Archive for 'Osaka' Category

Santa Run in Osaka

A special charity  event of  runing  called “Santa Run” was held  in the Osaka Castle Park  in Osaka City on Nov,29th.(http://osakacastlepark.jp/)   Abou 10,000 runners joined the event and every runner run being clad in a Santa Clause costume.

The revenue from this event will be donated to medical facilities to help  about 800 children suffering diseases.

Rino Sashihara regaining the No.1 postion at the AKB48 general election

The 7th “general Election of AKB48” was held at “Fukuoka Yafuoku! Dome ” in Fukuoka City , Fukuoka pref. on the Jun.6th. (http://www.akb48.co.jp/)

 

Totally 272 members of  AKB48 and its sister groups(SKE48,NMB48,HKT48 and some members from JKT48,SNH48,NGT48, and Nogizaka46) ran for the election and the Selected Members for the new single CD(1st-16th), the Under Girls(17th-32nd), the Next Girls(33rd-48th),the Future Girls(49th-64th),the Upcoming Girls(65th-80th) were announed out of 272 candidate members of the groups.  Rhie election event now draws attention of not only fans of the groups but also mass nationwide and the course was broadcast live at CXTV.   Rino Sashihara, a memeber of Team H of HKT48 won the No.1  for the first time in two years and regained the “queen’s throne” of the event.  Yuki Kashiwagi, a member of Team B of AKB48 rated the second, and  Mayu Watanabe, a member of Team B of  AKB48  who was the No.1 winner of the event last year got the third and could not get the first position in a row.

The Selected members are as followes;  1: Rino Sashihara(194,049 votes,TeamH of HKT48), 2: Yuki Kashiwagi(167,183 votes,TeamB of AKB48 & NGT48), 3: Mayu Watanabe(165,789 votes, TeamB of AKB48), 4: Minami Takahashi(137,252 votes, TeamA of AKB48), 5: Jyurina Matsui(105,289 votes,TeamS of SKE48 & TeamK of AKB48), 6: Sayaka Yamamoto(97,866 votes,TeamN of NMB48 & TeamK of AKB48), 7: Sakura Miyawaki(81,422 votes, TeamKⅣof HKT48 & TeamA of AKB48), 8: Sae Miyazawa(75,495 votes, TeamSⅡ of SNH48 & Team S of SKE48), 9: Haruka Shimazaki(73,803 votes,TeamA of AKB48),  10: Yui Yokoyama(63,414 votes, TeamA of AKB48),  11: Rie Kitahara(61,566 votes, NGT48), 12: Miyuki Watanabe(55,715 votes, TeamBⅡof NMB48  & TeamB of AKB48), 13: Kaori Matsumura(53,667  votes, TeamKⅡof SKE48) , 14: Akane Takayanagi (52,609 votes, TeamKⅡ of SKE48 ) ,  15: Aya Shibata(49,199 votes, TeamE of SKE48), and 16: Tomu Muto(44,637 votes, TeamK of AKB48).

 

Hokuriku Shinkansen finally launched operation on Mar.14th

Hokuriku Shinkansen (The North-central Bullet Trains ) grand opened its full service (Tokyo-Kanazawa)on this Mar.14th. (http://hokuriku-w7.com/about/)

Hokuriku Bullet Trains started  its operation partially just between  Takasaki and Nagano in 1997 and  Tokyo-Takasaki (Tohoku Shinkansen) and Takasaki-Nagano(Nagano Shinkansen) became  a part of Hokuriku so that the line Toky0-Nagano began as “Nagano Shinkansen”, which is a part of the planned total line of  Hokuriku line.  However, this time Takasaki-Joetsumyoukou-Kanazawa line opened on the 14th and the “full line”(Takasaki-Kanazawa 117 km plus  the existant Tokyo-Takasaki line). Another bullet train line between Kanazawa and Atsuga is also planned to be opened in 2023 to be a part of the Hokuriku line.

Now due to the launch of the new line, it has come to take only 2 hours and half  ,while it used to take  about 4 hours including  transferrings.  Since this new convenience of  shortening time,  Kanazawa, which is the capital of Ishikawa Pref, and is a traditional city of  traditional cultures and history, now is even more popular among tourists.  To tell the truth, I used this new Hokuriku Bullet Train line from Tokyo to Kanazawa just  one week  after its grand opening. The new Shinkansen “Kagayaki”(/ a Shine)  was quite comfortable and other passengers seemed so happy and enjoying the trip as well.   Though I had been to Kanazawa many times, this time visiting the city by Hokuriku Shinkansen was a fresh and exciting experience.  Kanazawa is full of attractions with historical sites and tangible and intangible cultural things, such as Kenrokuen garden, The 21 Century Museum, gold leaves, Wajima-nuri, Kutani-yaki porceline ,and others and  seemed quite lively and full of energy with the new attentions by the sightseers or visitors. I hope  the attractions there will be recognized even more and more popular.

