Kazuko Miyamoto, Untitled, (oil and charcoal on paper), 1968 [Zürcher Gallery, New York, NY and Paris. © Kazuko Miyamoto]

Exhibition: Kazuko Miyamoto: Works from 1966 to 2005, Zürcher Gallery, New York, NY, May 26 – July 27, 2022. In conjunction with her solo exhibition Kazuko Miyamoto: To Perform a Line at the Japan Society, New York, NY, April 29 – July 24, 2022

Enter the bagpipes.

Recently Viewed: I Am What I Am

I Am What I Am is the exact sort of pleasant surprise that defines Japan Cuts for me. The synopsis on the festival website led me to believe that it would be a somewhat overwrought melodrama; what I got instead was a delightfully unconventional, subversive romcom that omits the “romance” entirely.

The plot revolves around Kasumi Sobata, an asexual thirty-year-old struggling to navigate the pressures of a society that expects women her age to quit their jobs, get married, and have a bunch of kids. Unfortunately, her family practically epitomizes conformity and traditional gender roles. Her heavily pregnant sister, for example, dutifully ignores the warning signs that her husband might be unfaithful. Her grandmother, meanwhile—fresh off her third divorce—insists that a “proper” wife should accept infidelity as an inevitability. Worst of all, her mother—misconstruing her lack of a love life as evidence of depression—frequently sets her up on impromptu “dates” with “eligible bachelors,” hoping to force the issue of wedded bliss through manipulation, subterfuge, and sheer tenacity.

The conflict ventures far beyond the tropes typically associated with the genre. The primary “obstacle” isn’t the protagonist’s reluctance to abandon her own ambitions (though that is a secondary concern); her very identity is at stake. Whenever she admits that she is incapable of experiencing physical attraction, her feelings are immediately dismissed, invalidated, and trivialized. A male friend, for instance, assumes that she is merely making an excuse to “politely” reject his (abrupt, clumsy) flirtatious advances; he subsequently ends their platonic relationship.

The movie’s visual style is simple, yet elegant. Most scenes unfold from a single camera angle, with only minor adjustments to the frame: a pan here, a lateral dolly move there, the occasional slow push-in. This minimalism prioritizes behavior rather than action, allowing the performances (as opposed to the editing) to guide the rhythm of the narrative—and the actors absolutely deliver in that regard! Toko Miura is particularly compelling as our hapless heroine; whereas the character that she portrayed in Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car was cold, aloof, and taciturn, Kasumi is sensitive, affable, and effortlessly funny—an impressive display of versatility.

Ultimately, I Am What I Am is a triumph of representation. It explicitly assures ace viewers that they are neither defective nor alone, encouraging them to express themselves freely and unapologetically—after all, no human being (queer or otherwise) should have to justify their existence; everybody deserves basic respect and dignity. The message is unsubtle by design—and that thematic transparency significantly deepens the film’s emotional resonance.

NYC's Japan Society is screening the anime film "The Adolescence of Utena" this week!

(Featured Image Source: © 1997 BE-PAPAS/CHIHO SAITO/SHOGAKUKAN • SHOKAKU • TV TOKYO) Experience the classic and impactful anime film The Adolescence of Utena this week, thanks to the Japan Society! © 1997 BE-PAPAS/CHIHO SAITO/SHOGAKUKAN • SHOKAKU • TV TOKYO via Japan Society The newest entry in the Japan Society’s Monthly Anime screening series. The Adolescence of Utena was released in 1999 as…

View On WordPress

Kazuko Miyamoto | © Naho Kubota | Japan Society | Financial Times

LUMBERJACK THE MONSTER North American Premiere and Reception Mon., May 6 at 8:00 PM at Japan Society NYC.

Japan Society then celebrates iconoclastic Japanese director Takashi Miike with the North American Premiere of Lumberjack the Monster on May 6. Opening in Japanese theaters just this past December, Lumberjack the Monster delivers the director’s trademark horror and humor in a cat-and-mouse chase between a serial killer and a psychopathic lawyer hot on his trail. Lumberjack the Monster is presented together with the upcoming Tribeca Festival’s Escape from Tribeca program in honor of the film’s forthcoming Netflix release.

Japanese horror and cult icon Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer, 13 Assassins) returns to the big screen with an adaptation of Mayusuke Kurai’s thrilling novel. This cat-and-mouse chase between a serial killer and a lawyer hot on his trail is filled with gruesome murders, missing brains, and disturbing secrets. The most disturbing? The lawyer is a psychopath. Yes, Takashi Miike’s newest nightmare is the brutal showdown between a serial killer and a psychopath lawyer. It’s a bloody good time. This premiere screening is presented together with the Tribeca Festival’s Escape from Tribeca. The Tribeca Festival returns June 5-16, and its Escape from Tribeca program puts a spotlight on underground, cult, and genre cinema. This event is hosted in honor of Lumberjack the Monster’s upcoming Netflix release on June 1.

