Film / Reviews Sep 23, 2021
‘First Gentleman’: Political romcom is an also-ran
by James Hadfield
Hayato Kawai’s lightweight comedy imagines Japan getting its first female prime minister, but reality may have already caught up.
Film / Reviews Feb 3, 2021
‘The Cinderella Addiction’: Can stepmothers get their happily ever after?
by James Hadfield
Ryohei Watanabe’s tragicomedy about the dark side of parenting is fitfully stylish, but gets a little too twisted for its own good.
Food & Drink | Cultivating Craft Oct 6, 2018
Japan's craft beer scene: 25 years in the making
by Jeremy Wilgus
The secret is long since out: Japan's craft beer scene is a vibrant place, filled with innovative brewers creating new and interesting beers alongside masterful examples of traditional styles.
Stage Sep 4, 2018
'Swimming With Sharks': A horrible boss is truly universal
by Nobuko Tanaka
The lobby of the Setagaya Public Theatre in Tokyo teemed with women on Sept. 1, each eager to see Kei Tanaka in action. The 34-year-old actor — and judging by the buzz in the lobby, bona fide dreamboat — recently captured hearts in "Ossan's ...
Music Oct 13, 2016
Shugo Tokumaru gets his friends involved on new album 'Toss'
by James Hadfield
A couple of months ago, Shugo Tokumaru released a video on YouTube that showed him preparing an elaborate meal from an unlikely set of ingredients. In it, he took a selection of toy instruments — a ukulele, a recorder, some castanets, a party horn ...
Film | Wide Angle Mar 30, 2016
Documentary delves into the darker side of Kawasaki
by Kaori Shoji
Kawasaki in Kanagawa Prefecture is famed for three things: yakiniku barbecue restaurants, sex shops and a high crime rate. Though parts of the city are middle class, a grittier and lower-income image of Kawasaki has persisted through the years. "Sakura no Kino Shita" ("Under the ...
Stage Mar 22, 2016
Strindberg's surrealistic 'Dream' heralds a pivotal era for KAAT
by Nobuko Tanaka
He doesn't officially become Kanagawa Arts Theatre's artistic director until April 1, but Akira Shirai wasn't fooling when he declared, "I aim to make KAAT (the official acronym of his Yokohama base) a place where we take a whole fresh look at theater's role ...