Haruki Murakami may not have received this year’s Nobel Prize for Literature, but he will probably win it before too long. It would be a shame, though, if Haruki Murakami becomes to Japanese literature what sushi is to Japanese cuisine – the single dominant icon that obscures all the other good stuff. Also worthy of […]
‘The Hurt Locker’, Shibuto Cine Tower, Tokyo
In the cold light of day, Tokyo can seem grey and sterile. But at night and in the early evening, when the light fades from the sky, Tokyo is magical. The neon buildings begin to shine as the sky turns from pale blue to deep blue to black. You get that in any city but […]
‘The Great Beauty’, Curzon Renoir, London
Russell Square underground station, opened in 1906, is aesthetically pleasing with its beautiful tiling. I like to amble slowly along the platform here after getting off a train, savouring the station’s elegant design. But it does not provide the most efficient transition from the bowels of the earth up to the surface. You have to […]
‘Sightseers’, Prince Charles Cinema, London
The barmaid’s attitude here in this Bloomsbury pub is less than welcoming. My innocuous question, “Are you serving food?”, is met with barely a nod, accompanied by a look of disdain. She has a sullen look on her face. It’s as if my query is such a drag, such an imposition. She doesn’t bother saying […]
‘Machete’, Wald 9 Cinema Shinjuku, Tokyo
Yamatane Museum of Art’s new exhibition has just started. Its full title is ‘Establishing Modern Art in Japan: The Artists of the Nihon Bijutsuin, from Yokoyama Taikan to Hirayama Ikuo’. The exhibition includes paintings by artists active in the Meiji, Taisho, Showa and Heisei eras. Hoping that it will be as good as the Yamatane’s previous […]
‘Kantsubaki’, Asakusa Meigaza, Tokyo
According to official statistics, the sunniest public holiday in Japan is Culture Day, which is held every 3rd November. And so it turned out earlier this week, when a beautiful autumnal day with blue skies and sunshine drew me and thousands of others to Yoyogi Park to enjoy the leaves that were just beginning to turn […]