#Niigata High School

[ashitakaxsan]

Young Rumiko Takahashi selfdrawing ,with her friends goofing off at Niigata Chuo High School. She's on the right taking Komawari's pose from Gaki Deka.

[yes-asil]

Hey so I’m about to watch detective Conan for the first time and I just wanted to make sure but Cased Closed is the one I’m supposed to watch first right? Cuz there are a could other detective Conan stuff on the site I’m using

I have the perfect list on how to rewatch the show under the cut

We've got a German website over here, so this is kinda??? official, but not really, it just makes the most sense as far as I'm concerned.

Episodes 001-054

Movie 01 (The Time-Bombed Skyscraper)

Episodes 055-097

Movie 02 (The Fourteenth Target)

Episodes 098-139

Short Stories 01-03 (Wait for Me, Wandering Red Butterfly, Santa Claus of Summer)

Episode 140

Movie 03 (The Last Wizard of the Century)

Episodes 141-173

OVA 01 (Conan vs. Kid vs. Yaiba - The Grand Battle for the Treasure Sword!)

Short Stories 04-07 (Detective George, Ten Planets, Play It Again, Making of Conan)

Episodes 174-186

Movie 04 (Captured in Her Eyes)

Episodes 187-231

Movie 05 (Countdown to Heaven)

Episodes 232-262

OVA 02 (16 Suspects!?)

Episodes 263-275

Movie 06 (The Phantom of Baker Street)

Episodes 276-303

OVA 03 (Conan, Heiji, and the Vanished Boy)

Episodes 304-315

Movie 07 (Crossroad in the Ancient Capital)

Episodes 316-344

OVA 04 (Conan, Kid, and the Crystal Mother)

Episodes 345-356

Movie 08 (Magician of the Silver Sky)

Episodes 357-383

OVA 05 (The Target is Kogoro!! The Detective Boys’ Secret Report)

Episodes 384-396

Movie 09 (Strategy Above the Depths)

Episodes 397-424

OVA 06 (Follow the Vanished Diamond! Conan and Heiji vs. Kid!)

Episodes 425-434

Movie 10 (The Private Eyes’ Requiem)

Episodes 435-452

Drama Special 01 (A Challenge Letter to Shin'ichi Kudo ~Prologue Until Goodbye~)

Episodes 453-459

OVA 07 (A Challenge from Agasa! Agasa vs. Conan and the Detective Boys)

Episodes 460-470

Movie 11 (Jolly Roger in the Deep Azure)

Episodes 471-490

OVA 08 (The Casebook of Female High School Detective Sonoko Suzuki)

Drama Special 02 (Shin'ichi Kudo Returns! ~Confrontation with the Black Organization~)

Episodes 491-504

Movie 12 (Full Score of Fear)

Magic File 02 (Shin'ichi Kudo, The Case of the Mysterious Wall and the Black Lab)

Episodes 505-520

OVA 09 (The Stranger from Ten Years Later)

Episodes 521-529

Lupin III vs. Detective Conan (TV special)

Episodes 530-531

Movie 13 (The Raven Chaser)

Magic File 03 (Shin'ichi and Ran, Memories of Mahjong Tiles and Tanabata)

Episodes 532-561

OVA 10 (Kid in Trap Island)

Episodes 562-570

Movie 14 (The Lost Ship in the Sky)

Magic File 04 (The Osaka Okonomiyaki Odyssey)

Magic Kaito Special 01

Episodes 571-610

Detective Conan vs. Wooo 01

Detective Conan vs. Wooo 02

Drama Special 03 (A Challenge Letter to Shin'ichi Kudo ~The Mystery of the Legendary Bird~)

Movie 15 (Quarter of Silence) (Love that movie aughhh)

Magic File 05 (Niigata ~ Tokyo Souvenir Capriccio)

Episodes 611-616

OVA 11 (A Secret Order from London)

Episodes 617-623

Drama Episodes 01-02

Episode 624

Drama Episode 03

Episodes 625-626

Magic Kaito Special 02-03

Drama Episodes 04-07

Episodes 627-628

Drama Episodes 08-09

Episodes 629-630

Drama Episodes 10-11

Episode 631

Magic Kaito Special 04

Drama Episodes 12-13

Episodes 632-634

Magic Kaito Special 05

Episodes 635-641

OVA 12 (The Miracle of Excalibur)

Magic Kaito Special 06

Episodes 642-651

Movie 16 (The Eleventh Striker)

Magic File 06 (Flower of Fantasista)

Drama Special 04 (Shin'ichi Kudo and the Kyoto Shinsengumi Murder Case)

Episodes 652-666

Magic Kaito Special 07-08

Episodes 667-670

Magic Kaito Special 09

Episodes 671-674

Magic Kaito Special 10

Episodes 675-680

Magic Kaito Special 11-12

Episodes 681-694

Movie 17 (Private Eye in the Distant Sea)

Episodes 695-721

Lupin III vs. Detective Conan: The Movie

Episodes 722-735

Movie 18 (Dimensional Sniper)

Episodes 736-753

Magic Kaito 1412 01

Episodes 754-756

Magic Kaito 1412 02-04

Episodes 757-758

Magic Kaito 1412 05-06

Episodes 759-760

Magic Kaito 1412 07-08

Episodes 761-762

Magic Kaito 1412 09-11

The Disappearance of Conan Edogawa ~The Worst Two Days in History~

Magic Kaito 1412 12

Happy New Year, Kogoro Mouri (Fugitive: Kogoro Mouri)

Episodes 763-764

Magic Kaito 1412 13-14

Episodes 765-766

Magic Kaito 1412 15-16

Episode 767

Magic Kaito 1412 17-18

Episode 768

Magic Kaito 1412 19

Episode 769

Magic Kaito 1412 20

Episode 770-771

Magic Kaito 1412 21-22

Episode 772-773

Magic Kaito 1412 23-24

Episode 774

Movie 19 (Sunflowers of Inferno)

Episode 775-813

Movie 20 (The Darkest Nightmare)

Episode 814-844

Episode “One”: The Great Detective Who Shrank

Episode 845-854

Episode 856-874

Episode 855

Movie 21 (Crimson Love Letter)

Episode 875-898

Movie 22 (Zero the Enforcer)

Episode 899-935

Movie 23 (The Fist of Blue Sapphire)

Episode 936-1002

Movie 24 (The Scarlet Bullet)

Episode 1003-1038

Zero’s Tea Time 1-2

Episode 1039

Movie 25 (The Bride of Halloween)

Zero’s Tea Time 3

Episode 1040

Zero’s Tea Time 4

Episode 1041

Zero’s Tea Time 5

Episode 1042

Zero’s Tea Time 6

Episode 1043-1058

The Culprit Hanzawa Episode 1

Episode 1059

The Culprit Hanzawa Episode 2

Episode 1060

The Culprit Hanzawa Episode 3-4

Episode 1061-current

[38sr]

How did you get where you are now? Job wise I mean? Were you a college student before doing this or did you go looking for jobs in the art industry straight away?

Oh, well it's been quite a journey for me in terms of how I got to where I am right now but here's the full timeline (?):

August 1996 - BIRTH

April 2007 - I watch Brave Story at Tribeca Film Festival, life is changed and I decide to purse animation

June 2014 - Graduate high school and accepted into Montserrat College of Art for Animation & Interactive Media

Summer of 2016 - Studied abroad in Japan attending Niigata School of Art & Design

Summer of 2017 - First animation job as an animation intern for Sesame Street (yes that Sesame Street)

December 2017 - Graduated from college (yes I graduated early due to having college credits in high school), did not have a job lined up

2018 to 2019 - Living back in NY with my parents, working on indie animation productions, creating emotes and animated intros for content creators, applying and getting rejected from many job listings, received and fail multiple storyboard tests, developing my own projects and story ideas after years of not being able to for school work

July 2019 - Fly to California for the first time, made the decision to move in order to further pursue a career in animation, at this time the Nickelodeon Artist Program were accepting submissions so I busted out boards for a personal project in 3 days and submitted it (please do not be like me, take your time haha)

September 2019 - I receive a call from Nickelodeon and I go through a series of interviews for 2 months straight

Thanksgiving 2019 - I receive news I was selected as a trainee for the Nickelodeon Artist Program

January 2020 - Move to California and begin work as a trainee at Nickelodeon (specifically for Rugrats reboot)

