KpOp & JpOp 2012/10/30
- Ju Da Ha, Song Jina and Jung Se On at KSF 7
- Getting To Know Akimoto Sayaka Akimoto Sayaka appeared in Ultraman Saga as Anna, the technician though I'm no longer in touch with the Ultraman series after I passed my teenager days. Now here's some photos of the actress who is actually half-Filipino like Yu Takahashi who starred in Kamen Rider Kiva as Yuri Aso is also one. IMO she kinda resembles Filipino actress Lovi Poe but only hotter.
On my first trip to Yamaguchi City, Japan, all I asked for was that we attend a baseball game. Hiroshima being one Shinkansen stop away, we watched the Hiroshima Carps beat the Hanshin Tigers. I was delighted to see more bicycle parking was provided at the stadium than car parking and it was a joy to walk alongside hundreds of cheering fans back to the train station following the win.
On my second trip to Yamaguchi, I wanted to make sure we watched a movie at Yamaguchi City's independently-owned theatre, La Scala. I ended up watching three films, each providing a different focus on the state of the modern cinema-going experience within this prefecture far from Tokyo.
The first film was my sister-in-law's choosing, although supported by our young nieces. We watched Madagascar 3 in 3D (further three-ed with 3 directors, Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath, and Conrad Vernon, taking the helm for this installment). The closest place it was playing was Hofu City, so my sister-in-law drove us out to the Aeon mall box in Hofu. This way I could experience the multiplex firsthand in Japan. It was a weekday, mid-day showing. As a result, there wasn't a large crowd in spite of it being summer vacation for the kids. Roughly 20 or so people in the theatre, mostly moms or grandmas with their children/grandchildren, watched the film with us behind 3D glasses. This multiplex is run by Warner-Mycal, a group company formed by Warner Bros. Inc. and Aeon Co. Ltd, which is why you find them in Aeon malls. Yet, it's not a given that the Aeon mall will have a multiplex. While I've seen a number of Aeon malls in the prefecture, the only Warner-Mycal theatre in Yamaguchi is this one in Hofu City.
Dubbed in Japanese, the initial credits Madagascar still give Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, and company top-billing even though in Japan they did absolutely nothing. (Yes, Chris Rock, did pen the lyrics for some songs.) The bodies behind the disembodied Japanese voices don't get their props until the end of the Pixar-pushed practice of a seemingly endless credits scroll which includes human resources, accounting, facilities, etc. (This is a practice of which I highly approve, in spite of how long it takes, since it gives you a greater sense of all the people who make movies happen. Plus, it was nice to see a friend who works for Dreamworks in these credits so far away from home and to point that out to my nieces, guaranteeing Uncle cool points.) Although my nieces were doing their best to improve my hiragana knowledge as I joined them at the kitchen table each morning to study from their summer vacation workbooks, I am fairly ignorant of Japanese. I had to rely on symbols and genre tropes to get the gist of the story in my first film from the Madagascar franchise. Thankfully, this is a genre heavily bent towards the spectacle, although barely enhanced by the 3D gimmick, so I was able to stay entertained when not catching much of the actual dialogue.
Linguistically curious, I asked my wife if the dubbing went so far as to give, say, Vitaly the Russian tiger Russian-inflected Japanese, but she said she didn't catch any such efforts. As for our nieces, the age group for whom this type of film purports to be, they have had trouble with past films because of the high decibels imposed. This time, however, the noise levels didn't scare them off. Afterwards, my nieces were curious which scene was my favorite. I told them it was the first circus scene that included the Madagascar crew, whereas they really liked the chase scene at the beginning, which I agreed was pretty entertaining.
