Latest news with #Keene
The Mainichi
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
Japan's coastal Shimoda carries history of Japanese author Mishima, scholar Keene
The year 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Japanese author Yukio Mishima (1925-1970). Various exhibitions and events are being held in places connected to him, including the city of Shimoda in Shizuoka Prefecture. Mishima spent the summers of his last seven years here with his family, making it one of the places where his legend lives on. Donald Keene had a deep connection with Mishima. It was in the fall of 1954, when Keene was studying at Kyoto University, that they first met. At that time, Mishima had already emerged as a young writer. Keene was not only studying classical literature, but was also beginning to engage with contemporary writers, and apparently found a rapport with Mishima due to their close ages. Parts 25, 31 and 44 of The Mainichi's series "Donald Keene's Japan" carried related autobiographical accounts from Keene. Below we look at an excerpt from a different autobiography. I first met Mishima Yukio in November 1954 when his play Iwashi Uri Koi no Hikiami was being presented at the Kabuki-za. It is difficult to remember now our conversation or even the impression he made on me because these early memories have long since yielded to fresher, stronger ones. When I see photographs taken of Mishima about that time I even wonder -- did he really look like that? The closely cropped hair, powerful body, and up-to-the-minute sports clothes were so much a part of Mishima's appearance (and for so long) that the slender young man with wavy hair in a yukata gently smiling from the back of the American translation of Sound of the Waves seems a stranger. I cannot recall a single instance during all the years of our friendship when we had difficulty finding a topic of conversation. We often disagreed, even on literary matters. I never shared, for example, his professed admiration for conspicuously bad taste, whether in comic books or yakuza movies. I had trouble in understanding even his tastes in modern literature, and could not take seriously his political opinions, which seemed just as paradoxical and implausible as his praise for bloodthirsty novels of the Taisho period. But such divergences of opinion made it easier, rather than more difficult to converse. (Meeting with Japan) At a glance, there appeared to be quite a gap between the personalities of Mishima and Keene, but their exchanges spanned nearly 17 years. Keene viewed Mishima as a subject of modern literary study, while Mishima had expectations for Keene as an ideal translator. Both likely had professional motives, but there must have been an invisible bond surpassing those motives. Keene recounts the events of the summer of 1970, Mishima's last, as follows. In the summer of 1970 Mishima invited me to Shimoda, where he customarily spent August with his family. He normally wrote every day from midnight to six, slept from six to two, then went to kendo practice or some other gathering until it was time to return home and start writing again. He spent little time with his children, but he made up for the neglect by devoting the month of August to them. I almost canceled my trip to Shimoda because of a painful attack of gikkuri-goshi (slipped disk), but I was instinctively certain that Mishima had planned every moment of my stay in Shimoda from arrival to departure, and I could not bear to upset his plans. On the train I debated whether or not to mention my gikkuri-goshi, but when I saw him on the platform, sunburned and cheerful, I decided I would act like a samurai and keep the pain to myself. We had lunch at a sushi restaurant. Mishima ordered only the most expensive fish. Later I was able to guess the reason: he had no time to waste on lesser fish. That evening we were joined by the journalist Henry Scott Stokes, who later wrote a book about Mishima. Mishima took us to a restaurant where lobsters were served out of season. He ordered five dinners for the three of us. But when the five dinners appeared, he ordered two more, not satisfied with the quantity. I thought this was peculiar, but no doubt he wanted to be sure we would have our fill of lobster at our last meal together. The next day Mishima and I went to the hotel pool. He did not go in the water, but he was pleased to display his muscular body. We talked about his tetralogy The Sea of Fertility, which was approaching completion. He said he had put into the work everything he had learned as a writer, adding with a laugh that the only thing left was to die. I laughed too, but I must have sensed something was wrong. Violating our pledge not to discuss "sticky" matters, I asked, "If something is troubling you, why not tell me?" He averted his glance and said nothing. But he knew that three months later he would be dead. That night in his hotel room he put into my hands the manuscript of the last chapter of the fourth volume of the tetralogy. He said he had written it in hitoiki (one breath). He