Horror is typically regarded as the least feminist genre of film; a genre that routinely objectifies, sexualizes, tortures, rapes and murders women and girls. However, if viewed from a different angle, horror films often feature story lines that grant wronged women the power and agency (in death) to respond to the injustices done to them [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Japan’
Feminism in Horror Film: Dead Wet Girls and Onryō
Posted in Film Reviews, Japan, Japanese Film Reviews, tagged constantine in tokyo, constantineintokyo, critical essay, film, film review, Film Reviews, ghosts, horror, J-horror, Japan, japanese film, JU-ON, Kwaidan, Nakata Heideo, Oiwa, Okiku, onryo, Shimizu Takashi, The Grudge, The Ring, yokai, yotsuya kaidan, yurei on January 23, 2012 | 6 Comments »
Japanese Film Review: Kon Satoshi’s PERFECT BLUE (1998)
Posted in Film Reviews, Japan, Japanese Film Reviews, tagged anime, CHAM, constantine in tokyo, constantineintokyo, critical essay, film review, Japan, Japanese culture, japanese film, Japanese film review, Kon Satoshi, Perfect Blue on November 26, 2011 | 7 Comments »
Already before Perfect Blue I wrote a script for another director [Katsuhiro Otomo], an episode of the omnibus film Memories called Magnetic Rose. It was also a story of confusion between memory and the real world. Because I didn’t direct it myself I was a bit concerned about how it was turning out. On many occasions I [...]
Caught Doing Good: Teaching English in Korea and Japan
Posted in Japan, Japanese Culture, Teaching English Abroad, tagged Caught Doing Good, constantine in tokyo, constantineintokyo, Japan, Japanese, Japanese culture, Korea, life in Japan, life in Korea, South Korea, teaching, teaching English, teaching English abroad, teaching English in Japan, teaching English in Korea, ToLokyo, Travel on September 10, 2010 | 6 Comments »
Next up in the “Teaching in Asia” interview series is my friend Philip, who some of you may know as ToLokyo on YouTube. Philip graduated from university in 2003 with a degree in English Education – Secondary and a certification to teach grades 6-12 in Florida. During college, Philip did an internship abroad in Saipan. [...]
Absolutely Grotesque: Feminist Literature in Japan
Posted in Book Reviews, Japan, Japanese Culture, tagged book review, constantine in tokyo, constantineintokyo, critical essay, feminism, grotesque, Japan, Japanese culture, Japanese feminism, kirino natsuo, natsuo kirino on September 9, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Unlike the West, Japan does not have a history of strong feminist movements – or, at least, Japanese feminism is less focused on individual autonomy than Western feminism. Even today, most ‘feminist’ dialogue takes place within community or civil rights organizations, not feminist activist groups. While the position of women within Japanese society has changed [...]
Hired Swords vs. Heavenly Warriors: The Development of Warrior Power in Early Japan
Posted in Book Reviews, Japan, Japanese History, tagged constantine in tokyo, constantineintokyo, Heavenly Warrirors, Hired Swords, Japan, Japanese, Japanese culture, Japanese history, Karl Friday, samurai, Temmu, Tenmu, William Farris on September 4, 2010 | 2 Comments »
The common treatment of the Heian court found in textbooks and survey histories depicts Japan’s ruling class as a group of leisured and effete aristocrats more concerned with composing elaborate waka (poetry) and mastering esoteric Buddhist practices than the effective governance of the country. Furthermore, efforts during the Taika Reform era to adopt a Chinese-style [...]
Skating in Sendai: Teaching English in Japan
Posted in Teaching English Abroad, tagged constantine in tokyo, constantineintokyo, Japan, Japanese, Japanese culture, JET Program, life in Japan, Sendai, teaching in Japan on September 3, 2010 | 13 Comments »
For the second installment of my interview series about teaching in Asia, I sat down with my friend Nino. Nino and I both attended Boston University and shared several Japanese classes with each other. Since I always thought he was much too cool and good-looking to talk to, I actually didn’t get to know him [...]
The Works of Kon Satoshi: Introduction
Posted in Film Reviews, Japan, Japanese Culture, tagged anime, constantine in tokyo, constantineintokyo, film review, Film Reviews, Japan, Japanese animation, Japanese culture, japanese film, Kon Satoshi, Millennium Actress, Paprika, Paranoia Agent, Perfect Blue, Satoshi Kon, Tokyo Godfathers on September 1, 2010 | 3 Comments »
Alright, I realize that by doing something like this I am going to be revealing just how much of a nerd I am to everyone who reads this blog. However, considering my last blog post mentioned that I have history-induced orgasms, I guess I’m not fooling anyone into thinking that I am coolness personified. Over [...]
The CAF and The Japanese Zero 零式艦上戦闘機二二型
Posted in Japan, Japanese History, Travel, tagged A6M3 Type 0 Model 22, CAF, Camarillo Airport, Commemorative Air Force, constantine in tokyo, constantineintokyo, fighters, Japan, Japanese culture, Japanese history, Japanese Zero, Pacific War, war, World War II, WWII, WWII aircraft, Zero on August 30, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Some of you know that I recently went back to America during part of summer vacation. While I was in Los Angeles, my friend Worm (it’s a nickname, don’t ask) was kind enough to take me up to see the Southern Wing of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) at Camarillo Airport where he volunteers as [...]
Kechien Kanjo at Koyasan, Wakayama-ken, May 2010
Posted in Japan, Japanese Culture, Travel, tagged constantine in tokyo, constantineintokyo, Japan, Japanese, Japanese culture, Japanese history, Travel on August 22, 2010 | 8 Comments »
Back in April/May, my mother came to visit me in Japan. During our trip down to Osaka, we took a ‘little’ detour into the nearby Wakayama-ken. Our destination: Koyasan (高野山). Founded in 819 by the monk Kukai (AKA Kobo Daishi), Koyasan is the world headquarters of the Koyasan Shingon sect of Buddhism. Home to approximately [...]
われわれ日本人: We Japanese, You Gaijin
Posted in Japan, Japanese Culture, JET Program, tagged ALT, constantine in tokyo, constantineintokyo, Japan, Japanese, Japanese culture, JET Program, life in Japan, teaching in Japan on June 23, 2010 | 21 Comments »
I was recently asked to answer a few questions for the new website iShare-Japan about my experiences since I have moved to Japan. As some of you know, I have lived in Japan for almost a year; my so-called ‘Japaniversary’ will be on August 3rd. That’s no where near long enough to have developed a [...]

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