Hiragana Times Archive
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Luxury Cars Now a Canvas for Otaku
If you’ve ever seen a car covered in anime stickers, then you’ve seen an “itasha.” It’s a term that combines “sha,” to represent cars, and “ita” taken from “Italian car” or “itai car,” the latter meaning a car that’s too painful to look at. The trend of decorating cars with anime imagery has been around for about ten years now, and its popularity just seems to keep on growing. ...
Super Dollfie to Represent Alter Ego
There are many types of doll born in Japan; from cartoon character dolls to traditional Japanese dolls such as bunraku puppets and dolls for Girl’s Day. Super Dollfie (SD) is a recent addition to that list, expanding its popularity not only within Japan but also around the globe. ...
Alluring Live Model Sketching
‘Not your typical art class ...’ comes nowhere close to describing what happens at Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School. Every month in Shibuya, Tokyo, artists of all abilities and genres gather to celebrate creativity. Artists are invited to bring their own drawing supplies, or buy simple things at the door, then the fun begins. ...
Dance Team Cheerleading
for Basketball Games
Cheerleaders are an essential part of any basketball or American football game. But, Tokyo Apache Dance Team, which cheers on the Japanese professional basketball team Tokyo Apache, is different from other cheering teams. ...
Hello Kitty: A Character that has Grown up with its Fans
Mickey Mouse, Snoopy and Winnie the Pooh are characters loved by people all over the world. Japan also has a character known around the world, a cat called Hello Kitty. In spite of being a character, Kitty was appointed as a Child Ambassador by the Japan Committee for UNICEF in 1994 and since 2008 has also been a China-Hong Kong Goodwill Ambassador for Visit Japan Campaign by Japan Tourism Agency. ...
“Fundoshi” Popular with Japanese Women
Japanese women have started to wear something that used to be for men only. It’s not a bathing suit, it’s traditional Japanese underwear called “fundoshi.” In recent years, newly-designed fashionable fundoshi have caught the eye as famous actresses have been wearing them. ...
Kaitenzushi Attracts Customers With Many Different Services
Sushi, perhaps the most well-known of Japanese cuisines, used to be considered a luxury food that was served only on special occasions or when entertaining guests. Some people still enjoy high-end sushi restaurants, but such sushi bars often don’t list prices, so customers don’t know how much they will have to pay until they go to the cashier. ...
Japanese in Their 20s Prefer Simple, Japanese-style Life?
Many Japanese probably have the following image of Japanese in their 20s. They like fast-food and Italian dishes, and prefer meat to fish. They are interested in foreign cultures more than their own, and they think that makes them look cool. They hope to meet a wonderful partner, and when dating they do their best to dress up and go to a fashionable restaurant. ...
Make Your Own Unique Manga Story
“Websyuppan” is one of several websites that have begun producing custom-made manga. The manga has proven popular for special occasions, giving a bride and groom for example, the opportunity to make a short manga story telling of how they began dating and got engaged that they can give to guests at their wedding. ...
Gokon Perfect for Shy Japanese
For centuries the Japanese have used meetings called “omiai” as part of the process of arranging marriage. In a traditional omiai a go-between sets up a meeting between a prospective couple to see if they are interested in each other. Over the years, however, a new process has developed. ...
Cat Café Invites Customers to Relax
You’re not in an average coffee shop when one of the staff has to casually shift a cat sleeping on the menu before you can order your latte. Even more so that the cat doesn’t bat an eyelid and continues to sleep with the café’s money tray resting on it’s back. This is Calico Café in Kichijoji, Tokyo. ...
Endless Comedy Boom
In Japan the comedy boom just keeps on going. Almost every day you can see and listen to comedy programs on the TV and radio. There are various styles of Japanese comedy, but it can be said that rakugo, which is performed by only one person, is the most traditionally characteristic among them. In rakugo a storyteller sits on a mat on stage and tells a well-known funny story. ...
Imaginative Stylish Balloon Art
What do you think the white dress in the photo below is made of? It is not made of silk or satin. It is made from a rubber balloon! At a glance, it is hard to believe that it is made from balloons as it is so hip and stylish. The dresses in the photos here are all made from balloons. Yes, they are called balloon art. ...
Mobile Phone Novels are Booming!
In November 2007, a movie called “Koizora (Love Sky)” was released. With a popular young actress playing a leading character, Koizora is a love story about a high school girl who, despite her boyfriend’s death, carries on with her life. Words in the movie’s official website claim, “12 million people cried over the movie!” The story has stolen the hearts of many young people and it all started with a mobile phone novel. ...
Street Art Boom Turns Town into Open Museum
Shibuya is one of the three biggest thriving towns in Tokyo and is well known as a town for young people. Around the town you will see lots of graffiti on the walls and shop shutters. A local group, which aims to create a safe town, began to turn graffiti into art so that people could walk the streets comfortably. ...
The World of Tokyo Fashion
With flashing neon lights and nonstop music blaring in your ears, a brief walk through the crowded streets of Tokyo will introduce you to a variety of men and women in outfits that range from the notable stereotype of the chic Japanese lady in designer jeans to the playful teens hooked on dressing like their favorite anime characters. ...
