Latest news with #Kitamura
The Mainichi
4 days ago
- Health
- The Mainichi
Japan's lifesaver association warns against swimming after drinking alcohol
TOKYO -- With summer in full swing, playing in the sea, rivers and pools makes you want to drink cold beverages, but the Japan Lifesaving Association (JLA) is calling on people not to swim after drinking alcohol. According to the JLA, approximately 20% of emergency transports from waterfronts involve alcohol consumption. The association warns, "If you drink, don't swim." Ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day on July 25, the Mainichi Shimbun asked an expert about the dangers of swimming while intoxicated. Alcohol consumption in 20% of waterfront emergencies "Alcohol intake impairs judgment. Cognitive functions decline, leading to poor decisions such as entering dangerous areas. It also affects the function of the cerebellum, causing loss of balance and unsteadiness, making one prone to drowning even in shallow waters," explains Dr. Nobuya Kitamura, 61, deputy director of Kimitsu Chuo Hospital in Chiba Prefecture and the JLA's medical director. According to the JLA, in 2024, 41 cases of emergency transport (excluding cases of CPR) were reported among 215 locations nationwide, including beaches where member clubs were active. Of these cases, nine, or 22%, involved alcohol consumption. Four cases were believed to be cardiac arrest due to drowning, with one involving alcohol consumption and later reported as a fatality. Also recently, a July 7 drowning incident at a beach in the city of Fukuoka involved a man in his 40s who was believed to be intoxicated. Alcohol bans on beaches, but not at seaside huts How are municipalities with beaches responding? Since 2014, the Zushi Municipal Government in Kanagawa Prefecture has banned alcohol consumption on Zushi Beach through an ordinance. However, drinking is permitted at beach huts. The ordinance was put in place to make beaches safer after the "clubification" of beach huts with loud music and drinking became a social issue. Apparently, it was not primarily intended to prevent drowning accidents. A city official explained that beach huts were exempt from the alcohol ban because "staff can manage the amount of alcohol consumed." The ordinance also prohibits barbecues and playing music through speakers on the sand. As a general policy, beachgoers who continue to violate the rules after three warnings are advised to leave. For beach huts, if violations such as "staff serving alcohol to outside customers" occur, warnings and violation notices are issued. If a certain number of these is reached, the municipal government will take disciplinary action such as suspending business operations. 'For the sake of your loved ones' "If a child is drowning right in front of you, an adult who has been drinking cannot help. 'If you drink, don't swim.' Let's continue to spread this message for the sake of your loved ones," urges Dr. Kitamura. At the hospital, Kitamura treats patients brought in by emergency transport and those requiring helicopter dispatch. Amid his busy schedule, he plans to volunteer as a lifeguard twice this summer.
Tokyo Weekender
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tokyo Weekender
How Mogi Folk Art Sparked Tokyo's Mingei Renaissance
In the heart of Tokyo's bohemian neighborhood of Koenji, Mogi Folk Art has carved out a space where tradition and contemporary design collide. Opened in 2022 by Keiko Kitamura and Terry Ellis, the store is described as an homage to mingei , Japan's folk craft movement that champions the beauty found in everyday handmade objects of use. Since opening, Mogi Folk Art has gained an international following for its unique selection of furniture, homewares and clothing, which are brought together under the discerning eye of its owners. Ellis is a renowned figure in the Japanese design and craft scene, and Kitamura is a seasoned buyer with a honed eye for the overlooked. Together, the couple offers a philosophy that craft should be alive, not archival. The store embodies the pair's decades-long work in this world; to look back at their joint career is essentially to plot the resurgence of mingei, so paramount have they been to its current revitalization. It was a path littered with obstacles at the start. The pair began working as buyers for the lifestyle giant Beams in the 90s, where they first began to introduce Japanese craft pieces into the rotation during the early 2000s. However, as Ellis recalls, the objects at this time were seen as so old-fashioned that the press 'wouldn't even look at them.' List of Contents: From Okinawa