The top ten booms in Japan now.

Forest girl boom. Fashion inspired by Anne of Green Gables. For your fashion life in the forest.

(9)
Tokai region local government mascot character boom. More than 30 municipalities in Tokai have mascot characters.

Calligraphy boom
Influenced by "Tomehane Suzuri High School Calligraphy Club" TV show on NHK-TV. Click here to try NHK calligraphy.

Running boom
A survey by Sasakawa Sports Foundation indicates the number of runners who ran two times or more during the week increased from 2.15 million in 2006 (the previous survey year) to 2.48 million according to the 2008 survey.

(6)
Eco boom
Japanese follow the green theme, from carbon offset mindfulness, recycling clothes, and shorter showers, to eco-cars and eco-bags.

(5)
Castle boom
Influenced by "Taiga" historical stories TV series on NHK-TV.

Sakamoto Ryouma boom
Includes TV programs, books, movies, tours, fairs, restaurant menus, and ramen. The ronin Sakamoto led movement to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate during the Bakumatsu period.
 (3)
History boom
Inspired by television quiz programs featuring questions about Japan history.

(2)
Quiet life boom
Leading a slower-paced, low-stress life. Volunteerism, continuing education, personal growth, cultural pursuits, and contribution to society. Also includes leaving big cities to start a farm in rural Japan. (related:  Slow food life.)

(1)
Fried chicken boom
Started in Oita and is now spreading across Japan. More chicken is consumed in Oita Prefecture than any other prefecture in Japan.

A new Mcdonald’s TV commercial depicts a 1960’s American scenario that seems to be featuring the witch Samantha from the TV show Bewitched. In the ad, "Samantha" serves a single Quarter Pounder Bacon & BBQ burger to a birthday party consisting of 6 kids. Her husband "Darren" and another woman (possibly nosey neighbor Gladys Kravitz) watches the fun. Everyone claps when the burger is served.

1978 Mcdonald’s Japan TV Commercial

Bewitched in Japan(J) Wiki; Ochiochi wonderland. Bewitched around the world.

Sexy police squad makes singer squeal

 (April 24, 2009) - A Japanese pop singer who was arrested for public indecency after being found drunk and naked in a Tokyo park has apologised for his "shameful" conduct.
"I drank a lot and did not know what I was doing," Tsuyoshi Kusanagi said on Friday after being released by police."I deeply apologise to fans for causing so much trouble and worry," he added.
Kusanagi, 34, shot to fame as a member of 1980s boy band SMAP. He has not been charged for the incident, which took place in the early hours of Thursday. At the time of his arrest, Kusanagi was allegedly sitting on the grass, undressed and heavily intoxicated. (BBC)

Police 1: What is your name?
Tsuyoshi: (unintelligble)
Police 2: It is Tsuyoshi Kusanagi desu ne?
Tsu: Su-ma.. Ssmpu.. tsu yoda (unintelligible)
Police 3: Why were you in the park at 3 a.m.?
Tsu: Park?
Pol 2: Why were you in the park at 3 a.m.!
Tsu: Which park?
Pol 1: Hinokicho Park!
Tsu: He is famous Korean actor? Hah?
Pol 2: Why were you naked?
Tsu: Drunk… (unintelligible)
Pol 1: Where do you live?
Pol 2: What is you address?
Pol 3: What is your mother’s maiden name?
Tsu: Cabagin onegaishimasu.
Pol 1: You will tell us!
Pol 2: We can make you talk!
(SMAP’s 2003 hit song Sekai ni hitotsu dake no hana" is heard.)
Tsu: No! No!
Pol 1: What did you drink before going to the park?
Pol 2: Where did you drink?
Pol 3: With whom?
Tsu: Sake! Beer! Shochuuuu! Yokoso! (weeps)
Pol: You are being charged with infractions 110-A-Section 2 (i)(v) "Resisting arrest while nude" and 119-B-Section 7(ii)(d) "Theft of police property."
Tsu: Eh?
Pol: You took our blue tarpaulin!
Tsu: I was cold.
Pol 1: How much did you drink?
Pol 2: How long where you naked?
Tsu: Long…?
Pol 3: Turn up the music! (music volume increases)
Tsu: Stop! Help help!
Pol 1: Ahahahaha!
Pol 2: Now what do you have to say?
Tsu: Change your TV to digital before April 2011!

