Culture
ANIME
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New ‘Thermae Romae’ anime makes splash on Netflix
A bathhouse architect from ancient Rome accidentally time-travels to present-day Japan and learns ab...
May 20, 2022
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Tokiwaso museum hosts Otomate game exhibition
An exhibition featuring the works and items related to Otomate, a popular brand of romantic video ga...
May 20, 2022
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‘Jujutsu Kaisen 0’ voice actors discuss magic of new film
The animated film “Jujutsu Kaisen 0” has proved to be a huge hit since its theatrical release late l...
February 18, 2022
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Prequel reveals secrets behind ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’
The Animated film “Jujutsu Kaisen 0” has been a big hit in theaters since its release on Dec. 24 las...
February 11, 2022
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Voice behind ‘Demon Slayer’ hero chats about the series’ appeal
Empowering scenes of swordsmen risking their lives in a crusade against demonkind abound in the newe...
January 27, 2022
ART
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Kogin-zashi adds traditional touch to daily life
Kogin-zashi embroidery is traditional needlework originally from the Tsugaru region of Aomori Prefec...
May 19, 2022
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International support urged for Ukrainian cultural properties
World Heritage sites and other valuable cultural properties in Ukraine are facing a crisis due to Ru...
May 12, 2022
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Yellow scissors and a tiny world of paper art
Blunt-tip scissors with yellow handles might come to mind for some people in Japan when recalling th...
May 6, 2022
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Seto Inland Sea triennale art festival opens
TAKAMATSU — Art lovers are traveling to the Seto Inland Sea as contemporary artists from Japan and a...
May 5, 2022
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Modigliani paintings grace Osaka museum
OSAKA — Painter Amedeo Modigliani is featured in a special exhibition ongoing at Nakanoshima Museum ...
April 28, 2022
BEYOND THE PAPER SCREEN
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Symbol of the American Dream is drying up, literally
“You need more water,” my next-door neighbor says decisively. We can both see clearly that the grass...
May 19, 2022
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What a power outage taught me about emergency preparedness
When the lights flickered off late on the night before Thanksgiving last November, I didn’t think mu...
April 21, 2022
BOOKS
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More than just a cute bunny: Profundity of ‘Peter Rabbit’ stories rediscovered in new Japanese translation
This year marks the 120th anniversary of the publication of the first book in the “Peter Rabbit” ser...
April 30, 2022
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Protectors of kaiju monsters have to confront human ones
Some Japanese friends were surprised when I mentioned that I was reading American author John Scalzi...
April 12, 2022
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‘Order a tanka poem’ service results in book
Tanka poet Tatsuya Kinoshita, 34, writes tanka in response to people’s requests, and an anthology of...
April 6, 2022
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Picture books symbolize Japan’s modern history / Critic tracks, examines transition through 100 selected works by 100 artists
A newly published book sheds light on the modern history of Japanese picture books, chronologically ...
March 3, 2022
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Yoro’s critical eye keeps probing essence of all things
Critic and anatomist Takeshi Yoro, the author of the longtime best-selling book “Baka no Kabe” (What...
February 3, 2022
CULTURAL CONUNDRUMS
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Gaijin identity management: Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t
When I was growing up, my family had a much-loved black Labrador retriever named Eric. Eric was inde...
May 5, 2022
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Jibun: The private self in Japanese discourse
By Kate Elwood / Special to The Japan News [posttime] JST, [postdate] A recent TV commercial fo...
April 7, 2022
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France stands divided over Napoleon’s legacy
A landmark speech by French President Emmanuel Macron marking the 200th anniversary of Napoleon Bona...
October 7, 2021
FASHION
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Italian businessman targets customers with Japanese traditional fabric
FUKUOKA — A Fukuoka-based company that facilitates business tie-ups between Japan and Italy is shini...
May 13, 2022
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Swatch Group strikes golds with a unique brand collaboration
Collaborations are quite the norm in the fashion world. With consumers inundated with tie-ups, there...
