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Hindustan Times
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Review: Strange Pictures by Uketsu
Despite its dark themes, Strange Pictures , the horror sensation from Japan written by Uketsu, the anonymous literary figure and YouTuber, could almost be classified as children's literature for it evokes that same sense of wonder that good children's novels do. It also makes you want to put on your detective hat and attempt to solve the complex picture puzzles at the centre of its plot. The novel is full of such chilling incidents: a pregnant woman is brutally murdered by hospital staff; a husband writes a disturbing blog post complete with drawings that reveal details of his wife's murder; a child kills her psychopathic mother for harming her pet; a psychologist uncovers details of a murder using the picture drawn by a child. READ MORE: Interview with translator Jim Rion - 'Fair-play mystery is still alive and well in Japan' Readers themselves get to decode the mystery behind the pictures along with the characters. Indeed, the role of the reader isn't that of an observer but of an active participant, trying to unravel the many complicated threads of the puzzle. Strange Pictures evokes a sense of intrigue and wonder and for a while, this reviewer too felt like a school kid reading Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie. Elements of Japanese culture are used as central elements: How did a boy as young as Yuta learn to write his name in Kanji? Workplace stress and the mental health crisis in Japanese cities is also alluded to. At one point, a wife force-feeds her husband a meal laced with sedatives. The most heartbreaking passage has Naomi, the daughter of an abusive mother, realising she never got the love she deserved: 'Naomi discovered something about herself. She had always been proud of her beautiful mother but she had never felt anything else for her. Not once. They could be together as mother and child only with Father connecting them. Now, with Father dead, they were only two women'. Author Uketsu (Courtesy Pushkin Press) There is much heartache at the centre of this novel that portrays mental illness, self-harm and child abuse. The central character, Naomi, is a psychopath whose maternal instincts get the best of her. She kills her mother to protect her pet and then kills her husband to protect her son. She comes to realise, though, that the murders she has been justifying to herself as acts of self-preservation were motivated by selfish reasons. A chilling depiction of all-consuming motherhood, the crux of this horror story can be summed by a passage in the final chapter: 'Naomi had surely loved Haruto [her son] more than anyone, but in doing so, she had stood in his way of independence. It was as if Haruto's umbilical cord had never been cut. No matter how old he grew, he was always a part of Naomi. So, no matter how hatefully she acted, he could not resent her. He could not break free from her'. Those raised by overly-possessive mothers will especially relate to Haruto and Yuta's emotions. This then is a gut-wrenching portrayal of childhood trauma and generational abuse. Deepansh Duggal writes on art and culture. Twitter: @Deepansh75.
Time Out Dubai
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out Dubai
You can now order Kanji by 3Fils on Deliveroo
Loved by residents and tourists alike (including many top chefs), contemporary Asian restaurant, 3Fils has a stellar reputation in Dubai. Why? Dishes are fresh, and we mean super fresh. Your chosen menu options are prepared in front of you, using only the best ingredients to bring you delicious and great value plates, like its incredible sushi for example, to the table. And its delivery service, Kanji, ensures you can enjoy the high-quality dishes you love from 3Fils, in the comfort of your own home. Committed to offering an exceptional restaurant experience the restaurant is repeatedly known for, Kanji translates everything you love about Japanese inspired venue with its premium delivery experience. Every order is expertly packed, so whether you're craving a sushi platter or a selection of signature dishes, Kanji will deliver and serve all of your sushi cravings as if you're sitting inside its Jumeirah Fishing Harbour's venue. And now there are even more reasons to love 3Fils: you can enjoy all of your favourites directly to your doorstep through Kanji, with Deliveroo. So that means you can dig into 3Fils's melt-in-your-mouth salmon nigiri, Dragon maki roll, and its best seller, the O.G. (stir-fried Indomie noodles, sautéed with spicy beef chorizo strips, snap peas, and asparagus) even faster. What's more, Deliveroo offers a wide delivery radius, so there are even more chances to get your 3Fils fix. Order your favorite 3Fils dishes from Kanji on Deliveroo today and enjoy fresh sushi at home.
