By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

This month’s highlights include:

Sunday, May 12, 10:30 a.m.

Japan Day @ Central Park

Naumberg Bandshell

Free

Now in its seventh year, Japan Day has won acclaim from New Yorkers from every walk of life, with Mayor Michael Bloomberg calling it an eagerly anticipated cultural event on the city’s calendar. For this year’s event, organizers are planning once again to have both the Japan Run (beginning at 8:00 a.m.) and the Japan Day Festival, emphasizing enjoyable activities for all ages that will deepen participants’ understanding and appreciation of Japanese culture—not to mention the food, drinks and snacks! Hosted by CNN national correspondent Sandra Endo, this year’s guest performers include Taiko Masala, Kylee, Yosakoi Dance Project 10tecomai, Chris Hart, and the Glory Gospel Singers.

May 16-June 2

Deadly She-Wolf Assassin at Armageddon!

La MaMa Experimental Theatre, 74 East 4th Street

$30 adults, $25 students/seniors

Deadly She-Wolf Assassin at Armageddon! is the latest music/theater and martial arts tour de force from collaborators Fred Ho and Ruth Margraff. A daring and imaginative homage to the 1970s Japanese raging cult manga and theatrical hit Lone Wolf and Cub (Kozure Ookami)—which has inspired many other adaptations and works in comic books and film over the past decades—Deadly She-Wolf explodes with a ferocious stylistic mix of Japanese Noh theater and modern-day anime and manga influences with unique multi-martial arts and sword fighting choreography and a glorious score fusing traditional Japanese music and soul-jazz. Raised as a weapon by a brutal conspirator, a young female assassin discovers that her target has spun the empire of Japan into crisis and ruin–and–is none other than her father. Torn between loyalty to her mission, her nation and her soul, she must face the unimaginable at the twilight of an imperial epoch.

For the complete story, click here.

 

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

Spring has sprung in the Big Apple, and that means one thing: a new season of sounds, colors, and spectacular performing arts to match the blossoming sakura trees throughout the city.

This month’s highlights include:

April 5-6

Hikobae

BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center Theatre 2, 199 Chambers Street

$50 general admission, $15 students (use discount code STU at Smarttix page)

A story of courage and personnel sacrifice of an American doctor and the Japanese medical staff who risked their lives following the devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters that struck Japan on March 11, 2011, Hikobae is a fictionalized story based on recorded interviews with physicians and nurses from Soma City Hospital, a medical center in the Fukushima evacuation zone. Supported by the Tribute WTC Visitor Center, proceeds from the production will benefit the Momo-Kaki Orphan Fund, which supports children who lost their parents in the disaster. The theater piece will be performed in English and Japanese, with subtitles projected behind the actors.

April 5-14

Miyazaki

BAM Rose Cinemas, 30 Lafayette Avenue

$13 adults, $9 children and matinees, $8 members

Part of BAMcinématek. For nearly three decades, the films of Hayao Miyazaki and the company he founded, Studio Ghibli, have revolutionized the art of animation. Miyazaki’s indelible style—which weds the uncanniness of Lewis Carroll and the epic grandeur of Akira Kurosawa—stands as a testament to the beauty and imaginative power of hand-drawn animation, conjuring richly realized worlds replete with mystical spirits and shot through with an abiding concern for the relationship between humans and nature. All films directed by Hayao Miyazaki and in 35mm.

Sunday, April 14, 7:00 p.m.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

Best Buy Theater, 1515 Broadway

$25, $100 VIP meet and greet

Born in 1993 in Tokyo, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu attracted attention with her individual blog, and has been active as a model in Japan. A charismatic personality that represents the youth fashion of Harajuku, her smash single “PONPONPON“—released on her debut album shortly after she finished high school—became a big hit around the world, racking up over 46 million views on YouTube to date. Receiving plenty of attention as the symbol of kawaii (or “cuteness” in Japanese), Kyary Pamyu Pamyu makes her New York concert debut as part of her ambitious 10-country “100%KPP” tour.