–End of transcript–

related: Policing the police; No smoking during interrogations; Major Change in Japan’s Criminal Trials: Lay judge system starts in May.

Singer Tsuyoshi Kusanagi of SMAP arrested drunk and nude in downtown Tokyo park

Top 10 reasons SMAP’s Tsuyoshi Kusanagi Naked In Park

10. Hinokicho park looks like onsen.

9. Need cops’ blue plastic tarpaulin to save space for hanami viewing party.

8. Washing machine broken, wash jeans in creek.

7. Celebrate contract for 1,693rd TV commercial.

6. Romp in birthday suit in honor of Emperor Hirohito’s birthday holiday Showa Day – one week too early.

5. Visualize concept for new Japanese game show: "What’s wrong with being naked?"

4. Mark 6 month anniversary of Naked British Tourist in Japan Emperor’s Palace Moat.

3. Make special blue ray video for SMAP’s Shingo Katori.

2. Finally reveal he is the "A" in SMAP: "Ass"

1. Test his digital antenna.

Razor Ramon’s secret TV show 1 year anniversary

The entertainer known as "Hard Gay", who dominated the TV airwaves in 2005 and 2006 then dropped off the popular-TV-talent lists has been hiding out on a late-night sex-talk TV program since April 2008. In this reincarnation, the comedian and pro wrestler still wears his Village People-inspired biker costume but has retired the Hard Gay moniker and now goes by his real name Masaki Sumitani on the TV program "Konya mo Hasuru" (literal: Tonite the hustle again). The phrase "Konya mo hasuru" can mean "recently I got a girlfriend", or colloquially "a lot of sex."

Sumitani shares hosting duties with Yinling of Joytoy. (No, he is not actually gay. Yes, he has performed stereotypical depictions of gay men. No, she is not Japanese – she is from Taiwan. Yes, she has idol videos and photo books for sale.)

The hour-long "A Lot of Sex" show is broadcast at various times in early Saturday or Sunday mornings on several channels in Japan.

One segment of the program features a different adult video actress actress each week. She sits on a bed in a love hotel that is a sponsor of the program. The talent is interviewed about sex and her skills. Video clips of her scenes are shown – inappropriate parts are obscured.

Lets Japan likes Konya mo Hasuru because it might signal the return of partially naked women on terrestrial broadcast stations. We yearn for the days of programs such as Gil Gamesh Night, and Tonight 2 which featured the former porn actress and author the late Ai iijima.

Gilgamesh Night program

Tonight 2 program

The latest edition of Japan’s Weeky Playboy magazine has an article about US President Barack Obama. The current issue is being advertised on trains, and a picture of Obama is in the ad, along with pictures of the women that are featured inside the men’s magazine.

The article about US President Obama says Japan will experience change too. The article description states the three top issues of Japan-US relations: (1) US policy toward North Korea and China and US Secretary of State nominee Hillary Clinton’s persistent criticisms of Japan; (2) The US financial bailout to the Big 3 automakers and the possibilty of "Obama bonds" – US Treasuries being issued in yen. (The story headline in the magazine: "Give Me Japan Money!") (3) The role of Japan’s Self Defense forces in Afghanistan and in the war on terror.

Other articles in the Weekly Playboy January issue: The 2009 AV Top 50 Guide; Hanaki (wearing) taboo bikini; cloned wagyu beef; and 100-yen cold food convenience store report.

Lets Japan believes that although Weekly Playboy contains images of naked women, Japanese men buy the magazine for the articles.
 

Here in Japan one can work in maid cafes, or butler cafes, participate in cosplay, or be a "freeter" and work some days. One could become a hikikomori and never leave home, or be a NEET with no plan at all.

I discovered another activity: Professional Ring Performer.

PRPs wrestle, act, sing, tell stories and jokes. "Dragon Soldier Law" is a PRP.

Wrestling is the focus of a PRP event, with time set aside for the performer’s other bits. DSL takes his name from his pro wrestling idol, "Dragon Soldier B" (aka Kendo KaShin, aka Tokimitsu Ishizawa who is a Mixed Martial Arts fighter outside Japan, and in Japan is a MMA fighter and a pro wrestler.)