Purchase Tickets' - HERE

"Two longtime painters recently told me how joyful their studio practices had become in their 40s once they took their minds off their ambitions, stopped trying to impress anyone, and just let the paintings paint themselves. I’ve been dabbling with working that way myself, so I was thrilled to find the memorable demonstrations of unburdened artistic spontaneity that are scattered in 'None Whatsoever: Zen Paintings from the Gitter-Yelen Collection' at the Japan Society."

-- Zen Paintings at the Japan Society.

The Japan Society Announces East Coast Premiere of "Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM"

The Japan Society Announces East Coast Premiere of "Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM"

The Press Release: Japan Society, a 116-year-old nonprofit organization with a goal of bringing the U.S. and Japan together, today announced it will host the East Coast Premiere of the record-breaking Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM. The Gundam saga, often called the “Star Wars of Japan”, is a beloved 40+ year franchise. Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM is its latest entry and a sequel to 2002’s…

View On WordPress

🐲Anime NYC 2024🐉

I will be attending this year just for one day, I went for the first inaugural in 2017 and 2018.

Back than only half of the Javitz Center was utilized,carpet was removed which made it even worst for walking and standing around.

It also had more of a "flea market" type vibe than a "convention" but since it was their very first Anime NYC after parting ways with ReedPOP (NYCC)many years ago,expectations on my part was low.

But,when they announced that the FULL use of Javitz Center would be available for 2024, moving the date to the end of summer and starting the convention earlier.

This seemed like a good enough excuse to return to Anime NYC and see how much it has grown,and now with the help of Japan Society this should make the experience better this year.

Friday

01.19.2024

L.George

Anime NYC and Japan Society Announce Official Partnership

Anime NYC, the East Coast’s largest Japanese popular arts festival, and Japan Society, a 116-year-old art and culture organization, have mutually announced a significant partnership, underscoring a dynamic relationship between Japan’s popular and traditional arts, and fostering an ongoing collaboration with the goal of enriching the cultural fabric of the vibrant communities they both…

View On WordPress

Anime NYC and Japan Society Announce Official Partnership

Anime NYC and Japan Society Announce Official Partnership #AnimeNYC #JapanSociety

Anime NYC and Japan Society have announced a significant partnership, underscoring a dynamic relationship between Japan’s popular and traditional arts, and fostering an ongoing collaboration with the goal of enriching the cultural fabric of the vibrant communities they both serve. Since its founding in 2017, Anime NYC has rapidly become a major force in anime, manga, and Japan’s popular arts…

View On WordPress

Now that Ghibli's new movie is coming out soon, I've been thinking about anime films and wanna talk about my favorite animated movie ever, Tokyo Godfathers.

TG is a 2003 tragicomedy by Satoshi Kon, following three unhoused people––an alcoholic, a runaway girl, an a trans woman––who find a baby in a dumpster and set off across Tokyo to reunite her with her parents.

If you like the sound of that, go watch it because the rest of this post is spoilers and I have FEELINGS about this movie.

URGHH, the fact that only two moments of true kindness, generosity, and care given to the three protagonists without any expectation of reciprocity are given by a Latin-American immigrant couple and a drag show club full of trans women. The fact that, despite her loud and dramatic personality, Hana is the glue that holds the team together and the heart of the whole movie. The fact that this movie pulls no punches at showing the violence and inhumanity committed by "civilized Japanese society" against the unhoused. The fact that Miyuki craves to be loved by her parents and ends up seeing Hana as her true mother. The fact that Miyuki starts off accidentally using transphobic language against Hana, but slowly begins calling her "Miss Hana" out of respect. The fact that, according to Kon, Hana's role in the story is as a mythological trickster god and "disturb the morality and order of society, but also play a role in revitalizing culture." The fact that Hana so desperately wants to be part of a true family, yet is willing to sacrifice her found family so they can be with their own, and is rewarded for her good deeds in the end by becoming a godmother. The fact that, throughout the movie, wind and light have been used to signify the presence of god's hand/influence (this movie's about nondenominational faith––faith in yourself, faith in others, faith in a higher power. Lots of religious are referenced, such as Buddhism/Hinduism, Christianity, and Shintoism), and in the climax of the film, as Hana jumps off a building to save a baby that isn't hers, a gust of wind and a shower of light save her from death. The fact that god saves a trans woman's life because she proved herself a mother, and that shit makes me CRY.

Recently Viewed: The First Slam Dunk

This one was kind of a cheat. The Japan Cuts screening of The First Slam Dunk sold out almost immediately after tickets became available to the public. That’s hardly surprising: it’s an adaptation of a beloved manga series, the popularity of which rivals Dragon Ball both in its native country and abroad. Fortunately, the venerable GKIDS had already acquired the foreign distribution rights, so I was able to catch it at AMC tonight. I’ll just pretend that I saw it at the festival…

Regardless of the venue, the film is a spectacular sports drama, depicting basketball with an immersive intensity reminiscent of Raging Bull’s approach to boxing. The animation, which borders on naturalistic without sacrificing the exaggerated expressionism that makes cartoons so universally appealing, emphasizes such minute details as glistening beads of sweat, the folds and wrinkles in the fabric of the uniforms, and the rough texture of the ball—tactile sensations that make the audience participants in the action, rather than passive observers. The conflict isn’t merely physical, however; through editing, voiceover narration, and a nonlinear narrative structure that offers brief glimpses of the characters’ backstories and motivations, director Takehiko Inoue delves into the psychology of the game. Slow-motion, for example, extends crucial seconds to excruciatingly tense minutes. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the players occasionally move with such speed and desperation that they appear to outrun color, sound, and even the very medium, literally unraveling into sketchy line art.

