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June 16, 2025
 

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Matt Schley
¡°Junk World¡± is Takahide Hori¡¯s second entry in his stop-motion ¡°Junk¡± series, which is populated by cyborgs, monsters and artificial lifeforms called ¡°Mulligans.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Jun 13, 2025
Stop-motion sci-fi saga ¡®Junk World¡¯ expands its bizarre universe
The monsters are cute, the war is weird and interior designer turned director Takahide Hori¡¯s creativity stretches far beyond his budget.
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 ¡ª and loneliness ¡ª behind kabuki greatness.
Artists offer their own interpretations of Japan's most famous monster at "Godzilla The Art Exhibition."
CULTURE / Art
May 31, 2025
'Godzilla The Art Exhibition' reimagines film icon as monstrous muse for modern art
The Mori Arts Center Gallery exhibition takes 911±¬ÁÏÍø most famous monster beyond the world of filmmaking and asks nine artists to interpret the beast from their own point of view.
"Jinsei," which follows its protagonist over a century, probes themes of identity and societal issues with a dark comic touch. The director, however, says he created the story without knowing where it would lead.
CULTURE / Film
May 16, 2025
For his first feature film, director Ryuya Suzuki created a masterpiece
With no script or crew, the animator created "Jinsei," a bold debut inspired by classics such as "Citizen Kane" and "Scarface."
The film to beat for the Niigata International Animation Film Festival¡¯s top prize seems to be Kiyotaka Oshiyama¡¯s ¡°Look Back,¡± one of the two 911±¬ÁÏÍø features in competition.
CULTURE / Film
Mar 20, 2025
Indie films vie for views at Niigata animation festival
From Satoshi Kon tributes to indie gems, this year's Niigata International Animation Film Festival continues its dedication to feature-length animation.
¡°Ravens¡± stars Tadanobu Asano as Masahisa Fukase, a real-life figure who was known for his photos of the psychedelic party scene of 1960s Shinjuku, portraits of his wife and images of the ravens of his home prefecture of Hokkaido.
CULTURE / Film
Mar 14, 2025
¡®Ravens¡¯ is a portrait of art, love and inner demons
Director Mark Gill brings the turbulent life of celebrated photographer Masahisa Fukase into focus in his new film.
¡°Hypnosismic ¡ª Division Rap Battle ¡ª Movie¡± centers on groups of male rappers from neighborhoods around Tokyo and Japan at large.
CULTURE / Film
Feb 20, 2025
¡®Hypnosismic ¡ª Division Rap Battle ¡ª Movie' lets viewers remix the narrative
Armed with LED-lined gloves and their smartphones, audiences take control of the action for Japan¡¯s first interactive movie.
Gensho Yasuda¡¯s ¡°Make a Girl¡± follows an inventor whose relationship with the robot girlfriend he builds becomes increasingly complicated as she develops an unexpected sense of independence.
CULTURE / Film
Jan 30, 2025
Indie animator Gensho Yasuda paves his own way with a DIY spirit
With ¡°Make a Girl,¡± the young 911±¬ÁÏÍø creator takes the leap from short videos to full-length films.
¡°The Rose of Versailles¡± centers on the real-life Marie Antoinette (voiced by Aya Hirano) and the fictional Oscar Francois de Jarjayes (Miyuki Sawashiro) a few years before the French Revolution.
CULTURE / Film
Jan 30, 2025
¡®The Rose of Versailles¡¯ opts for empty opulence
Riyoko Ikeda¡¯s seminal manga that tackled themes of political and sexual revolution gets a film adaptation that lacks the depth of its source material.
Despite impressive visuals that hark back to Peter Jackson¡¯s live-action trilogy from the early 2000s, Kenji Kamiyama¡¯s ¡°The War of the Rohirrim¡± falls flat in its storytelling as a standalone film.
CULTURE / Film
Dec 26, 2024
¡®The War of the Rohirrim¡¯: Striking visuals, insipid storytelling
Kenji Kamiyama's anime addition to J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" universe has impressive qualities, but lacks the magic of Peter Jackson's film adaptations.
In a year of anime hits, Kiyotaka Oshiyama¡¯s ¡°Look Back¡± stood out from the bunch.
CULTURE / Film / 2024 in Review
Dec 13, 2024
Big franchises and bold voices dominated anime in 2024
In a year of major box-office hits such as ¡°Conan¡± and ¡°Haikyu!!,¡± smaller animators used nontraditional tools to stand out from the rest.
Naoko (Ayaka Onishi, right) starts moonlighting as a paid companion for older men under her missing colleague¡¯s identity in ¡°Strangers.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Oct 24, 2024
¡®Strangers¡¯: A satisfyingly unnerving stolen identity drama
Kenta Ikeda and his cinematographer imbue the thriller about a woman who takes on the identity of her more carefree and flirtatious colleague with a sense of paranoia.
Annual festival Peter Barakan¡¯s Live Magic! was born a decade ago when Barakan (left) decided to create a platform to share his love of roots music, which he attributes to growing up in 1960s England.
CULTURE / Music
Oct 11, 2024
Peter Barakan¡¯s Live Magic! takes its final bow
The 11th edition of the annual blues, jazz and roots festival will also be its last, at least in its current form, but the core concept of the event will live on.
¡°Patlabor: The Movie¡± keeps the fun and irreverence of the small-screen series while adding a more contemplative touch.
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Sep 20, 2024
