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Japan

Living is quite a strange thing

WRITING: Murakami is charismatic without seeming pedantic. A mental training diary?

A thorough breach of the norms

USA: Donald Trump broke down established norms and led democracy astray, but he would never have reached this far, if the groundwork had not been laid by others – this new tradition of imprecise wording, secrecy and dodgy methods.

Japanese women's views on life, gender roles and society

PHOTO: Japanese women struggle between traditional gender roles, an expectation of work effort and reproduction while maintaining the role of "good wife, wise mother".

Daisaku Ikeda's Peace Proposal for 2019

PROHIBITION: The world's largest Buddhist peace movement supports the initiative to ban the development and use of autonomous weapons and proposes to establish a group of friends for the ban on nuclear weapons.

Cursed!

ENVIRONMENT:  New Extinction Rebellion should be taken seriously.

The anatomy of the neo-nationalist women's hat

Why are certain people in a position of power so preoccupied with killing those women who demand justice for the sex work they were forced to perform during World War II?

A sense of living in a time when the world is dying

How can the story of a grocery store employee capture so many readers worldwide?

Sharing the rhythm of each step

A different travelogue about two Norwegian women embarking on a monumental pilgrimage in Japan. On their way to 88 Shingon temples, they will let go of one and one mental blockage – the goal is redemption.

Soreness among strangers

A suggestive tribute to the golden age of the avant-garde film draws me right in with its hypnotic soundscape – Japanese children's song, piano and a narrative voice. But then!

Movies from the East

Horror, anime, samurai film, experiment, costume drama, monster movie and softcore – all Japanese films are in tension between east and west.