Dr. Anthony Al-Jamie lived and worked as an educational administrator and journalist in Tokyo for over 20 years. His in-depth understanding of Japanese language and culture has allowed him to carry out interviews with many of the most renowned individuals in Japan. He first began writing for the Tokyo Journal in the 1990s as Education Editor, later he was promoted to Senior Editor, and eventually International Editor. He currently works in higher education publishing and serves the Tokyo Journal as Executive Editor.
By Misako Ito, Japan Representative & Executive Director of Portland Japanese Garden and Japan Institute
Do you know how many Japanese gardens there are in North America today?” When this question was posed to me by Stephen Bloom, it was so abrupt that I had no way to answer it. I met Steve about 16 years ago, while I was working as the director of the Japan Information and Culture Center at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. It was shortly after Steve had left his position at the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra in Hawaii to become CEO of Portland Japanese Garden in Oregon.
Akiko Yano, a pop and jazz singer, is a major talent and influence in the Japanese music industry. She has released 50 albums and collaborated with musicians like Hiromi Uehara, Rei Harakami, Pat Metheny, Thomas Dolby, Swing Out Sister, Little Feat and the Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). She has also collaborated as a composer and voice actor with numerous film directors, most notably the anime legend Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. Yano’s music is known for its whimsical, mischievous touch and innovations. Attending an Akiko Yano concert live is a transformative experience, inspiring audiences with joy and admiration to also express themselves as raw and authentically as she does. Formerly married to the late globally acclaimed musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, a pioneering member of YMO, she continues to inspire both the Japanese and American music industries today with both her talent and melodies. In 2025, Akiko's live album with Hiromi, Step Into Paradise, won the Japan Gold Disk Award for Jazz Album of the Year. Tokyo Journal’s Editor-in-Chief, Anthony Al-Jamie, met with Akiko in Los Angeles to discuss her career.
Dr. Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of the United Nations University and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, stands as a towering figure in the realm of global cooperation and innovation. His life story is a testament to the transformative power of education and the boundless potential of the human spirit. Rising from humble beginnings in rural Venda, Limpopo, South Africa, he has ascended to a position of global leadership, driven by an unwavering commitment to solving the world's most critical challenges. Dr. Marwala holds a Bachelor’s and a Master's degree in mechanical engineering from Case Western Reserve University and the University of Pretoria, respectively. He earned his Ph.D. in artificial intelligence and engineering from the prestigious University of Cambridge. Dr. Marwala is a pioneer in harnessing the power of technology for human advancement. His illustrious career has seen him serve as Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg, where he boldly introduced mandatory AI and African Insights curricula for all students – shaping a new generation of globally aware and technologically competent leaders. He currently contributes his expertise as Deputy Chair of South Africa’s Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and lends his wisdom as a trustee of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Tokyo Journal Editor-in-Chief Anthony Al-Jamie delved into Dr. Marwala's visionary mission, explored his innovative strategies for confronting global crises, and uncovered the personal narrative that propelled him from a childhood in rural South Africa to becoming a leading voice for unity and progress on the world stage, promoting education as a fundamental human right.
采访者:Anthony Al-Jamie
To read this article in English click here.
横跨十五个国家,十八场合共一百万粉丝的Tokyo Dome世界巡回演唱会的门票,在尖叫声中销售一空。 Yoshiki和他的乐队X Japan正快马加鞭准备下一场世界巡演。在他的闲暇时间,Yoshiki创作并灌录了Eternal Melody这张独霸日本古典乐排行鳌首的专辑, 而他最新发行的“Yoshiki Classical”刚一亮相便占据了全世界iTunes古典音乐榜榜首。他也曾与世界首屈一指的艺术家和制作人,包括Queen乐队的Roger Taylor和传奇乐队披头士的制作人Sir George Martin 合作为日本天皇演奏。他创作了世博会和最新两届金球奖的主题曲。这位古典音乐天才更是硬摇流派的创新者和“视觉系摇滚”的创造者—结合朋克,摇滚,重金属,华丽摇滚和古典音乐的摇滚新形态。2008年,在图派克的全息影像震撼了图切拉音乐节的四年前, Yoshiki和X Japan就通过全息影像将逝去的吉他手HIDE带回了演唱会现场。许多人认为只有一个超级英雄才能完成这些。 Stan Lee, 漫威漫画的创始人,蜘蛛侠,无敌浩克的创作者,同意以Yoshiki为原型创作了名为“赤血飞龙”的超级英雄。Yoshiki是否无所不能?让我们来一探究竟。
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis described Marie Kondo as a modern-day “Marie Poppins” in TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2015. Kondo “has turned decluttering . . . into shelf help, an art form with a legion of newly neat devotees,” Curtis wrote. The popularity of Kondo’s organizing techniques has caused her name to become a verb. If you have kondoed your house, you’ve removed the unnecessary belongings. Marie Kondo is a Japanese organizing consultant and her most recent book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, has been published in 16 countries. Tokyo Journal Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie spoke with Marie Kondo about her career.
