The short documentary film Little Miss Sumo (2018) by British Director Matt Kay follows a young amateur female sumo athlete, Hiyori Kon, in her...
Based on the 12-volume manga series Death Note written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, Death Note: The Musical was first staged in...
Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story (Tokyo Monogatari, 1953) provides the backdrop to a voluntary decision I undertook to mark the 2020 new year. I set out...
Sometimes, traditions have hidden histories to uncover. Other times, the origins can be surprisingly obvious and yet reveal how a traditional celebration has survived...
“What I try to do, is create films that will foster change in themselves, or at the very least start a conversation,” said Matt Kay,...
Japan does New Year quite differently than other countries. In fact, many people compare Japanese New Year to American Christmas. It is a day to...
First-time travelers to Japan can often be overwhelmed when putting together their itinerary, as the country offers so many delicacies, festivities, and traditions spread throughout...
If you ask friends who have travelled to Japan, chances are the two places which come up as must-visit-destinations are: Tokyo, for the fun...
The comfort women issue has generated a lot of heat. There is endless argument about how many women worked as comfort women, whether they were sex...
In Western culture, we normally think of the New Year as being the one big “hurrah” between the last day of the year and the...
The December 15 opening ceremony for the New National Stadium in Tokyo inaugurated what is to be a major venue for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and...
(Part 9 of a Series on the Ukiyo-e Art of Kuniyoshi) From November 2 to December 12, 2019, prints from my collection were...