The Japan Times: Features

Popular Chekhov play gets fresh treatment for audiences in Tokyo

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:10:00 PST

Despite being 112 years old, Russian playwright Anton Chekhov's "Three Sisters" is still one of the most popular translated plays to be staged in Japan.
The drama, which centers on a declining upper-class family in rapidly modernizing Russia, has resonated well with Japanese audiences, and many domestic troupes have produced versions of the play here.

Met's mayhem hits the screen

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:11:00 PST

What do you get when the four young lovers from William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" become stranded on Prospero's island from the Bard's "The Tempest"? A lot of fun, mayhem and magic in The Metropolitan Opera's original creation "The Enchanted Island," which had its world premiere Dec. 31 in New York.
The opera follows in the tradition of Baroque pastiche, combining music written by Handel, Vivaldi and others into a story devised by librettist Jeremy Sams.

'Kitsutsuki to Ame (The Woodsman and the Rain)'

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:12:00 PST

In movies as in life, first impressions count. Hence all the money lavished on opening credits, all the thought devoted to opening scenes. Quite often though, the flashy, clever beginning comes to feel like a con, as the formulaic story wends its way to its predictable end.
In his new film, "Kitsutsuki to Ame (The Woodsman and the Rain)," Shuichi Okita persuaded me he knew what he was about from scene one and never disappointed thereafter, making maximum use of his talent with a minimum expenditure of yen. One of my favorites of this year's Tokyo International Film Festival, it was rightly awarded the Special Jury Prize in the competition.

'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo'

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:13:00 PST

On one level, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" is simply an Agatha Christie story for Nine Inch Nails fans. You may think I'm joking, but think about it: an isolated island full of disgruntled relatives in a wealthy family, an unsolved murder with loads of potential suspects, and a sleuth who uncovers the secrets through sharp analysis of the facts at hand. The spin of course is that the sleuth is not the Gallic, mannered, mustachioed Hercule Poirot, but Nordic, bisexual Goth-girl Lisbeth Salander, a pallid hacker with piercings, tattoos and a wardrobe that consists entirely of black.
Based on the first of the "Millennium Trilogy" novels by Swedish journalist/author Stieg Larsson, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" was already a cult hit in its 2009 Swedish film adaptation, and — rather predictably — nearly everyone who's seen the original says David Fincher's Hollywood remake isn't as good. In their opinion, the material has been toned down, and no one can top the feral, intense performance actress Noomi Rapace gave as the original Lisbeth.

'Pina'

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:14:00 PST

The name Pina Bausch may not strike a chord with many, but even a perfunctory look at her work will lock you in a hold that's layered with emotions: enchantment, enthrallment, even perhaps total bewilderment.
German choreographer Bausch was an artistic giant of the 20th century, whose experimentations with dance and movement altered the way we look at the human body. In her productions, bodies radiated beauty, oddness and defiance and always broadcasted a wealth of meaning. Viewers came away from a Bausch stage suddenly aware of human physicality and how it encases and then unleashes human emotions, with all their mystery and vast diversity.

Dancer goes through time in new show

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:15:00 PST

Inspiration from Kurt Vonnegut's masterpiece "Slaughterhouse-Five" and stoic philosopher Seneca's letters gives character to an upcoming performance in Tokyo by Izabela Chlewinska, a rising choreographer and dancer from Poland.
Chlewinska was inspired by the novel's protagonist, Billy Pilgrim — a time traveler who jumps back and forth in time — and a phrase in the novel: "The dead body is simply someone who's going through a rough time."

Odaiba Valentine's Day fair

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:16:00 PST

The Grand Pacific Le Daiba hotel is getting into the romantic spirit with a Valentine's Day fair from Feb. 12 to 14.
After its special Valentine's diplay proved a big hit last year, the hotel will again brighten up the Odaiba area by having its windows illuminated in a heart-shaped pattern. The light-up can be seen from 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 12 and 13.

NNTT hopes Generation 2.0 hears 'Silence'

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:17:00 PST

The late classical composer Teizo Matsumura, American film director Martin Scorsese, and playwright/director Keiko Miyata may seem an unlikely trio, but they share a reverence for "Silence," the 1966 novel by Shusaku Endo.
Matsumura (1929-2007) spent more than 13 years composing an opera based on the novel, and Scorsese will direct a film version later this year. For Miyata, "Silence" will marry her personal and artistic interests as she directs her first opera for the New National Theatre, Tokyo (NNTT) — a new production of Matsumura's "Silence."

New to sake? Here's where to start

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:18:00 PST

"Is it always this crowded?" I ask a happi-coat-clad clerk at the Meishu Center sake shop in Hamamatsucho, as she pours me three glasses of sake from hefty, 1.5-liter isshōbin bottles.
"Well, it depends on the day, but Friday nights are usually busy," she answers, before adding, "It gets even more packed later."

Sweet somethings

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:19:00 PST

Japanese guys have it pretty sweet when it comes to Valentine's Day. Unlike their cousins overseas, they don't have to worry about sending roses or booking a table at a fancy restaurant — or, for that matter, even marking their calendars for Feb. 14. Instead, the burden falls on their girlfriends to present them with thoughtful hon-mei choko (heartfelt chocolate).
No girlfriend? No problem. The tradition of giri choko (obligation chocolate) means that even single guys are apt to get some love from classmates or coworkers. And that's not all — completists can enjoy tomo (friend) and jibun (oneself) chocolates.