For the complete story, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Shukan NY Seikatsu. Visit his Examiner.com Japanese culture page here for related stories.

Released in conjunction with the New York International Children’s Film Festival March 15, From Up on Poppy Hill, the newest work from Studio Ghibli, is now playing at four locations in New York City.

Founded in 1985, the name Studio Ghibli (pronounced ji-blee) is based on the Arabic name for the sirocco, or Mediterranean wind, the idea being the studio would represent a new wind blowing through the industry. Today it is recognized as Japan’s most celebrated animation film studio thanks to the works of its co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, whose own Spirited Away is the highest-grossing film in Japanese history and the Academy Award winner for Best Animated Feature in 2003. (A recent poll conducted in Japan revealed the nation’s favorite Ghibli film to be 1988’s My Neighbor Totoro, claiming 24.3 percent of the vote.)

Co-written by Miyazaki and directed by his son Goro, From Up on Poppy Hill is a period piece that takes place in Yokohama 50 years ago, focusing on an innocent romance that blossoms between Umi and Shun, two high school kids caught up in the changing times. Produced in North America by GKIDS, the English-language edition features the voice talents of stars like Gillian Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ron Howard, and many more.

For showtimes and tickets for From Up on Poppy Hill, visit www.gkids.tv/poppyhill.

 

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

Tucked between Oscar and cherry blossom season, March offers an unmissable array of concerts, performances and film premieres, along with a special gathering to mark the two-year anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

This month’s highlights include:

Sunday, March 3, 6:45 p.m.

Exploring the Road of Shamisen – Koto Workshop and Concert

Still Mind Zendo, 37 West 17th Street

$15 advance, $18 at the door

For reservations, email contact[at]marcreation.com or call 917-400-9362

In the latest workshop of the Spring Traditional Japanese Musical Instrument Series, shamisen specialist Yoko Reikano Kimura will demonstrate the vast 400 years of shamisen repertoire and explore the infinite possibilities of the instrument. Shamisen was brought to Japan through the Silk Road and since then it was popularized among samurai to ordinary citizens. But in today’s cosmopolitan age, new shamisen music continues to thrive.

March 6-9

The Bach Variations: Bach and Mendelssohn

Avery Fisher Hall, 10 Lincoln Center Plaza

$41-$123

In its first-ever Bach Festival, a kaleidoscopic three-week celebration of the depth and breadth the man the New York Times named the greatest composer of all time, Kobe-born conductor and harpsichordist Masaaki Suzuki leads five vocalists along with his own Bach Colleguim Japan and Yale Schola Cantorum with his own unique approach, combining his perspective with the virtuosity of the New York Philharmonic. On the program are Bach’s “Motet No. 1: Singet dem Herrn” and “Magnificat,” along with Mendelssohn’s :Magnificat in D Major” and “Christus.”

March 9-June 9

Edo Pop: The Graphic Impact of Japanese Prints

Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street

$12 general admission, $10 students and seniors, Japan Society members and children under 16 free

Edo Pop playfully juxtaposes classic ukiyo-e prints from such masters as Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige with contemporary works inspired by these artists and their works. Delve into alluring worlds created by the power of Edo period and contemporary popular culture in which change is the only constant. Organized by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, with the contemporary art selections curated for the New York presentation by Miwako Tezuka, Ph.D., Director, Japan Society Gallery.

For the complete story, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.Saturday, Feb. 2, 6 p.m.-10 p.m.Stay warm this winter with some hot local events, from retro anime screenings to bilingual robot plays to a J-pop infused Lunar New Year spectacular.