Brad Elterman is a renowned photographer from California’s San Fernando Valley who captured iconic shots of 1970s rock, punk and pop musicians including Robert Plant, David Bowie, the Sex Pistols, The Runaways, Bay City Rollers, ABBA and Leif Garrett. Although his gritty, snapshot-like photographs have appeared in such publications as Rolling Stone, People, Hit Parader and the New York Post, Brad made a name for himself sending his photos overseas long before the days of digital cameras and FedEx. He went on to launch one of the first West Coast celebrity photo agencies, California Features International, Inc., in 1980. In 1992, he co-founded Online USA, Inc., which was sold to Getty Images, Inc., in 2000. Tokyo Journal’s Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie spoke with Brad Elterman about his early days in Japan and how social media launched a resurgence in his career.
Born in 1948 in London, England, Mick Rock is an acclaimed British photographer known for his iconic shots of David Bowie, Queen, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Syd Barrett, the Sex Pistols and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with recent subjects including Lady Gaga, Snoop Dogg, Pharrell Williams, Jimmy Fallon, Daft Punk and The Black Keys. His 2003 retrospective exhibition of 186 prints at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography was described in the Japanese media as “one of the finest collections of pop art to ever reach these shores.” He was known as David Bowie’s official photographer, and his newest publication by Taschen, The Rise of David Bowie 1972-1973, will be available in September 2015. In August 2015, he began hosting his own TV show On the Record with Mick Rock on the Ovation Channel. Tokyo Journal’s Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie rapped with Mick Rock about his four decades of memorable musical imagery.
Bob Gruen is one of the most well-known and respected photographers in rock and roll today. By the mid-1970s, he was already regarded as one of the foremost documenters of the music scene, working with major artists such as John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Tina Turner, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Elton John, KISS, Aerosmith, David Bowie and Alice Cooper as well as covering emerging new wave and punk bands including the New York Dolls, Patti Smith, the Clash, the Sex Pistols, the Ramones and Blondie. Tokyo Journal ’s Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie interviewed his colleague and fellow Tokyo Journal columnist Bob Gruen about his remarkable career.
Since opening in 1964, the world famous Whisky a Go Go on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles has hosted some of the biggest rock stars in history. The Doors, The Byrds, Janis Joplin, Neil Young, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, Van Halen, Guns N’ Roses, Mötley Crüe and Metallica have played on the stage that continues to launch today’s up-and-coming artists. In 1972, Mario Maglieri, along with Whisky co-founder Elmer Valentine, Lou Adler and others, started the Rainbow Bar and Grill down the street from the Whisky. Originally the Villa Nova restaurant where Marilyn Monroe first met Joe DiMaggio on a blind date, the Rainbow opened with a party for Elton John. It went on to become a stomping ground for celebrities such as John Lennon, Keith Moon, Neil Diamond, Robert Plant and even Elvis Presley. John Belushi ate his last meal at the Rainbow, while W. C. Fields punched a hole in a wall, Charles Manson got thrown out and Janis Joplin had her last drink at the Whisky. Mario, who over time became the sole owner of the Whisky, passed on the running of these two legendary Hollywood hangouts to his son Mikeal, and now his grandson Mike. Tokyo Journal ’s Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie met with all three generations of the Maglieri family at the Rainbow Bar and Grill.
In August 2014, Harry (Hidehisa) Horinouchi was appointed the Consul General of Japan, Los Angeles. This is his second U.S. mission, with his first being a counselor at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. from 1996 to 1999. During his 25-year career in Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), he has held various positions in both Japan and China. His ministry assignments at MOFA’s headquarters in Tokyo involved legal affairs, treaties portfolios, Asian and Oceanian regional affairs and international intelligence analysis. He has authored numerous articles in law journals on international legal issues, authored a book published in China entitled Longevity of Japan, and has been a lecturer on international law at Waseda University. He is a graduate of the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Law and attended Nanjing University in China and Harvard University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Tokyo Journal’s Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie met with Consul General Horinouchi shortly after Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s historic visit to Los Angeles.