to Tokyo: The Mingei Revivalists The International Language of Mingei The Future: Crafting Continuity Related Posts Examples of Okinawan pottery From Okinawa to Tokyo: The Mingei Revivalists Mingei, which translates as 'folk craft' in English, was a movement born in the late 1920s as a response to the rise of mass production. Led by art critic and philosopher Soetsu Yanagi and potters Shoji Hamada and Kanjiro Kawai, the movement sought to elevate the handmade crafts of ordinary people — ceramics, textiles, woodwork — as objects of beauty and cultural value. Though it became a defining aesthetic in mid-century Japan, the movement eventually receded from public attention as consumer tastes shifted. It was Soetsu Yanagi's son — the legendary industrial designer Sori Yanagi — who first taught Ellis and Kitamura the joy of folk crafts. Nearly three decades ago, he suggested they take a trip to Okinawa to pursue this interest. 'At the time, no one was going,' Kitamura recalls. 'It was cheaper to fly to Hawaii.' The couple's first trip in 1997 was a revelation. Okinawan ceramics — known for their earthy palettes, robust nature and bold abstract patterns — were unlike anything they'd seen in Japan, and really spoke to the pair. But when they began introducing pieces at Beams, they received little attention. 'Craft wasn't trendy,' Ellis says, laughing. Okinawa itself still carried postwar baggage: Newspapers mostly reported on American military antics, not artisanship. Yet slowly, through repeat trips (now over 100 and counting) and Beams' cult influence, Okinawan pottery would shed its provincial image. Kitamura and Ellis began by introducing simple plates with no decoration, before carefully moving into bolder colorful pieces, gradually bridging Okinawa's craft traditions with Tokyo's design-conscious audience. By the 2010s, what was once dismissed as 'old-fashioned' had become coveted, and Japanese craft had found a permanent place within Beams through the 2003 launch of its in-house brand Fennica, presided over by Ellis and Kitamura. The International Language of Mingei The history of mingei follows a similar path of bridging cultures. 'The founders of mingei looked westwards,' Ellis notes, 'first from China and Korea, then to Europe and America. Mingei was always internationally minded.' Today, Mogi Folk Art's shelves reflect this: African masks sit beside Mashiko stoneware; Tottori plates share space with indigo-dyed fabrics, altogether creating a space that feels eclectic yet coherent. The commonality? The mark of the hand — a quality Ellis values over mere beauty. Despite this, Ellis notes the early mingei movement was Eurocentric in its influence, beginning to seek inspiration from Africa and South America only in the 1960s. Mogi offers a selection of African art pieces, which Ellis sees as having an affinity with Japanese craft. 'There's a common belief that mingei shares its sensibilities with Scandinavian design, but I'm skeptical of that. Sure, there's a shared emphasis on functionality, but I see more kinship between Japanese and African art.' The parallels, he argues, lie not only in aesthetics but a spiritual utility — objects acting as vessels for ritual, not just decoration. Japan's masks, costumes and religious icons echo West African sculpture and textiles in their embodiment of spirits and unseen forces. 'It's not art for art's sake.' The Future: Crafting Continuity Ellis has always known his role lies in selection rather than creation. 'I tried my hand at ceramics in Okinawa,' he admits, 'but realized I didn't have the talent for it. I know I'm good at selecting — that's where my strength lies.' This clarity of purpose defines Mogi Folk Art and pushes it forward — Ellis' curatorial instinct pairs with Kitamura's nuanced approach to maker relationships. 'My mission is finding the middle ground between our commissions and the specialisms of local makers,' she explains. Their philosophy extends to Mogi's clothing line, which the pair designs entirely in-house. Rejecting the dilution that plagues many small or avant-garde brands (Ellis: 'Designers often start with something great, then have to water it down due to time and cost'), they choose to focus on simple, elemental pieces: smocks, T-shirts, sneakers, and soon, jackets. The palettes — indigo, khaki, beige — mirror the earthy tones of their objects, as if translating folk art's materiality into wearable form. Each garment is produced through longtime Beams connections, using fabrics chosen for their quality and longevity over trend, and the result is clothing that exudes a quiet confidence. Last year, Ellis and Kitamura expanded their vision further with a new dedicated gallery space a few doors down. Open on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, Mogi & Mogi Gallery Shop serves as a showcase for one-off, standout pieces, and often spotlights overlooked voices: women artists sidelined by Japan's male-dominated craft history, and older makers with overlooked archives. Despite collecting for so many years, Ellis fondly recalls the first masterwork he obtained — a bowl by the renowned mingei potter Shoji Hamada. 