At 35, ¡®Patlabor¡¯ now looks awfully prescient
The robot-centric film is back in theaters across Japan in celebration of its 35th anniversary, and the future it paints looks mighty familiar.
The protagonist of ¡°The Colors Within¡± is Totsuko (voiced by Sayu Suzukawa), a cheerful young woman who views the world in a unique way: Everyone she sees gives off their own distinct color that represents their personality.
CULTURE / Film
Aug 30, 2024
'The Colors Within' tunes into everyday moments of love
Director Naoko Yamada's new anime film, which explores themes of acceptance and communication without words, was born from a creative relationship of complete trust.
An ambitious high school student (Gordon Maeda) devotes all his waking hours to making art in ¡°Blue Period,¡± Kentaro Hagiwara¡¯s live-action adaptation of an ongoing manga series of the same title.
CULTURE / Film
Aug 15, 2024
¡®Blue Period¡¯: Gordon Maeda paints a subtle picture of internal struggle
The actor¡¯s performance as an ambitious student pursuing his dreams of being an artist is a highlight in this live-action adaptation of an ongoing manga series.
¡°Ghost Cat Anzu¡± centers on an 11-year-old girl who travels to hell and back with a walking, talking, moped-driving, human-sized cat.
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Aug 11, 2024
Two hidden gems hint at a path to more diversity in anime
¡°Ghost Cat Anzu" and ¡°A Few Moments of Cheers¡± stand out from blockbuster hits by finding creative partners abroad and embracing techniques old and new.
A vengeful spirit threatens the residents of Edo Castle¡¯s maze-like women¡¯s quarters in ¡°Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Jul 26, 2024
¡®Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain¡¯: A fast and furious visual spectacle
Kenji Nakamura¡¯s cinematic sequel to his ¡°Mononoke¡± anime series is an overwhelming onslaught of sights and sounds.
Two friends bond over their shared love of art, but when tragedy strikes, one of them gets the chance to ask ¡°what if¡± in Kiyotaka Oshiyama¡¯s ¡°Look Back.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Jun 26, 2024
¡®Look Back¡¯: A tale of self-discovery and tragedy told at a refreshing pace
A touching story that¡¯s also a pleasure to look at thanks to director Kiyotaka Oshiyama¡¯s springy, supple art style.
An ambitious high school freshman recruits three girls from her region to create an ¡°idol¡± group from scratch in ¡°Trapezium.¡±
CULTURE / Film
May 9, 2024
¡®Trapezium¡¯: Being an idol isn¡¯t always a dream come true
The anime adaptation of a book by Kazumi Takayama, a former member of Nogizaka46, offers an authentic look at the pressures of show business.
Israel and Iran strike at each other as Trump says conflict can be easily ended
Missiles fired from Iran are pictured in the night sky over Jerusalem on Saturday.
Trump gives formal blessing to Nippon Steel's $14.8 billion bid for U.S. Steel
The Nippon Steel logo is displayed at the company's East Nippon Works Kimitsu Area plant in Kimitsu, Chiba Prefecture, last month.
Putin tells Trump Russia is ready for next round of Ukraine talks
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin held a call for the fifth time since the Republican took office and sought to reset relations with Moscow, in a stark pivot from the approach of his predecessor Joe Biden's administration.
Two months on, Osaka Expo organizer struggles to improve experience as crowds grow
Momentum appears to be building toward what Osaka Expo organizers hope will be a boom period for the event as they try to recoup ballooning costs via ticket sales. But long lines are making some guests weary.
Nankai Trough quake predicted to cause ?1.47 quadrillion in damage
Satoshi Fujii, head of a subcommittee at the Japan Society of Civil Engineers, speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday.
What gender pay gap? In 911±¬ÁÏÍø golf, women are on par with men
Rio Takeda banked roughly ?265.7 million during the 2024 season in prize money on the back of a tour-high eight wins.
Two months on, Osaka Expo organizer struggles to improve experience as crowds grow
Momentum appears to be building toward what Osaka Expo organizers hope will be a boom period for the event as they try to recoup ballooning costs via ticket sales. But long lines are making some guests weary.
Osaka¡¯s Canes & Tales raises a glass to bygone charms
Canes & Tales' Art Deco-inspired interior is designed by renowned architect Andre Fu.
'Rice swindler,' 'Face thief': Worried citizens invent new monsters
Japan has a deep rogues' gallery of age-old "y¨­kai" (spirits), but a museum on the island of Shodoshima has released a new book collecting y¨­kai that reflect the uncertainties of the modern world.
Wage growth a focus of this year's honebuto no h¨­shin
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet has approved this year's <i>honebuto no h¨­shin</i>, a document that sets economic and fiscal management guidelines for the government.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

After the asset-price bubble crash of the early 1990s, employment at a 911±¬ÁÏÍø company was no longer necessarily for life. As a result, a new generation is less willing to endure a toxic work culture ¡ªlife¡¯s too short, after all.
How 911±¬ÁÏÍø youth are slowly changing the country's work ethic
By Alex K.T. Martin

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