Japan
Going East
A visitor worries that conservatism is stifling innovation in Japan, once home of the crazy gadget
Why Matter Really Matters
Firing neutrons under Japan may explain why the universe exists
Magical Mystery Tour de Force
A British production of a Japanese work, Shun-kin is a near-perfect triumph
Serious Music for Serious Times
There is an extraordinary fit between Japanese musical tastes and German Lieder
Exotic Stew
The China Lover by Ian Buruma
Will the green agenda be killed off by the pandemic?
‘Will the green agenda be killed off by the longer-term coronavirus recovery? Or might the closure of so much business, and the cleaner air that results from planes not flying and factories not working, give us extra years to gain control of our environment?’
Why T.S. Eliot still matters
His contemporaries’ reputations have diminished. But Eliot’s has grown: he is the poet who shows us what can be saved from the ruins
Music’s in the house
Rappers have found a role in lockdown: chronicling coronavirus with topical tunes. Most people, though, are rushing to the safety of the past