MOVIES,MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT (48)
Meet Hikari Takara
Meet Hikari Takara
Actress develops her career by learning English in Southern California
Tokyo Journal has zeroed in on eighteen-year-old actress Hikari Takara as a rising star in the international movie scene. Beginning her acting career at the age of twelve, Hikari has appeared in movies, TV dramas, and commercials. Following the release of her movie “Innocent Lilies,” Tokyo Journal first interviewed Hikari in fall of 2013 when Hikari moved to California to study English and do a homestay with an American host family. After a year in California, Tokyo Journal caught up with Hikari again. Hikari has her sights on being in a Hollywood movie and becoming a global star. Although she still has a long way to go, she has her acting experience complimented by her stunning appearance, height, newly founded English ability, dance skills, and some impressive martial arts moves. Prior to returning to Japan to resume her acting career, Tokyo Journal followed Hikari as she shows us some of her favorite hangouts and attractions in Southern California.
SHIRO-A
A Revolution in Live Entertainment
SIRO-A is a performance group, originating from Sendai, that utilizes modern technology to create optical illusions, with dance set to techno music while incorporating the classic arts of mime and shadow puppetry. The group, who won the Spirit of the Fringe Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 2011, finished a Japan tour in July and will be appearing at the Leicester Square Theater in London from September to January of next year. The members of SIRO-A, which means “belonging to no group and impossible to define” reside in Yokohama near their practice studio. Group member Abe Toshinori talked with Tokyo Journal Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie about the group’s art form, their comparisons to the Blue Man Group, and plans for the future.
Kenichi Ebina's Got Talent!
Kenichi Ebina is a self-taught dancer, performance artist, choreographer, and winner of America’s Got Talent: Season 8. He fuses freestyle, hip hop, martial arts and ethnic jazz, also incorporating illusions and digital theatrics into his show-stopping act, which earned him the prestigious “Showtime at the Apollo” dance title in 2007. Tokyo Journal’s Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie talked to Ebina after his one-man show at Pechanga Resort & Casino in California about life since winning America’s Got Talent, and his plans for the future.
NIGHTMARE
Visual-Kei Stars are Living the Dream
NIGHTMARE has enjoyed huge success since the Japanese visual kei rock band started in 2000, helped in part by their contributions to anime series like “Death Note,” “Claymore” and “Moryo no Hako.” By 2007, the band of Yomi (lead vocals), Sakito (lead guitar, backing vocals), Hitsugi (rhythm guitar), Ni-ya (bass, backing vocals) and Ruka (drums, percussion) had built up a following large enough to sell out Tokyo’s Budokan arena within two weeks. Eight years on, and in the 15th year of the band, Tokyo Journal caught up with Yomi and Hitsugi, who were preparing for the June 25th release of their new single, “Taboo.”
SEKAI NO OWARI
Here's to the End of the World
Japanese Band SEKAI NO OWARI
Reaching No.1 with “Snow Magic Fantasy” (2014), and No.2 with both “RPG” (2013) and “Forest Fire Carnival” (2014), SEKAI NO OWARI have fast become leaders of the Japanese music scene. The band talked to Tokyo Journal’s Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie, charting its astronomical rise from an audience of zero to a sell-out super-arena tour.
TJ: Tell me about yourselves.
NAKAJIN: I’m Nakajin. I’m such a serious person that I almost get tired of it. I’m from the Ota ward of Tokyo.
SAORI: I’m Saori. I play the piano and do stage and general production for our live shows. I’m also from Ota. We were all childhood friends actually, so we lived very close to each other. I met Fukase when I was four.
FUKASE: I’m the vocalist Fukase. My hair has been red for a long time.
DJ LOVE: My name is DJ LOVE. I like eating.
Actor and Singer Genki Hirakata
Actor and Singer Genki Hirakata
Young Actor Takes on Old Role as the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland
Tokyo Journal Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie talked with singer and actor Genki Hirakata, who starred as the White Rabbit in the HoriPro musical production of Alice in Wonderland in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya in November and December 2014.
Megumi Hamada Captivates Memphis
Megumi Hamada Takes Center Stage in Memphis
Between 1995 and 2010, as a member of Shiki Theatrical Company, Megumi Hamada played
Mitsuki Takahata
Mitsuki Takahata
Japanese Actress and Singer Makes International Debut in Award-Winning Film
2014 proved to be a busy year for 23-year-old actress and singer Mitsuki Takahata who starred as Helen Keller in the stage play The Miracle Worker and appeared in the TV drama Cheering Beat for Tomorrow, Gunshi Kanbei, the made-for-TV movie Tokyo Sentimental, the domestic film Jossy's and in the international film The Vancouver Asahi. The Vancouver Asahi, based on the legendary Japanese-Canadian baseball team, was featured at the Hawaii International Film Festival as well as the Vancouver International Film Festival where it scored the top audience award–the Rogers People’s Choice Award. Her past work includes the title role in a five-year run of the stage play Peter Pan and a two-year role in the TV drama Kinpachi Sensei, one of Japan’s most beloved TV dramas with a three-decade history. The singer has also released two albums and three singles. She shows no signs of slowing down by performing in the stage play Iyaounashini in January and February 2015 as well as the TV drama Restaurant with Something Wrong in January 2015. Tokyo Journal Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie spoke with Mitsuki about her recent projects.
FEMM Far East Mention Mannequins
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.
Shonen Knife
Shonen Knife
Pop Punk Trio Rock With 1,000+ Shows and 20 Albums Over 30 Years
The late Nirvana singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain was one of their biggest fans, saying, “When I finally got to see them live, I was transformed into a hysterical nine-year-old girl at a Beatles concert.” Formed in 1981, the Osaka-based all-female band Shonen Knife influenced ‘90s alternative acts like Sonic Youth and Redd Kross with driving beats, catchy melodies and simplistic lyrics about food and animals like “Banana Chips,” “I Am A Cat,” “Ramen Rock” and “Cannibal Papaya.” Tokyo Journal Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie carried out a backstage interview with singer/guitarist/founder Naoko Yamano, bassist Ritsuko Taneda and drummer Emi Morimoto prior to their October 2014 gig at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles.
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