TOKYO —
Japanese pop singer Salia wowed crowds at three U.S. Asian pop culture events as she showcased new music, style and an exciting music video launch for her new single, “Trust in Me.”

Audiences at three U.S. Japanese pop culture events got the privilege of sampling brand new music from Japanese singer/ songwriter, Salia’s upcoming debut pop album through a series of live pre-album promotional concerts that took place between June 16 – July 1.

Salia launched the pre-album promotional tour that included stops at Anime Mid-Atlantic in Virginia Beach, JAFAX in Grand Rapids Michigan, and Anime Festival Wichita, in Kansas, to give back to her original loyal fan base that welcomed her when she first started making appearances outside Japan in 2006. Thousands of fans got to witness exclusive concerts featuring a newly styled Salia accompanied by DJ Asu Rock, Hip Hop dancers, and brand new unreleased pop music from Salia’s upcoming album as well as her world renowned classic theme songs.

Marking the Launch of the tour was a VIP party held by Anime Mid-Atlantic featuring the release of “Trust in Me,” the first single from Salia’s forthcoming album of the same title and world premiere of the new music video http://youtu.be/3a3w6MiCP_I?hd=1

Salia’s “Trust in Me” music video is directed and edited by cinematographer Tim “Black Magic Tim” Wilson who executes a fairy tale driven storyline accompanied by amazing fantasy scenery, and enticing visual effects.

Salia will be touring the U.S. again in September with a headline appearance at the Asian American talent competition show KOLLABORATION DC to mark the release of her new album.

“Trust in Me” is released through Toramaru Entertainment and is now on sale on all major digital download outlets including itunes at http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/trust-in-me-radio/id527044155?i=527044160&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Trust-in-Me-the-Single/dp/B0082XQGPU/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342640354&sr=301-1

For more information about Salia and her upcoming solo debut, visit her official artist website at www.saliarocks.com.

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TOKYO —
Yasushi Akimoto, producer of the mega-popular idol group AKB48 and its offshoots, has announced a “study abroad” program for his girls.

Akimoto, who often uses expressions from the worlds of education and politics as euphemisms for business activities carried out by his performers, has announced the “study abroad” program via the AKB48 Google+ page.

It is thought that the project is to become a TV show in which young Japanese girls from AKB48 are sent abroad to spend between six months and a year with their counterparts in Indonesia (JKT48), Shanghai (SNH48) and and Taiwan (TPE48), Nikkan Sports reports.

It has not yet been confirmed who will be appearing in the show, although the group’s Google+ page says that the management are now
“accepting applications.”

Japan Today

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TOKYO —
TV personality Yoko Kumada has announced on her blog that she secretly got married in April. The announcement was made as reports began to emerge that Kumada is now five months pregnant.

On her blog, Kumada told fans, “We are incredibly happy together and we are in a loving relationship. I plan to use my mom and dad’s relationship as a model for my own and I hope to raise a healthy, happy baby.”

The blog post was uploaded on the same day that Kumada announced her marriage on TV Asahi’s “London Hearts” show and via her talent management agency.

Japan Today

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TOKYO —
Singer Kumi Koda, 29, has given birth to a baby boy, her agency Avex announced Thursday. The statement said the 2,952-gram boy was born last weekend. In the statement, Koda said she was overjoyed to be a mother.

Koda, who is married to 27-year-old Back-On guitarist Kenji03, has announced her intention to return to the stage in November.

The tour will include seven performances in four cities and is expected to attract around 62,000 spectators. The Nov 13 show will be both Koda’s first ever show at Budokan and the first time she has performed on her birthday, at which she will celebrate turning 30 in the company of her fans.

Koda is scheduled to play at Osaka Castle Hall on Nov 7 and 8, followed by Tokyo’s Budokan on Nov 13 and 14, Nagoya’s Nippon Gaishi Hall on Nov 20 and 21 and then the Shimin Bunka Center in Koriyama, Fukushima on Nov 27.

Japan Today

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TOKYO —
Casio Computer Co has signed Girls’ Generation, the South Korean girl pop group that has taken Asia by storm, as the face of a Baby-G advertising campaign. Girls’ Generation embodies the “tough, cute, cool” concept of Baby-G, Casio’s shock resistant watches for women.

Launched in 1994, Baby-G is Casio’s watch brand for women which inherits the toughness of its shock-resistant G-SHOCK watches. Since then, the basic shock resistance and superior waterproof performance of Baby-G has evolved with additional features and higher performance, including solar-powered systems and neon illuminators. The Baby-G brand is extremely popular with young women, who appreciate how its design not only taps the latest trends but also allows individual expression, as well as the rich spectrum of colors that make Baby-G watches the perfect fashion accessory.

