Soka Renaissance Vanguard 創価ルネサンスバンガード is a marching band (drum & brass corps) belonging to the Soka Gakkai Music Corps. The band consists of about 140 male university students and businessmen living in the Tokyo metropolitan area. In addition, we also have a Soka Renaissance Vanguard Jr. Corps, consisting of male elementary, junior and senior high school students.

http://www.soka-vanguard.org/

The Rice Bowl is an annual American Football national championship game held in Japan every January 3rd that pits the Japanese college champion and the champion of the corporate X-League. The game can draw over 60,000 spectators.

Bon Odori (盆踊り), meaning simply Bon dance is a style of dancing performed during Obon. Originally a Nenbutsu folk dance to welcome the spirits of the dead, the style of celebration varies in many aspects from region to region. Each region has a local dance, as well as different music. The music can be songs specifically pertinent to the spiritual message of Obon, or local min’yo folk songs. Consequently, the Bon dance will look and sound different from region to region. Hokkaidō is known for a folk-song known as “Soran Bushi.” The song “Tokyo Ondo” takes its namesake from the capital of Japan. “Gujo Odori” in Gujō, Gifu prefecture is famous for all night dancing. “Goshu Ondo” is a folk song from Shiga prefecture. Residents of the Kansai area will recognize the famous “Kawachi ondo.” Tokushima in Shikoku is very famous for its “Awa Odori,” or “fool’s dance,” and in the far south, one can hear the “Ohara Bushi” of Kagoshima.

The way in which the dance is performed is also different in each region, though the typical Bon dance involves people lining up in a circle around a high wooden scaffold made especially for the festival called a ‘yagura’. The yagura is usually also the bandstand for the musicians and singers of the Obon music. Some dances proceed clockwise, and some dances proceed counter-clockwise around the yagura. Some dances reverse during the dance, though most do not. At times, people face the yagura and move towards and away from it. Still some dances, such as the Kagoshima Ohara dance, and the Tokushima Awa Odori, simply proceed in a straight line through the streets of the town.

The dance of a region can depict the area’s history and specialization. For example, the movements of the dance of the Tankō Bushi (the “coal mining song”) of old Miike Mine in Kyūshū show the movements of miners, i.e. digging, cart pushing, lantern hanging, etc. All dancers perform the same dance sequence in unison.

There are other ways in which a regional Bon dance can vary. Some dances involve the use of different kinds of fans, others involve the use of small towels called tenugui which may have colorful designs. Some require the use of small wooden clappers, or “kachi-kachi” during the dance. The “Hanagasa Odori” of Yamagata is performed with a straw hat that has been decorated with flowers.

The music that is played during the Bon dance is not limited to Obon music and min’yo; some modern enka hits and kids’ tunes written to the beat of the “ondo” are also used to dance to during Obon season. The “Pokémon Ondo” was used as one of the ending theme songs for the anime series in Japan.

The Bon dance tradition is said to have started in the later years of the Muromachi period as a public entertainment. In the course of time, the original religious meaning has faded, and the dance has become associated with summer.

To celebrate O-Bon in Okinawa, the eisa drum dance is performed instead.

text by wikipedia

 

Decoration on the street for Tanabata, the star festival, with a nice tanabata song background by little kids (1-2yrs old)

Tanabata (七夕, meaning “Evening of the seventh”) is a Japanese star festival, originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively). According to legend, the Milky Way separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar. The date of Tanabata varies by region of the country, but the first festivities begin on July 7 of the Gregorian calendar. The celebration is held at various days between July and August.

if you have some nice picture I can use here, please let me know ^_^

The photo exhibition party held by the Tokyo Japan times in Roppongi..

It was a really nice party.. Met a lot of very interesting people, and it was nice to see some other again!

http://tokyo.japantimes.co.jp/

DJ Hans, a Belgian DJ who mix in Japan..

Joseph Tame (http://www.tamegoeswild.com/) , speaking with CLF  (http://www.phantomclf.blogspot.com/)

Ken ( @ken_works )

DJ Byron BayB and DJ atsuko, enjoying the party after their performance..

Jonny trying to kill me ^^;

Jospeh, CLF and ken

Entrance of Heartland, in roppongi hills.. west side 1F

Yasuka Aizawa, the official race queen of D1 Goodyear Team and DJ Atsuko, Atsuko Satori.

Realy cute DJ mixing at Heartland in Roppongi hills for the Tokyo Japan times Photo exhibition party!

You can visit her blog here : http://ameblo.jp/yume1130/

Amano Ai was in the cgmnight organized by Danny Choo

Follow her on twitter @JulieWatai

Yesterday, Kabuto discovers that Shibuya has not been destroyed by a meteor, and that in fact Shibuya is a Funky Town!
It was a very funny day.. I enjoyed doing this video. A lot of people were around me, taking pictures.. then after dancing, I think at least 100 peoples ask me to take a photo with them.. 疲れた！ ^^;

Well, now I know that Shibuya on a Saturday between 11AM and 1PM is very crowned haha!

here is some random photos from that day.

Music by Lipps inc, funky town
kamen rider is copyrighted by tv-asahi, toei company ltd and ishinomori production

Today was a very nice April day and I made my first dancing video with my Kabuto costume. It was funny to see everybody looking at me, and heard some ” sugeee” “heee sugoi, kabuto” and people taking picture with their mobile phone.

Have a look on the video, and don’t be to rude on the comment please ^^; BTW il you CAN’T see the video in your country let me know.. youtube has block the vid on some country, but don’t know wich one V_V  I will try to find different way to publish dancing video to avoid this problem.

At the end of the video you can see photos and sound from children seeing kabuto on the street ^^ I hope you will appreciate

Enjoy, and let me know what you think about it

What surprised me the most is the children.. running from far away shouting “Kabuto! Kabuto!” then asking me a lot of questions “honto no kabuto desu ka? gatak kimasen ka? worms wa doko? abunai desu ne..”  ( are you the real kabuto? is gatak coming too? where is the worms? they are dangerous isn t it,..)

Well, lets have a look on some photos from today.

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Danny Choo Sama in his Storm Trooper armor!
He get very famous since he start dancing in Tokyo.
This week ( before the Launch party of tokyo.japantimes in fact) I gone to see him in Akasaka after his interview with TBS and one thing funny was that when he move to make a video with a bresilian TV crew near the TBS Building, I heard some poeple saying in french
“hey look it s Danny Choo.. he is so cool making dancing video! come come.. let see what he will do” then I heard in English minutes latter ” wow Tokyo tropper in real! look daddy! ”

I think that it is the best proof of his notoriety.. when you got recognize on the street by various people, you know you are famous ^^

You can see more of Tokyo dance trooper here : http://www.dannychoo.com/landscape/en/stormtrooper