Archive for 'Shibuya' Category

“Shibuya Stream” construction project

Information about  construction project of  a new comemrical skyscraper at the open space where Toyoko Line’s station  once stood was announced on Oct.24th.

Tokyu group(http://www.tokyu-fudosan-hd.co.jp/english/) that owns the lands in the central areas of Shibuya holds six huge redevelopping projects of the Shibuya area and the new skyscraper plan is one of them. The name of the building will be “Shibuya Stream” and is to be  a highrise of 180 m and the total floor squares will be 116,700 ㎡.  According to Tokyu, 1~3 rd floors will be for commercial facilities,4th floor is for incubation offices, 6th is for conference rooms, 9-13rd are for hotel, and 14-35 floors are for office areas. The developper says, the new building is expected to make dedications and contributions for promoting the unique culture being born in Shibuya.  The project is to finish its first stage in 2019 and all stages will be finished and open to public in 2027.

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.

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.

 

NHK “BOSAI School”

NHK, the semi-official TV station hosts special disaster-prevention TV program for children called “BOSAI School” for their summer break this month. (http://www.nhk.or.jp/sougou/bosai/)

Seiko Ooki, a meteorologist and her students of  Keio Universty are in charge of the program and expained children who joined the program how to defend themselves in case of  an emergency such as an earthquake and demonstrated the way to hide, how to move through special dances or gymnastic practices.

Cherry blossoms’ full bloom in Japan

In Japan, we have full bloom of  cherry blossoms in many rigions by the end of March this year.   In Kansai (the Western part of Japan), beautiful combinations of cherryblossoms and old cultural buildings, sush as temples and paths are seen.

In Kanto(the Eastern part of Japan) ,where full bloom situation was recognized by March 29th,  a lot of people enjoy the coloful cherry blossoms in various places, such as Ueno Park, Inokashira Park, Shinjuku Gyoen Park, Sumida River ,and other popular  cherry blossom viewing spots and facilities.

Musical “SEMPO”, a story of Japanese Schindler

“SEMPO”, a musical play describing a stroy of an actual Japanese diplomat who saved a lot of lives of Jews during WW2 was performed at New National Theater in Hatsudai Tokyo Sep.10-29. (http://www.sempo2013.com/)

 

 

 

The word SEMPO is a nickname of a Japanese diplomat who issued visas to Jews who were persecuted by Nazi during WW2 in Kaunus Lithuania.  His real name is Chiune Sugihara who was a vice-consul of that country in 1940.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiune_Sugihara)

Sugihara is called “Japanese Schindler”, as he saved about 6000 Jews by issuing Japanese visas to them ,which  enabled them to  escape from European countries where they were suffering despite  the-then Japanese government had prohibited him to do so. After WW2, he was dismissed for violation of the order, yet he received honor of Righteos Among Nations from Israel and Japanese government gave an official apology to his bereaved family of the unfair dismissal.

The musical play was a touching work with good actors and singers. His strong belief of justice and agony of dilemma between his loyal duty to the government and his own chivalry or conscience were all described in detail. Sugihara’s part was played by Kouji Kikkawa, a popular rock-n-roll singer as well as an actor. AKB48’s members Haruka Katayama and Amina Sato played the part of his sister-in-law in turn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sadako in the middle of Tokyo

I wrote about Sadako , the popular ghost character, joining the opening event of pro baseball game on Aug.24th in my last post here.  And now, on the next day, 25th, Sadako appeared in a sprinkling water event  on PARCO aquare along Koendori in Shibuya with an ad truck , one of the busiest commercial and shopping area in Tokyo.

A lot of fans talked to Sadako in the event though she couldn’t talk directly.

 

“TOKYO LINE SHIBUYA station park~Three Days of Arigato and Sayounara”

In the event the ex-Tokyo Line’s building was decorated as a festvitie’s venue of a “green park”, hosting  various programs such as jazz live concerts,  exhibitions of plarail  dioramas, and others.  the area was regarded as a green park and  visitors were allowed to pick stones used for the railroad tracks in token. A lot of  visitors including  fans of  Toyoko line, railroads, Shibuya and others enjoyed themselves with the items and events for a salute to the old Toyoko line building with “Arigato”(thank you) and “Sayounara”(good bye).

some rails and parts of the old tracks actually used were sold. Memorial plaques of old parts were made as well.

TGC 16 at National Yoyogi Stadium

TGC16, “Tokyo Girls Collection 16”, the 16th turn of  one of the most popular female fashion events in Japan  was held on Today March  2nd  15:00-21:00 at National Yoyogi Stadium First Gymnasium in Tokyo.(http://girlswalker.com/tgc/13ss/)

Namie Amuro, a popular female singer showed up as a “secret guest performer” and sang in the opening event. She took part in this huge fashion event for the first time.

And, one of the prominent parts of the show was that Kintaro, a celebrity impersonator who has suddenly become surprisingly popular due to her impersonating performances of Atsuko Maeda, an ex-AKB48 top member, showed such a performance of “Atsuko Maeda’s part”, which earned a boisterous applause from the audience.

82 top female models, such as Karina, Kiko Mizuhara, Anna Tsuchiya,Yu Yamada, and others showed up and emthralled  the audience of about 30,000 with their beauty, fancy fashion,and performances.