Girls’ Generation is a highly versatile girl pop group whose members not only sing, but also appear as models and actresses on TV, in commercials, and in films. Girls’ Generation is the ideal match for the Baby-G brand, with the group’s adaptable yet tough, active image and sporty, healthy beauty, topped by the individuality of each of the nine members’ fashionable lifestyles.

Girls’ Generation will represent the face of the brand in South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia.

By appearing in product catalogs and advertisements, Girls’ Generation will promote the Baby-G worldview to young women, the brand’s target demographic.

Taeyeon, Jessica, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun are the nine members who make up Girls’ Generation. Since their debut as pop singers in 2007, the girls have expanded into modeling and acting, as well.

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PHOTO BY KAMASAMI KONG

Girls prepare for the famous Tenjin Matsuri (festival) in Minami-Mirimachi, Osaka. The two-day festival, which begins Tuesday, is one of the three biggest summer festivals in Japan, along with the Gion festival in Kyoto and the Kanda festival in Tokyo. The 1,000-year-old festival culminates in a huge fireworks display.

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TOKYO — Your daily life changes when the environment around you changes. Many people who go abroad find their daily routine changing to adapt to the environment, sometimes without being aware of the change.

The website MADAME RiRi, which covers offbeat and interesting topics in Japan and around the world, gives some examples of how foreign people’s daily life has changed after they moved to Japan.

—I have become addicted to tissues. (American living in Hokkaido)

“When I first came to Japan, I avoided people who were distributing pocket tissues. However, now I collect them whenever it starts to get cold outside. In fact, I am uncomfortable if I don’t have tissues in my pocket when I leave the house.”

—I started to sleep on the floor. (Canadian)

—I got used to the unavoidable humidity on July, and say “I’m sorry” when I hit bump into people accidentally, and keep pushing the Open button in elevators when I get to my floor. (American living in Korea)

—I take my shoes off inside the house obviously. (American living in Tokyo)

—I cannot live without five finger socks. (American man)

—I still take my shoes off at the door when I return to my home country and I go to the convenience store 8 times a day. (Danish man)

—I spend more money than before. I feel like everything is an adventure here. (Englishman, 36)

—I serve green tea when a guest comes, eat soba noodles at the station every morning. I have changed my life to adapt to the train schedule. I have started sorting the trash out into burnable and non-burnable. (Frenchman)

—I take a hot bath every night. (American man)

—I got used to eating rice with most meals. Now I love it! (French woman)

—I got used to being treated as a foreigner. (American man)

“Japanese women became interested in me and people touch my long blond hair.”

—I got used to living in a small apartment. (American woman)

—I no longer drive a car and eat less meat and fewer snacks. (American man from U.S. Midwest)

—I think before talking, have become humble and am satisfied easily even at the small things in my life. (Austrian man)

—I carry a dictionary everywhere and am more tolerant. (American living in Japan for 15 years)

—I lost my sense of humor, became perverted, I sleep in trains, became addicted to vending machines, stopped going for a walk to smoke. I have become serious about everything. (Dutchman)

—I pay more attention to my appearance than before, and I walk and read more than before. (American man living in Tokyo)

—I got used to speaking simple English slowly, I spend a long time taking a hot bath and I bow slightly when I apologize or out of appreciation. (American woman)

—I can sleep easily. (Belgian man)

—I eat breakfast properly. (Mexican man)

“I used to drink only orange juice or coffee for breakfast before.”

—I cannot live without green tea. (Finnish woman)

—My height is 194cm, so I am careful not to hit my head anywhere. I use the air conditioner in summer. I don’t go to friends’ houses or invite them to mine. (French man)

—“It is usual to invite people over in France, but in Japan, I found it is more usual to hang out outside. Eating out is cheap in Japan.”

—I walk on the left side of the road. (American man)

—I eat less than before. (Canadian man)

“Now, I cannot eat a whole meal when I go out for dinner back in Canada.”

—I lost 15 kg in an year. (American man)

—I have fewer dislikes when it comes to food. I have even started eating raw fish. (Mexican woman)

Source: MADAME RiRi

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TOKYO — There are many customs and behaviors that are natural for Japanese people, either because they are historically accepted, imposed by society or because they are part of the Japanese psyche. To foreign visitors, some of these customs can be a bit confusing.

