Andy in Tokyo

Snow-kyo

Well, I was convinced that the snow we had earlier this month would be the first – and last – for Tokyo this year, but I woke up this morning to find yet another covering of the white stuff:

Akebono’s Gleeful Journey

Akebono has had many fine achievements during his forty years on earth: becoming the first foreign sumo wrestler to achieve the rank of yokozuna, winning eleven top division titles, and, err… managing to win one fight out of twelve in his career as a K-1 fighter.

Okay, so things may have gone a bit downhill after sumo, but when you’ve reached the highest echelons of one of the most famous sports in the world it’s always going to be hard to go one better. But recently the big man has roared back into the limelight thanks to a series of adverts for Fox’s latest smash hit comedy/drama thingy, Glee.

Words can’t really do the adverts justice. All you need to know is that they involve a lot of Akebono singing and dancing. The song? ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ by Journey – nothing could be more appropriate.

Check it out for yourself:

You can catch the rest of Akebono’s adverts on YouTube or one of the many Fox-related channels on Japan’s satellite TV network, Sky PerfecTV.

Snow Way

Last night’s snow was more robust than I had expected. The roof of almost every house between my home and office was covered with it this morning. The road-bound stuff didn’t fare so well, though:

Word of warning: leather-soled shoes + snow = certain death.

No more snow is forecast for the rest of the week. Chances are we won’t be seeing any more in Tokyo for the rest of the year, which is a shame. I was looking forward to seeing ‘proper’ snow, especially considering England has been having its whitest winter since 1980.

Snow hits Tokyo

The first snow of the season has arrived here in Tokyo. Unfortunately it’s not cold enough for it to lay, which means an unpleasant trudge through slush to the train station tomorrow.

Penguin Pilferer Foiled by Sharp-eyed Security

A young Fukuokan pet shop owner has been arrested in Nagasaki for attempting to steal a penguin from a zoo.

Employees at Nagasaki Bio Park in Saikai became suspicious of young Akira Honda’s (24) activities after he became cagey when security guards offered to store his rather large suitcase. Further inspection revealed that the suitcase did, in fact, contain a somewhat perturbed Humboldt penguin.

Police were considering moving the penguin to Britain as part of a witness protection scheme, but had to scrap the plan when it was revealed that the feathered fish-feaster was afraid of Wales.

Jil Sander returns to Uniqlo for Spring 2010

Jil Sander and Uniqlo clearly know when they’re on to a good thing: from tomorrow (23rd December) those of you living in Japan will be able to get your paws on items from the +J Spring/Summer 2010 collection. The UK gets the collection on the 7th January, with the US following a week later on the 14th.

Official press release:

The season introduces fresh perspectives on volume, teamed with perfect harmony in fibre, colour, optics, and touch. Experimentation is essential, but subtle, leading to new interplays of material and motion.

Iconic simplicity
Leaving sporty stereotypes behind, +J endorses functional elegance, dynamic textiles, and distinctive shapes. Softly articulated, silhouettes give free reign to movement and ease. Fabrics are straightforward, expertly woven, alluringly sculptured, neat and subtle. Initiating marriages of convenience between structure and fluidity, delicacy and determination, coupling strong characters for the common good.

Natural nobility
The collection quietly bridges the emotional and the formal, femininity and masculinity, experience and evolution. Luxury lies in inspiration and discreet perfectionism, applied to truly modern tailoring. Environmental concerns move to the heart of research, engaging in clothing that is both responsible and innovative.

Clarity and Lightness
Opting for the precision of airy colours, white and pure ivory feature as the radiant centre of energy and confidence. Pastel hues, pearly reflections, and chalked out acids create luminous lightness. Waterproof textiles become more feminine, made of ultra-fine cotton, tech-satins and sumptuous wools with an overwhelming impression of liquidity.

Prices (for Japan):
Outerwear, Coats & Jackets  4,990円 ～ 14,900円
Bottoms  3,990円 ～ 5,990円
Shirts  3,990円 ～ 4,990円
Cut & Sewn  1,990円 ～ 4,990円
Knitwear  2,990円 ～ 9,900円

Links:
Uniqlo +J sites in Japan, the UK (press release) and the US (press release).

ANA’s ‘Mohican’ jet returns

Japan’s second airline, All Nippon Airways (ANA), has decided to go back to the future by reintroducing this funky ‘Mohican’ livery, which was last seen in the skies twenty years ago:

Unfortunately only one plane – a Boeing 767 now operating between Tokyo and Kyushu – has been given the new (or should I say old) paint job. I think it looks fantastic, especially when compared with ANA’s current bland, identikit early-90s branding. Perhaps a concerted on-line campaign will encourage them to repaint more of their fleet.

More infomation: ANA’s offical press release

Shibuya’s Hachiko Crossing comes to London

Well, that might be overstating it somewhat, but I was interested to see that design agency Atkins has revamped Oxford Circus with a very Shibuya-esque spin. Now all that’s needed is people. Lots of people:

Some neon lighting wouldn’t go amiss, either:

Swine flu hits Tokyo

Japanese organisations, especially big ones, seem to relish the task of preparing for emergencies. The recent swine flu outbreak is being used by the media here as a way of boring people to death by repeating the same information over and over (and over) again. Wednesday’s nine o’clock news on NHK devoted more than thirty minutes to the subject, leaving only a few seconds for the baseball results and something about a “global recession”, whatever that is.

To combat the evil menace that is H1N1 flu my company has decided that we need to be told how to wash our hands:

We’ve also been told to wear surgical masks in the office and on the trains. God only knows what kind of instructional material they’ll provide if there’s a severe outbreak of dysentery.

Uniqlo Designers’ Invitation Project: Gilded Age

Every few months Uniqlo introduces a new range of clothes in conjunction with famous design types. One of this season’s collaborations is with Gilded Age, whose clothing is “inspired by the craftsmanship of the Gilded Age and assembled from artisanal fabrics.”

Blimey. Well, a bit of Googling reveals that the Gilded Age (1878-1889) was shaped by America’s greatest industrialists – men like John D. Rockerfeller, Andrew Carnegie and J.P. Morgan. These chaps created the modern industrial economy and helped America’s manufacturing capacity dwarf the likes of Britain, Germany and France.

What does this mean for the clothes, then? The Uniqlo collection utilises natural, earthy colours and light, comfortable fabrics, with jackets boasting a deconstructed smart-yet-casual cut that would normally cost you a lot more than ¥5,900. The only problem is finding a store that hasn’t already sold out!

More: The Designers’ Invitation Project at uniqlo.com (in English)

Kuruma banare (車離れ): de-motorisation

While car companies are currently in a terrible financial situation, with sales having slumped in developed countries, most do see light at the end of the tunnel and anticipate a recovery. In Japan, however, the decline may be much harder to reverse.

In 2009 it is predicted that 4.86 million new cars will be sold in Japan, which would be the first time in 30 years that sales have fallen below five million. What is even more worrying for Japanese car makers is that young people – men especially – are far less interested in cars than they used to be.

While owning a car used to be a status symbol, Japanese youngsters these days are more likely to be spending their money on the latest mobile phones, MP3 players and other electronic gadgetry than on their first car. The convenience of public transport in urban areas also leaves childless 20- and 30-somethings with little reason to buy one.

So how can car manufacturers make their products more appealing to young Japanese? Perhaps one way forward is for companies to generate more revenue from car-related services than from car sales. A car-sharing scheme could prove popular, especially when coupled with an online “car booking” service that can be accessed from mobile phones. All for a monthly fee, of course.

What do you think will happen to the Japanese car industry?

Related: “Japan auto sales plunge as young lose interest” – The Detroit News