asked if I would like to read it, but I declined, supposing I would not understand it without knowing what had happened in preceding chapters. Although it was written in August, he would inscribe the date November 25 on the manuscript, just before heading for the Self-Defense Headquarters. I left Japan for New York in September. Departure time for the plane was ten in the morning, and I was greatly surprised when Mishima appeared to see me off. He was unshaven and his eyes were bloodshot. He probably had not slept that night. It still did not occur to me that his unusual behavior, both in Shimoda and at the airport, foreshadowed a calamity. After my plane left, Mishima went to the airport restaurant with other friends who had seen me off. He startled everyone by suddenly declaring that he refused to die a "stupid death." That was the last time I saw Mishima. (Chronicles of My Life: An American in the Heart of Japan) The Shimoda Tokyu Hotel, where Mishima often stayed, still preserve room 503, retaining the atmosphere from when he used it as his study. The room features a unique layout, utilizing a V-shaped corner of the hotel. Kazuya Koizumi, the hotel manager in charge of accommodations, commented, "I heard Mishima liked this room because his study at home was also fan-shaped. There was a slightly larger room across the hall where his family stayed." He added, "Room 503 is kept as close to its original state as possible. During the day, we open it to the public with exhibits, but at night we use it as a regular guest room. Mishima fans often specifically request to stay there." Although the study faces the mountains, from the family room's window, one can see the cobalt blue waters of the Oura coast, Akane Island -- the setting for the short story "Gettan-so Kitan" -- and beyond that, the Pacific Ocean. The pool where Keene said Mishima displayed his trained physique is right in front of the hotel, and Nabeta Beach, where the family often visited, is also nearby. Imagining Mishima writing his last novel, "The Sea of Fertility," while seated in the chair in room 503 is truly a luxurious experience. In addition to his account of Mishima, Keene also wrote an essay about the town of Shimoda. In a travelogue contributed to Japan Airlines' in-flight magazine in 1974, he discussed the romance between Townsend Harris, the first U.S. consul general to Japan, who resided in Shimoda after it was opened as a port in the late Edo period, and the geisha Okichi. Keene explains that the story known as "Tojin Okichi" is a later creation, and touches on the historical context, as we can see below: Shimoda's chief distinction for many years was its inaccessibility. Nowadays it takes less than two and a half hours by express train from Tokyo to Shimoda, but even fifteen years ago the trains only went halfway down the Izu Peninsula, and the rest of the way to Shimoda was on a bus that creaked and swayed as it navigated the innumerable curves on the mountainous roads. Even so, it was certainly not so remote as it was when Townsend Harris arrived there in 1856 to establish the first foreign consulate in Japan. It seemed to him like the end of the world, and when he finally got permission to go to Edo (the modern Tokyo) he learned to his great discomfort how many jolts and lurches passengers riding in palanquins had to suffer on the way. But even Harris, whose various ailments undoubtedly affected his record of the lonely years he spent in Shimoda, was not insensitive to the exceptional beauty of the place. The bay with its islands and promontories and the surrounding green hills again and again caused this sometimes insensitive observer of the Japanese scene to interrupt the recitation of his woes. Harris persevered with his mission, despite his ailments, the isolation, and the reluctance of the Japanese officials to negotiate with him, but he is best known today not for his diplomatic skills but for his brief romance with a Shimoda geisha called Okichi. It would be hard to find a less romantic figure than Harris, but the story of their great love, invented early in the twentieth century on the basis of flimsy evidence, has given Okichi something approaching the status of a patron saint. A statue of the Buddhist divinity of compassion, Kannon, is known as the Okichi Kannon, and her name has been applied to many varieties of souvenirs of Shimoda, ranging from delicate little cakes to pornographic dolls. There was indeed an historical Okichi, and evidence indicates that she was persuaded, perhaps against her wishes, to serve the American consul. Okichi visited the Gyokusenji, the Buddhist temple Harris used as his consulate and residence, in June 1857 and received a substantial sum of money. But, alas for the romancers, after three days' service, Harris sent Okichi away. Apparently a skin infection had displeased him, but even after the infection was cured and she asked to serve him again Harris refused, saying he was unwell. Presumably he never saw Okichi again. Their romance -- if it merits that name -- hardly seems like