March 2020 - The pandemic

July 2020 - I leave Nickelodeon and move onto Titmouse as a storyboard revisionist for Star Trek Lower Decks

November 2020 - My Supervising Director for Lower Decks recommends me to the first Critical Role show Legend of Vox Machina

December 2020 - I do freelance boards for Vox Machina and get hired as a full time revisionist for season 2

January 2021 - I receive a interview request for a job on WondLa at SkyDance due to one of the directors finding my work online, I heavily consider the job

May 2021 - My Adventures of Superman is announced, I draw a piece of fanart that goes viral

July 2021 - Vox Machina season 2 wraps, I receive an offer to return to Lower Decks season 3 as well to work on X-Men 97 (I said yes to Lower Decks)

August 2021 - Spiderman Freshmen Year (now known as Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman) asks if I be interested to do boards, I decline not knowing what it was for

September 2021 - Showrunner for Spiderman contacts me personally for interview, my Superman fanart from May 2021 finds it way in front of the eyes of one of the creators for MAWS, still currently doing revisions for Lower Decks S3

October 2021 - Accept job offer as board artist for Spiderman, freelancing on MAWS as a character designer (first time doing this job), turn down SkyDance job offer

December 2021 - Wrapped on Lower Decks S3

January 2022 - Launch as board artist for Spiderman at Marvel Studios, still been developing my own personal projects at this point

February 2022 - Studio Shaft offers layout and genga work for Madoka Magia Record after seeing animation work of my personal projects, I accept

April 2022 - My episode of Madoka Magia Record airs, Studio Pierrot sends offer for work on Boruto

May 2022 - After my first episode on Boruto I am offered to work on Bleach Thousand Year Blood War, I accept and continue to on Bleach as of this post (3 seasons in total), Studio Mir offers me animation work for XMen 97 (I accept but only work on the first episode)

Summer of 2022 - Working on Spiderman, animating on animes, I think at some point this is when I was offered to do animation work for Castlevania Nocturne

November 2022 - Complete season 1 of Spiderman, Marvel/Disney lays me off for *reasons*, I receive an email about potential work on an unannounced show at Nickelodeon, I'm unemployed at this point

January 2023 - Collecting unemployment, freelancing on animes, trying to survive in general, also approached by Colosso to create my own course

February 2023 - Land a short gig on Big City Greens movie over at Disney TVA, Studio Mir once again offer me work but this time for second animated Witcher film

March 2023 - Land an interview as a character designer for that unannounced Nick show, didn't get the job

May 2023 - Wrap up on Big City Greens and Witcher, fly to Japan to relax (I failed)

July 2023 - Land a layout artist position at A24 (no it's not for Hazbin Hotel), Studio Mappa offer me work on Jujutsu Kaisen Shibuya Arc

September 2023 - Land another interview with Nickelodeon (this time for storyboard artist), freelancing on layouts and animation for Castlevania Nocturne S2, A24 job is stressing me out way too much so I decide to leave, MAWS hits me up for retakes on season 2

October 2023 - Wrap up at A24, I land the board artist job at Nick, I am also drowning in Jujutsu Kaisen production meltdown, complete my online course for Colosso, wrap up on MAWS S2

November 2023 - I start at Nick as a board artist, Colosso course release, I am still dying by the hands of Studio Mappa

January 2024 till now - Still boarding over at Nick and still animating on animes (I am VERY selective now about it though after JJK), I am also in therapy now Yeah so that's like, a real rough timeline over everything from school till now (and even then I am missing a lot of work details like video games and development projects due to NDAs). But pretty much what carried me was putting myself and my art out there on social media along with building relationships with people in the studios (outside of just my production) and that's how I've been able to maintain a steady work flow even when I was unemployed. Also not being afraid to develop my own ideas and share them since most of the times that gives the leadership a pretty good idea what sensibilities I have (and they just happen to match). I hope that answered your question!

[yuzurujenn]

[2024.08.05] AERA x Yuzuru Hanyu: 24.8.12-19 No. 37

person in focus

"After all, it's frustrating when I can't perform well."

A session with photographer Mika Ninagawa for the first time in a year. In a long interview exclusive to this magazine, he talks about the ideals he pursues.

Writer: Takaomi Matsubara

Professional skater Yuzuru Hanyu

Born December 7, 1994 in Sendai. 2009 Won the Junior Grand Prix Final at age 14. 2010 Became the youngest Japanese male to win the World Junior Championships. 2011 While practicing at a rink in Sendai, the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, and he had to live in an evacuation shelter. The rink where he was training was temporarily closed. 2012 First participated in the World Championships, coming in third. 2013 Graduated from Tohoku High School. Enrolled in a correspondence course at the Faculty of Human Sciences at Waseda University, studying human informatics and cognitive sciences. Won his first Grand Prix Final. Won four consecutive titles thereafter. 2014 First Asian gold medal in men's figure skating at the Sochi Olympics. First World Championship win. 2017 Second World Championship win. 2018 Second gold medal in men's figure skating at the Pyeongchang Olympics. 2020 Won his first Four Continents Championship, becoming the first man to win all major international junior and senior competitions. 2022 Participated in the Beijing Olympics. In July, announced his professional career. The ice show "Prologue" was held in Yokohama in November and in Hachinohe in December. 2023 In February, the ice show "GIFT" was held at Tokyo Dome. In March, the ice show "notte stellata" was held in Miyagi Prefecture. In March and April, he appeared in the ice show "Stars on Ice" (Osaka, Iwate, Yokohama). In May and June, he appeared in the ice show "Fantasy on Ice" (Makuhari, Miyagi, Niigata, Kobe). In November, the ice show "RE_PRAY" tour began at Saitama Super Arena. The following year, it was held at SAGA Arena in Saga in January, Pia Arena MM in Yokohama in February, and Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi in April. 2024 In March, the ice show "notte stellata" was held in Miyagi Prefecture. In May and June, he appeared in the ice show "Fantasy on Ice" (Makuhari, Aichi). On September 15th, he will be performing in the "Noto Peninsula Reconstruction Support Charity Performance Challenge" in Ishikawa Prefecture.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

It has been two years since he made a new start as a professional figure skater in the summer of 2022. In 2024, he led three successful ice shows: "RE_PRAY" (Saga, Yokohama, Miyagi performances), "notte stellata" and "Fantasy on Ice".

The shoot with Mika Ninagawa for the first time in a year began with a cheerful greeting from each other, "Thank you for your continued support this year," and "Thank you." When she said to him, "You're still as young as ever!", Hanyu replied with a smile, a little embarrassed, "I'm almost 30."

"Move freely."

With those words, he made expressions and gestures as he pleased.

Various scenes were set up in the vast studio. Hanyu, who changed costumes and was photographed in each scene, moved and made expressions freely, sometimes under instructions and sometimes as if he was imagining (creating) a story himself. The people watching repeatedly let out gasps of amazement as the images were displayed one after another on the computer monitor. It was nothing short of amazing how he instantly exuded various moods - from boyish with a hint of innocence to cool and seductive.

His creativity was not limited to the way he behaved as a subject. When the BGM was played during the shoot, his body naturally responded to the music, and he also requested songs himself when he saw the costumes. There was also a moment when he saw a prop that had been set up and asked, "Do you have one more of these?" This revealed his high level of creative awareness.

The shooting has completed.

"Thank you very much," he said, and there was something light-hearted and cheerful about it. After a year, what he showed in the studio was a more mature and expressive side to him.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exclusive interview with this magazine

[In pursuit of a distant ideal]

He is now in his third year as a professional figure skater. Reflecting on his days of taking on unprecedented challenges, he spoke about what he has gained from them and what the future holds.

Photo: Mika Ninagawa    Writer: Takaomi Matsubara

Yuzuru Hanyu, the journey continues

hair & make up: Noboru Tomizawa  styling: Masataka Hattori costume: NEEDLES    BED j.w. FORD    YUKI HASHIMOTO  prop styling: Ayumi Endo

Yuzuru Hanyu started out as a professional figure skater in 2022. In his first professional ice show, "Prologue," he performed the first solo ice show in history. He skated for nearly two hours, with a structure that richly conveyed his skating career. Following "Prologue," he then performed a solo show at the Tokyo Dome for the first time in history, "GIFT." The ice show filled the gigantic venue, which had never been seen before.  After "Prologue" and "GIFT," he held the performance "notte stellata" in March 2023, which was filled with thoughts and prayers for March 11. It has been a year since our interview last summer, following those three performances.

