Latest news with #Japan
Forbes
30 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Live-Action ‘Akira' Leaves Warner Bros. After Decades In Production Hell
'Akira' is now up for grabs as to its live-action rights. After decades of multiple people trying to get a live-action Akira off the ground, the rights have reverted back to Kodansha. I mean, I started covering this live-action adaptation back in 2015, and almost every year after that, new people were attached to write or direct the movie. During that time, I even managed to interview Katsuhiro Otomo, who wrote the original manga and directed the seminal 1988 anime adaptation. In that interview, Otomo revealed that he had final sign-off on the live-action scenario. So if Otomo didn't like the scenario, it meant the movie didn't get made. My guess is that Otomo has blocked every live-action scenario to date, and that's why Warner Bros. has let the live-action rights revert back to Kodansha. It's also likely that whoever takes the option on the live-action rights to Akira will still have to get past Otomo on its scenario. Honestly, if that's the case, then as long as Otomo is around, I doubt we will ever see a live-action adaptation. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder To be honest, I am entirely fine with that. I mean, people have been joking about how terrible an American film of Akira would be since 2008. Hollywood still doesn't really get manga and anime, let alone video games. Akira is one of those cultural heirlooms that should be treated with the respect it deserves, and Hollywood's never been big on giving any kind of respect to Japanese creative talent. In any case, Akira's live-action rights are now back with Kodansha, and it will be interesting to see who will pick it up next, as no doubt Otomo will be just as strict with them as he has been with everyone else. In the meantime, feel free to check out my Blu-ray review of the anime, which you should absolutely watch if you haven't done so already. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
South China Morning Post
33 minutes ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Health benefits of ‘superfood' prickly pear cactus, spiking in popularity in Japan
Farmers in Japan are cooking up new menus for the health-conscious, with dishes like quiche, pizza toast, skewers, tempura and cold Chinese noodles sharing a common but somewhat unusual ingredient: prickly pear cactus. Advertisement As one of the few farmers who grow edible cactus in the country, Miki Deguchi is convinced that the nutrient-packed plant is well on its way to becoming a staple. The Opuntia genus, known as prickly pear cactus, is gaining national appeal in Japan for being rich in minerals, dietary fibre and other nutrients. It has a mild, refreshing taste and can even be enjoyed uncooked. There is some evidence to back its 'superfood' label. In 2024, Japan's Chubu University set up the Research Initiatives Centre for Cactus and Succulent Plant Research in the city of Kasugai, where the cultivation of ornamental cactus first took off in Japan. Researchers at the centre confirmed that mice that were fed a diet mixed with cactus pear powder had elevated levels of mucin, a protein that covers the surface of the intestine and blocks viruses, and enhanced immune function. Advertisement 'I'm convinced that [the] cactus has great potential as a functional food,' said Mamoru Tanaka, an associate professor of food and nutrition at the university who took part in the research.
Asharq Al-Awsat
an hour ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Eel-eating Japan Opposes EU Call for More Protection
Japan's agriculture minister said Friday the country would oppose any call by the European Union to add eels to an endangered species list that would limit trade in them. Eel is eaten worldwide but is particularly popular in Japan, where it is called "unagi" and traditionally served grilled after being covered in a sticky-sweet sauce. Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters that the country carefully manages stock levels of the Japanese eel in cooperation with neighboring China, Taiwan and South Korea. "There is a sufficient population, and it faces no extinction risk due to international trade," AFP quoted him as saying. Japanese media have reported that the EU could soon propose that all eel species be added to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) which limits trade of protected animals. There are 19 species and subspecies of eel, many of them now threatened due to a range of factors including pollution and overfishing. In 2014, the Japanese eel was listed as endangered, but not critically endangered, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which cited factors including habitat loss, overfishing, pollution and migration barriers. Protecting the animal is complicated by their complex life cycle, which unfolds over a vast area, and the many unknowns about how they reproduce.
NHK
2 hours ago
- NHK
Four giant pandas leave Japanese theme park for new home in China
Four female giant pandas have left a theme park in the western Japanese prefecture of Wakayama for their new home in China. Rauhin and her daughters Yuihin, Saihin and Fuhin are being transferred from Adventure World in the town of Shirahama to China as the contract for a bilateral joint-conservation project is set to expire shortly. On Saturday, the pandas were put into four separate cages, and loaded onto two trucks. They were not shown to the public to ensure their well-being and safety. The operator of the park said the animals were in good shape and were munching on bamboo as usual. Around 300 people, including staff and their families, gathered at the park. Park director, Imazu Koji, told them that Saturday marks a new start, and he asked everyone to see the pandas off with smiles. The trucks left the facility a little before 8:30 a.m. One of the keepers, Nakaya Yuka, who has taken care of the pandas for eight years, said they seemed a bit restless in the unusual atmosphere, but were eating well. Nakaya said she has no concerns because the staff are closely coordinating with their Chinese counterparts. The pandas will be sent to a breeding facility in Sichuan Province on a chartered flight.
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
4 pandas leave Japan for China, leaving only 2 in the country
All four giant pandas on loan to a western Japan zoo left for China on Saturday, ahead of the expiration of their lease agreement. Advertisement The 24-year-old Rauhin and her offspring – Yuihin, Saihin and Fuhin – left Adventure World amusement park in Shirahama, Wakayama prefecture, for the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China 's Sichuan Province, according to the zoo operator. Their departure means that only two giant pandas remain in Japan. Both are at Tokyo's Ueno Zoological Gardens and are also due to return to China next February. About 1,400 visitors queued at the park before it opened for their final public display on Friday, and some 3,000 people attended a farewell ceremony. Giant pandas (clockwise from top) Rauhin, Yuihin, Fuhin and Saihin, at Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama prefecture. Photo: Kyodo 'It is sad that they leave Japan all at once. I wish for them to stay healthy in China,' said Chisato Noda from Nagoya. Advertisement
