Showing 1 - 10 of 22
‘Dancing in their hands’: Japan’s kabuki wig masters
AFP, Published on 23/04/2026
» TOKYO - Every actor in kabuki — a traditional Japanese performing art celebrated for its striking makeup and elaborate costumes — relies on one final, essential element to fully inhabit their role: the wig.
Geisha spectacle in Japan's Kyoto celebrates arrival of spring
AFP, Published on 03/04/2026
» KYOTO (JAPAN) - Against a backdrop of blooming cherry blossoms, a group of geishas elegantly shuffle onto a stage in Japan's Kyoto city to begin a centuries-old performance celebrating the arrival of spring.
Kokuho: A national treasure in name and essence
Published on 20/01/2026
» The movie Kokuho (2025) is, in both name and essence, a national treasure. This epic Japanese drama delving into the life of an onnagata, a male actor who specialises in playing female roles, not only introduces the centuries-old art form of Kabuki to the world, but also proves to be a triumph of Japanese cinema.
New movies out this week: Jan 15-21
Guru, Nianne-Lynn Hendricks, Published on 15/01/2026
» 4 new releases that hit cinemas in Thailand this week.
'Female power': Japan erotic art destigmatised in new exhibit
AFP, Published on 29/08/2025
» TOKYO — Graphic depictions of enormous phalluses and acrobatic sex positions have long rendered centuries-old Japanese "shunga" art taboo, but a rare exhibition aims to prove the genre is a world apart from male-centred porn.
Immerse yourself in Japanese tradition
Life, Published on 10/09/2024
» The beauty of Japanese tradition will be unveiled at two special events in Bangkok this week by Sakura Fujima School in collaboration with Soke Fujima.
Seven Samurai: Masterless warriors in a cinematic masterpiece
Published on 04/07/2024
» NEW YORK - Few movies have been more influential than "Seven Samurai," an existential action film directed by Akira Kurosawa that, at longer than three hours, seemingly muscled its way into existence.
COP28 won't admit real cost of net zero
News, Bjorn Lomborg, Published on 06/12/2023
» The spectacle of another annual climate conference is getting underway in Dubai. Like Kabuki theater, performative set pieces lead from one to the other: politicians and celebrities arrive by private jets; speakers predict imminent doom; hectoring NGOs cast blame; political negotiations become fraught and inevitably go overtime; and finally: the signing of a new agreement that participants hope and pretend will make a difference.
Unwrapping Osaka
Life, Pattarawadee Saengmanee, Published on 10/08/2023
» The rain had stopped when our plane landed in Osaka and the summertime warmth was just beginning to rise. Looking out of the window, I was reminded of my previous trip in 2010 when I spent two days on every extreme ride at Universal Studio Japan. Time flies.
'Straight to your soul': Japan's taiko reinvents drum tradition
AFP, Published on 20/05/2022
» SADO: In a hall on Japan's Sado island, 71-year-old Yoshikazu Fujimoto strikes the imposing drum mounted before him, producing a boom so powerful that it reverberates through the floorboards.