Japanorama
Encyclopedia
Japanorama was a series of documentaries
presented by Jonathan Ross
, exploring various facets of popular culture and trends of modern-day Japan
.
Each episode had a theme, around which he presented cultural phenomena, films, music, and art that exemplify facets of Japan. The series was colourful in both its creative use of subject matter, and its use of bright colours that helped accent the action on screen rather than distract from it. Subjects were separated by eye catches that often featured the artwork of Junko Mizuno
. Ross hosted each episode in suits so bright and stylised they could have been stolen from an anime
character.
Fans have credited the series for the care that both Ross and the BBC have placed in its production. Time was given to delve into each subject, and he was able to interview various figureheads of culture and industry, including Mamoru Oshii
, Hayao Miyazaki
, Takeshi Kitano
, Takashi Miike
with Takashi Murakami
and Sonny Chiba
.
The theme song of the show was Kiyoshi no zundoko bushi by Kiyoshi Hikawa
.
in 2002
, while series 2 and 3 were shown on BBC Three
in 2006
and 2007
respectively.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
presented by Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross may refer to:* Jonathan Ross , English television and radio personality* Jonathan Ross , United States Senator, Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court* Jonathon Ross , former Australian rules footballer...
, exploring various facets of popular culture and trends of modern-day Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Each episode had a theme, around which he presented cultural phenomena, films, music, and art that exemplify facets of Japan. The series was colourful in both its creative use of subject matter, and its use of bright colours that helped accent the action on screen rather than distract from it. Subjects were separated by eye catches that often featured the artwork of Junko Mizuno
Junko Mizuno
is a Japanese manga artist.Mizuno's drawing style, which mixes childish sweetness and cuteness with blood and terror has been termed a Gothic kawaii or kawaii noir style. In addition to her comics, she designs T-shirts, calendars, postcards, and other collectibles...
. Ross hosted each episode in suits so bright and stylised they could have been stolen from an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
character.
Fans have credited the series for the care that both Ross and the BBC have placed in its production. Time was given to delve into each subject, and he was able to interview various figureheads of culture and industry, including Mamoru Oshii
Mamoru Oshii
Mamoru Oshii is a Japanese filmmaker, television director, and writer. Famous for his philosophy-oriented storytelling, Oshii has directed a number of popular anime, including Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer, Ghost in the Shell, and Patlabor 2...
, Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki
is a Japanese manga artist and prominent film director and animator of many popular anime feature films. Through a career that has spanned nearly fifty years, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a maker of animated feature films and, along with Isao Takahata, co-founded Studio Ghibli,...
, Takeshi Kitano
Takeshi Kitano
is a Japanese filmmaker, comedian, singer, actor, film editor, presenter, screenwriter, author, poet, painter, and one-time video game designer who has received critical acclaim, both in his native Japan and abroad, for his highly idiosyncratic cinematic work. The famed Japanese film critic...
, Takashi Miike
Takashi Miike
is a highly prolific and controversial Japanese filmmaker. He has directed over seventy theatrical, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. In the years 2001 and 2002 alone, Miike is credited with directing fifteen productions...
with Takashi Murakami
Takashi Murakami
is an internationally prolific contemporary Japanese artist. He works in fine arts media—such as painting and sculpture—as well as what is conventionally considered commercial media —fashion, merchandise, and animation— and is known for blurring the line between high and low art...
and Sonny Chiba
Sonny Chiba
, also known as Sonny Chiba, is a Japanese actor, singer, film producer, film director and martial artist.Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience.- Early life :Born in Fukuoka, Fukuoka,...
.
The theme song of the show was Kiyoshi no zundoko bushi by Kiyoshi Hikawa
Kiyoshi Hikawa
is a Japanese enka singer who was born on September 6, 1977 in Minami-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. His real name is and he is known as "The Prince of Enka" due to his young age and popularity...
.
Series and episode list
Japanorama consisted of three series, each with six episodes. The first series was shown on BBC ChoiceBBC Choice
BBC Choice was a BBC TV station which launched on 23 September 1998 and closed on 9 February 2003. It was the first British TV channel to broadcast exclusively in digital format, and was the first new channel from the BBC since BBC Two launched in 1964...
in 2002
2002 in television
The year 2002 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2002.For the American TV schedule, see: 2002–03 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
, while series 2 and 3 were shown on BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
in 2006
2006 in television
2006 in television may refer to:*2006 in American television*2006 in Australian television*2006 in British television*2006 in Canadian television*2006 in Japanese television...
and 2007
2007 in television
2007 in television may refer to:*2007 in American television*2007 in Australian television*2007 in British television*2007 in Canadian television*2007 in Japanese television...
respectively.
