Kasuga Hachirou, one of the first Enka stars

The process of cultural influence that led to the flowering of J-Pop produced numerous offshoots. Some of the earliest Japanese pop, which has a distinctly 1950’s vibe, is preserved admirably in the radio broadcasts of Robert Altman’s M*A*S*H; but while the British Invasion swept Japan as well, a certain genre has remained stuck in the 50’s: Enka. More »

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From Wirebot:

Translation be hard time for people.

There is no denying that most of the gaming gold brought to the United States is shipped over here from different countries, but no one country gives us more to ogle about than the Land of the Rising Sun. Japan keeps packing our gullets full of their delicious gaming gravy and I myself can’t help but to come back for more. But like most foods, those yummy morsels pass through many a hand before they are properly processed and packed, and a lot can go wrong along the way, specifically in terms of translation from Japanese to English. Here are some games that didn’t quite get it right when they made the hop over the Pacific. More »

Now I will write about music. Well, in a manner of speaking. It’s a transitional thing. In the anime Lucky Star, the otaku heroine Konata taxes the American exchange student, Patti–who claims to “love Japanese music”–with only liking artists who have done anime work. “And what’s more,” she adds, to Patti’s tearful acknowledgment, “you only listen to their anime songs!”

In such a spirit, I’d like to direct the spotlight to a truly remarkable female on the Japanese music scene: Aki Hata. More »

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From Wirebot:

Most gamers, even casual(the horror!), know titles such as Super Mario Brothers 3, Metal Gear Solid, and Final Fantasy 7. But do they know where they came from? who made them? why did they make them? These questions will run through your head the first time you turn into a blubbering mess witnessing Aerith’s death or when you find the first warp whistle through the secret door in the first castle. In honor of Rekuru, and to gain more insight into what goes on behind the scenes, I will present to you the top three Japanese game developers of our generation. More »