Friday, January 7, 2011
Morning Musume gets 4 new members
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| Morning Musume’s new members, from left: Kanon Suzuki, Erina Ikuta, Riho Sayashi and Mizuki Fukumura stand with group leader Ai Takahashi |
After a grueling selection process, during which around 9,000 girls applied to join the band, the final four were Erina Ikuta, 13, Riho Sayashi, 12, Kanon Suzuki, 12, and Mizuki Fukumura, 14.
In front of 2,000 fans, Ikuta said, “It’s been a long climb to the top and I can’t wait to give it my best,” to which current group leader Ai Takahashi, 24, said: “I’m jealous. We’re an entire generation apart.”
It has not yet been decided when the four new members will begin performing with the band.
New Product Egg Digital Photo frame
Comes in three colors: white, blue and orange. Available online at Rakuten or Yahoo Japan. 1,280 yen.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Forgotten celebrities, villains, victims - 20 years later
Where are they now?
They filled our news columns and our television screens and seemed, for a moment, so important. The moment passes, and what happens to them? What are they up to, these forgotten celebrities, villains and victims, 20 years later? Shukan Shincho (Dec 30 – Jan 6) catches up on 20 of them. Lack of space confines us to two.
Remember the late Sosoke Uno? You’re forgiven if not. He was one of Japan’s least memorable prime ministers. His administration in 1989 lasted all of 69 days. Japan then was at the height of its prosperity, the grim decay in store for it scarcely foreseeable. Memorable prime ministers were a luxury the country didn’t need. Faceless nonentities served the purpose just fine. Uno is worth recalling only for the manner of his downfall, involving as it did a scandalous liaison with a geisha.
The geisha, Mitsuko Nakanishi, is now 61. “Same clear eyes, same full lips – you’d know her at a glance,” says Shukan Shincho. Too bad for her. The notoriety has been persistent, and it doesn’t seem to have done her much good. As for Uno himself – well, other high-ranking politicians have had geisha mistresses, there’s nothing new there, but compared to at least some of them, “Mr Uno,” says Nakanishi, “had absolutely no consideration for a woman.” It was a purely commercial arrangement – 300,000 yen a month in exchange for her availability.
What of Nakanishi since? “Wherever I went, I was stared at. I couldn’t set foot in Tokyo. My parents were dead, I was divorced, I had nothing to do with my son and nowhere to go. An acquaintance introduced me to a temple in Shiga Prefecture, and I joined as an acolyte.”
Even there, she says, the media sniffed her out. Besides, she lacked the religious vocation. Subsequent ups and downs sent her to work at an establishment purveying Buddhist accessories, to hairdressing school, to massage school. She qualified as a masseuse, got married, got divorced. No more marriage for her, she vows – two was enough. And how does she rate the current prime minister? Naoto Kan’s seemingly helpless political shuffling, she says, is “unmanly.” Not much seems to have changed in 20 years.
Our next guest, so to speak, is Nobuyuki Sato, vigorous champion of human rights – his own. His treatment in prison, where he languishes for kidnapping a 9-year-old girl in Niigata in 1989 and confining her nine years and two months, does not please him.
To a journalist who corresponds with him he reportedly wrote, “The feelings of the weak are not worth considering. What else can they do but yield to the strong?”
A quarrelsome prisoner, he has spent 250 days of the past 10 years in a punishment cell, and vigorously protests this “infringement of my human rights.” It never seems to cross his mind, remarks Shukan Shincho, that prison, though harsh, is humane compared to what he put his victim through.
The case was riveting at the time for its sheer horror. The victim, now 30, is “well, thank heaven,” says her grandmother. “She’s attending school. But Sato ruined her life. Even now, when she thinks back on her captivity, it drives her to despair. Memories like that don’t fade easily.”
They filled our news columns and our television screens and seemed, for a moment, so important. The moment passes, and what happens to them? What are they up to, these forgotten celebrities, villains and victims, 20 years later? Shukan Shincho (Dec 30 – Jan 6) catches up on 20 of them. Lack of space confines us to two.