Series 1
| Title | Episode | First aired | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Science Fiction Science fiction Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities... |
1 | June 9, 2002 | |
| Segments include: | TV: Ultraman Ultraman is Japanese television series that first aired in 1966. Ultraman, the first and best-known of the "Ultra-Crusaders," made his debut in the tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, , a follow-up to the television series Ultra Q... and interview with the director Film: Tetsuo: The Iron Man Tetsuo: The Iron Man Tetsuo: The Iron Man is a 1989 Japanese cyberpunk film by cult-film director Shinya Tsukamoto produced by Japan Home Video. This, his third film, is an extremely graphic but also strikingly-filmed fantasy shot in the same low-budget, underground-production style as his first two films... (1988) and interview with director Shinya Tsukamoto Shinya Tsukamoto is a Japanese film director and actor with a considerable cult following both domestically and abroad.-Biography:Tsukamoto started making movies at the age of 14, when his father gave him a Super 8 camera. He made a number of films, ranging... Video games: Interview with the CEO of UGA Etiquette: How to enter a room Anime: Astro Boy (1963), and Akira Akira (film) is a 1988 Japanese animated cyberpunk science fiction film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, written by Otomo and Izo Hashimoto, and starring the voices of Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama and Taro Ishida. The screenplay is based on Otomo's manga Akira.... (1988) Film: Ghost in the Shell Ghost in the Shell is a Japanese multimedia franchise composed of manga, animated films, anime series, video games and novels. It focuses on the activities of the counter-terrorist organization Public Security Section 9 in a futuristic, cyberpunk Japan .... , Avalon and interview with director Mamoru Oshii Mamoru Oshii Mamoru Oshii is a Japanese filmmaker, television director, and writer. Famous for his philosophy-oriented storytelling, Oshii has directed a number of popular anime, including Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer, Ghost in the Shell, and Patlabor 2... Culture: Robot Japanese robotics - Humanoid Entertainment Robots :* ASIMO, manufactured by Honda* QRIO, by Sony* HOAP Robot Series , Manufactured by Fujitsu* Toyota Partner Robot, manufactured by Toyota... pets and robot people Film: I.K.U. I.K.U. I.K.U. is a 2001 independent film directed by Taiwanese-American experimental filmmaker Shu Lea Cheang. It was marketed as "a Japanese Sci-Fi Porn Feature". The film was partially inspired by Blade Runner . I.K.U.s premise involves a futuristic corporation sending shapeshifting cyborgs out into New... (2001), sci-fi porn feature inspired by Blade Runner Blade Runner Blade Runner is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K... |
||
| Youth Youth Youth is the time of life between childhood and adulthood . Definitions of the specific age range that constitutes youth vary. An individual's actual maturity may not correspond to their chronological age, as immature individuals could exist at all ages.-Usage:Around the world, the terms "youth",... |
2 | June 16, 2002 | |
| Segments include: | Film: Waterboys Waterboys (film) is a 2001 comedy film written and directed by the Japanese film director Shinobu Yaguchi, about five boys who start a synchronized swimming team at their high school... (2001), a comedy Conceptual Art: Cupheads Etiquette: How to laugh Culture: J-Pop J-pop , an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene... Idols Film: Love and Pop (1998) and interview with director Hideaki Anno Hideaki Anno is a Japanese animation and film director. Anno is best known for his work on the popular anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. His style has come to be defined by the touches of postmodernism that he injects into his work, as well as the thorough portrayal of characters' thoughts and emotions,... Culture: "PostPet" , this is how internet was meant to be Interview: Hayao Miyazaki Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese manga artist and prominent film director and animator of many popular anime feature films. Through a career that has spanned nearly fifty years, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a maker of animated feature films and, along with Isao Takahata, co-founded Studio Ghibli,... , director of some of Japan's most popular animated films Film: Battle Royale Battle Royale (film) is a 2000 Japanese film directed by Kinji Fukasaku based on the novel of the same name. It was written by Kenta Fukasaku and stars Takeshi Kitano. The film aroused international controversy.A sequel, Battle Royale II: Requiem, followed... (2000): a group of teenagers on an island are forced to kill each other |
||
| Sex Sex In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents... |
3 | June 23, 2002 | |
| Segments include: | Film: Warm Water Under a Red Bridge Warm Water Under a Red Bridge is a 2001 Japanese film by director Shōhei Imamura. This was Imamura's last feature film. It was entered into the 2001 Cannes Film Festival.- Plot :... TV: The Paradise TV network, a 24 hour erotic show Film: In the Realm of the Senses In the Realm of the Senses is a 1976 Franco-Japanese romantic drama film directed by Nagisa Oshima. It is a fictionalised and sexually explicit treatment of an incident from 1930s Japan, that of Sada Abe... and interview with Nagisa Oshima Nagisa Oshima is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. After graduating from Kyoto University he was hired by Shochiku Ltd. and quickly progressed to directing his own movies, making his debut feature A Town of Love and Hope in 1959.... Interview: The "Kings of Pink" - Serious adult film makers Etiquette: Chopsticks Chopsticks Chopsticks are small, often tapered, sticks used in pairs of equal length as the traditional eating utensils of China and its diaspora, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Northern provinces of Laos, Thailand and Burma. Generally believed to have originated in ancient China, they can also be found in some... Anime: Looks at sex in various anime Anime: Legend of the Overfiend (1989) Culture: Figure, erotic cosplay Cosplay , short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction... with masks Film: Tokyo Decadence Tokyo Decadence is a 1992 Japanese film. The film was directed by Ryu Murakami with music by Ryuichi Sakamoto. The film stars Miho Nikaido and is known by two other titles, Topaz, Sex Dreams of Topaz. It has been banned in Australia and South Korea... (1992), about a SM girl for hire |
||
| Crime Crime Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction... |
4 | June 30, 2002 | |
