Fans of Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away were met with delight this week as the curtain rose on the theater adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki’s iconic animation. And even if you aren’t able to travel to Tokyo to see the production, we have some sneak peeks, courtesy of some of the creatives that were involved in what looks like an absolutely magical production.
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From Blue (2021) dir. Keisuke Yoshida
(this post is sponsored by ACA Cinema Project)
Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan (ACA) in collaboration with the IFC Center and Visual Industry Promotion Organization (VIPO) is proud to present New Films from Japan, introducing U.S. audiences to the best of recent Japanese cinema with screenings of Yujiro Harumoto’s A Balance and Keisuke Yoshida’s Blue from March 11-17, 2022, at IFC Center, New York. This is the third installment in the ACA Cinema Project series.
Keisuke Yoshida’s Blue, is a gripping drama about boxing that stars Kenichi Matsuyama and Masahiro Higashide, appearing on-screen together for the first time since Satoshi: A Move for Tomorrow. Earning the title of “The Master of Psychological Drama,” Yoshida was honored with a special Director in Focus program at 2021’s Tokyo International Film Festival.
“‘Blue’ is an idyllic love letter to the world of combative sports. A wonderfully crafted drama with strong performances.” –Asian Movie Pulse
Winner of the New Current Award at the Busan International Film Festival and an official selection at Berlinale, Yujiro Harumoto’s second feature film, A Balance, stars Kumi Takiuchi as a documentary director reporting on the true-life scandal of a student-teacher relationship with fraught societal consequences.
“Revealing… a bracingly unsentimental picture which asks knotty questions about the relationship between the media and the subjects at which it points its cameras.” –Screen International
Learn more and get tickets at ifccenter.com.
Do you need a leather bag specifically for carrying a snowpal? Of course you do. And what about a watermelon? And where exactly do you plan on keeping those perfectly shaped skipping stones you picked up? Well that’s where Japanese leather goods maker Tsuchiya Kaban’s series of ultra-specific leather bags come in. And they are touring Japan as part of an exhibition starting today in Tokyo.
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During the course of the global pandemic, from 2020 to 2021 there were roughly 1300 cancelled firework festivals throughout Japan. That’s according to Sayaka Shimada, a visual artist who often incorporates pyrotechnics as a means of interpreting culture and history. Her latest installation at Haneda Airport, a gateway to Japan, is a reconstruction of those festivals using time, location and visual data condensed into a visual and digital artwork.
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all renderings courtesy Shigeru Ban Architects
A lush site on Japan’s Awaji Island will soon welcome a new Zen wellness center designed by architect Shigeru Ban. On April 29, 2022, Zenbo Seinei will begin welcoming guests for a soul-nourishing retreat that includes meditation, food and rest, all under the roof of a narrow, elongated wooden structure.
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all images courtesy the artist
How well do you know your Japanese prefectures? A Japanese art student has created a fun and beautiful guide to all 47 of them, using expressive typography to render the kanji characters of each so that they visualize the one thing that prefecture is known for. To get you started, the top left is Tottori (鳥取) known for its sand dunes. The bottom left is Ehime (愛媛) known for its mandarin oranges. How many do you know?
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Japanese fashion designer Ryohei Kawanishi’s works have always reflected socio-political issues. His latest initiative is no different. Turning his creative eye to scrapped automobiles, the New York-based designer has created a line called “Air Garments” that upcycles used airbags into jackets, pants, hats and other items.
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Outdoor tea ceremonies known as nodate (野点) began in the 16 century when Japanese samurai on hunting and war expeditions drank tea with their lunch. Akin to a picnic, the tradition continues to this day but preparing one was a complicated affair. Now, thanks to this nodate tea set, setting up a tea ceremony on your next camping trip has never been easier.
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Be careful of the promises you make on social media. Two years ago, a Japanese artist who goes by the name Harenatsu posted a photo to her Twitter account introducing her series “small animals playing in the notebook lines.” She went on to explain that for every retweet, one animal would appear. It was retweeted 22,000 times.
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Looking for a unique dining experience in Japan in the age of covid? From late January through late February, a section of Iiyama (Nagano prefecture) is transformed into a magical igloo restaurant where a local hot pot specialty called noroshi-nabe is served. Situated in the northernmost part of Nagano Prefecture, Iiyama is merely an hour and a half away from Tokyo via the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
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