BionicBong

Osaka’s Mayor Calls for Change

Jonathan Green — Thu, 24 May 2012 02:26:21 +0000

Toru Hashimoto is the product of a fed-up country. He is also its chief rabble-rouser. The telegenic Osaka mayor wants wholesale changes to Japan’s sleepy status quo. He would like to transfer power from Tokyo to a collection of new regional fiefdoms, bigger than the existing prefectures, that would collect taxes and make streamlined decisions. He holds a tea-partyish small-government philosophy, but he speaks about it in such forceful terms that critics here have given it a different name: Hashism. “It will be a creative destruction,” Hashimoto said, describing his vision for ...

AKB48′s Latest Single Breaks Oricon Highest 1st Day Sales Record Again!

Jonathan Green — Thu, 24 May 2012 02:12:59 +0000

Popular idol group AKB48s much anticipated 26th Single “Manatsu no Sounds Good!” is released today on May 23rd. Each copies except Theater Version contains a ballot for fans to vote for their favourite member for the upcoming 4th Senbatsu Elections, which will be held 2 weeks later on June 6th. Oricon Top 3 May 22nd #1 – AKB48 – Manatsu no Sounds Good! – 1,170,554 sales #2 – GLAY – Bible – 28,247 sales #3 – yuzu – with you – 9,765 sales *In Japan, sales and pre-orders start rolling out 1 day before ...

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Live on YouTube May 23rd

Jonathan Green — Wed, 23 May 2012 04:23:43 +0000

On May 23rd, Harajuku sensation Kyary Pamyu Pamyu plans to hold a live event through YouTube Live. The event is being held in celebration of her first full album “Pamyu Pamyu Revolution“, which comes out the same day. Fans can tune in to the program at 4:45 PM JST, where Kyary will be broadcasting live from her “Pamyu Pamyu Kakumei in La Foret Harajuku” event at Tokyo’s La Foret Harajuku. Following this stream at 6:00 PM, fans can watch the fake documentary “The Truth About Kyary Pamyu Pamyu” on Space Shower ...

New members added to Iryu Sousa cast for comeback

Jonathan Green — Wed, 23 May 2012 04:09:05 +0000

Takaya Kamikawa’s TV Asahi’s drama ‘Iryu Sousa‘ will come back with a new series starting in July. This will be the second season of ‘Iryu Sousa’ as the first season was aired during April to June 2011. The detective drama tells the story of detective Satoshi Itomura (Kamikawa), who can “hear” voices of the dead from things left behind at crime scenes. Producer Yumiko Miwa enthusiastically stated, “I want this drama to bring up popular detective series like ‘Aibou‘ and ‘Rinjo‘.” Related Posts “Moteki” movie reveals steamy cast “Asukou March!” adds Matsuzaka Tori to it’s cast Masaki ...

Debris from Japan’s 2011 Tsunami Reaches Alaska’s Shores

Jonathan Green — Wed, 23 May 2012 03:50:17 +0000

Residents of towns in the Alaska Panhandle have begun picking up plastic bottles, chunks of foam insulation and floating buoys from Japan’s 2011 tsunami. “This is urethane spray building foam,” Chris Pallister, president of the conservation group Gulf of Alaska Keeper, said as he picked through trash on Montague Island, about 200 miles north of Juneau. “We just never got much of that before. But if you walk up and down this beach, you see big chunks.” The foam comes from the walls of buildings that were smashed to splinters by the ...

New NTV Drama to Star Yukie Nakama as a Ghost

Jonathan Green — Tue, 22 May 2012 23:57:26 +0000

NTV announced a new drama for the upcoming summer season called ‘Ghost Mama Sousasen ~Boku to Mama no Fushigi na 100 Nichi~‘ starring actress Yukie Nakama in the role of a ghost. Nakama is going to play a police woman working at a Community Safety Department called Choko Uehara. Uehara has a very bright and obliging personality and cannot look away when other people are in trouble. She’s living a happy family life together with her husband played Ikki Sawamura, her daughter played by Mirai Shida, and her son played Yuma Kimino. NTV ...

Keeping the Kumihimo Braiding Tradition Alive in Japan

Jonathan Green — Tue, 22 May 2012 23:50:40 +0000

In the mountains of Mie Prefecture, in the ancient castle city of Iga, traditions dating back some 400 years are still very much alive today. Among these traditions is the production of Iga kumihimo braids found in top kimono. Using an ancient technique, the decorative strings that are specifically used to tie obi are manufactured in this region. Iga kumihimo holds a 60-percent share of the domestic braid market. The origins of this intricate art form go way back, perhaps as far back as the Nara Period (710-784), when the braiding technique ...

Horie Yui releasing new single – Natsu no Yakusoku

Jonathan Green — Tue, 22 May 2012 23:38:33 +0000

Japanese voice actress Horie Yui will release her new single, “Natsu no Yakusoku“, on July 25th. The title track will be featured as the ending theme to the anime series, ‘DOG DAYS‘, starting in July. The PV for this song will be included in a DVD with the limited edition of the single. Related Posts “K-On!!” smashing charts in i-Tunes Store Akanishi to release solo single, U.S. album French Kiss and the pillows perform themes for “SKET DANCE”

Japan Downgraded by Fitch on Debt Concerns

Jonathan Green — Tue, 22 May 2012 23:08:32 +0000

Japans credit rating has been downgraded by two levels by rating agency Fitch on concerns about the countrys high levels of debt. Fitch cut Japans rating to A+ from AA and warned that further downgrades were possible. Japan has by far the highest debt to GDP ratio of any major economy, although much of this debt is held by domestic investors. The government has spent huge amounts of money on trying to stimulate growth. “The downgrades and negative outlooks reflect growing risks for Japan’s sovereign credit profile as a result of high and rising ...

Japan opens new worlds tallest tower in Tokyo – Tokyo Sky Tree Tower

Jonathan Green — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:36:38 +0000

The worlds tallest tower and Tokyos biggest new landmark, the Tokyo Sky Tree, has opened to the public. Nearly 8,000 visitors were expected to take high-speed elevators up to the observation decks of the 2,080-foot tower Tuesday to mark its opening. It is recognized by Guinness World Records as the tallest tower, beating out the Canton Tower in China, which is 1,968 1/2 feet. The worlds tallest structure is Dubais Burj Khalifa, which stands 2,717 feet. Thats in a different category because its a skyscraper, not a tower. Read the rest of the ...