J-pop/J-rock Q&A
If you haven't seen them already, my Anime Matsuri interviews are up on purple SKY. I asked FLOW about their reaction to the fan Q&A, which featured some personal and some bizarre questions. It's...
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Coming Full Circle
Hisashiburi! Sorry for disappearing again, but I was swamped with events and assignments, one of which is the subject of this post. Last month, I got to help with hosting activities for a group of kids...
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Beneath the Layers - Rebecca
I've got a new cosplayer interview up. This one is with the Doctor Who-loving Kiwi, Rebecca. We talk about body type discrimination and cyberbullying, as well as how to stay safe and enjoy yourself...
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Anime Matsuri 2012 Cosplay and Panels
I wasn't going to write this post originally since I covered the main events of Anime Matsuri for Purple SKY. There, you can read my interview with Tomomi Nakamura and Masumi Kano, the designers of...
View Article90s Alternative Women
A month ago, I came across a Tumblr post titled Top 10 Alt Girls of the 90s . It received much criticism for only featuring white females. In response, another poster came up with Top Alternative...
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Hibari's Hi 8: Alternative Japanese Women of the 90s
Once upon a time, a Tumblr named fuckyeah1990s decided to list what it considered the "Top 10 alt-girls of the 90s". The post created a lot of outrage due to the absence of women of color, and Tumblr...
View ArticleBeneath the Layers - Lauren
I've decided to make Beneath the Layers a bimonthly interview series. It seems to work out better, especially around con season. Anyway, this month's cosplayer also dresses up as Kyoya Hibari....
View ArticleTaka Higashino gets gold at X Games L.A. 2012
I've been busy blogging about the X Games at To the Power of X, but I wanted to share some exciting news. For the first time since 2004, a Japanese athlete has topped the Summer X Games podium. Very...
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JQ Magazine Metroplex Lolita article
JQ Magazine, a publication by the JET Programme Alumni Association of New York (JETAANY), put out a call for submissions. One of themes was how former JETs got their "Japan Fix" back home. I got the...
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A-kon 23 Cosplay and Panels
My fellow blogger and steampunk, Jha Goh, once gave me this piece of advice: practice self-care. We were talking about sociopolitical activism, but that advice is pertinent for anything one is...
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2012 Crow Collection Fashion Show
I finally got around to posting my photos from the 2012 Crow Collection Cosplay Fashion Show that took place last month. I attempted to put together a fairy kei outfit. Fairy kei is a fashion style...
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Review - Ace Attorney (film)
Ace Attorney (known as Gyakuten Saiban in Japan) made it's Texas debut at the 2012 Asian Film Festival of Dallas. Unlike most of my fellow audience members at the sold-out closing night screening, I...
View Article2012 Summer Olympics
The Opening Ceremonies haven't even happened, and Japan is already making waves. The men's soccer team pulled a surprising 1-0 win against Spain, a gold medal favorite, in their first Group D. The...
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Athlete Profile: Kaori Matsumoto
Gymnast Kohei Uchimura is probably the most recognizable Japanese athlete at the 2012 Olympic Games, and he is the one Japan is counting on to bring home many medals. However, a less well-known...
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Japan and Dallas Unity Concert by Fujisan Kaen Taiko
For me, taiko symbolizes power and unity. The various drum beats come together to resonate through my body. When I was an ALT, learning taiko gave me a way to connect with my students, as well as...
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Beneath the Layers – Urban Sidhe
I've got my August/September interview up. It's with Urban Sidhe/Rio B., who is a cosplayer, lolita, and steampunk. I figured it's time to branch out because the issues that affect cosplay also...
View ArticleMiss Rikei Contest
Lately, I've come across multiple articles on the lack of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. A 2010 study by the Academy of American University Women found that...
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The Legacy of John Manjiro and Captain Whitfield
Araaa, where did September go? It was a crazy month with the Japan-America Grassroots Summit, starting a new job, and some other events that kept me away from blogging. Not to mention I had hundreds of...
View ArticleShinya Yamanaka wins 2012 Nobel Prize in Medicine with John B. Gurdon
I was going to write up my Grassroots Summit post, but earlier this week, some exciting news came in the form of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Sir John B. Gurdon and Dr. Shinya Yamanaka...
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2012 Japan-America Grassroots Summit
The photos have been sorted through, uploaded, and watermarked, which means I can finally make this long overdue post. Before I do, I must announce to those who haven't heard that Purple SKY will no...
View ArticleHappy (belated) Cosplay Appreciation Day!
I found out about Cosplay Appreciation Day late yesterday so I didn't get around to posting on here. I have much appreciation to show the entire cosplay community, but special props goes to everyone...
View ArticleThe Fuss Over Bagel Heads
Ever since the Taboo episode featuring saline forehead injections aired, the media has been making a fuss over the "bagel heads" of Japan. Even my parents and their friends were talking about it! What...
View ArticleNew writing gig with Jrock247 and NekoPOP
The closing of Purple SKY was sad, but as one door shut, another opened. I have become a writer for JRock247 and NekoPOP. Now that doesn't mean I will stop writing about music here, but the reviews,...
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Profile: Erochica Bamboo
In the past year, I've developed a love for burlesque. I enjoy watching it, learning it, and even writing about it (check out my posts at DFW Dieselpunks After Dark if you're curious and okay with NSFW...
View ArticleNo more updates on LJ
I have decided that I will not longer be cross-posting my entries here. Even though the process is mostly just cut and paste, the time that I do spend reformatting some of the posts can be used for...
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