Akira Kurosawa’s 100 Favorite Films

When someone as legendary as director Akira Kurosawa puts out a list of recommended movies, we listen. In a posthumously published book “Yume wa tensai de aru,” the acclaimed filmmaker lists 100 of his favorite films organized chronologically from 1919 to 1997. The catalog includes classics like Carol Reed’s “The Third Man” and Copolla’s “The Godfather, Part 2,” while other selections like Hayao Miyazaki’s “My …

Treasures Inside a Tunnel: Osaka’s Shark Attack

A hidden antique store in the quiet Japanese neighborhood of Nakazaki-cho, Osaka

Opened in 2013 in Japan’s Kansai region, the commercial complex of Grand Front Osaka stands just outside the Osaka train station, offering weary travelers a long list of high-end stores and restaurants (including the World Beer Museum that seats up to 700) with a hotel, office space and residential apartments located on the higher stories of the skyscrapers. Though this multi-building development is a major …

Sophia Grace: Best Friends

Viral YouTube stars and The Ellen DeGeneres Show regulars, Sophia Grace & Rosie have charmed the cockles of millions, and now the older of the two (at just 11 years old) has released the catchiest of club bangers. “Best Friends“—complete with AutoTuned chorus, a rap breakdown, conspicuous product placement and a gaggle of elementary schoolers—blows Rebecca Black’s “Friday” out of the water, but the biggest …