Drum troupe Kodo has been putting on supersonic taiko performances around the world for more than 30 years. Judit Kawaguchi heads backstage to find out what makes its members tick. It is all but impossible to describe in words the sheer power and intensity generated by traditional drum troupe Kodo during a performance.  A typical…

Entertainer Natsuki Mari injects a touch of je ne sais quoi into the kitsch world of modern Japanese showbiz, writes Judit Kawaguchi. Portraits by David Stetson. On a stage overwhelmed by a giant mountain of hay, Natsuki Mari sits on a steel can, her wavy hair messy and full of straw. She looks both lovely…

Almost every Westerner who has ever read anything about Japan has probably come across Professor Donald Keene’s name at some point in time.  The 83-year-old professor has published around 40 books in English on Japanese topics, including both studies of Japanese literature and culture and translations of Japanese classical and modern literature. His award-winning title,…

Sleep is likely to be in short supply this month as the country follows Japan’s progress in the 2006 Football World Cup in Germany. As the team heads to Europe, Jon Day asks national captain Tsuneyasu Miyamoto what the stalwart defender hopes to take away from soccer’s glamorous tournament. When Japan’s first game at the…

Japan’s tennis hot shot is continuing a career in which she’s risen from strength to strength. J SELECT found Ai Sugiyama courtside to talk about her recent volley into the women’s world top ten ranking. When people discuss Japanese professional athletes who have made an impact on the world stage, it’s usually names like Matsui,…

They’re wide-eyed and mute, confused and inquisitive. They’re human but they look different Ð like they’ve come from a distant planet or another dimension altogether. They’re often outrageously funny. They’re righteous drummers. And they’re blue. They are Blue Man Group, a theater/concert experience that has over the past two decades grown into a wildly successful…

Politicians are typically staid, predictable types who are happy to forgo any hint of personality for the sake of toeing the party line. And so it is rather refreshing to meet Miyazaki governor Hideo Higashikokubaru, a man who possesses an uncanny knack of being able to surprise. The former entertainer surprised everyone in January, comfortably…

In stark contrast to the stifling heat and humidity outside the studio under the glare of Tokyo Tower, the dark, cavernous room, in the middle of which sits an elaborate set with cherry trees in full bloom, is chilly and abuzz with activity, with half a dozen cameras being tested and re-tested, directors barking orders…

In Paris’ ultra-chic First Arrondissement, 26 Rue Cambon is an address that represents the culmination of one young girl’s dreams Рfantastic and beautiful dreams that began at a time when the world was enveloped in death and destruction. Only a stone’s throw from fashionable Place Vendome and across the street from a Chanel boutique, bridal…

Kosuke Kitajima certainly has presence, so much so that on meeting him my hands unexpectedly shake as I fumble for my business card. It is the way he walks, the way he stands, the way his white Coca-Cola training suit does little to conceal his evident strength Ð an aura totally at odds with his…