Governor Inose opened his speech by reflecting on some of the events that had already taken place during his first visit to New York. He presented Mayor Bloomberg with seeds from a cheery blossom tree that has bloomed in Fukushima and got his full support for the Olympic bid, visited the 911 memorial and presented flowers to pay his respects and deepest sympathies for the victims and their families, and expressed his outrage at the terrible Boston Marathon bombing. He also met with New York Yankee Ichiro Suzuki and spoke about a “very lucky incident;” meeting the man in charge of Japanese programming for the Yankees, an American who is now 47 years old, but taught English through the JET Programme in Fukushima when he was 23. He spoke Japanese to the governor fluently.

Governor Inose delivering his speech at last night’s reception.

He then thanked the United States and Operation Tomodachi for their help in the wake of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. He recognized the 2 JET programme participants from the U.S. who died, and expressed his great sense of loss.

After speaking about these deep relationships that the United States and Japan have had, especially New York and Tokyo, Governor Inose pointed out that Tokyo is at a critical phase in trying to gain the Olympic and Paralympic bid. He then introduced three-time Olympian Willie Banks, who has visited the Tohoku area with other athletes to help raise the children’s spirits through sports.

Banks gave a powerful speech. He spoke about his time in Tohoku to restore the children’s spirits and hope. He taught them all to say, “I am a champion!” …and let’s face it, after all those kids have been through, they’re most certainly champions. Sports have helped the kids in the Tohoku region become happy and enjoy life again; imagine what the Olympic games in Tokyo could do to inspire all the young people of Japan.

“Kanpai!” – Willie Banks delivering his speech

We raised a toast to the children of Tohoku and to Tokyo’s Olympic bid. “I am a champion!” we yelled, three times, followed by a cheerful “kanpai!” and an overwhelming motivation and hope for the games to come to Tokyo. Although we were simply talking about sports and not actually playing them, even the thought of the games coming to Tokyo made us all feel inspired. All those in attendance already knew how wonderful Japan is; we need to bring others to it so they can experience just how wonderful the country is for themselves. Tokyo needs to win the bid to breathe life back into a country still mourning, and get others to fall in love with all the country has to offer.

Japan has previously hosted one summer Olympics, two winter Olympics, co-hosted the 2012 FIFA World Cup with South Korea, and will host the Rugby World Cup in 2019. Tokyo is one of three cities being considered for the bid alongside Madrid and Istanbul. The International Olympic Committee will elect the host city on September 7, 2013 in Argentina. To learn more about Tokyo’s bid and to show your support, visit the Tokyo 2020 Candidate City website (English). Please also show your support by leaving a comment below!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marie-Claire_Smith

1. Longest Pearl Necklace

Source: Hanshin Department Store Website

The current Guiness Book of World Records holder for longest pearl necklace belongs to the Shima Tourist Association in Mie prefecture, and was an initiative to promote the local community as a birthplace of pearl cultivation. The necklace is 222 meters (728.3 feet) long, comprised of 28,000 pieces of 8mm pearls, and weighs 20 kg (44 pounds).

This necklace will be on display in Osaka’s Hanshin department store from April 10th through the 16th, 2013.

2. Smallest Printed Book

Source: AFP

Put your eyes to the test with Shiki no Kusabana (“Flowers of Seasons), a 22 page micro-book brought to you by Toppan Printing. The book, which features monochrome illustrations of Japanese flowers and can’t be read by the naked eye, has letters that are .01mm (.00039 inches).

You can see the book on display at the Toppan Printing Museum in Tokyo.

3. Biggest Largemouth Bass

Source: World Record Academy

In 2009, 32-year-old Manabu Kurita caught a whopping 22 pound, 5 ounce, 29 inch largemouth bass in Lake Biwa, Shiga Prefecture. Japanese officials consider the fish a non-native, invasive species, and are trying to get them out of the lake. They’re evidently flourishing.

4. Most Expensive Tuna

Photo credit: Yoshikazu TSUNO / AFP

In keeping with the fish theme for a moment, we’ll turn our attention to the world-famous Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. Well-known for their high quality fish, they set the record for an all-time high price of a bluefin tuna, selling at auction for $1.8 million dollars. The tuna weighed 222 kilograms (489 pounds) and was won by Sushi Zanmai restaurant chain operator Kiyoshi Kimura.

5. Longest Human Chair

Source: World Record Academy

What is a human chair, you ask? You can try this at home: one person sits in an actual chair, while the next person sits in the lap of the person in the chair. Person 3 sits on person 2′s lap, and so on. One day in 2012 in Onojo City, Fukuoka Prefecture, 1,311 people gathered and sat to make one continuous human chair and set the record. It was organized by the Onojo City government to celebrate the 40th anniversary of them becoming a municipality. The human chair exercise represented the “trust and unity among the people of Onojo.”