'I had encountered mingei objects before, but this was something else. It was the first time I thought, 'If I don't buy this, I won't be able to sleep!'' At its core, Ellis and Kitamura remain driven by their mission to create spaces where others might feel this same spark, proving through the quiet power of selection that when an object speaks for itself, it needs no explanation. More Info Mogi Folk Art is open each week from Thursday to Monday. Mogi & Mogi Gallery Shop is open on Saturday, Sunday and Monday or by appointment. For more information, visit their website or find them on Instagram at @ mogi_folk_art and @ mogi_and_mogi . Related Posts Ontayaki no Sato: Digital Detox in a Folk Pottery Commune in Kyushu Revisiting Traditional Japanese Crafts with Noritaka Tatehana 'Mingei: The Beauty of Everyday Things' Exhibition
Nikkei Asia
02-06-2025
- Automotive
- Nikkei Asia
Japan machine tool maker Kitamura launches Chinese sales arm
TOYAMA, Japan -- Japan's Kitamura Machinery said Monday that it has set up a sales unit in China to export high-precision machine tools, expanding its presence in the country. Kitamura has already exported machine tools for auto parts to China. With the new subsidiary, set to start operating this month, it is targeting "areas that the Chinese government has bolstered through subsidies," according to a company representative.
Japan Forward
01-06-2025
- Sport
- Japan Forward
Tokyo Yushun: Race Favorite Croix du Nord Delivers Impressive Victory
Guided by jockey Yuichi Kitamura, the Kitasan Black offspring maintained a fast pace throughout the 92nd Tokyo Yushun and finished strong to secure the win. Croix du Nord, piloted by Yuichi Kitamura, wins the 92nd Tokyo Yushun on June 1, 2025, at Tokyo Racecourse. (©SANKEI) Odds-on favorite Croix du Nord validated his Hopeful Stakes (G1, 2,000 meters) victory in December 2024 by winning the 92nd Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) by three-quarters of a length on Sunday, June 1. The son of Kitasan Black had three wins in as many starts last year and kicked off the 2025 racing campaign with the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000, Guineas, G1, 2,000 meters) on April 20 as the heavy favorite. In that race, Croix du Nord had to settle for second, 1½ lengths behind Museum Mile. On Sunday at Tokyo Racecourse, trainer Takashi Saito and jockey Yuichi Kitamura both claimed their first Japan Racing Association G1 title since the 2024 Hopeful Stakes with this colt. It was Saito's ninth overall G1 win and Kitamura's seventh. While it was their first Classic title for both the trainer and jockey, owner Sunday Racing notched its fifth Japanese Derby victory — renewing the JRA record for most Derby titles won. The 92nd running of the Tokyo Yushun at Tokyo Racecourse. (©SANKEI) Croix du Nord broke smoothly from stall 13, shifted closer to the inside and secured a prominent position around third or fourth behind Satono Shining (Yutaka Take's ride), who was rushed to the front in his bid to lead the 18-horse field. He then gave way to Ho O Atman (Hironobu Tanabe) soon after as a pacesetter entering the backstretch. Kitamura kept his mount in good rhythm as Ho O Atman increased his lead from the rest of the field by almost 10 lengths. The 2,400-meter race began in earnest as the leader weakened 300 meters out. At that point, Croix du Nord came powerfully up the center lane to duel with Satono Shining. Croix du Nord then pulled away from Satono Shining at the furlong pole while holding off a powerful chase by runner-up Masquerade Ball (Ryusei Sakai) and third-place finisher Shohei (Christophe Lemaire) to earn a three-quarter length victory. ( Watch the full race on the JRA's YouTube channel. ) Winning jockey Yuichi Kitamura (©SANKEI) "I felt it was my responsibility to make Croix du Nord a Derby winner ever since the colt won the Hopeful Stakes. So my feeling now is that I am relieved to have accomplished my mission," Kitamura said after the race. "The whole process since the win last year, including our runner-up effort in the Satsuki Sho, was a meaningful and precious