According to J-Cast via dannychoo.com, JASRAC — or The Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers, is considering charging Twitter users who post lyrics from Japanese songs on the JASRAC catalogue with royalty fees.

JASRAC has administrative rights on practically every single Japanese pop song ever created, so if this move pushes through there are potentially millions of yen at stake.

Already, JASRAC has invoiced a cafe in Japan for JPY 5,500,000 for playing pop songs as background music for the past 10 years. JASRAC has also been responsible for having hundreds of Japanese music videos taken down from YouTube and other media sharing sites, as well as thousands of post take-downs on Japanese blogs for posting lyrics from JASRAC songs.

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The NY Times did a short piece on the opening of a no-frills terminal north of Tokyo in Ibaraki Prefecture that has friends and I really excited. Ibaraki Airport administration is currently in talks to start servicing budget carriers from India and South East Asia — including the Philippines. If all plans go through, the new airport will function as a low-cost hub to those who want to fly to Tokyo on a tight budget.

Located ninety minutes away from central Tokyo, airport authorities argue that it takes as much time to take the local train from Tokyo to Narita Airport in Chiba Prefecture so the distance should not be an issue. They also plan to develop a shuttle bus system that will only charge JPY 500 per head one-way, which is a huge drop from Japan Rail’s NEX (Narita Expess) service which costs about JPY 3000.

Oh please oh please oh please let it be true~ /o/ \o\ /o/ \o\

Thanks to Nina of Just Wandering for the heads-up :) Start saving for our field trip, bb!

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• 11 March 2010 — 2010 JAL Scholarship Programme
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The Japan Airlines Scholarship Programme is on its 37th year of offering short-term scholarship programmes for selected college and university students.

One participant from the Philippines will fly to Japan and take part in lectures, discussions, and fieldwork designed around this year’s main theme: “Tourism and cross-cultural understanding”.

The Programme will run from the 27th of June to the 13th of July 2010. All JAL scholars will be based mainly in Tokyo, but will also fly to Ishikawa City in Kanazawa Prefecture for the Asia Forum, as well as homestay in other locations.

The JAL Foundation and Japan Airlines will shoulder airline tickets to and from Japan, as well as transport, accommodations, and insurance costs of all Scholars during the length of the Programme.

Prospective applicants to the JAL Scholarship Programme must satisfy a basic criteria:

• Must be a Filipino citizen, and is an undergraduate or post graduate student of a recognized Philippine college or university;

• Must be 18 to 24 years old when the program commences;

• Must have an interest in social contribution and environmental issues;

• Must have an interest in Japan and be willing to experience Japanese culture and customs;

• Must be healthy, cheerful, and able to get along well with others;

• Must have a strong command of English (if the applicant has taken TOEIC or TOFEL examinations, please provide results).

College and University students who have satisfied the above criteria, and wish to apply for the Programme, are asked to submit the following requirements:

• Write an essay in English that centers around the theme “Tourism and cross-cultural understanding”;

• The essay should not exceed 400 words, and must be typewritten or printed in double-space on a standard A4 sheet;

• Five copies of the essay must be produced and submitted without any identifying marks whatsoever;

• Submit a sealed envelope containing a sixth copy of the essay bearing the applicant’s signature, plus the applicant’s bio-data complete with signature, two 2×2 ID pictures with the applicant’s name written in the back, and a copy of the applicant’s latest certificate of enrollment from their college or university.

Applications may be hand-carried or sent via courier to The JAL Scholarship Programme, Japan Airlines, 2nd Floor Oledan Square, 6788 Ayala Avenue, Makati City 1226, Metro Manila (MAP) on or before 26th March 2010. For inquiries and clarifications, you may contact Ms. Rosalie Bailon at 02-886-6991 (phone) or 02-886-7000 (fax).

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This post aims to help these people by providing an English translation of the Good Smile guide, as well as a quick five-point list of the most important points when trying to spot fakes. Do take note that the items on the left with the red tags are the originals, and the ones on the right with the blue tags are the fakes.

Packaging

The quality of printing on the packages of original Nendroids is generally clearer and crisper, and have more accurate colors. On the fakes, small details are either obscured (like the lace pattern on the boxes of the Death Note Nendroids) or swapped (like the borders on the picture in the Hatsune Miku Nendriod package).

Resin Quality

The lustre of the resin on original Nendroids is more matte and paler compared to the shiny, reddish, plasticky texture of the fakes. Also, on the originals the body and clothing parts are cast separately from two types of resin, giving each one a different texture. On the fakes they are cast from a single mold so they are usually a single block of cheap plastic.

Paint Job

The paint jobs are obviously more accurate and more fine-grained on originals than on the knock-offs. The colors are also closer to the catalogue pictures used by the manufacturer for advertisement purposes. The detailing on fake toys can be very sloppy and haphazard, so as soon as you spot them on a figure stay away as it is most probably fake.

Parts Fit

Swappable parts on genuine Nendroids have a good fit — not too loose as to fall apart at the slightest prodding, and not too tight as to prohibit their removal. All pegs, slots, and other crevices are smooth and cleanly cut. Lastly, there are no unsightly, oversized gaps where pieces are supposed to join together to make a whole.

Base

Although both the originals and the fakes are manufactured in China, and it says so on both the box and the base, the name of the collaborating company of the piece (for example: Crypton, Kyoto Animation, Shonen Jump, etc.) is clearly embossed on the base and not just “Made in China”.

That’s it for the translated Good Smile guide. I will also try to come up with larger photos I have taken myself, similar to the mix-style guide I posted earlier. If anybody has a pair of original and fake Nendroids of the same character, please let me know if I could please borrow them for the afternoon? Thanks guys!

All photos are from the Good Smile Company website.

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Kotobukiya is delighted to announce its latest release from its Neon Genesis Evangelion 2.0 Ani*Statue line.

On the heels of the highly sought-after Rei Ayanami in Plug Suit from Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone, and the flawless Asuka Langley Shikinami in Plug Suit from Evangelion 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, is Mari Illustrious Makinami, the mysterious pilot of the Provisional Evangelion Unit-05 in her pink Plug Suit.

Mari Illustrious Makinami was introduced in the theatrical remake of the seminal animated TV series as the pilot for the Unit-05. Due to its unique design — the Unit-05 has four wheeled legs and a lance and a claw for arms, Mari has to don a pilot helmet not required of the other Eva Children.

The Mari Illustrious Makinami Ani Statue was crafted by acclaimed Bishoujo sculptor Tsukuru Shirahige. She can be displayed in two ways: with or without her unique red-rimmed glasses. Her plug suit and base perfectly match those of Rei’s and Asuka’s, making them ideal for dioramas and display cabinets.

The Makinami Mari Illustrious Ani*Statue is slated for release in July 2010 for an SRP of USD 80. Please visit your favorite online toy store or local retailer for reservations.

Thanks to Mr. Nakagawa of KOTOBUKIYA for the advanced information.

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