Tag - the-xx

 
 

THE XX

CULTURE / Art / Japan Pulse
May 30, 2013
Tweet Beat: #真4, #ソクラテスの死, #キスの日
A new videogame, a fresh take on an old painting and kissing (timeless!) are among the top Twitter trends in Japan last week.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 23, 2013
Cesium levels in water, plankton baffle scientists
Plankton and seawater samples taken less than a year after the Fukushima meltdowns show high concentrations of radioactive cesium at different locations, puzzling scientists.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 9, 2013
'Natsume Soseki and Arts'
Natsume Soseki, one of Japan's great Meiji Era (1868-1912) writers, is best known for the novels "Kokoro," "Botchan," " I Am a Cat" and his unfinished work "Light and Darkness." He was also a fan of, and particularly knowledgeable about, Japanese and British art, often referring to famous painters in his literary works.
COMMENTARY / World
May 4, 2013
An attitude that smacks of might makes right
With regard to other countries with maritime territorial claims in the South China Sea, China appears to have assumed the attitude that might makes right.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 29, 2013
Crown Prince, Princess depart for Netherlands
Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako leave for the Netherlands to attend the coronation of the new Dutch king in her first official overseas trip in 11 years.
CULTURE / Art
Apr 25, 2013
'Antonio López'
Spanish artist Antonio López is renowned for the tediously slow pace of his creative process, sometimes touching up works 10 years after starting them.
Events / Events In Tokyo
Apr 19, 2013
School's family festival promises to be a multicultural smorgasbord
People from all around the world flock to Tokyo looking for excitement. As a result, Tokyo is home to many ethnicities and walks of life. Celebrate that diversity on April 20 at the International School of the Sacred Heart's Family Festival.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 5, 2013
'Extreme' characters fuel the plot of 'The Master'
Critics have called 'The Master' a triumph of style over substance. That is, the acting wins out over direction and writing.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Apr 5, 2013
Leno to leave 'Tonight Show' in spring 2014
For the second time in about four years, Jay Leno is stepping down from NBC's iconic late-night franchise "The Tonight Show." This time, he'll exit in spring 2014 to make way for "Late Night" star Jimmy Fallon.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 4, 2013
Rubens' best work is collaborative
The 17th-century Flemish baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens is a great historical painter, not because of the scenes from ancient Roman history that he sometimes painted, but because, when we encounter his works, we find ourselves trying to understand what kind of society could possibly have produced art with such vivid iconography, lavish symbolism and sensual detail.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 1, 2013
Nagashima, Matsui to get top honor
Former Yomiuri Giants sluggers Shigeo Nagashima and Hideki Matsui are slated to get the dubious People's Honor Award, often criticized as a political tool of the government.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 28, 2013
Francis Bacon: The restlessness of human existence
In the 1989 Tim Burton film "Batman," there is a famous scene where the Joker and his gang break into an art museum and vandalize masterpieces by the likes of Rembrandt, Degas, and Vermeer. But, just as one of his henchmen is about to slash a Francis Bacon canvas, the Joker steps in to stop him, saying, "I kind of like this one."
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Mar 26, 2013
'The day my mum looked after the Beatles'
In rock mythology, John Lennon was the cynical, acid-tongued Beatle, Paul McCartney was friendly and open, George Harrison was the quiet one and drummer Ringo Starr was the group's clown, always joking around. Satoko Condon remembers it a bit differently.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 25, 2013
Japan Times, New York Times announce publishing agreement
Subscribers to two-section product, coming out Oct. 16, will also enjoy benefits in the digital domain.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media
Mar 24, 2013
Being a zombie is a no-brainer for this Japanese actress
Unlike many of her prim-and-proper friends at Shirayuri College — a Catholic school in Kanda, Tokyo — 20-year-old Akane Kanbayashi doesn't recoil at the sight of splattered blood and dismembered human bodies.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 22, 2013
Kids with guns on film, blasting at the culture gap
Contemporary Japanese films are often extremely violent; the lives of ordinary Japanese, much less so. According to a multinational study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Japan's homicide rate in 2009 was 0.4 per 100,000 population, for a total of 506 deaths. Similar figures for the United States were 5.0 and 15,399, respectively.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 21, 2013
Various Artists "Upwards and Onwards" (Ano(t)raks)
Fledgling online-only label Ano(t)raks takes a somewhat needless risk with their second compilation album, "Upwards and Onwards." Founded late last year, Ano(t)raks highlighted bedroom-made indie-pop, a style defined by simple guitar playing and equally basic lyrics about love. Indie-pop has been going strong since the 1980s ... and has barely evolved sonically since then. Nobody expected Ano(t)raks to deviate from that, but "Upwards and Onwards" nudges the gates open and features more electronic-leaning artists and jammier collectives. It makes the album an engaging listen, and establishes the imprint as an incubator for all sorts of promising young artists.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Mar 8, 2013
Bite into the journals of a Japanese burger critic
Many Japanese foodies are enamored with the hamburger, in much the same way that their American counterparts are often besotted with ramen. The number of hamburger shops in Tokyo has exploded in the last decade, but there are also signs that the fascination runs deeper: There are books, magazines and websites in Japanese devoted to eating — and understanding — the hamburger.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / STRANGE BOUTIQUE
Feb 28, 2013
MBV inspires Japan to keep staring at its feet
In February 2013, there were three events that shook the world: the resignation of the pope, North Korea's successful test of a nuclear bomb, and the release of Irish/British rock band My Bloody Valentine's first new album in 22 years. Dispatched with less frequency than popes and comparable volume to nuclear bombs, My Bloody Valentine albums are rare and dangerous beasts, with venues on the band's recent tour handing out complimentary earplugs to the audience on the way in.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 28, 2013
March: Grimes, Andy Stott head east and west
March means the (eventual) return of nice weather, so you no longer have to bundle up or stay indoors cursing the cold world beyond your apartment. And as the climate warms up, for those in need of more incentive to venture outside, there are several great gigs going down across the country.

Longform

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