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Podcast [English World] Episode 104: Karaoke recognized as tech milestone
Three Kyodo News reporters -- Junko Horiuchi, Ellessa Yamada and Donican Lam -- talk about the Japanese invention of karaoke being recognized as an entertainment tech "milestone." Listen as they discuss the evolution of karaoke and other Japanese inventions that have taken the world by storm.
Article mentioned in the podcast:
First karaoke machine recognized as entertainment tech "milestone"
Kyodo News presents a bilingual podcast for English learners about the ins and outs of news writing and how to translate tricky Japanese phrases into English. Have fun listening to journalists discuss recent articles as they occasionally go off on unrelated tangents.
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Japan Today
2 hours ago
- Japan Today
Japanese underground idol culture booming in China
Members of the Chinese underground idol group Transparent Classroom and Parallel Girls perform onstage in Changsha, Hunan Province, China, on May 18. By Maya Kaneko At a club in Shanghai, dozens of young people are jumping and waving glow sticks as they dance to the music, leaning in as if to touch the performers on stage. They're Chinese amateur girl groups singing in Japanese, and this is Japan's globalized idol culture. About 20 Chinese idol groups wearing colorful frilly dresses and Lolita-style outfits performed at a recent weekend music event. The emcees sometimes called out to the crowd in Japanese, with shouts of "se-no" ("All together now!") or "arigato-gozaimashita" ("Thank you very much!"). After the show, fans lined up to chat with the idols at the venue's booths. These meet-and-greet sessions are called "perks meetings." The paid service lets fans take pictures with the idols, get autographs, and chat with the girls for a few minutes. An autographed photo and a two-minute chat costs 100 yuan ($14). According to Chinese media, the number of underground idol groups in the country has skyrocketed since the end of pandemic restrictions, from about 40 in 2023 to over 250 in March this year. A male fan of the idol group "Affloret" gave his favorite group member, Rhythm, a flower bouquet for her birthday. "I really love her and have been watching her grow. I hope she becomes the No. 1 idol in China," said the man, who wore a black vest with the Chinese message: "I only watch Rhythm." The producers of Affloret, which was set up in China's biggest business hub in June last year, include people who worked at AKB48 Team SH, the Shanghai branch of Japan's famous all-girl idol group AKB48. Since AKB48 started in 2005, it has operated under the concept of "idols that fans can casually meet" through "handshake" meet-and-greet paid events at venues including a Tokyo theater dedicated to the group. Of the six women in Affloret, only Nayuyu is a full-time idol. The others are either college students or work part-time in the entertainment industry aside from their main jobs. Rhythm said in an interview that she feels "very happy and blessed" on stage and that it is great to be able to share her emotions with fans who often reciprocate with a feeling "full of energy" after watching her performances. The group members, who were chosen from about 100 candidates, sing in both Japanese and Chinese, even though Nayuyu says Japanese pronunciation is hard since most of the members have not really studied the language. Being passionate and enthusiastic about becoming an idol is more important than talent, an Affloret producer said. Even though Affloret has over 100,000 fans who follow their online content and social media, the group's main source of revenue is offline -- event tickets and meet-ups. The Affloret members said they look up to Japanese underground idol groups like AIBECK and iLIFE as role models and hope to perform with them in Japan. A Japanese man in his 40s who lives in Shanghai and follows Chinese idols said he thinks the biggest difference between Japanese and Chinese entertainment cultures is the physical distance between the fans and performers. "In Japan, there are strict rules and fans must keep a certain distance from idols, but here the atmosphere is more relaxed, allowing fans to chat with the performers more intimately," he said. Unlike a lot of Japanese groups that are made up of teenagers, most of the Chinese idols are adults who get into show business for a limited time, according to the Japanese fan. A lot of members "graduate" or quit after a year or so, presumably because Chinese youth are under more pressure to find stable jobs. The man said he got into Chinese underground idols after seeing a live performance by a group called Transparent Classroom and Parallel Girls from Changsha, Hunan Province, in 2019. The six members of the Changsha idol group are unique. They sing original songs in various genres, including rock and punk, in Chinese. This is different from the groups classified as mainstream idols, which try to evoke feelings of "moe," or enchantment with cute and innocent characters. Zhao Beichen, 31, the producer of Transparent Classroom, is known in the Chinese media as the "godmother of Chinese underground idols." After a live performance in Changsha in May, she explained that she wants to nurture "alternative" performers who are "not perfect" and can be seen as "unsophisticated." Zhao researched Japanese underground idols for her thesis at Meiji University in Tokyo, attended concerts by amateur groups and worked at an idol talent agency while she was in Japan. 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Forever Young: A New Manga Title Takes On the American Market
