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☆ ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ review: Series could use more Godzilla, fewer people
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Let’s face it, people generally don’t come to Godzilla-related projects for the actors and drama, which is basically the leap that “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” asks viewers to make. Stretched into a multi-generational Apple TV+ series, the show is as much a Titan-ic soap opera as a monster mash, proving mildly watchable but without enough of the city-leveling antics for which the big guy is known. Godzilla appears, occasionally, in the Apple TV+ series "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters." For that latter contingent, “Legacy of Monsters” should be mildly entertaining, but even with Apple’s sizable investment, it too often feels like a gigantic donut with a Godzilla-shaped hole in the middle. “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” premieres November 17 on Apple TV+.

Persons: ”, Lee Shaw, Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Shaw, William, Keiko Randa, Anders Holm, Mari Yamamoto, Keiko, Anna Sawai, Ren Watabe, Russell, Indiana Jones Organizations: CNN, Apple

☆ Getting Dressed with Beenslackin
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Jon Caramanica | Kadar R. Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A fit pic provocateur, full-time flaneur and occasional stylist, Beenslackin, 24, was born Menelik Demissie in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and moved to Brookline, Mass. Over the last three years, he’s made a name as a street-level avant-gardist, dressing in chaotically ecstatic single-designer outfits (Rick Owens, Margiela, Louis Vuitton and, most recently, Balenciaga and Vetements) with ease, confidence and, crucially, a lack of preciousness. His natural gift with unnatural silhouettes has earned the admiration of Lil Uzi Vert among others, and lately he’s been extending his experimentation to the body itself. You can find him stomping around downtown, pant hems dragging and decaying behind him, sometimes cradling his tiny dog, Keiko. This interview has been edited and condensed.

Persons: Beenslackin, Menelik Demissie, he’s, Rick Owens, Margiela, Louis Vuitton, Lil Uzi, pant, Keiko Locations: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Brookline , Mass

☆ One-third of the world's captive orcas are in the US, and no one can agree on what to do with them
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Erin Heger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

There are 18 captive orcas in the US. Captive orcas can also show signs of chronic stress. Captive orcas can suffer a number of health problems including severe tooth damage. The history of releasing captive orcas in the USOnly one captive orca in the US has ever been released back into the ocean — Keiko, the orca who starred in the 1993 film "Free Willy." Captive orcas can't thrive in small tanks but may not thrive in the wild, either.

Persons: Naomi Rose, Rose, Marcos del Mazo, Monika Wieland Shields, Tilikum, Shields, aren't, Chris Dold, Dold, Keiko, Willy, Colin Davey, Keiko wasn't, Mark Palmer, Palmer, Little Grey, White, Aaron Chown, Lori Marino, Marino, Paul Harris, we've, Serge MELESAN, orcas Organizations: SeaWorld, Animal, Service, Animal Welfare Institute, Orca Behavior, Magnolia Pictures, Miami Seaquarium, Miami Herald, Tribune, Getty, Mammal, PETA Locations: SeaWorld, SeaWorld Orlando, Florida, Mexico City, Oregon, Iceland, Norway, Washington, Caribbean, Nova Scotia

TOKYO (AP) — The Japanese entertainment company that has acknowledged its founder sexually assaulted hundreds of boys over the span of half a century, took a new name on Monday: Smile-Up. Higashiyama, tapped last month to head the old Johnny’s, will now be president of both Smile-Up and the new company. “All things with the Johnny’s name will have to go,” Higashiyama told reporters at a Tokyo hotel. Payments will begin next month, Higashiyama said. That causes great pain to the victims,” said Junya Hiramoto, who heads a group of Johnny’s victims.

Persons: Noriyuki Higashiyama, Johnny’s, ” Higashiyama, “, Johnny Kitagawa, Higashiyama, Kitagawa’s, Julie Keiko Fujishima, Fujishima, ”, Mary, Kitagawa, Johnny, Yoshihito Kawakami, Junya Hiramoto, Yuri Kageyama Organizations: TOKYO, Johnny, Associates, Johnny’s, BBC, Johnny & Associates, Associated Press Locations: Tokyo, Johnny’s, Japan

☆ Daiwa Securities Deputy President discusses culture change in corporate Japan and cabinet reshuffle
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailDaiwa Securities Deputy President discusses culture change in corporate Japan and cabinet reshuffleKeiko Tashiro of Daiwa Securities discusses the various reforms to Japan's corporate culture and governance, and Fumio Kishida's latest cabinet reshuffle.

Persons: Keiko Tashiro, Fumio Kishida's Organizations: Daiwa, Daiwa Securities Locations: Japan

☆ Japan's exit from ultra-easy policy 'may not come as early,' says Daiwa Securities
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailJapan's exit from ultra-easy policy 'may not come as early,' says Daiwa SecuritiesDaiwa Securities' Keiko Tashiro said the BOJ will likely take a cautious stance: "I think they'll want to watch and see, because they don't want to dampen anything that might happen if they raise interest rates too early."

