Song of the Week Ai wo Tomenaide by Koda Kumi

This week’s Song of the Week is Ai wo Tomenaide by Koda Kumi which has debuted at number 6 on the Japanese Jpop Oricon chart.

Koda Kumi (倖田 來未) is a Japanese singer and songwriter from Kyoto known for her sexy image and urban and R&B songs. She has been called the Christina Aquilera of Japan.

Koda Kumi debuted in 2000 but didn’t gain fame until her 7th single “Real Emotion” which was used as the theme for the video game Final Fantasy X. She has had 8 number one singles. She is also seen as a fashion icon in Japan and has won many fashion awards. This current single is a change from her usual style and is a softer ballad.

Entertainment in Japan

There are many recreational activities in Japan but the following three would have to be the most popular.

Karaoke

Karaoke (カラオケ) was invented in Japan and is the most popular form of entertainment for young Japanese. Most cities in Japan will have some kind of Karaoke Bar or Karaoke Box. The bigger cities will have karaoke boxes that occupy several floors of a building. You and your friends can rent a room to yourself for an hourly rate that often also includes all you can drink, with refills ordered through a phone on the wall. The major chains all have a good selection of English language songs along with the classic Japanese pop songs and enka.

Picture of the Week Nio Guardians at Nandai-mon Todai-ji Nara

These two fierce looking guardian statues protect the main entrance to Todai-ji in Nara, which is the 13th century Nandai-mon. The statues were carved in 1203 by the sculptor Unkei, and are more than 8 meters tall. They are considered some of the finest wooden statues in all of Japan, if not the world. They are really impressive and look like they could spring to life at any moment.

Planning That Big Overseas Trip

Cheap flights have meant that more and more people are taking off and heading overseas.

Here is some great advice from the folks at Lonely Planet for planning that big trip.

Song of the Week Kono Chikyu no Heiwa wo Honki de Negatterundayo! by Morning Musume

This week’s Song of the Week is Kono Chikyu no Heiwa wo Honki de Negatterundayo! by Morning Musume which has debuted at number 2 on the Japanese Jpop Oricon chart.

Morning Musume (モーニング娘) also called Momusu (モー娘) for short is a Japanese idol girl group managed and produced by Tsunku. The groups name basically means Morning Girls and they are part of the Hello! Project stable. The group has gone through many line-up changes since first formed in 1997. It seems that every year there are new graduations from the group and new auditions bring in new members that it can be hard keeping track of the line-up.

Picture of the Week Halloween in Japan

Halloween in Japan has started gaining in popularity with more and more cities, towns, shopping centers and theme parks displaying colourful Halloween decorations and having fun events. Like most things in Japan, Halloween starts quite early and places will start with the decorations in September through to October.

One of the fun things I enjoy around this time of year in Japan is the Halloween special edition of Japanese treats and snacks. This includes such things as Halloween Pumpkin Kit Kat to Koala no March Halloween.

Annual Hanami Cherry Blossom Festival in Olinda

Spring is upon us in Australia with warmer temperatures and the beautiful spring flowers and blooming cherry blossom trees. In Japan, spring is the time for hanami or cherry blossom viewing. The sakura or cherry blossom is Japan’s unofficial national flower and every March in Japan, thousands of cherry blossom trees come to life as they cover Japan, signifying the start of the annual Hanami season.

The National Rhododendron Gardens in Olinda in the Dandenong Ranges, Victoria pays homage to this ancient Japanese tradition with their own version of hanami, the Annual Hanami Cherry Blossom Festival with cherry blossom trees captivating the landscape. Enjoy the beauty of the blossoms along with the myriad of other plants such as azaleas, magnolias and rhododendrons.