 

The 20th anniversary of “1.17”,the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake

This year we Japanese people commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Great hanshin-Awaji Earthquake on the January 17th.  In the damaged areas, municipalities hosted special commemorative ceremonies and private societies also hosted events sush as charity music conserts and so forth.  Kobe City, Nishinomiy City, Itami City and others in Hyogo Pref,  Osaka, Kyoto and other rigions and areas in the western part of Japan keep helping sufferers and their bereaved  families of the victims.  ( http://19950117hyogo.jp/other/),(http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/foreign/index.html)

Children who were born in that year of disaster now have come of age this year. TV shows, dramas, articles and even personal blogs featuring this anniversary and related events are around. Though all the places and areas have miraculously recovered from the damages and rebuilt so well, we still retain the sadness and would keep consoling the souls of the victims and strive for improving the situations for even better.

 

 

Visit Japan Travel Mart and JATA Toursim EXPO Japan 2014

Two huge international travel marts were held at Tokyo Bigsight in Tokyo. One was “Visit Japan Travel Mart 2014″(Sep.24-26)(http://www.vjtm.jp/) and the other was “JATA Toursim EXPO Japan2014″(Sep.25-28)(http://t-expo.jp/en/index.html).  

More than 310 foriegn buyers and about 390 Japanese sellers joined VJTM2014 and had passionate exchanges of information and ideas and hosted busines seccions.  Buyers from Asian countries were especially a lot and about the half of the Japanese sellers were municipalities or relating associations of such local governments.

On the other hand,  a lot of domestic and foreign sellers and buysers joined  JATA Tourism EXPO Japan 2014. Such participants were embassies, tourism bureaus, travel agents, food companies, municipalities, railroads, airlines, hotels. universities, guide associations and so forth.  The main targets were end users of travel services and a lot of  lay Japanese people visited there and the total number was 157,589.  Upon the opening of the event, an ward ceremony  of  good  services and efforts of related promotions was hosted and the Best Tourism Award was given to The Tourism Authority of Thailand and Embassy awards were for  Thailand and Mexico, the best transporatation award was for Japan Railways East, the domestic inbound award was for  the tourism department of Tokyo Metropolis, the publicity award was for a TV show of CXTV, and the chairperson special award was for Okinawa Convention Bureau. (http://t-expo.jp/en/program/cms.html)   I personally visited the two big events and collected a lot of interesting information and exchanged ideas with the participants, some of whom were my friends or those I sometimes work with. I enjoyed the delicious food provided by tourism- related restaurants and local specialities and impressed by the greatly enthusiastic atmosphere of energies of the expos as well.

“The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” in USJ grand open

Universal Studio Japan  in Osaka opened a new theme area of the worldwide popular fantasy series, “Harry Potter” on Jul.15.  (http://www.usj.co.jp/harrypotter/)

The theme area is 40,000 ㎡ with re-enacted facilities of those in the stories, such as the magic school that wizard children go, and at restaurants and stalls where special food described in the stories  are available.

On the grand opening day, about 3000 people visited the area  and  everyday it receives a lot since then. USJ made the record high of the number of visitors there with more than 10 million last year and now it expects to have more than 12 million this year with these new attraction services.   About 45 billion yen (≒$440 million )which is equal to  the half amount of an annual budget of USJ  was spent on building this new area.  Some hotels expand their capacities expecting a huge increase in  visitors and job opportuniies are expected to increase as well in Osaka, kobe, Kyoto, and other areas in Kansai, which will surly invigorate economy there.

“ABENO HARUKASU”, the highest skyscraper grand opening

The new highest skyscraper of Japan “ABENO HARUKASU” had its grand opening in Abeno-ward in Osaka City on March 7th. (http://www.abenoharukas-300.jp/en/)

The building is 300m high, rising 60 stories above the ground, which is the highest skyscraper and the third highest building of Japan next only to Tokyo Sky Tree (634m) and Tokyo Tower (333m).  “harukasu” means “to clear up” in the old Japanese language. The view from the observatory “Harukasu 300” on the 58-60 floors is expected to “clear up” visitors hearts and give lively and fresh impressions as well as good services available from the facilities in the building.