Leaders
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Leaders
Japan Park Attracts Anime Fans to BLVD City in Riyadh
Japan Park, one of Boulevard City's interactive spaces, has attracted large crowds of Esports World Cup (EWC) audiences, currently taking place in Riyadh, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The unique zone offers a comprehensive visual and sensory experience that takes visitors to the heart of the Japanese culture. It features diverse activities that combine entertainment and cultural experiences. The journey at Japan Park starts with visitors wearing the traditional Kimono to immerse them in an authentic Japanese experience. Visitors engage with their favorite anime and manga characters roaming the area. They also have an extraordinary opportunity to capture memorable photos with prominent interactive figures of iconic characters such as Gundam and Vegapunk. Furthermore, the Japan Park includes daily workshops for Japanese calligraphy, during which visitors learn traditional writing arts and how to write their names in Kanji. The area also involves specialized workshops for Origami and the craftsmanship of traditional Japanese fans (Uchiwa), featuring professional Japanese artisans. Meanwhile, the area includes traditional Japanese games, such as Kendama and Go, a series of educational and interactive games that attracts visitors of all ages and introduce them to the traditional Japanese entertainment. The Japan Park's mini-theater hosts daily performances presenting traditional Japanese dances, and live shows inspired by popular anime series, featuring performers dressed in the characters' costumes. The exceptional experience is complemented by restaurants serving mouthwatering Japanese dishes, such as Sushi and Ramen, as well as traditional desserts like Mochi. The Japan Park has become one of Riyadh Season's most attractive destinations for anime and manga fans, drawing a large number of local and international visitors in an experience that vividly demonstrates anime world and modern Japan in the heart of Riyadh. Short link :
Time of India
08-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Plantation efforts transform barren lands
1 2 Kanpur: Once marked by dry, lifeless stretches of land, several areas across Kanpur are now lush with greenery, thanks to sustained and large-scale plantation drives undertaken by the district administration and active participation of local residents in the recent past. According to officials, the transformation is not the result of any single effort, but a collective mission in which people from all walks of life—from village farmers to urban schoolchildren—participated with enthusiasm. Saplings were planted not only as an act of environmental responsibility but also as emotional gestures. Some planted trees in the names of daughters or in memory of elders, aiming to leave behind a living legacy, while others planted it for the future generations. The visible outcome of these drives is now taking the form of natural green belts that are beginning to influence the city's microclimate, increase bird populations, and boost the area's natural biodiversity. In 2021, a major plantation drive was carried out over 40 hectares of the Domanpur forest block in Sarsaul, where native species like Arjun, Kanji, Arru, Acacia Auriculariformis, and Neem were planted. Local villagers took ownership of the drive by not only planting but also maintaining the saplings. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo Officials from the Forest Department confirmed that 95.69% of the planted trees have survived, forming a dense forest patch that is already impacting local air and soil quality. In the same year, a Miyawaki forest was established on one hectare of land inside the National Sugar Institute (NSI) campus. More than 35,000 saplings of native and fruit-bearing trees—including Jamun, Mango, Mahua, Tamarind, Sheesham, Neem, and medicinal plants like Tulsi and Adhatoda—were planted. The high-density forest has become a green lung in the heart of the city, offering residents a quiet refuge and encouraging children to connect with nature. In 2024, a new afforestation initiative was taken up on 50 hectares of barren land at the Naveli Power Plant complex in Ghatampur. Despite the challenging terrain and infertile soil, over 1.25 lakh saplings were planted, with special attention given to species such as Babul, Arru, Kanji, and Siras. With regular maintenance and the right choice of species, the area now reports a survival rate of over 97%, making it one of the most successful plantation models in the district. Continuing the momentum, the district administration is preparing for another massive plantation drive on July 9. District magistrate Jitendra Pratap Singh has urged every citizen to plant a tree in the name of their mother. The main event will be held in Allen Forest, where saplings will be planted using the Miyawaki technique. The programme will be chaired by Rakesh Sachan, Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Govt of Uttar Pradesh.
Hindustan Times
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Jim Rion: 'Fair-play mystery is still alive and well in Japan'
How did you end up living in Yamaguchi? Jim Rion (Courtesy the subject) It was all just an accident, really. I was living and studying in Germany before I came here. Just as I was coming to the end of my time there and wondering where to go next, a friend from university emailed out of the blue. She said she was working at an English school in Yamaguchi that was looking for a teacher; was I interested? And I thought, 'Why not give it a try?' I'm glad I did it, because here I am, 20 years later, and happy as can be. What got you interested in sake and writing about the Yamaguchi breweries? The first thing was just enjoying the drink. I came here in 2004, and Yamaguchi was right at the start of a big jump in sake quality and recognition. So, the people around me were all excited to share the local drink with this new guy. Over time, as I began to learn more about the brewing process, I was attracted to all the craft skill that goes into it. I've always been a fan of traditional craft and making things by hand, and sake is certainly a good example. Then, when I started working as a translator, I saw my position as a way to both get closer to that craft and maybe also help share these wonderful local products with the world. 