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Learning Japanese: The Classroom Experience & The Ultimate Goal
From Japan Society Language Center's "Uki Uki NihonGO!" series.In Part 1 of our interview with Japan Society Language Center director Tomoyo Kamimura, she discussed her experience teaching the Japanese...
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To Be Continued: The Second Life of Japan's Silent Films
A scene from Kinugasa's hallucinatory masterpiece Crossroads, one of the few existing films from Japan's silent era. It’s often said that the classics will never be forgotten. Be it literature, art,...
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Three String Theory: Japan's Shamisen Threads Culture and History
Shamisen building circa 1909. Via. The warmth of a calming resonance slowly spreads to each corner of the room. A shrill tapping quickens and that warmth turns to fire – a frenzied, wailing blaze,...
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Bases Covered: MLB Player's Long-Term Support of Japan Earthquake Recovery
Presenters at the Nov. 15 MLB press conference to spotlight earthquake recovery.It’s the Japan All-Star Series, an annual goodwill competition between America’s and Japan’s best baseball players, and...
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Smashing in Pink: Japan's Artful, Rebellious Film Genre
Actress Kaori Okamoto bares (almost) all in Top Stripper. © 1982 Nikkatsu Corporation.Adult film is a genre often avoided by film critics, and for obvious reasons: stories tend to be nonexistent, plots...
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Nothing Less Than Perfection: The Dedication of Japan’s Master Craftsmen
Tekumi Manabu Ikeda can take years to finish one of his renowned detailed paintings. Via.The work is done, but just one small detail seems off. If no one notices, is it worth fixing?In Japan, the...
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Delight in the Details: A Closer Look at Japan Society's ‘Garden'
Manabu Ikeda's Foretoken.Whether diabolical or divine, details in art capture (and sometimes overwhelm) the imagination, and can transform a single instant into an hours-long adventure of discovery. A...
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Taking The First Steps To Learning Japanese
Mark Gallucci is a Japan Society Communications intern. In addition to receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University at Albany, he completed a study-abroad program in Kansai Gaidai...
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Memories of Oshogatsu, Japan's New Year's Family Celebration
It’s December 31, and the house is spotless, the food has been prepared, and the celebration is about to begin. Tomorrow is New Year’s Day in America, but in Japan, it’s the beginning of Oshogatsu,...
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The Story of Tokyo Rose
A multitude of Tokyo Roses in Miwa Yanagi's Zero Hour. (c) Naoshi Hatori Commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, Japan Society launches its Stories from the War programming...
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Recovery's Long Road: Fukushima Four Years After The Great East Japan Earthquake
Seeds of Hope: Fukushima rice recently passed radiation tests for the first time since the disasters. Image via the Fukushima Organic Agriculture Network/JERF.The 4th anniversary of the Great East...
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Rebuilding From The Rubble: Three Japanese Architects Construct Amidst...
Tadao Ando's Benesse House Oval on the island of Naoshima. Via.After years of toxic emissions from refineries built during Japan’s era of modernization, Naoshima, an island in Japan’s Kagawa...
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Frozen In Time: The Cinematic Legacy Of Japan's 'Eternal Virgin'
Setsuko Hara's iconic career spanned only three decades.For more than three decades, she dazzled audiences as the ideal Japanese woman. Boys fell in love with her, women wanted to be like her, and...
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Learning Japanese: Enhance Classes With A Listening and Reading Routine
Learning Japanese? Go for 'total immersion' even if not in Japan. Via.Of all the ways to start studying Japanese, many find taking classes to be one of the most effective. But making the most of class...
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The Mystery Of Merii of Hama And The Birth Of 'Yokohama Rosa'
Merii of Hama on the streets of Yokohama. Circa 1990."What? What’s my name? I’ve long forgotten my real name. But people call me all sorts of names. Like Merii of Hama, Mary, ‘Merican Li’l or Rosa. But...
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Lessons From Another World: Three Timeless Folktales From Japan
Life's a mukashi banashi! Illustration by Benjamin Warren.Whether it’s a turtle ride to an underwater palace, bamboo-born princesses, or a thumb-sized samurai besting beasts, Japanese folklore conjures...
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Christianity In Japan & A Noh Theater Prayer For Peace
Scenes from Holy Mother in Nagasaki. A woman in a white mask emerges on stage and slowly glides down a narrow path. Clad in a vibrant blue veil and robes of blue and shimmering gold, she stops and...
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Cats Purr-vade Japan's History and Culture
The cats of Japan's "Cat Island" await your visit. Via.From protectors of ancient religious relics to demon cats haunting night travelers to the YouTube and media celebrities of today, cats have an...
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Ramifications of WWII: Recommended Reading & Resources On U.S.-Japan Relations
To mark the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII today, we've compiled a shortlist of books, articles, films and historical documents that help contextualize the relationship between the U.S. and Japan...
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