Remember the late Sosoke Uno? You’re forgiven if not. He was one of Japan’s least memorable prime ministers. His administration in 1989 lasted all of 69 days. Japan then was at the height of its prosperity, the grim decay in store for it scarcely foreseeable. Memorable prime ministers were a luxury the country didn’t need. Faceless nonentities served the purpose just fine. Uno is worth recalling only for the manner of his downfall, involving as it did a scandalous liaison with a geisha.
The geisha, Mitsuko Nakanishi, is now 61. “Same clear eyes, same full lips – you’d know her at a glance,” says Shukan Shincho. Too bad for her. The notoriety has been persistent, and it doesn’t seem to have done her much good. As for Uno himself – well, other high-ranking politicians have had geisha mistresses, there’s nothing new there, but compared to at least some of them, “Mr Uno,” says Nakanishi, “had absolutely no consideration for a woman.” It was a purely commercial arrangement – 300,000 yen a month in exchange for her availability.
What of Nakanishi since? “Wherever I went, I was stared at. I couldn’t set foot in Tokyo. My parents were dead, I was divorced, I had nothing to do with my son and nowhere to go. An acquaintance introduced me to a temple in Shiga Prefecture, and I joined as an acolyte.”
Even there, she says, the media sniffed her out. Besides, she lacked the religious vocation. Subsequent ups and downs sent her to work at an establishment purveying Buddhist accessories, to hairdressing school, to massage school. She qualified as a masseuse, got married, got divorced. No more marriage for her, she vows – two was enough. And how does she rate the current prime minister? Naoto Kan’s seemingly helpless political shuffling, she says, is “unmanly.” Not much seems to have changed in 20 years.
Our next guest, so to speak, is Nobuyuki Sato, vigorous champion of human rights – his own. His treatment in prison, where he languishes for kidnapping a 9-year-old girl in Niigata in 1989 and confining her nine years and two months, does not please him.
To a journalist who corresponds with him he reportedly wrote, “The feelings of the weak are not worth considering. What else can they do but yield to the strong?”
A quarrelsome prisoner, he has spent 250 days of the past 10 years in a punishment cell, and vigorously protests this “infringement of my human rights.” It never seems to cross his mind, remarks Shukan Shincho, that prison, though harsh, is humane compared to what he put his victim through.
The case was riveting at the time for its sheer horror. The victim, now 30, is “well, thank heaven,” says her grandmother. “She’s attending school. But Sato ruined her life. Even now, when she thinks back on her captivity, it drives her to despair. Memories like that don’t fade easily.”
Forgotten celebrities, villains, victims - 20 years later
Where are they now?
They filled our news columns and our television screens and seemed, for a moment, so important. The moment passes, and what happens to them? What are they up to, these forgotten celebrities, villains and victims, 20 years later? Shukan Shincho (Dec 30 – Jan 6) catches up on 20 of them. Lack of space confines us to two.
Remember the late Sosoke Uno? You’re forgiven if not. He was one of Japan’s least memorable prime ministers. His administration in 1989 lasted all of 69 days. Japan then was at the height of its prosperity, the grim decay in store for it scarcely foreseeable. Memorable prime ministers were a luxury the country didn’t need. Faceless nonentities served the purpose just fine. Uno is worth recalling only for the manner of his downfall, involving as it did a scandalous liaison with a geisha.
The geisha, Mitsuko Nakanishi, is now 61. “Same clear eyes, same full lips – you’d know her at a glance,” says Shukan Shincho. Too bad for her. The notoriety has been persistent, and it doesn’t seem to have done her much good. As for Uno himself – well, other high-ranking politicians have had geisha mistresses, there’s nothing new there, but compared to at least some of them, “Mr Uno,” says Nakanishi, “had absolutely no consideration for a woman.” It was a purely commercial arrangement – 300,000 yen a month in exchange for her availability.