learning experience for me." Added Kitamura, "The colt felt great today and I was able to come into the race with every confidence, so victory itself came as no surprise to me." How did the race unfold? "The break was smooth and after that, I was concentrating on keeping him in a comfortable rhythm more so than what position he was sitting in," said Kitamura. "In the stretch run, he responded really well and as I've said, I had every confidence in the colt and drove him on believing that he would make it to the wire a winner." The start of the 92nd Tokyo Yushun. (©SANKEI) Masquerade Ball secured a comfortable position in mid-field with a close view of the race favorite and eventual winner, running a few lengths in front. Giving the colt a breather along the backstretch before edging closer along the outside approaching the last two turns, Sakai guided the colt further out for a clear run into the stretch where the son of Duramente turned in a terrific turn of foot. He closed in on the eventual winner while overtaking both Shohei and Satono Shining to secure second place, although just short of reaching the winner. Shohei made use of an inside break to sit close to the pace while saving ground along the rails before shifting out slightly coming into the straight to follow the eventual winner. And while unable to match that foe, Shohei ran gamely to overtake Satono Shining in the last strides to secure third place. Satono Shining finished fourth, a neck's length behind Shohei. Eighth pick Eri King (Yuga Kawada) and second favorite Museum Mile (Damian Lane) placed fifth and sixth, respectively. The 75th Yasuda Kinen is the JRA's next G1 race on Sunday, June 8 at Tokyo Racecourse. Read the full report , including details on each of the Tokyo Yushun entrants, on JRA News. Author: JRA News
Irish Times
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Audition by Katie Kitamura: This hotly anticipated novel is psychologically chilling
Audition Author : Katie Kitamura ISBN-13 : 978-1911717324 Publisher : Fern Press Guideline Price : £18.99 American author Katie Kitamura has acquired a reputation as something of a writer's writer – her work meditates on writing craft, interrogating the relationship between the ideas underpinning her work and the form of their delivery. Her previous novels have been well received; the most recent, Intimacies , was longlisted for the US National Book Award, the PEN/Faulkner Award and named by Barack Obama as one of his favourite books of 2021. As such, Audition , her fifth publication, has been hotly anticipated. This is Kitamura's third novel with an unreliable, unnamed first-person narrator – a point of view that allows the author to activate her great strength as a puppet-master of perspective and interpretation. The short novel is constructed in two parts; both are narrated by the same accomplished actor who is contemplating the roles she must play both on stage and off. In her current production she is challenged by a scene where the character undergoes a subtle transformation with little direction: 'the movement from the woman in grief to the woman of action'. This is echoed in the structure of the novel where between parts one and two the reader is thrust into a different dimension with no explanation. At the beginning of the novel, the actor is meeting an attractive young man, Xavier, for lunch when her husband happens upon them. The nature of their relationship, and the tense, unstable, dynamic between them, is psychologically riveting and propels the narrative forward. READ MORE In part two, Xavier has situated himself in an entirely different position in her life. The connective tissue between the two set pieces is the narrator's hypnotic unspooling of the narrative, but the world in which this novel is set is an abstract one, with little concrete detail to ground the reader. The degree to which that alienates or tantalises is a matter of taste. [ The 'other Americans': 20 books that celebrate US literature's rich diversity Opens in new window ] This is the third of Kitamura's novels where the theme of interpretation has been central to the narrative. Not least of all is the question of how people, and therefore her characters, interpret their own agency or lack thereof in their lives. It is interesting that both parts of this novel could be read in either order and provoke similar questions of interpretation and understanding. It would be miscategorising to position this novel as a psychological thriller, but it is nonetheless psychologically chilling. If you are drawn to novels that raise more questions than answers, this one is for you.