Our conversation didn't extend beyond that, most likely because of my limited Japanese, but it also wasn't really a film that inspired us to talk more and more. Most of the fare at most multiplexes isn't really geared towards contemplative cinema, but towards the spectacle, the date/hang-out flick, or to maintain cultural capital within social circles. Or as Eran Ben-Joseph points out in his book Rethinking a Lot: The Design and Culture of Parking (The MIT Press, 2012), critics often argue that generic spaces like shopping malls ". . . cannot generate feelings of belonging, or affectively produce rootedness", that "these 'no-places' have been epitomized by anomie and alienation" (p. 4). Although Ben-Joseph goes on to challenge this view held by many critics regarding what can be done with the similarly mundane parking lots that surround malls and industrial complexes, I tend to agree with the critics he's referencing in that passage. When I was younger, I would seek out malls because that was where the people were, but now that I've experienced the active public culture in the open-air arcades you find in Seoul, Busan, Hiroshima, and Tokyo, or the various neighborhoods of cities like Chicago, San Francisco, and New York, I find malls fairly depressing. And although this mall and this multiplex within it were in Japan, that anomie of "placelessness" still permeated the walls sectioned off for the movies. The experience, look, and feel was similar to the multiplex at home in the U.S., which is the whole point of globalization. The only difference is the language heard on the screen and in the seats before, after, and sometimes during, the film. Even the snacks at this Japanese multiplex weren't all that different. My popcorn had a ! curry powder, but that's not dissimilar from the nutritional yeast seasonings provided at places like the independent theatre The Balboa in San Francisco. My drink was infused with a peach-flavor whereas my wife had the local Yamaguchi prefectural emphasis of yuzu, a lemon-y fruit from the region. But still, saying that's different is a stretch. The candies were fairly similar to what is on offer at the U.S. multiplex too.
In the end, the multiplex still remained a less engaging venue, in spite of its location in another country. What salvages the experience is cherishing this limited time with far-away family, such as a truly precious moment afterwards when my youngest niece ditched the family shoppers to join me at the Cafe du Monde next to the theatre just as I finished reading Oe Kenzaburo's Somersault. We sat there smiling at each other over cafe drinks wishing one of us knew the other's language well enough to talk to each other, yet still feeling connected as family in spite of the linguistic barrier.
The experience of film that keeps me coming back to theatres as a cinephile had to wait for A Letter to Momo (2012) at the independent theatre in Yamaguchi City, named スカラ座. My wife takes the katakana transliteration as 'La Scala', and the kanji is 'za', apparently a popular suffix for theatres. We don't know this for sure, but it's a fair assumption that La Scala is a purposeful reference to the famous Italian opera house. The theatre is above a ramen shop with lots of manga to peruse while slurping noodles. And rather than driving there, we pedaled ourselves over, making the journey to the film just as lovely as the watching, as if we extended the leisurely pace of the film by our means of getting to and fro the theatre via bicycle.
Similar to some restaurants in Japan such as the Matsuya chain, we had to purchase our tickets in a vending machine before entering. When we did enter, we found way more Japanese specific snacks and drinks than at the multiplex. Plus, we could purchase filmbooks, which we did after making sure we liked the film. The hallways to the theatres are a bit confusing in their layout, making it feel more apartment complex than multiplex. Sadly, although it was a mid-day screening again, I hoped for greater numbers, but our screening was made up of one other patron other than my wife and I.
A Letter to Momo is a sweet little film with the subtle melancholic tone that makes so many appreciate Japanese anime for 'kids'. It's fairly creepy at the beginning, but we eventually get to know the Yokai (goblins) that have latched onto our little Momo, a girl moving to an island with her mother following the death of her father, a death that happened at an impressionable moment in Momo's life. The three Yokai lack impulse control, eating and grabbing whatever they want. This means food and other items from her house and that of others are taken and only Momo knows the Yokai are responsible for the thefts. This is because only Momo, and another little girl on the island, can see and hear the Yokai. Everyone else should feel lucky, because the Yokai aren't pleasant looking folk. The largest one has an expressionless face that is surprisingly more disturbing than the the other two who have faces that can convey greater emotion. One Yokai, the smallest one, sounds like the 'eh-eh' aspirating ghost in Spirited Away would if he actually spoke sentences. (My wife tells me the 'eh-eh'-ing fueled quite the vocalized meme mimicry when Spirited Away was initially released.) This vocal nuance was the most disconcerting element, but as further evidence for the greater complexity of this genre of Japanese story-telling is that in spite of these creepy quirks, you still could develop a connection with the Yokai. Plus, the Yokai and their kind provide a wonderfully stunning visual moment near the end of the film that winks at character designer Masashi Ando's Paprika pedigree.