| Segments include: | Film: Tokyo Drifter Tokyo Drifter is a 1966 yakuza action film directed by Seijun Suzuki. The story follows Tetsuya Watari as the reformed yakuza hitman "Phoenix" Tetsu who is forced to roam Japan avoiding execution by rival gangs.-Plot:... (1966 1966 in film The year 1966 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Animation legend Walter Disney, well known for his creation of Mickey Mouse, died in 15 December 1966 of acute circulatory collapse following a diagnosis of, and surgery for, lung cancer... ) Film: Branded to Kill Branded to Kill is a 1967 Japanese yakuza film directed by Seijun Suzuki and starring Joe Shishido, Koji Nanbara, Annu Mari and Mariko Ogawa. It was a low budget, production line number for the Nikkatsu Company, originally released in a double bill with Shōgorō Nishimura's Burning Nature. The story follows Goro... (1967 1967 in film The year 1967 in film involved some significant events. It is widely considered as one of the most ground-breaking years in film.-Events:* December 26 - The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour airs on British television.... ) Film: Brother Brother (2000 film) All compositions by Joe Hisaishi.#"Drifter... in LAX"#"Solitude"#"Tattoo"#"Death Spiral"#"Party "#"On the Shore"#"Blood Brother"#"Raging Men"#"Beyond the Control"#"Wipe Out"#"Liberation from the Death"#"I Love You, Aniki"#"Ballade"... (2000 2000 in film The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor .... ), interview with actor and director Takeshi Kitano Takeshi Kitano is a Japanese filmmaker, comedian, singer, actor, film editor, presenter, screenwriter, author, poet, painter, and one-time video game designer who has received critical acclaim, both in his native Japan and abroad, for his highly idiosyncratic cinematic work. The famed Japanese film critic... Etiquette: How to exchange business cards Interview: Director Takashi Miike Takashi Miike is a highly prolific and controversial Japanese filmmaker. He has directed over seventy theatrical, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. In the years 2001 and 2002 alone, Miike is credited with directing fifteen productions... — Audition (1999 1999 in film The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep... ), City of Lost Souls (2000 2000 in film The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor .... ), Ichi the Killer Ichi the Killer is a 2001 Japanese film directed by Takashi Miike, based on Hideo Yamamoto's manga series of the same name.- Plot : While alone with a prostitute, crime lord Anjo is brutally murdered... (2001 2001 in film The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy... ) Reality TV: "Crybaby". Which girl can produce the most tears? Interview with producer and winner Music: Pizzicato Five Pizzicato Five Pizzicato Five was a Japanese pop group best known to audiences in the West in their later incarnation as a duo of Maki Nomiya and Yasuharu Konishi... , interview with Yasuharu Konishi Yasuharu Konishi is a Japanese musician, composer and DJ. He was a founding member of Pizzicato Five and the only founding member to stay with the group until its breakup in 2002... Anime: Defining the difference between anime and cartoons with The Professional: Golgo 13 Golgo 13: The Professional Golgo 13: The Professional is a Japanese animated film adaptation of the Golgo 13 manga series released May 28, 1983 by Tokyo Movie Shinsha... (1983 1983 in film -Events:*February 11 - The Rolling Stones concert film Let's Spend the Night Together opens in New York*May 25 - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the final film in the original Star Wars trilogy, is released. Like the previous films, it goes on to become the top grossing picture of... ) |
||
| Swords Swords A sword is a cutting/thrusting weapon made of metal. Sword or swords may also refer to:* Swords, County Dublin, Ireland* Suit of swords, a suit in Latin-suited playing cards and Tarot decks* SWORDS, a ground-based military robot... |
5 | July 6, 2002 | |
| Segments include: | Manga: Lone Wolf and Cub Lone Wolf and Cub is a manga created by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima. First published in 1970, the story was adapted into six films starring Tomisaburo Wakayama, four plays, a television series starring Yorozuya Kinnosuke, and is widely recognized as an important and influential work.Lone Wolf and Cub... , Interview with writer Kazuo Koike Kazuo Koike is a prolific Japanese manga writer, novelist and entrepreneur.-Biography:Early in Koike's career, he studied under Golgo 13 creator Takao Saito and served as a writer on the series.... Etiquette: How to bow Film: Zatoichi Meets the One Armed Swordsman Zatoichi is a fictional character featured in one of Japan's longest running series of films and a television series set in the Edo period. The character, a blind masseur and swordmaster, was created by novelist . This originally minor character was developed for the screen by Daiei Studios and actor... (1971 1971 in film The year 1971 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 8 - Bob Dylan's hour long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New York's Academy of Music... ) Film: Samurai Fiction Samurai Fiction is a 1998 comedy-samurai film directed by Hiroyuki Nakano. It is almost entirely black-and-white, and follows a fairly standard plotline for a comedy and jidaigeki samurai film, but the presence of Tomoyasu Hotei's rock-and-roll soundtrack separates it from the films it was inspired by, such as the... (1998 1998 in film -Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:... ), interview with director Nakano Hiroyuki Anime: Ninja Scroll Ninja Scroll is a 1993 Japanese animated action thriller film set in feudal Japan, written and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri who was best known for his previous thriller Wicked City . The character designs were done by Yutaka Minowa. The movie is in homage to the Ninpōchō series, ninja novels by Futaro Yamada... Conceptual Art: Breadman Film: Onibaba Onibaba is a Japanese horror film based on a Buddhist parable. Directed by Kaneto Shindō, the film is set in rural Japan in the fourteenth century and features Nobuko Otowa and Jitsuko Yoshimura as a woman and her daughter-in-law who attack and kill passing samurai, strip them of their valuable armor and... (1964 1964 in film The year 1964 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 29 - The film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is released.... ) Culture: Kano Sisters Kano sisters and , known collectively as the , are Japanese celebrities.-Early life and background:The Kano Sisters say they are half-sisters with different mothers. There is also a 3rd "sister" who initially made appearances with the two. She eventually withdrew from the scene, according to industry sources,... , celebrities known for nothing in particular Music: SUPERCAR Supercar (band) was a Japanese rock band active from 1995 to 2005, and who made their debut in 1997. Consisting of songwriter and vocalist Kōji Nakamura , guitarist Junji Ishiwatari , bassist Miki Furukawa , and drummer Kōdai Tazawa , Supercar is best known for combining alternative rock with electronic... , J-Rock Film: Seven Samurai (1954 1954 in film The year 1954 in film involved some significant events and memorable ones.-Events:*May 12 - The Marx Brothers' Zeppo Marx divorces wife Marion Benda... ), Yojimbo (1961 1961 in film The year 1961 in film involved some significant events, with West Side Story winning 10 Academy Awards.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:* Atlantis, the Lost ContinentB... ), hosts from Akira. |
