The film introduces us to a Japanese game show named “Happy Family Plan” which sees fathers participate in challenges, like memorising breeds of dogs or playing musical instruments in order to win prizes for their family.

Here we meet Fujio. He lost his job in the 1990s economic downturn in Japan, and relocates his wife and kids to to his father-in-law’s home in Yokohama. His wife, Yuko, opens her own business and the kids settle in to their new lives, which leaves Fujio to try and figure out what to do with himself.

Yuko and Fujio’s son secretly enters the family as contestants on the “Happy Family Plan” show. Having lost money in a failed business venture, Fujio agrees to take up the challenge – he needs to learn how to play Home Sweet Home’ on the piano and play it on live TV in 7 days time. That shouldn’t be too hard. If only he had played piano before!

The 2-disc DVD release not only showcases the film, but also has educational material included in the extras:

• Japanese Language Resource Kit – with fun video lessons and games.
• Expert commentary on Japanese society – featuring interviews with academics on Japanese social issues portrayed in the film.
• Interview with Director Tsutomu Abe
• Theatrical Trailer
• 8-Page booklet with more information about the film.

THE HAPPY FAMILY PLAN is now available from your local retailers or from Madman’s website for $29.95AUD.

You can find out more about the film and grab yourself some extra goodies (including language learning worksheets, interactive games and discussion boards) from the films website – happyfamilyplan.com.

Also, if you would like to find out more about the Japan Foundation in Sydney, you can visit them online or make a trip to their gallery and library that is open to the public, free of charge. You can find them located at Shop 23, Level 1 Chifley Plaza, 2 Chifley Square, Sydney.

We’re not sure if this is a new craze in the lands of Nippon (Japan), but there is a publisher who is producing a magazine with lads getting geared up as girls, sporting high heels and pretty tops (like the photo shown). The publisher in question is Ichijinsa, and some of you may know this company to be responsible for producing the “Loveless” manga in Japan.

They also host a regular booth at the Comiket (Comic Market) events held in Tokyo, where they announced the debut of this magazine and are selling telephone cards with images of their “male maidens” on them at the current winter session.

If you think you might be interested in knowing more about this and you know your Nihongo, you can visit the Japanese Amazon page here to buy yourself a copy of the pictured issue of “WAal! boys in skirts” for 1, 500Yen (which works out to be about $16-17USD or $18-19AUD). Or you could consider buying the 2 different issues for 2, 900Yen offer instead.

Is this a new trend, fetish or just a one off occurrence? I’ll be interested to see where this goes nonetheless, but I prefer my blokes in pants for the time being.

(Sources: Anime News Network and Temple Knights)

The TOKYO CREATORS MARKET is an exhibit that is going to take place as of November 21st and end some time in the new year. It features visual artworks from Japanese artists, some of whom (Junko Mizuno, ON ZA LINE, and Kim Songhe) will actually attend the sneak preview party of the show that runs from 6-8pm. This party is invitation only however, so if you would like an invite then you need to sign-up to the email newsletter at www.newpeopleworld.com.

Artists whose works will be on display include:

JUNKO MIZUNO (artwork pictured, right)
Junko Mizuno has a huge following in the United States and is widely known for her provocative and strong feminine imagery. She has published numerous manga comics and will present several 3D wall pieces for the exhibit as another expression of her original style.

KAZMO
Kazmo, screen printer extraordinaire, entertains visitors with kitschy playfulness and dark nostalgia and reminds audiences of childhood, when the world was a blank coloring book ready to be doodled on. Part of the NEW PEOPLE ART Detour, Kazmo is back with a new line of expressive prints.

KIM SONGHE
Kim Songhe, a Korean national born in Tokyo, is known for sculptures made of natural materials and reusable wastes. Currently, she designs shop window displays and creates original made-to-order chandeliers. She says that she wants to bring new life to objects that were almost dying.

MIKITO OZEKI
Mikito Ozeki describes his work as “an ambiguous something with no answer.” The BODY series is commonly depicted as “figures like robots.” By presenting an ambiguous “something” with the distinct clear lines and forms of a paper cutout, Ozeki stimulates the wavering of human values.

