Is this really virtual world? -Japanese Game-

Now , Japanese game software are growing up to extreme level at a terrible speed,
and they have been played and enjoyed by people all over the world.

As for four works published below, they are all super long run hit product which sell nearlly 10 million and moreover in the serious all over the world.

All graphic is so amazing, and they are approaching real world rapidly.

Let's take a look!

■FINAL FANTASY XIII (Sony Playstation3)


If you want to look with more cleaner movie,click here!

■DRAGON QUEST SWORDS (Nintendo Wii)


■Sangokumusou X (Sony Playstation3)


■WINNING ELEVEN2008 (Sony Playstation3 & Microsoft XBOX360)


If you have not played these games yet, I recommend you to play and enjoy that alone or with your family! m(^o ')b

That's it today.

How do you feel when you see japanese character "Hiragana"and "Katakana"?

I have often listend to the music of the american music producer Kanye West "stronger" in Japnese hit chart.He is the same age as me and I respect him very much.
The stage of PV"stronger" is Japan and the japanese original character "Katakana" is used in the PV.

Then I have a question.

How do you ,non-japanese, feel when you see japanese character "Hiragana"and "Katakana"?

Do you feel it's cool ? or nothing?

How do you feel compared with Kanji?

Please vote on the questionnaire in the right corner,
if you don't mind! m(_ _)m

■Kanye West "Stronger"


He went to the school of the art and he likes japanese art and japanese art group "Kaikaikiki" which is the famous for japanese artist TAKASHI MURAKAMI.
Kanye West & TAKASHI MURAKAMI

That's it today.

If you have any topic you want me to pick up,
Please feel free to ask me!!

See you next time(^_')b

Harajuku fashion vs Shibuya fashion

A customer of our brand "Kenran" who lives in Holland asked our designer ,Mai

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are these sub-cultures in Tokyo, like Harajuku and Shibuya,
where on Sunday the young girls get outside all dressed up.
How did this exist, we can find a lot about this sub-culture
but not why they dress up like this. Is there any connection with the kimono-style?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So today, we introduce Harajuku & Shibuya fashion of Japan to you including the answer about above question.

First of all , there is big difference between Harajuku fashion and Shibuya fashion.

■About Harajuku fashion

There are 2 type in Harajuku fashion

・GothLoli-kei(abbreviation of Gothic & Lolita)
・Urahara-kei(abbreviation of Uraharajuku)

"kei" means "something like" in English.

[GothLoli-kei]

You can understand What is GothLoli-kei fashion if you look below movie.
Please take a look.



I have heard GothLoli-kei fashion has broken through in some European countries.
This fashion started from the influence of the band group named

●La'cryma Christi
　http://www.lacrymachristi.jp/
●MALICE MIZER
　http://www.malice-mizer.co.jp/

Why are they willing to buy and wear such clothes???
Because they likes above musicians and are influenced from them.
So we are sorry but it seems to have no relevance with Kimono.

[Urahara-kei]

"Urahara" means the back alley of Harajuku.
And there are many shops of street casual clothes and people who wear such clothes in Urahara.
Now in Japan,representative musician and magazine model of Urahara-kei are

●Kaera Kimura





●Ai Otsuka


They likes cute fashion ,not sexy fashion.

■About Shibuya fashion

Shibuya fashion is quite different from Harajuku fashion.
Girls & Boys which play and do shopping in Shibuya
like sexy fashion , not cute fashion.

A departmet store "Shibuya109" is worldfamous fashion building.
Many famous brand desiner visit 109 to observe Shibuya fashion.
Actually,I saw Paris Hilton last week in 109 !





Why are they willing to buy and wear such clothes???
They seems to be influenced by mainly not musician but fashion brand and
the top model of sexy fashion magazine.

If you want to see Shibuya fashion model
If you want to see Shibuya fashion model

And generally speaking, while many young japanese seeks their individuality,
they also seem to feel comfortable when they are with people who have same hobby
and wear same clothes, and tend to exclude people who are not so.

That's it today.

If you have any topic you want me to pick up,
Please feel free to ask me!!

See you next time(^_')b

The Japanese star who plays an active part in foreign country vol.2

Today I pick up japanese famous movie star and director .

■Movie star

TAKESHI KITANO

2007.5.16～2007.5.27 Cannes Film Festival had been held.
Many world famous movie director such as David Fincher、Quentin Tarantino、
Wong Kawai exhibited their latest movie.
Director TAKESHI also exhibited his new movie titled "Kantoku Banzai",

but I like "Zatoichi" made in 2003 in all of his works.
This movie is exhibited to the 60th Venezia International Film Festival competition section and won the prize of director's award.

Zatoichi is blind swordman living in Edo era,
He is blind but expert of a sword who can feel a surrounding sign and thirst for blood.

Take a look the preview of Zatoichi!




Those who want to see even by buying DVD,Now it is under sale at amazon 32 % OFF!!

■Soccer player

Shunsuke Nakamura

I had felt that Japanese soccer has been inferior to that of Europe and South America in speed, power and technique for a long time.

But finally the japanese who can join the first-class soccer star appeared.

His name is Shunsuke Nakamura.

Now he has been playing in Celtic,leading team of the Scottish Premier League from 2005 and he got the MVP prize of the year.

Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho Gaúcho,Cristiano Ronaldo,
needless to say,they are one of the most fantasic soccer player.

But there is a point that Shunsuke is superior to them.

That is Free Kick.

The free kick shot from his left leg draw beautiful and big arc
like hanging to magic and stick sharply to the corner of goal net.

He has been called in Japan "Fantasista".

