#Tokyu Department Store

[japansapporowalk]

【4K】🇯🇵東急百貨店に移転した ビックカメラ 札幌店 散歩 2023 | 日本 北海道 札幌 中央区【Binaural ASMR】

[emaadsidiki]

Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. 🏬

[yazzydream]

October 31, 2018 at precisely 7:00 PM, a Curtain approx. 400-meters in radius was lowered, centered at Tokyu Department Store's Toyoko Branch.

[pretty1npnk]

Ever since she hit the mainstream internet in 2017 through her ever-popular YouTube channel, Chouka Aikawa has been fashion's favorite It girl. However, fashion isn't the only thing she's good at. She's a designer, a businesswoman, a former ballerina, and more recently, an idol. And she's taken the industry by storm. From her debut in the States to her debut in South Korea, Chouka has proven that she can really do it all, positioning her as the world's next pop princess.

𝜗𝜚 ... BASICS.

BIRTH NAME ... Aikawa Chouka

ENGLISH NAME ... Love Rose Antoinette Aikawa

BIRTHDAY ... March 14th, 1999

BIRTHPLACE ... Milan, Italy

HOMETOWN ... Kyoto, Japan // Azabu-Juban, Tokyo, Japan

ETHNICITY ... Japanese

NATIONALITY ... Italian-Japanese-American

𝜗𝜚 ... PHYSICAL.

HEIGHT ... 5'8" 1/2 (174 cm)

WEIGHT ... 119 lbs (53 kg)

BLOOD TYPE ... O

PIERCINGS ... N/A

TATTOOS ... N/A

FACE CLAIM ... Minatozaki Sana

𝜗𝜚 ... CAREER.

COMPANY ... Republic Records // Flowerbank Entertainment S.Berry Media

DEBUT DATE ... April 5th, 2024

YEARS ACTIVE ... 2024–present

FANDOM NAME ... Rosettes (로제트 // ロゼット)

COLORS ... #FFA3B9 // #FFFFFF

𝜗𝜚 ... BACKGROUND.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 🩰 … ONE. IF I WAS A RICH GIRL

Aikawa Chouka was born on March 14th, 1999 in Milan, Italy. And unlike most in her field, she was born into immense wealth and prestige. Her father, Aikawa Chujirō (also known as Michael Aikawa), is the current president and CEO of the Aikawa Group. Originally founded in 1969 as a technology conglomerate, the company sold its shares twenty years later for $20 billion, turning itself into a sprawling holdings company. Owning mostly luxury brands (including Versace), they also own multiple department stores in the United States such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy’s, and even Paramount. The Aikawa Group has been touted as the “Samsung of Japan,” and with a net worth of over $480 billion, the Aikawa family is the richest in the world.

Meanwhile, Chouka’s mother, Nakamura Aiko (also known as Liliane Aikawa) is an accomplished, London-born actress and designer, as the founder of luxury lifestyle brand Lily by Liliane, as well as a socialite, art dealer, and former model. Aiko was born into a family older and wealthier than her husband’s (or at least that would’ve been true in 1990), and is the only child of Nakamura Hiroaki, the president of the Nakamura Foods Company. Founded all the way back in 1909 (although the Nakamura family was rather high up in Japanese society generations prior), the food packing conglomerate is worth over $20 billion. Like her husband’s family, Aiko’s family also owns a department store, having acquired ownership of the Tokyu Department Store in 2009.

Obviously, Chouka grew up in the lap of luxury. Living in Milan for the first five years of her life, she attended a Japanese international school and learned her native language of Japanese, along with Italian and English. In 2004, Chouka and her family moved to Kyoto. And due to her family’s wealth, they would spend a lot of time moving.

During the summers of 2009 and 2010, they would live in three separate cities: Berlin, Amsterdam, and Paris. Starting in 2011, they would live in Singapore for a year. And finally, in 2015, the Aikawa family would move for the final time to the wealthy and fashionable neighborhood of Azabu-Juban in Tokyo. Chouka completed her final two years of high school there, and was involved in quite a few extracurriculars. She was a cheerleader, a member of her school’s tennis team, and she served as editor-in-chief of its newspaper club. Chouka would move again in 2016, but without her parents this time. She spent that winter at a boarding school in Switzerland, like most rich girls of her caliber.