On weekends and holidays, DSL, 34, is usually on the lineup at a Asakusa Fight Club a tiny event room in Asakusa, Tokyo. He has also performed in Osaka and Nagoya. Male and female PRPs might compete against each other. Matches last 30 minutes maximum and are declared a draw if no one has lost sooner. Dragon might fight 10 wrestlers in 2 hours. Tickets cost JPY 2000. DSL receives less than JPY 10000 per event.

Weekdays, DSL is a company employee – he asked me not to mention his real name or the name of his employer, although his coworkers know about his weekend activities. He endures his injuries quietly. His worst injury so far has been a fractured heel. That happened when he jumped from the top rope onto Mini Cat and they landed on the floor outside the ring. DSL has also wrestled Wolf Star and Baka To-No. DSL lost a match to Yuiga, a female wrestler.

Driving with his wife on vacation in September 2005, Dragon blurted out suddenly "I’m going to be a wrestler November twenty-third." "That’s a good idea," his wife replied. After the vacation, DSL went to a health club for the first time, and took an aerobics class. DSL, a fan of American and Japanese pro wrestling since high school, wrestles because he enjoys hearing the cheers of the fans.

Dragon is a Kanagawa-ken native, and lives in my Tokyo neighborhood. He is married to Moriko Minamino a film reviewer for some Japan-based websites. Moriko attends Dragon’s shows twice a year. Asked what she thinks when she sees blood on her husband she said "I like blood".

DSL vs. "Mercurious Toroiment 3".DSL goods DSL Wiki   DSL photo timeline

Fujikawa was elected in April 2007. After an in-depth local TV news report about her in January 2008, she became a hot topic on internet forums and attracted nationwide attention. Her personal website received more than 230,000 hits per day and at times overloaded the server. Her personal website was soon taken offline and replaced with a more businesslike site.

Following the TV broadcast, she hired an agent to handle numerous requests to pose for photo shoots and appear at events. Since taking office in 2007, Fujikawa had often been asked by a Pony Canyon Inc. producer to make an idol-style DVD. Following the attention in April, she agreed to make the DVD provided it would promote Hachinohe.

In August, Fujikawa played taiko drums in the Hachinohe Festival. She wore a shoulder-revealing sarashi.

In September Fujikawa disclosed the DVD project, and a video clip was released. In the video, Fujikawa wears a white swimsuit and is shown posing on the beach. The reaction among locals was generally favorable. Though some people objected to her appearance in swimwear. In addition to the beach scenes, Fujikawa also wears yukata, haori coat, and hakama as she visits tourist spots and attends festivals.
Japanese news reports are unclear about any connection between Hachinoe City and the production of the PR video.
Fujikawa’s father, Tomonobu Fujikawa was a council member and vice-mayor of Hachinohe city.

More Japan news report videos: ( 1 ) ( 2 ). Yuri Fujikawa blog.

The October nationwide campaign by the Japan National Police Agency aimed at preventing senior citizens from becoming victims of telephone fraud ended with door-to-door delivery of fraud-warning flyers in one ward of Tokyo. Cops in Setagaya-Ku, Tokyo, handed-out notices to residents at home, and placed the flyers in mailboxes if no one was at home.

Scammers target the elderly, usually posing as a family member that is in financial trouble. The flyers describe the most common cons, including the "I need money for a woman" scam, the  "I lost money in the stock market" con, and the "I’m selling/servicing water filters or the Waterworks Department repairs" swindle.

On October 24, Lets Japan wrote about recent swindles and the nationwide police effort to intervene at automatic teller machines before conned senior citizens transfer money.

related: ATM cell phone detector debuts in war on fraud; Con Artists Calling

A previously bankrupt Japanese actor is featured in a TV commercial for a website that offers free cell phone games. The TV ads for gree.jp builds on the assumed common knowledge of the celebrity’s previous financial woes, and simply states "I have no money. I have time", and that he can play the Gree mobile phone games for free. Shiro Kishibe began his entertainment career in a pop singing group in 1969 and became famous as an idol. TV dramas and movies followed. The well known actor declared bankruptcy in the late 1990’s. His financial situation was widely reported. Watch the gree.jp TV commercials.