Category Archives: Uncategorized

Here is a link to our April media column for the Number 1 Shimbun, which is about the push in Japan for “nuclear sharing” and reopening nuclear power plants in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

For this month’s Number 1 Shimbun we wrote about the government’s bid to make the Sado gold and silver mine a UNESCO heritage site. Link to the column is here.

Ian Thomas Ash’s documentary about foreign detainees in Japan’s immigration facilities is a pointedly activist work. In interviews Ash has said that his main purpose was to make the Japanese people understand what their government is doing in their name, … Continue reading →

Though Clint Eastwood has never officially stated when he plans to retire as a director, it seems to be that he once said something about leaving acting behind, but I may have imagined that. In any event, having entered his … Continue reading →

For the second year in a row I have decided to forego a ten best list, since I didn’t see nearly enough of the movies released in Japan in 2021 to make any sort of authoritative judgment on which were … Continue reading →

Over the past month I’ve read many reviews saying that 2021 was an especially great year for music. Given how much longer it took me to compile the following list, I would tend to agree, but we each approach our … Continue reading →

The Utoro district of Uji city in Kyoto Prefecture holds a great deal of historical significance for Zainichi Koreans, meaning permanent residents of Japan with Korean background. During World War II, the area was home to workers who had been … Continue reading →

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which is about a Korean documentary I recently saw that explored K-pop fandom from the viewpoint of a real K-pop fan who interrogated her devotion to a certain musician after he was convicted of rape. … Continue reading →