By then, Chouka was a seasoned ballet dancer. At the age of three, she was placed in classes by her mother at the request of Chouka’s grandmother. She attended two separate ballet academies at some point: the Dutch National Ballet Academy and the Paris Opera Ballet. For years, Chouka believed that she would become the world’s next prima, but the universe had different plans.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 🩰 … TWO. DRESS TO IMPRESS

For the most part, Chouka’s childhood was normal. However, when you have a designer for a mother, you tend to get dragged to a whole lot of fashion shows. At the tender age of thirteen, she attended her first show for Dior. And it wasn’t just that, either. Chouka grew up watching her grandmother order couture from Paris and Milan, she would be gifted old pieces from her mother, and her father even gifted her Louis Vuitton for her tenth birthday. After that Dior show, however, Chouka’s entire world changed.

She became quite obsessed with fashion, and she would spend hours flipping through fashion magazines or rummaging through her mother’s closet. All the balls and launch parties and red carpet events that Chouka would attend with her family changed her outlook on fashion, and after she was scouted by a modeling agency at fifteen, her interest only grew. She attended Fashion Weeks in Tokyo and New York, and modeled for brands like Betsey Johnson.

Chouka kind of knew that her career as a model was temporary, though, and her “true calling” was a fashion designer or journalist (courtesy of her mother). With the rise of the beauty guru, Chouka’s interest in fashion blogs, and all the time she spent on Instagram, however, she decided that, instead, she would become social media famous.

In 2015, Chouka launched a blog of her own: Love Moda. This was unusual for her family, as like the real-life, Japanese rendition of the Young family from Crazy Rich Asians, they were notoriously private. They would sporadically appear in news articles, Aiko would give the occasional magazine interview solely for brand reasons or to promote a new project, and Chujirō mainly limited his media appearances to business publications. Obviously, though, Chouka had vastly different aspirations. Love Moda was mentioned in an editorial she did with Tatler, and that kind of exposure—plus the fact that she had money—made interest in her blog skyrocket. By 2016, it had amassed over 10,000 readers.

By the next year, Chouka had cemented herself as a somewhat of a “baby influencer.” Despite the invites to Paris fashion shows and the articles being written about her in Vogue, however, she was far from mainstream. Her small legion of fans wanted her to be, though. Chouka was asked to start a YouTube channel by one of them, and so on May 19th, 2017, she did.

Chouka was already a bit of a “micro-celebrity,” so by the summer, her sizable following had transferred to her new channel. Her YouTube gradually begin to grow larger than her blog as the beauty community gained traction themselves, and her status as the “Aikawa Group heiress” was definitely a selling point, alongside her feminine, “rich girl” fashion and peculiar accent. By the end of 2017, the brand deals were beginning to roll in, and everyone was gradually starting to know her name.

In early 2018, a particular video of Chouka’s suddenly went viral. What followed afterwards was the exact mainstream fame that she’d been looking for. She moved to Los Angeles from New York and was scoring ambassadorships with the likes of Kate Spade, Nina Ricci, and even Prada. She was getting invited to award shows, launch parties, and was a seasoned Fashion Week attendee at that point. And by 2019, Chouka blew up even further. She was named “fashion’s newest It girl,” she made her way into the acting industry, and it was pretty much impossible to escape her.

2018 was also a rather difficult year for her, though. At that point, Chouka had been a ballerina for sixteen years. But with her rising career online, she knew that she couldn’t pursue her lifelong dream of prima stardom without giving up her YouTube career.

Although ballet would always have a special place in her heart, her career aspirations had obviously changed. Even then, though, Chouka was still training, and she still wanted to attend another ballet academy. But balancing that and what clearly transformed from a hobby into her way of life was asking for too much. So that year, Chouka hung up her pointe shoes and bid goodbye to ballet. That decision was a difficult one, but it was probably for the best, as her career as an influencer has done more for her than a ballet career ever would. And there was still a whole lot more in store.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 🩰 … THREE. ALL THE INFLUENCE IN THE WORLD

Within the next five years, Chouka would grow to become one of the best fashion influencers on the planet, with 11 million subscribers, over twenty brand deals, and countless successful business ventures to her name. Even with a billion dollar bank account, though, she—like most influencers nowadays—couldn’t help but branch into the music industry.