May 6, 2022
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Will the time come for Japanese designers to shine?
I have been covering fashion and apparel businesses in Japan and abroad for 40 years, and I am a bit...
April 1, 2022
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Rising Japanese brand Doublet is drawing attention for a reason
The 2022-2023 Autumn/Winter menswear collection was released in fashion capitals, such as Paris and ...
March 4, 2022
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Junko Shimada still creating timeless pieces after 40 years
Paris-based fashion designer Junko Shimada continues to fascinate women of all ages around the globe...
February 17, 2022
FILM
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Lodging-style artists’ studio opens in Kobe
The Yomiuri ShimbunMirai Moriyama, second from right, and other members of the AiRK management team ...
May 13, 2022
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Japan govt honors Oscar-winning ‘Drive My Car’ director, actor
The Japanese government presented awards Thursday to film director Ryusuke Hamaguchi and actor Hide...
April 16, 2022
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Snow Man members bring anime sextuplets to life
The nine members of the boy band Snow Man have added to their skill set as entertainers as they rece...
April 15, 2022
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Japan cheers ‘Drive My Car’ Oscar win, hopes it will raise Murakami’s profile
TOKYO, March 28 (Reuters) – From Tokyo streets to the highest levels of government, Japan on Monday ...
March 28, 2022
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Japan film “Drive My Car” scoops Best International Feature Film at Oscars
LOS ANGELES — “Drive My Car” won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy A...
March 28, 2022
KABUKI & NOH
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Kabuki star Ichikawa Ebizo performs on Tokyo Skytree
Kabuki star Ichikawa Ebizo XI poses with his trademark defiant glare on a special stage at the top o...
May 23, 2022
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More chances for youngsters to try traditional arts in pipeline
The National Institution for Youth Education and the Japan Arts Council have signed an agreement and...
April 25, 2022
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Legendary Kichiemon II leaves lasting legacy to kabuki world
That deep, melodic voice, those tense facial expressions, those piercing eyes. With the passing of r...
December 9, 2021
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Auspicious signs displayed in Kyoto ahead of annual kabuki play
The names of kabuki performers were displayed on signs Thursday ahead of the annual kabuki play “Kic...
November 27, 2021
LITERATURE
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Page found from book of commentary on ‘The Tale of Genji’
A page from a book of commentary on “Genji Monogatari” (“The Tale of Genji”) by poet Fujiwara no Tei...
May 12, 2022
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In dramatic turn, script of long-lost play by Hisashi Inoue is found
The manuscript of an unpublished work believed to have been written by playwright and novelist Hisas...
April 18, 2022
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Photo exhibition shows unknown sides of novelist Ogai Mori
A special exhibition of photos of novelist Ogai Mori (1862-1922), commemorating the 160th anniversar...
January 31, 2022
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3 unpublished Shusaku Endo plays discovered
Manuscripts of three unpublished plays by novelist and playwright Shusaku Endo (1923-1996) were rece...
January 4, 2022
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Haiku magazine Hototogisu celebrates 1,500th issue
Haiku magazine Hototogisu, which means cuckoo bird, celebrated its 1,500th installment with the rele...
December 23, 2021
MANGA
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‘Darwin’s Incident’ ponders right to life in unique setting
The right to live as a human being is a fundamental right enshrined in the Constitution of Japan. I ...
May 20, 2022
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Japanese manga-themed manhole covers proving an unusual hit
Manhole covers featuring popular manga characters are creating a stir in Tokyo’s Taito Ward. The co...
April 26, 2022
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‘Kobo-chan’ keeps 4-panel manga tradition alive for 40 years
In one strip of the manga “Kobo-chan,” a girl stumbles on the street and lets go of the balloon she ...
April 15, 2022
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Mystery manga reveals contradictions in society
The manga “Misuteri to Iunakare” (Do not say mystery) has been attracting attention for the straight...