Changes in the "depth" of thinking

"When I was interviewed a year ago, it had just been a year since I turned professional. I had a desire to grow and learn more specialized things. In the year since then, I think that my technique, expression, and many other aspects have changed. Among them, I feel that I have had many more opportunities to think about expression. I have been thinking about expression even in my daily life. I think that the way I think about my show, the way I think about each program, the depth of those things has clearly changed." He talks about what triggered the change in the past year. "First of all, I had to spend more time thinking about writing a new ice story after GIFT and also about my own performance.” The new ice story was "RE_PRAY", under the title "ICE STORY 2nd".  It opened on November 4, 2023 at Saitama Super Arena. It was performed in Saitama for two days, on that day and the following day, and in the new year it was performed in Saga on January 12th and 14th, and in Yokohama on February 17th and 19th, for a total of six performances in three cities. After the premiere in Saitama on November 4th, Hanyu said the following. "First of all, I myself have learned from games, manga, novels, and various other sources, about what life is all about, how precious life is, and other similar things that everyone else roughly feels.

In games, the concept of life is really light in a sense, and you can repeat it, so you can use characters to do all sorts of things and push forward with curiosity. If you apply that to the real world, you might be a person who has the drive to grab hold of dreams, or conversely, from a different perspective, you might be a very terrifying person. But if you could do it all over again, I'm sure people would try it."

24 hours a day, always skating

In this story with a game motif, the question of "choice" is often depicted. We make choices in our lives, even if we are not aware of it. What if you choose a different option than the one you originally chose? Or would you choose the same option? This story asks the audience, which serves as an opportunity to reexamine their way of life. Of course, just like "Prologue" and "GIFT," the fact that this story was completed and received with overwhelming acclaim was due to the performance of Hanyu, who was the sole performer. And even after six performances, he did not try to stay in the same place. He continued to evolve. There were many evidences of this growth at the final performance of the Yokohama show, for example. The movements in the performance of "Chicken, Snake and Pig" where he moved forward as if resisting the shackles. The performance of "Megalovania", following a silent performance without music with only the sound of his edges resonating, was more integrated with the music than in previous performances. Not only in the production aspects, but also in the details of Hanyu's performance itself, there were traces of refinement here and there. After the Saga performance, Hanyu spent his days preparing more rigorously for the Yokohama performance.  "Of course, I trained and restricted my diet. Well, how should I say it, there are 24 hours in a day, but I spent the entire time on nothing else but skating. In other words, skating was always present, 24 hours a day.” "That's right. To put it simply, it felt like I was spending every day just working on 'RE_PRAY'." The reason he spent all his time facing skating was because he had regrets about the Saga performance. "After all, it's frustrating when I can't perform well." However, the standards of frustration have changed from when he was a competing athlete.

Still not enough

"Gradually, the focus is shifting from scores to an evaluation. If something technical that I had planned didn't go well, then my evaluation vector changes and my perspective shifts. I couldn't accomplish what I wanted to accomplish in Saga, so I was simply disappointed." After spending 24 hours focused on skating, the Yokohama performance came. After the final performance, he said, "I feel a sense of accomplishment like winning the Olympics." While he felt a sense of fulfillment, he wasn't completely satisfied. He also felt that his ability had not yet caught up with what he wanted to do. "So I feel like there are still things I need to study more. Of course, I think I'm evolving. I think I'm getting better. But I still feel like it's not enough. As I keep digging deeper and deeper, my ideals become higher, and the things I want to express are becoming more and more specific. The more my ideals become more concrete, the more I feel like I'm not catching up." He is aware that he still has areas where he needs to improve, especially in the finer details. This is something he realises now, which he didn't feel this way when he was competing in the sport. "It's impossible to realise this when you're a competitive athlete. After all, if you can jump, you win. To be honest, if you couldn’t jump, there was no point in talking about it, as the outcome of the competition was pretty much decided by how many types of quadruple jumps there are and where you put them in the program. For example, what memories do you have of this song, the background of this song, what is the story you want to express, how will the story and the song fit together, or what meaning is in the choreography, to be honest, there’s not much room to think about them. You have to complete all your technical elements in one go in the four minutes of a competition (free skate), so that's all you can focus on."

A world not in first place

Win the match. In a competition, that is set as a goal. "Since I had already achieved that, there was no way I could go any higher. If you think about it in the world of competition, I won first place, so even if I tried harder, I couldn't get any higher than first place. In other words, I just tried to see how long I could maintain that first place position.

But in the world I'm in right now, even if I think I'm in first place, it may not be. It’s a place where I can think, "I'm still at the bottom". When I look at the various works of art or technically excellent things from around the world, I feel that there are still many things I can't do, so I think that I still have a long way to go." When he moved from the world of competition, which was fixed in a sense, to a new world, it was no longer a confined space. However, whether one knows its vastness or not, whether one feels that there is an endlessly wide world out there, is up to the individual. So even though the world is infinite, some people only notice a limited space. Or, there are those who limit the space themselves.

Right now, Hanyu thinks, "I still have a long way to go." He feels like he's at the bottom. This is because he knows that the world is endlessly vast. The reason he feels this way is because he has the ambition to move forward without being content with the present. So instead of seeing the place he has arrived at as the end point, he knows that there is still space to go beyond that.

Ideals evolve

"I may have surpassed the ideal I had a year ago. But the sense of distance between me and my ideal is probably the same as it was a year ago. For example, if the distance between me and my ideal a year ago was 10 meters, it may be 10 meters, no, 11 meters now. That's how I feel. I'm living and experiencing life, I see information every day, and in the midst of that, my ideal evolves. My ideal gets further and further away. But at the same time, through what I have seen and experienced, I'm sure I’m also one step closer to my ideal." Then, after a short pause, he continued with a smile. "As long as I want to, I think I can continue for the rest of my life." The skater is still on his journey, striving towards the ideals he has built with his own will. 

Source: AERA issue 24.8.12-19 No.37, pg 9-15 Info: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0D89L6LS2

[gunkbaby]

All Of Shuu’s TG Calender Appearances! (In Chronological Order!)

*this was initially just gonna be a twitter thread but I’m posting it here first bc is easier to draft and arrange. :) Wrote the little information cards that are under the pics and will try to image ID them for the text late one.

Under a cut bc there are twenty-four of them! Enjoy! <3

(I believe the image below is from an anime calender? Or something? I’m not sure.)

January 12th - Skiiing Day

On January 12, 1911, Major Lerch of the Austrian Army first taught a young officer in the Niigata Prefecture how to ski. Be careful when doing tricks!

February 6th - Blog Day

Based on bu (2) rogu (6). A blog post from Shuu, it reads: “February 6 Have you heard of a flower called the ‘Hardenbergia’? It is also called a ‘Komachifuji’ and as its name suggests, it blooms with lovely purple petals. And here is the usual Tsukiyama Shuu’s Flower Language Corner. In flower language, a Hardenbergia refers to: “A fateful encounter.” “Happiness will unexpectedly drop in.” …and the like. There’s also “a miraculous miracle”… —But this is what I think. Encounters are always fateful, and reunions are always miraculous. Fate, miracles, our world is filled with such. This moment is also a miracle.” The comments feature Touka being quite rude, Kaneki adding little of importance, and Yomo not understanding technology.

February 13th - Bank Robbery Day

On February 13th, 1866, the first ever successful bank robbery took place in America by Jesse James.

February 25th - Hori Chie’s Birthday

Hori was Tsukiyama Shuu’s classmate in Seinan High School. Hori treats Tsukiyama as her photographic subject and despite Tsukiyama being a ghoul, she doesn’t fear him. Tsukiyama in return finds her intriguing and treats her as a pet. Their relationship continues on until now making them long-time acquaintances. Whether they have a good relationship or not, it’s difficult to say for sure.

March 3rd - Tsukiyama Shuu’s Birthday. (Obviously.)

Happy Birthday, Tsukiyama Shu.

March 26th - Untitled.

No text.

March 31st - Untitled.

The inauguration (to celebrate the completion of the structure) of the Eiffel Tower in Paris was held today. I wonder if Tsukiyama has ever been to France before.

April 28th - Nice Bath Day no. 3

No text.

May 1st - Untitled. Shu’s second blog post.

