There is a reason why Japanese people as a whole are obsessed with Mt. Fuji. It is a more or less perfectly shaped mountain, rising up with it’s white top for all to see. Even after living under Mt. Fuji for 6 months my eyes are still drawn to it frequently. Recently I came across some vintage Mt. Fuji photographs… More »

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From Ningin: Western people like white teeth (except the British). Though the Japanese have lagged behind in dental care teeth whiting procedures are the most popular cosmetic procedure in Japan. Funny how things used to be quite different… More »

Since 2010 marks Akira Kurosawa’s centennial (100th birthday), we should be reminded of the things this man saw and endured during his lifetime which played a role in his filmmaking. The notorious atom bombs being the top of the list and, as such, a reoccurring theme throughout his career. Rhapsody In August is just such an example of the effect this horrific event had on the lives of the people who suffered through it. It seems only fitting that my final Kurosawa review will be of a later piece in his career. More »

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Ninjutsu, the bread and butter of the ninja repertoire. Without it, a ninja just wouldn’t be much of a ninja. But how much do you know about Ninjutsu? Whether you don’t now your Bōjutsu from a Sōjutsu (like me) or you’re a ninjutsu novice, allow this article to fill some gaps in for you. More »

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Ninjas are primarily known for being assassins, jumping from rooftop to rooftop as they stealthily home in on their prey before landing a handful of shurikens to their head. Besides leaving people with lethal migraines, these shadowy mercenaries served other roles as well and in this article we’ll look at some of those roles. More »

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Women aren’t the first thing you think of when someone says ninja. More often than not, your mind jumps to men with dirty glares in black outfits. What you may or may not know, is that women played an integral role in ninja clans of the past. More »

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Most of us know what a ninja is, or at least we think we do from growing up watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and old kung-fu movies. But how and where did they come from? Did someone roll out of bed and just decide to be a ninja one day? Did someone go to a school with classes like Shruiken Throwing 101? All jokes aside, many of us don’t know much about the origins of these shadowy spies and assassins. That’s where this article comes in. More »

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Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing the latest film by Alexander Sokurov (Russian Ark, Mother and Son, MOLOCH), THE SUN is a fascinating character study that is sure to polarize movie-goers everywhere. Does that mean it’s a bad film? Not at all. In fact, the film has nestled it’s way into my top ten movies of the year list and stands as a haunting experience. More »

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Anime, so what is it? Why is it called called anime? And what’s the big fuss about it? Most of you reading this probably already have a wealth of knowledge on the subject but for those new to the scene, let’s go over the basics. More »

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