[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!] #85 Sakurai Takamasa and Uesaka Sumire’s New Year’s Discussion – Part Two – Is the Popularity of Japan Overseas Just a Minor Fad? Is it Niche?

This is the second installment in my talk with Uesaka Sumire following our stage appearance at Moscow’s J-FEST, as we discuss the paths we look to follow in our line of work in cultural diplomacy.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Other Areas｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Anime｜ Talent/Idol｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2014.01.08

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!] #84 Sakurai Takamasa & Uesaka Sumire’s New Year’s Discussion – Part One – “Even in Different Countries, Otaku are Otaku. We’re the Same all Over the World”

It took three years, but voice actress, Uesaka Sumire, has finally fulfilled her dream of performing on stage at Moscow’s “J-FEST.”

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Other Areas｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Anime｜ Talent/Idol｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2014.01.01

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!] #83 Why Uesaka Sumire and I Both Love “J-FEST”: The Largest Japanese Pop Culture Event in Moscow

I never imagined that after arriving in Moscow, following the completion of the Barcelona and “Salon del Manga” leg of my tour in November 2009, that it would go on to become a place I would come back to each and every year.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Other Areas｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Anime｜ Talent/Idol｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.12.25

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#82 Breaking Down Genre Barriers with Kageyama Hironobu, Tanaka Reina, SU-METAL (BABYMETAL) and Colleagues I’ve Met Through Cultural Diplomacy – Japan Pop Culture Carnival – Part 4

This is the final installment for my series on the “Japan Pop Culture Carnival in Matsudo 2013” (herein JPCC) – an event which I produced that was held in Matsudo Mori no Hall 21 on November 4th, 2013.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Music｜ J-POP｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.12.18

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#81 The “Urbangarde×Uesaka Sumire” Collaboration! Genre is Irrelevant! Japan Pop Culture Carnival – Part 3

This week I will follow up on the events that transpired at my self-produced, Japan Pop Culture Carnival in Matsudo 2013 (held at Matsudo Mori no Hall 21 on November 4th, 2013, herein referred to as JPCC).

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Music｜ J-POP｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.12.11

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#80 Dots, Lines and Shapes! From Amami Songstress to Today’s Leading Idols – Japan Pop Culture Carnival – Part 2

On November 4th 2013, a live event called the “Japan Pop Culture Carnival in Matsudo 2013” (herein JPCC) was held at Mori no Hall 21, in Matsudo, Japan.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Music｜ J-POP｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.12.04

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#79 Voices of the Idols Fighting on the Frontlines! - Japan Pop Carnival – Part 1

November 4th 2013 – the “Japan Pop Culture Carnival” (herein JPCC), an event which I produced, was held at Mori no Hall 21, in Matsudo.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Music｜ J-POP｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.11.27

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#78 Three Years Since My Last Visit to Barcelona and the “Salón del Manga” Has Now Grown into an Event of 12,000!

At the end of October 2013, I visited Barcelona, Spain, for the first time in three years.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Other Areas｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Manga｜ Anime｜ Cosplay｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.11.20

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#77 The Potential and Diversity of Japan Resonates Through Amami

While I travel around the world I reflect on Japan as a country and one thing that I’ve come to notice is Japan’s “diversity.”

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Music｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.11.13

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#76 Kawaii Ambassadors Once More! Kawaii Culture Converges on Sapporo!

Kicking off the 2-night 3-day guided tour of Otaru and Sapporo, an event/fashion show called the “Japan Lolikawa Party in Sapporo Factory” was held in the Atrium of the Sapporo Factory on October 20th. The event showcased some of the local talent, including local idol group “Fruity,” and Misako Aoki and Yu Kimura also flew in from Tokyo to attend.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.11.06

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#75 This Will Make You Want to Pay a Visit to the Art Gallery! Wada Ayaka (S/mileage) Breathing New Life into Art Appreciation

I first learned of S/mileage leader Wada Ayaka’s love of art when I read about it in the evening edition of the Yomiuri Shimbun on February 9th, 2011.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.10.30

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#74 “Our Cultural Diplomacy Declaration” – A Message Co-Authored by Uesaka Sumire and Sakurai Takamasa

At the end of October, a book co-authored by Uesaka Sumire and myself will be released.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.10.23

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#73 Toronto, Canada’s FAN EXPO. The Importance of Being Aware that, “People are the Same All Over the World”

My career in cultural diplomacy first started in earnest in 2008, and the 25th country that this line of work has now taken me to, is Canada.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Other Areas｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Fashion｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.10.16

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#72 Interview with Takahashi Ai – Part 2 – The Concert That Brought Japan and Thailand Closer Together. Just what did Takahashi Ai do!?

One of the most popular Morning Musume songs in Thailand is “Onna ni Sachi Are” (Good Luck, Girls).

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Thailand ｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Music｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.10.06

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#71 Takahashi Ai Performs at “Central World” Shopping Plaza in Bangkok

Ever since she graduated from Morning Musume, whenever Takahashi Ai and I get together now, we always seem to talk about overseas.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Thailand ｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Music｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.10.02

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#70 Public and Private Sectors Working Together to Bring Lolita Fashion to the Forefront of Tourism in Otaru and Sapporo

Otaru and Sapporo: the next lolita fashion hot spot. This is the plan for for one government-private sector joint venture project that is currently being implemented in Japan’s north.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ sightseeing｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.09.20

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#69 “Attack on Titan” Cosplay Frenzy as America’s “Otakon” Turns 20

Otakon, the event that sets the passions of Baltimore (Maryland) on America’s east coast alight, returned again this year and was held over three days from August 9~11, 2013.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Other Areas｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Anime｜ Event Reports｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.09.18

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#68 Japanese Artists and Their Thoughts on “Cool Japan”

Without a doubt, “Japan Expo” is the most well-known overseas-based Japanese pop culture event in Japan, and it was held again this year from July 11th~14th.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | France｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Anime｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.09.11

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#67 Kawaii! Central Bangkok Teeming with Japanese Anime Cosplay!

On May 25th 2013, a preliminary round for the World Cosplay Summit was held in central Thailand.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Thailand ｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Anime｜ Cosplay｜ Event Reports｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.09.04

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#66 Coming November 2013: The Live Event that Transcends Genre – A Sakurai Takamasa Production

On the 4th of November 2013, a live event will be held at Matsudo Mori Hall called, “Japan Pop Culture Carnival in Matsudo 2013,” and produced by none other than yours truly.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Event Reports｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.08.28