NORITAKE
Noritake uses simple lines and combines motifs that have nothing in common. He picks out and draws a portion of an image he finds in his own photos, old magazines, and picture books, as well as adds new elements. Viewers can make their own discoveries while glancing at his images.

ON ZA LINE
The ON ZA LINE design team starts with no specific definition for the end result. They enjoy people’s reactions to their work that are handmade through a lengthy process. Each item is instilled with what ON ZA LINE sees as the true essences of life – sentiments, passion, atmosphere and time.

YUICHI YOKOYAMA
Yuichi Yokoyama delivers his art in the form of comic illustrations often consisting of numerous nameless characters in transit or in action. With a global following that stems from his publications, this is a rare chance to encounter his work on display here in the U.S.

In addition to the exhibition, there is potential for a little bit of a shopping spree. NEW PEOPLE and Bazaar Bizarre S.F. have teamed up and organised for 10 vendors in kiosks stationed throughout the building offering works from Asian and Western artists who have been influenced by Japanese pop culture. The catch is that this opportunity is good for one day only – Saturday, November 21st from 10am to 8pm.

If that wasn’t enough, there is also a TOKYO CREATORS GARDEN. You’ll find pieces on display that have been inspired by artists and craftsmen of Japan, and you are welcome to peruse them or just relax in the sunny and serene environment.

Seiji Horibuchi, the Founder of New People:

“Pop culture serves as a theme with limitless possibilities for artistic expression and we’re very excited to present one of the most unique art shows to come to San Francisco this year,” says Seiji. “Each of these artists is distinctive in their own expression, originality and style. We invite everyone to use Japanese pop culture as inspiration in their own lives and to join us for this special event!”

The TOKYO CREATORS MARKET will be held in the NEW PEOPLE’s SUPERFROG Gallery which is on the 3rd floor of the venue, and you can find the TOKYO CREATORS GARDEN on the 2nd floor. To find the venue, head for 1746 Post Street, San Francisco. For more information, visit www.NewPeopleWorld.com.

Electronic Arts Logo

Just days after cutting 1,500 jobs, Electronic Arts says it’s hiring and looking to add staff to “maintain capacity”.

Chief Financial Officer, Eric Brown, said at a BMO Capital Markets Digital Entertainment Conference that, “We will be hiring back positions in low-cost locations to maintain capacity.”

Part of the company’s strategy seems to be hiring and going overseas to low-cost areas, such as Asia. Most of the cuts were all made in North America.

Brown also spoke about the purchase of Playfish. He said that he believes the future is in digitally distributed games and in the revenue model for virtual goods and microtransactions.

This week has been a slow news week for the Turning Japanese section, however we more than made up for it by sharing some interesting news we found (thanks go to Japan Todayand Tokyograph), and also by doubling the length of the first podcast … almost. Tune in to hear about Ayumi Hamasaki, Junichiro Koizumi, Miyavi, Blue Roses, and more!

We hope you enjoy it, and hope you will join us next week for another edition of TJ Weekly – which could possibly be without me for 2 reasons. Listen to find out one reason – the other reason will be because of Australia’s Gaming Entertainment Expo, better known as eGames!

Take care!
Naomi

[podcast]http://www.gamingangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/tj_weekly_podcast2.mp3[/podcast]

A special exhibit is being held at VIZ Cinema (or could quite possibly be under the branding of NEW PEOPLE) entitled “Yokai University: San Francisco Campus“. Yokai is a name for supernatural or ghostly creatures in Japanese folklore which range from evil Oni (ogre) to the mischievous Kitsune (fox) or Yuki-onna (snow woman).

The free admission exhibit displays plenty of books, art and more in the lobby. There is also Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock prints by master artist Hokusai Katsushika (creator of the work Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido Road), and artwork by yokai manga pioneer Shigeru Mizuki (creator of GeGeGe No Kitaro).

The celebrations will be in place for 2 weeks (beginning October 23rd and ending November 6th), and will feature a free yokai lecture by Tokyo-based writer Matt Alt. Matt co-authored a book (titled Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide) with Hiroko Yoda which chronicles the long-running fascination that the Japanese have with all things grim and scary.  The book is the first-ever English language guidebook to yokai and is published by Kodansha International. Matt will be sharing history and insights on the yokai culture on Saturday, October 31st from 1 – 2:30pm at VIZ Cinema if you are interested, and there will be copies of the book and other yokai themed goodies available at NEW PEOPLE the Store.

