Japan's media names 8 Japan-related events to look forward to in 2016

(Japan Today) There’salottolookforwardtointheYearoftheMonkey.HerearejustafewofthetopJapan-relatedeventsyouwon’twanttomissin2016.

1.Documentary:“BehindtheCove”(January30)

Thisfilm,directedbyKeikoYagi,attemptstorebuttheAcademyAwardwinningmovie“TheCove.”Asweallknow,therearetwosidestoeverystory,sothisoughttobeaninterestingperspective.

Thefilm’sposterasks“WhyisJapan’straditionalfoodculturebeingtargeted?”InJapan,“TheCove”promptedaplethoraofnegativereactionsbytheJapanesewhofelttheircountryhadbeensingledoutbyafilmthatwas“unwarranted,unfair,andmanipulative”accordingtoapressreleaseforYagi’sfilm.TheJapaneseMinisterofAgricultureandFisheriesreportedlysaid,“ItisregrettablethatthismovieismadeasamessagethatbrutalJapanesearekillingcutedolphins.”Yagicallsfor“understandingdifferencesinfoodculturesandreligions.”Whetherornotoneagreeswithkillingdolphins,it’sprobablyworthatleastlisteningtotheothersideofthestory.

WhenRocketNews24askedthedirectorforreactionsfromJapanesepeoplewhohaveseenthefilm,shehighlightedthefollowingcommentsfromacoupleofviewers:“Idon’tthinkpeoplehavelookeddeeplyenoughintotheissuessoIhopemanypeoplewillwatchthemovie,”and“IfyoufeelbitterafterseeingTheCove,youwillbedelightedasthismoviewillfreeyourheart.”

ShowingsinJapanesewithEnglishsubtitlesstartinShinjukuatK’sCinemaonJanuary30.Ticketsare1,300yen.

2.Theater:TakarazukaPerformanceofRurouniKenshin(StartsFeb5inKobe,April1inTokyo)

Intheperformingarts,wehavetheTakarazukaReviewperformingRurouniKenshin,thestoryofsamurairedemptionthatstartedasanimebeforebeingtransformedintoaseriesofactionmoviesandnow,amusicalbytheall-femaleTakarazukaTheaterinJapan(previousmangaadaptationsbythetroupeinclude“LupinIII,”“BlackJack”and“JIN”).Ifthetunesareasrockin’asthoseoftheanime,itwillbeatreatfortheearsaswellastheeyes.

February5toMarch14atTakarazukaGrandTheater(HyogoPrefecture),April1toMay8atTokyoTakarazukaTheater.Ticketscanbeorderedonline(3,500to12,000yen).

3.Art:SetouchiTriennale(StartsMarch20)

TheSetouchiTriennaleartshowonthecharmingKagawaPrefectureislandsintheSetoInlandSeaisatreatforartaficionadosandtouristsalike.Thevenue,setacrosstwelveidyllicislandsinWesternJapanaswellasthetownofTakamatsuonthemainland,theinternationalartshowisnotonlyachancetoseeinstallationartandprojectsbyartistsinresidence,butit’salsoafirst-handopportunitytoexperiencetheflavorofJapan’slocalislandcultures.Theeventisheldeverythreeyearsandfor2016itwillbecarriedoutover108daysandthreeseasons:spring(March20–April17),summer(July18–September4)andautumn(October8–November6).CatchaferryfromUno(OkayamaPrefecture)orTakamatsu(KagawaPrefecture)togetouttotheislands.

FindoutmoreaboutthefestivalattheTriennalewebsiteandseewhat’snewthisyearatSetouchiExplorer.

4.Anime:The3rdannual“AnimeJapan”Event(March25-27)

TheAnimeJapanOrganizationwillholdthisyear’sAnimeJapaneventatTokyoBigSightforthreedaysfromMarch25–27.Theweekendofferslotstoseeandexperienceincluding“Cosplayer’sWorld,”afoodpark,aproductionworksgallery,andabusinessareatotalkaboutexpandingtheanimebusinessmarket(specialregistrationrequiredforthelatter).AnOpenStagewillfeatureTVanimations,interviewswithactors,awards,talkshows,pressconferences,etc.Upcomingtrailerreleases,exclusivetalkswithcastmembersandinterviewswilltakeplaceonthesmallerRed,Green,andBluestagesforlimitedaudiences(additionalregistrationrequiredforthesesmallerstages).Comejointheworld’slargestanimeevent!

Ticketsonsalenowat1,600yenforgeneraladmissionor2,000yenatthedoor.

5.Films:NewGodzillaMovie(July29)

Thisyearbringsanabundanceofgreatmoviereleasesbutperhapsthemostanticipated—aftera12-yearwait—isthenew“ShinGodzilla,”directedbyShinjiHiguchi(“AttackonTitan”).Thegoodnewsisthatthelive-actionfilmdirectorpromisesthatthis“kaiju”moviewillbescarierthanthepreviousGodzillaendeavors,terrorizingaudienceswithmodernanxietiessuchasterroristattacks,naturaldisastersandnuclearaccidents.ThestoryboardartistandspecialeffectssupervisoremployshishallmarktechniquesamongminiaturesinthesameveinasthoseusedinAttackonTitan.Fanshavelonganticipatedanotherflickfeaturingmonster,whohassincebecomeanofficialTokyoresident,sohere’stohopingforaterrificationofgargantuanproportions.Seethetrailerhere.

