I’ve been involved in pop culture diplomacy since December 2007 and this article I would like to reflect on some of the various turning points I’ve encountered in my activities thus far. More often than not, it’s not until a certain amount of time has passed that I come to realize the true significance of past events and encounters.
Haruko Momoi’s concerts are amazing. I’ve seen the singer/song writer and voice actor perform live in Mexico in February 2011, in Moscow in November and recently in Boston, and I have to say, her latest performance at Anime Boston was superb.
This year, over the three days from April 6-8, Boston held its 10th annual “Anime Boston” event. This year the event attracted a record 22,000 visitors, making it the biggest Japanese anime event in north-east America.
In March 2012, following my trip to Jordan in February, I paid a visit to another Middle Eastern country, this time to Qatar.
At the end of February 2012, I traveled to Amman, the capital of Jordan. This was the 22nd country I’ve visited in my cross-cultural diplomacy line of work and also the first talk I’ve given in the Middle East since my trip to Saudi Arabia in March 2008.
Buono! fans from in and around France flocked to Paris to see the three girl unit perform live in what was a spectacular concert.
Momoko Tsugunaga and Miyabi Natsuyaki of "Berryz Kobo," and Airi Suzuki of "℃-ute" – the three members who form the unit, "Buono!" – perform live in Paris.
Momoko Tsugunaga and Miyabi Natsuyaki of "Berryz Kobo," and Airi Suzuki of "℃-ute" – the three members who form the unit, "Buono!" – perform live in Paris.
Every year I travel around to various countries and cities throughout the world promoting Japanese pop culture. I hold fond memories of each of the places I visit, but it’s the events that take a particularly lengthy amount of planning and the people who are involved in the planning with me that leave really lasting impressions.
Every year I travel around to various countries and cities throughout the world promoting Japanese pop culture. I hold fond memories of each of the places I visit, but it’s the events that take a particularly lengthy amount of planning and the people who are involved in the planning with me that leave really lasting impressions.
“I’m a huge Cinnamoroll fan!”These were the few words from Sayumi Michishige following a live performance that set the ball rolling on a joint project between herself and the popular character series, Cinnamoroll.
If only we acknowledged the truly good things we make and collaborated with each other more on internationally focused projects. That's how I began to feel once I started traveling the world to promote Japan through anime, fashion and various aspects of Japanese pop culture.
There was a very positive response from people all over the world for my previous article on Ai Takahashi following her departure from Morning Musume. However, it wasn’t until July 2010 when she performed live in Paris with fellow Morning Musume members that people outside of Japan really started to become aware of the artist, Ai Takahashi.
"J FEST" held in Moscow each year, is an event loved by the local people and all those involved in its production. One of the highlights of last year's event was the live performance by Haruko Momoi.
Over the past two years, from January 2010 to December 2011, I've made 12 trips to China and there's always been one particular song that has been right there by my side the whole time: the late Teresa Teng's "Give yourself to the flow of time."
Since engaging in cultural diplomacy activities with China in January 2010, I have visited the country a total of 12 times (up until December 2012). That’s about one trip every two months.
This year marked the third staging of the Japanese pop culture event, "J FEST," and this week I would like to express the importance of this, and such other, events which are so crucial in fostering cultural and diplomatic relations with people overseas.
In November last year I made my third consecutive visit to Moscow in three years. The thing that surprised me most this visit was the establishment of a maid café that had recently opened in Moscow not but 2 months prior. It made me wonder just how far Japan’s maid café culture will disperse throughout the world.
One of the things that Japanese pop-culture fans overseas long for most is to see Japanese idols perform live, but unlike anime songs and genres such as visual-k which have found strong support all over the world, Japanese idols and their live performances are still yet to find a place on the international scene.
“J FEST” is Moscow’s biggest Japanese modern culture event and the part of the event that everyone hangs out for every year is the fashion show that showcases various brands straight out of Harajuku.