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[J-Pop Culture Observations]#60 Pop Culture Diplomacy pt.2 - Touring the globe with the Kawaii Ambassadors, visits to China, and encounters with Japanese idols
Kawaii-loving French girls screaming “I want to be Japanese!” at the Japan Expo in Paris in July 2008 was one of the events that lead to the creation of the “Kawaii Ambassadors.”
- J-Pop Culture Observations | Japan｜ Other Areas｜ パリ｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Fashion｜ Music｜ Other genre｜ J-Pop Culture Observations｜
- 2012.05.23
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[J-Pop Culture Observations]#59 Pop Culture Diplomacy pt.1 – Revelations in Saudi Arabia and the “World Kawaii Revolution” in Paris
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.
- J-Pop Culture Observations | Japan｜ パリ｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Anime｜ Cosplay｜ Other genre｜ J-Pop Culture Observations｜
- 2012.05.16
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[J-Pop Culture Observations]#58 Haruko Momoi in Boston
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.
- J-Pop Culture Observations | Japan｜ INTERVIEW / SERIALS｜ Music｜ Other genre｜ J-Pop Culture Observations｜
- 2012.05.09
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[J-Pop Culture Observations]#57 Anime Boston. A source of hope for the future
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.
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[J-Pop Culture Observations]#56 “Everything began with ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.’” Speaking with Japan fans in Qatar!
In March 2012, following my trip to Jordan in February, I paid a visit to another Middle Eastern country, this time to Qatar.
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[J-Pop Culture Observations]#55 Even the youth in Jordan have a thing for Japanese anime and idols
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.
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[J-Pop Culture Observations]#54 Buono! Live in Paris – Report #3 Interview with Airi Suzuki
Buono! fans from in and around France flocked to Paris to see the three girl unit perform live in what was a spectacular concert.
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[J-Pop Culture Observations]#53 Buono! Live in Paris – Report #2
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.
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[J-Pop Culture Observations]#52 Buono! Live in Paris – Report #1
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.
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[J-Pop Culture Observations]#51 “Japan has a special place in my heart” – Hong Kong's JPOP loving lolita fashionistas
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.
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[J-Pop Culture Observations]#50 Putting on a Fashion Show with the Super Cute Girls of Northern China
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.
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[J-Pop Culture Observations]#49 Sayumi Michishige & Cinnamoroll #2 - Creating a Character from Scratch
“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.
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[J-Pop Culture Observations]#48 Sayumi Michishige & Cinnamoroll #1 - Global Prospects of the Japanese Idol
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.
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[J-Pop Culture Observations]#47 Interview with Ai Takahashi on her performance at the Imperial Garden Theater
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.
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[J-Pop Culture Observations]#46 Haruko Momoi LIVE in Moscow
"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.
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[J-Pop Culture Observations]#45 The power of song! Teresa Teng’s “Give yourself to the flow of time”
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."
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[J-Pop Culture Observations]#44 Impressions of China with a Miss Japan Finalist
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.
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[J-Pop Culture Observations]#43 From Russia to Japan with Love: Moscow's J FEST!
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.
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[J-Pop Culture Observations]#42 The Kawaii Maids of Moscow
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.
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[J-Pop Culture Observations]#41 Japanese Idols and Moscow’s “Morning Musume” Cheer Squad
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.
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