If that weren’t enough, there will also be a screening of BATTLE LEAGUE HORUMO. Here is a movie synopsis:

After failing the entrance exam and enduring two years of cram school, Akira Abe (Takayuki Yamada) finally is accepted to the prestigious Kyoto University. One day while on his way home with a friend, Akira meets a senior who invites them to a welcome party hosted by his club called the Azure Dragon. At first, the club appears to be an ordinary social group, but the new members soon discover the mysterious 1000 year-old tradition of the “Horumo” battle upheld by the four universities of Kyoto. The battle is fought between 10 players per team who each manipulate an army of 100 spirits (referred to as Oni) to fight their opponents. The members go through rigorous training to achieve fluency in the Oni language as well as learn the indefinable gestures that are required to complement it. Let the battles begin!

If you would like to go see the film, here are screening times for you:

10/23 (Fri) 6:00pm, 8:30pm
10/24 (Sat) & 10/25 (Sun) (1:00pm), 3:30pm, 6:00pm, 8:30pm
10/26 (Mon) (3:30pm), 6:00pm, 8:30pm
10/27 (Tue) (3:30pm) only!
10/28 (Wed) -10/30 (Fri) (3:30pm), 6:00pm, 8:30pm
10/31 (Sat) & 11/1 (Sun) (1:00pm), 3:30pm, 6:00pm, 8:30pm
11/2 (Mon) – 11/5 (Thu) (3:30pm), 6:00pm, 8:30pm

Finally, a word from Seiji Horibuchi, Founder of New People and President and CEO of VIZ Pictures:

“The Halloween season and the beginning of Fall is the perfect time to introduce NEW PEOPLE visitors to a taste of what has been scaring, haunting and tricking people in Japan for centuries,” says Seiji. “Everyone is familiar with monsters like Godzilla, but Yokai University and our theatrical presentation of BATTLE LEAGUE HORUMO offer even seasoned fans a crash course in all kinds of new creepy creatures and spirits.”

If you would like to go, you can find the VIZ Cinema situated in Japantown at 1746 Post Street. Happy Halloween everyone!

The arena itself was only used for martial arts matches until then, with the Beatles being the first to perform music there. The concerts all sold out attracting 25, 000 fans, and now the arena is considered sacred ground for rock music in Japan.

The Beatle “hurricane” (as they just missed a hurricane the day before their arrival) swept across Japan, inspiring would be musical artists to pick up their guitar picks and practice their music. They were – and still are – so highly idolized by their Japanese fans that many a tribute or cover band has been made. There is even a venue in Tokyo named Abbey Road where some of these groups perform. Of course it is not the only such venue in Japan, or so I am led to believe.

We thought we would show a couple of the tribute/cover bands we’ve found (there are heaps of them!) via the magic of Youtube, so sit back and relax while enjoying the tunes of The Parrots,  and the BeaTrips!

The Parrots singing “Drive My Car”

The BeaTrips singing “Let It Be”

The BeaTrips will also be featured at “Beatles Fest West” in San Francisco from October 9th to the 11th, 2009. They join tribute bands from other countries to celebrate all that is “The Beatles”.

For those unfamiliar with the “Daphne” anime series, here is a recap (source: link):

Maia dreams of entering into the Marine Environment Agency, but when she can’t pass the entrance exams she also cannot remain a student either and she loses her accommodation! With no source of income and nowhere to stay, Maia wanders into the middle of a shoot-out between fugitive convicts and some special agents called Neriedes who only take on dangerous and high-paying jobs. Desperate Maia agrees to be involved in the next job with the Nereides – only she is going to be used as bait!

Horror fans will be happy – “SLIT-MOUTH WOMAN ” sounds like just the thing to whet your appetite. A brutal killer is terrorizing Japan, and a young aspiring journalism student goes on the hunt for answers. What happened to the woman who went missing? The singer whose career ended at the same time as her life? And does it have something to with an artist whose work always tends to remain on the cutting room floor?

