Tokyo Journal sent Japanese singer, TV celebrity and movie actor Diamond Yukai to check out two of Hollywood’s top hotels. Diamond Yukai (Tokyo Pop, Lost in Translation) is top of the charts on Ameblo.jp in the J-pop/rock category.

Since discovering her love for music at the age of eight after singing the American national anthem for the first time at a local sporting event, Ava August has gone on to make her mark on the music industry. Ava auditioned for The Voice, a singing reality television show, when she was 12 years old, and then for American Idol at 15, becoming the youngest to ever compete in both shows. After American Idol, she released critically-acclaimed singles like “Move On,” “Miss You,” and “Beauty Queen.” She has sung at sold-out stadiums for professional sports teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Dodgers and Rams. This successful artist sat down with Tokyo Journal Editor-in-Chief Anthony Al-Jamie to discuss her experience in the music industry from a young age and her time on American Idol.

The East Coast of the United States and Canada boasts a treasure trove of historic, cultural and natural wonders waiting to be explored. From the hallowed streets of Washington, D.C., to the vibrant neighborhoods of New York, the charming colonial alleys of Philadelphia, the intellectual charm of Boston, the alpine beauty of Stowe, Vermont, to the European flair of Montreal, each destination offers its own unique tapestry of experiences.

Yuya Yagira

From Cannes Best Actor Winner to Disney+ Horror Sensation

Yuya Yagira, the youngest winner of the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for his role in Hirokazu Kore-eda’s drama Nobody Knows, stars in the Disney+ seven-episode original horror series Gannibal in Japan. Released on December 28, 2022, Gannibal follows Yagira’s character, Daigo Agawa, as a police officer who relocates from the big city to the remote village of Kuge after a traumatizing event leaves his daughter mute. The show garnered massive local attention, and became the most locally watched produced original series on Disney+ in Japan, which further established Yagira as one of Japan’s biggest actors. Tokyo Journal Editor-in-Chief Anthony Al-Jamie sat down with Yuya Yagira to discuss his work on Gannibal.

Hiroyuki Suzuki Reveals the Beauty of New York’s East Side Access in The Next Level

Photographs Inspiring Beauty within the Bleak Realities of Construction

Written by Ingrid Lee

Not all stories are pretty. That’s the premise that Japanese photographer Hiroyuki Suzuki had when he set out to tell the story of an extension to the New York transit system through “The Next Level: East Side Access Photographs.” In addition to this exhibition, Suzuki describes the photographs in his book, The Next Level.

No Longer Simple Stock Food Japan’s Kanzume Culture

In Europe, Japan, and the United States, the most popular kanzume, or canned good, is arguably tuna. But a wealth of unique canned goods can be found in grocery stores around the world that reflect the food culture of each country and its people. Japan is no exception. It has everything from canned goods with the ingredients used in traditional Japanese food to those that contain dishes made from restaurant reci- pes. In recent years, izakayas ( Japanese bars or pubs) have been serving canned food and premium-quality, expensive canned products. The negative perception of canned products as a poor-tasting shelf stocker is certainly waning. We explored more about this new kanzume culture as it surprises even the local Japanese.

Konamon, a Tasty Kansai Cuisine

text by Miu Fujiwara

Konamon has long been a popular food for Osakans. Stemming from the food culture of konamono, Konamon refers to dishes that use wheat flour, such as okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake), takoyaki (ball- shaped Japanese snack), and udon ( Japanese noodle dish). Despite its century-long history, how does this food trend that cannot be found in Tokyo and the surrounding Kanto region remain unique? We searched in Osaka, the hub of konamon culture, for the meanings behind konamon and the secret to its rich flavors.

Hotels in the Kansai Region

with Easy Access to the Kishiwada Danjiri Festival

Hotels in and around the city of Kishiwada are very hard to book during the Kishiwada Danjiri Festival. If you are traveling there around that time, it is better to reserve a place on the outskirts and take a car or train to the festival. Resort hotels in the southern and western parts of Kishiwada or nearby hot spring areas are good alternatives. Or you can choose to stay at a shukubo, or temple lodgings, in Nara Prefecture. Shukubos were originally designed for monks visiting temples. Even among Japanese locals, not that many people have stayed at a shukubo. But more shukubos are open to tourists and have become a popular lodg- ing option. In fact, guests at a shukubo can enjoy different experiences than those available at hotels and ryokans ( Japanese inns), such as joining unique Buddhist activities with monks or eating shojin ryori dishes — Japanese Buddhist cuisine that stemmed from teachings that prohibit the killing of animals. A shukubo is a good option to enjoy the festival and the beautiful nature of Kishiwada.

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