A Letter to Momo was another film watched untranslated for me, but again, I still could rely on genre tropes and visuals as windows into what appears to be a compelling story. My wife did whisper the occasional simultaneous translation in my ear. But it says something about A Letter to Momo, and how much I enjoyed it, that upon recalling my experience with the film, I have a distorted memory that it was subtitled when it wasn't. (Here's hoping the anime distributor GKIDS gives me an opportunity to re-visit this film subtitled in the U.S.) Plus, there's that mood and tone I mentioned before, a mood that doesn't require explication through dialogue. You just feel it through the design and pace of the world on screen. The same phrase Merry White uses to describe the romance of the kissaten, or cafe, in her book Coffee Life in Japan (University of California Press, 2012), as spaces that "encompass a pleasant, shadowy, minor-key melancholy' (p. 171) can be used to describe my experience with Japanese animation of this genre in general, and A Letter to Momo in particular.
As I mentioned before, we bought the film book after we confirmed we enjoyed the film. This is where we learned the dance performed by Momo and the Yokai in the film since the book contains animated stills of the basics of the simple choreography. I realized during this trip to Japan from watching all the commercials interspersed between the London Olympics coverage that a lot of Japanese commercials feature group dances. For the most part, the choreography isn't all that intricate, often childish, sometimes including children as participating dancers. That lack of complexity allows for ease of replication, extending the brand beyond the commercial as kids, and perhaps a willing Uncle, mimic the steps seen on TV. The result is a brand made manifest in physical form through movement. Even though my nieces hadn't seen A Letter to Momo, they were anxious to perform the dance with me. The final bodily form of the dance, (for the U.S. reader, imagine an Omega Psi Phi fraternity salute with the arms formed in the shape of the Greek character Omega and ones legs forming the mirror-image of your Omega-ed arms), became a meme in our family that stirred laughter during each repeat performance. In this way, A Letter to Momo marks my memory, unlike the quick hit of Madagascar 3 that failed to make lasting neural images.
The next and final bit of film-going in Yamaguchi required no translation. Who would have thought I'd have to head out to little ol' Yamaguchi City, Japan for my first screening of Nicholas Ray's 1955 classic, Rebel Without a Cause? Screened as part of the free summer outdoor series at the Yamaguchi City Art Museum (YCAM), this was clearly the film-highlight of my trip. San Francisco has outdoor film events, but San Francisco weather is mostly cold or chilly at night, so watching outside isn't a physically pleasurable experience. However, in Yamaguchi in the summer time, we had the perfect night, not too hot and surprisingly mosquito-free. We were lucky since out of the three films that were screened outdoors the weekend of August 10th-12th, we chose the one night it didn't rain.
YCAM is just down the way from the La Scala theatre, so we rode our bikes to this screening as well. While we waited at a stoplight, (another sign we weren't in San Francisco), an older lady on her bike asked us if we were going to the movie. It was a wonderful moment of civic-camaraderie that it was that obvious we were headed in the same direction to the same event. The woman said she was attending to practice her English, an alternate affordance for subtitled cinema. When we got there, we already found ourselves amongst a considerable number of Yamaguchians. Eventually well over one hundred would arrive. Some brought blankets to sit on, while others brought fold-up chairs. One group was fully decked out in chairs, a table, and dinner! Along the side was, to my wife's delight, a shaved-ice stand and, to my delight, a coffee stand. The coffee was prepared in my preferred pour-over style by Capime Coffee. It was delicious. Returning to White's book again, she notes how kissaten owners make themselves walking billboards for their brand of idiosyncratic individualism through sartorial choices. And the stylish, yet eccentric, hat worn by Capime Coffee's barista provides further support for this aspect of White's wider thesis that coffee, not tea, has been king in Japan since the late 1800s.
