KATRINA CROSBY WRITES – On one side of you, there is a zombie, and on the other– a futuristic robot. All at once, a sexy cop smiles from across the aisle while she slips back into conversation with Sailor Moon. Where is this? None other than one of Japan’s infamous…
[contact-form][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Website” type=”url” /][contact-field label=”Message” type=”textarea” /][/contact-form]S PROF TOM PLATE WRITES — Despite not having before his all-seeing eyes the example of Donald J. Trump, the 17th century philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal came to the conclusion: “All human evil comes from…
CJ STONE WRITES – In the aftermath of the Las Vegas mass shooting that left more than 50 people dea, a debate is underway over why such acts continue to occur. In the process, “the media” is being singled out by some for, if not causing the problem, at least…
KATRINA CROSBY WRITES – Everyone can recognize that signature disk — its circular shape with its slight grooves and its deep black color. The vinyl record, in all its glory, is a true musical phenomenon. Generations old and young acknowledge it as the pinnacle of music platforms. While older folks…
YI NING WONG WRITES — Google and Adobe recently launched a unified font, Noto Serif CJK, which provides support for simplified and traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean. The new font supports four different regional writing styles by automatically adjusting each character according to the keyboard language. This laborious creation requires…
KATRINA CROSBY WRITES – The young girl sits on a chair with a small bird on her left shoulder, her eyes staring straight ahead. A second chair is left empty beside her, inviting onlookers to reflect on what the statue represents. This particular statue is located in Busan, South Korea,…
ERISA TAKEDA WRITES – Japan’s Justice Ministry wants to answer what is apparently a pressing question for the country: Are we racists? The ministry has announced that it will be sending out surveys of questionnaires to foreign residents written in 13 different languages to ask about their experiences of…
RYAN DAO WRITES — Toei Company, the Japanese film and television production company behind the wildly popular “Power Rangers” series in the U.S., will be celebrating the end of their “Superhero Year” with the premiere of “Kamen Rider Heisei Generations: Dr. Pac-Man vs. Ex-Aid & Ghost with Legend Riders” (English…
RYAN DAO WRITES — After a long 12-year hiatus, the legendary king of monsters makes his triumphant return of the silver screen with “Shin Godzilla” (“Shin Gojira,” or internationally known as “Godzilla Resurgence”), a modern-take on a classic Japanese icon. “Shin Godzilla” is the 29th installment in the Godzilla franchise…
ERISA TAKEDA WRITES – It was quite a familial setting – he sat at the head of the table over lunch as he recounted episodes in his 83 years of life in a calm but assured manner. No, this was not my grandfather, but renowned Japanese journalist, Fumio Matsuo. There…
KATE BARKLEY WRITES – Pens, apples, and pineapples were ordinary items until they came to comprise a PPAP or Pen Pineapple Apple Pen in DJ Kosaka Daimaou’s viral video. Posted almost over a month ago on August 25th, Japanese comedian/DJ Kosaka Daimaou sings about combining fruits with pens in a…
ERISA TAKEDA WRITES – Japan and Saudi Arabia each want a better economy. To get there, they’ve just doubled down on closer bilateral relations and deeper cultural ties. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met in Tokyo September 1 to sign a handful of agreements…
THE JAPAN TIMES IN TOKYO WRITES: A half-Indian beauty queen with an elephant trainer’s license was crowned Miss Japan on Monday, striking a fresh blow for racial equality. Priyanka Yoshikawa’s tearful victory comes a year after Ariana Miyamoto faced an ugly backlash for becoming the first black woman to represent…
EXCERPTED FROM ‘THE ORIENTAL ECONOMIST’ – Michael Green, the prominent and respected former George W. Bush foreign-policy adviser, on why he will vote for Hillary Clinton in November: “… During the primaries, I worked for Jeb Bush, and I briefed him on Asia. I was never going to vote for…
GUEST LULLY MIURA WRITES FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO – Koike Yuriko became the first female governor of Tokyo in a surprise landslide earlier this month. The election was held following a money scandal involving the former governor. While Koike’s victory is a step forward for women in Japan, it could…
It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a film for Asia Media, but after seeing Makoto Shinkai’s “Kimi no Na Wa.” (君の名は。), also known by its Western title, “your name.”, I felt compelled to return to spread the word about what could go down as one of the greatest animated…