sufficient reason for canonizing Okichi, but everywhere in Shimoda one sees relics which are said to have belonged to her, though few of them can be genuine. (Travels in Japan II/Shimoda) Shimoda was one of the first ports in Japan opened to foreign countries at the end of the Edo period. It is a town that was visited by Commodore Matthew Perry, and where Consul General Harris resided as he negotiated to open Japan to the world. Though a century had passed since Perry and Harris endeavored to open Japan, Keene continued the efforts by introducing to the world Japanese literature and culture that was still not widely known at the time. The footsteps of these Americans who sought to open Japan to the world still resonate today. (Japanese original by Tadahiko Mori, The Mainichi Staff Writer and Donald Keene Memorial Foundation director) This is a spinoff article related to a 60-part Mainichi Shimbun series about Donald Keene, exploring the near-century of the Japanologist's life along with his own writings. Spinoff articles are posted irregularly. The original text of Donald Keene's autobiographies is used with permission from the Donald Keene Memorial Foundation. The foundation's website can be reached at: Profile: Donald Keene Donald Keene was born on June 18, 1922, in Brooklyn, New York. He was a Japanese literature scholar and professor emeritus at Columbia University. After earning postgraduate degrees at Columbia University and Cambridge University, he received a fellowship to study at Kyoto University in 1953. Keene developed friendships with prominent Japanese authors, including Junichiro Tanizaki, Yasunari Kawabata and Yukio Mishima. Over the course of half a century, he traveled back and forth between the U.S. and Japan, and continued to study Japanese literature and culture, while conveying their charms to the world in English. His main works include a multivolume history of Japanese literature, "Travelers of a Hundred Ages," and "Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His World, 1852-1912." In 2008, he received the Order of Culture from the Japanese government. Keene obtained Japanese citizenship in the year following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. He died on Feb. 24, 2019, at age 96.
NBC News
01-07-2025
- Health
- NBC News
What is Innotox? People on social media are self-injecting 'Korean botox' at home
Marie Neidert, 43, first started getting Botox about three years ago as a way to manage her migraines, but enjoyed the cosmetic side effects too. When the medspa she goes to switched to a different neurotoxin, she didn't see the same level of tightening of her 11 lines and laugh lines, says Neidert, who lives in St. James, Missouri. The new product was now only lasting 'like a month and a half, two months,' Neidert tells 'And price-wise, I was like, this is ridiculous.' She was paying about $600-700 for toxin every few months. Neidert had seen other people on TikTok post about getting 'great results' from self-injecting Innotox, a Korean injectable containing the same active ingredient as Botox. 'So I went down that rabbit hole,' she says, even asking her TikTok followers what they thought before she ordered. She ended up ordering a bottle of Innotox for $210 from a supplier who previously sent her unregulated 'fat dissolver' products, she says. She had an aesthetician friend test the product and supervise her while she injected 30 units into her face at home. Within just three days, Neidert noticed her 'frowny faces' tightening up. Neidert has heard stories of people buying counterfeit toxins, though not specifically Innotox, and says she's aware 'it's always a risk because it's not regulated. But at this point in the game,' she isn't worried, she adds. Kelly Keene, 41, of Grifton, North Carolina, feels similarly. 'I really didn't care about the risks — not one bit,' Keene tells 'Especially because, going on TikTok, you see so many other people doing it.' Already a regular Botox user, she was up late one night scrolling through TikTok and decided to order Innotox online. During the two weeks she waited for it to arrive, 'all I did was study how to inject myself,' she says. She was shaking with nerves while injecting herself and was full of anxiety that night. 'I was scared. I was like, what if this thing kills me?' she recalls. But she's done it a few times now and says she's 'definitely happy with the results.' She adds that she only injects around her eyebrows because she's 'too nervous' to do her 'full face.' Neidert and Keene are part of a larger trend of people purchasing Innotox — made by a Korean company and also referred to as 'Korean Botox' or 'K-Botox' — from third-party retailers online in an effort to smooth crow's feet and brow lines on a budget. Armed with information sourced from online videos and social media sites such as TikTok and Instagram, they're injecting an imported, unregulated pharmaceutical product meant only for professional use into their own faces — and experts are shocked. 