Web Japan > Trends in Japan > Archives > Pop Culture 2003-2004
Local Festivals Go National
(December 13, 2004)
Recently festivals rich in local color are being held not only in their regions of
origin but in localities all across Japan.
World-Class Virtuosity
(December 3, 2004)
As the physiques of Japanese people Westernize, Japanese ballet dancers are rising
up the ranks of top ballet companies of the world as principals and soloists.
Coredo Nihonbashi
(November 1, 2004)
The year 2004 marks the 401st year since the construction of
the Nihonbashi Bridge across the Nihonbashi River in Edo (now Tokyo) by the Tokugawa
shogunate. Fittingly, the area enters its fifth century boasting a large, new
commercial facility, Coredo Nihonbashi, which opened in March.
Pure Love
(October 14, 2004)
Japanese women are being swept up in an unprecedented craze
for jun'ai (pure, innocent love). A South Korean TV drama series titled Winter
Sonata and the novel Sekai no Chushin de, Ai o Sakebu
(Crying for Love at the Heart of the World) by Katayama Kyoichi are among the
catalysts for this boom.
Taking a Local Look
(April 8, 2004)
Japan is composed
of 47 prefectures, from the snowy mountains of Hokkaido in the north to the sunny
beaches of Okinawa in the south. It is no surprise that people coming from different areas
may have very different outlooks on life. Recently a wave of new books has been
focusing on this very phenomenon.
For Mind and Body
(April 7, 2004)
Herbal medicine (kampo) is becoming
increasingly popular among Japanese women and is making inroads into their lives
in several ways.
Where Old Meets New
(April 6, 2004)
The port city of Yokohama, located just 30 minutes southwest
of Tokyo by train, has many faces. The city's latest efforts to boost its appeal coincides with the opening
on February 1 of a new subway line, the Minato Mirai Line, which enables passengers
to travel from the central Tokyo district of Shibuya to the Motomachi and Chinatown
area of the city in just 35 minutes.
The World of Japanese Anime
(April 5, 2004)
As Japanese anime sweeps the world
(think of Pokemon and Spirited
Away), the latest movie by one of the country's most talented creators,
Oshii Mamoru, was released in Japan on March 6. The anime,
Innocence, is Oshii's first movie in nine years.
Hello Kitty, Way To Go!
(April 2, 2004)
Hello Kitty, the little white cat from Japan who is getting
right up there with Mickey Mouse in terms of worldwide name recognition, turns
30 this year. Hello Kitty is unique in that her physical appearance has not changed a bit since
she made her debut.
90 Magical Years of Takarazuka
(March 17, 2004)
Takarazuka, the world's only all-female musical performance company, has long
been established as a uniquely Japanese form of popular entertainment. This year
the company marks its ninetieth anniversary of its first performance.
Show Me
(March 1, 2004)
Many corporations nowadays are working to develop theme-park-like
showrooms where visitors can experience cutting-edge technology and learn about
new products while having an enjoyable time.
Puppet Masterpiece
(January 14, 2004)
Ningyo Johruri Bunraku Puppet Theater, one of Japan's best-known
classical art forms, was officially declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible
Heritage of Humanity on November 11 by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization).
Museum in the Sky
(December 17, 2003)
Never in Japan's art history has so much fanfare accompanied
the opening of an art museum as the launching of the Mori Art Museum on October
18, 2003. Perched on the fifty-second and fifty-third floors of the spectacular
new Mori Tower in Tokyo, MAM hovers 250 meters above sea level.
Cheap Thrills
(November 18, 2003)
Popular in Japan over the past decade or so, ¥100 shops
offer a variety of goods for the same low price. In the same mold, a number of
leisure facilities that charge for their services in units of ¥100 ($0.91
at ¥110 to the dollar) have recently emerged.
Silver Screen Success
(November 7, 2003)
Kitano Takeshi received the Silver Lion award for best
director at the 60th Venice Film Festival on September 6. His award-winning work,
Zatoichi, is an unconventional and entertaining period film that tells the tale
of a blind master swordsman, played by the director himself.
Gifu Looks to the Future
(October 2, 2003)
Gifu Prefecture, located in the middle
of Japan's main island of Honshu, has undertaken a number
of unique projects, including one designed to foster the information technology
industry and another to turn the prefecture into a center of culture and fashion.