The B2- 14 above the ground floors are shopping area of Kintetsu Department Store, which now has  the biggest space of all the department stores in Japan. The 19,20,38-55,and 57 floors are for Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel. Abeno Haruksu Art Museum in on the 16th floor, and other floors are for office area for businesses such as banks, schools ,and others.

This new highest skyscraper, which has overtaken Yokohama Landmark Tower (296m) ,the old higehst one since 1993, now is highly expected to become the new center of commerce and tourism to get a lot of attention and popularity, especially in Osaka and the Western part of Japan.

 

 

 

“Star Fighter”, a new type sightseeing bus attraction

Willer Travel  started a totally new type bus drive attraction called Star Fighter.The interir design of the bus is something like a replica of a cockpit of a rocket. http://travel.willer.co.jp/starfighter/

You can enjoy playing  special video games on your seat in the bus during the drive, which is a part of  the plot of the attraction. The bus service will be available in August,  between Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima, and Shinjuku and Space Center in Tsukuba , Ibaraki where you can experience a mock asrtronaut training program or Science Future Museum in Odaiba Tokyo. The travel has a concept of  futuristic experiences in a scfi-fi atmosphere.

Blythe fashion dolls for charity auction

 

Hankyu department store began exhibiting about 100 fashion dolls of the U.S.-originated brand Blythe at its Umeda flagship store in Osaka.

The one-of-a-kind dolls, wearing autumn and winter collections from fashion tenants at the department store, will be auctioned for charity through next Tuesday with the bidding starting at 10,000 yen, store officials said.

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Hankyu Umeda Flagship Store renewal opened (Shop List)

After a seven-year reconstruction period, Umeda Hankyu department store has “preliminarily” opened on October 25.

The 13-storey building, plus two basement floors, includes floors providing the largest selection of overseas luxury brands in western Japan. The new store also has several cultural facilities such as a 2,000-square-meter indoor arena with four floors on the higher levels.

The retailing company　is now expecting 50 million customers to come to the new store, producing gross sales that will reach 213 billion yen (about $2.66 billion) in the first year.

Hankyu Umeda Department Store

8-7, Sumidacho, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 530-8350
06-6361-1381
Since1929
Hankyu Department Stores, Inc.

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Kuroko’s Basketball Threats Cancel Animate Café Event

The Animate Café Tennoji in Osaka announced on Tuesday that the café’s planned Kuroko’s Basketball collaboration event has been cancelled. The event was scheduled to open on November 23.

Animate apologized for the inconvenience to customers and for the late notice. Animate added that due to the recent string of threats related to the Kuroko’s Basketball franchise, the company decided to prioritize the safety of its customers and cancel the event.

Since last month, more than 20 locations linked to Kuroko’s Basketball creator Tadatoshi Fujimaki, including the Comic Market dōjinshi event, have received threat letters with powdered and liquid substances. A source in the investigation of Kuroko’s Basketball threat letters said there is a high possibility that the liquid sent to Sophia University on October 12 could emit a lethal dose of hydrogen sulfide if vaporized. Read the rest of this entry »

“JIAM SHOW 2012” held in Osaka

“Japan International Apparel Machinery Show 2012” (JIAM SHOW 2012) was held Sep.19-22 at INTEX Osaka, an huge international exhibition site in Osaka. http://jiam2012.com/us/

 

More than 200 apparel companies joined and demonstrated their technologies or state-of-the-art apparel machines.  A lot of  registered visitors including foreign buyers saw them and some of them had business talks with the companies.  Actually, I was there with my foreign customers and they seemed  interested in the event and  cutting-age gadgets shown.

 

 

 

Gal’s Mikoshi (moving shrine) in Tenjin-matsuri

Tenjin-matsuri (a celestial god festival), one of the three major festivals of Japan,was held and a “gyaru mikoshi”(a gal’s moving shrine) was carried by 80 young females there in Tenman area in Osaka city on Jul.23th.

The festival is for commemorateing enshrinenment of  Osaka Tenmangu shrine and the Gals’ Mikoshi marched about 4 km along that shrine, shopping streets, JR Tenman station, and others.  All of the 80 carriers age of 15-30 of  the mikoshi weighing 200 kg were successuful applicants,who had lifted up a 70-kg scale  out of 330 candidates.

Universal Studios Japan to launch new attraction featuring ‘Harry Potter’

Universal Studios Japan (USJ) in Osaka will launch a new attraction based on the ”Harry Potter” movies in the latter half of 2014.

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New Osaka Shinsaibashi Parco building to house H&M

Fashion building operator Parco said it will demolish the closed Shinsaibashi Parco building in Osaka to make way for a new five-floor building occupied entirely by H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB, a Swedish casual wear chain.

Image of new H&M store in Shinsaibashi
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