Reiwa: Get Ready for the Age of Harmony and Auspicious Plum Blossom Viewing
The Western system makes the future seem predictable and mappable. Under gengo the future is radically uncertain.
R.I.P. Yuya Uchida: Sayonara to Japan’s Mr. Rock’n Roll
His party political broadcast, mostly in idiosyncratic English, turned out to be a classic of the genre.
My Heisei Journey: From Bubble Fantasy to Solid Ground
Euphoric hedonism was succeeded by utter despair
In Praise of Mess: Has Kondomania Gone Too Far?
Buddhist monk Kenko Yoshida could be considered a “de-cluttering guru” of the fourteenth century
The Bull Market in Bungaku: Japan’s Literary Revival
Higashino sometimes occupies half the spots in the top 10, rather as the Beatles used to dominate the pop charts
The World Is Bigger Through Kurosawa’s Eyes
Great films travel far through time and place. When viewed by fresh eyes, they become new films.
Lafcadio the Greek: The Man Who Dreamed Japan
He knew all about “this world of reality” – family disintegration, physical handicap, racism, being down-and-out in London and New York
Will the Brave Blossoms Flourish?
The word “rugby” has become one of the “season words” that are an essential component of every haiku.
New Terayama / Moriyama Publication: “Japan, A Photo Theater”
Terayama’s text ranges from a sexual fantasy involving his mother to a prose-poem dedicated to 1960s screen goddess Ayako Wakao.
First Love: The Hell Version
“You have a wife, don’t you?” “Yes, she’s as cold as ice. When she’s asleep, I often dream of setting her on fire.”