In late 2023, Chouka suddenly signed to Republic Records, unexpectedly promising her fans a music debut by the next year. And on April 5th, 2024, she fulfilled her promise. Debuting with the single “Girls Don’t Cry,” her debut was a smash hit. Surprisingly, it was received far better than the music of other influencers, nearly becoming a No. 1 hit and turning Chouka into an up and coming pop princess. Months later, she signed to Flowerbank Entertainment, which was definitely... a choice. Chouka was pretty much the only active artist under the label, but her debut was still fully-funded and massively successful. However, she only had two full comebacks afterwards, before she jumped ship herself. Immediately after her departure, Flowerbank was no more.

In October 2024, Chouka founded S.Berry Media, her very own entertainment company. As of now, she's the only artist underneath the label, but like everything she touches, it could quickly grow into something much bigger. But with complete control over her career and a vision like no other, Chouka's not leaving the industry anytime soon.

Flowerbank Entertainment belongs to @pinkscaped // @venusvity ... 𝜗𝜚

[mementoboni]

[part 3/4] DIR EN GREY WOWOW Interview & Document (2020)

"But looking at these, seeing Diru's behind-the-scenes production process, I still feel it's not easy, DIR EN GREY is really amazing." — Shinya

Notes before reading:

The whole interview is divided into 8 topics, and the translation is divided into 4 parts. This is the third part, including the 5th topic. The details of all topics and time markers are 👉 here.

I have added Chinese subtitles for this video in 2021. The whole interview was very meaningful, and I hope that with the English translation, more people can understand what they're talking about.

The five members were interviewed separately and then edited into a video, so the words spoken by each of them are not necessarily coherent.

Repost and share are welcome.🙌 I translated it all by my ears, so please feel free to correct me if you spot any mistake or any confusing parts.☺️

— — —

05. Member Feature

[ 薫 Kaoru ]

►Memories of the Band Formation

Kaoru: Even ONE MAN LIVE, we still didn't have the budget to decorate the stage. But we still wanted it, so we went to TOKYU HANDS* and bought Styrofoam, flower decorations, and wire or something like that. It's fun that we all made  stage decorations in the house together. (*Note: "TOKYU HANDS" is a Japanese chain of home-based department stores specializing in selling DIY products.)

►Something of Recent Interest

Kaoru: I am often asked, but I can't think of anything. I don't want to do anything when I get home.  This month, in June, "Neon Genesis Evangelion" (the movie) will be released, and I really like it. Kaoru: It's almost over, of course I also want to see it earlier, but after watching it is really over. I'm a little happy that it's going to be postponed, that it won't be released this year (2020), and that I won't be able to watch it. (Staff: Emotionally, you still can't accept it.) Kaoru: Yeah, yeah, it will feel like it's not the end yet.

►Opportunity for Solo Exhibition

(*Screen caption: Kaoru held a solo exhibition”ノウテイカラノ”in 2019.) Kaoru: The reason for the exhibition is that a few years ago my hands started to become a bit uncomfortable and I couldn't hold the pick properly to play the guitar, so I had to put the pick on my fingers with tape*.  As a kind of rehabilitation, I started to draw and try to show some random things, but the story is not yet that rich. (*Note: Around 2014, Kaoru's hands began to show signs of abnormalities, which were diagnosed to be the occupational disease, caused by relaxation of the ligaments of the muscles or joints.)

►The Origin of「ノウテイカラノ」("nouteikarano”)

Kaoru: When I was a child, I often had a dream. I don't know if it was the sky or the ground, but there was a pure white place, and from far away, I could see a lot of dots, as if there was a large group of things coming closer and closer, and in an instant, they all swarmed towards me. Kaoru: Every night I would dream about it, and then I woke up with a start.  I wake up every time I dream about it, and what happens after that? I imagine what happens after that, try to draw a picture like this, go back to my mind at that time and imagine it. (*Note: According to Kaoru’s scend book “Dokugen ni” (published in 2018) P.85, "ノウテイカラノ" means "脳底からの" (born from inside the head), just written in katakana.

►Influence on the Band

Kaoru: At first, I wanted to draw with a different feeling, and I felt that my creative power was stimulated, so I thought I could compose with a different feeling. But, rather, it seems to be more difficult to make a song. (laughs)

...

[ Shinya ]

►The Person You Admire

Shinya: I've been in a band since my first year of middle school. X was very popular in the class, and YOSHIKI-san's presence was very strong.  At that time I decided to become a drummer like him, and I've always looked up to YOSHIKI-san since then.