Persons: Keiko Tashiro Organizations: Daiwa Securities Daiwa Securities

TOKYO (AP) — The Japanese boys-band production company at the center of an unfolding sexual abuse scandal, Johnny & Associates, chose three former judges Wednesday to head its effort to compensate hundreds of victims. “We recognize that the late Johnny Kitagawa carried out sexual assaults over a long period, and we apologize to the victims from the bottom of our hearts,” the company said. Among the latest was Kao Corp., a chemical and cosmetics company, which cited “considerations for people’s various feelings” on Tuesday. McDonald’s Japan has also said it will stop using Johnny’s stars in future deals, but past ads featuring them remained on its official site. Johnny’s stars are extremely popular, leading to sponsorship revenue and hit TV shows.

Persons: Johnny Kitagawa, Kitagawa, Julie Keiko Fujishima, Johnny's, Noriyuki Higashiyama, Johnny’s, “, ”, McDonald’s, ___ Yuri Kageyama Organizations: TOKYO, Johnny & Associates, Asahi Group Holdings, Suntory Holdings, Kao Corp, Public, NHK, Japan Federation of Bar, Business, Rights Locations: Tokyo, Japan, McDonald’s Japan

TOKYO (AP) — Several major Japanese companies have decided to stop using stars who are represented by Johnny & Associates, an entertainment company at the center of a sexual assault scandal. Victims have come forward, demanding an apology and financial compensation from Johnny & Associates, which remains one of this nation’s most powerful entertainment companies. Critics say the mainstream news media kept silent because it didn’t want to lose access to Johnny’s stars for their programming. But public opinion has shifted dramatically in recent months, with the wave of companies dropping Johnny's expected to grow. Suntory Holdings said it will stop using Johnny’s personnel in its ads and has formally demanded improved corporate governance.

Persons: Johnny &, Junichi Okada, Toma Ikuta, Sho Sakurai, Johnny, Julie Keiko Fujishima, Johnny Kitagawa, Fujishima, Kitagawa, Hibiki, Hokuto, Atsushi Katsuki, Johnny's, ”, ___ Yuri Kageyama Organizations: TOKYO, Johnny, Johnny & Associates, Beverage, Asahi Group Holdings, Johnny’s, Japan Airlines, Nippon Life Insurance, Suntory Holdings, Asahi, Twitter Locations: Tokyo, SixTONES

The president of one of Japan’s most influential entertainment agencies resigned after an independent investigation confirmed the company’s founder, Johnny Kitagawa, had sexually abused young men in his care since the 1970s. His reputation as a hitmaker associated with some of Japan’s most popular boy bands protected Mr. Kitagawa from scandal, even after his death in 2019 at age 87. Under immense scrutiny, Johnny & Associates announced in May that it was forming an internal investigative panel to “prevent the recurrence” of future abuse. At a news conference on Thursday, Julie Keiko Fujishima, Mr. Kitagawa’s niece, acknowledged the results of the investigation and apologized on behalf of herself and the company. She also announced she had resigned as the company’s president on Wednesday.

Persons: Johnny Kitagawa, Kitagawa, Julie Keiko Fujishima, Kitagawa’s Organizations: Johnny & Associates Locations: Japan

Fujishima said the alleged sex abuse had really happened and that she would stay on the company’s board to see through a victim compensation program. A group of men who accused Kitagawa of raping them as children said they were pleased the company apologized, but some had reservations. The three-month probe concluded that Johnny Kitagawa sexually assaulted and abused boys as far back as the 1950s and targeted at least several hundred people. The men who have come forward say Kitagawa raped, fondled and abused them while they were working for his company as dancers and singers. One man who came forward recently said he was routinely molested when Kitagawa had yet to found his company.

Persons: Julie Keiko Fujishima, Johnny Kitagawa, ” Fujishima, Fujishima, Kitagawa, Yukihiro Oshima, Noriyuki Higashiyama, “, ” Higashiyama, ”, Higashiyama, ” ___ Yuri Kageyama Organizations: TOKYO, Johnny & Associates, BBC Locations: Tokyo

☆ For Gen Z in Japan, a smile is worth $55. Hour-long classes aim to teach students how to smile again without a mask.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Amanda Goh | Nidhi Pandurangi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

After getting used to wearing masks, Gen Z Japanese students are taking classes to learn how to smile. A private, hour-long smiling lesson with Kawano costs 7,700 Japanese yen, or $55. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon"People have not been raising their cheeks under a mask or trying to smile much," Kawano told the New York Times in early May. "People train their body muscles, but not their faces," Kawano told the Times. A private, hour-long lesson with her costs 7,700 Japanese yen, or $55, per Reuters.

