CULTURE

Fukushima Monologue on NHK WOLRD-JAPAN

NHK WORLD-JAPAN program Fukushima Monologue Following the March 2011 accident at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, everyone within a 20 km area was ordered to evacuate. Matsumura Naoto alone stayed put. For 10 years, he has taken care of animals abandoned by those who left. Only a[...]

The Future of Kyogen on NHK WORLD-JAPAN

NHK WORLD-JAPAN program Someone from this Area The Future of Kyogen, Three Generations and Beyond Nomura Yuki is the scion of a family dedicated to kyogen, a Japanese performance art with a 650-year history. Training rigorously to debut a challenging solo piece, he carries the weight of tradition on[...]

[ENCOUNTER] MISHIMA by HIRANO Keiicihiro

MISHIMA Yukio dreamed of being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. A great admirer of the author of Confessions of a Mask, the novelist is also a leading expert on his work. HIRANO keiichiro, one of the youngest recipients ever of the prestigious Akutagawa Prize, says that he wouldn’t be a nov[...]

The Tale of Granny Mochi 2021: Kuwata Misao, 93-year-old confectioner

NHK WORLD-JAPAN program The Tale of Granny Mochi: Kuwata Misao The Tsugaru peninsula lies on the northern part of Japan’s main island, and is home to some of the country’s most untamed landscapes. For more than 30 years, 93-year-old Kuwata Misao has made over 50,000 Sasa-mochi rice cakes[...]

Visit with Ken Watanabe : The decade since the Great East Japan Earthquake

NHK WORLD-JAPAN program KEN WATANABE – A Compassionate View: The decade since the Great East Japan Earthquake On March 11, 2011, Japan was rocked by the Great East Japan Earthquake that tragically claimed the lives of more than 15,000 people. Since then, Actor Ken Watanabe has repeatedly visit[...]

New Animated serie starts on NHK WORLD-JAPAN “Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san”

NHK WORLD-JAPAN programNew Animated Series – Starting Thu. 25 February 2021 (12 episodes) Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san　 based on the original manga by Koyama AikoKiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House StoryKiyo and Sumire came to Kyoto from Aomori Prefecture, dreaming of becoming maiko. But aft[...]

No.83 [CINEMA] Nothing to get excited about

Made in 2014 by director HIROKI Ryuichi who began his career in pinku eiga (pink film), Kabukicho love hotel (Sayonara Kabukicho) takes place in a love hotel. Since the end of the Second World War, the approach to sex in films has changed radically. Sex and eroticism permeate every aspect of Japanes[...]

No.83 [STORY] STORYHASEGAWA Chisa, pink film princess

In 2019, HASEGAWA Chisa appeared in 6 pinku eiga. “Pink films” are one of the pillars of Japanese film production. One of its actresses tells her story. “Only in Japan” is a phrase that is often used to highlight Japan’s supposed unique and somewhat weird culture. But when it comes to cine[...]

NHK WORLD-JAPAN: Art is trash without social impact

NHK WORLD-JAPAN program Art is trash without social impact “I don’t have talent like Picasso,” says Tomokazu Matsuyama. Yet, he’s acquired quite a following since moving to the U.S. in his 20s. His work is in numerous collections, including that of Bill Gates. 2020 was suppos[...]

NHK WORLD-JAPAN: Run for the planet

NHK WORLD-JAPAN program Great Race:You’ll never run alone In a year when countless sporting events were canceled, an unprecedented long-distance race was born: “UTMB for the planet.” Online participants ran a set distance at places around the world. Top pros from Ultra-Trail du Mon[...]