Holographic virtual idol in Japan performs live! Miku Hatsune is a Vocaloid (Vocal + Android) and idol character created by Crypton Future Media to market their software package built on Yamaha’s synthesized vocal technology. This technology allows virtually anyone make Miku sing any lyrics on any melody using a computer. There have been thousands of…
Tebori is a traditional method of hand tattooing which arose in the late 18th and early 19th century in Japan. The word Tebori comes from the word “te” meaning “hand” and “hori”, meaning “to carve or sculpt.” The shaft of the tebori tool rests on the thumb of the left hand and the needles are…
Model Kiko Mizuhara on commercial for Japanese fast fashion giant Uniqlo, comments on her debut as actress in movie, “Norwegian Wood”. Kiko will be making her movie debut playing the role of Midori in “Norwegian Wood,” an adaptation film directed by Vietnamese-French Trần Anh Hùng. For those who are unaware, Norwegian Wood is a 1987…
DEXPISTOLS / NEW JACK HOUSE feat. JON-E Cool song and music video by the Dexpistols, Japan’s electro duo made of DJ Maar and DJ Daruma. LP to be released in 2010! This one is from their first single titled, “New Jack House”. Check it! Tags: Dexpistols, Jon-e
My next stop was Kojima in Okayama. This town has a rich history of textile manufacturing and has become known to be the “mecca of Japanese denim.” The original denim artisans of Japan who first saw denim during WWII are still alive and doing their thing! 親戚が住んでいる牛窓から、児島に行ってきました。ドライブは結構長かった記憶があるんですが、ドライブしてくれたゆきさんとお話しながらだったので、あっと言うまでした。 I think the car drive from my grandma’s…
This video was taken inside the original Momotaro Jeans store/showroom in Kojima, a small town located in the Okayama prefecture facing west to the Seto Inland Sea (Seto Naikai). The area is well-known for their textile industry and is hailed as the mecca of denim in Japan. Coming from this “mecca”, Momotaro Jeans has a…
Photo: Google.com Japanese artist Takashi Murakami was commissioned by Google to produce today’s Google doodle which was put up on their homepage today for the summer solstice. The multicolored Japanese anime-inspired illustration titled, “The First Day of Summer,” involves flowery bursts around the heads of Murakami’s funky characters shown above. Murakami’s doodle represents the date…
From Tokyo, my next destination was Okayama. Okayama Prefecture is rural for the most part especially when compared to Tokyo. More traditions are left untouched and you can also enjoy great views, lots of old architecture, and farm fields. Lots and lots of farms. Okayama is probably most well known for the Koraku-en park and…
‘T’ shirts by Masashi Kawamura and Itaru Yonenaga Masashi Kawamura in collaboration with Itaru Yonenaga from Osaka-based fashion brand, No Control Air, creates ‘T’ shirts, a line of t-shirts literally designed to have the silhouette of 5 famous typefaces; Cooper, Helvetica, Courier, Caslon, and Baskerville. Masashi was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1979, was raised…
Naoshi flew over to Los Angeles, California to participate in the Sanrio 50th Anniversary Event “Small Gift LA (11/12/2010 through 11/21/2010.) The first picture above are of her works commissioned by and made special for Sanrio. This time she chose the queen of Sanrio, Hello Kitty, in her works. All three pieces can be described…