Ed McKillop on a year spent as a Foreigner (gaijin) in Japan.

J. Carlsson's Art that Fucks with You takes aim at predigested art and hero worship. This first column, "Spectacle, Virtuosity and the Easy Road of the Opera House Esthetic," focuses on the dance performance of Japanese butoh troupe H•Art•Chaos. Also in this column,the dance of Minh Tran and Sheri Cohen.