Yet this barista is clearly a rebel with a cause, unlike the movie. I, like so many have over many years, enjoyed the film. Part of my first timer joy was finding out Jim Bakus played the father all heavily emasculated in an apron (3rd Base fans, say it with me, 'Larger than Jim Backus, is The Cactus!'). I won't go much into analysis since this film has had enough, but it was a true delight to see this obligatory member of the film studies canon projected on the side of the YCAM on such a gorgeous night.
Any avid cinephile would find much to love in YCAM's film schedule if one finds themselves in Yamaguchi for whatever reason. The first weekend we arrived, they were screening Lee Chang-do's Poetry and were putting on a Lars Van Trier retrospective. A few weeks after we left, Mikio Naruse was on the docket. And I so wish I could head back in December for the Aki Kaurismäki film series.
As a result, it's not just silly dances with my nieces that has me itching to return to Yamaguchi, but YCAM's film curation as well. And although I'll catch whatever intriguing Japanese film might be on La Scala's schedule too, I think I'll skip the multiplex like I mostly do back home in the States.
natsuko nagaike | 永池南津子
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- Music Monday: Celebrating 15 Years of Morning Musume
It's hard to believe that fifteen years ago this Saturday, legendary J-Pop group Morning Musume was founded with just five girls. Through those fifteen years, MoMusu, as they're known to fans, counted thirty-four (still fewer than AKB48, but who's counting) girls as part of its roster, with eleven still being active members. They've splintered off into countless subgroups and sold over 18 million copies of their singles in Japan alone, making them the second-highest selling female pop group in Japanese history. They also hold the record for most top 10 singles (fifty and counting), so we guess they're sort of popular. With such a monumental history behind them, we thought it only appropriate to pay tribute to the stunning ladies – past and present – of Morning Musume with a look at five of their coolest videos (in chronological order).
"Love Machine" - This video does look a little dated, but for its time it was pretty impressive (and it was the ladies' first major hit). Case in point: the girls dance around on the inside of an embarrassingly bad CGI pink jet. This is the earliest video on our countdown, so don't get too attached to anyone in the video – you'll see most of them "graduate" the group by the end.
"I Wish" - This video showed off the group's silly side as the girls are transformed into various characters in a city scene. Best moment? Probably Ai Kago (dressed a mustached man) getting the ol' elbow from Kaori Iida as she tries to kiss Mari Yaguchi (who is dressed as…a streetwalker? Very family friendly, MoMusu.)
"The Peace" - Nine hot chicks sailing on a badass boat. Sounds like a pretty straightforward video concept, right?! Well, for some reason, most of the video actually takes place in the bathroom. And somehow it's a magical disco bathroom. Oh, Japan - don't you ever go a-changin'.
"Souda! We're Alive" - A powerful, energetic pop track, this video features the girls doing their best mannequin impressions as the green screen behind them changes from scene to scene. Don't worry – they make up for all the standing still with crazy amounts of jumping around in between standing sessions. Your move, Genki Sudo.
"Koko ni Iruzee!" - Upbeat, with a rock feel, "Koko ni Iruzee!" was a number one hit and the video doesn't let us down. It features the girls dancing on a stage in various stages of complete plaid-dom and cuts of the girls being miners? Explorers? Mountain climbers? We can't really tell. What we do know is that Tsuji Nozomi wipes dirt on her face in a really unfortunate (read: reviled German dictator-esque) way.
Source: http://www.nerdistnews.com/region/tokyopop/music-monday-celebrating-15-years-of-morning-musume
ALL HAIL THE BAND THAT'S BETTER THAN YO FAVES! - Namie Amuro Reveals Lyric Video For New Single "Damage"
Namie Amuro has revealed the official lyric video for her new single "Damage".
The new video shows a short, 1 minute and 53 second clip of the new song with the lyrics flashing by in a cool, animated style.
The new song will be a high energy, rock inspired track that will be used as the theme song for the upcoming movie "Ougon wo Daite Tobe".
"Damage" will be released on October 31st. Check out the lyric video for the song below:
Source: http://www.jpopasia.com/news/namie-amuro-reveals-lyric-video-for-new-single-damage::12469.html & http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DIfnbOfibGY
Strong lyrics she's got there. o-o - Maeda Atsuko opens up her first Twitter account
Former AKB48 member, Maeda Atsuko, joined the Twitter-verse earlier today.
