FEMM

Far East Mention Mannequins

Latex-Clad Electronic Pop Duo are a Twerk of Art

The concept: Two mannequins, RiRi (a combat mannequin) and LuLa (a nurse mannequin), are controlled by human agents Honey-B and W-Trouble in a quest for world domination. They are heading a movement to support mannequins who’ve been mistreated by humans for years. The concept combines Japanese high fashion and otaku [nerd] culture. Fans earn points (called mentions) by spreading the word about FEMM through social networking on Twitter and Facebook and can use them toward getting items for mannequins that they control. Is this the concept behind Japan’s newest anime, manga or video game? No, this is the Avex pop duo FAR EAST MENTION MANNEQUINS (FEMM). Combine the producers behind global phenoms such as Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and Beyoncé for a slick sound; HIDALI, the choreographer behind will.i.am and the robotic team WORLD ORDER’s dance moves for a polished performance; designer GM Atelier for outlandish latex costumes, and English songs with memorable titles like “Fxxk Boyz Get Money” and “Kill the DJ” and you have FEMM. Tokyo Journal Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie spoke with Honey-B and W-Trouble.

Boyz II Men

Singing Sensation Shawn Stockman Talks About the Best-Selling R&B Group of All Time

According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Boyz II Men are the most commercially successful R&B group of all time and were involved in three of the longest-running number one pop singles in history. The four-time Grammy-winning American R&B vocal group is celebrating their 22-year career with their newest album Collide and an extended residency in Las Vegas. Their 1992 single End of the Road broke Elvis Presley’s record for the total number of weeks at number one by staying at Billboard Hot 100’s top spot for 13 weeks. Then they went on to break their own record with “I’ll Make Love to You” and “One Sweet Day” with Mariah Carey, each setting new records for the total number of weeks at number one with 14 and 16 weeks respectively. They also became the third artists in history to replace themselves at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 when “On Bended Knee” succeeded “I’ll Make Love to You” at the number one spot–only The Beatles and Elvis had previously accomplished this feat.

Best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies, the group that started as a quartet featuring Michael McCarey are now a trio consisting of baritone Nathan Morris and tenors Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman. The group, who has enjoyed a special relationship with Japan including Japan-only album releases and an album of English versions of Japanese pop covers, recently returned to Tokyo in September 2014. Tokyo Journal caught up with Boyz II Men’s superstar Shawn Stockman, who outside of the group has released successful solo singles, served as a judge on NBC television’s a cappella singing competition The Sing-Off and has worked to help raise awareness about autism, which affects one of his twin sons. Shawn talked about the secrets to their success and their appreciation for Japan.

Go on tour with legendary rock photographer Bob Gruen, who is one of the most well known and respected photographers in Rock and Roll.

WHEN I met John Lennon & Yoko Ono, they were working with the band Elephant’s Memory and I was soon taking a lot of photos of them. When the band chose one of my photos to use for their album cover, I went to their management office where Tony Machine, who worked for them, told me I had to come see another band they worked with–the New York Dolls, who were playing at the Mercer Arts Center. I went there and discovered a wild, exciting and shocking, downtown New York artists’ scene.

Yoshiki Sakurai made his debut in the world of anime as a scriptwriter while studying economics at the University of Tokyo. After graduating, he joined Production I.G and wrote the screenplays for such titles as Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, the Annecy-nominated feature film xxxHOLiC–A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, which was the sixth animated movie in history to compete at the Cannes Film Festival. Sakurai added producer to his credentials with the recent Giovanni’s Island, one of 20 features submitted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 87th Academy Awards. Tokyo Journal’s Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie met with Yoshiki Sakurai at Anime Expo 2014 in Los Angeles.

Keiji Inafune Stays Ahead of the Game

From CAPCOM to comcept

Keiji Inafune has been named one of the top 10 game creators in the world. The video game concept developer and designer had a stellar 23-year career at CAPCOM as head of the production, research & development and online development divisions. He oversaw over 900 employees and produced over 60 game titles including CAPCOM’s bestselling hits Mega Man, Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Dead Rising, Lost Planet and Onimusha. In 2010, he went on to found comcept Inc. and in 2013 the company successfully raised over $4 million in funding from 70,000 backers through Kickstarter for his newest project, the Mighty No. 9. Tokyo Journal Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie met with Keiji Inafune at Anime Expo 2014 in Los Angeles to find out more about this innovator.

FOUNDED by United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, Sister Cities International (SCI) is a non-profit national membership organization for sister cities, counties and states. SCI relationships connect communities in different countries to advance peace and prosperity through cultural, educational, humanitarian and economic development exchange, uniting tens of thousands of citizen diplomats and volunteers through programs in 140 countries on six continents.

