Japan's Showa flash flood of photography
The National Gallery of Canada showcases Showa Era (1926-89) photographers, whose documentation and interpretation of politics, culture, social issues and even the quotidian changed the face of modern photography in Japan.
New era aside, Showa nostalgia continues to keep rolling along
The new Reiwa Era is now into its third month and histories are starting to appear about the Heisei Era that preceded it. In late June, the publishing arm of the Mainichi Shimbun released a 384-page softcover book titled "Heisei-shi Zenkiroku" ("Chronicle 1989-2019"). The ...
The Showa Era is growing distant
University students seem less concerned about war on the Korean Peninsula than their 1970s counterparts even though the chance of conflict is greater.
From Meiji to Taisho, Showa and Heisei, how The Japan Times covered previous era changes
"Joyfully and with a mingled sense of awe and reverence did the whole Japanese nation observe the great event of the Ceremony of the Imperial Enthronement of His Majesty the Emperor," Japan Times and Mail President Yonejiro Ito wrote in a special edition book ...
Hayao Miyazaki: Universally acclaimed weaver of unforgettable anime worlds
Animators and live-action filmmakers around the world acknowledge his influence. His talents have even been described by fans as “godlike.”
New era offers Japan an opportunity to reassess the future
What's in a name? What's in an era? What is an "era"? What's a "new era"? Are we entering one? To take the last question first: Not really, said 57 percent of respondents to a survey the Asahi Shimbun conducted in March versus 37 percent ...
From Meiji to Reiwa: Japan's centenarians offer a window to bygone eras
Few Japanese born in the Meiji Era will live long enough to see the dawn of the Reiwa Era, which will begin on May 1, but those who do can offer a glimpse at past generations while providing context for the next. Era names (gengo) ...
The painterly prayers of Higashiyama
Kaii Higashiyama's best-known works are often called "quintessentially Japanese landscapes," but they were also examples of the artist's conservative dialogue with European and American abstraction.
Diary tells of Emperor Hirohito's anguish in final years over blame for war
The journal reveals that the aging Emperor did not wish to live much longer due to pain he felt at sad personal events and accusations of his wartime responsibility.
Japanese government unlikely to name its next era until at least February 2019
The government is considering delaying the announcement of the name of the nation's next era — or gengo — until February or later, giving up its initial plan to quickly deal with concerns over the name change, a government source said Tuesday. The announcement of ...
Minakata: Japan's pioneer of ecology
In an old black-and-white photograph on show at the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, Minakata Kumagusu — with a shaved head and dressed only in a waistcloth — stands by a huge tree, arms crossed in seeming defiance. He could easily be ...