I hope you found some of these world records interesting! Which one is your favorite? Do you know of a different Japanese world record we should talk about? Let us know in the comments!

Tokyo isn’t the only city to check out; many cities across the world are included. I live close to New York City, and even experiencing the city in my own back yard through the Instagram-y eyes of others is a lot of fun. I hope you enjoy This is now! as much as I do!

Sometime in February, I saw a Facebook ad for the Avex Audition MAX 2013. They were having auditions in Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, London, New York, and Los Angeles. Being the big ham that I am, I applied for the New York one with  singing demos I recorded on my phone, 2 photos of myself, and a few other details about myself. A few weeks later, this e-mail popped into my inbox:

From: Someone with *wonderful* taste at Avex
Subject: avex audition MAX2013 in New York
Body: Lambert Allison様

この度は、avex audition MAX 2013にご応募ありがとうございます。
一次書類審査を通過いたしましたので、ぜひとも、

DKJFHJHFGQIUHRFNB I HAD PASSED THE INITIAL SCREENING. I was at work at the time and didn’t even finish reading the e-mail; I quickly grabbed my cell phone, ran into the hallway, called my fiance, and did a little jig in the hallway while flipping out to him about how awesome it was. I was going to audition for Avex! The record label for BoA, Amuro Namie, Koda Kumi, Hamasaki Ayumi… my head was spinning.

I also freaked out to a few friends on GChat (who are probably reading this now and laughing), and told my boss I wasn’t going to be at work the day of the audition. I didn’t tell him what it was for, exactly, just “a nerdy Japanese music event in the city.”

Fast forward to the audition in New York City, my sister as my companion, and I was completely freaking out. I got to the audition building, went inside, sat awkwardly with a bunch of Japanese girls (I’m sure they were pretty confused about me) and waited. Once I was called in, I went numb. I’ve never auditioned for anything before, or sang in front of strangers, and it hit me a lot worse than I was expecting. Here I was, in front of a panel of 8 or so people (judges, a camera person, one lady who was smiling) and about to audition for a MAJOR Japanese label. I had opted to sing a capella (CHEMISTRY’s “It Takes Two,” for those who know it), and in hindsight I really should have given them the instrumental for me to sing along to. I ran out of breath at the end of one of the lines, laughed nervously for a second, and continued. Once I was finished, I stood there, knee shaking, and answered a few questions for them in a mix of English and Japanese. It sounded to me like they’re looking into making a gaijin group.

After the short interview, the smiling lady took me to the back of the room and took a few pictures. I then ran out of there like a bat out of hell, ate my woes away at Bon Chon, and texted my friend while on the train home. I met him at a BoA concert, and a year or so later he had actually passed the Avex audition. I told him I was accepted to audition, and we compared notes.

If you ever audition for Avex, here is what I recommend:

• Sing with an instrumental track. Prepare more than one song.
• Also prepare a track to dance to, if you’re able. My friend who passed the audition said he sang 3 songs (all in Japanese) and danced to 2.
• Sing a RECENT hit. The judge accused me of “not knowing J-Pop” because I sang a song from the early 2000s and liked not-so-popular, disbanded groups like Heartsdales. It would probably have been appropriate to sing a song by an Avex artist…
• Practice, practice, practice. Once you get in the auditioning room you’ll probably be blindingly nervous, and at that point it’s all about your brain and muscles taking over while you basically black out and remember nothing about performing. :P

Needless to say, I got a letter a few weeks later saying I didn’t pass the live screening. Still, they disclosed that 16,766 people applied, and 450 people (300 in Japan, 150 overseas)n got to do a live audition in the first place. I’m pretty proud that I got to be one of those people!

So, as embarrassing as this is and against my better judgement… here is one of the 2 demos I submitted that got me to the live screening. Be nice, please! ;) Here is a clip of “Sad to Say” by Jasmine.

Well, one thing led to another and I found myself on Swap Bot, perusing swaps and learning about the world of snail mail crafts. I’ll be honest… I haven’t traded out ANY of the kawaii things that brought me to the site in the first place. Instead, I’ve been making ATCs, or artist trading cards, out the wazoo.

Artist trading cards are 2.5 x 3.5 inch little works of art, that can feature anything from drawings or doodles to collage and cloth. I’ve become pretty obsessed with making and trading them, and find it to be a very relaxing way to do something somewhat productive and fun. Sorry to say, it’s been taking me away from updating this blog a bit… I know you readers have missed me ;)

Here are a few of the Japan and Japanese culture-related ATCs I’ve made since joining Swap Bot in January. You can view the entire gallery of ATCs I’ve made on my Tumblr. If you’d like, check me out on Swap Bot or comment here if you would like to trade ATCs with me!

“Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu!” – happy new year, made from a local NY Japanese newspaper, origami paper, and a jewel embellishment.