This month’s highlights include:

Feb. 1-15, 9:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

NIPPON-JIN Exhibition

Consulate General of Japan, 299 Park Avenue

Free

Presented by J-COLLABO, a unique social network that promotes the Japanese art scene with various collaborating artists, NIPPON-JIN (meaning “Japanese”), will be on view at the gallery of the Consulate General of Japan from Feb. 1-15. Showcasing more than 300 unique portrait photographs taken by Junichi Takahashi, NIPPON-JIN reveals what Takahashi sees as “Japanese people,” opposed to the prototype of stereotypical “Japanese” that others expect and portray. To capture the essence of what makes Japanese “Japanese,” Takahashi decided to approach this project by taking hundreds of samples over a four-year period of Japanese being themselves, letting the accumulation of the subject matter form the answer. The exhibition will go to the gallery of Narita International Airport in Japan this summer.

Sunday, Feb. 3, 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

Salon Series No. 44. Gestures, Mime and Dance

Tenri Cultural Institute, 43A West 13th Street

$15 general, $10 students/seniors

Now in its fifteenth year, the 45th performance of Sachiyo Ito & Company’s Salon Series is titled “Gestures in Japanese Dance and Mime.” From noh theater to today’s baseball heroes, the Japanese have tended to use more gestures than other peoples, particularly compared to those in the west, and in much subtle manner. Why and how we use them in daily life and see any of those are reflected in dance. Featuring guest Yass Hakoshima (who led Yass Hakoshima Movement Theater for 40 years in the USA and Europe), live demonstrations will illustrate how a mime draws gestures from daily life as a comparison and to gain further insight. Excerpts from kabuki dances choreographed by Ito as well as Hakoshima’s ever-popular comic piece, “Fisherman,” will be performed.

Feb. 7-9, 7:30 p.m.

Seinendan Theater Company + Osaka University Robot Theater Project

Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street

$28, $25 Japan Society members

Imagine a time when “robot maids” are commonly found in family households. That’s the much-anticipated setting of these two heartrending short plays by Oriza Hirata, founder of Japan’s celebrated Seinendan Theater Company. In Sayonara (android and human actors), an android is bought to console a girl suffering from a fatal illness, but when its mechanics go awry, the meaning of life and death to humans and robots comes into question. In I, Worker (robots and human actors), a husband’s struggle to cope with the loss of his child is juxtaposed with the malaise of one of his robots, which has lost all motivation to work. This double bill was developed in collaboration with Dr. Hiroshi Ishiguro, a leading international researcher on robotics and Director of the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory at Osaka University. Sayonara will be performed in English and Japanese with English subtitles. I, Worker will be performed in Japanese with English subtitles.

For the complete story, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

Japan Society swings into the new year with two nights of its upcoming 15th Contemporary Dance Showcase: Japan + East Asia showcase from Jan. 11-12. This year’s program features four North American premieres.

Since the inception of the Performing Arts Program in 1953, Japan Society has introduced more than 600 of Japan’s finest performing arts to an extensive American audience. The program also commissions new works to non-Japanese artists, produces national tours, organizes residency programs for American and Japanese artists and develops and distributes educational programs. Originally America’s leading platform for the introduction of Japanese choreographers and companies, the Dance Showcase has expanded to include artists and works of international acclaim from the broader East Asian region.

From Tokyo comes the U.S. premiere of post-post-post butoh Misshitsu: Secret Honey Room – Duo Version, created and performed collaboratively by Makotocluv founder Makoto Enda and former Dairakudakan dancer Kumotaro Mukai, following a world premiere at Setagaya Public Theatre/Theatre Tram in Tokyo in August 2012. Formed in 2001, Makotocluv appeared at Japan Society in 2008 and was hailed by the New York Times as “wonderfully fluent in the language of the theater.” Misshitsu: Secret Honey Room marks Mukai and Enda’s first collaboration in 15 years.

For the complete story, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

Interview conducted by Rick Ambrosio (Ibaraki-ken, 2006-08). A staple of the JET Alumni Association of New York (JETAANY) community, Rick manages their Twitter page and is an up-for-anything writer for JQ magazine.

