From island-hopping in southerly Okinawa to farm experiences in rural Aomori and skiing in far northern Hokkaido, this diverse archipelago offers intriguing local culture, ancient history and epic wilderness experiences around every corner — and deeper exploration reaps huge rewards

Remembering the king of the one-sheet

I first explored this subject about five years ago, under the title ‘It’s a bug’s life’. I now want to revisit the subject primarily because I have experimented further and wish to share some of my di

Opera is dead. And has been for quite a long time. I don’t care what anybody says about Poulenc and Prokofiev, I cannot be persuaded that any listenable music theatre has been written since Puccini. (

Kerry James Marshall, ‘poised between narrative and allegory’

→ Last Sunday I did a talk at the Anteros Arts Foundation, an art gallery and charity in Norwich. It was a fundraiser for Anteros, as I have had a studio there and love what they do. The story I offer