'It's just really not something that you could learn comprehensively yourself online, as a layperson,' Molly O'Rourke, a registered nurse and nurse injector at 207 Laser, a medical spa in Portland, Maine, tells 'My fear is just for the general public to buy into this.' My fear is just for the general public to buy into this -Molly O'Rourke, a registered nurse and nurse injector at 207 Laser In one video O'Rourke saw, the user showed where she was going to inject the product along the neckline. 'They're showing injection points over your thyroid and over the muscles that help you breathe,' she says. 'If you go too deep, they're going to affect your breathing. ... That sort of thing really freaks me out.' Eventually, O'Rourke saw so many red flags online that she posted a video of her own warning people not to follow the trend. 'Don't inject yourself with fake Botox products from the internet, I beg of you,' O'Rourke says in the Instagram video. 'Just leave it to the professionals. We know what we're doing. It's deeper than you think. It's harder than you think.' 'I'm all for wanting to learn to do something yourself, but this isn't one of those things.' The rise of self-injecting via social media Cosmetic self-injections aren't an entirely new phenomenon, but they are 'terrifying,' Dr. Michelle Henry, a board-certified dermatologist, tells 'This is something that I see, the use of unregulated aesthetic products. It's scary and it's dangerous,' Henry says, adding that she's had 'patients come in with self-injected filler that they've gotten online ... and ended up with infections and bumps.' Self-injection of filler and Botox-like products has picked up in recent years primarily due to cost and lack of trust in providers, research suggests. There has also been a significant increase in overall demand for cosmetic injectables. While Innotox is approved for use in other countries, it is not approved for any use in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration. And, experts say, any product like this should be administered by a trained professional. Medytox, the maker of Innotox, tells in a statement that it 'only sells prescription products to authorized medical providers and medical distribution companies. Medytox is unaware that some of the product is being offered online in unapproved countries or available to consumers.' 'Medytox certainly does not endorse the self-injection of botulinum toxins by consumers,' the company says. In at least a portion of social media videos, 'people were looking at some of the right areas when they were doing their injections,' says Dr. Evan Rieder, who is board-certified in both dermatology and psychiatry. 'But there's so many issues,' he tells 'One, what is this product? Where is it coming from, and what's in it?' In several of the social media videos reviewed by users direct their followers to purchase from third-party retailers. And some social media users, who appear to have no professional training or licensing in the use of injectables, promote affiliate marketing codes for those retailers as well. Medytox tells in a statement that it 'was not previously aware' of people purchasing its products through third-party retailers and that it planned to 'investigate this unauthorized activity. ... Only medical providers in countries that have approved Medytox products should be using our brands.' The FDA is aware of people selling these types of products and has taken some enforcement actions in the past, an agency spokesperson tells And while the FDA is 'concerned about websites that may be misleading or fraudulent,' it does not comment on potential or ongoing investigations. TikTok tells that because Innotox is not FDA approved, any content showing Innotox being used or marketing it is against community guidelines and will be removed. TikTok says it has already taken steps against some accounts and videos. According to Meta, Instagram prohibits ads for drugs, products or supplements that are, as they described, potentially unsafe, and only qualified advertisers can post ads for prescription drugs. Meta also prohibits content selling prescription drugs (except in certain circumstances) and limits content mentioning cosmetic procedures to users over 18. Some of the Instagram posts promoting Innotox violated Meta's policy and were removed, a spokesperson tells Unregulated products and health risks Both Henry and Rieder raise concerns about unregulated products that purport to contain botulinum toxin, the active ingredient in Botox, Innotox and many other products on the market. There have been previous cases of fake products leading to life-threatening side effects, they note. But even if the Innotox that people are self-injecting is the real deal, there are still plenty of safety concerns, the experts say. Botulinum toxin is a neurotoxin that works by preventing the release of a neurotransmitter, which then prevents muscle contraction. When used in appropriate doses and injected carefully, it can be an effective way to manage some signs of aging, as well as a few other medical issues. 