Persons: Gen, Keiko Kawano, —, Himawari Yoshida, Kim Kyung, Kawano, Yoshida, Yamaguchi Organizations: Service, Reuters, Sokei Art School, REUTERS, New York Times, Kawano, Smile, IBM Japan, Times, NHK, Chuo University Department of Psychology Locations: Japan, Tokyo

[1/5] A student practices smiling with a mirror at a smile training course at Sokei Art School in Tokyo, Japan, May 30, 2023. Only 8% said they had stopped wearing masks altogether. Tellingly, roughly a quarter of the art school students who took the class kept their masks on during the lesson. Her trademarked "Hollywood Style Smiling Technique" method comprises "crescent eyes", "round cheeks" and shaping the edges of the mouth to bare eight pearly whites in the upper row. With a surge in inbound tourists, Japanese people need to communicate with foreigners with more than just their eyes, she added.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Hoon TOKYO, Keiko Kawano's, Himawari Yoshida, Young, Kawano, Anton Bridge, Tom Bateman, Chang, Ran Kim, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Sokei Art School, REUTERS, NHK, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Japan's G7 refugee balancing act: door open for Ukrainians, but not many others
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Elaine Lies | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The generosity towards Ukrainian evacuees, however, will highlight the stark contrast against Japan's track record with asylum seekers, experts and advocates say, with hopes for broader refugee policy reform still distant. Ukrainians have entered Japan under a framework set up specifically for them and are referred to as evacuees rather than refugees. "We want the world to know how bad Japan's refugee recognition system is," said Keiko Tanaka, head of Osaka-based refugee assistance group Rafiq, noting the group would hold a press conference on Sunday when the G7 summit wraps up. Private charity Nippon Foundation gave her 1 million yen ($7,400)- an annual grant it extends exclusively to Ukrainian evacuees. Advocates are guardedly hopeful the Ukrainian presence could change Japan's overall refugee policy, but Temple University Japan's political science professor James Brown thought it unlikely.

☆ Japan Is Unmasking, and Its Smile Coach Is Busy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Hisako Ueno | Mike Ives | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

About six years ago, Keiko Kawano, a radio host, found that when she stopped doing voice-articulation exercises, her smile began to fade. At a certain point, she struggled to lift the corners of her mouth. So Ms. Kawano, then 43, decided to learn how facial muscles work. After using the knowledge to reanimate her smile, she started helping others do the same under the motto, “More smile, more happiness.”And as many people in Japan unmask after three years and find their facial expressions a bit rusty, she is adapting her work to the post-Covid era. “People have not been raising their cheeks under a mask or trying to smile much,” Ms. Kawano said last week, a few days after Japan downgraded Covid-19 to the same status as common illnesses.

☆ How the Head of a Filmmaking Center Spends His Sundays
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Alix Strauss | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Making the documentaries “was like waving a magic wand,” he said. “We began winning the fights and realized the power we had.”They also realized they had power as a couple. Mr. Alpert and Ms. Tsuno married in 1971 and the following year founded the Downtown Community Television Center, a community hub that produces award-winning documentaries and offers screenings and classes. Some 10,000 high school students have taken free documentary filmmaking classes there, said Mr. Alpert, a renowned director and producer himself. Ms. Tsuno, 78, visits them every week from her home in northern New Jersey, or sometimes they will visit her.

☆ Japan govt begins Unification Church probe amid anger over ties with ruling party
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Japan's government on Tuesday launched a probe into the Unification Church, the first step in a process that could strip the group of its legal status amid public anger over its links to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's ruling party. The government will give the church until Dec. 9 to answer questions about its finances and organisation, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Keiko Nagaoka told a regular news conference. Once the government investigation is over it will be up to a court to decide whether to remove the Unification Church's legal standing and with it the tax exemptions that registered religious organisations enjoy in Japan. Widespread links between the church and lawmakers in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) came to light after former premier Shinzo Abe was shot and killed during an election campaign in July. Reporting by Tim Kelly and Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japanese prime minister orders investigation of Unification Church
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ordered an investigation Monday into the Unification Church in an apparent move to calm the public outrage over his governing party’s cozy ties with the controversial group, which were revealed in the wake of Shinzo Abe’s assassination. Former Prime Minister Abe was shot to death during an outdoor campaign speech in July. The suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, told police he killed Abe because of his apparent link to a religious group he hated. An LDP survey in September found nearly half of its lawmakers had ties to the church, including Cabinet ministers. Nagaoka, the culture minister, said she will set up a panel of legal and religious experts next week to discuss a rare investigation into a religious group.

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