Today we look at the shenanigans that went on around the stage areas at C3 Hong Kong. There were many performers that included AKB48, SKE48 but only realized *after* their performances that my pass allowed me to sneak around the stage area ^^;
First photo is with some of the comrades who stayed behind for a group photo after I gave a talk about Culture Japan.

Backstage area where all the hardware is.

Morning meeting with the Milky Holmes girls.

Rehearsal time.

Also uploaded more pics of the Milky Holmes girls to the Bushiroad site.

They should perform in their normal gear more often!

Bushiroad big boss Kidani-san oversees the rehearsals.

Post rehearsal meeting with the MC before they go live in the afternoon.

And then its time for the girls to come on stage.

But before that, Kidani-san has a few words.

Ame Agari no Mirai was one of the tunes that the girls performed.

Interview time with the Animax crew.

And then its time for voice actor Toru Furuya to spend some time with the locals. Many folks will recognize his voice as Amuro for the original Gundam.

Then its time for me to spend time with comrades. Animax Hong Kong is rerunning the first season of Culture Japan TV this month and I was working with them to give the show a wee plug.

Was my first time speaking publicly in Cantonese ^^; Hardly speak it so always end up confusing people when I do ^^;

Animax Hong Kong team.

And that rounds up the coverage of C3 in Hong Kong - previous posts listed up below.

After the earthquake, a huge tsunami hit Japan and damaged a few nuclear power reactors meaning that not enough electricity can be generated for the East of Japan given the current power consumption rates. The government split up most areas in East Japan into a few groups and put into effect rolling blackouts. This means that areas will have planned blackouts between certain hours.

Everybody is doing their part to save as much electricity as possible and this can be visually noticed around Tokyo - especially during the evening. Most of the neon signs are turned off and pretty much all the large TV screens are now just blank. One of the reasons however why so many folks are doing their part to save electricity is also because if a shop sticks on their neon lights and TV screens for advertising - they will sure get a bollocking from their customers and general public.

Due to everybody working together, many of the planned blackouts have been evaded as demand is kept lower than the supply but it means that the streets of Tokyo at night are darker than dark.

The reason why electricity cant be channeled from West Japan is written up in the A Week in Tokyo 64 post.

The company that provides the electricity for East Japan is Tepco. They have been updating electricity usage regularly on their site. The dark blue line shows what electricity consumption was like this time last year. The pink shows current and predicted electricity usage. As you can see, nearly nearly 10 million kilowatts of electricity is being saved which means that the rolling blackouts have been cancelled.

If you are planning on visiting Tokyo any time soon, I would say that you probably need not worry about the runway lights being turned off as your plane comes in for the landing ^^;
Everybody is working together to save electricity so the blackouts should not happen leaving you in a dark hotel room.

Somebody thought that the Tepco page looked naff and went ahead to make their own Evangelion style electricity consumption stats. The data is updated every 5 mins from this xml file.

Was in Shinjuku last night and paused for a second as I headed up the stairs to the Alta exit - never seen Shinjuku look like this before. This photo is a comparison with what Shinjuku would normally look like at the same time in the evening.

The Alta exit at around 19:30. With all the neon signs turned off, I suspect that this will affect consumers mood to go out to eat and buy stuff in the evenings.

While most of the neon signs are turned off, the insides of most of the shops have enough lights for you to go about your regular shopping.

Many of the smaller streets however do have their neon signs turned on.

And the rest of this post is of Shinjuku before the Tohoku Kanto earthquake. Tokyo really does look gorgeous at night with all the neon signs/lights at night. I did mention before that you need not worry about the availability of food or radiation levels but if the neon lights were something you wanted to get a glimpse of then you wont be able to do that if you are traveling to Japan any time soon.

Nobody knows how long it will be until Tepco can start to provide normal electricity for the city but media is saying that its going to be like this throughout the Summer. Summer is when the blackouts are speculated to actually go ahead as folks start to use coolers to cool down in the unbearable heat.

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These pre-earthquake photos mixed with some taken recently and some a while ago.

Other Tohoko Kanto earthquake related posts below.

Found this image attached to a mail entitled "カメオ出演。確認してください" (cameo appearance image - please confirm) in my inbox just now. Looks like Mirai with trumpet, Kanata with violin and Haruka with xylophone mallets. Not sure whats going on but I kinda like it so uploaded the 2560px x 1600px version to Flickr.

Also found this attached to the mail too. Would be grateful if somebody could let me know whats going on.
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Choco Chip - a popular Japanese illustrator and one of my faves of all time. Was over the moon when she sent over this illustration of our Mirai Suenaga yesterday! Choco Chip sensei also mentioned that she was doing some variations of facial expressions and outfits too - cant wait!

Oh, and uploaded a 2560px x 1440px version to Flickr for folks who fancy a new wallpaper.

Many of you will recognize her work that she done at eroge maker Atelier Kaguya a while ago.

