Archive for 'Movie' Category

Nintendo’s new game machine “Nintendo Switch”

  Nintendo annnounced the name and basic specs of its new game machine on the Oct.20th. The name of the machine is “Nintendo Switch” and the new console will be released in march 2017. (https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/2016/161020.html)

The new machine is a stationary type console but you can take it out with you when you go out from your home using a portable functions. you don’t have to  keep seated in front of  your machine at home to play games. The imformation about the prices and more details will be released from now on bit by bit by the company.

Tokyo Game Show 2016

Tokyo Game Show 2016 was held Sep.15-18 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba. (http://expo.nikkeibp.co.jp/tgs/2016/)

At this TGS 2016, the number of the paticipant businesses made the record high of 617 and the event was full of lively energy and passion of the new games and visitors. And, there held the special live concert of “PSN meets Secret Artist” ,at which  EGOIST, a popular “fictitious singer” from  an anime work, sang songs.

 

Dragon Quest 30th anniversary

“Dragon Quest”, the nationwide or even worldwide famousrole playing game series is now celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

The first game of Dragon Quest or in “Dorakue”(its Japanese abbreviation),”DQ1” was released in 1986. Since then 10 main games and some spinoff works have been released. And some cartoon ,animation, toy products also have been released and now almost every Japanese knows the game series.

“Dragon Quest Museum”, the special related exhibition to show the history and concept of Dragon Quest will be held  Jul.24- Sep.11  at Hikarie Hall in Shibuya Hikarie in Shibuya,Tokyo. (https://dqmuseum.jp/)  As a relevant event, the game’s theme music is played as a train melody at the Toyoko lines’ platforms in Shibuya station Jul.5-Sep.12.

“Movie Campus”, the 12th Movie Week of Agency for Cultural Affairs Symposium

The special symposium, “Movie Campus” of  “the 12th Movie Week  of Agency for Cultural Affairs”  is to be held at Kaguraza in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo on this Oct.24th. (http://bunka-cho-filmweek.jp/symposium.html)(http://www.walkerplus.com/event/ar0313e123255/)  (http://www.bunka.go.jp/english/)

The Week is Oct.22-25 at the above avenue. At the event well-known movie directors and personalities particiate in panel discussions and “Gamera vs. Barugon”(1966, Daiei),an old special effect Japanese monsters movie will be run.

 

StarWars characters at the Nebuta Festival

The Nebuta Festival, one of the six major festivals of Tohoku region, was held and new type images such as thoses of Star Wars series were displayed  among other traditional images of floats in Aomori City, Aomori Pref.  Aug.2-7. (http://www.nebuta.or.jp/)

 

Japan Academy Prizes 2015

The 38th Japan Academy Prizes 2015 was held at a hotel in Tokyo and The Best prizes were given to the nominated works.(http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/index.php)

“The Eternal Zero”, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eternal_Zero)a work describing a zero fighter’s pilot killed in the war won the Best  Picture prize and other seven best prizes, which was the first situation in the event’s history.   Jyunichi Okada, who starred in that film won the Best Actor prize, also won the Best Supporting Actor prize with “Higurashi-no-ki”(/The diary of the higurashi cicada). Okada’s record was also the first one in the event’s history.  The Best Animation Picture was given to “STAND BY ME, Doraemon”. And other works and staff won various awards there.

“Sazae-san Exhibition” at the main Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo

“Sazae-san” is a nationwide popular manga work being loved by Japanese people through generations. It’s special exhibition was held Feb.4-16 at the main Mitsukoshi department store in Nihonbashi Tokyo(http://www.sazaesan45.com/)

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“Hatsu-uri”(the first sale) at Washimiya Shrine

The “Hatsu-uri”(the first sale of the year) of manga, anime related items was hosted at Washimiya Shrine in Kuki city Saitama Dec.31,2014 -Jan.3,2015. (http://www.wasimiya.org/hatsu/)

That Shinto shrine is well known as a setting of  a popular manga work “Raki-suta”(/LUCKY STAR) and relating items were sold. Special fortune-telling lotteries of the shrine featuring Raki-suta were available. Some other work’s related things were there as well. Local cafes and establishments provided special services for customers in style of collaboration with the first sale market of the subculture art works.   As a destination of “hatsu-mode”(the first visit to a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple of the year), that shrine is also quite popular and more than 500,000 people visited there on the new year’s holidays.

The 56 Japan Record Awards Grand Prix “R.Y.U.S.E.I” of J Soul Brothers from EXILE TRIBE(the third genereation)

The 56th Japan Record Awards ceremony was held today Dec.30th in Tokyo.(http://www.tbs.co.jp/recordaward/)  “R.Y.U.S.E.I.” of JSoul Brothers from EXILE TRIBE (/sandaime, the third generation) received the Grand prix. (http://www.jsoulb.jp/)

○The Best Rookie Singer Award/  Mariya Nishiuchi,  ○The Best Singer Award/ EXILE ATSUSHI,   ○The Special Singer Music Award/ Hiroshi Itsuki, ○The Special Film Theme Music Award/ “Anna and The Snow Queen”,  ○The Special Award/ “Youkai Watch”, ○The Best Album Award/ “TRAD” of Mariya Takeuchi, and some other wards ere given to excellent singers, composers, lyricists, and other music artists.

