Popular models Yuri Ebihara (蛯原友里）, Moe Oshikiri （押切もえ）, and Koharu Kusumi（久住小春） were among 17 glamour girls who took part in a dancing fashion show over the weekend to mark the 5th anniversary of AneCan magazine and 30th anniversary of CanCam magazine.
According to Oshikiri, incorporating dance into the fashion show was a last-minute idea. “We were all a bit nervous,” she told reporters after Sunday’s event in Roppongi. “However, it was a good opportunity to show what we can do.”
The show helped raise money for victims of the Tohoku disaster. Fifteen apparel brands that have factories in the Tohoku area sold items during the show. Proceeds will be donated to the Japan Red Cross Society.
This full-length video will stream until 12:00 p.m March 7.
The presentation ceremony for the 4th annual CD Shop Awards were held in Shibuya on Feburuary 28.
Image from Natalie
The awards are selected every year by an association of CD shop employees across the country, and this year, the grand prize went to Momoiro Clover Z (ももいろクローバーZ)for their album “Battle and Romance.”
Image from Natalie
Momoiro Clover Z is a Japanese female idol group of 5 members.They are also referred to as Momoclo (ももクロ), Shūmatsu Heroine (週末ヒロイン, lit. "Weekend Heroine").
Momoiro Clover Z has now revealed their PV for “Mouretsu Uchuu Koukyoukyoku Dainana Gakushou ‘Mugen no Ai’” (to be released on March 7th) - a 5-minute video for this rock number.
The PV features the members in an outer space setting with glitter, sparkles, and shining bicycles to spice things up.
Abraham Lincoln said "Don't worry over what other people are thinking about you. They're too busy worrying over what you are thinking about them."
Even though, Japanese media likes to worry about what others think of people in Japan. The MADAME RiRi website offers a few examples.
1. Making the peace sign (vee)
Many young Japanese people instinctively form a vee with their fingers when they pose for photos. In many other countries, this is the sign of peace. But there is no such meaning in Japan. Fortunately, Japanese make the vee sign with the palm of their hand facing the photographer and not the back of the hand, which might get them in trouble overseas. In any case, it’s a good way to spot who the Japanese tourists are in a crowd.
2. Sitting on the floor
Many foreign people wonder why Japanese people sit on the floor. It is very rare to see people sit on the floor in Western countries where tatami mats are not common. Many foreign visitors to Japan find it hard (and painful) to sit on the floor, opting instead for the familiarity of the couch or chair.
3. Drinking barley tea
If you open the fridge in most Japanese homes or look at any vending machine, you’ll likely see barley tea. It’s a refreshing drink that goes well with meals and is particularly good in hot weather. And it doesn’t have a lot of caffeine.
4. Slurping ramen, sniffling
Japanese people usually slurp when they eat noodles such as ramen, soba and udon. Although slurping noodles is considered rude in Western countries, in Japan, it is an expression of one’s appreciation for the meal. So slurp away as loud as you like. Sniffling, clearing one’s throat and swallowing phlegm are also habits that visitors may find unsettling.
5. Nodding response (Aizuchi)
When you communicate with Japanese people, you often see them nodding their response with words like “He,” “Un,” “Soso,” “So nanda” and so on. This type of nodding response is called “Aizuchi” in Japanese and dates back to the Edo period. “Aizuchi” is also a good way of looking like you are taking part in a conversation, but foreign people seldom use these words, perhaps because they feel it will look like they are not listening seriously.
6. Double-eyelid surgery
Perhaps this one applies to many women in Asia, not just Japan. Double eyelid surgery is common because young women want to have bigger eyes. Have a look at the girls who adorn the covers of fashion magazines, or pop diva Ayumi Hamasaki. Foreigners may wonder why Japanese women get cosmetic surgery for their eyes but don’t do anything about their teeth. In the West, a woman is more likely to get a nip and tuck, but rarely have her eyes altered.
7. Walking pigeon-toed in high heels
Some Japanese girls cannot walk gracefully in high heels and end up walking pigeon-toed.
8. Bowing
Bowing is an integral part of Japanese society, whether you are saying hello, goodbye, apologizing, expressing condolences or just responding instinctively. Some Japanese people even bow while talking on the phone. In Western countries, the handshake and hug are more common.
The Japanese public broadcaster NHK announced that it is producing an original song composed by Yoko Kanno (菅野よう子）, with lyrics by film writer/director Shunji Iwai（岩井俊二）, to mark the one-year anniversary of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake disaster. Kanno and Iwai are contributing their earnings from the song to earthquake relief efforts.
Yoko Kanno
The "Hana wa Saku" (Flowers Are Blooming) song's instrumental recording is complete, and vocals are now being recorded. 33 singers, celebrities, and sports figures who hail from Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima Prefectures ― the prefectures hardest hit by the diasters ― are contributing to the vocals.
Shunji Iwai
Kanno, as well as Iwai, are from Miyagi Prefecture, and their hometowns were affected by the disaster.
Kanno is best known for her original soundtrack work in such anime as Cowboy Bebop, Macross Plus/Frontier, and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.
Iwai is best known for directing such films as All About Lily Chou-Chou, Hana and Alice, and PicNic, as well as acting in Hideaki Anno's 2000 live action film Shiki-Jitsu. He is now finishing his first English language feature film, Vampire.
The Japan Pet Food Association established February 22 as Cat Day in Japan in 1987, because the pronunciation of February 22 in Japanese sounds similar to the Japanese onomatopoeia word "nyan nyan nyan," the sound that a cat makes.
Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro
To celebrate the unofficial Cat Day, the website hosted a poll surveying readers about their favorite cat character, and the Catbus character from My Neighbor Totoro placed first in the poll.
Sanrio's Hello Kitty
Doraemon
Jill form Kiki's Delivery Service
Sanrio's Hello Kitty character, Doraemon's titular character, and Kiki's Delivery Service's Jiji all tied for second place in the poll.
Toro from Sony Computer Entertainment
Tama from Tama and Friends
Sony Computer Entertainment's mascot character Toro placed sixth in the poll, and Tama from Tama and Friends placed ninth.
Nameneko
Placing fifth in the survey was "Nameneko," a craze that took off in Japan in the 1980s of dressing cats up in doll clothes and taking their pictures.
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