In terms of its plot, The First Slam Dunk is a fairly traditional underdog story—and that familiarity doesn’t diminish its quality in the slightest. Deliciously suspenseful, emotionally engrossing, and inherently cinematic, the movie is a triumph of style and substance; it deserves every bit of the critical acclaim and commercial success that it’s earned.

Anime NYC and Japan Society announces official partnership!

(Featured Image Source: ©Anime NYC) This summer, Anime NYC 2024 is set to bring all kinds of anime fun to the heart of New York City, and the super-charged convention is teaming up with the Japan Society as the event’s non-profit partner! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Japan Society (@japansociety) Held at NYC’s Jacob Javits, Anime NYC Powered by Crunchyroll is a convention…

View On WordPress

whoever edited that bsd official art to make it look like chuuya is holding onto dazai’s arm will be put on trial for irrevocably changing my brain chemistry and making me so much worse

the original and the edit in question. this artwork really makes me crave a mid to late 19th century historical au where Chuuya is a swordsman struggling with changes to his job due to the meiji restoration and with Dazai as a detective/private investigator who hires Chuuya as his bodyguard when a seemingly harmless investigation turns dangerous. they kind of hate each other (as per usual) but Chuuya needs the job and Dazai, while he proclaims to dislike chuuya, is also very smitten with chuuya’s fighting style and temper (as per usual).

New York's JAPAN SOCIETY to host a Special Screening of GODZILLA MINUS ONE November 28th, 2023.

Japan Society (333 E. 47th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues) is honored to announce a special screening of Takashi Yamazaki’s GODZILLA MINUS ONE, the first Japanese Godzilla movie since 2016, November 28th, 2023, in partnership with Toho International, who will release GODZILLA MINUS ONE in theaters across the U.S. on December 1st, 2023.

Ishiro Honda’s original 1954 Godzilla film defined a genre and invented a character who would go on to star in over 40 films and become a phenomenon across comics, toys, apparel, and games worldwide. In the franchise’s nearly 70 years of history, the “king of the monsters” has been reimagined multiple times from the grim creation of man’s scientific folly and vengeful ghost of Japan’s wartime dead, to a protector of the country and friend to children, to a harsh commentary on Japan’s response to Fukushima. An embodiment of Japan, its hope, and fears, Godzilla is also one of the country’s most identifiable ambassadors and as known as its other beloved popular culture exports including Pokemon, Hello Kitty, and Demon Slayer.

Written and directed by award-winning director Takashi Yamazaki, Godzilla Minus One presents a new focus for the saga and is set in a devastated post-war Japan. It follows the country still recovering from the scars of the past as a new threat appears, and it asks the question of what happens when a disarmed and defenseless Japan encounters Godzilla. The film features an all-star cast including Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando, and Kuranosuke Sasaki.

Actor Ryunosuke Kamiki in Toho International's Godzilla Minus One.

“Godzilla is one of Japan’s most iconic creations, and Japan Society is honored to present Toho’s latest Godzilla film for the first time in New York” said Japan Society Director of Film Peter Tatara. “We’re eager to share with New York audiences this latest reinterpretation of Toho’s venerable series - a stark film set in the past but prescient for audiences today.”

Japan Society will present a special public preview screening of Godzilla Minus One on November 28 following a year of major events which have included a preview screening of Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron, East Coast Premiere of The First Slam Dunk, North American Premiere of Shin Kamen Rider, North American Premiere of Blue Giant with composer Hiromi Uehara in-person, rare screening of Angel’s Egg with Yoshitaka Amano in-person, first major U.S. retrospective on director Shinji Somai, centennial retrospective on director Seijun Suzuki, and post-COVID relaunch of JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Cinema, the largest contemporary Japanese film festival of its kind. A center for Japanese film in New York City since the 1970s, Japan Society has previously welcomed cinema greats including Akira Kurosawa, Toshiro Mifune, Hideko Takamine, and Nobuhiko Obayashi.

Actor Minami Hamabe in Toho International's Godzilla Minus One.

Tickets for the November 28 screening of Godzilla Minus One at Japan Society will go on sale on November 9 at: HERE. Tickets are $25 for the general public and $20 for Japan Society members.

Set in a devastated post-war Japan, it follows the country recovering from the scars of the past as the new threat of Godzilla appears. What happens when Godzilla comes to Japan completely disarmed and defenseless? Presented in partnership with Toho International. Godzilla Minus One comes to theaters on December 1st, 2023, nationwide.