Popular boy band Arashi announces final concert tour
The popular Japanese boy band Arashi has announced it will hold its final concert tour next spring.
Arashi has not been active since 2020.
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Japan Times
6 hours ago
- Japan Times
Fuji Media keeps real estate spinoff in play as activists circle
Fuji Media Holdings' incoming president said "all options' regarding its real estate operations remain on the table, including a possible spinoff along the lines of activist investor demands. The Japanese entertainment group last month rejected a shareholder proposal from Dalton Investments calling for a different slate of directors as well as a spin-out of its lucrative real estate arm. But the company has yet to finalize its long-term strategy, Kenji Shimizu said in an interview Monday. "The resulting scenario may be something along the lines of what shareholders propose, or we may pursue further growth instead,' Shimizu said. "Both scenarios are possible.' The Japanese broadcaster — which is struggling to recover from a sexual harassment scandal — has been sparring with activist shareholders in an exchange that's become a gauge of corporate governance in Japan. Both Fuji Media's executives and Dalton are on a campaign to win shareholder support ahead of an annual general meeting on June 25. For the near term, however, Fuji Media is reluctant to spin out the real estate arm. Operating profit in that division has grown four to five times since 2012, Shimizu said. In contrast, Fuji Media's intellectual property assets — key to improving profitability in Fuji's core media and content segment — will require several years to monetize effectively, said Shimizu, who is now president of the group's television network. The real estate business essential as a source of investment income for the foreseeable future, he said. Fuji Media has been struggling with declining advertising revenue alongside public condemnation of its handling of sexual misconduct allegations involving former celebrity Masahiro Nakai. Dalton has argued that Fuji should focus solely on growing its core media and content businesses. Dalton's co-founder James Rosenwald has said that he and Fuji Media's largest shareholder, Aya Nomura, agree that spinning off the real estate unit could potentially double the conglomerate's corporate value. Demands to split out the real estate operations will likely persist beyond the shareholder meeting later this month, Shimizu said. "Until our corporate value rises, we will continue to face such criticism,' he said. Fuji Media is proposing 11 directors to a board that will keep Shimizu but replaces the rest of its current lineup. Dalton has proposed an alternative slate of 12 directors, including Yoshitaka Kitao, chairman and CEO of SBI Holdings. "This board is the best we can offer now,' Shimizu said, but added that discussions are possible should any of Dalton's candidates be elected. "The task on hand is to discuss ways to enhance corporate value.'
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Japan Times
‘Kokuho' finds riveting drama on and off the kabuki stage
Films set in the kabuki world are few, understandably so since the challenge of getting it right is so great. Daniel Schmid's "The Written Face" (1995) and Yukiko Takayama's 'The Maid of Dojoji Temple' (2004) managed it by casting real-life onnagata, players of female roles in all-male kabuki, as leads: Bando Tamasaburo V in the former film, Nakamura Fukusuke VIII in the latter. Based on Shuichi Yoshida's two-part novel, Lee Sang-il's monumentally ambitious and visually sumptuous 'Kokuho' takes another approach, with two young non-kabuki actors playing rivals-slash-friends in Kamigata kabuki, which once flourished in the Kansai region that encompasses Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. The film, which was made with kabuki star Nakamura Ganjiro IV as adviser, brilliantly solves the authenticity problem, at least to the eyes of this non-expert. Stars Ryo Yoshizawa and Ryusei Yokohama spent months training to deliver stage performances that, captured by cinematographer Sofian El Fani's fluid and insinuating camerawork, are both convincing as kabuki and arresting as drama. Also, the glimpses of their off-stage lives, from the application of their elaborate make-up to backstage tensions and business calculations, feel like insider immersions, however brief. The film's story, scripted by Satoko Okudera, may turn shouty and even violent at times, but transforms Yoshida's doorstop of a novel into a tightly focused, if episodic, narrative that under Lee's assured direction rarely flags despite the film's nearly three-hour running time. Covering a span of five decades, it begins in 1964 with the shocking killing of a Nagasaki yakuza boss (Masatoshi Nagase) by a rival gang as his teenage son Kikuo (Soya Kurokawa) looks on. Fast forward a year to Osaka, after the boy's failed attempt at revenge, when he is accepted as an apprentice by Hanjiro Hanai (a fierce-eyed Ken Watanabe), the head of a local kabuki troupe. Starting leagues behind Hanjiro's son, Shunsuke (Keitatsu Koshiyama), who was born into the kabuki world, Kikuo quickly and enthusiastically catches up, even though Hanjiro is a harsh taskmaster. Jump head again to 1972, when Kikuo (Yoshizawa) and Shunsuke (Yokohama) create a sensation appearing together as onnagata in the kabuki dance 'Futari Fuji Musume' ('Two Wisteria Maidens'). But it is Kikuo, with his pop-idol good looks and burning passion for kabuki, whose star shines brighter. Nonetheless, he and the talented, if not as driven, Shunsuke remain close friends, like comrades in arms who know each other as no outsiders can. This friendship, however, is shaken when Hanjiro chooses Kikuo to star solo in the classic Chikamatsu Monzaemon play 'The Love Suicides at Sonezaki.' He is again a hit with audiences, but a disappointed Shunsuke departs from the troupe. From this point, not halfway in the story, it seems obvious that Kikuo, not Shunsuke, is destined to become the title ningen kokuhō (living national treasure) — a high honor awarded by the national government to masters of a traditional art or craft. Kikuo's path to this pinnacle is anything but smooth, however, and Shunsuke later resurfaces, his dream of kabuki glory still alive, if not well. Both men have women in their lives, but whether as a wife (Shunsuke's) or lover (Kikuo's) they leave little impression. Instead, the film's central relationship remains that between Kikuo and Shunsuke, through illness, setbacks and, in Kikuo's case, growing isolation as his art becomes both his life and the core of his being. 'Kokuho' gorgeously and starkly shows us both his triumph and tragedy.
