91²Ö¿â

 
Menu
Search
 
April 29, 2026
 

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

CULTURE

Film
Books
Art
Music
TV & Streaming
Stage
Entertainment news
Erika Toda brings force but limited nuance to her portrayal of Kazuko Hosoki in "Straight to Hell."
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
¡®Straight to Hell¡¯ gets stuck in purgatory
By James Hadfield
Lies and lurid twists stack up in Netflix's take on fortune teller Kazuko Hosoki, but when it reaches her empire and influence, the story feels rushed and insight runs thin.
¡°Mojacat,¡± Kan Sano¡¯s first solo album in four years, gave the musician the opportunity to work with childhood favorites such as Chara and Ua.
CULTURE / Music
Kan Sano lets go of control and lets others in on ¡®Mojacat¡¯
By Patrick St. Michel
Kan Sano's latest album expands his musical imagination, with collaborators such as Chara and Ua helping him push beyond the limits of going it alone.
Akio Fujimoto¡¯s film follows two siblings (Muhammad Shofik Rias Uddin, left, and Shomira Rias Uddin) who maintain a sense of play through a perilous journey.
CULTURE / Film
¡®Lost Land¡¯: A Rohingya odyssey viewed with startling immediacy
By Mark Schilling
Shot with nonprofessional Rohingya actors, Akio Fujimoto's film follows two siblings through a perilous journey, where survival depends as much on strangers as on luck.

Film

Akio Fujimoto¡¯s film follows two siblings (Muhammad Shofik Rias Uddin, left, and Shomira Rias Uddin) who maintain a sense of play through a perilous journey.
Film
¡®Lost Land¡¯: A Rohingya odyssey viewed with startling immediacy
By Mark Schilling
Shot with nonprofessional Rohingya actors, Akio Fujimoto's film follows two siblings through a perilous journey, where survival depends as much on strangers as on luck.
Film
¡®Leave the Cat Alone¡¯: Even when life and love get messy, creativity survives
By James Hadfield
Film
¡®Lost Land¡¯ director captures play and peril on a migrant's journey
By James Hadfield
Film
'Rhapsody, Rhapsody¡¯ falters between rom-com whimsy and psychodrama
By Mark Schilling
Film
¡®Sakamoto Days¡¯ is a faithful adaptation, rather than a good one
By James Hadfield
Film
¡®One Last Love Letter¡¯: A wistful throwback to romance in the age of texts
By Mark Schilling
Film
¡®WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3¡¯: The franchise¡¯s melancholy, noir outlier
By Matt Schley

Books

Haruki Murakami returns this summer with his new novel, "The Tale of Kaho," which is centered on a 26-year-old picture book author.
Books
Haruki Murakami to release first novel in three years with ¡®The Tale of Kaho¡¯
By Alyssa I. Smith
The beloved author's new work, set to be released July 3, marks his first female-led novel ¡ª and a return to the uncanny.
Books
Now on the multilingual margins, can Japanese bookstores be more than just a vibe?
By Eric Margolis
Books
¡®What am I, a Deer?¡¯ searches to understand the self and others
By Kris Kosaka
Books
New Tanizaki collection illuminates ¡®In Praise of Shadows¡¯ origin
By Steve John Powell and Angeles Marin Cabello
Books / Longform
Why tanka poetry is clicking with a new generation
By Zoria Petkoska
Books
Takaki Biwa on winning the 76th Mr. H. Poetry Prize
By Aleksandra Priimak
Books / Longform
The voices of Tibet, far from home
By Michael Judge

Music

¡°Mojacat,¡± Kan Sano¡¯s first solo album in four years, gave the musician the opportunity to work with childhood favorites such as Chara and Ua.
Music
Kan Sano lets go of control and lets others in on ¡®Mojacat¡¯
By Patrick St. Michel
Kan Sano's latest album expands his musical imagination, with collaborators such as Chara and Ua helping him push beyond the limits of going it alone.
Music
After years away, BTS and its fans reunite at full volume
By Patrick St. Michel
Music
At 80, Yoshio Suzuki keeps chasing the possibilities of jazz
By Akane Hayashi
Music / Sound Off
Tokyo¡¯s concert scene searches for its next act
By Patrick St. Michel
Music / CULTURE SMASH
How the Japanese made jazz their own
By Roland Kelts
Music
Bad Bunny plays first-ever Japan show at exclusive Spotify event
By Patrick St. Michel
Music
For Evan Call, every melody is a conversation
By Patrick St. Michel

