Tag: Japan

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A Soldier for Benefit

After the the Great East Japan Earthquake, the youth group of the local chamber of commerce and industry created a superhero, Onagawa Rias Soldier Eager.  The superhero was created to help boost morale in the local population and for rebuilding.  Since it’s creation Onagawa Rias Soldier Eager has now become the character of a 164 page manga by 60 manga professionals to help raise money for the devastated region in the Miyagi Prefecture of Japan.  The manga is entitled Shinsai ni Makeruna Higashi-Nihon Project.  For more information follow the link below.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_japan/culture/AJ2011101113251

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More Fun Food from Japan

Tokyo’s Namco Namja Town is having fun again.  This time it’s with the release of the K-ON! film.  To celebrate K-ON!’s release they will have desserts and entrees from November 18-January 27 with a K-ON! theme.  Pictured above is the variety of food that will be available.  If you want a closer look follow the link below back to AnimeNews Network for a listing of each individual dish.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2011-11-05/k-on-film-celebrated-with-dishes-desserts-passports

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Doujinshi Threatened

The United States is wanting to standardize copyright laws between Japan and seven other Pacific countries.  Japan has had a unique marketing tool with Doujinshi.  Doujinshi is fan made manga that fans can sell at doujinshi conventions, only for that one convention.  The fans use copyrighted characters and produce fan manga.  Comiket is one of the largest conventions for this type of product.  The Japanese publishers have always let these conventions happen because it also helps promote their characters and keeps interest and possible create new interest in their published titles.  Thank of it as you get a small taste of the characters and then you want to purchase the whole meal.  It would be nice if the U.S. publishers would recognize that this could help them in their business here in the U.S.

http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/21387.html

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World Cosplay Summit

Here is something you can tell your patrons that enjoy cosplaying.  Cosplaying might be dress-up for most people, however in the anime/manga conventions this hobby is taken very seriously.  The individuals that participate are very talented in costume making, a master level is when he or she actually designs and constructs all of their costumes.  If you have a patron that enjoys this hobby this will give them something to strive to attend in Japan.  Each year they have the World Cosplay Summit.  The summit is represented by 17 countries: Australia; Brazil; China; Denmark; Finland; France; Germany; Italy; Japan; Malaysia; The Netherlands; Mexico; Singapore; South Korea; Spain; Thailand; and The United States.  This year the winners were from Brazil.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2011-08-07/brazil-wins-world-cosplay-summit-2011

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Luffy Promotes AXE

For all of our neighbors in Japan AXE Fragrance Body Spray and Soap will have One Piece figures in them.  You will be able to get one figure out of nine, for a limited time in Japan.  The campaign begins next Monday and last until supplies are out.  Good luck in getting all nine figures and if any one has friends in Japan see if they can pick them up for you.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2011-07-20/one-piece-to-pitch-axe-body-spray-soap-in-japan

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Moe Characters on Insurance

Another example of how anime and manga characters are being used in everyday life in Japan.  Totalsoft, an insurance company in Japan, is using Moe characters on their new website.  The site is primarily aimed at men in their 20’s and 30’s to teach them about insurance….What insurance is and the different types of insurance.  The characters used were designed by Wataru Kikuchi.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2011-07-19/insurance-explained-with-moe-characters

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Enjoy Life Through Photos

I label this as “just plain cool”.  Natsumi Hayashi is a young woman, living in Tokyo, who has been doing self-portraits of herself and posting them on a daily blog.  However, as you can see above in her photographs she is doing more than just standing and setting around.  Her self-portraits are of her appearing to be levitating.  I saw this on DiggNation’s video cast and had to find it.  They commented that it takes her approximately 300 photos to get the 1 she likes for that day.  Jump over to her site, “yowayowa camera woman diary”, to see more great photos below.

http://yowayowacamera.com/

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One Piece at Universal Japan

If anyone is planning a trip to Japan or live in the area Universal Japan has opened a One Piece themed Sanji’s pirate restaurant and placed two statues in the park from the “Marineford War” storyline.  This is part of the park’s “One Piece Premier Summer” that is taking place now and runs through September 4th.  Use the link below to go to AnimeNews Network for more information.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2011-07-08/universal-studios-erects-monuments-to-2-one-piece-heroes