バーチャル・シンガー 初音ミク

レディー・ガガのオープニングアクトが世界中で話題に

インターネット上で圧倒的な人気を誇る日本のスーパースターはバーチャルな存在だ。初音ミクは、ファンによる10万以上もの曲を生み出すことを可能にした音楽ソフトウェアだ。3DCGによるライブパフォーマンスなどを国内外で行い、革新的な要素で世界中を熱狂させている。2014年には、レディー・ガガのツアーでオープニング・アクトも務めた 。この日本のバーチャル・シンガーを生んだクリプトン・フューチャー・メディアに、東京ジャーナルのエグゼクティブ・エディターアントニー・アルジェイミーが話を聞いた。

“Kawaii”カルチャーのクイーン きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ

Interview by Anthony Al-Jamie

きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅは、可愛さと小洒落た不気味さが一体となった個性的キャラクターで、J ポップ界に一大旋風を巻き起こした。2012年に渋谷区公認「原宿カワイイ大使」に就任。その後、ワールドツアーの他、彼女を一躍有名にした「PONPONPON」がアニメ「ザ・シンプソンズ」で取り上げられたり、アメリカのポップアイドル、ケイティ・ペリーが彼女の曲についてツイートするなど、人気は世界へと広がった。今年7月には自身3枚目のアルバム「ピカピカふぁんたじん」をリリース。常にヒットチャートに名を連ねる歌姫である21歳の彼女に、東京ジャー ナルのエグゼクティブエディターアントニー・アルジェイミーが音楽やファッション、将来について聞いた。

日本の教育の未来

下村博文大臣が語る文部科学省の見解

下村博文氏は、2012 年 12 月 26 日、安倍晋三総理大臣の指名を受け文部科学大臣に就任。 早稲田大学教育学部を卒業後、1989 年に東京都議会議員選挙に当選、93 年から教育行政に関わるようになった。 東京ジャーナルエグゼクティブ・エディター アントニー・アルジェイミーが、英語教育、大学のグローバル化、 2020 年の東京オリンピックに関する文部科学省の見解について聞いた。

MIYAVI, VAMPS and WagakkiBand Tokyo Journal Issue #277’s feature interview with MIYAVI sees the “Samurai Guitarist” talking not only about his music, but his introduction to the world of Hollywood through a 2014 acting role in Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken, and his reworking of the classic theme song for the new Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. HYDE and K.A.Z. of VAMPS talk about the challenges of going from a headlining band in Japan to an opening act in North America, while the eighth member of WagakkiBand shows the coolness of Japanese culture by fusing traditional Japanese musical instruments with rock and Vocaloid songs.

Japan America Society of Southern California

President Douglas Erber

Founded in 1909, the Japan America Society of Southern California ( JASSC) builds economic, cultural, governmental and personal relationships between the people of Japan and the U.S. Tokyo Journal Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie sat down with JASSC President Douglas Erber to discuss his experience in Japan and in running this non-profit membership organization, which connects individuals and organizations in Southern California with an interest in Japan and U.S.–Japan relations.

DIR EN GREY

Two Decades of Pushing Musical Boundaries

A Japanese metal band with nine full-length albums under its belt, DIR EN GREY has nearly 20 years of experience in the music industry. Drawing on inspiration from different genres, from the strong presence of visual kei at the inception of their career to current influences like alternative metal, DIR EN GREY continues to evolve and push boundaries. The five-member band showcases a masterful combination of music and lyrics. Formed in 1997, they caught the attention of one of their idols early on — X Japan’s Yoshiki, who produced five of their singles in 1999. The Los Angeles Times wrote that the lead singer, Kyo, “is a staggering vocalist” and “has stockpiled an extreme range of vocal in ections, from a guttural mutter to a tonsil-ripping scream — no electronic effects needed.” DIR EN GREY is set for an exciting summer. Their recent releases include a July 27th new single, “UTAFUMI,” in collaboration with renowned X Japan / LUNA SEA guitarist SUGIZO, as well as a June 29th Blu-ray/DVD of the band’s live performance of ARCHE on the legendary Nippon Budokan stage from February 2016. Tokyo Journal Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie talked to Kyo (voice), Kaoru (leader/ guitarist), Die (guitarist), Toshiya (bassist) and Shinya (drummer) about the band’s journey and their plans for the future.

Cosplay as a Career

Nekomu Otogi: All Dressed Up with Somewhere to Go

In a world where “cosplay” has yet to become a household word, one may be surprised to find that a career can be made from the art of dressing up as a character from a movie, book or video game, especially from the Japanese genres of manga and anime. The only cosplayer represented by Japanese talent agency HoriPro, Nekomu Otogi, has taken cosplay to the professional level. Otogi does photo shoots for manga magazines and was once voted the most beautiful girl in Akihabara, the anime, manga, video game and discount electronics center of Tokyo. Tokyo Journal Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie talked with Otogi about her cosplay experiences and her dream of becoming a manga artist.

The Ambassadress of Cute

Kimura U and the Importance of Everything Kawaii

Not many countries can boast of having a kawaii (cute) fashion representative, especially when that rep is as unique as Kimura U. Her official government title is the Japanese Harajuku Fashion Representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Put simply, U is an official symbol of cute for Japan and she’s Tokyo Journal’s JapanCon Ambassadress. However, there’s more to U than her sparkly pastel exterior. She’s smart and ambitious — and it took hard work for her to achieve icon status. As her website boasts: “Kimura U does not stop.” Tokyo Journal ’s Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie is pleased to introduce you to his newest colleague, Kimura U.

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.