Japan has the Biggest Flamenco Following Outside Spain
Japan now has the largest flamenco following outside Spain with approximately 80,000 people studying this Spanish dance at about 600 schools. ...
Cosplayers are Entertainers and Ambassadors of Friendship
Cosplay, an abbreviation for “costume play” in which people dress up in the costumes of their favorite anime, manga or movie characters, is gaining in popularity worldwide. Cosplay was born out of original Japanese otaku (obsessed hobbiest) culture, and now has become so popular that “World Cosplay Summit (WCS) 2006” was sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. ...
Collectors Keep Old Records Spinning in Tokyo
In between lighting up a cigarette, serving a double scotch and pulling a few pints of Guinness, ENDO Hiroyuki somehow manages to slip a record onto one of his decks and gently lower the needle. As Jimi HENDRIX’s guitar on Little Wing begins to fade out, Endo flicks a switch and propels the music forward 25 years to Blur’s Parklife. ...
Men's Cooking Classes Attracting Baby Boomers
April 2007 will be the time when baby boomers begin to retire. People are now interested in how they will live their lives when they will have so much time to spare. Against this background, men's cooking classes are beginning to catch the attention of many men. Over the last few years, the number of people attending cooking classes has been increasing. ...
Culture of Self expression Bloomed in the Streets
Young people are always enthusiastic about expressing themselves on the streets. A decade ago, there were outdoor performance groups called "Takenoko-zoku," and now, the cosplay enthusiasts have taken over. A culture of self-expression has flowered in response to the long period of relative peace that has been taken for granted in Japan. ...
Comedy Boom Spreading among Foreigners
Japan is just now in the middle of a comedy boom. You can see comedy shows on any TV station almost every day. At the end of the year a grand comedian contest, the M1-Grand Prix, is aired and gains high viewing ratings. Every year new comedians burst onto the scene bringing with them new vogue words. ...
"This is the wedding I longed for" - producers of dream weddings
Until the early 90s in Japan, wedding ceremonies used to be held at deluxe hotels and specialized wedding ceremony halls, but recently the number of simple weddings, or the so-called "Jimikon" in which couples only invite their close friends and relatives, has been rapidly increasing. ...
Adults Entranced by Picture Coloring Boom
Japan is now experiencing a picture coloring boom, however, this boom is for adults, not children. The boom was started by a book series called "Otona no Nurie," (published by Kawade Shobo Shinsha) which includes a beautiful flower edition and a Birds of the World edition. ...
Now Anyone can Show Their Films to the World!
Japanese mobile phones have many capabilities and a camera is normally included in most models. Most phones also come equipped with a movie camera. Couples can take pictures of each other and parents can film their children anytime and anywhere. ...
Parents Bonding with Children through Heroes Spanning Two Generations
SAWADA Ken-ichi's family, which lives in Akishima city, Tokyo, has a custom to go out together as a family on weekends. The favorite entertainment for their children Kabuto, 5, and Taito, 3, are the "Masked Rider" (Kamen Rider) and "Ultraman" shows held in amusement parks, and they often visit amusement parks with these shows. ...・
The Ever Evolving World of Japanese Internet Cafe
Japanese internet cafes are changing at a rapid pace. Internet caf? are not only used for viewing websites and checking e-mails - rather they are used as an entertainment space. For instance, the "Media Cafe POPEYE" in Shinjuku, Tokyo, which opened in 2004, has many of the newest service facilities. ...
Speed Dating Gaining Popularity Among Westerners in Japan
Stylishly single but not loving it? Loud bars and personal adverts not your style? There’s no need to stress out — there’s a slick new strategy in town to combat your dating drought and it’s only one step away. ...
Japanese "Otaku" Attracting Worldwide Attention
Several months ago, the discovery of the so-called "piano man" on the south coast of England made news around the world, while in Japan word about "train man," that began in 2004, is still in the news. In the drama, a young man rescues a young woman from a violent drunkard on a train. ...
Entertaining Women is My Job
At age 26, Thor Williamson seems to enjoy the kind of job most men could only dream of. His office, if you can call it that, looks like a bachelor's paradise, filled with gold-colored chandeliers, red carpet, mirrored ceilings and walls, and a well-stocked liquor cabinet. His work brings him into contact with thousands of female clients, some very beautiful and wealthy, for whom he is paid a handsome commission to entertain. ...
Reggae Dance - A Heroine Supporting the Boom from Behind the Scenes
Hot and sexy reggae dance is now taking off among young Japanese girls and it's only going to get hotter. Reggae dance site "ONE AND G" is backing this boom with 6,000 visitors a day, introductions of 130 reggae dance teams nationwide, reggae dance videos, flashy costumes and informative columns written by dancers displayed on their site. ...
Escape into Cosplay?
It seems like a Halloween party every Sunday afternoon in Harajuku, Tokyo as the streets come alive with car crash victims, evil nurses and fantasy creatures posing in front of amateur photographers and confusing tourists with their dark make-up and elaborate costumes. ...