Have been a fan of her work for quite a while and been collecting her visual books. These two are Sarasara Sasara and Prima Stella.

Cutie Aya Shirotae.

Dropped some Hershey's when taking these photos.

Wondering who your fave illustrator is - may ping them to see if they are interested in doing a doodle for Mirai-chan ^^;
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Been burogging for a few years and recently branched out into TV production but there has always been something else that I've wanted to do and that is to actually go into manufacturing. Today I would like to introduce my first product called "Itamado" [痛窓].

"Ita"[痛] is the same kanji as the one in "Itasha" [痛車]. The term "Ita" is widely used in Japanese Pop Culture to refer to objects which have been plastered with stickers of 2 dimensional girlies.

"Itamado" are huge stickers covered in a special coating that will allow you to stick them on a window. But why window? Folks stick posters on their walls but generally dont stick em on a window for a few reasons - one being that posters cover up the window which blocks out daylight.
Another reason is that when the windows condensate, posters get soaked. Another reason is that posters generally don't look fantastic on windows ^^;

So I thought I would come out with a product to enable folks to make use of what I call "dead space" - space that you cant really do anything with it but is required.

BTW, the Itamado Mirai-chan sheet you see here is illustrated by Choco Chip.

I've been working with Nakamura-san of Moeshaoh [萌車王] who worked on my Mirai Itasha. Together we developed a variation of a special coating which protects the sticker sheet in all sorts of environment from arctic to desert.

An example of an Itamado mirai sheet in action. Unlike a poster, the sheet clings to the window meaning that the window can be opened without any risk of damage to the sticker.

Glass window on cabinet - another example of where you can use Itamado.

If you don't fancy sticking the Itamado sheet on a window, you can always stick it up as it is and use it as a poster.

BTW, this version of Mirai-chan is illustrated by another fave artist of mine - KKO.

Each Itamado sheet comes with another plastic sheet called "Application" which enables you to easily stick the sheet up anywhere and not get parts like hair or lettering jumbled up.
The coating is the same material used for Itasha so you can even stick it on your car if you wish and have yourself a Mirai Itasha. Special ink is used which is strong against sunlight so you need not worry about color fading - not for about 3 years anyway.

All orders of Itamado come with a small plastic device called an ASDF (Application Surface Decoupler Finalizer) which helps you attach the sheet onto any surface even if its curved.

Hope you like the logo ^o^ Itamado will be available for purchase soon at the following stores online.

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/
http://www.amiami.jp/shop/?set=english
http://toylet.net
http://hlj.com
http://archonia.com
http://hobbystock.jp
http://kidnemo.fm
http://jlist.com

Managed to register the patent and trademark for Itamado in Japan, Canada, United States, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, England, France and is currently pending in Germany and Micronesia.

Had a press conference to announce the release of Itamado at Omotesando earlier on today - thank you to everybody who came!

Guests at the launch were Masayoshi Son (boss of Softbank) and Nobi Hayashi (Digital Advisor). Nobi is managing the team that's developing the Itamado app for the iPhone.
The Itamado app (which Masayoshi-san is showing us here) is for customized orders and uses the camera to measure the size of your window. The app then sends those measurements to our Itamado Mirai Gaia server - your sheet is then printed on demand and shipped out within 30 mins by EMS.
The app should go live in the iTunes store soon and will be a free download. App should work with the iPad 2 but we wont know for sure until we get our hands on one.

Great turn out at the press conference!

Before the press conference started - many folks waiting outside ^^;

Many press folks came along too ^^;

We are still working out full production costs, logistics and wot not and until we do we wont have a fixed price yet. Will let you know very soon.
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As explained, Itamado can be used just about anywhere. Where would you stick your Itamado sheet?
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Also, what sort of size do you need?

Apart from my own Mirai-chan, I will be licensing the use of anime characters initially from my clients like King Records (Starchild) and Kadokawa. What characters are you most interested in having Itamado-rized?
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Nanami Yume-chan gets her first official job working at a construction site in Meguro! Here we see her apologizing to the locals for the nuisance the workers are causing.

Its her first but big job for a huge construction company called Tamahome - check out their commercials below.

Something not widely reported in foreign media (probably because nuclear panic sells) is the state of emergency that the printing industry has declared - paper and ink in Japan is running out. Had no idea about the situation until I was talking to a publisher yesterday about my next book which is due out this year with Ascii Media Works.

The earthquake damaged a few large paper mills up in the Miyagi prefecture belonging to Nihon Paper Group and Mitsubishi Paper Mills - both of these companies make up 20% of the market share for paper.

Another problem is that the earthquake caused liquefaction of land in Tokyo around the bay area - many buildings started to sink and many roads were destroyed meaning that warehouses used for paper distribution are unusable.

