Spirited Away, the stage spectacular: 'Every 20 minutes there's something that would be the finale of another play'. A)1)The theatrical adaptation of Studio Ghibli's beloved animated film sold out in Japan in four minutes. Regarding the UK…

Enjoy Shetland on the small screen. 1)There's a moment in the latest series of the BBC crime drama Shetland when the camera pans slowly over the cliffs of Eshaness, north of the Shetland mainland. The volcanic cliffs plunge into the indigo…

What kind of person was Himiko? Himiko was the queen who ruled the "Yamataikoku." It is written that she had 1000 servants take care of her. Himiko was good at fortune-telling and magic. She is thought to have predicted the weather and pra…

About religion in Taiwan - What religion do Taiwanese believe in? Info) A significant characteristic of Taiwan is its syncretic nature. According to data released by the U.S. State Department in 2003, nearly 80% of the total population of …

The NHK Special, "The Passing of the Soulful Pianist—Fujiko Hemming's Tragic Life", will be broadcast on May 26. Valuable footage will reveal her true character. An NHK special, "The Passing of a Soulful Pianist: Fujiko Hemming's Tragic Li…

Finance Documentary in Full Length: The Spider's Web: Britain's Second Empire - How Britain transformed from an imperial power to a financial power. //Summary - Level-C2// "The Spider's Web: Britain's Second Empire" (2017) is a documentary…

The film "Silence"(2016) does not focus on Shusaku Endo's themes. //Summary - Level-C2// Martin Scorsese's 2016 adaptation of Shusaku Endo's "Silence" impressively recreates the novel but weakly conveys its core themes. The film remains fa…

Towards 2017: "Childhood's End." Now is the time to build the Tower of Babel" (Part 1) 1)2017 has begun. January 9th marks the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. The smartphone has changed our lives the most in the last ten years. 2)The smart…

Why you should watch the film MINAMATA now //Summary - Level-C2// "MINAMATA," starring Johnny Depp, chronicles Eugene Smith's efforts to expose mercury poisoning in Minamata, Japan. The film reflects ongoing global environmental and human …

China's Rush Into Africa, Explained. //Summary - Level-C2// China's involvement in Africa, symbolised by the construction and subsequent spying in the African Union headquarters, exemplifies its broader economic and geopolitical influence …

An advisory panel to the education ministry will consider how the Japanese language should be transcribed into the Latin alphabet, including unifying different romanization styles currently in use. | JIJI Japan to review romanization syste…

What Really Turned the Sahara Desert From a Green Oasis Into a Wasteland? //Summary - Level-C2//The Sahara Desert was once a lush, green landscape but transformed dramatically around 11,000 years ago. Recent studies, like those by archaeol…

What Morgan Freeman learned from actingHeartwarming stories you can learn from veteran actors //Summary - Level-C2// Morgan Freeman, an esteemed actor with a 50-year career, has garnered significant wisdom from his diverse roles and experi…

Japanese people are "too ignorant of the fear of capitalism."Marxism is entirely different from that of the Soviet Union and China. A)1)Japanese people dislike the words "socialism" and "Marx". However, according to Kohei Saito, an associa…

Bone flute was revealed to be humanity's oldest musical instrument. An ancient flute made from the wing bones of a white-bellied vulture (each photographed from a different angle; enlarged section shows finger holes). It may be the oldest …

Vienna goes wild for Beethoven's masterpiece in 200 -2024/5/6 A)1)Vienna is hosting a series of performances of Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony on 7 May to mark the 200th anniversary of its premiere. Widely regarded as one of the gre…

Kenichiro Mogi's views on qualia and artificial consciousness: Anyone who says the human mind can be easily transferred to a robot is a "fake". //Summary - Level-C2// Kenichiro Mogi, a neuroscientist, discusses in his book "Qualia and Arti…

Steelpan on stage "Bar Bar Bar" //Summary - Level-C2// The steelpan from Trinidad and Tobago is a percussion instrument crafted from a 55-gallon drum and played with a rubber-wrapped mallet. Though handmade, it has gained international fam…

Have the wheels come off for Tesla? //Summary - Level-C2// Once a thriving innovator, Tesla now faces significant challenges. Falling car sales, increased competition, particularly from Chinese brands like Nio and BYD, and issues with the …

This is part 2 of an interview with pianist Seiya Kamei. It includes behind-the-scenes stories about making an album collection of songs with superb technique. 1)We won the "Lon Thibault International Competition" piano section this time! …

Shogun: The True Story of John Blackthorne //Summary - Level-C2// The article discusses the life of William Adams, an English sailor whose experiences in Japan during the early 1600s inspired the character John Blackthorne in the novel Sho…