04.04.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
The reach of moe is long...
OK, so anime of late tends to put in cute girls to attract viewers and sell merchandise. Some people criticize and dismiss it for this reason. But on a recent trip to Nagoya, I realized just how natural the trend towards moe marketing is. A furniture store on Akamon-Dori (the otaku street in Nagoya) put out the advertisement: "We can do moe furniture!" Yeah, a custom couch with a cute anime girl on it. This man, an older gentleman, had survived in a neighborhood fast becoming a young otaku haven by turning to where he knew the market was. It doesn't matter how good his couches are if no one notices them, buys them and sits on them. And it takes the power of moe to get people in the seats. That's as true for furniture stores as it is for anime.
Tags: Moe Travel CM 0 Comments
22.03.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Nippombashi Street Festa 2010
I shot over to Osaka for the Nippombashi Street Festa 2010. It was the sixth annual event, and by all accounts was a little more organized and controlled than before. I guess there were police patrolling, and the event had numerous corporate sponsors (the gray-haired suits marched in the parade, which I thought was hilarious). Everywhere you looked, there was Neon-chan, the image character of the area designed by Itou Noizi. (The more I saw her, the more I thought she looks like Cardcaptor Sakura...) But from where I stood it was a really wild time. At 12:00, the massive street in the center of Den Den Town from the overpass by Hero Gangu down to Ebisucho was closed to vehicular traffic. Cosplayers crowded the streets and began performing, including a Macross 7 cover band in costume! The parade itself was cosplayers and maids marching down a thin strip of red carpet taped to the road surface. No fences, no boundaries, just a bunch of people crowding around trying to take pictures. Imagine what the press at the Academy Awards would look like if there was no barrier between them and the celebrities. Yeah. So I am not so sure if this qualifies as organized and controlled. I can't imagine what it must have been like before. From early morning, empty plots where buildings had been leveled became makeshift swamp meets, cosplayers (and many crossplayers) walked the streets. Due to the car culture in western Japan, there were many itasha to be seen, parked right in the center of "Ota Road" parallel to the street through Den Den. People were lining up for special giveaways, and there were live idol performances (and otagei performances in response to them) at a stage. All in all, it was an incredible experience. Like a years worth of energy burst loose for one day. In that sense, it really reminded me of the convention circuit in the United States. That sense of festival, community and play was really there. Great job to everyone involved!
Tags: Otaku Event Travel 0 Comments
28.09.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Nippombashi pictures
Just some pics of the guys from Macross World and local Japanese otaku that showed me around Nippombashi last week. Thanks again Howard, Rob, Takumi and Shacho!
By the way, I think Rob may be the only guy who can claim to be banned from K-Books. Check it out here.
26.04.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Lupin makes a stop in Tokyo!
The Lupin Station, 10 minutes from Suidobashi Station on the Sobu Line, opened for business yesterday. There are some really great character goods inside, and atomosphere to spare (Lupin leaning on the piano!). If the intrepid explorer has the time, trek on down to Tokyo Dome City to the new Lupin attraction. For a mere 800 yen you can snoop through Lupin's lair on a mission for Inspector Zennigata.
Tags: Anime Travel Shopping 0 Comments
10.03.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Hatsune Miku Town!?
I was passing through a dirty little patch north of Yokohama when I happened to see this sign: Hatsune-cho. Perhaps this be the mythical town of Hatsune Miku...?
Tags: Nico Nico Douga Travel 0 Comments
