Category Archives: Reviews

Sweden, a new novel by Matthew Turner about the fascinating history of American Vietnam War deserters in Japan

Posted on Sep 17, 2018 by William Andrews

I uncovered many things during my brief and, so far, sole trip to Hawaii, though probably none that the regular visitor would expect. I was there to browse materials in the Kōji Takazawa Collection of Japanese Social Movement Materials at … Continue reading →

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A review of Japanese ultra-nationalism mockumentary Go! Go! Second-Time Gaijin

Posted on Aug 26, 2017 by William Andrews

As we approach the end of the Heisei period with the abdication of the current emperor — a situation unprecedented in modern times — we can expect the sound and fury of the ultra-nationalists’ black vans, known as uyoku gaisensha, … Continue reading →

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Some thoughts on the SEALDs documentary “About My Liberty”

Posted on Jun 26, 2016 by William Andrews

Although released originally in May, it is timely to catch About My Liberty: SEALDs 2015 now while it continues to play (with English subtitles) at Uplink in Shibuya. Alongside Shimin Rengō (Civil Alliance for Peace and Constitutionalism) and the opposition … Continue reading →

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Tell the Prime Minister: Eiji Oguma’s portrait of a changing Tokyo and the anti-nuclear power movement

Posted on Jan 22, 2016 by William Andrews

Thanks to a free screening at Sophia University, I finally got a chance to see Tell the Prime Minister (or Shushō Kantei no Mae de in Japanese, literally, “In Front of the Prime Minister’s Residence”), which has been playing at … Continue reading →

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SEALDs publish first book, “Tell Me What Democracy Looks Like?”

Posted on Oct 4, 2015 by William Andrews

The revolution will not be televised, they say, but this one was — and publicised, a lot. And yet, for all the hundreds of thousands who gathered at the Diet and all around Japan over the summer, for all the … Continue reading →

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