||
| Horror Horror fiction Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural... |
6 | July 13, 2002 | |
| Segments include: | Interview: Architects and Godzilla Godzilla is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,... actors Etiquette: Numbers Film: Kwaidan (1964 1964 in film The year 1964 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 29 - The film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is released.... ) Film: Scarecrow Kakashi , is a manga by Junji Ito. In 2001, it was adapted into a live-action Japanese horror film directed by Norio Tsuruta.-Synopsis:Kaoru Yoshikawa's brother, Tsuyoshi has been missing for a week. She visits his apartment for clues and find an envelope containing bits of grain and a letter from Izumi... (2001 2001 in film The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy... ) Film: St.John's Wort (2001 2001 in film The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy... ) Film: Ring Ring (film) is a 1998 Japanese horror film by Hideo Nakata, adapted from the novel Ring by Kōji Suzuki, which in turn draws on the Japanese folk tale Banchō Sarayashiki. The film stars Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rikiya Ōtaka as members of a divorced family... (1998) and Ring 2 Ring 2 , directed by Hideo Nakata, is the sequel to the Japanese horror film, Ring.Ring was originally a novel written by Koji Suzuki; its sequel, Rasen , was also adapted into a movie as the Ring movie's sequel... , interview with director Hideo Nakata Hideo Nakata Hideo Nakata is a Japanese filmmaker.-Life and career:Nakata was born in Okayama, Japan. He is most familiar to Western audiences for his work on Japanese horror films such as Ring , Ring 2 and Dark Water... Anime: Barefoot Gen Barefoot Gen is a Japanese manga series by Keiji Nakazawa. Loosely based on Nakazawa's own experiences as a Hiroshima survivor, the series begins in 1945 in and around Hiroshima, Japan, where the six-year-old boy Gen lives with his family... (1983 1983 in film -Events:*February 11 - The Rolling Stones concert film Let's Spend the Night Together opens in New York*May 25 - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the final film in the original Star Wars trilogy, is released. Like the previous films, it goes on to become the top grossing picture of... ), interview with writer Keiji Nakazawa Keiji Nakazawa is a Japanese manga artist and writer.He was born in Hiroshima and was in the city when it was destroyed by an atomic bomb in 1945. All of his family members who had not been evacuated died in the bombing except for his mother, and an infant sister who died several weeks after the bombing... Interview: Junko Mizuno Junko Mizuno is a Japanese manga artist.Mizuno's drawing style, which mixes childish sweetness and cuteness with blood and terror has been termed a Gothic kawaii or kawaii noir style. In addition to her comics, she designs T-shirts, calendars, postcards, and other collectibles... Interview: Dir en grey Dir en grey Dir En Grey is a Japanese metal band formed in 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. As of 2011, they have recorded eight full-length records... and fans |
||
Series 2
| Title | Episode | First aired | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kakkoii (Cool Cool (aesthetic) Something regarded as cool is an admired aesthetic of attitude, behavior, comportment, appearance and style, influenced by and a product of the Zeitgeist. Because of the varied and changing connotations of cool, as well its subjective nature, the word has no single meaning. It has associations of... ) |
1 | September 7, 2006 | |
| Segments include: | Architecture: Buildings in Omotesandō, Tokyo. Interview: Pop and video artist Nagi Noda Nagi Noda was a Japanese pop artist and director born in Tokyo.Among her works are the short film Mariko Takahashi's Fitness Video for Being Appraised as an "Ex-fat Girl", the half-panda-half-something-else Hanpanda life-sized figures, and the video for Japanese singer Yuki's song "Sentimental Journey"... , creator of the Hanpanda. Custom: Slurping when eating noodles. Interview: Nigo Nigo is a Japanese music producer, DJ and the creator of the urban clothing line A Bathing Ape, otherwise known as Bape.-Fashion background:Nigo's venture into fashion started in a small store selling a few Bape t-shirts and camouflage print hoodies, which became very popular among the teen demographic... , creator of Bathing Ape. Interview: Actor Tadanobu Asano Tadanobu Asano , born is a Japanese actor. He is known for his roles as Dragon Eye Morrison in Electric Dragon 80.000 V, Kakihara in Ichi the Killer, Mamoru Arita in Bright Future, Hattori Genosuke in Zatoichi, Kenji in Last Life in the Universe, Aman in Survive Style 5+, Ayano in The Taste of Tea, and Temudjin... . Technology: Robots, such as ASIMO ASIMO is a humanoid robot created by Honda. Introduced in 2000, ASIMO, which is an acronym for "Advanced Step in Innovative MObility", was created to be a helper to people. With aspirations of helping people who lack full mobility, ASIMO is used to encourage young people to study science and mathematics... , and an interview with robot builder Tatsuya Matsui. |
||
| Otaku Otaku is a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga or video games.- Etymology :Otaku is derived from a Japanese term for another's house or family , which is also used as an honorific second-person pronoun... (Nerd Culture) |
2 | September 14, 2006 | |
| Segments include: | Culture: Akihabara Akihabara , also known as , is an area of Tokyo, Japan. It is located less than five minutes by rail from Tokyo Station. Its name is frequently shortened to in Japan... Film: Train Man Densha Otoko (film) is a 2005 Japanese film, starring Takayuki Yamada and Miki Nakatani. It is part of the Densha Otoko franchise. The film was a big success at the box office, making the story of Densha Otoko popular. It was directed by Shosuke Murakami... Interview: Toru Honda, "King of Otaku" Culture: Garage kit Garage kit A garage kit or resin kit is an assembly scale model kit most commonly cast in polyurethane resin. They are often figures portraying humans or other living creatures. In Japan, kits often depict anime characters, and in the United States depictions of movie monsters are common... s and other anime model kits, as well as Wonder festival Wonder Festival The Tokyo , or for short, is a bi-annual event to display and sell "garage kits", which are sculptures that usually replicate anime and game characters, but also popular mecha/sci-fi characters and creatures. These models are extremely detail oriented, and many of these sculptures appear in very... , an annual event dedicated to these things Culture: Moe Culture: Cosplay Cosplay , short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction... Culture: Maid cafe Maid cafe Maid cafés are a subcategory of cosplay restaurants found predominantly in Japan. In these cafés, waitresses dressed in maid costumes act as servants, and treat customers as masters in a private home, rather than as café patrons... s Custom: Lying and the Japanese saying that doing so would cause you to lose your tongue in the afterlife Music: AKB48 AKB48 AKB48 is a Japanese female idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto.The group has achieved enormous popularity in Japan. Its ten latest consecutive singles topped the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart... , an idol group catering to Otaku |