What of Nakanishi since? “Wherever I went, I was stared at. I couldn’t set foot in Tokyo. My parents were dead, I was divorced, I had nothing to do with my son and nowhere to go. An acquaintance introduced me to a temple in Shiga Prefecture, and I joined as an acolyte.”
Even there, she says, the media sniffed her out. Besides, she lacked the religious vocation. Subsequent ups and downs sent her to work at an establishment purveying Buddhist accessories, to hairdressing school, to massage school. She qualified as a masseuse, got married, got divorced. No more marriage for her, she vows – two was enough. And how does she rate the current prime minister? Naoto Kan’s seemingly helpless political shuffling, she says, is “unmanly.” Not much seems to have changed in 20 years.
Our next guest, so to speak, is Nobuyuki Sato, vigorous champion of human rights – his own. His treatment in prison, where he languishes for kidnapping a 9-year-old girl in Niigata in 1989 and confining her nine years and two months, does not please him.
To a journalist who corresponds with him he reportedly wrote, “The feelings of the weak are not worth considering. What else can they do but yield to the strong?”
A quarrelsome prisoner, he has spent 250 days of the past 10 years in a punishment cell, and vigorously protests this “infringement of my human rights.” It never seems to cross his mind, remarks Shukan Shincho, that prison, though harsh, is humane compared to what he put his victim through.
The case was riveting at the time for its sheer horror. The victim, now 30, is “well, thank heaven,” says her grandmother. “She’s attending school. But Sato ruined her life. Even now, when she thinks back on her captivity, it drives her to despair. Memories like that don’t fade easily.”
They filled our news columns and our television screens and seemed, for a moment, so important. The moment passes, and what happens to them? What are they up to, these forgotten celebrities, villains and victims, 20 years later? Shukan Shincho (Dec 30 – Jan 6) catches up on 20 of them. Lack of space confines us to two.
Remember the late Sosoke Uno? You’re forgiven if not. He was one of Japan’s least memorable prime ministers. His administration in 1989 lasted all of 69 days. Japan then was at the height of its prosperity, the grim decay in store for it scarcely foreseeable. Memorable prime ministers were a luxury the country didn’t need. Faceless nonentities served the purpose just fine. Uno is worth recalling only for the manner of his downfall, involving as it did a scandalous liaison with a geisha.
The geisha, Mitsuko Nakanishi, is now 61. “Same clear eyes, same full lips – you’d know her at a glance,” says Shukan Shincho. Too bad for her. The notoriety has been persistent, and it doesn’t seem to have done her much good. As for Uno himself – well, other high-ranking politicians have had geisha mistresses, there’s nothing new there, but compared to at least some of them, “Mr Uno,” says Nakanishi, “had absolutely no consideration for a woman.” It was a purely commercial arrangement – 300,000 yen a month in exchange for her availability.
What of Nakanishi since? “Wherever I went, I was stared at. I couldn’t set foot in Tokyo. My parents were dead, I was divorced, I had nothing to do with my son and nowhere to go. An acquaintance introduced me to a temple in Shiga Prefecture, and I joined as an acolyte.”
Even there, she says, the media sniffed her out. Besides, she lacked the religious vocation. Subsequent ups and downs sent her to work at an establishment purveying Buddhist accessories, to hairdressing school, to massage school. She qualified as a masseuse, got married, got divorced. No more marriage for her, she vows – two was enough. And how does she rate the current prime minister? Naoto Kan’s seemingly helpless political shuffling, she says, is “unmanly.” Not much seems to have changed in 20 years.
Our next guest, so to speak, is Nobuyuki Sato, vigorous champion of human rights – his own. His treatment in prison, where he languishes for kidnapping a 9-year-old girl in Niigata in 1989 and confining her nine years and two months, does not please him.
To a journalist who corresponds with him he reportedly wrote, “The feelings of the weak are not worth considering. What else can they do but yield to the strong?”
A quarrelsome prisoner, he has spent 250 days of the past 10 years in a punishment cell, and vigorously protests this “infringement of my human rights.” It never seems to cross his mind, remarks Shukan Shincho, that prison, though harsh, is humane compared to what he put his victim through.