From porn to Playboy to parenthood, Tera Patrick describes herself these days as a “Betty Crocker Rocker Mompreneur.” Suitably following Hurricane Sandy at this year’s Exxxotica Expo in New Jersey—the nation’s biggest event devoted to love and sex—this multi-award-winning force of nature attended the three-day fest from Nov. 9-11 to press the flesh with fans and read from her best-selling autobiography, 2010’s Sinner Takes All.

But here’s something you might not know: Patrick’s been a diehard fan of Japanese culture since her days in Tokyo as a teen model. In this exclusive interview, the Montana native dishes on Harajuku girls and yakuza tats, the controversial Measure B that could forever change the adult industry, and the upcoming sequel to Sinner Takes All.

How are you enjoying Exxxotica?

I’m enjoying Exxxotica a lot—it was really important for me to come back. This is my first time at the show; I haven’t been back here since 2009. And in light of Sandy, it was really important to give back and boost morale and donate Tera items. I’m doing care packages for veterans tomorrow.

Last month you were a special guest at New York Comic Con. How did that end up happening?

You know what’s funny? I always say guys like three things: they like porn, comics and chicks. So it wasn’t too farfetched for me to be there; I actually debuted my first show at Comic Con in 2007 when I appeared in the video game Saints Row. So I’ve been in video games, I’ve had the privilege of being on Adult Swim and Aqua Teen Hunger Force, I’ve done adult. I do a lot of different things—I’m an author now. My first memoir was Sinner Takes All; my second follow-up memoir comes out February 2013.

We heard that for Halloween your outfit was a Harajuku girl. Is that true?

Yes. I’m actually very fascinated by Japanese culture. In my memoir Sinner Takes All, my first modeling job at the age of 13 was in Omotesando in Tokyo. So I’ve always been obsessed with Japanese culture, and I usually spend one month of the year in Japan.

Japan still is my favorite country to visit. I love Japanese food. I’m Thai—my mother’s from Thailand—but I love Japanese food, Japanese culture. I love everything about Japan, so I’m really excited to take my family there for the first time in December. So I’ve been a bit selfish, and I always spend a lot of time in Japan. I’ve been tattooed in Japan; I’ve only been tattooed in Japan.

For the complete interview, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

Hurricane Sandy may have wreaked havoc on the Eastern Seaboard, but New York is holding strong in November with a bounty of Japan-related events from MoMA to Madison Square Garden.

Nov. 6

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Box Set

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is an epic fantasy tale written and illustrated by legendary Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki, creator of My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and Ponyo. A modern masterpiece (made into its own classic film adaptation in 1984), the entire series is now available in this deluxe box set containing two hardcover volumes with interior color pages and full-color double-sided poster in a special slipcase.

Nov. 9-11

Japan Arts Matsuri (JAM) 2012

Theater for the New City

The American Dream Japanese Network (JaNet) was originally created in 2001 following the 9/11 attacks to cheer up and unite the Japanese community, which lost many of its prominent members working in the World Trade Center. An annual Japanese music and performing arts showcase, this year’s three-night event features such diverse acts as Taka Kigawa, Taiko Masala, and Yosakoi Dance Project – 10tecomai, last year’s Talent Night winners!

Monday, Nov. 12

Geisha: The Golden Years 1870-1890 Opening Reception

Resobox Gallery

This Long Island City gallery is proud to present an exhibition of 19th century hand-colored photographs of Geisha and Maiko from the Burns Archive. These photographs are the original images used by Dr. Stanley Burns and his daughter Elizabeth to create their noted book, Geisha: A Photographic History 1872-1912. The images in this exhibition showcase the best of Japanese photographs that were made to show the perceived exotic nature of Japan to the West. Several of the great early photographers’ studios are represented, including Kusabi Kimbel, Ogawa Kazumasa and Baron von Stillfried.

For the complete story, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Shukan NY Seikatsu. Visit his Examiner.com Japanese culture page here for related stories.

