In her 29 years of teaching Japanese language and culture, Jamila Mohd has seen the relationship between Malaysia and Japan mature from economic emulation to reciprocal study and exchange. Naturally, her journey began as a student. At a time when many of her generation were ...
Resilience and solidarity supersede tragedy
On Aug. 26, Nepal awoke to a tragedy that has left families, communities and the entire nation grieving. A sudden and devastating flash flood struck the Bhote Koshi River area in northern Nepal. Powerful waters and debris swept through settlements, damaging homes, roads, bridges, hydropower ...
Training the next generation of kabuki actors
Kabuki is an all-male theater tradition spanning more than four centuries. Since most kabuki works are set in the Edo Period (1603 to 1867) or earlier and performed in an intentionally dramatic manner, it can be difficult even for Japanese to understand the lyrical ...
Where to watch While the National Theatre is currently closed, its kabuki productions can be viewed at the following locations. • New National Theatre, Tokyo https://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/ • Sunpearl Arakawa https://www.sunpearl-arakawa.com/ • Ota City Residents Hall Aprico https://en.ota-bunka.or.jp/facilities/aprico Basic elements of a show • Mie (the dramatic pose) This term refers to a powerful and dramatic ...
From dazzling kabuki, mysterious noh and sophisticated bunraku to comedic kyogen and the unique, traditional musicals of tropical Okinawa, Japan’s wide variety of UNESCO-recognized performing arts continue to delight, surprise and captivate audiences throughout the year. The National Theatre Traditional Performing Arts Training Institute ...
Looking to future as Sasakawa Peace Foundation turns 40
The Sasakawa Peace Foundation, which addresses issues facing the international community and undertakes initiatives toward achieving peace, marked its 40th anniversary on Sept. 1. The world now faces wars, climate change and disasters. The question we face is how to achieve peace in a ...
Bosai is a Japanese concept that encompasses all stages of disaster management — from preparedness and risk mitigation to response, recovery and reconstruction. Japan’s unique mix of topography, geology and weather makes it prone to violent acts of nature, from earthquakes and typhoons to ...
Japan is often considered to be among the world’s most disaster-prone countries. According to calculations issued last year by the government’s Earthquake Research Committee, there is a 60% to 94.5% probability the dreaded Nankai Trough earthquake will occur within the next 30 years. It ...
A long-term commitment to disaster resilience
For more than a century, Tokyo has learned from natural disasters. Experiences such as the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and severe flooding from large typhoons have shaped the city’s approach to infrastructure development and disaster preparedness. Tokyo’s response has never been limited to restoring what ...
Did you feel that? Time to refresh your go bags and Japanese skills before the next disaster strikes
The ground shakes beneath you. Your body sways a little. An alert pops up on your phone. You turn to a friend and ask: 今揺れた? (Ima yureta?, Was that a quake just now?) On Aug. 8, 2024, the 気象庁 (kishōchō, Meteorological Agency) issued its first-ever ...
Japan’s Giken Ltd. is developing advanced infrastructure support technologies that are making structures and cities around the world safer and more resilient against natural disasters. As society becomes more urbanized, we face a growing need for preventive infrastructure that resists deterioration and minimizes damage from ...
British school for families on the move in the heart of Tokyo
For internationally mobile families, few decisions carry more weight than schooling. A posting to Tokyo can be the chance of a career, but it often comes with an unspoken worry: What happens to the children’s education, and what happens again when the next move ...
