Highlights of the prolific career of revered illustrator Yoshitaka Amano include lending his beautiful combination of Art Noveau inspiration and traditional Japanese brushwork to iconic titles such as the Final Fantasy series and Vampire Hunter D. The world famous artist has taken on some quite surprising side projects along the way, however, including a beautiful Cinderella picture book and other renditions of European and Japanese fairy tales. Now Amano has lent his elegant artistic touch to a shamisen he helped design with an original female ninja character! It is a beautiful woman ninja Shaura painted by game FF Amano Yoshitaka.Everyone in London is pleased with the shamisen of Yoshitaka Amano…

If songs like the one below give you fond memories, it may mean that you’re an anime fan who enjoyed the soundtracks of Dragon Ball Z episode and movie dubs. It also now means that you’re listening to music composed by a recently elected United States Senator in Texas. Nathan Johnson (Democrat), known to anime fans as a composer for five Dragon Ball Z film dubs a multitude of episodes as well, defeated Republican incumbent Don Huffines to claim a Texas senate seat on Election Day Tuesday with 54.1% of the vote. While that may be the headline for Dragon Ball Z fans, Johnson’s resume more significantly includes providing pro-bono…

If you enjoy traditional Japanese music, you may be a fan of NHK World Blends, a fascinating program that helps introduce classical Japanese instruments and musical performers by playing popular modern songs on traditional Japanese instruments. One of the show’s appeals is rediscovering an appreciation for songs by hearing gorgeous renditions of them accented by the gentle touch of shakuhachi (traditional Japanese bamboo flute), koto, and shamisen. One such standout is a cover of “Back in Black” by rock giants AC/DC on traditional Japanese instruments, featuring the returning Yoshimi Tsujimoto, a talented veteran player of the shakuhachi. A notable addition to this performance is the shime-daiko, a taiko drum used…

Karaoke in Japan isn’t about singing well, it’s about having a good time and bonding. And drinking. Source: プラナ / PIXTA(ピクスタ) Even if your pipes aren’t exactly Mariah Carey level, everyone will appreciate you trying your best. Although it’s probably best not to break out your death metal screaming at the company night out… When in the karaoke booth with a group of Japanese people, any foreigner risks being automatically assigned to the role of English language juke box. Even if you don’t actually know the song, and even if English isn’t your first language, you will probably be barraged with requests. Of course, singing songs in English is one…

So Party Rock Anthem has the same BPM as the Evangelion Opening If you’re a fan of Neon Genesis Evangelion, then the version of it’s classic opening “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” you have in your head may be the all new high definition edit recently released by King’s Records. However, over the years you may have noticed a slew of mashups of the song and other footage that may or may not sync up so well. Twitter user Josejusejo may have found a mashup recipe that fits like a glove, however, pointing out that the popular Evangelion opening song and LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem” share an almost identical BPM (beats…

BTS recently celebrated the anniversary of their debut in Japan. Since that time four years ago, the world’s favourite K-pop group have been in and out the country doing various concerts and promotional activities. The members are known for their frequent social media updates (it even won them Top Social Artist at the Billboard Music Awards), so when they’re in Japan you can be sure there will be a few cheeky snaps of their sightseeing activities. Eagle-eyed ARMYs (the collective name for BTS fans) are quick to analyse the photos and attempt to work out exactly where the boys went. Visiting the same spots as your idols isn’t just for…

Pixel artist, designer, DJ and track maker Motocross Saito creates memorable GIF animations in a retro style, channeling ’80s and ’90s culture and music, with a focus on hip hop. Although he has been introduced internationally as the “loneliness GIF” artist, as Motocross Saito explains in this interview with CNN Japan, what he is really aiming for in his animated GIF pixel art is to “express a feeling that can soothe your mind, create a calming effect.” Many of his animated GIF scenes feature a common character, perhaps his alter ego, a school girl with blue hair who seems to like hip hop, flips through LPs at record shops, makes…

David Bowie lives on as traditional Japanese artwork. UKIYO-E PROJECT was started by Yuka Mitsui, CEO of Mitsui Agency International, to preserve the traditional art of Japanese woodblock paintings and revitalize interest in one of Japan’s most iconic art forms by merging ukiyo-e style artwork with characterizations of legendary musical artists. In the past, the project has produced gorgeous and striking Japanese woodblock prints of celebrated artists such as KISS, as well as a metal and ukiyo-e mashup of Iron Maiden that turned mascot Eddie into a blood-soaked demon. Now the project will turn its spotlight to legendary musical artist David Bowie, showcasing the prints from June 23rd to July…

