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Who is best placed to advise on up-and-coming artists? Artists themselves of course. We asked five established music scene mainstays to select their top picks for the coming year. That includes experimental musician…
By Kim Kahan
At the time of writing, Squid Game is enjoying its third consecutive month on the list of the Top 10 most popular Netflix shows in Japan. But the success of the Korean…
By Cezary Jan Strusiewicz
When it comes to things Japan should be worrying about in 2022, movies are low down on the list. But that’s precisely why it needs movies now more than ever. With everything…
Sophie is delightfully chipper despite it being 9am on a Sunday morning. It’s early by most measures in this city that never sleeps, but for someone who has as much on her…
By Samantha Low
Kabuki, a UNESCO-recognized Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is a form of classical Japanese theater characterized by its extravagant costumes, make-up, performances and a surprising lack of women’s bathrooms backstage. That’s because…
Earlier this year Fumio Kishida formally became Japan’s 100th Prime Minister. But the job could very well have gone to Sanae Takaichi or Seiko Noda, two members of the Liberal Democratic Party…
I don’t know if there really is an app for everything, but there is certainly one that will tell you how long you’ll have to wait in line before you get the…
By Andreas Neuenkirchen
As a destination, Malaysia might not be on everyone’s radar. One Japanese YouTuber is adamant about changing that and introducing a side of the country that few have seen. Meet Aki from…
The Naked Director made Takayuki Yamada a mainstay among Netflix audiences. However, fans of Japanese film and entertainment were already buzzing about films he was the protagonist in like Train Man and Crows Zero. In…
With Covid-19 cases decreasing, there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel at last. For now, however, the state of emergency remains in place, meaning more time at…
By Paula Chiarino
After a long photo-shoot, I thought Hikari Mori may be tired and possibly a little apathetic for our interview. She was anything but. The 29-year-old model was brimming with energy and enthusiasm…
By Matthew Hernon
Musician and actor Gackt will be going on a hiatus for an indefinite period. The 48-year-old singer has dysphonia (vocal disorder) and has been told by doctors it would be impossible to…
In 2001, it was announced that then-newcomer Mamoru Hosoda would direct Howl’s Moving Castle instead of Hayao Miyazaki in a significant departure for Studio Ghibli. However, Hosoda ended up leaving the project…
On August 19, the world said goodbye to Shinichi Chiba, Sonny Chiba, Sadaho Maeda and Rindo Wachinaga. Of course, we are talking about the same person, just one who used various names…
If seeing the likes of Demon Slayer and Attack on Titan everywhere in Japan right now hasn’t made it abundantly clear, anime is experiencing a resurgence in popularity like never before. Certainly, classics…
If you haven’t been living under a YouTube-less rock for the last few years, the name Abroad in Japan is certain to ring a bell. As one of the most celebrated YouTubers…
For 10 points, name a Hollywood movie with a male Asian lead? For 100 points, it can’t be a whacky comedy or a martial arts film. To win the game, say anything…
How do you prove to someone that you’re real? In the case of journalist Shiori Ito, there are many ways for people to confirm her identity. For example, there are the bylines…
