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[Information] Takamasa Sakura Presents "Pop Culture Chronicles - On the Trail of Japanese Icons Around the World -" will be finishing with edition #41
Remembering Takamasa Sakura Presents "Pop Culture Chronicles - On the Trail of Japanese Icons Around the World -" will be finishing with edition #41.
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#41 Special Discussion with Seiji Mizushima (Director) and Sumire Uesaka (Voice Actor) – Part Two – “Recording is Like 5 Hours of Continuous Stress!”
Anime series “CONCRETE REVOLUTIO” made waves by releasing subtitled versions of the show simultaneously across the globe. Its director, Seiji Mizushima, joined voice actor, Sumire Uesaka, who voices the heroine, Kikko Hoshino, for this special two-part discussion. This is the second part to their talk.
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#40 Special Discussion with Seiji Mizushima (Director) and Sumire Uesaka (Voice Actor) – Part One – “Uesaka-san Really Pushes her Acting Muscles to the Limits for Us”
Animation director, Seiji Mizushima, and voice actor, Sumire Uesaka, have been friends of mine for many years and it’s been an ardent wish of their fans, and of mine, to see them one day collaborate on a project together.
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#39 Kanon Fukuda’s Final Interview as a Member of ANGERME – “There are so Many Things we can Achieve if we Just put in the Effort, but I Never Even Tried.”
In her final concert to be held at the Nippon Budokan on November 29th 2015, Kanon Fukuda will graduate from idol group, ANGERME. I’ve done interviews with her a number of times over the years, but this will be my last interview with Kanon Fukuda the idol.
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#38 Juice=Juice Interview Following Their Concert in Taiwan and Hong Kong: “I Want to Bring Our Hearts Closer Together”
Ever since their debut they’ve said how they want to become an international act, and now five-girl group, Juice=Juice, has achieved just that, performing in Taiwan on October 3rd and Hong Kong on October 4th, 2015.
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#37 Interview With Globally Popular Cosplayer, Nekomu Otogi, After Her Return To Japan - People's Reactions To Moe Are The Same As In Japan.
One Japanese cosplayer who I have been following closely recently is Nekomu Otogi. She’s making a name for herself with such remarkable speed that even my overseas friends talk about her.
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#36 ℃-ute in Mexico (Part 2) – Special Talk with the Japanese Ambassador to Mexico: “As the Japanese Ambassador, I’m Grateful to ℃-ute for all the Friends You Have Made for Japan.”
For many years now, I’ve experienced how passionate Mexican fans can be, and the day after their first, and very moving, Mexican concert, the ℃-ute members and myself attended the residence of Akira Yamada, the Japanese ambassador to Mexico, where Yamada-san and ℃-ute held a special talk.
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#35 ℃-ute in Mexico (Part 1) – From Killer Concert to Cultural Diplomacy Symposium: Strengthening Ties Between Mexico and Japan
I will do everything I can to help ℃-ute succeed on the world stage. Ever since 2011, one of my main goals was to support ℃-ute in actualizing their Paris performance and seeing them through to success.
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#34 First Interview with Hello! Pro Rising Stars, CAMELLIA FACTORY – Taking to the Stage in Lolita Fashion!
Five years have already passed since I experienced my first Morning Musume｡concert. Since then, I’ve witnessed Morning Musume｡and other Hello! Project members graduate from their respective groups and met with them numerous times along the way.
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#33 “Japanese Summer Festival” in Toronto - 3000 Canadians Gather for LinQ’s Cultural Diplomacy Concert!
For me, July 2015 was somewhat of a “LinQ month.” It began with Ami Himesaki, Manami Sakura and Fuko Shiira joining me on the Japan-Russia Youth Exchange Group, which I reported on in my previous articles, and I also took on the role of special commentator at their annual summer festival held in Fukuoka.
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#32 Japan-Russia Youth Exchange Group - From AniCon to Summer Camp to Orphanage. Now I want to Learn More About Russia!