Ink is also in dangerously low supplies too after ink factories were damaged in the quake. The rolling blackouts, shortage of gasoline are also factors affecting the ability for the factories to get back up on their feet again.
The raw ingredients needed to make offset ink, newspaper ink, gravure ink are in particularly low supply.

The shortage of ink and paper is going to have an impact on the publishing industry which has been called on to take special measures to deal with the current situation.
Some industry writers have mentioned that some publications will have to either cut down on the amount of pages in their publications or change the frequency that they go on sale - from once a week to every two weeks for example.
We will also most likely start to see a drop in the amount of colors used in publications to product packaging.

Info from the following resources.
http://www.j-cast.com/2011/03/26091371.html
http://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/5450938/
http://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/5451032/
http://www.ink-jpima.org/pdf/20110325.pdf
You can also find more info with the following search query.

So what does this mean for all the lovely 2D girly magazines? I guess we'll have to just wait and find out. Some manga publishers like Shonen Jump have been distributing the last few editions online at Yahoo Japan for free as they currently don't have the ability to print enough.

How do you feel about online/digital publications anyway? Would you rather read/look at paper or pixels or don't mind either?
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Anyway, might as well post a stash of photos of mags which I've been meaning to post for a few months now ^^; Most of these publications are available at JList.

Mmmm. Cute floating angel girly.

Leaflet lying around for Onii-chan. We will get the Starchild English portal out this month and promise to announce the winners of the Eri Kitamura signatures. Once again please forgive me for the delay ToT

Megami Creators available at JList. Cover by one of my fave artists Komatsu Eiji.

Touhou!

Very nice bottom artwork by Morisawa Haruyuki.

Nanoha goodies in Megami Magazine.

As usual, Megami magazine comes with a load of health reading too.

Second season starts next week - The World God Only Knows.

The Madoka Magica girls.

Erika Sendo looks good with and without her red uniform.

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Type Moon T-Shirt with Newtype.

As you can see I'm rather late uploading these photos ^^; Megami back in Jan came with a calendar.

Mmmm. Pinky LaLa-chan.

Geso.

Otacool 4 was a collaboration with Kotobukiya and Pixiv and featured worldwide illustrations.

Kurot's illustration made it too!

Yamashita Shunya.

Couple O illustrators from the mainland.
http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=211913
http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=395595

For some reason I'm designing apparel for women - Popteen reference mag.

The works of Choco released as a box O goodies called CHOCOLATE GOUACHE which includes DVDs, posters and a large book.
Choco done the designs for Xenosaga and some of the Busou Shinki series too.

Nyan Type also from Jlist.

Amano Ai went and made a book for those who like Hardware Girls.

Kaname sent over his latest photobook called Revolver.

Latest edition of Volks News - they send em out to members. I always get mine late for some reason.

Are you bored in class or meetings all the time? Fed up of scribbling on that bit of paper that you are supposed to be taking notes with?
Well be fed up no more - take that bit O paper and make yourself a Macross Valkyrie using the traditional method of origami - but not just any Valkyrie - one that actually transforms from Jet > Gerwalk > Battroid.

Jet mode.

Gerwalk mode.

Battroid Mode.

Wryyy Mode.

Download the original instructions to make your own. The person who made this actually done so back in 1983.
Original post at http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~bu9t-sm/vf1.html

Hmmmm. Very i the mood to watch some original Macross now.

Korean Pop is big business in Japan - you see and hear a lot of it on TV and while walking out n about town. K-POP has been around for a while in Japan but seems to have really taken off last year in 2010 with groups like Girls Generation (少女時代) [소녀시대] who reached top 2 in the Oricon charts with "Gee" and KARA reaching top 5 with "Mister."

Girls Generation (also known as SNSD) and the Japanese version of their tune "Genie" below.

Go into a book shop and you are likely to see Korean singers on the cover of many mags too. Here we have more Girls Generation. Their "Gee" is just so awesome - Korean version below.

KARA is hot property in Japan too. There was a period when they were on the news for weeks regarding some shenanigans about them splitting up.
Japanese version of their hit tune "Mister" below.

K-POP is also finding its way into Japanese TV commercials - the one below starring Girls Generation.

Another girl group Brown Eyed Girls.

As with my Japanese learning, music played an important factor while learning Korean too. Listened to SES all the time.

Most music shops have a K-POP corner too.

런던 대학에서 일본어와 한국어를공부했어요. 과학잡지 "네이처"로 일하고 있었을 때에는 한국어 사용하고 있었습니다만, 요즘은 사용하는 기회가 적고, 한국어는 대부분 잊었어요. 우우우우우우우
사실은, 옛날에 영어, 일본어, 중국어와 한글의 블로그 쓰고 있었다. 시간이 좀더 있으면 매일 한글도 쓰고 싶어요.

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2011 Spring Anime - whats on your watch list and what you most looking forward to? We currently working on some of the King Record ones. Will have to wait until Summer when we see the cameo appearances by our girl.
Image stolen from Fakku with original sauce from cowboybibimbop.