'It takes a long time to understand these muscles. And while it looks like on Instagram you put a dot and you inject, you really need to know exactly where the muscle is,' Henry explains. The facial maps and videos shared on social media make it seem like a 'paint-by-numbers' process, Rieder adds, 'but not every map that's written out about the facial muscles is accurate for everyone's face.' Henry says she always tells her patients, 'It looks easy when I do it because it took me 20 years to make it look easy. In that minute that you think I'm just pushing my finger, I'm considering your allergies, your medications, what you're going to do tomorrow, how you're lying down and the angle of my needle.' 'There are ways that I won't even inject myself,' she adds. Neither Rieder nor O'Rourke feel comfortable injecting themselves, either, even with their years of experience. On the milder end of side effects, 'if you have real neurotoxin there and you're just injecting it into the wrong places, you could have facial muscle weakness or facial muscle paralysis,' which can last for months, Rieder says. Because the effects of botulinum toxin products can take up to 14 days to become noticeable, O'Rourke notes, 'you could think that you're in the clear and then all of a sudden, you can't open one of your eyes and you don't know what to do.' At the more severe end, 'if you have too much botulinum toxin (in your body), you get flaccid paralysis, meaning all of your muscles stop working and contracting, including the muscles you need to breathe, and that's how patients die,' Henry says. There are sterility concerns as well. '(The product) could be improperly stored or they can be contaminated,' O'Rourke says. And while the fact that Innotox is pre-mixed is often a selling point to inexperienced folks, it's actually an added challenge. Most neurotoxins in the U.S. come as a powder, which gets diluted with saline before injection, Rieder explains. But experienced providers tend to change the dilution amount based on the area of injection due to the risk of side effects or migration with too much fluid. 'If you don't know what you're doing, it's probably easier,' he adds. 'But for those of us who are looking at the nuances and the subtleties and doing different dilutions for different indications, it's not an advantage.' Of course, not everyone who self-injects these products will have a problem, Rieder notes. But if something does go wrong, people at home may not have the knowledge to treat it appropriately or recognize when it's time to get medical attention, the experts say. If you're having eye issues after an injection, for example, 'we can prescribe you eyedrops, or we can try and reverse it by flooding the area with saline,' O'Rourke says. 'There's so many ways to combat adverse effects that I don't think people at home even know exist.' What seems cheap may end up very expensive The urge to buy unregulated cosmetic products and inject them at home is driven partly by cost concerns, the experts say. In the U.S., Botox costs $10 to $14 per unit, and with a minimum of about 10 units between the brows, 'even at the cheaper end, you're still going to be spending $200 every three to four months,' O'Rourke says. Meanwhile, a bottle of 100 units of Innotox is advertised at prices from around $60-100 on third-party sites. 'In this economy, people are looking at their budget and saying, OK, where can I cut corners?' O'Rourke says. She calls Botox 'a luxury service' and tells clients that it's 'expensive because it's not necessary.' She likens it to the culture around trendy fast-fashion and consumers thinking, 'I don't care where it comes from, as long as it comes to me and it's cheap.' Ultimately, though, 'cheap is very expensive,' Henry says. 'These are novice people injecting their faces using a toxin that lasts 10 months. When you mess up, you have 10 months of looking this way, and what you're going to pay for a doctor to try to fix that is going to be double what you paid for the toxin.' Self-injecting is simply not worth the risks, even if you think it's saving you money, the experts agree. If you're considering using an online pharmacy or website to buy pharmaceutical drugs such as Innotox, check out the FDA's additional safety tips. And you can report unlawful sales to the FDA if you think a site may be selling medication illegally. You should also first chat with a licensed medical professional about your options, the experts agree. 'We have a lot on the market now that gives us all a little bit more flexibility in pricing,' Henry says. 'But we really shouldn't make decisions about our beauty and health around cost that way, especially for elective things.' While Neidert feels comfortable continuing to inject the Innotox she purchased, she says she worries 'about the people who come across the TikTok page of a WhatsApp number ... and they just send their money to these people. They don't know what they're truly getting.' O'Rourke adds: 'You might save a few bucks ... and it might seem like a beauty shortcut, but it could end in permanent damage.'