||
| Zoku Zoku is a Sino-Japanese term meaning tribe, clan, or family. As a suffix it has been used extensively within Japan to define subcultural phenomena, though many zoku do not acquire the suffix .... (Tribes) |
3 | September 21, 2006 | |
| Segments include: | Culture: Harajuku Harajuku Harajuku is the common name for the area around Harajuku Station on the Yamanote Line in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, Japan.... , Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... and the subcultures who go there to show off — gothic lolitas, gyaru Gyaru is a Japanese transliteration of the English word gal, that of girl being . The name originated from a 1970s brand of jeans called "gals", with the advertising slogan: "I can't live without men", and was applied to fashion- and peer-conscious girls in their teens and early twenties. Its usage... , rockabilly Rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development... s and the like. Music: Junko, dancehall Dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,... queen. Custom: On graduation day, girls ask the boy they like for their second uniform button — the one closest to his heart. Interview: Fashion designer Paul Smith Paul Smith (fashion designer) Sir Paul Smith jr, RDI, is an English fashion designer, whose business and reputation is founded upon his menswear. He is both commercially successful and highly respected within the fashion industry.... Culture: Yakuza Yakuza , also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously... and their style in clothes and tattoo Tattoo A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes... s. |
||
| Owarai Owarai is a broad word used to describe Japanese comedy as seen on television. The word owarai is the honorific form of the word warai, meaning "a laugh" or "a smile". Owarai is most common on Japanese variety shows and the comedians are referred to as owarai geinin or owarai tarento... (Comedy) |
4 | September 28, 2006 | |
| Segments include: | Culture: Manzai Manzai is a traditional style of stand-up comedy in Japanese culture, which usually involves two performers —a straight man and a funny man —trading jokes at great speed... , stand-up comedy Interview: TV comedian Hard Gay TV: Oh! Mikey OH! Mikey The Fuccons, known in Japan as Oh! Mikey , is a series of Japanese comedy sketches created by Yoshimasa Ishibashi featuring a family of Americans living in metropolitan Japan... , TV comedy sketches Film: Cop in a Wig Film: Cromartie High Film: The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai began life as a pink film, the durable Japanese soft-core genre, with the title but it developed into a cult hit and the producers allowed director Mitsuru Meike to expand it into its present form... |
||
| Bushido Bushido , meaning "Way of the Warrior-Knight", is a Japanese word which is used to describe a uniquely Japanese code of conduct and a way of the samurai life, loosely analogous to the concept of chivalry. It originates from the samurai moral code and stresses frugality, loyalty, martial arts mastery, and... (Samurai Spirit) |
5 | October 5, 2006 | |
| Segments include: | Culture: Beetle sumo Interview: Director Minoru Kawasaki Minoru Kawasaki (film director) , born 15 August 1958 is a Japanese film director, screenwriter and producer. He is known for his low budget, absurdist comedy films.Kawasaki began his career with some self-financed films, including Iko the Earth Patrol Girl, and manga to live action adaptions, before working on Ultraman Tiga... about his films Calamari Wrestler, Executive Koala and Crab Goalkeeper Crab Goalkeeper Crab Goalkeeper is a Japanese film directed by Minoru Kawasaki starring Hiroshi Fujioka and Naoto Takenaka.The film documents the life of an oversized crab who is hired by a soccer team as a goalkeeper.... Technology: Sumo robots controlled by cell phones via Bluetooth Bluetooth Bluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security... Film: The films with Chiaki Kuriyama Chiaki Kuriyama is a Japanese actress, singer and model. She is best known in the West for her roles in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, Volume 1 and the Japanese film Battle Royale .- Biography :... |
||
| Kawaii Cuteness in Japanese culture Since the 1970s, cuteness, in Japanese the noun , has become a prominent aspect of Japanese popular culture, entertainment, clothing, food, toys, personal appearance, behavior, and mannerisms... (Cute) |
6 | October 12, 2006 | |
| Segments include: | Culture: Hello Kitty Hello Kitty is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States... . Music: Ichirou Mizuki Ichirou Mizuki , better known by his stage name , is a Japanese vocalist, lyrist, composer, voice actor and actor best known for his work on theme songs for anime and tokusatsu. For over 40 years, he has recorded over 1200 songs for Japanese film, television, video and video games. He is referred to by fans and... , King of the Anime Singers. Custom: The tradition to throw a fallen-out bottom tooth over your house to symbolise the new tooth growing straight up quickly. Upper teeth should be thrown under the house. TV: Ga-Ra-Ku-Ta: Mr. Stain on Junk Alley and Funny Pets Funny Pets is a digital computer anime series created and directed by Ryuji Masuda that was made in 2006.The sound effects were made by Shizuo Kurahashi. The plot of the series is that a UFO carrying two aliens from another planet ends up falling into Earth, where they are saved by a moody air-headed... by Ryuji Masuda Ryuji Masuda is a Japanese CGI animation director. He was born in the year 1968, in Kumamoto city, Japan.-Short CGI Series:2000, "Popee The Performer" Debut as Director, original script writer with his first animation work.... . Culture: Gloomy Bear and an interview with its creator, Mori Chack Mori Chack Mori Chack is the artist name of a Japanese graphic designer, who was born in Sakai, Osaka, Japan. He is famous for his Chax product line, and especially the character Gloomy Bear, a 2 m tall, violent, pink bear that eats humans... . Culture: Japanese dolls, in particular the Super Dollfie Super Dollfie , often abbreviated SD, is a brand of ball-jointed doll, or BJD, made by the Japanese company Volks. They are made to be easy to customize and are primarily marketed to adult doll collectors and customizers. They are cast in polyurethane resin, a porcelain-like, hard, dense plastic... dolls. |
||
Series 3
| Title | Episode | First aired | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaijin Gaijin is a Japanese word meaning "non-Japanese", or "alien". This word is a short form of gaikokujin , which literally means "person from outside of the country". The word is composed of two kanji: , meaning "outside"; and , meaning "person". Thus, the word technically means "outsider"... (Outsiders) |
