Author Archives: philipbrasor

Media watch: Social services continue to miss the real reasons behind child abandonment

Posted on September 23, 2024 by philipbrasor

Earlier this month, the Children and Family Agency released statistics about child abuse in Japan. In 2022, 72 children died as the result of “abuse,” two fewer than in 2021. However, in recent years this statistic has remained pretty much … Continue reading →

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Review: High & Low – John Galliano

Posted on September 20, 2024 by philipbrasor

Several years ago, I read an article in the New York Times that explicated the financial circumstances surrounding the fashion industry. Most designer fashion houses, including quite a few high-end ones, constantly operate in the red, since their product is … Continue reading →

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Review: Songs of Earth

Posted on September 19, 2024 by philipbrasor

The scenery captured by four expert camera operators—one using a drone—in Margreth Olin’s documentary is undeniably other-wordly, even if the images are meant to convey the magnificence of nature in the raw. The reason has to do with the perceptions … Continue reading →

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Review: Bonnard, Pierre and Marthe

Posted on September 18, 2024 by philipbrasor

Director Martin Provost is known for his biopics of French women, both real and (semi-)fictional, and his latest extends the idea by studying the artistic evolution of Marthe de Meligny (Cécile de France), a factory worker who, by chance, meets … Continue reading →

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Review: A Human Position

Posted on September 14, 2024 by philipbrasor

It says a lot about this quiet, enigmatic Norwegian film that the main character, Asta (Amalie Ibsen Jensen), almost casually secures a job as a reporter at her small coastal town’s newspaper without the viewer registering much in the way … Continue reading →

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Review: Hit Man

Posted on September 13, 2024 by philipbrasor

Richard Linklater could be cited as one of those world-class directors who alternates idiosyncratic, arty films with mass-marketable, crowd-pleasing entertainments, and most people will probably slot Hit Man in the latter category, but it’s deeper than the description would let … Continue reading →

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Review: Breaking Point

Posted on September 12, 2024 by philipbrasor

It’s difficult to say if this 2023 British film’s release in Japan was meant to coincide with the 2024 Paris Olympics, which featured breaking (break dancing for you old-timers) as an official event for the first time. Likely not, but … Continue reading →

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Media watch: How sustainable is Japan’s health insurance system?

Posted on September 9, 2024 by philipbrasor

There are reasons why I, an American, have decided to live the rest of my life in Japan, and though one of them is the current state of political discourse in my native country, that factor entered into the decision … Continue reading →

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Review: My Sunshine

Posted on September 6, 2024 by philipbrasor

Hiroshi Okuyama’s assured second feature could be slotted as a sports movie, since it adheres to many of the structural requirements of the genre, but eventually the viewer will realize that it only follows the plan in order to upend … Continue reading →

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Media watch: Prince Hisahito’s rumored Todai ambitions aren’t getting any encouragement in the press

Posted on September 5, 2024 by philipbrasor

Though the Japanese media is invariably respectful and circumspect when it comes to the Imperial household, I’ve never gotten the impression that the general public, while respectful themselves, really harbors much affection for the royals. It may be simply a … Continue reading →

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