“Allez, Les Brave Blossoms”: Japan’s Special Sporting Footprint
Planet Rugby is very different from the world of geopolitics. The United States is not a superpower but a minnow that failed to qualify for the World Cup
The Intelligent Ambiguity of Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer”
When a friend mentions an underground route for getting atomic secrets to Moscow, he responds “that would be treason”.
Ian Buruma’s “Collaborators”
And sometimes, there really are conspiracies — or at least crucial decisions taken far from the public eye
Hans Sautter’s “Japan”: A Photographer’s Lifework
The Sacred is there to balance the profane. We need them both.
An Excremental Film Review
We are a long way from the anality taboo that underpins much Freudian psychoanalysis.
Flowing into the Future: Tokyo by Water
“It is all but forgotten today that Tokyo’s low city was once a city equal to Venice in its charms,”
The Real Musical Magic of Ryuichi Sakamoto
Listening to the jazz-funk of Herbie Hancock’s Head Hunters band revolutionized his thinking about music
Big Time Gambling Boss: Yukio Mishima’s Favourite Yakuza Movie
When Tsuruta heard what had happened, he unsheathed his ceremonial sword and wept.
Guilty Pleasures: Tokyo Vice
Having an ex- Mormon missionary as the most formidable of the nightclub hostesses is excellent.
Rockin’ in Rhythm: Japan’s Battling Big Bands
Jazz was not merely a music to be accepted or reviled, but rather a metaphor for Japan’s participation in global cultural trends.