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Tis currently the Hanami [花見] season where folks come out onto the streets and flock around areas where they can enjoy the company of cherry blossoms which are currently in full bloom around Tokyo.
This year however is different as folks are in "Jishuku Muudo" [自粛ムード] or "a mood of self restraint" - many folks think that its not appropriate to be enjoying themselves after the Tohoku Kanto Earthquake which hit Japan nearly a month ago.

The governor of Tokyo (Ishihara) also mentioned that folks should not be out n about enjoying themselves by going to Hanami...

I'm however with the large % of folks who think that the best we can do for Japan is to live, work and play as hard as we can to help Japan back up on its feet. Sitting and brooding about what happened is not going to help Japan at all and will actually cause more harm. Many folks for example have just stopped buying which has caused a slump in the economy.
Its not as if I don't care either - I do care and will be heading up North later this month to bring some supplies and do some volunteering.

There was debate about whether the baseball matches should continue or have a rest for a while - as folks thought that we should all stay at home and sulk instead. It was decided to continue the matches and baseball player Noyama-san aged 16 gave an awesome speech.

Was at Naka Meguro yesterday to enjoy some Hanami with folks at Ascii - before that we met over dindins to discuss a new book which we need to try to make and print before ink runs out!

While these photos may seem bright (very long exposures), all the lanterns that are usually on this time of year were turned off and there were a lot less blue mats with folks sitting under the trees drinking.

Nevertheless, many of us were out n about the river to enjoy the beauty that nature had provided us with - a warm evening with gorgeous cherry blossoms.

Was a wee bit tricky to get decent photos in the low light with no tripod.

Some food stalls provided enough light in a few spots to get decent photos.

If you fancy having a gander around here, get off at Naka Meguro station on the Hibiya or Toyoko line and just ask anybody where Meguro Kawa river is.
[gmap=35.644522, 139.69915]

Not as many Yatai [屋台] food stalls out this year.

Tis such a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere.

And this photo was taken in 2007-ish at the same place in Naka Meguro. The lanterns that line the river are all lit up which illuminate the cherry blossoms (Sakura [桜]) - absolutely gorgeous.

This photo was taken in 2008 and you can see more from this photo set in the Mitsuike Park post.

This photo taken back in 2009 and you can see the photos from that year in the Tokyo Cherry Blossom post.

And you can see last years sakura in the Tokyo Cherry Blossom Season post.
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The Good Smile Company online store is open and ready to take orders from outside of Japan. The first product you can get your hands on is the Hatsune Miku Support Version.
Miku costs 3,000 yen where 1,000 yen will be donated to support victims from the Tohoku Kanto Earthquake. More details on the GSC Online store top page.

You can order up to 5 per person and delivery is due to be late June - same time as our Mirai Figma ^o^
You've got until the 21st of April to pre-order > http://goodsmile.ecq.sc/

They also got the English version of the commercial up at YouTube.

Mandarake - the company with many shops located around Tokyo that sells a ton of second hand otaku goodies - manga, anime, figures, dolls, trading cards, gatcha and a load of other merchandise.

We previously took a look at the history of Mandarake and some photos of their branches at Nakano Broadway and today we are going to take a peek at some of the photos taken during filming for Culture Japan TV.

These photos are taken at the Shibuya branch which you can get to by getting off at Shibuya station.
東京都渋谷区宇田川町31-2渋谷BEAM 2BF
[gmap=35.661418, 139.697599]

A load of illustration books. The prices are very reasonable too which I guess depends on what you are looking for.
Ah, before I forget, you can see more from the Shibuya Mandarake branch in the Shibuya Tour post.

Load of CD goodies including some comike exclusives.
When was the last time you bought a CD and why? Was it to support the artist or because it had something special that came with it or?
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Lum-chan!

And how about DVD's/Bluray?
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Mandarake do quite a few bits of doll stuff and even host their own doll event. No Dollfies in stock today though.

They do a load of idol stuff too including postcards and posters.

Most of the floors are taken up with manga and doujinshi.

Took this photo for a specific reason but cant remember what ^^;

Mandarake is also a haven filled with 2D girlies.

Stacks of figures, mecha, gundams ranging from retro to present.

They had a load of rare Nendoroids and Figmas starting from about 1,500 yen - most second hand but great condition.

Is this an Ichibankuji? Cant remember but you can get hold of a load.

Want that GFF Unicorn.

Hardly used anymore but they are still made as exclusives - Japanese telephone cards.

A load of retro toys from the 70's and 80's can be found too.

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More places to visit in Japan listed below.

Previously posted a few job positions which have lead to full and part time positions in Japan for readers at companies like Ami Ami, Rinkya, Good Smile Company, J-List and very recently Nico Nico Douga.

This time round J-List is looking to fill another full time position but unlike last time, you already need to be in Japan for this one as the role needs to be filled as soon as possible.