This blog reads as follows: ‘Hey, everyone. We have now entered May, yes? Speaking of May 1, it is a custom in France to send muguet (Lily of the Valley) as a present to the person you love on this day. And the recipient is said to be visited by great fortune.” Now then, upon hearing the words ‘the person you love’, whose face do you picture in your mind? How about giving flowers as gifts to him?…Or her? …With that said, that beloved person you just thought of may already be a happy person at this point. Shu.’

May 11th - Salvador Dali’s Birthday

The Persistence of Memory. “I saw three soft Shuus. One of them had a deplorable figure that hanged down from the branch of the olive tree.”

May 27th - Hyakunin Isshu Day

No. 86 Saigo Hoshi “Should I blame the moon, for bringing forth this sadness, as if it pictured grief? Lifting up my troubled face, I regard it through my tears.” Grief? Is that what you’re trying to say, moon? I don’t think so. Did I only just want to blame the moon for this sadness?

May 28th - Fireworks Day.

On this day in 1733, fireworks were launched for the first time for a festival in Ryogoku. The festival was first held by the 8th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, Yoshimune, in order to calm the spirits of the dead who fell to the great famine and cholera in the previous years. Now, it is held annually as water god festivies to ward off evil spirits. (Note: turn up the brightness or stare very hard for a long time. He is there, I promise.)

June 9th - 6th Ward Day

A huge amount of members were sacrificed during the annihilation of ‘Aogiri’s Hideout’ in the 11th Ward. Afterwards, Kaneki left ‘Anteiku’ in order to follow Rize’s footsteps and entered a new world, the ‘6th Ward’, alongside Tsukiyama and Banjou.

June 25th - Spaceyama.

No text. Shuu gets a cow and a Strange Thing and his father is proud.

July 20th - The Day of the Moon Landing

On 1969, the human race landed for the first time on the moon in the spacecraft, Apollo 11. At that time, Commander Armstrong sent a message to Earth saying, “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.

August 6th - Handsome Day

Based on ha (8) nsa mu (6).

August 27th -Miyazawa Kenji’s Birthday

A poet and writer of fairy tales who was based in his hometown of Iwate. The paradise of his work was given the name ‘Ihatov’.

In his masterpiece “The Restaurant of Many Orders”, two young men went hunting in the forest, got lost, and strayed into a restaurant called ‘Wildcat House’. The irony of it all is when the two instead became the food.

September 21st - Fashion Show Day

On this day in 1927, the first fashion show in Japan took place in kimono shop called Mitsukoshi in Ginza. At that time, kimonos were mainstream.

September 8th - TG’s 5th Year Anniversary

Serialization strted on Weekly Young Jump No. 41 which was sold on this day in 2011. Thank you very much for reading.

September 9th - Rollcake Day

Based on how the cross section of a rollcake forms a ‘9’. June 6th is also called ‘Rollcake Day’ for a similar reason.

September 16th - Match Day

On this day in 1948, freely selling previously rationed matches was accepted.

October 14th - Glasses No.2

No text.

October 25th - World Pasta Day

On this day in 1995, the World Pasta Congress was held in Italy.

October 26th - Kishimen Day

Kishimen is a slick type of noodle that’s thin and wide in width. Based on tsu (2) ru (6) which means ‘slick’ or ‘slippery’. It is also considered the ‘autumn of appetite’.

December 23rd - Palindrome Day 3

‘Intimidating, Tsukiyama… Will you get burned?’

December 29th - Chanson Day

On this day in 1990, a long-established Chanson cafe in Gonzales called ‘Ginpan’ went out of business. The place was known as a gateway to success for Chanson singers.

Ok I think that’s all :)

Tell me if I have missed one, I will edit. Sorry, am tired from exam prep, hopefully this is okay. I love you so much. I feel like Shuu is always home for me in stressful times.

I’m planning to do one of these for Kanae and Rize too. I can do other characters I guess afterwards.

I own this calender. I think I might like a second one to cut out and make postcards with to go on my Shuu shrine.

[bakuhatsufallinlove]

U.A. High School Field Trip Around Japan: Day 3 Translations

This is Day 3 of Shonen Jump’s special commemoration of My Hero Academia reaching one hundred million copies worldwide, which is being rolled out daily across one-week in each prefecture’s newspaper.

The schedule:

April 4th, Day 1: Hokkaidō & Tōhōku regions

April 5th, Day 2: Kantō region

April 6th, Day 3: Chūbu region

April 7th, Day 4: Kansai region

April 8th, Day 5: Chūgoku & Shikoku regions

April 9th, Day 6: Kyūshū & Okinawa regions

April 10th, Day 7: Nationwide release

You can see the illustrations on their website here, where they are released digitally the day after the newspaper release.

Here we go!

Note: As I mentioned, the illustrations are available on the official site, but they are all rather small, which makes them hard to read, so in this post I have included photographs from fans which I used for my translations. Every photo was available publicly on twitter and I have credited the posters, but please be respectful and don’t draw undue attention to these fans. If anyone contacts me wishing for their photo to be removed, I will do so.

Chūbu Region

Niigata

Photo credit: twitter user kz555ing

Ashido: "Cuteness is justice!" Todoroki: "Cuteness is justice? Then this Kannon is a good omen for heroes." Asui: "'Cuteness' is profound, too."

Class 1-A is visiting Sado Island's Chokokuji Temple, where a 20-foot tall rabbit statue has been erected to show appreciation for the temple's domestic rabbits tended by the priests, who roam the grounds freely. Just behind Todoroki actually stands a second, much smaller rabbit statue. The goddess of mercy, Kannon, is carved into the rabbits' chests.

Toyama

Photo credit: twitter user MazeHistory

Tokoyami: "The torrential flow of power liberated from prohibition... Those of us who have freed a once-sealed power feel the same, don't we, Todoroki?" Todoroki: "No, not particularly."

They are visiting Kurobe Dam, the tallest dam in Japan at 186 meters (610 feet).

Ishikawa

Photo credit: twitter user ESORA_artwork_

Iida: "There are approximately 180 shops in here!!" Kacchan: "Tell me which one's got the tastiest stuff." Izuku: "That's gotta be all of them!" Kirishima: "Daaamn, there's no way you can go to all of them in one day." All Might: "Looks like those boys are having fun, doesn't it?"

This is Omicho Market in Kanazawa, the capital of Ishikawa, a very busy market with fresh seafood, vegetables, fruit, and local specialties!

Fukui

Photo credit: twitter user mlluv1

Izuku: "Sauce katsudon originates in Fukui prefecture! ︎ The deep flavor comes from the sour sauce seeping into the cutlet! You could say the sauce is saving the cutlet, and the cutlet is saving the sauce. It's a food that embodies the concept of being able to save to win and win to save. I don't think it's an exaggeration to call it the soul food of heroes. Ahhh! I can't stop thinking that I want everyone in Japan to know more about this..." Uraraka: "He's saying it's tasty."

One of Fukui's specialties is "sauce katsudon" wherein the pork cutlet is battered, coated in crumbs, deep fried, and then coated in a thick, sweet, tangy, savory sauce. "Katsu" means cutlet but it is phonetically identical to the word for win--the same one that's in Katsuki's name. Izuku is such a nerd, dear god. Special thanks to @pikahlua for saving my skin with Izuku's dreaded mumble-speech!

Yamanashi

Photo credit: twitter user MARINJIJI

Mirio: "There's... A RIPE PEACH! There's... RIPE GRAPES!" Kaminari: "The Yamanashi Prefecture Tourism Ambassador Hero...!" Sero: "Have we got a chance!?" Kirishima: "Sempai, you went out of your way just for this!?"

Yamanashi is one of Japan's big fruit providers with many orchards and vineyards, specializing in grapes, plums, and peaches. Mount Fuji is visible in the background! But Mirio... what were the ripe grapes!?

Nagano

Photo credit: twitter user hirom_1107

Hagakure: "Ojiro-kun! You really can't see it!?" Jirou: "I can see it!" Ojiro: "It's 'cause I've got a tail, isn't it. I wonder if they're feeling territorial..."

They are at Jigokudani Monkey Park with Japanese macaque (snow monkeys), who love to hang out in hot springs in the winter.

Gifu

Photo credit: twitter user some_mitsu

Iida: "Everyone!! Assemble here for a group photo!!" Uraraka: "Let's all do the gasshō pose, okay!!" Sero: "That's great!!"

The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama are part of a World Heritage Site protecting the traditional gasshō-zukuri houses unique to the area. The style is named for the arch of the roof looking like hands in prayer; the area gets substantial snowfall every year, and the shape of the roof and structure of the walls are optimal for protecting the integrity of the house. I got to see and step inside this style of home at the Japan Open-Air Folk Museum, and they are absolutely incredible. The informational placards said that in years when the snow piles high enough, the second story windows are used as entrances!