1 | March 19, 2007 | |
| Segments include: | Culture: Bosozoku Bosozoku is a Japanese subculture associated with motorcycle clubs and gangs.-Traits and history:The word bōsōzoku is also applied to motorcycle gangs, who share an interest in modifications for motorcycles, such as removing the mufflers so that more noise is produced... (bikers) Culture: Drift racing Drifting (motorsport) Drifting refers to a driving technique and to a motorsport where the driver intentionally over steers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels through turns, while maintaining vehicle control and a high exit speed... Music: Electric Eel Shock Electric Eel Shock Electric Eel Shock are a three-piece garage metal band, formed in Tokyo in the late 1990s. They first toured the United States in 1999 and have been touring the world ever since.-Early years of EES:... hard rock band Culture: Dekotora Dekotora The , an abbreviation for "decoration truck", is a type of loudly decorated truck in Japan. Commonly having neon or ultraviolet lights, extravagant paints, and shiny stainless or golden exterior parts, such decorations can be found on both on the exterior and the interior... (Truckers Truck driver A truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to... decorating their trucks) Manga: Afro Samurai Afro Samurai , also written AFRO SAMURAI, is a Japanese seinen dōjinshi manga series written and illustrated by manga artist Takashi Okazaki. It was originally serialized irregularly in the avant-garde dōjinshi manga magazine Nou Nou Hau from September 1999 to May 2000... , manga and anime series about a black samurai taking revenge Culture: Yayoi Kusama Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese artist whose paintings, collages, soft sculptures, performance art and environmental installations all share an obsession with repetition, pattern, and accumulation... , polka dot artist |
||
| Ai and Koi (Love Love Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels... and Romance Romantic love Romance is the pleasurable feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love.In the context of romantic love relationships, romance usually implies an expression of one's love, or one's deep emotional desires to connect with another person.... ) |
2 | March 26, 2007 | |
| Segments include: | Religion: Shinto Shinto or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written... shrines with fertility rites and penis Penis The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates... festivals. Culture: Host clubs where women go to meet well-paid male hosts for companionship. There are also onnabe hosts — women dressed as men and taking hormone Hormone A hormone is a chemical released by a cell or a gland in one part of the body that sends out messages that affect cells in other parts of the organism. Only a small amount of hormone is required to alter cell metabolism. In essence, it is a chemical messenger that transports a signal from one... s to grow beards. Culture: Takarazuka Revue Takarazuka Revue The Takarazuka Revue is a Japanese all-female musical theater troupe based in Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Women play all roles in lavish, Broadway-style productions of Western-style musicals, and sometimes stories adapted from shōjo manga and Japanese folktales. The troupe takes its name... , an all-female revue form of theatre. Manga: Yaoi Yaoi In careful Japanese enunciation, all three vowels are pronounced separately, for a three-mora word, . The English equivalent is . also known as Boys' Love, is a Japanese popular term for female-oriented fictional media that focus on homoerotic or homoromantic male relationships, usually created by... manga Manga Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th... , comics featuring romance and sex between males. Culture: Air sex Air sex Air Sex is a performance activity invented in Japan; clothed men and women simulate sexual activity with an invisible partner, often in an exaggerated manner, set to music, and in a competition before an audience. This is somewhat akin to playing air guitar, explaining the name... , like air guitar Air guitar Playing air guitar is a form of dance and movement in which the performer pretends to play rock or heavy metal-style electric guitar, including riffs, solos, etc. Playing an air guitar usually consists of exaggerated strumming and picking motions and is often coupled with loud singing or lip-synching... but pretend sex instead of guitar play. Culture: Businesses renting rooms with latex love dolls Sex doll A sex doll is a type of sex toy in the size and shape of a sexual partner for aid in masturbation.... to men. |
||
| J-Art (Japanese Pop Art Pop art Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United States. Pop art challenged tradition by asserting that an artist's use of the mass-produced visual commodities of popular culture is contiguous with the perspective of fine art... ) |
3 | April 2, 2007 | |
| Segments include: | Culture: Takashi Murakami Takashi Murakami is an internationally prolific contemporary Japanese artist. He works in fine arts media—such as painting and sculpture—as well as what is conventionally considered commercial media —fashion, merchandise, and animation— and is known for blurring the line between high and low art... 's "Superflat Superflat Superflat is a postmodern art movement, founded by the artist Takashi Murakami, which is influenced by manga and anime. It is also the name of a 2001 art exhibition, curated by Murakami, that toured West Hollywood, Minneapolis and Seattle.... " style of subversive characters derived from Manga and Anime, turned into merchandise Culture: Gesai #10, Tokyo fair for young artists, 2006 Culture: Toast Girl uses household items for performance art Culture: Yoshitomo Nara Yoshitomo Nara is a Japanese artist. He currently lives and works in Tokyo, though his artwork has been exhibited worldwide. Nara received his B.F.A. and an M.F.A. from the Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music. Between 1988 and 1993, Nara studied at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, in Germany. Nara... and his paintings with dark child-like figures Culture: Toy-art Designer toys Designer toys is a term used to describe toys and other collectibles that are produced in limited editions and created by artists and designers. Designer toys are made of variety of materials; ABS plastic and vinyl are most common, although wood, metal, and resin are occasionally used. The term... , collectible figures created in limited editions Culture: Tomohiro Yasui creates paper figures of wrestling robots Culture: Hard Gay's paintings and sculpture, showing a giant anus Culture: Keiichi Tanaami Keiichi Tanaami Keiichi Tanaami, born in 1936 in Tokyo, is one of the leading pop artists of postwar Japan, and has been active as multi-genre artist since the ‘60s as a graphic designer, illustrator, video artist and fine artist.-Biography:... has created colorful psychedelic art since the late 1960s. |
