The Japanese folklore story of the "Snow Woman" has been told in many places, in many ways, and in many versions, but best-known is that of Lafcadio Hearn, the Greek-Irish writer who published it in his 1904 collection, "Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange ...
The Japanese films at this year's Tokyo International Film Festival were a varied lot, from the multiplex fare in the Special Screenings and Japan Now sections to the indies in the Japanese Cinema Splash, Competition and Asian Future sections. But only one came away with ...
There seems to be no stopping the soaring popularity of animated film "Your Name." directed by Makoto Shinkai, as the body-swapping fantasy continues to attract fans at home and abroad. Film critics list several reasons to the film's box office success, and the connection between ...
Philippine trans people, Scandinavian reindeer herders and a romantic comedy about the Holocaust dominated the closing ceremony of the 29th Tokyo International Film Festival on Thursday. The ceremony at Ex Theater Roppongi opened appropriately enough with awards to individuals who furthered domestic cinema this year, ...
For the premiere of "Satoshi: A Move for Tomorrow," actors Kenichi Matsuyama and Masahiro Higashide and director Yoshitaka Mori were on hand to greet fans before the screening of their film, which closes the 2016 Tokyo International Film Festival. The movie focuses on Satoshi ...
Ichiro Furutachi, a TV personality and former news anchor also known as "the mad chatter," overwhelmed the crowd — and interpreters — at Kabukiza Threatre on Thursday with his nonstop talk. "I have a feeling that non-Japanese today will not be happy when I'm talking ...
For kabuki actor Onoe Kikunosuke and silent film narrator Ichiro Kataoka, keeping old traditions alive and sharing them with as many local and foreign fans as possible remain their mission. Kikunosuke, who performed in an onnagata female role in "Sagi Musume" ("Heron Maiden") in an ...
Shunji Iwai has long stood on ambivalent terrain. To Western audiences he's known as a prolific and brilliant auteur, but without the overseas cachet of others such as Takeshi Kitano. To his fans in Japan, he's viewed as the spokesman for the socially conscious ...
In her newest movie, "Florence Foster Jenkins," Meryl Streep can barely carry a tune as she squeaks and squawks her way through classic opera music. But she wouldn't necessarily consider that an insult. The Academy Award-winning actress plays the titular role of Florence, a real ...
The 29th Tokyo International Film Festival marked its opening Tuesday afternoon with a traditional red carpet ceremony that was heavy on Asian stars and filmmakers. With the festival abandoning its modern, eco-friendly "green carpet" this year, domestic stars dominated the promenade at the Roppongi Hills ...
The Tokyo International Film Festival, whose 29th edition unspools from Oct. 25 to Nov. 3, offers something for everyone — from golden oldies in the Japanese Classics section to films for kids in the new Youth section. However, as Japan's biggest film festival, as ...
While sifting through the movies submitted for this year's Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), competition programming director Yoshihiko Yatabe says he noticed a recurring theme. "I was struck by the number of films involving immigrants and refugees," he says. "It's become such a big issue, ...