The opening of playwright Jeanne Sakata’s Hold These Truths begins with the famous United States Declaration of Independence quote that all men are created equal, followed by the Japanese proverb “the nail that sticks up gets hammered down.” The one hammered down is Gordon Kioyoshi Hirabayashi, the late American pacifist and Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree whose experiences in World War II-era America are brought vividly to life by Joel de la Fuente in this one-man show now running Off-Broadway.

“From the day rehearsing began for our premiere in November 2007, we’ve been working to make Hold These Truths a better play, and that hasn’t stopped with our New York premiere,” said Sakata, who shaped it through extensive interviews with Hirabayashi. The play has received positive reviews from The New Yorker and the Associated Press, and has brought wider attention to a traumatic time in American history.

Born in Seattle in 1918, Hirabayashi was imprisoned in 1942 for protesting wartime curfews. He lost a U.S. Supreme Court case the following year, but the verdict was later overturned in the 1980s, triggering an apology and reparations to the families of the more than 100,000 people interned in the western United States during the war.

Hold These Truths runs through Nov. 25 at the Theater at the 14th Street Y. For more information, visit http://epictheatreensemble.org/holdthesetruths.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

Frederik L. Schodt first traveled to Japan in 1965 as a teenager, and since the early ’80s he has written numerous books about Japanese culture both popular and obscure, including the landmark Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics, the first substantial English-language work on the art form. Schodt also has translated a wealth of books and manga series (many by his late friend, the “god of comics” Osamu Tezuka), and in 2009 he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette for his contribution to the introduction and promotion of Japanese contemporary popular culture.

Out Nov. 13 is his newest book, Professor Risley and the Imperial Japanese Troupe, the true story of “Professor” Richard Risley Carlisle, an American who introduced the Western circus to Japan in 1864, and in turn gave many Americans their first glimpse of the East when he took his “Imperial Japanese Troupe” of acrobats and jugglers on a triumphant tour of North America and Europe, stirring a fascination with all things Japanese that, Schodt says, eventually led to today’s boom in manga and anime.

In part one of this exclusive, wide-ranging interview, I spoke with Schodt about his fascination with the late 19th century, his relationship with contemporary pop culture icons like George Lucas, and the story behind his middle initial, which is colorfully connected to the events of the film Argo.

It’s been more than five years since the release of your last book, The Astro Boy Essays. What else have you been up to since then?

I’ve actually gone through this and done some rough calculations, but it seems to take me about five years between books. I’ve been doing this same sort of thing that I always do, which is a mix of writing books and translating and then also working as a conference interpreter. For different periods, the weight and the ratio changes, but the mix is pretty much the same. And I’ve been working on the book of Professor Risley and the Imperial Japanese Troupe, I guess, for the last two or three years doing research. But it’s been a lot of fun, I have to say—it’s been one of the most fun books I’ve worked on in a long time.

What are some developments in manga/anime/Japanese pop culture in the U.S. that you feel has moved in a positive direction? At the same time, what things are you a bit critical of in the way they were handled?

I think it’s wonderful that a popular culture from another country such as Japan developed such a large fanbase in the United States, and that was a real surprise to me. I always hoped that people would take more notice in Japanese manga and anime, because I thought they were such an interesting manifestation of popular culture that had been long overlooked in the United States. But I never imagined that both of those entertainment media would become so big and so entrenched in the United States in terms of the fanbase, so that’s been wonderful to see.

It seems like the biggest development in recent years has been the cosplay phenomenon—that’s become a real part of the lingo here now.

That’s right. And I think cosplay in the United States is a little different, and in fact I think the whole fandom in the United States has assumed sort of American characteristics, so it’s developing on its own in new directions, and it’s kind of wonderful to see. I go to some of the larger cons every once in a while, and I really enjoy seeing how young people are interpreting this cultural phenomenon developed in Japan, although I have to say that cosplay is really indirectly inspired by the masquerades and the costume competitions that started in the United States in the sci-fi comic book community. So it’s very interesting. It’s this sort of cultural interchange that I’ve always been fascinated by where you have these two countries that are kind of reflecting each other and sending influences back and forth to each other, and interpreting a phenomenon in slightly different ways.