4,029 people received decorations on the Culture Day

Nov.3rd is the Culture Day, and  4,029 people including some foreigners who were considered to have made a huge contribution to the Japanese society or nation were conferred of decorations by the emperor. Some of them are such as,  Kirin Kiki,an popular actor, Yuzo Kayama, a famous singer, actor,and lylicist, and  Sumitaiyu Takemoto, a great master pappeteer of Bunraku, the traditional Japanese pappet theater.    

TIFF 27 being held

Tokyo International Film Festival 27 is being held Oct.23-31 at some venues, Roppongi, Nihonbashi and so forth in  Tokyo.(http://2014.tiff-jp.net/en/)

At the festival’s opening, special program of featuring works of  Hideaki Anno, the director of Evangelion series and other popular anime works and also known as the voice actor who played the main part of “The Wind Rises” was supplied. (http://khara.co.jp/hideakianno/personal-biography.html)

A suspense film, “Paper Moon” was run and the main part’s actor,Sae Myazawa appeaered on the stage. And Ultra Seven and tthe old actors of “Ultra Seven”, an old popular Sci-fi TV drama turned up on the stage.

 

Hayao Miyazaki wins an Honorary Academy Award

Hayao Miyazaki, the top anime film maker and producer received an Honorary Academy Award, announced by Academy of Motion Picture  Arts and Sciences(http://www.interactive.org/) on the 28th.

Miyazaki is a representative of  Studio GHIBLI, the leading anime company and retired from  long-anime film business just after the release of  “The Wind Rises” in 2013.   After all the great works of Japanese animation culture, now he says he wants to bededicated to the business of  running GHIBLI Museum, Mitaka (http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/).

Miyazaki is the second Japanese in history to receive the award after late Akira Kurosawa, one of the most famous Japanese film director’s winning in 1990.  The award is given to a film world person who has made a huge contributions through efforts for long years to the film world or its culture, such as Kurosawa,Walt Disney,and other remarkable personages of the industry. Miyazaki’s long- year feats have been recognized thsi time.  The reception ceremony will be held on the coming Nov.8th in Hollywood.

“World Cosplay Summit 2014” in Nagoya

“World Cosplay Summit 2014” is  hosted by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other bodies Jul.26-Aug.3 in Nagoya. (http://www.worldcosplaysummit.jp/en/)

This WCS is the 12nd and this time representatives join the event from  22 countries or regions. The  event includes several programs such as a coaplay parade, cosplay championship, visitations of the representatives to city offices and MFA, anime-song festival, and so forth. Six representatves of the event from China, Mexico, and Finland officially visited Seiji Kihara, the vice-minister at MOFA in Tokyo giving presentations over attaractions of cosplay. Kihawa made a speech saying, pop culture has power to bind countries together and expect the representatives to support strengthening rapport with Japan. The Chinese representative said cosplay had a role to enhance cultural exchange.

 

“Ju-on; The Beginning of The End”” released

The newest  installment movie of “Ju-on”, the most scary horror work series according to some survey, released at theaters on Jun.28. (http://www.juon-movie.jp/) , (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ju-on_(franchise), (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ju-on:_The_Beginning_of_the_End), (http://eigapedia.com/movie/ju-on-owari-no-hajimari)

The newest work is “Ju-on, The Beginning of The End”(Juon, Owari-no Hajimari) and is the seventh installment to the series.  “Juon” means  a “grudge” and basic story is that people who visit a house where brutal murders took place before are cursed to death by the infuriated vengeful ghosts that were the victims of the murders. A victim of the curse to death becomes a new vengeful ghost to kill other people and stories of those chain reactions of curses and deaths  spreading out are described in such a manner of somewhat independent episodes. Three of the currently released works, “The Grudge”,”The Grudge 2″, and “The Grudge 3 ” were made in Hollywood as US versions and the first two made a huge success as movies run at theaters and the third was released as a dvd software.

Tokyo Idol Festival 2014 tickets, begun to sell

One of  a popular girls’ idols/idol groups live event, “Tokyo Idol Group 2014” is going to be held on Aug.2-3, and  two types of its tickets, one-day tickets and two-day  tickets started to sell on Jun.28.  (http://idolfes.com/2014/english/)

 

Names of idols/idol groups to perform in the event are being released bit by bit and 117 idols/groups are announced. A trait of Tokyo Idol Festival is that, unlike average idol events, the facilitators focus not only very famous ones but even on less known local idols that have aptitudes as general promotion acitivity of  all corners of the Japanese society as well.