In my previous two articles I have focused on writing about the Japan-Russia Youth Exchange Center-organized Japan-Russia Youth Exchange Group, first with voice actress, Sumire Uesaka, and then in my last article with LinQ. This will be my third and final article in this mini series.
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#31 What did Idol Industry Frontrunners, LinQ, Learn on Their Cultural Diplomacy Trip to Russia? My Interview with the Girls Just Before Their Return to Japan!
Saint Petersburg had been on the cultural diplomacy agenda for voice actress Sumire Uesaka and myself for some many years now, and with the help of the Consulate-General of Japan in St. Petersburg and all the people involved in “AniCon,” one of the partner events of the International Otaku Expo Association (IOEA) which I am executive director of, our plans took shape and even evolved to become a trip involving a whole entourage of friends and like-minded individuals.
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#30 Cultural Diplomacy in St. Petersburg – Interview with Sumire Uesaka
Four and a half years have flown by since I first started speaking about cultural diplomacy with Sumire Uesaka. In that time, we’ve not only taken our form of cultural diplomacy to Doha, Qatar, but we even managed to fulfill Uesaka’s ardent wish of carrying out activities in Moscow, Russia, as well.
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#29 Morning Musume｡’15 Extended Interview with the 12th Generation (Part2) - “I want to devote my life to Morning Musume｡ just like Michishige-san did”
Following on from my previous article, this week I continue my interview with the four 12th generation members of Morning Musume｡, an idol group that plays a significant role in Japan’s attempts to become more connected with the rest of the world.
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#28 Morning Musume｡’15 Extended Interview with the 12th Generation (Part 1) – “I never realized how much preparation goes into a live performance and how much practice you have to do up until the opening day.”
My interview with Mizuki Fukumura shortly after she was appointed as the new leader of Morning Musume｡ drew a wave a response from people all over the world.
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#27 ℃-ute Interview – With Japan and Mexico Forging Closer Ties, How Will the Idols Approach Their Long-Awaited Mexico Performance
Come September 2015, a concert to be held in Mexico by Japanese idol group ℃-ute – an event that so many local fans have long dreamed about – will finally come to fruition. ℃-ute have been a significant part of my cultural diplomacy activities with Mexico ever since my visit in 2011
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#26 From Maid Café’s to Idol Fanatics – Mexicans Love Japan
Around mid-April 2015, my work in cultural diplomacy took me to Mexico. My activities this time around were as the Executive Office Director of the International Otaku Expo Association (IOEA) that Ambassador Akira Yamada and the good people at the Embassy of Japan in Mexico and I helped form.
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#25 Japan’s “Niconico Cho-Kaigi,” Mexico’s “J’Fest,” and Juice=Juice: What Global Otaku Events Can Teach Japanese Idols
On March 25th and 26th 2015, Chiba Prefecture’s Makuhari Messe played host to “Niconico Cho-Kaigi 2015,” a member of the same International Otaku Expo Association (IOEA) that I introduced you to two articles previous.
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#24 OTAKU SUMMIT SPECIAL LIVE in Makuhari Messe – The World’s Otaku in a Frenzy for “Last Boss” Sachiko Kobayashi!
In my last article I wrote about the establishment of the global network for otaku events, the International Otaku Expo Association (IOEA), whose inaugural meeting was held in conjunction with “Comiket Special 6 – Otaku Summit 2015,” but this time around, I want to tell you about another event that was held at Makuhari Messe during the summit, the “Otaku Summit Special Live” event.
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#23 International Otaku Expo Association (IOEA): The Network Connecting Otaku Across the Globe!
Everyday we’re bombarded with news of conflicts around the globe across various media. Will we ever understand each other? Even I’m one to succumb to that feeling of pessimism from time to time.
WHAT’S NEW
EDITORS' PICKS
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- ◆ Winner announced! A card signed by Aoyama Yoshino and Suzushiro Sayumi!
- ◆ Winner announced! A card signed by Okasaki Miho, Kumada Akane, MindaRyn!
- ◆ Winner announced! Official goods of movie "TenSura"!