Category Archives: Media

Media Mix, Mar. 20, 2011

Posted on March 20, 2011 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which is ostensibly about Japanese commercial TV coverage of the disaster, though it mainly addresses the lack of debate surrounding Japan’s nuclear energy policy. As I say near the end, now is not the time … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Mar. 6, 2011

Posted on March 6, 2011 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which is a survey of recent news stories related to the issue of illegitimate children, a term that has mostly been abandoned in the West since it bears a negative stigma. “Out-of-wedlock” is more neutral … Continue reading →

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Walking between the raindrops of normalcy with Johnny Depp in Tokyo

Posted on March 5, 2011 by philipbrasor

Say what you will about Johnny Depp’s privileges as one of the biggest movie stars in the world, the guy doesn’t take them for granted. Though he’s made blockbusters, he’s made them on his own terms because he doesn’t seem … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Feb. 27, 2011

Posted on February 27, 2011 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix about the increasingly blurry line between content and commercials on TV variety shows. After filing the story I had misgivings about using “Gatchiri Academy” as an example of a show that made use of the … Continue reading →

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Idol Chatter: The Evolution of J-Pop

Posted on February 26, 2011 by philipbrasor

The following article originally appeared in the April-June 1997 issue of Japan Quarterly, a now defunct English-language publication put out by the Asahi Shimbun. For a continuation of the story, there is an article I wrote for The Japan Times … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Feb. 20, 2011

Posted on February 20, 2011 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which is about rice and Japan’s consideration of participating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which would remove the import tariffs that protect Japanese farmers, in particular rice farmers. I plan to post a related article at … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Feb. 13, 2011

Posted on February 13, 2011 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which is about K-pop, specifically the TV Tokyo drama series Urakara starring the Korean girl band Kara. Though I don’t discuss the quality of the show in any detail, readers should be warned that it’s … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Feb. 6, 2011

Posted on February 6, 2011 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which is basically about skyrocketing medical costs and the probable failure of Japan’s national heath insurance program to keep up. However, the heart of the matter is the priorities attached to medical care, and I … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Jan. 30, 2011

Posted on January 30, 2011 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which is about that BBC quiz show which offended a lot of Japanese people. I’m hoping that anyone who reads the column will not automatically connect it to the common generalization that all Japanese people … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Jan. 23, 2011

Posted on January 23, 2011 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which is about NHK’s appropriation of commercial TV’s programming strategies. In the print edition of the Japan Times it appears next to Mark Schreiber’s report about the potholes on the road to all-digital television, which … Continue reading →

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