For the complete interview, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

Anime and manga fandom came out in full force at New York Comic Con last weekend, with a record 116,000 fans visiting the Jacob K. Javits Center for the annual event. Sunday (Oct. 14) hosted special guest artist Moyoco Anno of Sugar Sugar Rune and Sakuran fame.

A professional mangaka (manga artist and author) and one of the most respected names in Japanese comics today for her josei (ladies’) comics, Anno was in town to promote the recently released English-language edition of Sakuran, a starkly drawn tale of Japanese courtesans in the Edo period.

“We’d been thinking about publishing Sakuran for a few years now, and were finally able to convince [our] CEO to take the plunge,” said Ed Chavez, marketing director of Vertical Inc., the book’s North American publisher, which had its own booth at Comic Con. Based in New York, Vertical translates Japanese works of fiction and non-fiction that are considered good reads with universal themes from its vibrant book market.

Standouts of Vertical’s manga stable include Osamu Tezuka’s Buddha, Usamaru Furuya’s No Longer Human and Kanata Konami’s Chi’s Sweet Home.

For the complete story, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

October is shaping up to be a memorable month for Japanese culture in New York. Whether it’s examples of its rich past (traditional Shinto dance), something contemporary (legendary manga and anime artists), or works of art captured by others (photographer Eikoh Hosoe, a play based on the life of a Japanese American Medal of Freedom winner), autumn here is so inviting.

Wednesday, Oct. 10, 6:30 p.m.

Japan Society

333 East 37th Street

Master photographer Eikoh Hosoe is known for his dark, metaphorical and provocative images. First emerging in postwar Japan as a member of the avant-garde movement, he produced Barakei (Ordeal by Roses), featuring author and right-wing activist Yukio Mishima in a series of dark, erotic poses. He later published Kamaitachi, showing butoh dance founder Tatsumi Hijikata in a series of supernatural images across the Japanese countryside. Mr. Hosoe speaks about his collective work and reflects on his long and dynamic career. Moderated by Dr. Miwako Tezuka, director of Japan Society Gallery. Followed by a reception.

Oct. 11-14

New York Comic Con

Jacob K. Javits Center

655 West 34th Street

First held in 2006 and paired with New York Anime Festival starting in 2010, New York Comic Con is the city’s biggest annual fan convention dedicated to comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies and television. Attendance has more than tripled since its launch, as last year’s estimates topped 105,000 visitors. This year’s distinguished “anime guests” include Final Fantasy/Vampire Hunter D artist extraordinaire Yoshitaka Amano (Oct. 12-13), Sakuran creator Moyoco Anno (Oct. 13-14), Tufts University Professor of Japanese Studies Susan Napier (Oct. 13), and perennial NYCC staple voice actress Veronica Taylor (Pokémon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).

For the complete story, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

“You’re not going to stand there the whole time, are you?” a thirtysomething asks me in Japanese from behind the photo pit barrier.

I tell her that I wouldn’t be much of a rock photographer if I stood still the whole time.

“Good,” she says, her face all business. “Because we lined up for this from yesterday morning. So please try to keep your head down, because it’s in my way.”

Welcome to the Best Buy Theater in Manhattan, which drew a sold out Sunday crowd of over 2,000 on Sept. 30 for the New York concert debut of B’z, Japan’s all-time biggest band. Since 1988, Tak Matsumoto and Koshi Inaba have sold over 80 million records, and hold an untouchable record for consecutive number one singles in their native land (46 and counting). A colossal achievement in music, to be sure, but how would the rockers be received on this, their first-ever coast to coast North American tour?