Manga has long been big business in Japan, and weekly publications like Young Magazine are instrumental in keeping it front and center in the cultural conversation. But in an era of shrinking Japanese readerships, creators see the future of the medium as being overseas. A new English-language edition of the manga vehicle, the special issue released to kick off the Young Magazine US print run, goes hard from the very beginning, featuring an originally illustrated cover by Ghost in the Shell creator Shirow Masamune. The artwork envisions a futuristic city where urban life, humanity, and technology intersect—perfectly capturing the issue's editorial theme: unfiltered manga. The cover of the US-exclusive edition of Young Magazine . (© Kōdansha) The debut issue features 19 works across a wide range of genres—including sci-fi, dark horror, and cyberpunk—created by both established and emerging talents from Japan and abroad. Highlights include Subaru and Subaru by Shigeno Shūichi, known internationally for Initial D , and Me and Bob Dylan (And My Father) by Oshimi Shūzō, renowned for his raw portrayals of adolescence in titles like The Flowers of Evil and Blood on the Tracks . Me and Bob Dylan (And My Father) by Oshimi Shūzō. (© Kōdansha) A limited run of 4,000 print copies of this special kick-off issue will be handed out at the Anime NYC 2025 show, held in New York City from August 21 to 24. The special issue will also be made available at 17 Kinokuniya bookstores across the United States. A digital version will be released through a dedicated website and on social media platforms. Of the 19 featured titles, 16 will be opened to fan voting to determine whether they continue in serialization in English. Rankings will be determined by votes on the special website and by the number of likes and reposts their shares receive on X (formerly Twitter). The top five titles will be serialized in both Japanese and English later this year in the official English edition of Young Magazine and Kōdansha's K Manga app. The title page of The Graveyard Shift by Satō Yoshimi, one of 19 works included in the special US issue. (© Kōdansha) While manga for younger teens—both boys and girls—dominates the North American market, Hidemi Shiraki, the chief editor of this special English issue of Young Magazine , emphasizes the unique appeal of manga for young adults: 'So-called seinen manga, aimed at older readers, has in Japan long explored the raw emotional complexities of life—including the struggles, pain, and alienation from society that people in this cohort experience. I hope readers in North America can connect with these emotions through our stories.' (Originally published in Japanese on July 15. Banner photo: The special Young Magazine US issue with its original cover by Shirow Masamune. © Kōdansha.)
Tokyo Weekender
10 hours ago
- Tokyo Weekender
You Can Now Own a Demon Slayer-Inspired Lingerie Set
The online shop Premium Bandai has unveiled a Demon Slayer lingerie collection that lets fans lounge, snooze or binge-watch in comfy, character-inspired sets. They're perhaps not suitable for confrontations with terrifying mythical beasts, but these sleep sets are perfect for bedtime battles against insomnia. Pre-orders run until August 31, with sets shipping out this December — just in time to cozy up in anime-approved comfort. Because demon slayers deserve their beauty sleep, too. Character-Inspired Sets The collection features three designs, each drawing inspiration from a fan-favorite character. Tanjiro's set reimagines his iconic green-and-black checkered haori in feminine silhouettes. Nezuko's version is pastel and sweet just like the beloved oni , echoing the patterns of her pink kimono (bamboo muzzle not included). And Shinobu's butterfly-themed set captures the elegant lilac tones of the Insect Hashira. Each design comes in several options: a night bra and underwear set, a cami nightgown, sleep shorts, an off-shoulder top and kinchaku -style drawstring bag and headband set. Prices vary per item, with the most expensive product being the underwear set, retailing for ¥6,160. What's the Hype About Demon Slayer? If you've been under a rock the past five years and somehow missed the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba craze, it's one of Japan's biggest pop-culture phenomena of the past decade. The manga has sold over 200 million copies worldwide , the anime regularly tops global streaming charts and its 2020 film Mugen Train became the highest-grossing movie in Japanese history, its record only recently broken by the new Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle film . With the killer combination of stunning visuals, elaborate world-building and lovable characters, Demon Slayer has gone from hit series to full-blown cultural phenomenon — enough to warrant an entire lingerie set for its very devoted fans. Related Posts Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Smashes Japanese Box Office Records The Legends of Watanabe no Tsuna: The Original Demon Slayer How Kagura Dance Influenced the Story of Demon Slayer
