Latest news with #Ouka
Asahi Shimbun
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Asahi Shimbun
Japanese teen makes debut as Chinese opera ‘face-changer'
KOBE—Ouka Nakanishi was 5 years old when she first saw someone's face transform during Nankinmachi's Lunar New Year festival. As traditional dances, martial arts demonstrations and other cultural performances played out in the Chinatown district's central square, Ouka was particularly mesmerized by a 'Bian Lian' (face-changing) artist—so much that she begged her mother, Yumiko, to let her become one. Yumiko thought that her daughter would forget about it in a day or two and told Ouka it wasn't meant for kids. But her daughter did not miss that children around her age were performing Chinese dances and other feats onstage. This moment in 2016 would define the next nine years of Ouka's life as she unwaveringly worked toward her dream. DEFINITELY NOT A PHASE The dramatic art form of Bian Lian originated in China's Sichuan province and involves performers rapidly flicking through different masks while dancing. It is said these techniques are only passed down from parent to child or from master to disciple. Ouka's parents were born and raised in Japan, and the family from the city's Nada Ward had no acquaintances with connections to China. As she pondered becoming a Bian Lian performer, the Kobe Chinese School in the city's Chuo Ward came to mind—Ouka had started taking ballet lessons when she was 3 and remembered that a member of her studio went to the school. Students there were mostly children of Chinese nationals who had moved abroad. And part of their extracurricular club activities involved learning the culture's traditional performing arts. Ouka pestered her mother that she wanted to attend that school. She succeeded. Once Yumiko was convinced her daughter was serious, she said Ouka would be allowed to enroll there after finishing nursery school on the condition that she must learn Mandarin on her own. The young girl, who Yumiko said has always been good at mirroring, mastered the language soon after enrolling and placed first in various speech contests with her native-level proficiency. ANOTHER SPEED BUMP However, the language was merely a tool for Ouka whose true purpose remained fixed on learning the art of face-changing. The twist was that it turned out there was no one who could teach it at the school; there are only 10 recognized Bian Lian artists in the country. Undeterred, Ouka turned to the internet for help and sent out letters after researching groups that employ Bian Lian performers in the country. This led to her actually traveling to the Kyushu region to meet someone with connections to face-changing artists in Japan. 'Wait three years,' they told her. Although she was more than resolute, Ouka still needed to build the core strength necessary to replicate a master's movements. Each week was then filled with two ballet lessons along with a tap dance class and swimming lesson to do just that, as well as improve her expressiveness. Ouka also took up bouldering as a hobby and sought to deepen her understanding of Chinese culture by trying her hand at traditional dance and Shaolin kung fu. Three years later, Ouka flew to Kyushu once more. Despite all of her daughter's preparation, Yumiko was skeptical on whether a Bian Lian artist would truly be there and worried that the verbal promise would go unfulfilled. Thankfully, Mirai welcomed both of them. ROCK-SOLID BASICS Ouka was finally allowed to become a face-changer's apprentice and received online tutelage from Mirai about twice a week. She also began stretching to make her body more limber after returning home to Kobe and donned a costume while practicing independently. The basics of Bian Lian lie in dance steps utilizing the lower half of the body rather than the motions to switch masks. Ouka spent the first two years of her apprenticeship exclusively drilling those dance steps. Diligently practicing the basics with an unwavering determination, she believed she could grow into a Bian Lian artist after overcoming this challenge. She was eventually allowed to don a mask for the first time during the spring when she started junior high school. Ouka debuted as a Bian Lian performer in Tokyo last year at a national competition for Chinese and traditional performing arts. Although it was her first onstage appearance, she won first place and advanced to the international competition held in Beijing. She finished fourth in Asia. TRANSFORMATIVE PARALLELS Come January, the now-14-year-old Ouka was in Kobe's Chinatown district for the Lunar New Year festival once again. This time, she was the one onstage and standing next to Kong Dewei, the Bian Lian master who changed her life nine years ago. Although it is difficult for Japanese face-changing artists to perform at events hosted by Chinese organizations, Ouka was allowed to participate as a student at the Kobe Chinese School. It was her turn to fascinate spectators as she skillfully built up anticipation through her dance and snapped from one mask to another to the sound of loud cheers and applause. Kong told a nervous Ouka afterward that it was such fun performing with her and that the young artist would improve even more through practice. The teenager briefly broke into a smile. She said she made all-out effort to learn Mandarin and grow stronger because she was motivated by her goal to become a Bian Lian performer. "It is a dream that captivated me," she said. "I want to make everyone around the world smile with this." During the spring break earlier this year, Ouka performed Bian Lian at a Chinese restaurant in the United Arab Emirates. She is currently learning Arabic and was able to use the language while performing. "Now she negotiates her own appearances directly over the phone," Yumiko said with a smile.
