Author Archives: philipbrasor

Best movies 2012

Posted on December 29, 2012 by philipbrasor

These are my favorite movies that were released in Japan in 2012. Of them, only one was produced here and that one wasn’t even directed by a Japanese person, thus demonstrating my continuing resistance to post-bubble Japanese cinema, which isn’t … Continue reading →

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January 2013 albums

Posted on December 27, 2012 by philipbrasor

Here are the album reviews I wrote for the Jan. issue of EL Magazine, which was distributed in Tokyo on Christmas Day. Koi No Yokan -Deftones (Reprise/Warner) King Animal -Soundgarden (Vertigo/Universal) Sacramento’s Deftones occupy an interesting position in the hard … Continue reading →

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January 2013 movies

Posted on December 26, 2012 by philipbrasor

Here are the movie reviews I wrote for the January issue of EL Magazine, which was distributed in Tokyo on Christmas Day. Albert Nobbs The title character of this modest period piece is a waiter in a Dublin hotel at … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Dec. 23, 2012

Posted on December 23, 2012 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which is about the Liberal Democratic Party’s pledge to boost economic activity with more public works projects. Because returning prime minister Shinzo Abe is qualifying this regressive strategy in terms that most people will sympathize … Continue reading →

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December 2012 albums

Posted on November 28, 2012 by philipbrasor

Here are the album reviews I wrote for the December issue of EL Magazine, which was distributed in Tokyo last weekend. Red -Taylor Swift (Big Machine/Universal) R.E.D. -Ne-Yo (Motown/Universal) Two years ago we reviewed these two artists’ previous albums together, … Continue reading →

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December 2012 movies

Posted on November 26, 2012 by philipbrasor

Here are the movie reviews I wrote for the Dec. issue of EL Magazine, which was distributed in Tokyo last weekend. Ai no yukue The “tentatively” titled Where Does Love Go? is extrapolated from a story that Japanese viewers will … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Nov. 25, 2012

Posted on November 25, 2012 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which is mostly about an installment of NHK’s “Closeup Gendai” that covered working women in Japan. Though the issue deserves the attention it’s been getting, the point of the column, and to a lesser extent the point … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Nov. 18, 2012

Posted on November 18, 2012 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix about Education Minister Makiko Tanaka’s decision to approve three applications for university status after originally rejecting them. In the column I didn’t talk much about Tanaka’s political reasons for either the initial rejection or for … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Nov. 4, 2012

Posted on November 4, 2012 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which is about the media response to Shintaro Ishihara’s resignation as governor of Tokyo. It’s interesting and fortunate that Eriko Arita’s article about the rise of online nationalism appears on the same page. I didn’t … Continue reading →

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November 2012 albums

Posted on November 1, 2012 by philipbrasor

Here are the album reviews I wrote for the November issue of EL Magazine, which was distributed in Tokyo a week ago. The Truth About Love -P!nk (RCA/Sony) Kiss -Carly Rae Jepsen (Interscope/Universal) For all her self-professed independence, Alecia Moore … Continue reading →

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