Tag - watanabe

 
 

WATANABE

In “Stigmatized Properties: Possession,” Yahiro Kuwata (Shota Watanabe, left) is a steel worker from Fukuoka who moves to Tokyo to become a TV personality and ends up renting a haunted apartment.
CULTURE / Film
Jul 31, 2025
'Stigmatized Properties: Possession': Layered lead faces ghosts and show business
In the sequel to his 2020 haunted apartments horror, Hideo Nakata creates goose-pimply moments of terror with common paranormal phenomena.
Asuna Yanagi (right, with Misa Tsugawa) plays a high-school student who gets hooked on classic cinema in “Rainy Blue,” a coming-of-age tale that she also wrote, edited and directed.
CULTURE / Film
Jul 24, 2025
‘Rainy Blue’: Behind-the-scenes drama tarnishes an intriguing debut
Made while she was still a teen, Asuna Yanagi’s coming-of-age tale blurs the lines between life, fiction and cinephile obsession.
Inflation is surprisingly strong, increasing the possibility that the Bank of Japan will raise its interest rate by the end of the year, according to Tsutomu Watanabe, an emeritus economics professor at the University of Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 4, 2025
Japan's inflation is outpacing BOJ's view, expert says
The remarks of Tsutomu Watanabe, a former central bank official, are likely to feed market expectations for another interest rate hike this year.
Lee Sang-il’s "Kokuho" stars Ryo Yoshizawa as an orphan from a yakuza clan who rises through the world of kabuki to become a star performer.
CULTURE / Film
Jun 8, 2025
‘Kokuho’ finds riveting drama on and off the kabuki stage
Ryo Yoshizawa and Ryusei Yokohama deliver stage performances that are both convincing as kabuki and arresting as drama in Lee Sang-il’s ambitious film.
Lee Sang-il’s “Kokuho,” which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this year, follows the life of an "onnagata," a male kabuki actor who plays female roles, from his childhood as the son of a yakuza boss in 1960s Nagasaki to his official designation as a living national treasure.
CULTURE / Film
Jun 6, 2025
'Kokuho' illuminates the high price of becoming a national treasure
Director Lee Sang-il turns a long-held vision into reality with his sumptuously shot film that reveals the dedication, sacrifice — and loneliness — behind kabuki greatness.
Japan's Rui Hachimura walks off the court after being disqualified for a second unsportsmanlike foul against France at the Paris Olympics in July last year.
BASKETBALL / B. League
May 6, 2025
Basketball bust-ups threaten ambitious Japan's hoop dreams
A row involving star player Rui Hachimura and disagreements over the domestic league's direction mean the path ahead is full of hurdles.
Eagles rookie Rui Muneyama (center) poses with pitcher Takayuki Kishi (right) and infielder Hideto Asamura after a win in Sendai on April 3.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Apr 7, 2025
Rookie duo off to hot starts at plate in new NPB campaign
Seiya Watanabe and Rui Muneyama both have at least 10 hits so far this season.
Morinari Watanabe speaks during a news conference in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Jan. 30.
OLYMPICS
Mar 25, 2025
Watanabe stresses significance of his IOC presidency bid
Watanabe, who became the first Japanese to seek the top IOC post, earned only four of the 97 valid votes in the election last week.
This combination picture shows candidates for the presidency of the IOC (from top left) Sebastian Coe, Kirsty Coventry, Johan Eliasch, Prince Feisal al-Hussein of Jordan, David Lappartient, Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. and Morinari Watanabe speaking during a press conference following a presentation before fellow IOC members, in Lausanne on Jan. 30.
OLYMPICS
Mar 17, 2025
Heavyweight seven eye finish line in race to succeed Olympics chief
Surprises from the electorate of 100-plus IOC members cannot be ruled out in the battle to become the most powerful figure in sport governance.
A statue of the founder of the International Olympic Committee, Pierre de Coubertin, at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland
OLYMPICS
Feb 5, 2025
The closed-door battle to lead the Olympics
For such a consequential election, much of it is taking place in the dark, away from any form of public or private debate.
IOC presidential candidate Morinari Watanabe speaks during a news conference in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Thursday.
OLYMPICS
Jan 31, 2025
IOC presidential contenders make pitches to voters
They are vying to succeed Thomas Bach as arguably the most powerful person in global sports.
It's taken Takuma Watanabe little time to establish himself as one of New York's hottest bartenders.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 16, 2025
From Tokyo to Manhattan, Takuma Watanabe stirs up a stiff drink
Tokyo native Takuma Watanabe offers a formidable addition to New York’s pantheon of cocktail bars.
International Gymnastics Federation chief Morinari Watanabe in Tokyo on Thursday
OLYMPICS
Jan 14, 2025
IOC long shot Watanabe hopes 'crazy' Olympic idea sparks debate
Morinari Watanabe is proposing to host the Games simultaneously in five cities across five continents.
NHK’s latest taiga period drama, “Unbound,” centers on Tsutaya Juzaburo (Ryusei Yokohama), a commoner who becomes a successful bookseller and publisher.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jan 10, 2025
‘Unbound’ breaks NHK period drama tradition with a hero of the common folk
Public broadcaster NHK marks its 100th anniversary by flipping the script on its long-running period drama series.
Tsuneo Watanabe (center) attends a gathering with former prime ministers Yasuhiro Nakasone (right) and Toshiki Kaifu in Tokyo in 2009.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 19, 2024
Tsuneo Watanabe, editor-in-chief of Yomiuri Shimbun Group, dies at 98
Watanabe was an influential figure in Japan's political and professional sports arenas.
An entanglement between club hostess Rie (Sakurako Konishi, left) and TV writer Takuya (Kou Maehara) lies at the center of Takashi Watanabe’s “More Than Words.”
CULTURE / Film
Dec 19, 2024
‘More Than Words’: A morally gray melodrama about sexual assault
Takashi Watanabe’s film concerns the plight of a bumbling TV writer whose entanglement with a club hostess leads to his downfall.
International Gymnastic Federation Morinari Watanabe is one of seven candidates running to succeed current International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
OLYMPICS
Dec 12, 2024
IOC presidential hopeful Morinari Watanabe calls for changes in marketing strategy
Watanabe is one of seven candidates running to lead the IOC.
Wakaba Higuchi competes in the Skate America women's free program in Allen, Texas, on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Figure skating
Oct 20, 2024
Wakaba Higuchi wins Skate America women's gold in Japan one-two
It was a big day for Japanese skaters as former world champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara claimed pairs gold.
Morinari Watanabe speaks during an interview on Wednesday in Tokyo
OLYMPICS
Sep 28, 2024
IOC presidential candidate Watanabe vows to update Olympics
Watanabe, 65, said he is seeking the IOC's top post with the believe that "there are things that must be done for children and the athletes who perform in Olympic Games."
Morinari Watanabe, International Gymnastic Federation president, attends a news conference in Aigle, Switzerland, in June 2022. Watanabe is set to stand in the election for the next International Olympic Committee president.
OLYMPICS
Sep 17, 2024
IOC member Morinari Watanabe enters presidential race
Watanabe, 65, is one of the seven candidates announced by the IOC to succeed Thomas Bach as president.

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
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