April 8, 2022
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Poetic scenery a hallmark of late mangaka Jiro Taniguchi’s work
The cover of manga creator Jiro Taniguchi’s “Aruku Hito” (“The Walking Man”) depicts the comic book’...
March 31, 2022
MUSEUM
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Museum app takes users back in time to the Edo period
The Edo-Tokyo Museum in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, has released an iPhone app that guides users through par...
May 7, 2022
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Exhibition marks 50th anniversary of Okinawa’s return
An exhibition honoring the half-century since Okinawa Prefecture was returned to Japanese sovereignt...
May 4, 2022
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Kuya statue stands as beacon in dark times
A statue of the Buddhist monk Kuya is known for having small statues of Buddhas emerging from his mo...
April 13, 2022
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Tokyo: Re-creating manga legends’ shared apartment
Fujiko F. Fujio and Shotaro Ishinomori are legends of the manga world. The legendary apartment Tokiw...
March 15, 2022
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Tokyo: A holy land for ‘Harukists’ at Waseda Univ.
The Haruki Murakami Library in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, is a place where any “Harukist,” or a fan of Ha...
February 8, 2022
MUSIC
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YNSO gives 1st Okinawa Pref. concert in 30 years
The Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra (YNSO) performed in Naha on Wednesday to commemorate the 50th ...
May 12, 2022
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Ryoko Moriyama spins her stories on 8-disc set marking 55th debut anniversary
Singer Ryoko Moriyama has released an eight-CD album titled “My Story” to commemorate the 55th anniv...
April 28, 2022
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Yomii: The piano virtuoso YouTuber with over 700 million views
A man dressed all in black came out and sat down at a gaudy piano. The man’s garb and the colorfully...
April 22, 2022
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10 composers band together to inspire unity
Ten popular composers teamed up to create the piano piece “Kizuna Piano,” created as a serial collab...
April 21, 2022
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Weigle on ‘vorspiel’ mission
This is the fourth spring for Sebastian Weigle to serve as principal conductor of the Yomiuri Nippon...
April 19, 2022
RAKUGO
STAGE
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Koichi Domoto finds perfect rivals in new cast for ‘SHOCK’ stage spectacle
Koichi Domoto, best known as one-half of the pop duo Kinki Kids, is encountering a new rival in the ...
April 29, 2022
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Displaced ballerina from Ukraine to dance for peace in Tokyo
A Ukrainian ballet dancer who evacuated from her country amid the ongoing Russian invasion will perf...
April 29, 2022
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Hosoda’s animated film to come to life in Shiki Theatre Company’s largest-ever production
The Shiki Theatre Company’s original musical adaptation of “Bakemono no Ko” (“The Boy and the Beast”...
April 28, 2022
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‘My Neighbor Totoro’ to be brought to London stage by Royal Shakespeare Company
LONDON (Jiji Press) — The Royal Shakespeare Company on Wednesday said that Japanese anime giant Haya...
April 28, 2022
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Morishita vows to dance for peace
Performers in an upcoming ballet production of “Romeo and Juliet” will dance for peace, according to...
April 21, 2022
TV
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Veteran suit actors and their superhero ‘nanori’ poses
On April 16, I hosted “Kanreki Matsuri 12,” a long-standing event series I run, and invited veteran ...
May 13, 2022
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Action master Jiro Okamoto fires up excitement virtually
The annual Jiro Matsuri, a talk show and festival in honor of veteran actor Jiro Okamoto, who excels...
April 8, 2022
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Nishijima a mystery man in new TV thriller ‘Guilty Flag’
Hidetoshi Nishijima stars as Ryosuke Sagara, a salaryman who becomes the talk of the nation followin...
November 12, 2021
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Kamen Rider Kaixa event celebrates 10th anniversary
The 913 Matsuri is one of my strangest annual events. Each year, actor Kohei Murakami and I organize...
October 8, 2021
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