Last week Maeda announced through her blog that she would no longer be updating it and is in the process of opening a new website for her solo activities. Fans quickly began wondering if they would ever be able to hear about Maeda's personal life again.
As of today, they've been giving an answer. AKB48's Shinoda Mariko was the first to confirm the Twitter account, followed up by other AKB48 members.
Maeda has recently been tweeting to Shinoda and begging her to teach her how to use Twitter.
Go follow Maeda and show her your love: https://twitter.com/Atsuko_100
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2012/10/maeda-atsuko-opens-up-her-first-twitter-account/ - Kenichi Matsuyama, REAL Manga Promote Jelly Drink in TV Ads Film and drama actor Kenichi Matsuyama (Usagi Drop, Gantz, Detroit Metal City, Death Note films) stars in the Weilder in Jelly energy drink's latest ad campaign. In the ads which began airing last week, Matsuyama jumps through frames of the REAL basketball manga by Takehiko Inoue (Slam Dunk, Buzzer Beater, Vagabond).
As part of Weilder in Jelly's collaboration with REAL, the drink's maker Morinaga will randomly choose 12 individuals to receive a Tigers uniform (like the one worn in the manga) autographed by Inoue. To enter, contestants need to post "the REAL message that dwells in your heart" via the company's Facebook app and Twitter. Those who post before October 31 might have their entries printed in the issue of Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump magazine that will ship on November 29.
Source: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2012-10-27/kenichi-matsuyama-real-manga-promote-jelly-drink-in-tv-ads - YOSHIKI donates 'the right to sing X JAPAN's song' for charity auction
On October 26, X JAPAN leader YOSHIKI participated in a charity auction celebrating the 20th anniversary of "Make a Wish Foundation Japan" with his donation of "The right to sing X JAPAN's song on YOSHIKI's piano".
The auction began on a special site hosted by Yahoo!Auctions at 5:30 PM on October 26 and will run for one week until 5:30 PM on November 2. Fans in Japan and overseas can participate in the auction. The winner will receive the honor of singing along with Yoshiki has he plays his piano.
YOSHIKI has been proactive in charity work for over ten years. Following the Tohoku earthquake, he supported relief efforts by donating his favorite items like his crystal piano.
The dream performance will take place within 1 year of the date that the bid is accepted. The venue of the performance has yet to be decided and could take place in Los Angeles or Tokyo. Only one X JAPAN song composed by YOSHIKI will be performed, and a CD copy will be given to the winner of the auction.
YOSHIKI commented, "I would like to be an influential figure in charity from here on out."
The auction can be found here: http://page3.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/c372518589%22
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2012/10/yoshiki-donates-the-right-to-sing-x-japans-song-for-charity-auction/ - Penélope Cruz and Her Sister Puzzle Over "Professor Layton" It may not have the same impact as dressing up like Mario, but Penélope Cruz and her sister Mónica are back to promote a Nintendo 3DS game. This time it's Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, which has Penélope particularly vexed. See if she reaches a revelation below.
Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask lands in North America on October 28. It features around 150 puzzles, with 365 more to be released as free daily downloads throughout the year following its release.
Source: http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2012/10/25-1/video-penlope-cruz-and-her-sister-puzzle-over-professor-layton
Cute! XD
milkis wong 人像．Model．模特兒．靚女．試鏡 Casting -...
- A simple idea that could prevent future nuclear disasters like Fukushima
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011 was caused in part by flooding that killed the power generators needed to maintain the plant's monitoring and cooling system. So, how could you prevent something like this in the future? How about by making systems that are self-powering, relying on the energy produced by the plant itself?
At the Acoustical Society of America's 164th meeting, researchers from Penn State University will be presenting a way of creating nuclear fuel monitors that are powered by the heat created by nuclear reactions. A thermoacoustic standing wave engine could be built inside of a fuel rod, an engine that would resonate based on the temperature of the fuel. In other words, this would be a way of monitoring what temperature the core is running without requiring electricity.