Shizuoka

Photo credit: twitter user sugar_eraser

Yaoyorozu: "The reason Mount Fuji looks blue is because its size is so great that one must view it at a distance. This distance puts a thick layer of air in-between, scattering the light and causing the mountain's surface to appear blue. The sky is blue for the same reason." Ashido: "Yaomomo's like a walking encyclopedia!" Aoyama: "A beautiful blue mountain, you say? Why, there's one right here~!"

Viewing Mount Fuji from Shizuoka's famous tea fields. Shizuoka provides 40% of Japan's green tea! I've had a few varieties unique to their area, they were very flavorful and soothing. Aoyama is bein' vain because his surname means "blue mountain."

Aichi

Photo credit: twitter user Hrkn1500

Satou: "All right, all right, now this is what I've been waiting for!" Yaoyorozu: "It's delicious!" Todoroki (thinking): "Half-Sweet Half-Salt..."

They are eating Ogura toast, a dish originating in a Nagoya cafe in 1921. Ogura jam is a sweet spread made out of adzuki beans, and it is often served with butter -- the butter being salted is the source of Todoroki's stroke of genius. I've had it several times, it's tasty!!

That's all for Day 3! See you soon for Day 4.

[revuestarlight-pbta]

The Revue Starlight Discord Carnival is on - and our first ever PUBLIC PREVIEW of Revue Starlight: Powered by the Audience!

As part of the Revue Starlight Discord's festivities, two sessions of the brand-new Shadows of Seisho one-shot will be held, both GMed by the designer & writer of the system!

This will be the first time that the rules material will be made available to the public, so please look forward to this event in advance of the official playtest launch!

Shadows of Seisho A group of friends in Niigata Girls’ Junior High School banded together to form the Hakugei Theatre Circle, an extracurricular club that yearned for the stage. Without numbers or funding, they practiced together to read over scripts, act out stories, and dreamt of a shared stage together. Now in their third year, they made a promise to aim for Seisho Music Academy to pursue their dreams together, leaving everything in their hometown behind. However, what happens when they receive the news that none of them made it into Seisho… except for one?

Group A will be held on Thursday, August 15th, 8 PM EDT, and Group B will be held on Friday, August 16th, 1 PM EDT.

Please join the Revue Starlight Discord for more information and details!

[doctorzieg]

Guide to Rewatching Everything Conan Related

Episodes 001-054

Movie 01 (The Time-Bombed Skyscraper)

Episodes 055-097

Movie 02 (The Fourteenth Target)

Episodes 098-139

Short Stories 01-03 (Wait for Me, Wandering Red Butterfly, Santa Claus of Summer; not Conan related but are animated versions of stories Aoyama wrote)

Episode 140

Movie 03 (The Last Wizard of the Century)

Episodes 141-173

OVA 01 (Conan vs. Kid vs. Yaiba - The Grand Battle for the Treasure Sword!)

Short Stories 04-07 (Detective George, Ten Planets, Play It Again, Making of Conan)

Episodes 174-186

Movie 04 (Captured in Her Eyes)

Episodes 187-231

Movie 05 (Countdown to Heaven)

Episodes 232-262

OVA 02 (16 Suspects!?)

Episodes 263-275

Movie 06 (The Phantom of Baker Street)

Episodes 276-303

OVA 03 (Conan, Heiji, and the Vanished Boy)

Episodes 304-315

Movie 07 (Crossroad in the Ancient Capital)

Episodes 316-344

OVA 04 (Conan, Kid, and the Crystal Mother)

Episodes 345-356

Movie 08 (Magician of the Silver Sky)

Episodes 357-383

OVA 05 (The Target is Kogoro!! The Detective Boys’ Secret Report)

Episodes 384-396

Movie 09 (Strategy Above the Depths)

Episodes 397-424

OVA 06 (Follow the Vanished Diamond! Conan and Heiji vs. Kid!)

Episodes 425-434

Movie 10 (The Private Eyes’ Requiem)

Episodes 435-452

Drama Special 01 (A Challenge Letter to Shin'ichi Kudo ~Prologue Until Goodbye~)

Episodes 453-459

OVA 07 (A Challenge from Agasa! Agasa vs. Conan and the Detective Boys)

Episodes 460-470

Movie 11 (Jolly Roger in the Deep Azure)

Episodes 471-490

OVA 08 (The Casebook of Female High School Detective Sonoko Suzuki)

Drama Special 02 (Shin'ichi Kudo Returns! ~Confrontation with the Black Organization~)

Episodes 491-504

Movie 12 (Full Score of Fear)

Magic File 02 (Shin'ichi Kudo, The Case of the Mysterious Wall and the Black Lab)

Episodes 505-520

OVA 09 (The Stranger from Ten Years Later)

Episodes 521-529

Lupin III vs. Detective Conan (TV special)

Episodes 530-531

Movie 13 (The Raven Chaser)

Magic File 03 (Shin'ichi and Ran, Memories of Mahjong Tiles and Tanabata)

Episodes 532-561

OVA 10 (Kid in Trap Island)

Episodes 562-570

Movie 14 (The Lost Ship in the Sky)

Magic File 04 (The Osaka Okonomiyaki Odyssey)

Magic Kaito Special 01

Episodes 571-610

Detective Conan vs. Wooo 01

Detective Conan vs. Wooo 02

Drama Special 03 (A Challenge Letter to Shin'ichi Kudo ~The Mystery of the Legendary Bird~)

Movie 15 (Quarter of Silence)

Magic File 05 (Niigata ~ Tokyo Souvenir Capriccio)

Episodes 611-616

OVA 11 (A Secret Order from London)

Episodes 617-623

Drama Episodes 01-02

Episode 624

Drama Episode 03

Episodes 625-626

Magic Kaito Special 02-03

Drama Episodes 04-07

Episodes 627-628

Drama Episodes 08-09

Episodes 629-630

Drama Episodes 10-11

Episode 631

Magic Kaito Special 04

Drama Episodes 12-13

Episodes 632-634

Magic Kaito Special 05

Episodes 635-641

OVA 12 (The Miracle of Excalibur)

Magic Kaito Special 06

Episodes 642-651

Movie 16 (The Eleventh Striker)

Magic File 06 (Flower of Fantasista)

Drama Special 04 (Shin'ichi Kudo and the Kyoto Shinsengumi Murder Case)

Episodes 652-666

Magic Kaito Special 07-08

Episodes 667-670

Magic Kaito Special 09

Episodes 671-674

Magic Kaito Special 10

Episodes 675-680

Magic Kaito Special 11-12

Episodes 681-694

Movie 17 (Private Eye in the Distant Sea)

Episodes 695-721

Lupin III vs. Detective Conan: The Movie

Episodes 722-735

Movie 18 (Dimensional Sniper)

Episodes 736-753

Magic Kaito 1412 01

Episodes 754-756

Magic Kaito 1412 02-04

Episodes 757-758

Magic Kaito 1412 05-06

Episodes 759-760

Magic Kaito 1412 07-08

Episodes 761-762

Magic Kaito 1412 09-11

The Disappearance of Conan Edogawa ~The Worst Two Days in History~

Magic Kaito 1412 12

Happy New Year, Kogoro Mouri (Fugitive: Kogoro Mouri)

Episodes 763-764

Magic Kaito 1412 13-14

Episodes 765-766

Magic Kaito 1412 15-16

Episode 767

Magic Kaito 1412 17-18

Episode 768

Magic Kaito 1412 19

Episode 769

Magic Kaito 1412 20

Episode 770-771

Magic Kaito 1412 21-22

Episode 772-773

Magic Kaito 1412 23-24

Episode 774

Movie 19 (Sunflowers of Inferno)

Episode 775-813

Movie 20 (The Darkest Nightmare)

Episode 814-844

Episode “One”: The Great Detective Who Shrank

Episode 845-854

Episode 856-874

Episode 855

Movie 21 (Crimson Love Letter) (please see this link for explanation of positioning)

Episode 875-898

Movie 22 (Zero the Enforcer)

Episode 899-935

Movie 23 (The Fist of Blue Sapphire)

Episode 936-1002

Movie 24 (The Scarlet Bullet)

Episode 1003-1038

Zero’s Tea Time 1-2

Episode 1039

Movie 25 (The Bride of Halloween)

Zero’s Tea Time 3

Episode 1040

Zero’s Tea Time 4

Episode 1041

Zero’s Tea Time 5

Episode 1042

Zero’s Tea Time 6

Episode 1043-1058

The Culprit Hanzawa Episode 1

Episode 1059

The Culprit Hanzawa Episode 2

Episode 1060

The Culprit Hanzawa Episode 3-4

Episode 1061

The Culprit Hanzawa Episode 5

Episode 1062

The Culprit Hanzawa Episode 6

Episode 1063

The Culprit Hanzawa Episode 7

Episode 1064

The Culprit Hanzawa Episode 8

Episode 1065

The Culprit Hanzawa Episode 9

Episode 1066

The Culprit Hanzawa Episode 10-12

Episode 1067-1080

Movie 26 (Black Iron Submarine)

Episode 1081-current

[bluelocksource]

Tokimitsu Aoshi’s trivia (source: twt & Egoist Bible).

