iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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William Andrews @william-andrews.bsky.social · 21h

A statement in response to Adachi Masao's public claims about my book, Pink Auteur, Red Outlaw. ⾜⽴正⽣⽒による抗議声明に関して声明を公開します。

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Noah Oskow @noahoskow.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Just voted in the US midterms - and if you’re an American citizen living abroad, so can you. It’s a fairly painless process, and there’s still plenty of time. 🗳️

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Awai Books @awaibooks.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

A big thanks to Noah Oskow at Unseen Japan for giving “Pink Auteur, Red Outlaw” such a thorough and nuanced reading, and for asking difficult, important questions. Much to think about in this review and interview with biographer William Andrews. unseen-japan.com/pink-auteur-... #booksky

unseen-japan.com

Review - Pink Auteur, Red Outlaw: Adachi Masao and Japan's Cinema of Revolution - Unseen Japan

William Andrews’ new book explores Adachi Masao's radical cinema, the Japanese New Left, and decades of involvement with the infamous Japanese Red Army.

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Noah Oskow @noahoskow.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Very much enjoyed writing about this fascinating new book - between Adachi, his underground milieu, and his long involvement with the Japanese Red Army, it covers some vast contexts in its 280-odd pages.

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 13/09/2026

Gotoh Masafumi of Asian Kung-Fu Generation put ¥75.6 million in crowdfunding and donations into turning a 130-year-old tea storehouse in Shizuoka into a recording studio. It's run by an NPO that rents to struggling artists at half the normal rates so bands can afford to fail.

Screenshot of a Japanese-language colocal article about MUSIC inn Fujieda, the residential recording studio Gotoh Masafumi of Asian Kung-Fu Generation built inside a roughly 130-year-old earthen tea storehouse in Fujieda, Shizuoka. The headline says he wanted to give young musicians time to fail.

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Elad Nehorai @eladn.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Here is a guest on Tucker Carlson’s podcast saying that algebra is a conspiracy by the Jews to turn people into “good little goy slaves.” I wish I was joking.

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 07/09/2026

By the 1970s, prosperity had created a problem. Fewer Japanese wanted the jobs known as the Three Ks: kitanai (dirty), kiken (dangerous), kitsui (demanding). Japan turned instead to the descendants of the rural poor it had sent to Brazil decades earlier.

unseen-japan.com

Japanese-Brazilians: The Story of Their Return to Japan - Unseen Japan

The epic tale of the 300,000 Japanese-Brazilians that Japan insisted it needed - until it suddenly didn't.

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Noah Oskow @noahoskow.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Akiyama’s story is often used as a punchline, but when researching for this article/video, I found it surprisingly moving. Still funny, but moving. Rest is peace, 秋山さん。

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 02/09/2026

You still can't buy a vape in Japan. Why? Because a legal nicotine vape in Japan would need two separate approvals: the nicotine as a pharmaceutical, and the device that vaporizes it as a medical device. Japan's government has never granted either.

unseen-japan.com

Why Can You Still Not Buy Vapes in Japan?

Why can't vapes be sold in a country that still loves smoking? A look into the complex legal framework that keeps them import-only.

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Noah Oskow @noahoskow.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Reading about Adachi Masao led me to check out this film by his contemporary, the more mainstream but still radical filmmaker Oshima Nagisa. I'd read about Night and Fog in Japan before, and as a critical film about the Japanese New Left during the movement itself, very interesting. boxd.it/g8PUnH

boxd.it

A ★★★½ review of Night and Fog in Japan (1960)

A revealing and pessimistic look at the Japanese New Left student movement as its own history was still unfurling. Stylistically interesting, sitting on the boundary between foggy surrealism and munda...

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Noah Oskow @noahoskow.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Enjoying diving into @william-andrews.bsky.social ‘s new book on the iconoclastic, controversial director Adachi Masao and his life and times during the era of the Japanese New Left and beyond. @awaibooks.bsky.social

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Noah Oskow @noahoskow.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Out with the baby, and ended up in one of those weird station transfer areas where one line has an elevator, but the other doesn’t. So, started carrying the stroller and baby down the stairs - to the Oedo Line at Roppongi Station. Yeah, the Oedo is deep, but I forgot just how deep 😅 Not recommended

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Awai Books @awaibooks.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Five days until release! Here is our first full cover reveal. “Pink Auteur, Red Outlaw: Adachi Masao and Japan’s Cinema of Revolution” by William Andrews (@william-andrews.bsky.social) is out September 1. #BookSky

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seme x seme enthusiast @gamcracker.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

the slow and steady rate of climate change will phase things out such that even if the people in power decide to really do something about it eventually, traditions across the world will already be forgotten.

