[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#45 China-Japan Relations and Beijing’s Maid Izakaya, “Rojiura”

Maid izakaya, “Yaneura,” is a Japanese style pub in Beijing where the waitresses are all dressed as French maids. They’ve been featured on various TV programs and are quite well known now, even in Japan.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ China｜ Beijing｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Manga｜ Anime｜ Cosplay｜ Gourmet｜ Hot Spot｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.04.03

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#44 Idols and Satoyama Life – Interview with Mitsui Aika, Wada Ayaka (S/mileage) and Sayashi Riho (Morning Musume)

“Ookami kodomo no Ame to Yuki” (in English: Wolf Children) was one of the big-hit anime feature films of 2012. The film depicts the story of a human woman who falls in love with a wolf-man, gives birth to two of his children and then raises them alone over a period of 13 years. The story centers on themes of childhood independence and a mother’s love for her children, and heavily features scenes of Japanese “satoyama.”

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ Other Areas｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Talent/Idol｜ Trends｜ J-POP｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.03.27

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#43 Team Sakusaku – An Online Community for Japan Fans Around the World

For the past five years working in cultural diplomacy, my schedule has required that I spend a significant number of days in the year overseas. So far I’ve visited a total of 113 cities in 24 countries.

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

2013.03.20

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#42 Video Letters From Morning Musume and JAM Project Connecting Japan to the World

I first began my work in cultural diplomacy in December 2007. In saying that though, it wasn’t until my visit to Saudi Arabia in March 2008 that I really started to grasp the significance of cultural diplomacy and feel that it was something worth devoting my life’s work to.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ Other Areas｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Event Reports｜ Talent/Idol｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.03.13

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#41 Cosplay in the Middle East – Japanese Cosplay Uniting Nations

“I just love manga and cosplay. Manga is now sold all over the world and I want to go and see people in other countries cosplaying Japanese manga and anime characters for myself.”Soon after meeting Kanna, this is the email she sent me.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Other Areas｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Manga｜ Anime｜ Cosplay｜ Event Reports｜ Talent/Idol｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.03.06

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#40 BABYMETAL: The Idol Group Set to Take the World by Storm

The idol group that has caught my attention as the ones to watch in 2013 would have to be BABYMETAL. Their concept is Japanese idol group meets metal, and it reflects the unique kind of thinking that Japan has come to be renowned for.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ Tokyo｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Music｜ Talent/Idol｜ J-POP｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.02.27

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#39 Cultural Diplomacy with Voice Actress, Uesaka Sumire, in Qatar.

This week I’m continuing with my running series on my trip to Qatar and the Doha International Book Fair. Japan was the guest country of honor at the Fair and it was my role to organize the events to be held at the Japan booth. One of said events was a talk with Japanese voice actress, Uesaka Sumire.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ Other Areas｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Anime｜ Event Reports｜ Talent/Idol｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.02.20

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#38 From Idols to Fashion – This Qatari Girl’s Room is Full of Kawaii

One is all it takes. Just make one friend from another country and your view of that country will change completely. That’s what I believe to be the fundamental truth behind all foreign diplomacy.

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

2013.02.13

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#37 Kawaii Fashion Show in Qatar!

As I wrote in my previous article, in the lead up to the close of the 2012 Doha International Book Fair, the “Japan booth” at the event hosted its own “Kawaii Fashion Show” – the first fashion show of its kind to be held in the city of Qatar!

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ Other Areas｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Fashion｜ Event Reports｜ Talent/Idol｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.02.06

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#36 Lolita Fashion Starlet, Aoki Misako – a big hit in Qatar!