I was into the use of the Japanese newspaper articles for a background after the new year one, so this is also using newspaper materials and a kanji sticker. Card 1 of 5 for the “My Favorite Country” swap I participated in.

Card 2 of 5.

Card 3 of 5. Does the handwritten “JAPAN” look silly?

Card 4 of 5.

Card 5 of 5.

Kawaii card #1.

Kawaii card #2.

“C is for Crane” for an alphabet swap. I’m not the best at making pointy-faced cranes… :)

Sailor Pluto ATC. Does anyone remember Mixx’s “girl” spinoff magazine, SMILE? My sister found some of the old magazines, so I used some of the pages from the Sailormoon manga featured in it to make this.

Manga ATC featuring Sailor V. As you can see, I’m not the greatest manga artist, or colorer.

After a few swaps someone sent me some pages from a Japanese book, so I was back to using the Japanese writing as a background and featured some sakura blossoms to celebrate that spring is FINALLY HERE (but still so cold!).

I hope this entry inspires some of you to make ATCs, because it’s a ton of fun. I hope to see some of your work or trade with you one day! As for getting rid of my kawaii goods, I guess I’ll just have to have a giveaway here on Tokyo Tako. Check back soon for the first one!

From Forbes: At a Two Year Anniversary, the Tohoku Earthquake/Tsunami and Fukushima Nuclear Disaster Continue to Exact a Toll

Umetaturou – http://instagram.com/umetaturou
This Border Collie’s owner likes to balance a variety of things on Sora’s head (stuffed animals, vegetables, etc.) and Sora seems more than happy to oblige.

hacth427 – http://instagram.com/hacth427
This pair of Dachshunds (Hatch and Nico) are to die for.

Tonochan – http://instagram.com/tonochan
Tono is an adorable male toy poodle born in September 2010… he’s still a baby!

kun_kun_30 – http://instagram.com/kun_kun_30
Another adorable toy poodle, slightly fluffier and older than Tono.

pekimuku – http://instagram.com/pekimuku
The baby seal-looking Pekingese and tiny Chihuahua  found here will definitely melt your heart!

maika_kikitoyjiji – http://instagram.com/maika_kikitoyjiji
Kiki, Toy, and Jiji are three tiny pups that dress up, lounge around, and just look cute.

All photographs belong to the owner of each Instagram account linked above.

If you’re a fan of NHK, NHK’s Kyou no Ryouri (“Today’s Recipe”) cooking show, or Japanese food in general, you have to check out the Ippin app for Windows 8. The developers, Netyear Zero, carefully selected 51 recipes from the popular Kyou no Ryouri program, including sushi, tempura, and sukiyaki, and combined them into one convenient program. The beauty of the photography and the look of Windows 8′s tile design really make this app interesting and fun to use.

The app focuses on “modern Japanese recipes.” NetYear Zero’s goal was to try to introduce recipes that Japanese people regularly enjoy at home and inspire you to adopt them into your own cooking rotation. While some recipes call for some hard-to-find ingredients like kombu or bonito flakes, it shouldn’t be difficult to find everything for most recipes at your local grocery store.

The name “ippin” is actually Japanese for both “one dish” and “special gem,” and the developers hope you’ll find your own special gem in recipes like the Japanese adaptation of the European croquette or double tomato salad. You’ll find recipes for everything from bento boxes, to vegetarian and tofu, to seafood and hot pots; you’re sure to find something you’ll love. Side note: if you ever want to invite me over for the tuna and scallion hot pot, I’m totally game.

I know many of you may not have Windows 8 yet, but keep this app under your hat to download when you do. As much as people are hating on Microsoft’s new operating system, I for one appreciate the live tiles and overall design aesthetic they came up with. It makes apps like Ippin look fantastic, and I find them very easy to use.

Find out more about Ippin on their website, on Facebook, or download the app here. You can also learn more about NetYear Zero. Happy cooking!

via Wikipedia Commons

お久しぶりです！　It’s been a while! I hope you are all well and are ready for the holiday season. Sorry I fell off the map for a couple of months, but I’m back in full force!

I recently started taking private Japanese lessons on Skype, since my self-study motivation after graduating university (…almost 5 years ago…) has been less than stellar. Even after just 2 lessons so far I already feel my Japanese improving, and I’ll be sharing more interesting Japanese vocabulary!

Do you know someone who can be 三日坊主?

三日坊主 (みっかぼうず): mikkabouzu – one who can stick to nothing

The kanji breakdown is 三日 (3 day) 坊主 (monk), suggesting that the person you’re describing would give up any training required to become a monk after just 3 days.

Example:

彼は何事でも三日坊主だ。
Kare wa nanigoto de mo mikkabouzu da.
He can’t stick to anything very long.

Despite the fact that I took an unannounced hiatus for awhile, I’ve come back to my beloved Tokyo Tako… which makes me not 三日坊主, right?!