And, as a bonus, the modified fuel rod would be more efficient at distributing heat, too.
Penn State grad student Randall A. Ali described the device in a release:
"Thermoacoustics exploits the interaction between heat and sound waves.Thermoacoustic sensors can operate without moving parts and don't require external power if a heat source, such as fuel in a nuclear reactor, is available...We used stacks made from a ceramic material with a regular array of parallel pores that's manufactured as the substrate for catalytic converters found in many automotive exhaust systems. These stacks facilitate the transfer of heat to the gas in a resonator, and heat is converted to sound when there's a temperature difference along the stack."
It's a no-brainer to tap the energy of a plant to power itself, but doing it a non-electrical way provides a great failsafe in the event of disaster.
Source: http://io9.com/595473! 7/a-simple-idea-that-could-prevent-future-nuclear-disasters-like-fukushima
Namie Amuro Reveals Lyric Video For New Single "Damage"
Namie Amuro has revealed the official lyric video for her new single "Damage".
The new video shows a short, 1 minute and 53 second clip of the new song with the lyrics flashing by in a cool, animated style.
The new song will be a high energy, rock inspired track that will be used as the theme song for the upcoming movie "Ougon wo Daite Tobe".
"Damage" will be released on October 31st. Check out the lyric video for the song below:作品撮りをレベルアップさせる3つのMUST
- Besieged Tanaka exits over 'health reasons'
Justice Minister Keishu Tanaka stepped down Tuesday for "health reasons" only three weeks after his appointment amid strong calls for his exit not only from the opposition camp but from within the ruling bloc over past mob ties and illicit donations.
The resignation of Tanaka, 74, who admitted to being a matchmaker for a yakuza member decades ago, dealt a fresh blow to Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, who is already suffering historic low popularity levels and is trying to avoid dissolving the Lower House and calling an election at a time when his ruling Democratic Party of Japan faces likely defeat.
Tanaka's exit also came just ahead of the Monday start of an extra legislative session, thus prompting media speculation that the justice minister, who only took up his post Oct. 1, was being pushed out to keep the opposition off Noda's back as much as possible when the Diet opens.
Had Tanaka stayed on, he would undoubtedly have faced passage of a nonbinding censure motion against him in the opposition-controlled Upper House.
Noda, however, is still expected to face a strong confrontation in the Diet next week for picking Tanaka as justice minister — a post that technically oversees police investigations into yakuza-related crimes.
Both Tanaka and Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura insisted Tanaka was quitting over health reasons.
"I have high blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat, and was told I needed medical treatment," Tanaka said in a written statement.
"I wanted to continue my job and fulfill my duties, but my health would not permit me to do so, and I decided to step down because I could not bear causing trouble for the people's lives and for the legal, administrative and Diet affairs," he said.
Fujimura said he received Tanaka's written resignation from the justice minister's secretary Tuesday morn! ing and Noda approved it.
The Justice Ministry said Tanaka was unable to hold a news conference to explain why he quit because he did not feel well. Instead, he issued the written statement.
"(Tanaka) was the one who came to the decision over his physical condition," Fujimura said, trying to deflect any criticism of Noda for appointing him. Fujimura also said Tanaka was "not effectively fired."
Tanaka was simultaneously serving as state minister in charge of the North Korea abductee issue, the seventh to hold that post since the DPJ came to power in August 2009. His quick departure, like that of his predecessors, drew quick scorn from relatives of people believed abducted by Pyongyang who remain missing.
Tanaka came under fire when the weekly magazine Shukan Shincho ran a scoop that he had links to a major underworld syndicate in Yokohama, a revelation he later admitted. He also drew flak for past donations from a firm run by a Chinese national.In his resignation statement, Tanaka said he is considering taking legal action against the publisher.
But the opposition camp, led by the Liberal Democratic Party, was quick to deem Tanaka's resignation "too late."
"Why (did Tanaka's problems go unaddressed) for so long? And why was he chosen in the first place? I think the prime minister should be held responsible for appointing him," said New Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi.
