout," won a shelf of domestic prizes, including the Blue Ribbon Award for best film. He became known for male-centered action flicks and thrillers, such as the 2000 gangster epic "Another Battle."
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 21, 2018
Trump claims China election meddling that cyberfirms don't see
U.S. President Donald Trump has said China is interfering with the November midterm elections, but the findings of top cybersecurity firms are casting doubt on his claims.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Oct 20, 2018
Japonismes 2018 seeks to break down cultural stereotypes
A stupendous full autumn moon, bright orange and fat, flashes intermittently between the nondescript high-rise flats and offices on the drive to Charles de Gaulle Airport. It's an apt and beautiful reminder of one of the events that we, a group of Tokyo-based editors and writers, were invited to see earlier in the week at Japonismes 2018: Souls in Resonance. It was a theater production of "Tsukimi Zato" ("Moon-viewing Blind Man"), starring veteran kyogen performer Mansaku Nomura, wherein a townie from upper Kyoto out for a stroll in the countryside bumps into a gentle old blind man. The two characters merrily share sake and poems together but, after parting, the slightly drunk younger man doubles back and deliberately bumps into the blind man as a practical joke and roughly pushes him over. The punchline of the play is that the blind man, as he makes his way home, wonders sadly how there can be such different people in the world, not realizing that it was the same person.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 18, 2018
Your guide to our Japanese film picks at this year's Tokyo International Film Festival
The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) offers fans a rare chance to see dozens of new and classic Japanese films with English subtitles on the big screen. Among my own picks for the event's 31st edition:
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 18, 2018
The meteoric rise of Mayu Matsuoka
As a film critic, I occasionally come across something on the screen that sets off fireworks in my brain. It happened with Sakura Ando's explosive performance as a desperate boxer in "100 Yen Love" and with the funny, surprising and moving zombie comedy "One Cut of the Dead." And last year it also happened with Mayu Matsuoka
Japan Times
Figure Skating / ICE TIME
Oct 16, 2018
Cheerful personality helps Kaori Sakamoto shine on ice
Kaori Sakamoto took the skating world by storm last season in her first year as a senior competitor.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 12, 2018
New education minister Shibayama ready to serve despite backlash on Imperial Rescript remarks
New education minister Masahiko Shibayama's work in Japan's latest Cabinet got off to a rocky start.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 5, 2018
With Kavanaugh probe firing up Republican base, Trump likely a winner whether judge confirmed or not
The ugly partisan brawl over U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation remains undecided, but President Donald Trump appears likely to come out on top regardless of the outcome.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 16, 2018
Abe-Ishiba debate highlights candidates' lack of concrete plans to tackle fundamental problems
A debate illustrates Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's and former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba's differences on how to overcome some of the most fundamental problems Japan faces.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 15, 2018
Tokyo International Film Festival announces opening, closing films and pre-festival screening of 2017 award-winner
It was announced this past week that the Tokyo International Film Festival will kick off its 31st edition on Oct. 25 with the film "A Star Is Born," starring pop star Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in his directorial debut.

Longform

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