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Yahoo
Mass. teen's death in N.H. shooting ruled a homicide; investigation ongoing
An Orange, Massachusetts, teenager was killed in a shooting that investigators have determined was a homicide in Keene, according to New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella's office on Wednesday. Early Wednesday morning, Keene police received a 911 call about a person who was shot in a parking lot of Winchester Street, Formella's office said in a statement. Police arrived and found Christian Walker, 17, and he was taken to Cheshire Medical Center, the statement read. Walker was pronounced dead at 1:49 a.m. Following an autopsy this afternoon, Associate Medical Examiner Dr. Abigail Alexander concluded that Walker's cause of death was from a single gunshot wound to the abdomen, Formella's office said. Walker's death was ruled a homicide. "While the exact circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under active investigation, all parties involved have been identified and there is no known threat to the general public at this time," the statement read. Formella's office did not provide any information about a potential suspect or if there have been any arrests. Springfield debates stricter laws to stop drug dealing near parks, schools following shutdown of trafficking operation Medford man accused of manufacturing pills for 'high-level drug trafficking scheme' Over a dozen adults injured after passenger van crashes into Boston home Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Yahoo
Keene shooting death ruled a homicide, officials say
A 17-year-old Massachusetts teen was gunned down in a Keene parking lot early Wednesday morning, officials said. Christian Walker, of Orange, Mass., was shot near Winchester Street and was taken to Cheshire Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 1:49 a.m., according to a news release from the Attorney General's Office. Associate Medical Examiner Dr. Abigail Alexander conducted an autopsy Wednesday afternoon and concluded that the cause of Walker's death was a single gunshot wound to the abdomen, and the manner of death was homicide, officials said. Police are investigating the incident and officials said there was no known threat to the public.
Yomiuri Shimbun
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Donald Keene Exhibition Kicks off in Japanese-Style Cultural Facility in Soka, Saitama Pref.; Set of Matcha Tea, Sweet Inspired by His Beloved Dog Available
An exhibition tracing the footsteps of Japanese literature scholar Donald Keene in Soka, Saitama Prefecture, started on Tuesday at a cultural facility located on the grounds of the Soka City Culture Hall. Around 40 items are on display in the exhibition, titled 'Exhibition on Donald Keene's bonds with Soka City,' including work tools such as a word processor and dictionary used by Keene in his study, as well as handwritten manuscripts and panel photographs. It is being held in a Japanese-style facility named Zenso-an: Travelers of a Hundred ages. Keene died in 2019 at the age of 96. At the venue, there is also an audio recording of a discussion between Keene and haiku poet Momoko Kuroda, who died in 2023, about the appeal of Matsuo Basho and the value of his work 'Oku no Hosomichi' (The Narrow Road to Oku). The discussion took place in Soka in 2014 to commemorate the award ceremony for the first Donald Keene Award and the seventh Oku no Hosomichi Literary Award, both of which are hosted by the city of Soka. An audio recording of the 2014 dialogue between Keene and haiku poet Momoko Kuroda can be listened to in a room at the exhibit in Japanese dictionary that Keene used quite oftenKeene's handwritten Basho haiku, written in Kyoto in 2004 'Looking at his handwritten manuscripts in the re-creation of his study with a desk, I feel as if my father is here,' said Keene's adopted son, Seiki, 74, who visited the venue right after it opened. 'My father loved tatami mats, so it's nice to be able to view the displayed items in tatami rooms in this kind of Japanese-style structure.'Keene studied 'The Narrow Road to Oku,' a work of travel literature from the Edo period (1603-1867), throughout his life and translated it for the world to read. Basho, who traveled north from Edo, present-day Tokyo, walked through Soka on his journey described in the book. Keene's studies led to an exchange between him and the people of Soka, and he was involved in the establishment of two awards in Soka and named Zenso-an, which opened in 2019. The exterior of Zenso-anA matcha tea and sweet set is sold at Zenso-an. The Japanese sweet was inspired by Keene's dog from his Japanese sweet is filled with anko red bean paste. The exhibition is open through Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free. Zenso-an is offering a limited time set of matcha tea and a fresh Japanese sweet for ¥800. The sweet is modeled after Keene's beloved dog from his childhood.
