Meiko Kaji: A Retrospective
Recruited at the twilight of Japan’s studio era, actress and singer Meiko Kaji emerged in 1965 as a contract player for Nikkatsu, Japan’s oldest film studio. Outspoken and tenacious, she resisted the prescribed mold of modest, reserved female roles, often to the frustration of executives who soon relegated her to supporting parts. Even as an eighteen-year-old newcomer, her unyielding nature revealed a resolute spirit well-suited for outsider roles, and Kaji soon embodied an anti-establishment image of outlaws, bikers and delinquents. As the industry shifted into violent and sexually charged genre productions to counter waning attendance, Kaji avoided typecasting—even with the success of her vengeful angels—seeking instead to further her craft and artistry, opting for variety over stardom. Moving from ninkyo eiga (chivalry films) and pinky violence to yakuza pictures, arthouse productions and television, Kaji—whose piercing gaze came to define an era of Japanese cinema—transcended the confines of genre cinema; her depth and versatility extend far beyond the cult mythos that surrounds her.
Kabukicho’s streets turn perilous in ‘Tokyo Strayers’
Kabukicho may be packed with tourists today, but Ren Akiba's film shows how the streets can still be unforgiving for runaway teens.
‘Samurai Ballerina’ pirouettes through Belle Epoque Paris with uneven grace
Known for franchise hits and sci-fi anime, Goro Taniguchi takes a very different turn, sending two young artists from Japan to chase their dreams in early 20th-century Paris.
With its dreamlike style and piercing sense of solitude, Jun Ichikawa’s “Tony Takitani,” now in 4K, stands as one of the finest and most faithful Haruki Murakami adaptations
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‘Tony Takitani’: Haunting Murakami adaptation rendered beautifully in new 4K restoration
Few Haruki Murakami screen adaptations capture the author’s melancholy as beautifully as Jun Ichikawa’s 2004 “Tony Takitani.”
‘The Specials’: Dancing assassins stumble in clumsy caper
With gunfights, dance routines and nostalgic pop hits, Eiji Uchida’s film has a fun concept but struggles to make it work.
Japanese film director jailed for 8 years for sexual assualt
Hideo Sakaki's film 'Confession' was pulled following the accusations in 2022, part of a string of sexual abuse allegations to hit Japan's film and television industry.
‘Johatsu: Into Thin Air’: The quiet desperation of those who disappear
An estimated 80,000 people “evaporate” in Japan each year. Arata Mori and Andreas Hartmann’s haunting documentary follows the “night movers” who help their clients disappear.
‘This Place’: Estrangement and renewal set against a city’s recovery
Set in Rikuzentakata, Jaime Pacena II’s crosscultural drama pairs a city’s slow recovery with two sisters struggling to rebuild trust.
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