||
| Densetsu (Legend Legend A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude... s) |
4 | April 9, 2007 | |
| Segments include: |  Ultraman is Japanese television series that first aired in 1966. Ultraman, the first and best-known of the "Ultra-Crusaders," made his debut in the tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, , a follow-up to the television series Ultra Q... , and the "Ukulele Ukulele The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings.... Ultraman" pop video Anime: Gundam Gundam The is a metaseries of anime created by Sunrise studios that features giant robots called "Mobile Suits" ; usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam.... , Pokémon Pokémon (anime) , abbreviated from , is a children's TV anime series, which has since been adapted for the North and South American, Australian and European television markets... , Astro Boy Culture: Illusionist Princess Tenko Princess Tenko Princess Tenko is the stage name of , a pop singer turned magician specialising in grand illusions. Her name is taken from , a male Japanese magician who was managed by the same person as Mariko and to whom Mariko was apprenticed in 1976. The older Tenko passed his mantle to her before he died at... Song: Haruka and Rena perform "Tarako, Tarako, Tarako" Food: Ramen Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat- or fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso, and uses toppings such as , , kamaboko, green onions, and occasionally corn... , noodles in broth with toppings Interview: Martial arts actor Sonny Chiba Sonny Chiba , also known as Sonny Chiba, is a Japanese actor, singer, film producer, film director and martial artist.Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience.- Early life :Born in Fukuoka, Fukuoka,... , about his film The Street Fighter The Street Fighter , literally Clash, Killer Fist!, is a Japanese martial arts film released in 1974 and produced by Toei Company Ltd. It was released in the US by New Line Cinema and became one of the first films to be a commercial success for the distributor.... and his acting in Kill Bill Kill Bill Kill Bill Volume 1 is a 2003 action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first of two volumes that were theatrically released several months apart, the second volume being Kill Bill Volume 2.... |
||
| Kaidan Kaidan Kaidan is a Japanese word consisting of two kanji: 怪 meaning “strange, mysterious, rare or bewitching apparition" and 談 meaning “talk” or “recited narrative.”-Overall meaning and usage:... (Scary Stories) |
5 | April 16, 2007 | |
| Segments include: | Culture: Kimodameshi (scary walks for children) Entertainment: "Haunted Hospital" in Fuji-Q Highland Fuji-Q Highland Fuji-Q Highland is an amusement park in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan.The theme park is near the base of Mount Fuji. It has a number of roller coasters, as well as The Haunted Hospital, the world's second largest haunted attraction, and Thomas Land, a children's area with a Thomas the Tank Engine... , one of the scariest haunted house Haunted house A haunted house is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property... s, with life actors Anime: Spirited Away Spirited Away is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy-adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film tells the story of Chihiro Ogino, a sullen ten-year-old girl who, while moving to a new neighborhood and after her parents are transformed into pigs by the witch Yubaba,... (Oscar, 2001), Pom Poko Pom Poko is a 1994 Japanese animated film, the eighth written and directed by Isao Takahata and animated by Studio Ghibli.Consistent with Japanese folklore, the tanuki are portrayed as a highly sociable, mischievous species, able to use "illusion science" to transform into almost anything, but too... (1994) Culture: Obake Obake and are a class of yōkai, preternatural creatures in Japanese folklore. Literally, the terms mean a thing that changes, referring to a state of transformation or shapeshifting.... , transforming monsters in Japanese folklore Japanese folklore The folklore of Japan is heavily influenced by both Shinto and Buddhism, the two primary religions in the country. It often involves humorous or bizarre characters and situations and also includes an assortment of supernatural beings, such as bodhisattva, kami , yōkai , yūrei ,... , including Kaminari, Bake Chochin and Karakasa Obake Kasa-obake , or Karakasa Obake or Karakasa Kozo, are a type of Tsukumogami, a folk legend about a form of Japanese spirit that originate from objects reaching their 100th year of existence, thus becoming animate. Karakasa in particular are Spirits of Parasols that reach the century milestone... (one-legged umbrella) Music: Interview with Demon Kogure Demon Kogure , previously known as Demon Kogure, is a Japanese musician, entertainer, journalist and sumo commentator. He is the frontman of the heavy metal band Seikima-II, and is known for always working entirely in character.... , head of a religious heavy metal band who claims to have conquered Earth in 1999 Film: J-Horror J-Horror Japanese horror, or J-Horror, is Japanese horror fiction in popular culture, noted for its unique thematic and conventional treatment of the horror genre in light of western treatments... films including Kwaidan (1964) with "The Woman of the Snow" and "Hoichi the Earless"; Kuroneko Kuroneko is a 1968 Japanese horror film, directed by Kaneto Shindō. The title means "Black Cat" in English. It was placed in competition at the 1968 Cannes Film Festival, but the festival was cancelled due to the events of May 1968 in France.- Plot :... (1968); Ring Trilogy Ring Trilogy The Ring Trilogy is a series of novels by Koji Suzuki: Ring , Rasen and Rupu . Suzuki also wrote a collection of short stories, The Birthday .... (1998) by director Hideo Nakata Hideo Nakata Hideo Nakata is a Japanese filmmaker.-Life and career:Nakata was born in Okayama, Japan. He is most familiar to Western audiences for his work on Japanese horror films such as Ring , Ring 2 and Dark Water... ; Ju-on: The Grudge Ju-on: The Grudge is a 2003 Japanese horror film written and directed by Takashi Shimizu. The film is the third entry in the Ju-on series and is the first film theatrically released... (2003) by Takashi Shimizu Takashi Shimizu Takashi Shimizu is a Japanese film director, best known for the Ju-on series of horror films.-Filmography:... Manga: Interview with Junji Ito Junji Ito is a Japanese horror manga artist best known for his series of short stories about Tomie, an immortal girl who drives her stricken admirers to madness, and Uzumaki, a three-volume series about a town obsessed with spirals.-Biography:... , creator of Uzumaki Uzumaki is a horror manga written and Illustrated by Junji Ito, and serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits.The story concerns the inhabitants of the small Japanese town of Kurôzu-cho as they become obsessed by the occurrences of natural and artificial spirals around them... (The Spiral), Tomie Tomie is a Japanese horror manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito. The manga has been adapted into a series of films, with the first coming out in 1997.