麻豆传媒

August 11, 2026

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CULTURE

Film

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Sosuke Ikematsu (center) stars in Yuya Ishii’s “The Secret Battlefield,” a historical drama about the Japanese research institute that correctly predicted the country’s defeat in the Pacific War.

CULTURE / Film

Aug 1, 2026

‘The Secret Battlefield’: An inside view of the machinery of war

By James Hadfield

Yuya Ishii’s historical drama about the Japanese think tank that failed to avert the Pacific War can’t shake its made-for-TV origins, but it’s a valuable cautionary tale.

“Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Mermaid Island” is shaping up to be one of the summer’s biggest hits while surprising some viewers with its dark thematic undercurrents.

CULTURE / Film

Jul 31, 2026

‘Chiikawa’ was always darker than it looked

By Patrick St. Michel

Cute characters, folk horror and lingering trauma: “Chiikawa” makes an unexpectedly haunting leap to the big screen.

Newcomer Risa Sierra plays Elena Takahashi, a high school transfer student who gets targeted by a monster with a bandaged head, in “The Invisible Half.”

CULTURE / Film

Jul 31, 2026

‘The Invisible Half’: Stylish J-horror anchored in a standout performance

By Mark Schilling

Masaki Nishiyama’s debut feature is a polished, provocative take on horror tropes, with a riveting performance by newcomer Risa Sierra.

Suzu Hirose received the Cut Above Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film from New York’s Japan Society this month.

CULTURE / Film

Jul 30, 2026

Suzu Hirose is ready to ‘step into the unknown’

By Blake Simons

The 28-year-old actor looks back on her formative experiences with some of the most acclaimed contemporary Japanese directors.

Kei Suzuki’s feature-length debut is about Makoto Natsume, a high school boy who gets embroiled in both a time-travel plot and summer romance.

CULTURE / Film

Jul 26, 2026

Time-travel anime ‘You, Fireworks, and Our Promise’ is serviceable but lacks spark

By Matt Schley

Kei Suzuki’s feature-length debut, adapted from a popular light novel, is a competent but ultimately uninspired take on an all-too-familiar premise.

Ryosuke Hashiguchi’s “All Around Us” features Lily Franky (left) and Tae Kimura as a couple navigating the vicissitudes of marriage and life.

CULTURE / Film

Jul 24, 2026

‘Hush!’ and ‘All Around Us’: Masterpieces from a pioneering gay director

By Mark Schilling

New 4K restorations of two films from the 2000s by Ryosuke Hashiguchi bring his masterful storytelling back to the silver screen.

So-hee (played by the single-named Hanna), a 14-year-old ethnic Korean living in Tokyo, learns some valuable life lessons in Son Myong A’s “Trophy.”

CULTURE / Film

Jul 17, 2026

Zainichi drama ‘Trophy’ is a sweet, if slight, coming-of-age tale

By James Hadfield

Son Myong A’s debut feature centers on a Tokyo teen grappling with her Korean heritage, both at home and in the classroom.

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Disaster relief workers Taichi Kato (left) and Seiji Yoshimura enter the collapsed living quarters at Kyuganji temple in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture.

What Kumamoto revealed about 麻豆传媒 earthquake readiness

By Alex K.T. Martin

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