The case was riveting at the time for its sheer horror. The victim, now 30, is “well, thank heaven,” says her grandmother. “She’s attending school. But Sato ruined her life. Even now, when she thinks back on her captivity, it drives her to despair. Memories like that don’t fade easily.”
Monday, January 3, 2011
Father, son return safely after night lost in Aomori ski area
AOMORI — A 55-year-old man and his 11-year-old son returned safely Monday morning after spending a night missing at the Mt Hakkoda ski area in Aomori, northeastern Japan, police said.
After deviating from a ski course and getting lost in fog Sunday afternoon, Nobuyuki and Hiroshi Ogawa passed the night without sleep in the freezing cold in a hole at the root of a large tree and were found around 7:45 a.m. by a police searcher, they said.
Although the temperature at the mountaintop was minus 13 on Sunday midnight, they were confirmed free from injury at a hospital where they were taken for checks, the police added.
Searcher Kazuo Sato, 60, found the pair standing near a stream several hundred meters from a ski course. The two then went down the mountain on skis, telling the searcher they were fine, according to Sato.
The two had not returned after going toward a peak of the ski area Sunday afternoon while skiing from that morning with two other family members—Ogawa’s wife and another son—prompting some 20 police officers to search for them from early Monday.
After deviating from a ski course and getting lost in fog Sunday afternoon, Nobuyuki and Hiroshi Ogawa passed the night without sleep in the freezing cold in a hole at the root of a large tree and were found around 7:45 a.m. by a police searcher, they said.
Although the temperature at the mountaintop was minus 13 on Sunday midnight, they were confirmed free from injury at a hospital where they were taken for checks, the police added.
Searcher Kazuo Sato, 60, found the pair standing near a stream several hundred meters from a ski course. The two then went down the mountain on skis, telling the searcher they were fine, according to Sato.
The two had not returned after going toward a peak of the ski area Sunday afternoon while skiing from that morning with two other family members—Ogawa’s wife and another son—prompting some 20 police officers to search for them from early Monday.
74-yr-old man held for killing 71-yr-old wife
TOKYO — Police have arrested a 74-year-old man on suspicion of killing his 71-year-old wife at their home in Tachikawa, Tokyo, on Saturday. Police said Sunday that they received a call at around 10 a.m. from Toshiaki Hirota, saying that he had just killed his wife.
When police arrived, they found Hirota’s wife Hisae on a bed, bleeding from stab wounds to her chest. She was taken to hospital where she died a short time later.
During police questioning, Hirota was quoted as saying: “We hadn’t been getting on for
a while. She would flare up over the tiniest thing.”
When police arrived, they found Hirota’s wife Hisae on a bed, bleeding from stab wounds to her chest. She was taken to hospital where she died a short time later.
During police questioning, Hirota was quoted as saying: “We hadn’t been getting on for
a while. She would flare up over the tiniest thing.”
2011 starts with a glitch for some iPhone users
Users who set their iPhone alarm for a single wake-up rather than recurring use found the alarm didn’t go off with the year’s arrival, Apple Inc. spokeswoman Natalie Harrison said Sunday.
A fix is in the works, and all iPhone alarms will work properly starting Monday, she said.
The glitch affects iPhones using Apple’s latest iOS 4.0 operating system, including earlier versions of the smart phone whose users have downloaded the latest software.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the alarm problem, or how many iPhone users were affected. Online postings on blogs and social media sites described people being late for work, church services and other appointments on Saturday and Sunday because of the problem.
The problem is the second in two months involving the iPhone’s alarm clock. The company said in early November that the end of daylight savings time could cause problems for iPhone users. In that instance, Apple said that repeating alarms set on iPhones and some versions of the iPod touch might not recognize the Nov 7 end of daylight savings time, and might work incorrectly shortly before or after the time change.
The Cupertino-based company introduced the iPhone in 2007. Apple sold 14.1 million iPhones in its fiscal fourth quarter, from July through September.