These photos are of the J-List headquarters in Isesaki-shi where you will be working.

Details for the position copied from the job detail page at J-List.

Job description and Requirements

The job is first and foremost for a product description writer for our website, writing interesting and accurate descriptions of new products that we post to the site three times a week. This aspect of the job requires basic to intermediate knowledge of Japanese anime and related themes (more specific knowledge is always welcome), good computer skills (we use Mac OS X and Filemaker Pro for the majority of our work), and good email skills (since the job entails customer service and helping customers with order issues). Good English writing skills and the ability to create descriptions that enhance the buying experience of our company are important. Japanese at or near JLPT level 2 (or equivalent) is needed, to interface with our Japanese staff and be able to effectively write descriptions for the Japanese products we sell (including the ability to read the names of characters from anime written in kanji).

Additionally, the job will entail graphic design work, as needed. Currently, we update our web graphics every 6-8 weeks using Photoshop, and you would be in charge of this. Also, we create print ads for our company in magazines like OtakuUSA and Geek using InDesign, so skills and experience with layout programs and/or design will come in handy. Please be ready to submit concrete examples of Photoshop and other visual design work you have done in the past.

Other skills are recommended, too. The job may include posting auctions to eBay, using automated posting software, continuinally monitoring auctions to see which items sell the most reliably. Experience selling on eBay or similar auction site in the past is good, but is not required. Knowledge of the Japanese blogosphere, including Internet memes like Touhou, is also a plus.

IMPORTANT: since J-List sells adult products, please do not apply for this position if you are offended by adult products in any way. The adult products we sell include shrinkwrapped DVD releases, photobooks, adult manga comics, doujinshi, art books and occasional 3D anime figures. Obviously you'd need to be comfortable writing descriptions for these 18+ products.

Other Details

J-List was founded in 1996 and has been an extremely successful venture, serving over 350,000 customers and bringing unique products to people outside of Japan. We strive to promote understanding of Japan through its poplar culture, and among other things, we publish regular emails about what it's like for a foreigner to live in Japan. The company is based in Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture, a small city of 200,000 located on the edge of the Kanto Plain near Tokyo (about 2 hours away by slow train, 45 minutes by Shinkansen). It's a nice city with many cultural points of interest, one of the lowest costs-of-living ratings in Japan, and fast access to mountains for many fun activities including hot springs. Because there's less public transportation here than in larger cities, a drivers' license is highly recommended.

Please note that we are looking for a native English speaker who is already in Japan and has a legal visa to work here (we will, of course, sponsor your future visa extensions). Sorry, but we are not looking for people located outside of Japan for this full time position at this time. People from outside the immediate Kanto area are welcome to apply, but we would only be able to cover train fare from the Tokyo area if we contact you for an interview.

J-List has two websites, at http://www.jlist.com (which features all our products, including NSFW/18+ ones) and http://www.jbox.com (which only has "PG" products).

Salary

Salary is 260,000-280,000 yen per month depending on experience plus twice-annual bonuses based on personal and overall company performance, with annual raises and flexible vacation time. Additionally, a company car will be provided (gasoline and related costs being your responsibility), along with assistance with an apartment (key money).

How to Apply

To apply for the position, please download this application (PDF) and fill it out along with a Western-style resume, and fax it to 0270-21-9013. Files can also be send to peterpayne[at]gmail[dot]com.
Applicants who we ask to come for an interview will need to bring a Japanese rirekisho resume with them. Transportation costs will be paid for (from Tokyo) for applicants who we contact.

If you have any questions, please feel free to address them to us at the above email address. This job is an immediate position, as we're looking for someone to start as quickly as possible.

Thanks for your interest in this rare position at J-List, and best of luck if you decide to apply!

J-List Co. Ltd.
42222-3 Hashie-cho
Isesaki-shi JAPAN 372-0001

Good luck to all applying!

Very interesting find thats been going around the Internets of late. The above painting is an Ukiyo-e [浮世絵] - Japanese woodblock prints produced between the 17 and 20th centuries. The above painting is said to be produced between 1797 and 1861 (source).
The interesting thing is the tall object in the left of the painting. Experts on Japanese history have stated that no tall constructions existed back at the time - could it be the painters prediction of the Tokyo Sky Tree that folks are speculating about?

Tokyo Sky Tree still under construction snapped earlier this year.

Comrades at King Records invited us to see Japanese idol group Momoiro Clover perform last Sunday which was to be the last time where all 6 members performed together - Akari Hayami (blue) is no longer a member of the group which has now been renamed "Momoiro CLover Z."

Venue was at Nakano Sunplaza. Saw a few shifty blokes trying to flog tickets.

A load of fans waiting outside by the cherry blossoms on a sunny afternoon.

Many folks signing something on the floor.

A message to Akari from the fans. More messages from her fans left on her blog too.

Guy with a "Never Forget 4.10" T-Shirt. Akari-sans departure came as a shock to many fans.