"Ah, I can’t stand this kind of me! I want confidence!!”

☆ Character's colour: Dark green.

☆ Weapons: Quick reaction, physical, and stamina.

☆ Birthday: 21st March.

☆ Current age: 17 (3rd year of high school)

☆ Zodiac: Aries.

☆ Birthplace: Niigata Prefecture.

☆ Family: Father. Mother. Older brother. Himself. Younger brother.

☆ Current height: 183 cm.

☆ Foot size: 28 cm.

☆ Dominant foot: Right foot.

☆ Blood type: A.

☆ Starts playing football: At age 9.

☆ Motto: "Start small and work hard."

☆ Favorite food: Eels. “I..I heard eels will increase your vitality.”

☆ Disliked food: Cream-based sweets. “I’m not good with sweets… Ah! I’m sorry cake shop!

☆ Favorite animal: Dinosaurs. “Especially triceratops, because they have strength to protect themselves.”

☆ Favorite season: Winter. ”Because everyone becomes negative… hehe..”

☆ Favorite football player: Sergio Aguero.

☆ Favorite song: “Ai” by Motohiro Hata.

☆ Favorite anime: Dr. Slump “I like Gacchan.”

☆ Favorite movie: 3 Idiots.

☆ Favorite TV program: ‘Wednesday Downtown’ & ‘TV Chidori’.

☆ Mushroom shoots vs Bamboo shoots: Mushroom. “Eh... I wonder if the bamboo group will get mad... then I’ll choose bamboo shoot... Oh, don't get mad, mushroom group...!”

☆ What goes best with rice : Umeboshi. "Eating it with porridge is even better!"

☆ Hobby: Muscle training.

☆ What makes him happy: “I want to be told I’m amazing just the way I am.”.

☆ What makes him upset: “Please don’t hate me.”

☆ What he thinks his strength is: “I can’t think of such things, even if I do, I do not want to be hated, so I won’t say anything.”

☆ What he thinks his weakness is: “Negative, no self-confidence, low self-esteem, lack of courage to be hated, uninteresting.”

☆ Best subject: Mathematics / P.E.

☆ Dislike/weak subject: “The act of raising your hand and speak up in all classes.”

☆ What made him cry recently: “When I woke up in the middle of the night.” (He cried because he was scared that he was all alone.)

☆ Usual sleeping time: 6.5 hours.

☆ What he usually ends up buying from convenience store: Anti-sweat wipes.

☆ Place he washes first when taking a bath: Toes.

☆ Ideal type: Someone who don’t hurt others.

☆ At what age he experiences first love: At age 7. “With a classmate of mine. I was too scared to confess and graduated without saying a word. We ended up attending different middle school.”

☆ What will he do if received 100 million yen: “Invest. To eliminate future worries."

☆ What age he stops receiving presents from Santa: At 8 years old.

☆ What was his last wish from Santa: Confidence. (Santa won’t give you something you can’t see)

☆ How he spent his holiday: "Browsing summary sites. I only read the reviews of the movies I haven't watch yet. I’m relieved to find a fool (a troll, perhaps?) on SNS.”

☆ What will he do during his last day on Earth: Joining hands with all living things.

note: i want to apologize in advance for any mistake made in the translation!

 

[niigata-division]

Final Round — Fashion Show

Theme: “Prom Night”

Contestants: Lyall Shiba & Kaoru Shinozaki

Divisions: Niigata & Edogawa

“Prom? That's not even a thing in Japan. Even if it was I would not have gone to mine considering I was like 11 when I graduated High School.”

“I still quite can't believe you graduated that young Kaoru.”

“Perks of being a genius Lyall. Anyway, I think your sister might have too much fun dressing me up. I swear the minute she learned about this part of the pageant her eyes lit up like lightbulbs.”

“Yeah, that's Lyra alright sorry about that she's a bit of a fashionista.” 

“It's fine. She picked out this gorgeous gown. I’m just curious why she kept giving me white dresses. I figured she would have given me either blue or maybe purple but no white dresses are what she kept picking. Weird right?” 

“....Dammit Lyra.”

“You say something, Lyall?”

“Ah just that you like quite beautiful Kaoru. Like a goddess that steps down from Mt Olympus.” 

“....”

“Kaoru?”

“AAAAAAHHHHHHH!”

[heavenboy09]

Happy Birthday 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁 🎊 To You, A Japanese🇯🇵 Legendary Actor Of Astounding Acting In Cinema 🎥

He was born on October 21, 1959 in the mountain village of Koide in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. His mother was a school teacher and his father taught calligraphy. Due to a number of relocations for his parents' work, he spent his childhood in the villages of Irihirose and Sumon, both now part of the city of Uonuma, and in Takada, now part of the city of Jōetsu. He attended Niigata Prefectural Koide High School, where he was a member of the concert band club, playing trumpet, which he had played since childhood.

He is a Japanese actor. To English-speaking audiences, he is known for playing tragic hero characters, such as General Tadamichi Kuribayashi in Letters from Iwo Jima and Lord Katsumoto Moritsugu in The Last Samurai, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Among other awards, he has won the Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Actor twice, in 2007 for Memories of Tomorrow and in 2010 for Shizumanu Taiyō. He is also known for his roles in Christopher Nolan's films Batman Begins and Inception, as well as Memoirs of a Geisha, and Pokémon Detective Pikachu.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁 🎊 TO YOU THE 1# DISTINGUISHED & LEGENDARY JAPANESE 🇯🇵ACTOR Of OUR TIME

YOU KNOW HIM & IF YOU DONT. YOU WILL

YOU SEEN HIS MOVIES 🎥 IN BOT JAPANESE & ENGLISH

& HE IS PROBABLY THE MOST INCREDIBLELY DRAMATIC ARTIST OF OUR TIME 🕐

THE 1 & ONLY

MR. KEN WATANABE 🇯🇵 Aka Dr. Ishiro Serizawa Of GODZILLA (2014) & GODZILLA : KING OF THE MONSTERS 🐲 & THE AUTOBOT, DRIFT 🚘 OF TRANSFORMERS FRANCHISE 🤖

HAPPY 65TH BIRTHDAY 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁 🎊 TO YOU MR . WATANABE🇯🇵 & HERE'S TO MANY MORE YEARS TO COME

#KenWatanabe

[mariacallous]

No moment reveals new Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s character better than his decision to challenge Shinzo Abe for the leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in 2018.

In 2018, Abe was six years into his second premiership and, despite some scandals that weighed on his approval ratings, he was completely dominant at home and an increasingly celebrated statesman abroad. The LDP had changed its rules and enabled Abe to run for a third three-year term as the party’s president, which would allow him to stay in the premiership long enough to become Japan’s longest-serving prime minister. It was unthinkable that the LDP would deny him another term.

And yet Ishiba decided to run against him. Though he once served Abe loyally despite an upset defeat at Abe’s hands in the LDP’s September 2012 leadership contest, Ishiba had grown increasingly disenchanted with the prime minister. Ishiba thought that Abenomics—the prime minister’s economic program—mostly benefited big corporations and big cities and increased inequality, while Abe’s national security reforms sidestepped a more substantial debate about how Japan should defend itself.

More fundamentally, Ishiba was also dismayed by Abe’s heavy-handed style of leadership, particularly in the face of credible accusations of influence-peddling and abuses of power. He wanted Abe to answer for these concerns, campaigning during the 2018 contest on a slogan of “honesty and justice” that Abe’s allies recognized as a sly attack on the prime minister and his scandals.