6.TV:2016SummerOlympicsandParalympics(August5-21BST)

Sure,the2016summerOlympicGamesaretakingplaceinBrazil,butifyouwanttoseeJapaneseathletescompete,there’snobetterplacetowatchthemonTVthaninJapan.Evenifyoudon’tcatchthetelevisedOlympics,you’llstillgettoseetheresultsoftheJapaneseathletes’victorieshundredsoftimesover,justincaseyoumissedthemthefirstdozenreplays.DonotunderestimatetheJapanesepropensitytoplastertheirownathletes’victoriesalloverthescreen24/7adnauseam.IfyouhaveafavoriteJapaneseathlete,Ihopetheydowellsoyoucanrevelintheirrectitude.

Thisisatimetolookforwardtonotjustvictories,butalsodefeatsandapologiesbyshamedathleteswhodidn’tgettheGolddespiteallthesupportfromtheircompatriotsathome.Butforgetitifyourfavoriteathleteisfromanothercountry(youtraitor!)andgetstheGold,becausenoothercountry’smedalistswillbegivenairtimethatmighttakeupthecelebrityspacereservedfortheunfortunatelosersandfallenheroesofJapanwhowillbeinterviewedinstead.Soifyoulovesports,besttobeasportsmanaboutitandjointheartofJapanesefandom.LikeHelloKittyorthecolorpink,there’snopointfightingthesethingshere–youmayaswelljustjointhefrenzy!Besides,youdidn’treallywanttowatchanythingelseonTV,didyou?

KeepyoureyeoutforJapan’sgoldmedalhopefulsattheXXXIOlympiad:19-year-oldAmiKondo(judo),KentaChida(fencing,goingforgoldaftergettingsilverinteamfoileventinLondon),andParalympianSakiTakakuwa(trackandfield).GoJapan!

WhiletheOlympicsstartonAugust5inBrazil,duetothenine-hourtimedifference,theOpeningCeremonywillprobablyairliveinJapanthemorningofAugust6.

7.Manga:ComicConDecember3-4,2016

TheComicConfestivalofpopcultureandtechnology,thebrainchildofStanLeeandSteveWozniak,debutsintheSiliconValley,CaliforniainMarch.Afterthat,thewholeshebangwillheadeastastheMarvelComicsfounderandAppleco-founderbringtheirteamtoTokyoforaninauguraleventthatissuretopleasetheirantipodeanmanga,animeandtechnologyfans.Celebrities,autographs,photoops,andachancetopreviewthelatestinvideogametechnologyarejustafewthingsonthecards.You’llhavethechancetobuymerchandiseandcollector’sitemsaswellasseeexhibitionsofsomeofthebestcomicandanimeartiststoday—allcompellingreasonstoattendtheextravaganza.Anddon’tforgettoseizethechancetopitchyourideastoindustryveterans!CheckouttheTokyoComicConannouncementeventthatwasheldinShinagawa.

TicketsgoonsaleinMarch.ThevenueistheMakuhariMesseConventionCenter—wheretheTokyoGameShowisheld.KeepaneyeontheTokyoComicConwebsiteformoreinformation,orfollow@TokyoComCononTwitter.

8.Movie:Silence(lateDecember2016)

Basedontheacclaimed1966novelbyShusakuEndo,“Silence”hastwicebeforebeenmadeintoamovie.ThistimedirectorMartinScorsesetellsthestoryofa17th-centuryChristianmissionaryinJapanwhoisforcedtoapostatize.WhentwoJesuitPortuguesepriests(LiamNeesonandAndrewGarfield)gotoJapantoinvestigatetherumor,theyfindacountryreelingfromevangelismandthefearthattheover300,000Christianconvertswillcometopreferreligiousteachingstothoseoftheirruler,IeyasuTokugawa.ThispresentimentwasfurtherexacerbatedbytherelativelyrecentSpanish-colonialruleofthePhilippines(1521-1898),andpromptedtheshogunatetobanChristianityin1614.WhatfollowedwasthewholesaleslaughterofthousandsofChristians.Inaddition,generationsofChristiansurvivorssuppressedtheirfaithforthenext250yearsuntiltheMeijigovernmentliftedthebanonpracticingChristianityin1873.NagasakiisthehomeoftheEndoShusakumuseumandmanyofthesitesinthismovie,whichwasactuallyfilmedinTaiwan.

AnyonewhoisafanofScorseseorwhohasaninterestin17thcenturyJapanandChristianitywon’twanttomissthishistoricdramawithaU.S.releasedateoflateDecember.