9 die after choking on rice cake over weekend
TOKYO — A 96-year-old man died Monday after a piece of ‘‘mochi’’ rice cake became stuck in his throat at his home in Tokyo, becoming the seventh person, all of whom were men, in Tokyo to die of the same cause during the first three days of the new year, rescue workers said Monday.
In Saitama Prefecture, a 66-year-old woman died Monday a day after she choked on a rice cake during a New Year’s event at a pachinko parlor in Kawaguchi and was hospitalized, police said.
In the city of Saitama, a 75-year-old man died Monday after eating a rice cake at his home, they added.
Mochi is traditionally eaten during the New Year period in Japan
In Saitama Prefecture, a 66-year-old woman died Monday a day after she choked on a rice cake during a New Year’s event at a pachinko parlor in Kawaguchi and was hospitalized, police said.
In the city of Saitama, a 75-year-old man died Monday after eating a rice cake at his home, they added.
Mochi is traditionally eaten during the New Year period in Japan
Ayumi is Now Mrs. Schwarz
To my beloved TA,
2 January 2011. 3:10pm
On the 1st of January 2011,
we registered our marriage in a small chapel in America.
Because I want everyone in TA to know about this first, I'm writing this now.
I think everyone else knows about this already, but my husband is Mannie.
He is my Last angel.
From now on, I will still continue being the person I have always been.
That's why, I wish for everyone to continue being the same too.
Let's go on at the same speed, watching the same scenery.*
(*line taken from the song NEXT LEVEL)
Source:http://www.jpopasia.com/news/5062/ayumi-hamasaki-is-now-mrsschwarz.html
Sunday, January 2, 2011
New year begins with measures to discourage consumer spending
TOKYO — The beginning of the new year marked some significant changes that economic analysts say will dampen consumer spending in Japan, most notably an eco-point subsidy cut and an end to tax breaks for certain families.
Consumer confidence in the country, already mired in the long-stagnant economy, is expected to be hit further after eligibility for the government’s eco-point program became limited on Saturday to only ‘‘five-star’’ energy-efficient home appliances.
Eco-points are now awarded for the purchase of top-tier energy-saving products designated under the country’s home appliance recycling system only for the purpose of replacing old appliances.
The latest step came a month after eco-points were cut by half due to concerns about funding shortages for the incentive program, which will expire at the end of March.
The slashing of eco-points led to a 40% drop on year in sales of flat-screen televisions at major retailers in the first half of December, according to research firm GfK Marketing Services Japan.
A number of analysts forecast sales declines of the same scale will continue although last-minute demand is expected to emerge prior to the expiration of the subsidy program.
Yusaku Yamagata, an analyst at GfK Marketing, described such a rush of buyers as a preempting of demand and said it is likely that home appliance sales will ‘‘decrease for two to three years’’ in reaction to the higher demand supported by the eco-point scheme.
Also denting consumer sentiment is the abolition this month of the dependent deduction for children up to the age of 15, adopted under the tax system reform for the current fiscal year through March to help fund child-rearing allowances.
Estimates by the Dai-ichi Life Research Institute say there will be a decrease of 76,000 yen in tax breaks or government support in 2011 from the previous year for a family of a salaried worker with an annual income of 8 million yen, a non-working spouse and a child attending an elementary school or junior high school.
Consumer confidence in the country, already mired in the long-stagnant economy, is expected to be hit further after eligibility for the government’s eco-point program became limited on Saturday to only ‘‘five-star’’ energy-efficient home appliances.
Eco-points are now awarded for the purchase of top-tier energy-saving products designated under the country’s home appliance recycling system only for the purpose of replacing old appliances.
The latest step came a month after eco-points were cut by half due to concerns about funding shortages for the incentive program, which will expire at the end of March.
The slashing of eco-points led to a 40% drop on year in sales of flat-screen televisions at major retailers in the first half of December, according to research firm GfK Marketing Services Japan.
A number of analysts forecast sales declines of the same scale will continue although last-minute demand is expected to emerge prior to the expiration of the subsidy program.
