BOOK REVIEWS
Review: Takaoka’s Travels – This Surrealist Pilgrimage Delights and Disturbs
A new English translation of Takaoka's Travels by Japanese author Shibusawa Tatsuhiko is a funny, fantastical fever dream.
review
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BOOK REVIEWS
ENTERTAINMENT
Review: Shogun Is Great TV – But It’s Not About Colonialism
The 2024 Shogun TV series stacks up pretty well to history, says a Japanese historian - but the surrounding conversation around "colonialism"…
FOOD
Ramen Break Beats: Is Tokyo’s 2000 Yen Ramen Worth It?
As Japan debates the rising cost of ramen, one Tokyo restaurant unabashedly charges more than double the average cost. Is it worth…
LAW & CRIME
Review: “The Last Yakuza” – Jake Adelstein’s Wide-Ranging, Personal History of the Yakuza
After fourteen years, Jake Adelstein is back with a new full-length book on Japanese organized crime. The Last Yakuza was worth the…
ENTERTAINMENT
Review – Spy x Family Code: White is Pleasant Holiday Fun
International anime mega-hit Spy x Family is out with its first theatrical movie, Spy x Family Code: White. Is it worth a…
ENTERTAINMENT
Review: Studio Ponoc’s New ‘The Imaginary’ is Darkly Fantastical
Studio Ponoc, known as the "Ghibli Successor," is finally back with a new animated film. Can The Imaginary live up to its…
ENTERTAINMENT
Review: In Beat Takeshi’s Kubi, Samurai are Queer Yakuza
Internationally famed director Kitano Takeshi is back with his new samurai epic, Kubi. The violent, darkly funny film has some surprises in…
ENTERTAINMENT
Review: Godzilla Minus One is a Monster Disappointment
Godzilla is back for its first Japanese live-action film in seven years with a surprising post-war period piece. The question is, is…