Not sure how many people can fit into Nakano Sunplaza but there were zillions of folks waiting outside.

Fans of all ages with a fair share of boys n girls n gaijins too.

The usual bunch of flowers sent by folks who King Records do business with.

We are up on the 2nd floor with all the other King Records staff n related folks.

Hall about to fill up.

The list of songs that the girls are going to perform.

Members are:-

• Shiori Tamai [玉井詩織] (yellow)
  
• Ayaka Sasaki [佐々木彩夏] (pink)
  
• Kanako Momota [百田夏菜子] (red)
  
• Akari Hayami [早見あかり] (blue)
  
• Reni Tagaki [高城れに] (purple)
  
• Momoka Ariyasu [有安杏果] (green)

Heard of but didn't really know too much about the girls until I started to work with King Records of late. Was the first time I saw them in action and like what I saw and heard! Plucked a few of my fave tunes that they performed and YouTubed them below. Have to warn you that these tunes may start to play repeatedly in your head - especially the chorus for "Hashire"

Hashire [走れ]

Zenryoku Shojo [全力少女]

Chai Maxx

Ikuze! Kaito Shojo [行くぜっ！怪盗少女 ]

Chucking out time after the performance.

Now renamed to Momoiro Clover Z. New album in the Summer.

Some goodies which fell from the ceiling.

A Quo card charged with some moneys - an electronic gift card.

Mirai Bowl which was the ending song for the anime title Dragon Crisis.

Many moons ago, I used to listen to a load of idol music which helped me learn a load of Japanese. Artists and groups like Nishida Hikaru, Ribbon and SMAP (who are still around).
What idol groups are you listening to?
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Took these photos when filming for Culture Japan TV last Summer but didn't get the chance to upload until now ^^;
@ Home is one of the more popular maid cafes in Akibahara. They got two branches which always have queues of folks waiting to om nom while being treated like a master.

First we need to go and grab our press passes. We always ask extra for Saber too.

Today we are going to visit the Don Quixote branch of At Home Cafe. Get off at Akihabara station and just walk along Chuo Dori.
東京都千代田区外神田4-3-3 ドン・キホーテ秋葉原店5F
[gmap=35.70125, 139.77188]

Saber likes to ride shoulder.

When you get to the 5th floor, you will see a queue of folks lining up and a load of maids inside running about.

Please make a line from this bored.

Cutie 2D maid.

All tables that we saw at the Donki branch are counters where the maids will power up your food n play games with you. I think they had another room with standard tables but didn't check.

More customers getting their food powered up.

Some maids charging up their powers.

メイドさんがたくさん走り回っているのがかわいい。

Some of the maids sing too and you can pick up their CDs when paying the bill.

Back outside filming the intro. You can see some of what we filmed in the 1 hour digest below at the 09:50 mark.

Load of cute maids everywhere!

Saber joins me for food.

Flicking through the menu. Everything looks good!

Quick chat with the viewers before continuing.

First up is a beverage. When maids bring any food item along, they would always make it taste better by providing a power up. This usually involves the customer playing along with the maid as she asked you to say things like "Nyan Nyan" and "Moe Moe Kyuuuun!"
If you think you would find it difficult to play along then don't go!

Have you been to any of the maid cafes in Japan and if so which ones?
There is a poll embedded in this article.
There is a poll embedded in this article.

Saber approves.

Time for the main dish. The maid explains the egg as being a little chicklet and asks if she can cut it open @.@
And before I forget, Dans joined us for filming and took some of these photos.

Our maid asks what I'd like her to paint on my omelette. I ask what customers normally ask her and she said things like dogs n cats so I asked her to draw Saber instead ^^;

Done!

But I'm not allowed to eat until its been powered up.

This is the bit where shes building up energy - a bit like how Ryu does in Ninja Gaiden.

As you can see - it looks much better after a power up.

Saber-chan! Kawa......ii.....

"Power!!"...

..."Power!!"...

..."Extreme!!"

Bumped into reader NagatoPyon at the cafe.

Vandalizing a shoe that I found lying around.

Time for dessert!

Hmmm. Doesn't look tasty. Wonder why...

Power up time.

Aha! Now it looks tastier than ever.

Mustn't forget to feed the daughter.

Checking out the contraptions near the exit.

You can also have photos with some of the maids too. They charge extra for this service and only allow the photo to be taken on their Polaroid though.

You can also pick up some moe cookies too.

On the way out, one can find these small towels in another shop.

Akihabara train station towel. Who wants one?

You can also pick up some pants in a gatcha too.

Snap outside with NagatoPyon.

Bump into a few more readers.

And then bumped into another reader (Adun?) at the next filming location which was the Volks Store.
More places to visit around Akihabara listed below.