For the complete story, click here.

For Justin’s September 2012 interview with Tak and Koshi, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

Shinichi Nishimiya, the newly appointed Japanese ambassador to China, died today (Sept. 16) at a Tokyo hospital, government sources said. The incoming envoy previously served as the Consul-General of Japan in New York from March 2009 to the end of 2010, becoming Japan’s deputy foreign minister in charge of economic affairs prior to his new appointment.

Nishimiya, 60, collapsed near his home in Tokyo and was hospitalized on Thursday, only two days after becoming the top envoy to China. The cause of his death has yet to be known. According to Reuters, doctors were looking into the cause of death, but no other details were available. Police have ruled out the possibility of foul play.

Born in 1952, Nishimiya studied at the University of Tokyo and joined the foreign service of Japan in 1976. After working at the Embassies in Washington, D.C., Moscow and London, he served as the director of policy coordination division, Foreign Policy Bureau and as deputy director-general, Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, both in Tokyo. From 2005 to 2006, he served as a as consul at the Japanese embassy in Beijing.

In his new role, Nishimiya would return to Beijing to replace Uichiro Niwa, his predecessor from the private sector, amid deterioration in bilateral ties sparked by Japan’s nationalization of the Senkaku Islands.

For the complete story, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

The most successful group in Japanese history, B’z have sold 80 million records since their 1988 debut, and also have released a staggering 46 consecutive number one singles. Comprised of Grammy-winning guitarist Tak Matsumoto and ace vocalist Koshi Inaba, the rock duo has flirted with American success in the past, launching three of their Live-Gym West Coast tours in the last decade.

Now, B’z is ready for a full-scale American invasion, launching their first-ever national tour beginning in San Francisco Sept. 17 and hitting New York’s Best Buy Theater Sept. 30. At the same time, the band is promoting its debut English-language digital EP entitled B’z, which features five of the stadium act’s biggest hits made for a whole new audience.

In this exclusive interview, I caught up with Tak and Koshi on why the band waited until now to do a coast-to-coast tour, their experience working with other rock luminaries like Aerosmith and Linkin Park, and the plans in motion for the band’s 25th anniversary next year.

Let’s start with the basics. How did the band get its name?

Tak: I don’t remember exactly. We probably thought we needed to have a simple name that was easy to memorize.

Koshi: We wanted a short name—like a code. At first, it was AZ, which came from an A to Z kind of meaning, but we didn’t like how it was pronounced. Then we changed it to B to Z, and liked how it sounded.

Why has B’z decided to finally play New York now?

Tak: I don’t know exactly why it took so long, but I’ve been waiting to perform there. I’m really looking forward to it.

Koshi: When we started performing in the U.S., most of our dates were on the West Coast. We weren’t familiar enough with New York to have a show there.

Tell us about the other musicians you’re performing with on this tour.

Tak: Takanobu Masuda is on keyboards. He’s my old friend, and has been performing with B’z for 20 years. Shane Gaalaas is on drums. He’s played with Michael Schenker, Yngwie Malmsteen and many others. He also has his own band, Cosmosquad. Barry Sparks is on bass. He also played with Michael and Yngwie, along with Ted Nugent, UFO and the Scorpions as well. Yoshinobu Ohga is on guitar. He was on our last tour of the U.S. I’m supported by his perfect harmony.

Koshi: Ohga joined last year. Everyone else has been touring with B’z for a long time, and they’re all great.

What can we look forward to at these shows?

Tak: We are going to the East Coast for the first time, but this tour is going to be the fourth tour in the U.S. for B’z. I always love to play in the U.S., and I felt we should release English songs for the American audiences. The show will be a mix of both Japanese and English.

Koshi: We’re looking forward to the U.S. audience hearing our new English songs. You might sweat a lot at our show, but you’ll enjoy it!

Is this new EP part of a plan to release a full English-language album in the future?

Tak: I hope so.

For the complete interview, click here.