Japanese fans angry after two models filmed themselves dancing and recorded part of a Bruno Mars concert, upsetting the singer and causing him to throw a towel at them. Fans in Japan of Grammy-award winning superstar Bruno Mars are none too pleased with an incident at the recent leg of the “Bruno Mars 24K MAGIC WORLD TOUR 2018” performances that occurred at the Saitama Super Arena. Several women, at least five believed to be fashion models Moueka Nozaki, Nanaka, Satoumi, Mao Miyashita, and Maria Tani, have been seen in several self-recorded videos dancing along to an ongoing part of the performance, which is also recorded in the video. At the…

Although you’re most likely to see Japanese instruments such as the shamisen at a festival or traditional performance, their potential for adding a whole new dimension to modern day tunes shouldn’t be underestimated. Every so often, a clip involving a talented player taking on a well loved track with their traditional instrument will go viral, bringing the beauty and versatility of these instruments to the fore. For example, this trio giving a fresh take on Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson gave a whole new generation a reason to dust off the old koto. A Shamisen Final Fantasy Battle Theme Cover In this latest viral hit, a skilled player of the…

If you look outside the realm of “common” instruments, you might just find yourself floored by what seems like out-of-this world sounds, as can be observed with Yukiko Koshimoto “spacedrum” and a curious drum inspired by a inspired by a Japanese musical garden ornament. If anything defines a departure from the common instrument, it might just be Sami Elu’s Chopstick Piano. The Tokyo-based musician and performer’s 29-string homemade instrument uses disposable chopsticks to create music that’ll put you in a trance. The Chopstick Piano uses disposable chopsticks, or waribashi, to hit piano strings as Sami uses his other hand to individually pluck away with a pick while his feet are…

This video from Great Big Story on YouTube introduces Gyosen Asakura, a monk and chief priest of a Buddhist temple. Initially he rejected the expectation that he would carry on the family tradition of heading the temple and pursued his interest in music, becoming a DJ and lighting technician. As he progressed, he realized that his passion for music wasn’t as at odds with the Buddhist religion as he originally thought. If you think you can’t make it to Fukui to bear witness to one of his trancey sets, you can dance your way to enlightenment while browsing Gyosen Asakura’s YouTube channel. Because of dwindling numbers of worshippers at temples…

You may have seen WORLD ORDER’s signature salary-man suits and robotic dance before when the video for their song ‘Have a Nice Day’ became a viral hit. The band is the brainchild of ex-mixed martial artist Genki Sudo. The members’ suits and perfectly in sync choreography is intended to play on the popular image that non-Japanese people have of the Japanese business man as very serious. Their videos show them dancing in highly populated public areas, while passersby react with laughter, stares or by taking photos on their phones. シアトルに来ています。スタバの一号店前でニルバーナになりきりました。Smells Like Teen Spirit! pic.twitter.com/OnnYHkiYrW — 須藤元気 #sudo genki (@genki_sudo) 28 February 2018 Their music, which has a very Pet Shop…

Is it your dream to star in a Japanese anime but thought you would never get the chance due to your language? An amazing opportunity has arisen for English speaking anime lovers with a sturdy set of pipes. A new animation called Carol & Tuesday which is set to air April 2019 is holding worldwide auditions for singers. A promotional video for the anime is below. The supervising director of the show is Shinichiro Watanabe, famous for Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo. He also directed two shorts for the Animatrix. They are looking for female singers to sing the dubbed version for the two main characters, Carol and Tuesday. The…

Geishas and maikos (apprentice geishas) in the hanamachi entertainment quarters of Gion and Pontocho gathered on January 7 to participate in a yearly ceremony to kick off the beginning of business after the New Year’s holiday season. One of the largest gatherings occurred in Yasaka Hall in the compound of Gion Kobu Kaburenjo Hall in Higashiyama Ward. More than 110 geishas and maikos assembled in the hall, decked out in formal black kimonos and wearing kanzashi hair ornaments with rice-stalk motifs as well as dogs to celebrate the Year of the Dog. Source: (C) Sankei Shimbun Co., Ltd. Source: (C) Sankei Shimbun Co., Ltd. The geishas and maikos assembled in…