Noda reshuffled the Cabinet on Oct. 1 to strengthen his government. But given his weak leadership and with the DPJ in danger of losing the Lower House, he prioritized choosing lawmakers who helped him win the September DPJ presidential election and those whom his foes in the ruling party could stomach. Tanaka, a veteran lawmaker with no prior Cabinet experience, backed Noda in the race.
Tomoaki Iwai, a professor of political science at Nihon University, said Noda managed to dodge the worst-case scenario with Tanaka's exit before the Diet convenes next week, but the outlook is still bl! eak for t! he prime minister.
"The position of justice minister is very important and it was a big mistake to appoint Tanaka," Iwai told The Japan Times.
"It's ridiculous that (Noda) appointed him without doing a thorough background check. . . . I guess they figured it was better if Tanaka resigns for health reasons."
A Sunday by-election in Kagoshima Prefecture may see the DPJ candidate suffer from the fallout over the Tanaka affair, Iwai speculated.
Source: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20121024a1.html
Music Monday: Celebrating 15 Years of Morning Musume
It’s hard to believe that fifteen years ago this Saturday, legendary J-Pop group Morning Musume was founded with just five girls. Through those fifteen years, MoMusu, as they're known to fans, counted thirty-four (still fewer than AKB48, but who's counting) girls as part of its roster, with eleven still being active members. They’ve splintered off into countless subgroups and sold over 18 million copies of their singles in Japan alone, making them the second-highest selling female pop group in Japanese history. They also hold the record for most top 10 singles (fifty and counting), so we guess they’re sort of popular. With such a monumental history behind them, we thought it only appropriate to pay tribute to the stunning ladies – past and present – of Morning Musume with a look at five of their coolest videos (in chronological order).
“Love Machine" - This video does look a little dated, but for its time it was pretty impressive (and it was the ladies' first major hit). Case in point: the girls dance around on the inside of an embarrassingly bad CGI pink jet. This is the earliest video on our countdown, so don’t get too attached to anyone in the video – you’ll see most of them “graduate” the group by the end.
“I Wish” - This video showed off the group’s silly side as the girls are transformed into various characters in a city scene. Best moment? Probably Ai Kago (dressed a mustached man) getting the ol’ elbow from Kaori Iida as she tries to kiss Mari Yaguchi (who is dressed as…a streetwalker? Very family friendly, MoMusu.)
“The Peace” - Nine hot chicks sailing on a badass boat. Sounds like a pretty straightforward video concept, right? Well, for some reason, most of the video actually takes place in the bathroom. And somehow it’s a magical disco bathroom. Oh, Japan - don't you ever go a-changin’.
“Souda! We’re Alive” - A powerful, energetic pop track, this video features the girls doing their best mannequin impressions as the green screen behind them changes from scene to scene. Don’t worry – they make up for all the standing still with crazy amounts of jumping around in between standing sessions. Your move, Genki Sudo.
"Koko ni Iruzee!" - Upbeat, with a rock feel, “Koko ni Iruzee!” was a number one hit and the video doesn’t let us down. It features the girls dancing on a stage in various stages of complete plaid-dom and cuts of the girls being miners? Explorers? Mountain climbers? We can’t really tell. What we do know is that Tsuji Nozomi wipes dirt on her face in a really unfortunate (read: reviled German dictator-esque) way.
