Konnichiwa everybody,
I hope you are all as well as you can be. It’s been a while since my last newsletter. I was working on a few projects, so I had to take some time away from the newsletter. I am happy to be back!
So much has happened in Japan since my last newsletter. First, as you probably know, Abe Shinzo (安倍晋三) resigned for health reasons, after nearly eight consecutive years—the record for Japan’s longest serving prime minister. Suga Yoshihide (菅義偉), Abe’s former Chief Cabinet Secretary (官房長官 – kanbô chôkan), replaced him and will serve out Abe’s term through September 2021. Prosecutors have announced that they are investigating Abe and that they would like to question him concerning possible infringement of the Political Funds Control Law (政治資金規正法 – seijishikin kiseihô). This is in regards to a controversial “sakura no kai” (cherry blossom party – 桜の会) he held for his supporters last year. Abe was investigated for other issues, which brought many heated debates during his time in office, but prosecution has never been pursued. However now, without his immunity as prime minister, things could shift. To be continued!
FASHION ／ ファッション
NIKE Japan just released its holiday collection in collaboration with Japanese high-end street fashion brand Undercover. If you are not familiar with Undercover, this should tell you: its designer and founder Takahashi Jun (高橋盾) was recommended and introduced to the Paris fashion world by Rei Kawakubo, the iconic designer of Comme des Garçons.You can see the NIKE Japan/Undercover promotional video here, which features a very cool punk-style kendô (the Japanese sword martial art) training scene.
Also, if you are interested in other Nike collaborations with Japanese brands, check out this link with popular brand Sacai.
ANIME ／アニメ
This fall marked the breakthrough of the anime “Kimetsu no Yaiba” (鬼滅の刃). Released as a manga in 2016, “Kimetsu no Yaiba” became a phenomenon just last October, after the release of the first installment of the animated movie in theatres. It broke all box-office records, becoming the second highest grossing film in Japan (the mega hit “Spirited Away” from 2001 is in first place), and the world’s sixth highest grossing film of 2020! This felt like a miracle and gives hope to theatre venues, which are struggling during the pandemic.
Another eagerly awaited animated film is “Poupelle of Chimney Town” (えんとつ町のプぺル), scheduled to be released in Japan on December 25. This animated movie is very interesting, because its creator, Nishino Akihiro (西野亮廣), is a well-known comedian. Alongside his successful career as a humorist, he became a picture book author in 2009, and used crowdfunding for his book projects. This was groundbreaking in Japan. At the time, Nishino was alone in using this fundraising method, and he was widely criticized. Despite the fact that he initially wasn’t taken seriously in the industry because of his comedy background, he gained respect over the years with his work, and is now releasing a movie! You can see Nishino’s latest picture book, which is the basis for his upcoming movie— for free.
And here’s the trailer for “Poupelle of Chimney Town.” It looks pretty fun!
COMEDIANS ／ 芸人
Japan has a vibrant comedy culture and scene (they even have comedy schools!). During the pandemic, many comedians have been unable to perform in-person live shows. Many of them, as well as other talents in the entertainment industry, started YouTube channels this spring. This changed the Japanese YouTube landscape drastically, which is now full of more diverse and “professional content.” The comedian Kajiwara Yûta (梶原雄太) actually set the trend in 2018 when he became a full-time YouTuber by the name of Kajisac (カジサック), which was a first for Japan.
As a side story, Kajiwara is the working partner of the comedian Nishino, who is Poupelle’s creator, which I mentioned above. They form the comedy duo King Kong. Kajiwara invites a lot of fellow comedians to chat frankly on his channel, so if you are into Japanese comedy—like me—it’s just a delight to watch. Moreover, YouTube channels allow comedians to have a better platform than broadcast TV, where everything is often cut and restricted, making it is difficult for artists to show their skills.
That’s also why high-profile comedian Nakata Atsuhiko (中田敦彦) announced that he left the TV world to focus solely on his YouTube channel. He quickly gained more than three million subscribers.
By the way, do you remember the scandal about the comedian Miyasako Hiroyuki (宮迫博之), who performed at an event tied to yakuza? I mentioned him in my July 2019 newsletter, so please check it out if you are interested.
After Miyasako’s apology press conference, he hasn’t been able to come back to TV. But now, he has a YouTube channel too, and it’s going pretty well for him. Miyasako even teamed up with Nakata to create an entertainment show there.
As performers are often banned by the Japanese TV and showbiz industry after a scandal, YouTube has allowed them to get a second chance. Here are some of my favorite channels. They often speak fast, but some provide subtitles so you may be able to follow the contents.
• Kojima Kazuya
• Kajisac
• Fujimori Shingo
• Miyasako Hiroyuki
• Nakata Atsuhiko
• Jinnai Tomonori
COVID-19 PANDEMIC ／ コロナ禍
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Abe’s government launched “Go To Travel” and “Go To Eat” campaigns (with discounts for accommodation, travel, and restaurants) last summer. The campaigns are designed to boost the economy and help the travel, sightseeing, and food industries. The government covers nearly half of the travel expenses. While many consumers and businesses have appreciated the campaigns, they also sparked controversy as the number of COVID-19 patients have increased lately. Many doctors feared a spike all over Japan and urged the government to stop the campaigns until the numbers decrease again. After being criticized for not announcing clear decisions, Suga temporarily stopped the campaigns. However they are expected to start again in January and extended to June. Koike Yuriko (小池百合子), Tokyo’s governor, has also asked Tokyoite who are 65 years and older and those who have pre-existing medical conditions to avoid traveling until mid-December.
Bars, restaurants, and shops never really closed like in parts of the US or Europe, because politicians are not able to enforce confinement with Japanese law. Some guidelines were announced, but nothing is enforced and lately a request to close bars and restaurants at 9 pm has been stated by Koike. My friend in Tokyo actually told me she would prefer to have a quarantine like other countries, because having no clear guidelines but only guilt and pressure was actually tougher to deal with. And you, what do you think?
OBITUARIES ／ 訃報
In my last newsletter, I mentioned the death of one of the most famous and beloved Japanese comedians, Shimura Ken (志村けん), due to COVIDC-19. Since then, three more high-profile celebrities passed away. “Terrace House” reality show contestant Kimura Hana (木村花), along with the popular actors Miura Haruma (三浦春馬) and Takeuchi Yûko (竹内結子), committed suicide, which shocked all of Japan. I believe this is the first time so many suicides of notable celebrities happened in such a short time, which raised awareness for mental health care. Unlike the US, in Japan it is not common to go to see a therapist because it is still very taboo. So this sparked a discussion for Japanese people to start to be more open about mental health. Some personalities started to talk a bit more about their own experiences with depression and asked to stop the stigma against people who go to therapy. Attitude changes around mental health care may not happen overnight, but these discussions are likely starting to change people’s minds and be more understanding with depression.