Yusaku Yamagata, an analyst at GfK Marketing, described such a rush of buyers as a preempting of demand and said it is likely that home appliance sales will ‘‘decrease for two to three years’’ in reaction to the higher demand supported by the eco-point scheme.
Also denting consumer sentiment is the abolition this month of the dependent deduction for children up to the age of 15, adopted under the tax system reform for the current fiscal year through March to help fund child-rearing allowances.
Estimates by the Dai-ichi Life Research Institute say there will be a decrease of 76,000 yen in tax breaks or government support in 2011 from the previous year for a family of a salaried worker with an annual income of 8 million yen, a non-working spouse and a child attending an elementary school or junior high school.
Ayumi Hamasaki to Marry Austrian Actor
Hamasaki, 32, and Schwarz, 30, met last August in Los Angeles when she made a promotional film for her song Virgin Road, the office said. Schwarz lives in Los Angeles. In the film, he played her bridegroom.
K-pop girl idols draw young Japanese with Net blitz, boy band boom
(Kara)
TOKYO — Thanks to the Internet and an early fascination with South Korea’s boy bands, young Japanese girls and women are shifting in droves to the latest pop idol sensation—Korean girl groups.
Rio Nagasaki, a 15-year-old junior high school student, is among a growing number of fans smitten by South Korean pop music—dubbed ‘‘K-pop’’—performed by artists of about her own age.
‘‘I learned about KARA a year ago before their debut via the Net,’’ she said, referring to the all-girl five-member group that is so far the most visible K-pop girl group in Japan.
‘‘They are very cute and dance well, and I like the fact that they are not that familiar with the Japanese language,’’ said Nagasaki after making a purchase from one of the stores selling K-pop goods in Tokyo’s Okubo district, which has become a focal point for K-pop fans.
Barely a minute’s walk from JR Shin-Okubo Station are several shops selling K-pop paraphernalia such as notebooks, mugs and accessories that shoppers flock to.
Lee Keun Hang, chief of Hanryu Hyakatten (Korean Department Store), said, ‘‘Customers have grown threefold now from last year, and almost 100% of our customers are female.’‘
‘‘Female fans in their 30s and above are already customers because of their love for South Korean dramas and boy bands, but recently I’m seeing more and more teenagers and those in their 20s coming here,’’ Lee said, noting that for avid fans visiting the Okubo district is like experiencing a ‘‘little South Korea.’‘
Masayuki Furuya, a radio DJ, journalist, and TV celebrity who is an expert on Korean pop culture, explained that the boom in K-pop girl groups stems from two factors—the captured fan base of popular South Korean boy bands and the accessibility of information via the Internet, especially the YouTube video-sharing site.
‘‘What happened was when fans of boy bands such as TVXQ and BIGBANG were searching the Internet in 2009, there was so much information about K-pop girl groups, which were becoming increasingly popular, and as they learned more about K-pop they discovered the charm of these girl groups,’’ Furuya said.
As if to illustrate his point, two women in their 20s, who were shopping for Girls’ Generation items, said they were fans of the five-member TVXQ, popularly known in Japan as Toho Shinki, and this had ‘‘extended’’ to their fascination with the nine-member Girls’ Generation.
Furuya also pointed to the crucial role of YouTube, where the artists’ official music videos or songs have been made accessible for promotion, a far cry from the situation several years ago.
Realizing the potential of this industry, the South Korean government has thrown its full support behind its K-pop artists and Korean TV drama actors, and now their celebrities and the products they endorse are well-known in China, Vietnam, and Thailand, said the Japanese trade and industry’s June report, which noted the tough competition Japan now has with South Korea in terms of capturing the Asian market for pop culture.
According to Furuya, Japanese girls are attracted to K-pop female idols as there is currently no real Japanese idol to look up to, unlike in the 1990s with the likes of pop sensation Namie Amuro, and these idols have perfect bodies, can sing and dance, and perform songs that have catchy lyrics and can be sung easily in karaoke sessions.