 

 

 

Shibuya station will change drastically

Shibuya station which currently is used by  Toyoko-line, Yamate-line, Ginza-line, Inokashira-line, Denentoshi-line, Hanzomon-line, and Fukutoshin-line is going to undergo a drastic  remodelling on this March 16th. The station will be a totally underground facility.

A subway, Fukutoshin-line and  Toyoko-line will start  mutual exchange operation services, which will shorten traveling time a lot to serve passengers better. Then, Yokohama, Shibuya, Shinjyuku, and Ikebukuro areas will be “directly” connected and more passengers are expected to use those new services. http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/index.html   http://www.tokyu.co.jp/global/index.html http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/index.html

“Girls Award 2013 SPRING/SUMMER” on March.23, performers

“Girls Award 2013 SPRING/SUMMER”  is planned to be hosted on this March 23th at  the First Gymnasium of National Stadium in Yoyogi Tokyo, which I referred to in my previous post here. (http://girls-award.com/pc/index.php)  On Jan.30th, some of the names of  singers, musicians, and models who are to perform in the event were disclosed.

As singers, FTISLAND and  Tomomi Kahara who recently made her re-debut and others are going to perform at the show.

This Girls Award is the seventh of the same annual events of girls’ fashions and  on the same day or near dates, some other similar girls’ fashion events will be held as well, such as “Tokyo Girls Collection”, “Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week TOKYO 2013-14A/W”,and “VERSUS TOKYO”.

MomokuroZ’s new year’s resolution

“MomokuroZ”(Momoiro CloverZ), one of the top young female idol groups, declared their

new goal on the new year’s day.  

The  group’s first goal was to join and perform at Kohaku Utagassen, the Red and White singing contest on the new year’s eve , which MomokuroZ realized on Dec.31 2012. And now, the group has a new purpose that it will host live concerts at National Stadium (http://naash.go.jp/corp/english/activities/tabid/391/Default.aspx) in Yoyogi that is so closely located to NHK, the TV station where Kohaku is held.  That is how Momokuro has set out the “second chapter” of its activities of “dreams beyond Kohaku”. However, the stadium is currently under a renovation which is scheduled to complete in 2018, so the day to fulfill the group’s next dream has not been clearly set or predicted yet.

 

 

Atsuko Maeda’s graduation from AKB48

Atsuko Maeda, so-called “the steadfast center” ,or, “the absolute ace” of AKB48, graduated from that top female idol group of Japan at the moment on this Aug.27th.

Maeda was one of the original members of the group since its start on Dec.8th 2005, and  almost always performed at the central postition of singing and dancing formation on stage.   

On the very next day of the end of a series of live concerts at Tokyo Dome(http://www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/e/) Aug 24-26 so successfully, which about 144,000 people had visited in total, AKB48 hosted the “graduation memorial concert of Atsuko Maeda” at AKB 48 Theater in Akihabara on 27th. The former was a glorious realization of  AKB’s dream-come-true since its foundation. And there had been a plan of Maeda entering the Theater for the concert after showing herself from a car in a parade on nearby roads of the area in Akihabara, which unfortunately aborted due to an instrcution of the police  for security’s reason.

On that day there was  a crazy situation of  so many passers-by and fans in Akihabara area. 

A lot of  posters of Maeda was put on various places in Akihabara station, special books, photo collections, items said to be available only on that day were sold at boolstores, AKB48 Cafe &Shop and other stores there.  The available number of  the tickets of  the graduation concert was just 250, and  more than 230,000 people applied for , so, the winning rate was  about one out of  916  !    Agter the concert, Maeda showed up on a balcony of the building and waved good- by and sent her final salute as a AKB member to the people there.

Coincidentally, I was in Akihabara on that very day, and bought a Maeda’s memorial photo collection for graduation at a special stall of  a bookstore in the station building. I felt  sepecial atmosphere of excitement in the town.

In addition,  three days later , to my huge surprise, I  just happened to witness two AKB48 members,namely Mina Ohba and Suzuran Yamauchi in Shibuya near the station while walking down there. Actually they didn’t stand out so much in the huge crowd there, but  accidentally my shoulder and Yamauchi’s shoulder touched in the busy crowd, when we passed each other. In that place Maeda’s big billboards were on the walls of nearby buildings, and ad-buses of the newest AKB’s song “Gingham Check” were driving around and their music was heard everywhere…  That was a quite strange and impressive situation ,and I have found Shibuya is also  an “turf”(?) of  AKB48 groups or popular idols in general.

 

Animate liner bus services “Ani-ten Special Express 2012”

Animate, one of the biggest store chains of anime and manga related items, will temporarily provide special services of  liner buses between its stores and the venue of  Comic Market, the big manga event. This service is called “Ani-ten Tokkyuu 2012″(/アニ店特急2012, anime store special express ).    http://www.animate.tv/news/details.php?id=1341304868

The service started in 2007 and has been provided periodically since then. The tickets were available through a lottery for those who buy specific items. And passengers will receive special presents, services such as  radio broadcasting on the bus related to some works.

The routes and schedules are as followes;

Shinjuku line, Ikebukuro line : Aug.10-12 , Shibuya line:Aug.11-12

 

 

 

 

Resident Evil (Biohazard) restaurant to open in Shibuya Parco on July 13

The world’s first official Resident Evil (Biohazard) restaurant will open on July 13. Biohazard Cafe & Grill S.T.A.R.S. will be inside the Shibuya Parco shopping center in Tokyo’s Shibuya ward.

Resident Evil (Biohazard) restaurant
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