One of those customs is radio taisō (ラジオ体操), or radio calisthenics. What began in 1928 as a plan by the government’s postal life insurance bureau to reduce claims steadily became such a vaunted tradition that it survived an attempt by the occupying American forces after World War II to cancel it.

Climate change is now trying to finish what the Americans started. And it’s working.

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 25/08/2026

Geisha Nakanishi Mitsuko says that in 1985, Japan's future prime minister Uno Sōsuke grabbed three of her fingers: "If we become lovers, I can give you this much." She assumed ¥3,000,000 a month, the norm for a kept geisha. He meant ¥300,000.

unseen-japan.com

The Geisha Who Took Down a Prime Minister - Unseen Japan

In 1989, Uno Sōsuke burst onto the scene as the new prime minister of Japan. Only 69 days later, he'd resign - and all because of a geisha named Nakanishi Mitsuko.

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Noah Oskow @noahoskow.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Hajichojima is pretty far off the coast. The fact that I could dimly feel it here in Tokyo means it must have been fairly powerful. Hope everyone on the island is ok.

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 16/08/2026

A Japanese X user asks how Korean and Chinese users handle last name repetition: "In Japan you get things like 'we have four Satōs at our company...',...in Korea, couldn't you end up with something like 'we have 13 Lees?'" It raises a fascinating point about Japanese last names.

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Daniel ／妥仁得 @kaihat.su · 04/08/2026

Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park will be holding a five-day Silver Week special event, "Upopoy Fes 2026 - Now: Connecting Ainu, Okinawa, and Amami", from 19-23 September, aiming to bring the three cultures together through music, performing arts, crafts, and food. www.sankei.com/article/2026...

sankei.com

アイヌ・沖縄・奄美の文化が集結するウポポイ初の野外音楽フェス開催決定　元ちとせ、夏川りみら出演

アイヌ民族文化財団が運営するウポポイ（民族共生象徴空間／北海道・白老町）が、9月19日から23日までの5日間にわたり、シルバーウィーク特別イベント『ウポポイ …

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 30/07/2026

On a thread about how the practice of "skirt-flipping" in Japan died out as an acceptable way for boys to "tease" girls, X user Shio says it's because parents fought back against the manga that popularized it: Harenchi Gakuen (ハレンチ学園, "Shameless School") by Go Nagai (1968-1972)

Skirt-flipping (スカートめくり) died out thanks to the parents and PTAs of that era protesting fiercely against the manga/anime that made it popular. Back then, the women who protested also got heavily mocked and ridiculed. …"

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 25/07/2026

Okamoto Kōzō's death in Lebanon ends the 55-year tale of an infamous member of the Japanese Red Army. Just 2 years ago, the fate of another familiar face on a wanted poster was sealed: Kirishima, bomber for the East Asia Anti-Japan Front. He'd hid from police for half a century. youtu.be/TLwxf3hKMZY

youtu.be

Kirishima Satoshi: On the Lam for 50 Years (East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front)

YouTube video by Unseen Japan

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Gaijin Mommy @gaijinmommy.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Hey Tokyo Moon: a one-minute dubstep musical

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 23/07/2026

You can learn the history of the Japanese Red Army in our five-part series - episode four focuses specifically on Okamoto, Shigenobu Fusako, and the Lod Airport Massacre. youtu.be/Aa5_9_jwmOw

youtu.be

Japanese Red Army: Homegrown Terror

YouTube video by Unseen Japan

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Crusher Jones @crusherjones.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Unseen Japan’s doc on this is fascinating. JRA remains poorly documented in English, but their impact should be noted by scholars and specialists

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Noah Oskow @noahoskow.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

This is big news. Okamoto spent the last 40 years in exile in Lebanon - the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine would occasionally throw events honoring him, posting pictures of him on Facebook. I wonder if we'll ever learn the fates of the other JRA members on the lam - Bando, Daidoji...