According to the Korea Creative Content Agency Japan Office, exports of broadcasting content from South Korea in 2009 amounted to $183.59 million, up 1.9% from 2008. The main market is Asia, with Japan accounting for more than 60% of it.
Exports of music alone, based on the agency’s latest figures, were worth $16.50 million in fiscal 2008, of which the Japanese market accounted for 68%. The agency predicts the fiscal 2009 figures will higher due to the surge of K-pop girls’ groups around that time.
Since last summer, KARA and Girls’ Generation have made forays into the Japanese market. Their singles have ranked in Japan’s Oricon music charts, their concerts were jam-packed, and they are being featured in fashion magazines and on TV. While some of the members can speak Japanese, some fans said that when it comes to performing they prefer to listen to them sing in their native tongue.
Miho Matsumoto, a 31-year-old resident of Shizuoka Prefecture, said she prefers to listen to the Girls Generation’s original version of ‘‘Gee,’’ their debut single in Japan.
‘‘Korean songs have melodies that are not in Japanese songs, and when they sing it there’s already so much emotion in it, so I prefer them singing in Korean,’’ said Matsumoto, whose love of K-pop and all things Korean has made her take up studying the language.
Cha Yu Jin, one of the managers of KoreaPlaza, which has a vast collection of original and Japanese versions of K-pop songs, said that a great percentage of the original CDs have been sold.
But whether this phenomenon will grow to embrace the whole of Japan remains is to be seen.
‘‘In terms of music sales, the K-pop girl groups and boy bands are doing well, but on the other hand their popularity is more concentrated in one area, mostly in the metropolis and big cities, and this has yet to gather steam in the rural areas,’’ Furuya said.
Takehara drawing young male anime fans
HIROSHIMA — The old scenic city of Takehara in the western Japan prefecture of Hiroshima, which had previously attracted elderly tourists to its streets lined with traditional-style buildings, is now drawing young male fans of the ‘‘anime’’ series ‘‘Tamayura’’ that is based in the city.
Anime enthusiasts can now be spotted in the town taking photos of scenes and stores from ‘‘Tamayura,’’ which portrays the life of a high school girl who loves taking photos and is directed by Junichi Sato of the ‘‘Sailor Moon’’ series.
In November, a section of a local shopping street with many empty stores was suddenly revived as around 200 people, mostly men in their 20s and 30s, gathered at an outdoor talk show featuring voice actresses from the anime series.
Koji Kurata, a 34-year-old company employee, said he had traveled by overnight bus from Sagamihara City in Kanagawa Prefecture, eastern Japan, and it was the third time he was visiting Takehara.
‘‘It’s part of the psyche of fans to want to visit the town where the story is set,’’ he said.
Residents of the town are finding ways to accommodate the fans, such as operating a ferry adorned with graphics of the anime characters and distributing commemorative tickets for the ferry ride.
‘‘We hope to promote the beauty of the town across the country through anime,’’ said Yasushi Sado, director of Network Takehara, a nonprofit group promoting the town
Anime enthusiasts can now be spotted in the town taking photos of scenes and stores from ‘‘Tamayura,’’ which portrays the life of a high school girl who loves taking photos and is directed by Junichi Sato of the ‘‘Sailor Moon’’ series.
In November, a section of a local shopping street with many empty stores was suddenly revived as around 200 people, mostly men in their 20s and 30s, gathered at an outdoor talk show featuring voice actresses from the anime series.
Koji Kurata, a 34-year-old company employee, said he had traveled by overnight bus from Sagamihara City in Kanagawa Prefecture, eastern Japan, and it was the third time he was visiting Takehara.
‘‘It’s part of the psyche of fans to want to visit the town where the story is set,’’ he said.
Residents of the town are finding ways to accommodate the fans, such as operating a ferry adorned with graphics of the anime characters and distributing commemorative tickets for the ferry ride.
‘‘We hope to promote the beauty of the town across the country through anime,’’ said Yasushi Sado, director of Network Takehara, a nonprofit group promoting the town
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