Temple Treasures
(September 22, 2003)
Japan has three national museums, one each in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara, and this
year these establishments are competing to see which can put on the most impressive
temple-themed exhibition. These exhibitions have offered the public chances to
view precious artifacts never previously displayed.
Gold Fever
(August 25, 2003)
Goldfish
this summer are showing up in some unusual places; especially popular are yukata
(informal summer kimono) with goldfish patterns, but there are many other goldfish-related
goods, too.
Dancing in the Streets
(August 13, 2003)
August is a time when Okinawa basks in tropical sunshine and when the people of
the islands participate in spectacular dance parades. Eisa
festivals are thrilling summer events that blow away the heat and excite the souls
of the Uchinanchu, as the people of Okinawa call themselves.
Midsummer Nights' Revelry
(July 22, 2003)
The Nebuta Festival in the northern city of Aomori is in a class by itself. From
August 2 to 7 every year, the city comes alive as huge illuminated floats are
paraded through the streets.
Time Tested Relations
(July 8, 2003)
The years 2003 and 2004 mark the 150th anniversary of pivotal events in Japan-United States relations,
and both countries have various commemorative activities planned for between January
2003 and December 2004.
Rites of Summer
(June 27, 2003)
Hakata Gion Yamakasa is a traditional festival marking the beginning of summer
in Fukuoka City. It comes to an end with a dramatic race on the final day.
Heavenly Hokkaido
(June 2, 2003)
For most of Japan, June sees the arrival of the annual
rainy season and a spell of miserable weather, but in Hokkaido, which does not
have a rainy season, it is the most pleasant time of the year.
Asean-Japan Exchange Year 2003
(May 30, 2003)
This year Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) are coming closer together. A number of events have already been
held to celebrate ASEAN-Japan Exchange Year 2003.
Vagabond Warrior
(April 24, 2003)
Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) is one of the most famous
swordsmen in Japanese history, and he is known to many people outside Japan as
well. Though he lived long ago, there is a Musashi revival underway at present
in Japan.
Happy Birthday Astro Boy!
(April 21, 2003)
Many Japanese adults grew up with the cartoon character Astro Boy and are celebrating Astro Boy's fictional birthdate in April 2003.
Edo Birthday Bash
(April 16, 2003)
2003 marks exactly 400 years since Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) established the
shogunate in Edo in 1603. Various events will be held throughout the year to celebrate
the 400th anniversary of this important juncture in Japanese history.
The "Japanimation" Phenomenon
(March 6, 2003)
The legendary Astro
Boy, Pokemon, Mazinger Z, Gundam, Sailor Moon, and Martian
Successor Nadesico are just some of the names that have become
familiar around the globe as Japanese cartoons, or anime,
have cemented their place as the world's favorite form of animated entertainment.
A Film Legend
(February 28, 2003)
As 2003 is
the 100th anniversary of legendary film director Yasujiro Ozu's birth, as well as the 40th year since
he passed away, a number of commemorative events have been planned
both in Japan and around the world.
Hot Toys in Japan
(February 27, 2003)
Competition in Japan's toy market is intense.
Many of the hot toys recently fall into one of three categories: those
operated by remote control, those that allow children to make things by
hand, and those that relate to pets.
Eat Up!
(February 17, 2003)
Theme parks of a new kind have lately been springing
up across Japan. The new parks, which have made the novel choice of food as their theme, are whetting the appetites of the food-curious
Japanese.
Center Stage
(January 29, 2003)
Japanese musicians attracted a great deal of attention on the world stage
during 2002. Seiji Ozawa began
work as the musical director of the Vienna State Opera, young Japanese
took top honors at international competitions, and a
blind pianist made his debut at Carnegie Hall.
The Ring
(January 9, 2003)
Four years since Godzilla, a remake of a more recent Japanese horror film has Americans
quivering in fear once again. The movie is The Ring,
based on the 1998 Japanese hit film Ringu.
Manga Goes International
(January 7, 2003)
A steady stream of English translations of Japanese manga
(comics) and magazines on anime (animated
films) have made their way across the Pacific to the United States.