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Japan Times
From Belgian waffles to Nordic sushi: What to eat at the 2025 Osaka Expo
The belly is a crucial gateway to promoting soft power. And at the 2025 Osaka Expo, the British clearly didn't get the memo as they unwittingly created the Expo's first viral food story, albeit for less than enticing reasons. Guests to the British pavilion commented on its pricey afternoon tea set being served in shabby paper cups, prompting the U.K. Embassy to replace them with ceramics to cool down the situation. In such a grandiose gathering of the world's nations, visitors looking for a taste of overseas food want authenticity — teacups and all. It's no surprise that nearly every big pavilion on the Expo grounds was serving up representative eats for attendees. Italy rotates items from various regions weekly at its rooftop eatery (most recently, truffle pasta from Marche), while Belgium's restaurant sells a variety of street food, like their famous waffles and fries. France flaunts its Champagne, while the Thai space offers rich aromas of curry and pad thai. The charm, though, lies in finding dishes harder to come by in Japan. Middle Eastern nations such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have built restaurants serving mifa (Arabian flat bread) and traditional lamb and rice dishes like the Arabian mandi and the Kuwaiti machboos, plus local varieties of coffee for those looking for a pick-me-up. The PanAf African Dining Hall, meanwhile, allows countries from across the continent to share dozens of dishes, in a space housing local musical performances. Couscous is one of the dishes available at the PanAf African Dining Hall, which serves food from the five regions of Africa. | PANAF AFRICAN DINING HALL Other participants explore ways of crossing their culinary traditions with that of the host nation. The Nordic Circle pavilion has called on Stockholm-based Japanese chef Ai Ventura to curate a menu featuring Swedish favorites like cinnamon rolls and meatballs, along with fusion creations such as the Nordic Chirashi Sushi, a riff on the Japanese sushi rice bowl using salmon and pickled vegetables. As for the host region, it's a chance to zoom in on Kansai favorites, with local chains specializing in takoyaki (fried octopus dumplings), okonomiyaki (savory pancake), kushikatsu (breaded skewers) and more in a food court. Conveyor-belt sushi chains Sushiro and Kura Sushi are also taking the opportunity to showcase future additions to the regular menu. The latter offers a 'world menu' that includes Singaporean chili crab, Fijian kokoda or ceviche, and a somewhat hilariously disproportionate American cheeseburger that's like 80% bun. The wait to get into Kura Sushi can last for hours on certain days, a situation that is true of many of the pavilions' restaurants, and one of the biggest challenges at the Expo. Some take reservations — Kura Sushi, for example, allows you to do so via the Line app — but many others do not. The pavilions at the Expo are still drawing snaking queues. | APF-JIJI Queues aside, a valid complaint about much of the food at the Expo is the price. While few pavilions skimp on presentation like the British did, the price tags can still be eye-popping, for example, the German food offerings, which find appetizers averaging ¥2,000 and some like the hearty Bavarian Pork Knuckle going beyond ¥7,000. Some common sense applies — understand that the Japanese art of adding 'wagyu' to any dish's name equals a baseline cost of ¥2,500 — but it is still surprising how much eating at the expo can hit your wallet (plus, you need some spare change to buy the mascot merchandise ). Seeking out faster, cheaper options sometimes makes sense — snack hacks do exist. Run over to Ora Gaishoku pavilion to buy a 'Swiss onigiri' stuffed with melted cheese and sausage for about ¥500. Or head to the far corner of the grounds, near the outdoor arena, to find a Japanese food court selling dishes at prices under ¥1,000, including the cheapest beer around (¥500 a cup). All three major convenience store chains also have outposts at Expo 2025, offering elevated takes on the konbini experience. Family Mart goes big on video displays while offering familiar items, while Lawson has a special cafe next to its gateside store allowing visitors to enjoy some coffee and tea. The biggest swings by far come from 7-Eleven: It is running self-order kiosks and a variety of new menu items that point towards a bold future — made-to-order pizza. Their prices are no different from those in the convenience stores outside of the festival grounds, too, making them the best cost-conscious option at the Expo while still doing a great job spotlighting Japan's casual bites. There's plenty of chances to experience foreign cuisines within the grounds, but sometimes you want the taste of something familiar — and more financially bearable.