'I came here in 2004, and Yamaguchi was right at the start of a big jump in sake quality and recognition. So, the people around me were all excited to share the local drink with this new guy. ' Having interacted with Uketsu's work closely as a translator, what stood out for you as a dominant theme in the book? Strange Pictures is an unusual book that you can just read for the chills and the mysteries but also rewards some deeper reading and exploration of themes. As a translator, of course I wanted to get as deep as possible to make sure I didn't miss anything when I was bringing it into English. I won't go into spoiler territory, but as I went through the book over and over, I came to feel that the essential theme of Strange Pictures is motherhood, and how it can be both a source of boundless love and also a terribly dangerous thing. You've mentioned in your blog about the challenges of translating Strange Pictures – the Kanji characters, the name of the blog in chapter one, etc. What are some of the most common challenges when it comes to translating Japanese into English? I think there are two things about Japanese that make it particularly challenging to translate for me personally — other people surely have their own lists. One is purely linguistic, and one is stylistic. The linguistic issue is that sentences often leave out the subject, ie who it is that is speaking or doing some action, which we can't do as much in English. In Japanese, the subject is usually understood from context, but sometimes it is intentionally left vague. In the mystery and horror genres in particular, not knowing is often essential to the impact of a story. The need for English to know the subject of a sentence introduces a danger of ruining the surprise. The real challenge, then, is not necessarily that of deciding who did something, but how to write a meaningful English sentence without ruining some kind of plot point. The stylistic issue is that Japanese writing uses repetition in ways that English writing simply doesn't. For example, it's very common in written dialogue for one person to make a statement, then for the narrative text to repeat the idea in other words. So, you might get an exchange that would be directly translated like, 'This isn't just an accident. Someone killed him.' He was saying this was deliberate? In other words, murder? Which is three ways of saying the exact same thing, and people reading in English, without that kind of style, might get tired of a novel that did that for every major exchange. So, I have to both stay true to the tone and the meaning of the original while still making the English text something people will enjoy reading. 'Strange Picturesis an unusual book that you can just read for the chills and the mysteries but also rewards some deeper reading and exploration of themes.' What do you make of Uketsu's enigmatic disposition? With respect to the fact that he never shows his face, he has a somewhat unconventional profile of a YouTuber-turned-author, the narrative he chooses to engage in is quite different. I've heard Uketsu himself talk about this several times now, and I think that the way people are focused on his mask and body-stocking is an excellent example of organic identity building. He has said in several interviews that he was simple concerned about preserving anonymity as a guy making those 'weird videos' at the start of his YouTube career, but now they've become essential to the Uketsu mystique. I don't think he ever dreamed he would become as famous as he is, so I doubt he had much of a plan. So, the unconventional profile and narrative are probably just the result of him making it up as he goes along. Luckily, he seems to be quite good at that. It all really does work to build the mystery and fascination with everything he does, doesn't it? As for the YouTuber-turned-author path, he has said that he hadn't originally intended to become an author, but someone in publishing saw his mystery videos and said if he wrote books, they'd be hits. Clearly, that person was right. From a contemporary novel to the classics, tell us about your understanding of Seishi Yokomizo's novels and honkaku as a genre, something that was in vogue almost five decades ago. Honkaku mystery has been a significant presence in Japan's publishing market for decades, even as a target of rebellion as some writers in the 1960s started to feel it was getting too mired in orthodoxy and trope. Of course, Yokomizo was a foundational figure in the whole Japanese mystery genre, and his works are still popular in Japan today. One of the things that I find so interesting is just how dark his stories are, and how they seem to toy with supernatural elements, even while ending up being purely rooted in the natural world. I think in that, Yokomizo reflects the influence of Edogawa Ranpo, the 'founding father' of Japanese mystery who, in turn, was deeply influenced by Edgar Allan Poe. So, he includes an undercurrent of the grotesque, the corrupt, and the twisted that goes beyond the more mundane murders that populated the works of Agatha Christie or Ellery Queen. If you're looking for a Western writer for comparison, it's probably John Dickson Carr, who also tried to evoke horror fiction tropes like ghosts, vampires, and witches, while remaining purely natural and scientific in the end. And today, 'fair-play' mystery is still alive and well in Japan. This is the age of Shin-honkaku, the 'New orthodox' mystery movement that started in the 1980s — or even the Shin-Shin-Honkaku, 'The new new-orthodox.' I think some might even call this a golden age, with young writers taking up the challenge of writing fair-play mysteries that bring fresh takes on the well-trodden ground of locked rooms and impossible murders. Which explains why Yokomizo's books are still in print, and the many film and television adaptations are still being watched. Of Strange Pictures and The Devil's Flute Murders, which one was more fun to translate and why? I have to say that in terms of 'fun,' Strange Pictures has to be the winner. It was just so satisfying to follow as all the threads wove together in the end to reveal... Well, I'll stop there. No spoilers! There was a lot that was rewarding about The Devil's Flute Murders, of course. It gave me a way to learn about Japanese history, such as the fall of short-lived noble classes that were modelled on Europe. But then, when I think of what I gain from translation, I have to say connections to authors is one of the biggest rewards — and unfortunately, Yokomizo is no longer with us. Uketsu, though, is and I have been lucky enough to get to speak and work with him. 'There was a lot that was rewarding about The Devil's Flute Murders, of course. It gave me a way to learn about Japanese history, such as the fall of short-lived noble classes that were modelled on Europe.' What are you working on next? The next book from Uketsu, Strange Houses, is coming out in the summer, and we're just finishing up edits on that. Then, I have another unannounced mystery translation coming from Pushkin sometime in 2025 or 2026, maybe, before the next Uketsu book, so my schedule is pretty full for the next year or so. But I'm also trying to find time to work on my own book, a non-fiction look at ceramic artists in Japan. I hope that by making this so public, I'll feel compelled to finish what I started! Arunima Mazumdar is an independent writer. She is @sermoninstone on Twitter and @sermonsinstone on Instagram.