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Noah Oskow @noahoskow.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

The Odyssey doesn’t come to Japanese theaters until mid-September - but I just so happen to be in Peru, where I availed myself of the earlier release date. And yes, it was very worth it. The movie rocks.

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Noah Oskow @noahoskow.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Hola from Lima, Peru! My first time in South America. Here for a few days doing some research for an upcoming article/video - if anyone in la Comunidad peruano-japonesa would like to chat, send me a message!

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 18/07/2026

In 2024, we reported on the passing of Masuyama Eiko, Nikaido's predecessor/successor in the role of Fujiko. (Masuyama played Fujiko in the 1969 Lupin pilot, and again from '77 to 2010.) We spoke of Nikaido as the last surviving link to the classic cast in our video tribute. youtu.be/OZFNNYVRLsQ

youtu.be

Farewell, Lupin the 3rd: The Passing of the Classic Voice Cast

YouTube video by Unseen Japan

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 18/07/2026

And then there were none: the very last classic Lupin III main cast member has passed away. Nikaido Yukiko, the voice of femme fatal Fujiko in the original 1971 Lupin series, had spent the last 11 years in an elder care facility; her son has announced she passed on the 3rd of this month.

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Lev Nachman @lnachman32.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

I'm happy to share my newest op-ed "Taiwan Believes Japan Will Help Defend Against China: Opinion polling shows that trust in Tokyo is surprisingly deep" with @poscwty1.bsky.social for @foreignpolicy.com! This is a gift link, so there is no paywall! 🧵 foreignpolicy.com/2026/07/07/c...

foreignpolicy.com

Taiwan Believes Japan Will Help Defend Against China

Opinion polling shows that trust in Tokyo is surprisingly deep.

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Anna Merlan @annamerlan.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

The end of consensus reality, baby

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Arthur Baron-Clément @arthur.baron-clement.com · 16/06/2026

better a (paint)pig than a fascist

Rough landscape digital painting. In the foreground some rusty and destroyed server racks. A red plane fly trough a blue cloudy sky.

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Noah Oskow @noahoskow.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Very glad I’ve had a chance to visit Dug recently. Very few jazz kissa of its pedigree left, and tragic to hear that it’s closing not by the owner’s choice - but because its historic building is being demolished. Farewell to a Shinjuku icon.

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 24/06/2026

See a side of Japan most tourists never discover. Unseen Japan Tours designs itineraries based on your interests and connects you with Japanese-fluent guides who can take you places non-Japanese speakers can't access. unseen-japan.com/unseen-japan...

unseen-japan.com

Custom Japan Tours & Private Guides - Unseen Japan Tours

Custom Japan itineraries and expert private guides. Skip the crowds and see the authentic Japan most tourists miss.

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 29/06/2026

Mama" and "papa" are such ubiquitous parental terms in Japan that it's easy to forget they're foreign words - words the Japanese government once tried to ban. Learn how loan words came to dominate okaasan and otousan in our video on linguistic change and local backlash! youtu.be/T8ECZ-3HezY

youtu.be

How the Japanese Words for Parents Lost Out to English

YouTube video by Unseen Japan

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Every Film Now @everyfilmnow.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Toho says it has no plans to actively introduce AI at this time. “Introducing AI will certainly lead to greater operational efficiency ... However, how to use it in the creative realm is a very troubling and difficult issue.” (via Nikkei Magazine) #Toho #Godzilla

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 26/06/2026

People across the Kanto region were just startled awake by the screech of their phone earthquake warnings; a Shindo 6- earthquake had hit the Fuji Five Lakes region. Every time an earthquake hits that area, discussion starts anew about the threat of a Fuji eruption. youtu.be/ALsNI9HaL5g

youtu.be

The Last Time Mount Fuji Erupted - And What Might Happen Next

YouTube video by Unseen Japan

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 23/06/2026

In 1853, Commodore Matthew C. Perry sailed into Japan on President Fillmore's orders to force the isolated nation to trade. For 14 years, it was the Shogun's samurai who dealt with the Americans, watching as the United States tore itself apart in civil war from 1861 to 1865.

unseen-japan.com

How the Samurai Saw the U.S. Civil War - Unseen Japan

When the U.S. Civil War broke out in 1861, samurai still ruled Japan. How did the samurai - on the cusp of their own war - react?