Now let's take a look his fantasic free kick!!



How is it?
But after all the world level is generally much higher than Japan...
Please also take a look world super play movie.



It's 4 am in Japan. I'm a little bit sleepy...
So today that's it.

See you next time, byebye!(^o')b

The Japanese star who plays an active part in foreign country vol.1

Today and nextweek, I introduce some japanese stars of each field
who play an active part in foreign countries to you.

Especially please pay attention to the movies of their amateur days!

■Music Artist

YOSHIKI

Do you know YOSHIKI? I've heard he is famous in America and Europe too.
He is now music producer , but he was drummer pianist and leader of legendary japanese rock band "X-Japan".
I've heard Michael Jackson have often rented YOSHIKI's recording studio in LA.

His feature is not only drums he beats at the amazing high speed
but the clean melody containing the piano he plays.

Now he moved his base to US, and doing music Project called
"Violet UK" with many foreign musician there.
Violet UK hasn't released CD up to now,there's only in MySpace
you can listen tothe songs.
It has huge ppl there although it does'nt do any promotion,
The hits occupied the 4th place once among 380,000,000 registerd bands.

Now listen to the music of Violet UK.
http://www.myspace.com/violetuk

Current YOSHIKI


YOSHIKI in X-japan age


By the way, a lot of people in youtube are covering the music of X-japan.

■Baseball player

ICHIRO

ICHIRO when he was high school student and belonged to japanese professional baseball team　vol.1


vol.2


Last week I met the man who were classmate in the same highschool with ICHIRO.
He said that when he went home with ICHRO by chance, ICHIRO said modestly that it was decided he advanced to the professional.

he never thought at that time ICHIRO becomes great baseball player...

That's it today.

Next time I'm going to pick up movie director "TAKESHI KITANO"

See you next week!

Akihabara

Hello from Japan!

This time, I introduce "Akihabara" to you .
Do you know Akihabara?
I've heard many foreigners know Akihabara.
It's one of the famous town in Tokyo.

Why is Akihabara so famous?
Because Akihabara is quite unique town
where junior idols are featured strangely.

In such Akihabara, most remarkable junior idol is the unit
that consists of 36 girls who were voted by spectator in
the "Akihabara 48 theater".

That unit name is "AKB48".

AKB48 is produced by Mr.Yasushi Akimoto, japanese famous TV producer.
So at first, I want to show you a music movie of AKB48.



How did you feel ?

These girls are not school children!
They are splendid high school students in Japan.
I think you already know japanese girls look much younger than those of foreign countries.
But many young men in Japan are excited at these girls and gather at Akihabara.

These young men is so-called" Otaku".

These girls who dance in the stage of AKB48 theater come to theater after school and take severe lessons of dance and music for major debut.
Making dreams come true is not so easy in any world.

And another one of phenomena that have risen in Akihabara is "Maid cafe".

That is the Cafe where girls who put on housemaid's costume are waitress.
Here is a explanation video about "Maid cafe". Take a look!



Here is even the portal site of Maid cafe "MYAHOO" which is just like Yahoo.

It's very curious phenomena, isn't it ??

Actually I think this is one of the japanese sub-culuture,
but don't think almost all of japanese men and women are like this!!
Of course I'm not.

That's all today. See you next time!!

To be arranged in modern style

Today's theme is " to be arraged in modern style".

Let me introduce three masterpiece that is arranged in modern style
in the field of music, food and fashion.

Here we go!!

[japanese music]
At this music corner, I want to introduce you a short music video in which japanese famous samisen player "Yoshida brothers" did collaboration to famous musician group "Monkey Magic".
Please push play button and listen to this music!



I felt this number was much more cool than one Yoshida brothers played ordinarily,
and than one Monkey Magic played on the guitar,the base and the drum ordinarily.

Like this, We want to keep producing cool modern clothes into which is integrated japanese traditional and beautiful colors expressed in fancy kimonos !

By the way,do you want to listen another number played by Yoshida brothers?
OK! Here is my recommendation!! What a powerful sound !!


[japanese food]

At this food corner,let me introduce very delicious japanese sweets ,
"Dorayaki of Sakuramichi"which is well sold among both old and young men and women.
The meaning of Sakuramichi is the road where cherry blossoms are in full-bloomed.





Dorayaki is one of the most famous japanese traditional sweets.
The birth of Dorayaki is in the beginning of the 20th,Taisho era,
and taste does not still change now.

Sakuramichi developped new Dorayaki into which is arranged modern decoration　though the traditional process was kept.

Do everything shown above seems to be delicious!?

[japanese fashion]

At this fashion corner,
Today I recommend you a very cool T-shirts.





To see detail or another item, please click here




To see detail or another item, please click here

The big Japanese phoenix which is called "Houou" or "Suzaku" is covered with glittering print.

Houou is famous as the one of the 4 god who had protected the south part of imperial court in the 7th and 8th centuries, Heian era ,and it is said that Houou expels misery and causes happiness with wings.
And it appears several times in serial novel of "Onmyoji" which is very famous of the Yin Yang diviner and mentor "Abeno Seimei". about"Onmyoji"

Houou is expressed as ; front face looks like deer, the neck is likesnake, the back is like tortoise, the chin is like swallow, a beak is like chicken.
Japanese phoenix is used to decorate the rooftops of
old temples like Uji-Byodoin, and Kyoto Rokuonji temple Golden
Pavilion. Also, Japanese phoenix is now drawn on the backside ofJapanese ten-thousand bill since 2004.

That's all today. Thank you for reading to the end!
See you next time.