SCI President Mary Kane provided Tokyo Journal with a glimpse into SCI’s 2015 annual conference and plans for the future.

Eric Garcetti became the 42nd mayor of the City of Los Angeles in 2013 after serving as city councilmember since 2001 and president of the city council from 2006 to 2012. Holding a B.A. in political science and urban planning and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University, he also studied as a Rhodes Scholar at The Queen’s College, Oxford and at the London School of Economics. In November 2014, Mayor Garcetti led a 12-day trade mission to China, South Korea and Japan–L.A.’s number one, two and three trading partners, respectively. Tokyo Journal Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie met with the mayor at Los Angeles City Hall to discuss the trip and his experience living, studying and working abroad.

Kyocera Founder

Dr. Kazuo Inamori

Entrepreneurial Innovator Blends Buddhist Beliefs with Business Practices

Entrepreneur, philanthropist and philosopher, Dr. Kazuo Inamori is a living legend of Japan’s business world. He founded Kyoto-based multinational electronics and ceramics company Kyocera and Japanese telecommunications giant KDDI. His restructuring of Japan Airlines allowed the troubled airline to go from bankruptcy protection to being relisted on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Through his Inamori Foundation, he established the Kyoto Prize to recognize individuals and groups worldwide that have made outstanding contributions to the betterment of the global community and mankind. His private management school, Seiwajyuku, teaches his management philosophy to business owners and entrepreneurs worldwide. To top it off, he’s a Buddhist priest who has inspired his employees with a unique management style, which incorporates Buddhist philosophies. Tokyo Journal’s Miyuki Kawai talked to Dr. Kazuo Inamori about his fascinating views and extraordinary accomplishments.

Saving the World from Self-Destruction

Linguist, cognitive scientist, philosopher, logician and political commentator– all of these have been used to describe Noam Chomsky, one of the greatest minds in the world today. Born in 1928 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Avram Noam Chomsky studied linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania where he earned his B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. He was later appointed as a professor of foreign languages and linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He became a pioneer in the field of psycholinguistics, helping to establish a relationship between linguistics and psychology. Today, he is one of the world’s most highly influential academic figures, being cited in the Arts & Humanities Citation Index more often than any other living scholar between 1980 and 1992, influencing such fields as mathematics, computer science, artificial intelligence, logic, cognitive science, music theory and analysis, political science, programming language theory and psychology. Outside of academia, Chomsky is internationally recognized as a political activist for his writing and speaking on U.S. foreign policy, capitalism and the mainstream news media. In 2005, he was named the most important public intellectual in the FP Top 100 Global Thinkers poll conducted by Foreign Policy magazine. Tokyo Journal Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie spoke with Professor Noam Chomsky about his views on Japan and some of the greatest threats to the survival of the human race.

X Japan Rocks New York's Madison Square Garden

Japan’s Greatest Rock Band Takes a Bite out of the Big Apple

Interview by Anthony Al-Jamie

On October 11, 2014, X Japan did what most Japanese bands and performers have only dreamt of doing for decades. They played the most revered concert venue in the United States–Madison Square Garden–on the stage that has been graced by the likes of Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, The Who, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Elton John and Michael Jackson. X Japan is one of the most successful Japanese rock bands in history with more than 30 million albums, songs and videos sold. They sold out the 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome 18 times, and in fall of 2014, just prior to their historic Madison Square Garden concert, the band returned to their old stomping grounds for a two-night stint at Yokohama Arena. X Japan pioneered an entire musical genre known as visual kei, fusing glam rock, punk rock and heavy metal with wild hair, androgynous makeup and flamboyant costumes. Formed in 1982, X Japan was one of the first Japanese bands to achieve mainstream success while on an independent label. In their three-decade career, they have released five studio albums, six live albums, eleven compilation albums and numerous videos. They’ve had their share of drama with the tragic deaths of their beloved guitarist HIDE and bassist TAIJI. At HIDE’s funeral in 1997, more than 50,000 fans came out to mourn his passing. At the same time, lead singer Toshi was struggling with the beginning of a horrific 12-year experience of being abused and taken advantage of by his wife and her co-conspirator as described in his alltelling autobiographical book Brainwashed. After X Japan’s breakup in 1997 and reunion in 2007, fans around the world have been eagerly awaiting a new album and another world tour. What’s in store for X Japan? The following is a series of interviews carried out by Tokyo Journal Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie with X Japan, including a pre-Madison Square Garden New York interview with the entire band and pre- and post-MSG interviews with the individual band members. These interviews with bandleader Yoshiki (drums and piano), Toshi (vocals), PATA (guitar), HEATH (bass), and SUGIZO (guitar and violin) took place while the band members were in Los Angeles, New York and Tokyo.