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 20/06/2026

There was little alcohol in Postwar Tokyo, so black market hawkers sold bakudan, bootleg fuel cut with methanol that left drinkers blind or dead. Once literary hangout Bar Lupin scrounged up enough legitimate booze, it advertised with a pointed slogan: "At Lupin, you're safe."

unseen-japan.com

Bar Lupin: Drink Where Japan's Modern Literary Masters Hung Out

In a Ginza basement, the bar Lupin has poured drinks since 1928 for Dazai, Ango, and Japan's literary greats. A visit to the watering hole where modern Japanese letters got delightfully drunk.

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Noah Oskow @noahoskow.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Pretty big quake centering in Saitama. Nice big jolt here in central Tokyo.

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JJWalsh @jjwalsh.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Join us LIVE this morning as I talk with Jay Allen of @unseenjapan.com this morning at 9am on the Seek-Sustainable-Japan talkshow youtube.com/live/-V-FDiP...

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 03/06/2026

150 years ago, Shinjuku - perhaps Tokyo's core - was a collection of fields around a samurai post town. Its claim to fame: the city dwellers its "rice serving women" attracted to its licentious inns. In some ways, little has changed. Learn more in vid on the history of Shinjuku! youtu.be/P5rIAFl1R_Y

youtu.be

How Tokyo's Shinjuku Became the World's Biggest Nightlife District

YouTube video by Unseen Japan

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 01/06/2026

Kimono rental shops in Japan are drawing in foreign tourists. But are they legit? One of UJ's tour guides, herself a professional kimono stylist, explains the different kimono styles - and how to distinguish the authentic stores from the gaudy fast-fashion disasters.

unseen-japan.com

Kimono Rental Shops in Japan: What's Real, What's Fake, & How Not to Get Swindled

Learn about the different types of kimono styles and how to tell serious, traditional shops apart from the TikTok trends.

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 31/05/2026

In English, words are rarely deleted from dictionaries. So why in 2021 did a Japanese dictionary publisher give 1,100 words the boot? How a tweet by a voice actress from Haruhi Suzumiya had our author digging into which Japanese words live and which ones die.

unseen-japan.com

The "Dead" Slang Words a Japanese Dictionary Officially Killed

In English, words are rarely deleted from dictionaries. So why in 2021 did a Japanese dictionary publisher give 1,100 words the boot?

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 30/05/2026

Nuikatsu, the practice of photographing yourself with plush toys, is booming in Japan - and some restaurants don't like it. A pair of viral incidents online highlight the tensions involved when customers bring their favorite stuffed animals out to eat with them.

unseen-japan.com

When Plushies Take a Seat: Japan's “Nuikatsu” Boom Collides With Restaurant Manners

A couple of viral incidents online highlight how some restaurants are struggling to handle customers bringing their stuffed +1s.

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Noah Oskow @noahoskow.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Interesting seeing this book from 2011 on Japanese architecture describe the Mori tower megaprojects as akin to Trump Towers. They have some similarities - conspicuous internationalist structures that feel apart from their surrounding built environment. At least the Mori towers are less gaudy?

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 28/05/2026

In 1990, Akiyama Toyohiro became the first Japanese astronaut and journalist in space. His first words on return? "I need a smoke so bad." Learn of a seminal moment in Japanese astronautics, and an unlikely astronaut who didn't exactly love the experience, in our video! youtu.be/s3lTfIyh_Es

youtu.be

The Japanese Astronaut Who Hated Space: Akiyama Toyohiro

YouTube video by Unseen Japan

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Daniel ／妥仁得 @kaihat.su · 28/05/2026

Nara has a history of considering human rights. Many places in the prefecture are significant due to connections with the Buraku Liberation movement - participants of which have linked with Ainu groups before.

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Daniel ／妥仁得 @kaihat.su · 28/05/2026

Contrary to the panel exhibitions in Sapporo, a group in Nara is currently holding a panel exhibition at Tenri Station which properly tells the history of the Ainu, discrimination against them, and colonisation of Hokkaido. It finishes tomorrow, on the 29th.

nara-np.co.jp

アイヌ民族のいま紹介　5月29日まで天理駅南団体待合所でパネル展　歴史、文化、同化政策など｜奈良新聞デジタル

民族差別を考えるきっかけに

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