I first met Aoki Misako in February 2009. At the time I was on a panel of advisers to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, searching for candidates for the “Kawaii Ambassador” project and Aoki Misako just happened to be one such candidate who seemed perfect for the role.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ Other Areas｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Fashion｜ Event Reports｜ Talent/Idol｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.01.30

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#35 Fahion, Beauty and the Moscow J FEST

Moscow's "J FEST" has become a signature event of the winter season in Moscow and is now in its fourth year – the most recent installment being held in December last year (2012). It’s the largest Japanese pop culture event of its kind in Moscow and the main attraction has remained constant from the very beginning: the fashion show.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ Other Areas｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Fashion｜ Manga｜ Anime｜ Cosplay｜ Event Reports｜ Talent/Idol｜ J-POP｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.01.23

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#34 Makino Yui Performs Live and a Special Message from Uesaka Sumire to Her Fans – Moscow J FEST 2012

“When I stood up on stage, I found out just how much love for Japan there is.”
That’s what singer and voice actress, Makino Yui, said to me backstage after her performance at J FEST in Moscow.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ Other Areas｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Anime｜ Event Reports｜ Talent/Idol｜ J-POP｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.01.16

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#33 Bringing People Together Through Song – LinLin’s Big Dreams for China and Japan

Right before Linlin was to return to China after graduating from Morning Musume I interviewed her for a newspaper article. During the interview I showed her a photo from a ‘doujin’ event held in Shanghai called “ComiCup” and it nearly bowled her over.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | China｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Talent/Idol｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.01.09

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#32 Why is Cosplay so Important to Anime Cultural Diplomacy? – Russia's “J FEST”

What is it about cosplay that is so important to anime cultural diplomacy? That’s what I want to talk about this week.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ Other Areas｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Cosplay｜ Event Reports｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2013.01.02

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#31 Takahashi Ai’s Thoughts on Joining the Cast of "Detective Conan"

It was more than 15 years ago now that I met “Detective Conan” producer, Suwa Michihiko, when we just happened to end up sitting next to each other at the same bar in Shinjuku’s Golden Gai.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Anime｜ Talent/Idol｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2012.12.26

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#30 Two Days with Anime Director Mizushima Seiji and a Few Good Otaku in China

From October 26~29, 2012, the 5th annual Cartoon and Animation Festival was held in China’s coastal city of Amoy.
I was invited to intend the event as a guest, along with “Mobile Suit Gundam 00,” “Fullmetal Alchemist,” and “Natsuiro Kiseki” director, Mizushima Seiji.

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

2012.12.19

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#29 Xiamen (Amoy) International Cartoon and Anime Festival is a Cosplay Paradise.

It may just be my personal opinion, but I think China is the world’s biggest cosplay superpower. Their love of cosplay is second to none. Young people in China always look so happy when they talk about cosplay. It’s such a pleasant sight to see.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ China｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Anime｜ Cosplay｜ Event Reports｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2012.12.12

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#28 Interview with Morning Musume’s Fukumura, Iikubo and Ishida – Part 2.

Following on from my article last week, here is part 2 of my interview with the three teen members of Morning Musume that took part in their World Handshake Tour: Fukumura Mizuki, Iikubo Haruna and Ishida Ayumi.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ Thailand ｜ Bangkok｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Talent/Idol｜ J-POP｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2012.12.05

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#27 The World is but a Stone’s Throw Away! What did the Three Teen Members of Morning Musume Feel on their World Tour!?

As I’ve reported in previous articles, Morning Musume are currently in their 15th year, and to celebrate, they commenced their “World Handshake Tour,” performing for fans in Taipei, Bangkok, Paris and Seoul.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ Thailand ｜ Bangkok｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Talent/Idol｜ J-POP｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2012.11.28

[JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!]#26 How Do Voice Actors Become the Characters They Play? Let’s Ask Uesaka Sumire.

Uesaka Sumire is a Japanese voice over actress and lover of all things Russian. She is currently working on a TV anime called “Chunibyo demo Koi ga Shitai!” voicing the role of one of the female characters, Dekomori Sanae.

JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN! | Japan｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Anime｜ Talent/Idol｜ JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!｜

2012.11.21