MADAME RiRi offers a few examples.

1. Making the peace sign (vee)

Many young Japanese people instinctively form a vee with their fingers when they pose for photos. In many other countries, this is the sign of peace. But there is no such meaning in Japan. Fortunately, Japanese make the vee sign with the palm of their hand facing the photographer and not the back of the hand, which might get them in trouble overseas. In any case, it’s a good way to spot who the Japanese tourists are in a crowd.

2. Sitting on the floor

Many foreign people wonder why Japanese people sit on the floor. It is very rare to see people sit on the floor in Western countries where tatami mats are not common. Many foreign visitors to Japan find it hard (and painful) to sit on the floor, opting instead for the familiarity of the couch or chair.

3. Drinking barley tea

If you open the fridge in most Japanese homes or look at any vending machine, you’ll likely see barley tea. It’s a refreshing drink that goes well with meals and is particularly good in hot weather. And it doesn’t have a lot of caffeine.

4. Slurping ramen, sniffling

Japanese people usually slurp when they eat noodles such as ramen, soba and udon. Although slurping noodles is considered rude in Western countries, in Japan, it is an expression of one’s appreciation for the meal. So slurp away as loud as you like. Sniffling, clearing one’s throat and swallowing phlegm are also habits that visitors may find unsettling.

5. Nodding response (Aizuchi)

When you communicate with Japanese people, you often see them nodding their response with words like “He,” “Un,” “Soso,” “So nanda” and so on. This type of nodding response is called “Aizuchi” in Japanese and dates back to the Edo period. “Aizuchi” is also a good way of looking like you are taking part in a conversation, but foreign people seldom use these words, perhaps because they feel it will look like they are not listening seriously.

6. Double-eyelid surgery

Perhaps this one applies to many women in Asia, not just Japan. Double eyelid surgery is common because young women want to have bigger eyes. Have a look at the girls who adorn the covers of fashion magazines, or pop diva Ayumi Hamasaki. Foreigners may wonder why Japanese women get cosmetic surgery for their eyes but don’t do anything about their teeth. In the West, a woman is more likely to get a nip and tuck, but rarely have her eyes altered.

7. Walking pigeon-toed in high heels

Some Japanese girls cannot walk gracefully in high heels and end up walking pigeon-toed.

8. Bowing

Bowing is an integral part of Japanese society, whether you are saying hello, goodbye, apologizing, expressing condolences or just responding instinctively. Some Japanese people even bow while talking on the phone. In Western countries, the handshake and hug are more common.

Source: MADAME RiRi

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TOKYO — Casio Computer Co has signed Girls’ Generation, the South Korean girl pop group that has taken Asia by storm, as the face of a Baby-G advertising campaign. Girls’ Generation embodies the “tough, cute, cool” concept of Baby-G, Casio’s shock resistant watches for women.

Launched in 1994, Baby-G is Casio’s watch brand for women which inherits the toughness of its shock-resistant G-SHOCK watches. Since then, the basic shock resistance and superior waterproof performance of Baby-G has evolved with additional features and higher performance, including solar-powered systems and neon illuminators. The Baby-G brand is extremely popular with young women, who appreciate how its design not only taps the latest trends but also allows individual expression, as well as the rich spectrum of colors that make Baby-G watches the perfect fashion accessory.

Girls’ Generation is a highly versatile girl pop group whose members not only sing, but also appear as models and actresses on TV, in commercials, and in films. Girls’ Generation is the ideal match for the Baby-G brand, with the group’s adaptable yet tough, active image and sporty, healthy beauty, topped by the individuality of each of the nine members’ fashionable lifestyles.

Girls’ Generation will represent the face of the brand in South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia.

By appearing in product catalogs and advertisements, Girls’ Generation will promote the Baby-G worldview to young women, the brand’s target demographic.

Taeyeon, Jessica, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun are the nine members who make up Girls’ Generation. Since their debut as pop singers in 2007, the girls have expanded into modeling and acting, as well.

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TOKYO — Chiyoda Ward officials on Friday appointed “talent” Megumi Yasu their “Commanding Officer of Fraud Prevention” for a day.

Yasu, 30, was appointed to draw shoppers’ attention to the fact that bank transfer scams are still rife in Japan. According to police, despite notices on ATMs, high-profile news stories and repeated warning, there has been an explosion in the number of cases of elderly people transfering or posting money to people posing as their relatives, Sankei Shimbun reported.

Yasu urged shoppers to agree on passwords with their relatives and to keep in regular contact in an attempt to prevent such scams in the future.

