On Japan Category (103)
Actor Ryohei Suzuki Takes the Lead
Taking Anime and Manga Heroic Roles to the Big Screen Interview
by Miyuki Kawai
TJ: How did you first get into acting?
SUZUKI: I have been interested in acting since I was a junior high student. I moved to Tokyo when I entered university, and I joined an acting club. Then I looked into how to become an actor. I contacted nearly 50 agencies, and one company advised me to start as a model. Fortunately, after almost a year, the company got a partnership deal with HoriPro, and I stated to take acting lessons. An acting instructor took notice of me, and I joined HoriPro officially to start my acting career.
TJ:Has it been difficult adapting to fame?
SUZUKI:I am tall and stand out in a train, so I tend to avoid riding on trains. I often ride a bicycle, but don’t want to ride a motorcycle because I am afraid of accidents.
After the Inferno
After the Inferno
by Donald Richie
In this installment of a series, Donald Richie recalls a poignant post-war moment with Nobel Prize-winner Yasunari Kawabata
It was 1947 and the Sumida River, silver in the winter sun, glistened beneath us. Yasunari Kawabata and I were on the roof of the Asakusa subway terminal tower, looking out over downtown Tokyo, still in ruins, still showing the conflagration of two years earlier, the burned concrete black against the lemon yellow of new wood.
All-4-One
All-4-One
The Dukes of R&B for 20 Years
With millennials suddenly embracing the nostalgia of their childhood, many former pop-culture figures are profiting from this newfound popularity for all things ‘90s. All-4-One is no exception. Their 1995 number-one hit “I Swear” was named one of the greatest love songs of the 20th century by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. With sales exceeding 22 million records worldwide, constantly touring and releasing new music, the GRAMMY Award-winning band released their 20th anniversary album, Twenty+, at the perfect time. Tokyo Journal sat down with Jamie Jones, Delious Kennedy, Alfred Nevarez and Tony Borowiak as they revisited their roots and discussed touring Japan.
Asakusa Souvenir Shops
THE large photo of a crowd walking past shops along the approach to the Buddhist temple Sensoji was taken some time in 1934. Notice that while most men and even the children wear Western clothing, the women still wear kimono.
The shops, known as Asakusa Nakamise, were great crowd pleasers. Their origins are rooted in a harvest festival called Tori no Ichi. Held in November, long lines of people would wind their way along the rice pad- dies to pray and enjoy themselves at Sensoji. Naturally, this attracted a large number of merchants and entertainers, who were mostly located in the entertainment district behind the temple. Eventually, neighborhood merchants were allowed to open their shops in the approach to the temple as well.
Many of the shops developed “Asakusa Meibutsu,” or Asakusa specialties. These included Asakusa Nori (sheets of edible seaweed), Asakusa-gami (a kind of paper), Tondari Hanetari (small toys that jumped) and Fusayoji, or fairly large tufted tooth- picks made from willow trees or shrubs and used to clean the teeth as an early version of the toothbrush.
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Charlotte Kate Fox
Charlotte Kate Fox
The American Dream in Japan
New Mexico native Charlotte Kate Fox made waves in Japan as the first non-Japanese heroine of the NHK television broadcaster's asadora [morning drama] series Massan (2014- 2015), taking on a challenging Japanese-language role with no prior Japanese experience. The role in the series, based on the Nikka Whisky Distilling Co.’s founder and his Scottish wife, made Fox a household name across Japan and launched her career in Japanese television, film, music and theater. Fox has also tackled roles back in the U.S., recently starring as Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway before touring with the international production to Japan. Tokyo Journal Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie sat down with Fox to talk about her experience living and working in Japan as well as her role in Chicago.
Cheeky Parade
Cheeky Parade
Up-and-Coming Japanese Idol Group Aiming for the Hit Parade
One of Japan’s up-and-coming girl groups, Cheeky Parade, combines the classic J-pop style with their own flavor of mischievous energy. Consisting of nine members, all between the ages of 16 and 21, the group derived its name from the cheeky attitudes displayed by the girls, combined with the concept of entertainment represented by “parade.” Their cheerful personalities translate well into the vivacious energy required for their dynamic live performances, which have catapulted them to popularity. Making history as the first Japanese act to perform at the CBGB Music & Film Festival, the band continues to achieve success in both Japanese and global markets. Tokyo Journal Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie sat down with Cheeky Parade’s Mariya Suzuki, Momoka Kodakari, Hina Nagai, Marin Yamamoto, Seran Mizorogi, Yuriya Suzuki, Rino Shimazaki, Asami Watanabe and Yūna Sekine to talk about their recent performances abroad.
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