Although Ishiba performed better than expected, Abe won comfortably, as expected.

Ishiba paid a steep price for his opposition to Abe. In the eight years since, before becoming prime minister this month, Ishiba had held no post in the cabinet or LDP leadership. He had earned the enmity of Abe’s most devoted supporters—they accused Ishiba of backstabbing him—which no doubt contributed to a distant third-place finish in the leadership election that followed Abe’s resignation in 2020.

He was a man out of step with his own party, but he was nevertheless unwilling to compromise his views on what he believed were the grave errors of Abe’s premiership.

It was thus a surprise when Ishiba, despite a reputation for being friendless in the party and hated by a still-powerful right wing, defeated Sanae Takaichi, perhaps Abe’s most dutiful lieutenant, by a mere fifteen-vote margin to become leader of the LDP—and thus, Japan’s next prime minister—on Sept. 27.

Ishiba’s differences with Abe and his followers are not just a matter of policy. Rather, they reflect a more fundamental philosophical divide within the LDP.

Abe was literally the heir to a tradition in the party that sought to remove postwar constraints on Japan’s armed forces and make Japan a full-fledged great power, even if the Japanese people did not share that group’s goals or approve of their methods. Thanks to the efforts of Abe and others after the end of the Cold War, this tradition had come to dominate the party, sidelining or subsuming other schools of thought in the LDP.

Ishiba belongs to one of those rival lineages. He entered politics as a young man in the 1980s at the urging of Kakuei Tanaka, the LDP’s notorious “shadow shogun” who built a dominant political machine even as he was bogged down in legal proceedings over bribery charges stemming from the so-called Lockheed affair. While Tanaka is best known for his part in building a corrupt political machine, there was more to his politics than graft.

A self-made man from Niigata prefecture on the Sea of Japan, part of Japan’s remote “snow country,” Tanaka was determined to ensure that no part of the country was left behind by the postwar economic miracle. He wanted the LDP to use its power to build highways, bridges, and high-speed rail that would create jobs and promote development in rural backwaters like his hometown and stitch the archipelago together. He was a thoroughgoing democrat—another of his nicknames was “the commoners’ prime minister”—who stressed to Ishiba and other young politicians that they must prioritize listening to voters and their concerns, and using national power to make their lives better.

His faction dominated the LDP for most of the 1970s and 1980s but fragmented as Tanaka fought his legal battles and increasingly poor health, and then finally lost its grip on the party as corruption scandals prompted some of Tanaka’s own acolytes—Ishiba included—to break away from the LDP in pursuit of political reform and send the party into opposition for the first time in 1993.

Ishiba eventually returned to the LDP in 1997, but by that point it was a different party, already beginning the move to the right that would propel Abe to dominance.

But even as the LDP changed, Ishiba clung to the lessons he learned from Tanaka. The party had to listen to voters. It had to make life better for Japan’s most disadvantaged people and regions. And if the LDP wanted to make big changes—such as revising the Japanese Constitution or spending more on national defense—then it had to work hard and speak honestly with voters to convince them to support these goals.

It is not an accident that Ishiba has consistently been one of the most popular politicians in the LDP.

Ishiba’s attachment to Tanaka is not the only thing that sets him apart in the contemporary LDP. He also has idiosyncratic views about the role that Japan should play in the world. Unlike Tanaka, whose wartime service in Manchuria made him deeply skeptical of rearmament and eager to assert Japan’s independence from the United States during the Cold War, Ishiba is not a pacifist. Indeed, he has referred to himself as a “military otaku,” using a Japanese term for a fanatical nerd to reference his own unusually high degree of enthusiasm for military affairs for a Japanese lawmaker.

But while Abe and his followers sought to strengthen Japan’s armed forces as part of a project of national greatness, Ishiba is interested in defending his country and its people. Japan should be capable enough to defend itself from military threats, reducing its dependence on a United States that could endanger Tokyo through recklessness or fecklessness. To be sure, Ishiba is not opposed to Japan’s alliance with the United States, but he wants Japan to be a full-fledged, independent partner, including potentially in the management of a nuclear deterrent.

What he does not want is for Japan to compete for power for its own sake or to focus exclusively on the military balance in East Asia; he has emphasized the importance of diplomacy and commerce in Japan’s relationships with China, South Korea, and other regional powers alongside the pursuit of military power, even calling for greater humility from Japan regarding its wartime past.

This philosophical divide was laid bare during the September LDP leadership election. Ishiba ran on a platform emphasizing for safety and security for the Japanese people; Takaichi’s slogan was “strengthening comprehensive national power.” Between these two platforms are some of the most enduring fault lines in postwar Japanese politics, which in the 21st century could mean the difference between a Japanese government that tolerates and accommodates relative decline and one that takes extraordinary measures—and risks—to reverse it.

It is for this reason that it is difficult to be optimistic about Ishiba’s prospects. Abe might be gone, but his ideas and his intellectual successors continue to play an outsized role in the party that he dominated from 2012 until his death in 2022, even if Abe’s faction itself has been shattered by some of its members’ participation in a slush fund scheme that concealed political funds transfers.

Ishiba’s victory by no means marks their final defeat; Takaichi may already be preparing for another leadership bid. But it may also have been less of a victory for Ishiba’s anti-Abe vision or Takaichi’s pro-Abe vision than it was an opportunistic bet by vulnerable LDP lawmakers who thought his enduring popularity with voters might protect their seats—and a bet by his predecessor, Fumio Kishida, that Ishiba would protect his legacy more than Takaichi.

Thus, while Ishiba won, he is still isolated within his own party. He spent his first week as the head of the LDP walking back his opposition to Abenomics—not least because Kishida carried forward Abe’s economic program—and expressing tolerance toward LDP lawmakers implicated in a campaign finance scandal centered on Abe’s own faction, the very expression of the power-at-all-costs style of politics that Ishiba so vociferously rejected in 2018.

These compromises may have been unavoidable. Takaichi and her followers now constitute an internal opposition within the LDP’s ranks, a potent source of rebellion if Ishiba deviates too far from the Abe line. But these steps could also undermine his reputation as an idealistic truth-teller determined to create a more democratic politics—the very reason that he has persisted in politics—which could not only weaken his premiership just as it gets started, but could also risk his government’s majority in the snap election that he is preparing to call for on Oct. 27. It may be too heavy a task for any politician, particularly one with Ishiba’s history, to build a new, post-Abe LDP when so much of the party remains committed to Abe’s political vision.

Nevertheless, even if Ishiba himself fails in his pursuit of a new LDP, his victory has laid bare the conflict at the heart of Japan’s ruling party. The LDP’s reckoning with the costs of Abe’s relentless pursuit of power at home and abroad will shape Japan’s politics for years to come.

[flyingspicerack]

Since the watch party i wanted to finally draw out Mao’s high school design

No, they didn’t go to school with them, they're from a different area, im still deciding actually if i want them to be from a different prefecture... (I'm actually most familiar with Niigata and Niigata City cause ive been there a couple times but theres an ichimatsu/reader fic that i really like on ao3 and the reader in that is from Niigata and I dont want it to seem like im copying them, so im still undecided) But it might make sense to have them just from a different area of tokyo since its so big....

Im also getting to writing kind of a mao backstory lore chapter and felt like drawing this to go along whenever i post it, as a visual... which reminds me i need to draw their apartment better

[pchan700]

We would like to introduce "Tagami Bamboo Boo 2024" which is being held in Tagami Town, Minamikanbara District, Niigata Prefecture on the Sea of Japan side.Local elementary and junior high school students and townspeople. This is an event where one of Japan's leading light space creators will deliver a fantasy of bamboo forests and light using bamboo from Tagami Town as a theme.Using bamboo with countless holes in the bamboo forest, we create a wonderful and fantastical world that can also be used as art.Why not take a look between September 14th and October 14th (2024)I think it's rare to see such a wonderful event.

[ngt48fanshub]

ISSHUN NO HANABI RELAY INTERVIEW - SATO KAIRI

"I Want to Become a Firework in the Night Sky and Deliver 'Lingering Feelings'"

The fifth installment brings you an interview with 2nd-generation member Kairi Sato.