TV & Streaming

Erika Toda brings force but limited nuance to her portrayal of Kazuko Hosoki in "Straight to Hell."
TV & Streaming
¡®Straight to Hell¡¯ gets stuck in purgatory
By James Hadfield
Lies and lurid twists stack up in Netflix's take on fortune teller Kazuko Hosoki, but when it reaches her empire and influence, the story feels rushed and insight runs thin.
TV & Streaming
The WBC was a hit in Japan. Watching it wasn¡¯t.
By Gabriella Geisinger
TV & Streaming
Fans find their crew in Tokyo as ¡®One Piece¡¯ sets sail again
By Gabriella Geisinger
TV & Streaming
¡®Drops of God¡¯ decants a quiet, perfect ending
By Gabriella Geisinger
TV & Streaming
¡®Monarch¡¯ unleashes more monster mayhem
By Gabriella Geisinger
TV & Streaming
Season Two of 'Drops of God' serves a dark swirl of sibling drama
By Gabriella Geisinger
TV & Streaming / Wide Angle
Vulnerability, love and the limits of reality TV on 'The Boyfriend'
By Mike Fu

Art

¡°The Dream of the Fisherman¡¯s Wife,¡± a rarely exhibited print by Hokusai, will be on display at the Shinjuku Kabukicho Noh Theater for a limited time, from May 1 to 10.?
Art
Hokusai¡¯s erotic art on display at a Kabukicho noh theater
By Kim Kahan
"Kabukicho in Full Bloom" is the third in a series of shunga art exhibitions organized by the Smappa!Group, which operates host bars and restaurants across Shinjuku's Kabukicho.
Art
Kyotographie's Daido Moriyama retrospective resonates in an age of endless images
By Thu-Huong Ha
Art
Immersive exhibition brings Japanese folk monsters to life
By Alyssa I. Smith
Art
At Kohei Nawa¡¯s studio, the world is seen through glass bubbles
By Jennifer Pastore
Art
In Tokyo, Margiela¡¯s art exhibition creates a haunting house
By Uliana Dobrova
Art
At Ueno Station, ¡®Freedom¡¯ restored
By Jennifer Pastore
Art
Museum of Narratives is rife with possibilities
By Gabrielle Doman

Stage

Company Grande¡¯s inaugural performance, ¡°The Rite of Spring,¡± took place Feb. 7 at Saitama Arts Theater.
Stage
100 ways to belong: The radical inclusivity of Company Grande
By Kris Kosaka
Company Grande includes members from all ages, walks of life and abilities, showing the stage can also be an arena for amateurs, persons with disabilities and the elderly.
Stage
From clicks to claps: Online comics seek the stage
By Laura Pollacco
Stage
Kishida Prize crowns wordsmiths in the theater world
By Kris Kosaka
Stage
After ¡®Kokuho¡¯: Nakamura Takanosuke to take kabuki¡¯s ¡®onnagata¡¯ tradition to Europe
By Kris Kosaka
Stage
'Wisteria': Mieko Kawakami¡¯s story of female longing adapted for stage
By Grace En-yi Ting
Stage
Can Japanese theater travel? A Murakami adaptation tries.
By Alicia Haddick
Stage
Late-night noh theater finds new groove in techno and jazz
By Zoria Petkoska