Source: http://www.nerdistnews.com/region/tokyopop/music-monday-celebrating-15-years-of-morning-musume
有村架純
- This Week's Headlines 23rd October - 27th October 2012 Anime/Manga/Video Games
"Sakura Taisen Kanadegumi" Stage Preview
Eleven Japanese Video Game Names You Won't Believe Are Real
Fast, Fierce Fighting in "Tekken Tag Tournament 2" Short Film
Sega to Trademark Hatsune Miku's Monstrous Cousin
The Moé Rice Revolution: Cute and Sexy Manga is Helping Rejuvinate Rice in Japan
Wow, Final Fantasy's Combat Really Is Based On Football
Unprinted Color Cyborg 009 Manga Chapter Found
Toriko Gourmet Monsters! 3DS Game's 3-Minute Promo Posted
Chill Out with This Set of "Animal Crossing: Jump Out" TV Ads
"Afro Samurai" Producer Animates ! "Man With the Iron Fist" Prequel
Hello Kitty Transforms Into Strawberry Hero Ichigoman in Anime Short
Let Drunken Nyanko-sensei Cap Off Your Drink
Light Novel Illustrator Booota Demonstrates Live Drawing
Yoshi Emerges from Active Volcano in Japan
Bandai to Make Sailor Moon Figures Again
20th Anniversary Sailor Moon Figures Previewed
Nintendo Just Unveiled Its Own iTunes
Nintendo Shows Off All The 3DS Games They're Releasing In The Near Future
Tiger & Bunny's Life-Size Double-Chaser Bikes on Display
The Puzzles In The Newest Professor Layton Sure Look Different
US$1.35-Million Rideable Ku! ratas Rob! ot Mecha Gets 3,000+ Orders
Middle-Aged Man Reviews Cute and Girly DS Fashion Game: "This Game Opened My Eyes to Style!"
Macross Frontier's Squishy Phone Inspires TV Remote
Why So Many Games These Days Are "Japan-Only"
Fairy Tail Film's Prologue Manga Gets Anime Also
Pokemon + Nintendo, Limited Edition Charizard 3DS XL Only Available For Lottery Winners in Japan
Entire Fafner: Heaven and Earth Film Streamed With English Dub
A Very PokeChristmas: Pokemon Center Announces 2012 Christmas and New Year's Goods (SO CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Japanese Fans Pick Their Favorite Kyoto Animation Anime
Voice Acting in "Ace Attorney 5" Will Just Be for Iconic Phrases
8 Alternat! ive Coupl! es Sure to Touch Your Heart
Sword Art Online Game to Have 3D Date Movie DVD
Fushigi Yûgi: Genbu Kaiden Manga to End in 2 Chapters
Manga/Anime Creator Leiji Matsumoto Knighted by France
Yumi Sugimoto (杉本有美)
Movies/TV/Actors
torefurumigoyo: 長谷川恵美
J-Rock
菜々緒
J-Pop
Miura Daichi announces new single, "Right Now / Voice" (Still going for the induced look it seems. :/)
Momoiro Clover Z releases jacket covers + track list for "Saraba, Itoshiki Kanashimi-tachi Yo"
Momoiro Clover Z to participate in this year's Kohaku Uta Gassen
Check out the PV preview for Fairies' "White Angel"
Chaku-Uta ringtone for Amuro Namie's new song begins distribution
Japanese Idol Makes Music with Hacked Furby Toys!
m-flo to hold their customary year-end event + new album in February
Model Girls appear at CD debut event in Tokyo
EXILE's MATSU holds solo stage performance
Maeda Atsuko to app! ear on VOGUE JAPAN' wearing 200 million yen jewelry
Momoiro Clover Z Gets Hairy and Scary in "My Little Nightmare" Theme PV
International Artists/Actors etc
Miscellaneous News
Japanese Company President Decides All Chairs Get Replaced by Exercise Balls
Japan announces biggest trade deficit since records began in 1979
Okinawan governor welcomes U.S. response on alleged rape
Japanese government radiation monitoring posts not showing reality: Greenpeace
Residents riled by Tokyo governor calling their noise complaint 'nonsense'
Technology to Blame for Japanese Inability to Write Characters
Brazillian Woman Sells Her Virginity Online, Japanese Buyer Lays Down the Cash
Cesium still high in Fukushima fish
Hiroshima Elementary School Girl Killed by Own Abusive Mother
Sorry if I forgot any tags. :S
Ayaka Sayama (佐山彩香)
- Han Ji Eun - Simply Gorgeous Simple yet beautiful outdoor set from Han Ji Eun. First time I see nice donut bokeh photos. Enjoy ^^~
- Two cuties hugging
- torefurumigoyo: 川島海荷
- Photo
- Makoto Okunaka (奥仲麻琴)
Makoto Okunaka (奥仲麻琴)
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