News

Akira Kurosawa, a lover of horses since his youth, spent a lot of time at the Hippodrome in Meguro. In the 1940s, he wrote a screenplay titled “Jajauma Monogatari” (The Story of a Bad Horse), which was never realized. During a career stagnation after “Red Beard” in 1965, he made his only documentary film, “Song of the Horse“, in collaboration with Ryo Kinoshita and his production company Kurosawa Productions and Nippon TV.

The documentary is divided into two main parts: the first focuses on the birth and breeding of a racehorse, while the second part delves into horse races in Japan, particularly highlighting the story of Shinzan, a successful stallion. Preceding these parts is a prologue that places the narrative within a broader cultural context, exploring the historical relationship between humans and horses in Japan. The film also introduces the role of horses in Japanese religious customs and folklore.

Narration is provided by two actors,...

“King of the Monsters—Savior of Our City?” This is what a news channel chyron at the end of 2014’s Godzilla asks. The question appears on a television set in a San Francisco stadium that has been converted into a Fema camp for survivors of Godzilla’s attack on the Bay Area, which climaxed with a battle between the Big G and two Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms (MUTOs). The scale of suffering caused by these creatures, and the shrieks of terror the survivors let out when they see Godzilla rise after defeating the MUTOs and walk to the sea, tell us that the answer is “no.”

To anyone wondering who, then, is the savior of the city, the same scene provides an answer. In a sequence that mirrors countless feel-good videos shared on social media, we follow protagonist Lt. Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) in his tattered fatigues as he carries...

The Japanese entertainment industry has lost a truly marvelous talent. On January 15th, 2023, versatile character actor Noboru Mitani passed away at the age of 90. On the website Yahoo! Japan, Kyodo News reports the cause of death being “due to acute exacerbation of chronic heart failure”( Kyodo News 1). Mitani worked with an array of filmmakers, frequently appearing in the works of Kinji Fukasaku and Juzo Itami. He was also quite active in television and theatre. Tokusatsu fans may recognize him for his appearances in “Return of Ultraman,” “Ultraman Taro,” and “Space Sheriff Gavan,” while anime enthusiasts may remember him for voice acting in the series “Princess Tutu.” His wide range, colorful personality, and how real he could make his characters feel made him stand out as an actor. He also was often able to convey so much through his facial expressions alone, even in moments without dialogue.

Noboru Mitani and Hiroyuki Kawase...