USA Today
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Watch dog soar through the sky in his custom paragliding harness
Ouka's owner, Shams, told USA TODAY, the two have been flying for a few years now and that his dog enjoys accompanying him on these adventures. Who said dogs can't fly? Ouka, a 6½-year-old Samoyed, often defies gravity by paragliding through the skies in a custom harness alongside his human companion. Video footage of a recent flight in the Norway shows the dog sitting comfortably between his owner's legs, enjoying the wind as it ruffles his thick white fur. Watch dog soar through the skies in his custom paragliding harness Shams, a filmmaker who shares his paragliding adventures on Instagram, told USA TODAY that he and Ouka have been flying for a few years now, and his pet pooch loves joining him on these sky-high adventures. But that wasn't always the case. Living in India during the height of the pandemic, Shams felt lonely. "I was there with my van, but COVID and heartbreak pushed me to come back to Europe," he shared. "It was quite a difficult time for me as I was in depression." The filmmaker received a Facebook post from friends about Ouka, who was looking for a new family. Two weeks later, he found himself at the shelter in France where the dog was living. "Ouka was not super lucky, neither in his previous life as he was (with) two different families before me," Shams said. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Training Ouka for the skies The two started flying together just two months after Shams adopted Ouka in 2021. "It was quite fast, but very easy," Shams said. "I went through different steps to check if he was okay to fly with me." According to Shams, he figured his dog was not afraid of heights because Ouka would "always be standing next to (a) big cliff" when they went hiking together. After several rounds of training, during which Ouka observed pilots flying, he got a custom harness from a French company called Ripair, and the two were ready for takeoff. What was Ouka's, Shams' best flight experience? Shams said he also taught the dog to come between his legs and run on the command of "take off." The two have been on multiple adventures together now, Shams said, adding they always aim to fly in good conditions, "which means, perfect wind speed and orientation." The most unique flight they've been on was when they flew "above the Arctic Polar Circle in Norway on Senja Island," Shams said. Besides parasailing, the two enjoy running together in the summer and skiing in winter as they travel around Europe in their van. "We spent quite some time in Norway (in the) last (few) months skijoring," Shams said. Skijoring is a winter sport involving a dog pulling Nordic skis, according to the Heber Valley, Utah. 'To make him happy makes me very happy' Shams said Ouka, which means "cherry blossom" in Japanese, is always happy and easy to live with. "(He) just wants cuddles from everybody (and) is super expressive," Shams said. "He helped me find motivation to do stuff when I was depressed. I think I needed him as much as he needed me. To make him happy makes me very happy." This story was updated to fix an error. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Pink Villa
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
The Shiunji Family Children Episode 9: Arata Travels To Mt. Fuji—Recap, Release Date, Where To Stream And More
In ' Since Then,' Minami acknowledges her growing affection for Arata, realizing she is not alone in her feelings. Although the siblings argue over the Inter-high outcome, Minami says she has no regrets. Ouka confronts Kotono about her feelings for Arata, but Kotono exposes Ouka's own confession. However, Ouka denies its sincerity. Later, Banri sneaks Arata into her nursing school to retrieve a doll used in her pediatric care, leading to a brief intimate moment. The next day, Ouka, upset over a failing grade, suddenly leaves for Yamanashi. Expected plot in The Shiunji Family Children Episode 9 The Shiunji Family Children Episode 9 will continue as Ouka remains missing three days after leaving for Yamanashi. Although she had informed the family of an extended stay, she will eventually stop responding. Using GPS, the siblings will discover she is at Mt. Fuji. Arata will board a highway bus to find her. Meanwhile, Ouka will reach a mountain lodge at the eighth station, determined to witness something meaningful. The episode will likely explore Ouka's personal connection to Yamanashi, possibly involving memories of her late adoptive mother. It should also reveal her true feelings toward Arata. The Shiunji Family Children Episode 9: Release date and where to stream As per the episode preview, The Shiunji Family Children Episode 9 will be titled 'Not Yet.' The episode will air on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at 10:30 pm JST. It will be broadcast in Japan on AT-X, Kansai TV, Tokyo MX, and BS11, with online streaming available on AT-X and d-anime Store. For international audiences, Crunchyroll will stream The Shiunji Family Children Episode 9 across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Oceania, CIS, and India. Meanwhile, Ani-One Asia and Bilibili Global will serve viewers in South and Southeast Asia, and Bahamut Animation Madness will host it for fans in Taiwan. For more updates from The Shiunji Family Children anime, stay tuned to Pinkvilla.
