BY: Unknown LOCATION: Oakwood Collegiate, Oakwood Avenue just south of St. Clair West PHOTO BY: Mondo Lulu FIELD NOTES: Japan is a land of wonder and innovation. Some of our favorite products and characters have Japanese origins, like Nintendo and Astro Boy. Domo, the strange and delightful creature who inspired this week’s art, is the [...]

From April 19 to June 28, the Toronto Reference Library (789 Yonge Street) hosts From Hanga to Manga: The Graphic Art of Japanese Storytelling—hanga being the Japanese art of woodblock printing, and manga being your otaku nephew’s reason for living, that is. The exhibition features a collection of rare illustrated books, woodblock prints, and comics [...]

Photo by roboppy from Flickr. Don’t be fooled by the beanage—red bean paste, eaten most often in Japan, Korea, and China, is sweet and not overly legumey on the palate. Boiled down and mashed to a paste of varying levels of smoothness, red beans are not only tasty, but also super healthy—high in iron, thiamin, [...]

Today’s release on Xbox Live Arcade is Trigger Heart Exelica, an originally Japan-only Dreamcast “bullet hell” vertically scrolling shooter, and if that sentence doesn’t make any sense to you whatsoever, that’s totally fine. You see, we’re actually here to mention last week’s Xbox Live Arcade release, N+. It’s based on N, the freeware game sensation [...]

Even though Moss Park dance punk duo MSTRKRFT believe that, as dance music artists, “there’s much better places for us to be,” (this is said right at the 4:16 mark, of all times) Toronto’s other homegrown house producers have taken the entire electro world by storm in the last few months. One needs only to [...]

A Milton woman went on a rampage with a samurai sword on Sunday, injuring her boyfriend and an off-duty firefighter, smashing windows at a gas station and hacking at a parked car. While Torontoist doesn’t condone senseless irrational violence, you’ve got to give her points for style. After a firestorm of criticism, the City has [...]

November 14 to 18 marks the return of the Reel Asian International Film Festival. Last night, the Japan Foundation played host as filmmakers and media types gathered at a press conference to kick off the 11th annual incarnation of the fest. And with more than 70 independent works from all over the world, this year’s [...]

This weekend, Toronto will be a rockin’ city, as the 2007 World Rock Paper Scissors Championships cut into town. The game of Rock Paper Scissors has been settling scores on playgrounds since long before little brothers came into existence. In fact, some say it originates back to the year 200 BC in Japan, where it [...]

The Ontario government will spend around $27 billion on nuclear power between now and 2025 in a bid to keep the lights on in the province. If history is any indicator, the nuke plans will be characterized by inefficiencies, unanticipated delays,and massive cost overruns, but will at least ensure that future generations have access to [...]

“That’s something you won’t find at Loblaws,” said Frank Yip, as he gestured toward the delectable-looking barbecued meats hanging behind glass at the deli. He’s right; though a staple in Chinatown, it’s a tantalizing display that might be unfamiliar to Toronto citizens used to a more typical grocery shopping experience. It’s also the perfect welcome [...]