-Plot:... and Gyo Gyo is a horror manga by Junji Ito. It also includes a pair of bonus stories, titled The Enigma of Amigara Fault and The Sad Tale of the Principal Post... Photography: Kaoru Izima takes pictures of fashion models as if they were dead Film: Ero guro ("erotic grotesque") movies, many based on the horror novels by Rampo Edogawa, e.g. Japanese Hell (1999) and Blind Beast vs. Dwarf Blind Beast vs. Dwarf aka Blind Beast vs. Killer Dwarf is a 2001 film by Japanese director Teruo Ishii. It is the last film he directed.Mieko Tanaka, who was elected to the Diet in the 2009 Japanese general election, appears in Blind Beast vs. Killer Dwarf in a role that includes a nude scene... (2001) by Teruo Ishii Teruo Ishii was a Japanese film director best known in the West for his early films in the Super Giant series, and for his films in the Ero guro subgenre of pinku eiga such as Shogun's Joys of Torture . He also directed the 1965 film, Abashiri Prison, which helped to make Ken Takakura a major star in Japan... and Sexual Parasite: Killer Pussy (2004) by Takao Nakano Takao Nakano is a Japanese film director, screenwriter and actor who has worked in pink film, adult videos , and in mainstream comedy, horror and fantasy films.-Life and career:Nakano was born in Osaka, Japan in 1962... |
||
| Gyaru Gyaru is a Japanese transliteration of the English word gal, that of girl being . The name originated from a 1970s brand of jeans called "gals", with the advertising slogan: "I can't live without men", and was applied to fashion- and peer-conscious girls in their teens and early twenties. Its usage... (Bad girls) |
6 | April 23, 2007 | |
| Segments include: | Culture: Kogal Kogal The kogal fashion involves wearing an outfit based on a Japanese school uniform, but with a shortened skirt, loose socks, and often dyed hair and a scarf as well. The phenomenon was prominent in the 1990s, but has since declined. The word "kogal" is anglicized from kogyaru, a contraction of kôkôsei... s, Ganguro Ganguro Ganguro is an alternative fashion trend of blonde or orange hair and tanned skin among young Japanese women that peaked in popularity around the year 2000. The Shibuya and Ikebukuro districts of Tokyo were the centers of ganguro fashion... and Yamanba girls. Dance: Para Para Para Para is a synchronized group dance that originated in Japan. Unlike most club dancing and rave dancing there are specific synchronized movements for each song much like line dancing... , synchronised group dancing performed to eurobeat Eurobeat Eurobeat is a form of italo-disco/hi-NRG music that developed in the late 1980s.In the United States, Eurobeat was sometimes marketed as Hi-NRG and for a short while shared this term with the very early freestyle music hits.... music. Interview: Maeda Ken, para para pop star behind the Maeken Trance Project Maeken Trance Project ' is project group of Japanese comedian Ken Maeda best known for trance rendition of O-Zone hit Dragostea Din Tei.- Compilations : * Buchiage Trance 4 - External links :*... . Film: Azumi Azumi is a Japanese manga series created by Yū Koyama in 1994. The manga was originally published by Shogakukan and serialized in Big Comic Superior, and was later adapted to two feature films starring Aya Ueto, a video game and a stage play. Azumi received an Excellence Prize at the 1997 Japan Media... (2003 2003 in film The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,... ). Feature: Entertainer Reiko Ike Reiko Ike , is a Japanese actress, singer, and entertainer. She is best known for her roles in the genre of action/erotic movies known as pink films. Ike also released an album of songs in 1971, Kôkotsu No Sekai... , best known for her action/erotic roles in so-called "pink films". Film: Kamikaze Girls Kamikaze Girls is a 2002 light novel written by Novala Takemoto that has been adapted into a manga and film.Kamikaze Girls centers around two students, Momoko Ryugasaki and Ichigo "Ichiko" Shirayuri , who are from completely different backgrounds: one is a Lolita girl, the other, her gyaru antithesis, a Yankī... (2004 2004 in film The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol... ), Sakuran Sakuran , is a manga series created by Moyoco Anno. The manga is about a girl, Kiyoha who becomes a tayu or oiran courtesan.- Plot :... (2007 2007 in film This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007... ) and interview with actress and pop idol Anna Tsuchiya Anna Tsuchiya is a Japanese singer, lyricist, actress and semi-retired model.Tsuchiya was born to a Japanese mother and an American father of Polish-Irish descent from Buffalo, New York. In her earliest years, she spoke English and Japanese... . Culture: Female wrestling Wrestling Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position... . Music: Female pop stars Namie Amuro Namie Amuro is a Japanese R&B and pop singer, entertainer, and former actress who at the height of her popularity was referred to as the "Teen Queen" and the title "Queen of Japanese Pop Music". Born in Naha, Okinawa, Amuro debuted at the age of 14 as an idol in the girl group Super Monkey's... , Ayumi Hamasaki Ayumi Hamasaki is a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, model, lyricist, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to... and Kumi Koda Kumi Koda , better known by her stage name , is a Japanese singer and songwriter from Kyoto, known for her urban and R&B songs. Having debuted in 2000 with the single "Take Back", Koda gained fame for her seventh single, "Real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba", the songs of which were used as themes for the video game... . All-female bands Metal Chicks, The Feminine and eX-Girl EX-Girl -Overview:They claim to hail from the planet Kero Kero. They are described as psychedelic, space rock, jazz fusion, jagged alternating vocal harmonies, sugary synthesiser pop, punk, prog, epic/atmospheric, noise-rock, wavering 3 part a capella, borderline operatic vocals, often in the space of a... . |
||
See also
- Japan TV, a similar programme by BBC ChoiceBBC ChoiceBBC Choice was a BBC TV station which launched on 23 September 1998 and closed on 9 February 2003. It was the first British TV channel to broadcast exclusively in digital format, and was the first new channel from the BBC since BBC Two launched in 1964...
, 2001 - Adam and Joe Go TokyoAdam and Joe Go TokyoAdam and Joe Go Tokyo was a series of eight episodes created for BBC Three . It starred Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish of The Adam and Joe Show and aired from 30 May 2003 to 25 July 2003...
, an eight part 2003 series examining life in Tokyo, produced by Jonathan Ross - Asian InvasionAsian Invasion (2006 series)Asian Invasion is a three-part mini-series presented by Jonathan Ross which aired on BBC Four in January 2006. Focusing on East Asian cinema, the series looked at some of the most famous films, actors and directors in Japan, Korea and Hong Kong....
, a 2006 mini-series with Jonathan Ross talking about the cinema of Japan, Hong Kong and Korea