James Clavell's bestselling 1975 novel Shogun and the 1980 miniseries that followed did wonders for bringing Japan to the West. True, movie buffs and Hollywood directors had already tapped the samurai films of Akira Kurosawa and others. But Shōgun was a blockbuster book followed by a blockbuster TV show. It's credited with helping start a 1980s tsunami of Japanophilia in the West and did wonders for sushi sales.
The series starred Richard Chamberlain before he starred in The Thorn Birds. In Shōgun he played an Englishman washed up in 17th-century Japan. After a bath, he looked like a Bee Gee in a kimono.
Clavell had based his story on William Adams, the first Englishman to arrive in the country where Portuguese traders and Catholic Jesuit missions already had a foothold. The writer had been a prisoner of the Japanese in World War II.
Denne historien er fra February 24 - March 1, 2024-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra February 24 - March 1, 2024-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