Tohou cutie Suika Ibuki is up for preorder in figma form. She's due out this August and will retail for 3,500 yen. As you can see she comes with a lod of bits n pieces for you to tie around your bodily parts too.
If you are looking to pre-order then you can do so at one of the following trusted online dealers.
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/
http://www.amiami.jp/shop/?set=english
http://hlj.com
http://archonia.com
http://kidnemo.fm
http://hobbystock.jp
http://jlist.com

Who is your fave Tohou character?
There is a poll embedded in this article.

There is a poll embedded in this article.

Was meeting with the big boss of Satelight at their offices yesterday in Asagaya - they be the folks who produced the latest Macross title "Macross Frontier" and a load of other anime.
A familiar face walked in during our meeting - t'was Shoji Kawamori - the man who brought us the original Macross movie (Original Story / Director / Story Composition / Mecha Design). He also brought us Macross Frontier which many of you will be more familiar with.

Had a very interesting chat about this n that before having the customary photo-while-holding-valkyrie.

A long list of titles that Shoji-san worked on copy n pasted below from Anime News Network. Another list of his work that includes non anime work listed at his official site.

Ani-Kuri 15 (special) : Director (ep 4)
Anyamaru Tantei Kiruminzuu (TV) : Original creator
Aquarion (movie) : Director, Screenplay, Original creator
Aquarion (OAV) : Director, Series Composition, Original creator
Aquarion (TV) : Director, Series Composition, Screenplay, Storyboard (eps 1, 13, 26), Original creator, Aquarion Design, Key Animation (eps 1, 26)
Aquarion Evol (TV) : Original creator
Arjuna (TV) : Director, Series Composition, Script, Storyboard, Original creator, Planning
Basquash! (TV) : Original creator, Project Director
Blue Submarine No.6 (OAV) : Mechanical design
Cowboy Bebop (TV) : Script (ep 18), Stage Setting Cooperation
Crusher Joe: The Movie : Mechanical design
Crusher Joe: The OVA's : Mechanical design
(The) Daichis - Earth Defence Family (TV) : Script (eps 1-6, 11-13), Original creator, Mechanical design, Creature Design, Series Concept
Dangaioh (OAV) : Mecha design, Key Animation
Engage Planet Kiss Dum (TV) : Mechanical design
Escaflowne: The Movie : Original creator, Animation
Eureka Seven (TV) : Main Mechanical Design
Eureka Seven - good night, sleep tight, young lovers (movie) : Main Mecha Design
Future GPX Cyber Formula (TV) : Mechanical design
Future GPX Cyber Formula 11 (OAV) : Machine Design
Future GPX Cyber Formula Saga (OAV) : Machine Design
Future GPX Cyber Formula Sin (OAV) : Machine Design (Studio Nue)
Future GPX Cyber Formula Zero (OAV) : Machine Design
Ghost in the Shell (movie) : Mechanical design
Glass Fleet (TV) : Mechanical design
HITOMI - The Vision of Escaflowne (manga) : Original creator
Kishin Taisen Gigantic Formula (TV) : Mechanical design (Eunova-VIII)
Macross 7 (TV) : Mechanical design, Mechanical Specifications, Story Concept, Supervision
Macross 7 Encore (OAV) : Mechanical design, Story Concept
Macross 7 the Movie: The Galaxy's Calling Me! : Mechanical design
Macross Dynamite 7 (OAV) : Original creator, Mecha design, Story Concept
Macross Frontier (manga) : Original creator
Macross Frontier (TV) : Chief Director, Storyboard (eps 1-2), Original creator, Story Composition, Theme Song Lyrics ("SMS Shoutai no Uta"), Valkyrie Design
Macross Frontier ~Itsuwari no Utahime~ (movie) : Director, Screenplay, Original creator, Valkyrie Design
Macross Frontier ~Sayonara no Tsubasa~ (movie) : Director, Original creator
Macross Plus (OAV) : Chief Director, Storyboard, Original creator, Mechanical design
Macross Plus Movie Edition : Chief Director, Storyboard, Original creator, Mechanical design
Macross XX (OAV Promo) : Original creator, Mechanical design
Macross Zero (OAV) : Director, Storyboard, Original creator, Mechanical design, Story Concept
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (OAV) : Mechanical design
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: The Last Blitz of Zeon (movie) : Mechanical design
Noein - to your other self (TV) : Storyboard (ep 20)
Outlaw Star (TV) : Mechanical design
Patlabor 2: The Movie : Mechanical design
Patlabor WXIII (movie 3) : Mechanical design
Patlabor: The Movie : Mechanical Design Cooperation
RahXephon (TV) : Storyboard (ep 9)
Shanghai Dragon (movie) : Director, Script, Mechanical design
Sheryl ~Kiss in the Galaxy~ (manga) : Original story
Spring and Chaos (movie) : Director, Screenplay
(The) Super Dimension Fortress Macross (TV) : Mechanical design
(The) Super Dimension Fortress Macross II: Lovers, Again (OAV) : Original Mechanical Design
(The) Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? (movie) : Chief Director, Director, Original story, Mechanical design, Mechanical Design Cooperation, Story Supervisor
(The) Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Flash Back 2012 (OAV) : Director, Mechanical design
Talking Head (hybrid movie) : Mecha design
Techno Police 21C (movie) : Action Choreography Assistance
Toshi Gordian (TV) : Mechanical design
Tosho Daimos (TV) : Guest Mechanical Design
Transformers (U.S. TV) : Original Mechanical Design
Transformers: Scramble City (OAV) : Original Mechanical Design
Transformers: The Movie (U.S.) : Original Mechanical Design
Ulysses 31 (TV) : Mechanical design
(The) Vision of Escaflowne (manga) : Original creator
(The) Vision of Escaflowne (TV) : Script (ep 1), Screenplay, Storyboard (ep 20), Original creator, Story Editor, Supervision

