review

ENTERTAINMENT

‘Bullet Train’ is Fantasyland-Japan Action Pulp

David Leitch's 'Bullet Train' is the latest in a long line of Hollywood films to portray 'weird Japan.' But is it any…

ENTERTAINMENT

Review: Shin Ultraman is no Shin Godzilla – But That’s Not a Bad Thing

Anno Hideaki and Higuchi Shinji's second adaptation of a Showa-era tokusatsu classic isn't exactly deep - but it's a tremendous amount of…

LGBTQ

The Fish with One Sleeve: A Short Film on a Japanese Trans Experience

The Fish With One Sleeve, by director Tsuyoshi Shoji, is a film about a Japanese trans woman returning to her hometown to…

ENTERTAINMENT

Drive My Car: Oscar-Nominated Film is a Meditation on Grief

The first Japanese film nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, Hamaguchi Ryusuke's Drive My Car is slow moving - but powerful.

ENTERTAINMENT

“Belle”: Hosoda Mamoru’s Fairy Tale for the VTuber Age

Internationally beloved director Hosoda Mamoru's new film, Belle, portrays the modern clash between online fame and anonymity - with some narrative hiccups.

BOOK REVIEWS

“Of Arcs and Circles” Contemplates Gardens, Nature, and Life Itself

"When people no longer need things, or if they hate them, they destroy them... If people love things however, they care for…

BOOK REVIEWS

Review: “Black Box: The Memoir That Sparked Japan’s #MeToo Movement”

Ito Shiori's arresting memoir, Black Box, has been credited with starting #metoo in Japan. Now her seminal book has a superlative new…

ENTERTAINMENT

Japanese TV Outside Japan: The Best Streaming Options

Want to watch something from Japan besides anime? Here are your best Japanese TV viewing options - and the pros and cons…