Gardena Buddhist Temple in California held their Obon Festival and Bon Odori this weekend, and I stopped by today. More pics and video below the fold. This first video is Jodaiko, the UC Irvine taiko group celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. If you’ve never been to an Obon festival, I highly […] Read more
You know this had to happen sooner or later – and it did, at Namco’s Namja Town. My favorite? “Sloth’s ‘I’m hoping to live here’ Lazy Bum Crepe”. Read more
Time for a brief trip to the world of Japanese Cinema… Kore-eda Hirokazu isn’t a name that’ll be familiar to any but the most ardent art-house cinema buffs or serious Japanese culture geeks – but it should be. He’s a documentary trained director who’s turned his talents to narrative films that are […] Read more
I don’t make a habit of highlighting commercial videos often, but this one is pretty cool. Japanese commercials are incredibly creative and sometimes almost unbelievably weird. Note: this is not an endorsement of delicious Sapporo Beer (I’m more of a Belgian beer man myself) – just their creative team. Read more
With video! Sorry, Inu x Boku SS fans – not that Karuta. No, this is the game – and today was my first chance to see it played live. The SF Karuta Society held an exhibition today as part of the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival (last day tomorrow, stop […] Read more
Here’s round 2 of video from Slim’s. Funny Bunny: Little Busters: Last Dinosaur: Hybrid Rainbow: Crazy Sunshine: Read more
After cruel circumstances and bad luck have denied me the chance for years (I was actually in Japan the last time they toured the States) I finally got to see The Pillows tonight at Slim’s in San Francisco. Pirozu is a truly amazing band – I can think of few […] Read more
How does it feel to be present at the birth of a phenomenon? That’s what it feels like with Madoka Magica. Deserved or not, intended or not, it seems the zeal for this series has transcended fandom and become obsession. The “Church of Madoka” has, as ofthis writing, 2300 […] Read more
One of the great things about living in the Bay Area is that one can get a little Japanese culture fix without jumping on a plane. I live smack dab between the only two recognized Japantowns in the US – San Francisco and San Jose. Periodically we have matsuri – […] Read more