Growing up in the UK, one of the first Japanese titles I watched as a kid was "Gatcha Man" which was called "G-Force." I had no idea that it was of Japanese produce - not that it mattered back then anyway.
It wasn't until I got hold of a copy of Super Dimension Fortress Macross on VHS when I learned how awesome Japanese animation was. Macross had a captivating story, awesome mecha designs and lovely 2D girlies.

At that period in life however, it *did* matter that I knew that Macross was of Japanese produce which lead me to seek and discover more anime titles and learn more about Japanese culture too. Back then there were no Internets and the only way to have pictures of the girls (Minmay and Misa) was to take photos of the TV! Ah the good ol days.

Macross has really influenced my life a lot and was pleased to be able to get acquainted with the man behind it all. Hardly spoke a word of Japanese when I discovered Macross which was also a time where I was wondering what on earth to do in life.
Then after many moons, making an opportunity to live and work in Japan and acquire anime companies as clients *and* meeting Kawamori-san was like reaching a goal I guess.

I also met his manager who had an interesting story - he was working for a figure magazine and he approached Satelight saying that he was a big fan of Kawamori-san and that he wanted to be his manager ^^;

No dream is too big.

If there was an anime title that had a large influence impact on your life, which title would it be and why? Not particularly your fave title but something that really meant something to you. Maybe the first anime title you watched?
There is a poll embedded in this article.

Aquarion mecha guarding the door at the lobby.
BTW, cant remember if I asked before (tingling feeling that I have) but which is your most fave Macross title?
There is a poll embedded in this article.

Folks who follow my Twitter or Facebook will know that I've been spending a lot of time running around Tokyo working on trying to build up the business. New clients such as Dentsu, Kadokawa and King Records have been keeping me rather busy. The Japanese government (METI) have also been handing me challenging projects too ^o^

Other stuff that I'm working on are things like Mirai-chan's cameo anime appearances (which start in this Summers season), Culture Japan TV preparations, product development and prepping a few talks too - one of which will be done at the Cannes Advertising Festival.

Am also constantly spending time with many illustrators who are working on art work of our Mirai-chan.

Event planning is another thing that I'm working on - in particular Anime Expo. The organizers flew in from LA and will be coming over to the office in a couple of hours.

Must also find time late this month/early next month to do volunteer work up North for a few days.

Took these photos last month before the Tohoku Kanto Earthquake. Prepared some of the post but didn't get round to finishing it off until today ^^;
First off is the big change in the office - this corner used to have a table like so but we decided to move it up to the third floor instead.

Table vacated ready for a vacuum.

Brought the sofa down from the 2nd floor. Feels nice n cosy!

Got many visitors to the office and would often need to bring chairs down from the 2nd floor which was a pain - now they all sit on the sofa instead.

Me not too keen on the sofa cover but wifey insisted - her decision is absolute!

Adding lighting in dark corners helps make the room feel not so cramped - which is another reason why I have lights shining up from beneath my desk.

Buhi.

Not much change around this end of the room.

Completed 3rd Birthday. Currently playing Valkyria Chronicles 3.

Sticking up a Clear Rack near the sofa for some figma's. Simple to put up as all they require are a few pins in the wall.

Need to tidy this cabinet - tis a mess.

Adjusted the height of a few shelves so that the air purifier can fit.

Still messy up here - will think of something at a later date ^^;

While cleaning up earlier on, came across some nengajo which are new year greeting cards from some of the companies that I work with. Also some Christmas cards mixed in here too.

From Chun.

From Taitan.

Sorting out the HDs from the first season of Culture Japan TV. Each is 2TB. An uncompressed full HD Prores 30 min episode is about 50GB ToT

Cleaning up the bookshelf a wee bit.

A few spare Macs at the time which are in use now.

That Super Sculpey and tools are going to end up being a year untouched ToT.

3rd Floor which ended up like this after the earthquake.

And this is what the office looked like this morning.

Still working on Itamado. Currently got some quality issues after trimming which I'm working on now.
More from the Desk Diary series below.