Listening to the Thoughts of Important People Who Are Always by My Side

Ⓠ How did you feel when you were selected as a senbatsu member for this single? Thanks to the fans who supported you. Kairi: I was selected as a member for the single! I want to express my gratitude and work hard so that many people can listen to our 10th single! Ⓠ What was your first impression when you heard the single "Isshun no Hanabi"? Kairi: I was really struck by the sound of the fireworks being launched! The beautiful fireworks in the lyrics represent happy memories from the past, and the darkness after they burst reflects the feelings of the present—it’s a bittersweet song.

Ⓠ How do you plan to express the outlook of this song? Kairi: To me, fireworks are beautiful and fleeting precisely because they disappear in an instant. Interestingly, we idols are also often described as "fleeting"! (LOL) Since we share that in common, I want to express this song with the idea that we are beautiful fireworks launched into the night sky, delivering a performance that will leave a lasting "afterglow" for the audience to enjoy.

Ⓠ What did you think when you heard the coupling track? Kairi: All the songs are wonderful, but I especially like "Namida ga Kareru Made Soba ni Iru," It brings back all kinds of emotions, whether from difficult or happy times. I listen to it while thinking of the fans, members, and family who have always been by my side.

Ⓠ Can you share any memorable episodes related to the 10th single, such as recording or MV shooting? Kairi: Nana Isozaki from the 4th generation, who was selected for the first time, is the only high school student! While the senior members were trying to rest during breaks, Nana was the only one running around! (LOL)

Look Out for Performances at the Theater and Festivals

Ⓠ What are your favorite things and charming points? Kairi: My loud voice! Although I read a paper saying that people with big voices often have hearing issues, so I’m not as happy about it… but my fans say that my loud voice is very "me" and that it cheers them up, so it’s one of my favorite traits!

Ⓠ What do you want fans and the audience to pay attention to? Kairi: Our theater performances and festival appearances. I wasn’t very good at dancing at first, and I think I gave my seniors and the staff a hard time (LOL). But after a lot of independent practice, I gained confidence, and now, there are even people who tell me they became fans after seeing our festival or theater performances.

Ⓠ What are your dreams and goals for future activities? Kairi: Supporting the younger members. I want to pass on the experiences and lessons I’ve learned over my six years to the 3rd and 4th generations, making NGT48 an even better group. Personally, as NGT48’s ambassador for the Echigo Tokimeki Railway in Joetsu, Niigata, I want to become someone who can promote its appeal nationwide.

Ⓠ What’s the charm of NGT48’s theater? Kairi: The performances consist entirely of NGT48’s songs, and during the encore, there’s an event block where we perform songs suited to the season. Right now, we’re delivering summer-themed songs perfect for this time of year! Since the members memorize multiple positions, you can see different units and song arrangements depending on the day. You’ll never get bored, no matter how many times you watch!

Ⓠ Can you recommend a spot in Niigata? Kairi: The Sado Gold Mine, which has been registered as a World Cultural Heritage site, and the three major fireworks festivals of Echigo (Kashiwazaki Festival Fireworks, Nagaoka Festival Fireworks, and the Katakai Festival Fireworks)!

Ⓠ Are there any NGT48 members you’re paying special attention to? Kairi: 4th-generation member Koma Otake! She’s so innocent and pure that I just want to carry her around on my back! She’s incredibly healing.

Ⓠ This is a typical The Television question… What TV shows or music do you like? Kairi: I love horror and thriller genres. Since I don’t believe in ghosts, it’s very unrealistic to me, and I find it a great way to relax (LOL).

Ⓠ A message to fans and readers? Kairi: Thank you for reading until the end! When you visit Niigata, please come to the NGT48 theater! We’ll be waiting for you!

(From The Television web, published 2024/08/22)

[worksbysakaimiyamoto]

Profile of Sakai Miyamoto

Born on January 28, 1939 in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture (real name: Motoaki). She studied calligraphy under Yoshizaki Hakuho and Kobayashi Asakai (junior high school and high school), and moved to Tokyo in 1957. In 1957, he moved to Tokyo to study under Kobayashi's teacher, Uchiyama Ukai, and commuted to his teacher's residence for one year. He studied under the name of Shakai. Received the pseudonym "Shakai". He also learned sumi-ga (Chinese ink painting). He graduated from the Department of Chinese Literature at Daito Bunka University and worked at the National Diet Library (Akasaka Rikyu, Miyakezaka). At the age of 28, he became a member of the calligraphy club of the National Diet Library (Akasaka Rikyu and Miyake-zaka). At the age of 28, he married Etsuko Kohinata, a native of the same prefecture. At the age of 30, he became independent and opened his own studio. He has taught at the Ajinomoto Head Office, Daiwa House Nihonbashi and Shinjuku branches, the National Diet Library, Toyo Eiwa, Ochanomizu Women's University Sakurain Kaikan, and other places. Tokyu Family Club, Tokyu Nihonbashi Store, Waseda Ikuei Gakuen, etc. Waseda Ikuei Gakuen, etc. (currently only the following), Joetsu, Ito, Tokyo Atelier, NHK Gakuen In 1976, at the age of 37, he had his first solo exhibition (he was encouraged by his teacher to teach sumi-graphy as well). In 1983, his teacher Uchiyama Amekai died. After that year, he continuously exhibited his works at the Sumi-no-geijutsu (ink art) Exhibition held by Sojinsha, and also served as the director general and chairman of the board of directors. He also served as the secretary-general and chairman of the board of directors. Venues: Bisho Shobo Gallery (Shimbashi), Isetan Gallery in Shinjuku, Tokyu Nihonbashi Gallery, Tokyu Nihonbashi Grand Hall, Toyo Gallery (Shinjuku), and after his death, Tokyo Central Tokyo Central Museum of Art 5F (Ginza for 12 consecutive years) In 1989, he formed Sumi-Cho-Sha (8 exhibitions and catalogues). In 1989, he formed Bokusho-sha (8 exhibitions and a catalogue) and was included in the video "Suiboku-ga Nihon no 10-nin" (narrated by Toru Emori). He has been an instructor of ink painting at NHK Academy (Otemachi Open School). He is a permanent member of the board of directors of the International Calligraphy and Painting Federation. He has participated in the Izu Highland Art Festival (Izu Ichinokura Gallery) for several years with his Suiboku-ga (ink paintings). Participated in the Izu Highland Art Festival (during May 2006) for several years. He has been a member of the ink painting jury at the Myoko City Citizen's Art Exhibition. He has participated in 20 solo exhibitions and group exhibitions. His calligraphy and ink paintings are in the collection of Shinshu Shinmachi Museum of Art. *** Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) ***

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宮本　沙海プロフィール

・1939年(昭和14)1月28日、新潟県上越市に生まれる(本名＝元明)。 ・吉崎白峰先生、小林朝海先生(中学・高校)に書を学び、1957年(昭和32)、上 京し、小林先生の師・内山雨海先生に入門し、1年間師邸より通学す。沙海の 雅号を受ける。以後、墨画も習う。 ・大東文化大学中国文学科を卒業、国立国会図書館(赤坂離宮、三宅坂)に勤 務し、依頼により書道部を作る(25歳より40年間指導)。 ・28歳で同県人・小日向悦子と結婚。 ・30歳で独立し、教室を持つ。 味の素本社、ダイワハウス日本橋店・新宿店、国会図書館、東洋英和、御茶ノ 水女子大学桜蔭会館、東急ファミリークラブ、東急日本橋店、早稲田育英学園 ほか(現在は以下のみ)、上越、伊東、東京アトリエ、NHK学園 ・1976年(昭和51)、37歳で初個展(墨画の指導もするよう師に勧められる)。 ・1983年(昭和58)、師・内山雨海没。この年以降も濹人社の墨の藝術展に連続 出品、事務局長・理事長を務める。会場：美松書房画廊(新橋)、新宿伊勢丹画廊、 東急日本橋店画廊、同グランドホール、東陽画廊(新宿)、師没後は東京セントラル 美術館5F(銀座　12年間連続) ・1989年(平成元年)、墨調社を結成(社中展8回、図録あり)。 ・ビデオ「水墨画日本乃十人」に収録される(ナレーション＝江守徹)。 ・NHK学園水墨画講師(大手町オープンスクール)。 ・国際書画連盟常任理事(毎年、中国・ヨーロッパ海外移動展に作品参加)。 ・伊豆高原アートフェスティバル(会場＝伊豆一ノ蔵ギャラリー)に水墨画で数年 前より参加(2006年五月中)。 ・妙高市市民美術展水墨画審査員。個展二十回ほか、グループ展。 ・信州新町美術館に書、墨画作品収蔵。