“ZOMBIE DEAD” is also bound to be entertaining for horror fans. When a female policewoman wakes up from a coma, she finds herself with Zombies pacing the hospital corridors and any remaining people with their memories wiped clean. Whether an experiment gone wrong, or a small part in a new holocaust, she is determined not only to stay alive but to find a way to stop the woman-eating zombies as well. Question is, how do you kill something that’s technically dead already?

“DAPHNE IN THE BRILLIANT BLUE COLLECTION 2” is out now, rated PG, with the price tag of $39.98US. “SLIT-MOUTH WOMAN / ZOMBIE DEAD DOUBLE FEATURE” is also out now, is unrated, and carries the price tag of $19.98US.

Release Date: 06/05/2009
Audio tracks: Dolby 5.1, Dolby 2.0
Languages: Japanese
Genre: Comedy
Subtitles: English subtitles
Runtime: 116.0 mins

Most of us have some sort of idea of what is involved in becoming a Geisha – whether it’s thanks to the infamous book by Arthur Golden, or movies that aren’t completely clued in.

The story behind “Maiko Haaaan!!!” has us following Kimihiko Onizuka (played by Sadawo Abe) who is an employee for a noodle company in Tokyo. When he was still in school, his class took a trip to Kyoto. When they were given free-time, he got himself lost in the Geisha district. Crying and confused, a Maiko (an apprentice Geisha) stopped to help him by giving him directions to the train station. This experience sparked his love for Maiko.

From then on he’d been obsessed with Maiko – he even created his own website dedicated to posting pictures of Maiko. And if that wasn’t bad enough, he’s dating his girlfriend Fujiko (played by Kou Shibasaki) under the presumption she’s from Kyoto because she speaks that dialect. Like I said – obsessed!

All of a sudden, Kimihiko is being transferred to the Kyoto factory of his noodle company. He packs his things and has a fight with Fujiko (where it’s revealed she’s not from Kyoto) and breaks up with her. He thinks he’s all set to fulfil his dreams of visiting Geisha houses and playing strip baseball with them – but there are rules, and the big one standing in the way is “No First-timers Allowed”.

Thinking he’s lucked out, he sits back at his company office looking through his computer at the photos of his beloved Maiko. Then he notices a picture of a man whom he recognises as the owner of the noodle company. Kimihiko now decides on going to the owner for help in getting into the Geisha houses. Eventually the owner relents, saying that for him to introduce Kimihiko into the Geisha circuit he must first come up with an idea to generate record sales for the company.

He comes up with an idea that is wildly successful – and thus it gets him into the world of Geisha. Then he meets his internet rival face-to-face (who has been annoying Kimihiko with his know-it-all attitude towards Maiko, and trolling Kimihiko’s Maiko site) who turns out to be a high-profile baseball player named Kiichiro Naito (played by Shinichi Tsutsumi). This ignites Kimihiko’s obsession further by sparking new money-making ideas, as he has learned that for him to out-do Kiichiro he must have a lot of money to do so.

Meanwhile, Fujiko still cannot get over her separation from Kimihiko. As the saying goes, “if you can’t beat them, join them” and that is what she does – she goes to Kyoto and joins a Geisha house to train as a Maiko!

Will Kimihiko finally beat Kiichiro? Can Fujiko really be a Maiko and win Kimihiko back? I won’t tell you that, but what I will tell you is that you should watch this movie!

Special features? Don’t mind if I do!:

• Making of “Maiko Haaaan!!!” – Behind the scenes look of the making of the movie, as well as premiere days and interviews.
• Theatrical Trailer – Japanese trailer for the movie.
• Stills gallery – 15 stills from the movie.
• Trailers for other Eastern Eye releases.

“Maiko Haaaan!!!” had me laughing a lot and drooling over beautiful kimonos throughout the whole film. It is a bit vulgar for younger audiences and does contain a moment or two where some colourful language is used, so it’s mainly for more adult audiences. Apart from that, if you are drawn to Japan and love the Geisha theme then by all means watch it!

(c) 2007 Maiko Haaaan!!! Film Partners

US Readers: You can purchase a copy from our Rightstuf store, or visit our Amazon store instead.