Entertainment news

Director Hirokazu Kore-eda's ¡°Sheep in the Box" is up for a Palme d¡¯Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Films by Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Koji Fukada are also in the running for the festival's top prize.
Entertainment news
Three Japanese directors vie for top prize at Cannes, a first since 2001
By Alyssa I. Smith
Hirokazu Kore-eda, Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Koji Fukada bring a strong Japanese presence to the Cannes Film Festival's competition section this year.
Entertainment news
Music Awards Japan sets June return in Tokyo
By Alyssa I. Smith
Entertainment news
K-pop supergroup BTS shuts down central Seoul for comeback concert
Entertainment news
Paul Thomas Anderson finally wins Oscars as 'One Battle After Another' takes best picture
By Paula Ramon
Entertainment news
¡®Kokuho¡¯ misses out on Oscar for makeup and hairstyling
Entertainment news
It's 'Sinners' vs. 'One Battle' as Oscars day arrives
By Paula Ramon
Entertainment news
Has Timothee Chalamet blown his Oscars chances again?
By Romain FONSEGRIVES
Read more CULTURE stories
The Japanese dietitian who keeps the Blue Jays¡¯ engines running
Sports dietitian Yuka Sanui works behind the scenes to ensure Blue Jays players get the most out of their bodies when they step on the field.
Head of U.S. military in South Korea calls for ¡®kill web¡¯ linking Seoul, Tokyo and Manila
U.S. Army Gen. Xavier Brunson (center), commander of U.S. Forces Korea, walks on a pontoon bridge with U.S. and South Korean Army soldiers during a U.S.-South Korea joint river-crossing exercise, part of the annual Freedom Shield joint military training, near the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on March 14.
Magnitude 6.2 quake shakes Hokkaido
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake, measuring an upper 5 on Japan¡¯s seismic intensity scale, struck Hokkaido before 5:30 a.m. on Monday.
China holds live-fire drills in waters near Luzon as Japan joins military exercises in Philippines
Head of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner Jr., speaks during the opening ceremony of the U.S.-Philippines Balikatan joint military exercises, at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Metro Manila, on Monday.
The language around Japan¡¯s new bike rules leaves no room for ¡®maybe¡¯
Under the new blue ticket system, cyclists will have one week in which to pay fines for minor traffic violations.
Beyond the hub-and-spoke: Japan quietly emerges as a secondary connector
Commander of the Ground Self-Defense Force's Amphibious Rapid Deployment, Maj. Gen. Toshikatsu Musha, and commander of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Amphibious and Mine Warfare Force, Rear Adm. Ikeuchi Izuru, attend the opening ceremony of the U.S.-Philippines Balikatan joint military exercises, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, on April 20.
The Japanese dietitian who keeps the Blue Jays¡¯ engines running
Sports dietitian Yuka Sanui works behind the scenes to ensure Blue Jays players get the most out of their bodies when they step on the field.
The American chef reconnecting with Japan through a Kyoto restaurant
SoNoMa chef partner Kyle Connaughton (right) and chef de cuisine Keita Tominaga both have ties to Sonoma County in Northern California, the restaurant¡¯s namesake. Connaughton rose to prominence there with SingleThread, while Tominaga¡¯s father ran a Japanese restaurant in the region.
Hokusai¡¯s erotic art on display at a Kabukicho noh theater
¡°The Dream of the Fisherman¡¯s Wife,¡± a rarely exhibited print by Hokusai, will be on display at the Shinjuku Kabukicho Noh Theater for a limited time, from May 1 to 10.?
Inkonbini: Slice-of-life, cozy gaming from Japan¡¯s convenience stores
Alongside the simplified management of a convenience store, Inkonbini asks players to help a small cast of regular shoppers with not only their shopping but problems in their personal lives.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Projects like the BuddhaBot aim to re-create dialogue once lost to time, raising questions about whether AI can extend the teachings of Buddha or merely simulate them.
Can AI replace a priest? Japan¡¯s temples and shrines are testing the limits.
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER

Latest News

Iran war is latest blow to Somalia's malnourished children
6 hours ago
As war nears two months, displaced Lebanese family sinks into despair
6 hours ago
Most prediction market traders are losing money while bots rack up gains
6 hours ago
Trump administration fires entire National Science Board
7 hours ago
Lower House approves bills to raise out-of-pocket costs for OTC-like drugs
9 hours ago