Gil Asakawa's Nikkei View | Gil Asakawa
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February 11, 2013

I’m a fan of anime and manga, although I don’t actually follow the zillions of comics or animated series and movies, because they’re instrumental in building bridges between Japan and the United States. I’ve spoken with eager young Caucasian anime fans in full cosplay (dressed in costumes playing the part of their favorite anime characters) who said they’re taking Japanese...

January 31, 2013

[caption id="attachment_4973" align="aligncenter" width="520"] The striking graphic that opens the article on Jezebel.com[/caption] As I read with disbelief the daily dispatches about North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un's bellicose statements about aiming nukes at the United States, threatening South Korea and putting his impoverished country under martial law to "prepare for war," I know that there are very serious issues...

January 30, 2013

Like zillions of other people, I'm enchanted by Hello Kitty and amazed by the worldwide phenomenon of the cute cat that was born in Japan and now adorns all manner of products and objects and toys and appliances worldwide. And, I'm enchanted by this totally cool video of a 7th grade school science project, in which Hello Kitty flies into...

January 14, 2013

I don't drink, but it's not because of moral objections or religion or prudishness. Like many Asians, I'm allergic to alcohol. Specifically, I get the familiar "Asian Flush" after just a few sips of even beer. I drank when I was younger, but I felt self-conscious about my face turning red, my eyes glowing in the dark and my body...

January 10, 2013

[caption id="attachment_4911" align="aligncenter" width="520"] Jiro Ono (left) and his son, Yoshikazu.[/caption]For the past year, people have been telling us to watch "Jiro Dreams of Sushi," the 2011 documentary by David Gelb about Jiro Ono, the 85-year-old artisan sushi chef who operates a Michelin 3-star restaurant, Sukibayashi Jiro, tucked into a Tokyo underground station. We finally saw it, and it's a charming...