Japan Today

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TOKYO —
Actress Satomi Ishihara, 25, has been chosen as the 2012 Zespri kiwifruit image character.

Ishihara takes over from past image characters Norika Fujiwara, Moe Oshikiri, Suzanne and Papaya Suzuki. She will appear in TV commercials, on posters and attend events, extolling the health benefits of kiwifruit.

Ishihara, who is currently appearing in a stage version of “Romeo and Juliet,” said kiwifruit is a great source of vitamin C and gives her the energy she needs for her busy work schedule.

Japan Today

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TOKYO —
With the rainy season around the corner, Seven & i this week launches its “Rain style collection” of fashionable and functionable rainwear. AKB48 singer Tomomi Itano, 20, and AKB48 sub-act French Kiss are image characters for the TV commercial campaign.

Itano said, “I don’t like rainy days, but I wouldn’t mind going out in the rain in this gear.”

French Kiss singer Yuki Kashiwagi, 20, said she is always referred to as “ame onna” (a woman whose presence seems to cause rain), while her colleague Asuka Kuramochi, 22, said the weather is always bad when the group has outdoor shoots, so the rainwear will come in handy.

Japan Today

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TOKYO —
A new Vocaloid character named Mayu was announced by Exit Tunes, a Japanese record label that produces Vocaloid albums, during their live event at Saitama Super Arena on May 6.

Mayu dresses in goth-loli style, wearing a black dress with red ribbons and a beret that with a speaker attached. She holds a plush rabbit with a microphone at the top its head and pictures on the official site suggest she uses the doll when performing.

While red ribbons and plush bunnies sound adorable enough, Japanese netizens have noticed one slightly discomforting detail: Mayu is gripping an axe with her right hand.

Why a Vocaloid would need a weapon is beyond us and we’re pretty sure the image of a sweet young girl nonchalantly holding an axe is the stuff of nightmares for some people.

While it remains to be seen if Mayu will take the axe on stage with her, Exit Tunes has made it clear that they’ll be providing fans a staggering amount of freedom regarding derivative works. According to Mayu’s official website, individuals and dojin circles are free to use Mayu’s character design, voice and name for items sold or distributed in a limited scale without the permission of Exit Tunes.

The site currently offers no information about the actual Vocaloid software, though there are a few wallpapers and icons up for download and two demo videos featuring Mayu’s voice have been uploaded to the unofficial YouTube channel MayuVocaloid.

RocketNews24

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TOKYO —
Pornographic actress and model Sora Aoi is said to be the most famous Japanese person in China. She commands over 11,180,000 followers on China’s Twitter-like microblogging platform Sina Weibo — enough to start a potent revolution if she were so inclined.

If numbers aren’t enough to convince you of Aoi’s influence, a set of photos taken during her recent visit to the capital city of Fujian Province, Fuzhou, should certainly prove that she can draw a crowd of frenzied Chinese men like very few revolutionaries could.

The images were uploaded to Chinese bulletin board site tt.mop and show a throng of male fans with cameras and smartphones rushing to catch “Aoi Sora-Sensei” on camera.

Even the organizer of the event who greeted her on stage couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off Aoi.

Aoi’s big international break came in 2010 when she began connecting with Chinese fans through Twitter and Sina Weibo with the help of translation software. Despite porn being illegal in Mainland China, she quickly found that she had millions of fans in the country who knew of her though the internet or under-the-table DVD sales.

Aoi is now trying to make a career change from porn star to performing artist, having released a music single in 2010 and a short, fully-clothed film earlier this year.

RocketNews24

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TOKYO —
Actress Erika Sawajiri, 26, who makes her return to the big screen on July 14 after a five-year hiatus with the movie “Helter Skelter,” is now on leave while recovering from “health problems,” which some sources have attributed to depression associated with the role.

However, the movie’s creators have revealed that a commercial that was broadcast in the fictional world of the movie is to make the transition to Japan’s television screens as part of an ad campaign for department store Parco.

Directed by Mika Ninagawa, “Helter Skelter” is based on an award-winning sexually graphic manga by Kyoko Okazaki. Sawajiri plays the role of Ririko who becomes a new breed of entertainment industry star after undergoing cosmetic surgery on her entire body. When the clinic is investigated for its shady business practices, Ririko’s beauty to starts fade. Her mental condition also starts to deteriorate.

Sawajiri co-stars with Kiko Mizuhara, 21, who plays a younger model. The pair dress as Parco mascot “Parkoala” for the commercial.

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