►Memories of the Band Formation

Shinya: We used to compose in a studio in Osaka. There was a container-like studio, and I remember we stayed there for 3 or 4 days, composing the song together.  The studio was rented, and we slept there under the blankets. Shinya: I never understood why we had to share a room*. The studio was in Osaka and we could just go home, so why did we have to spend the night there?  I guess other members might have felt the same way. (*Shinya used the word "gashuku, 合宿")

►Reason for Not Changing the Style

Shinya: There are people who have liked me for a long time. Also, I can feel the beauty by keeping my old look, and that's why (I don't change my look).

►Opportunity to Start Solo Project

(*Screen caption: Shinya established the music group "SERAPH" in 2017.) Shinya: The concept was already there many years ago, but I felt that it was a bit taboo to have other band activities, so I didn't do anything.  But around 2012 or 2013, I started to think that it was okay, so I went into it with the intention of trying it out.

►The Concept of "SERAPH"

Shinya: The theme is the various things that I see from heaven, about human beings, and that's what I'm expressing.

►Influence on the Band

Shinya: The drum part is the same as DIR EN GREY. After all, it's an expression of my own creation.  In this respect, when I think of the drums of DIR EN GREY, there may still be some influence.

►Things learned from "SERAPH"

Shinya: I have to do a lot of things by myself in SERAPH, booking all kinds of things and so on.  I'm quite happy to do it myself, or maybe I'm doing it because I like it. But looking at these, seeing Diru's behind-the-scenes production process, I still feel it's not easy, DIR EN GREY is really amazing.

...

[ Die ]

►Opportunity to Go into the Band

Die: I wasn't that interested in music itself before. I like listening to music, but I don't know anything about the bands. After entering high school, I saw the performance of senpais' copy band at the cultural festival. I was dragged there by my friends, and it was a shock to me. The first time I saw a live performance, I realized that it's the band. Die: Although I had no interest in it, I wanted to do something while watching it, and I formed a band with my friend immediately after the show was over. There was no one else (in the band). I was a drummer at first. (laughs)  But it's boring to play rhythm all the time at home.  After all, guitar is a melodic instrument, and there is an amplifier. I guess the guitar is more attractive to me.

►Memories of the Band Formation

Die: When we first debuted, we spent the whole day in the conference room of the record company, signing posters, changing signatures, and so on. Filming also started at 6 a.m., and it took about 3 hours for a person to put on makeup, it's usually over time at the end. I remember these things very well.

►Something of Recent Interest

Die: In my daily life, I naturally see and hear things like the Japanese music industry, and it feels really peaceful.

►Opportunity to Start Solo Project

(*Screen caption: Die founded the rock band "DECAYS" in 2015.) Die: As far as music is concerned, it's something I can't do at DIR EN GREY. I wanted to try and see how far I could go without the DIR EN GREY label. There is a part of me that wants to do it myself, or to challenge it.

►Things learned from "DECAYS"

Die: At first I felt like I had to make some changes, but instead, I felt like I was losing myself. In the end, I found that it is best to be myself, in the next process.

...

[ Toshiya ]

►Opportunity to Start Playing Bass

Toshiya: Originally, I just wanted to be a guitarist, but I didn't think I could play very well. At that time, I was thinking about what to do, and then I was attracted to the bass. I felt like I could see my future. Toshiya: There are many people who are called "Guitar Heroes", but few people remember "Bass Heroes". That means there is still room for me to develop, so I thought I would play bass.

►Memories of the Band Formation

Toshiya: When our band first formed, four members came to my hometown. It was winter and there was still snow on the ground. They all came from Kansai and rarely saw snow*. I was very impressed by how excited they were to see snow. (*Toshiya's hometown is Nagano. It is said that Toshiya's mother took the picture at the time and still keeps it at home in Nagano :D → TOSHIYA AT JOE YOKOMIZO CHANNEL 4th FEB TRANSLATION/NOTES 2/4)

►Favorite Artists

Toshiya: I like painting. Vincent van Gogh and Francis Bacon, I like both of them very much.  The world of painting is usually a mixture of truth and fiction.

►Opportunity to Start the Apparel Brand

(*Screen caption: Fashion brand with Toshiya as creative director - DIRT) Toshiya: I think music and fashion are inseparable and both are very attractive. Music should be free to express itself, and in the same way, fashion should be free, too. Toshiya: When it comes to expressing oneself, everyone chooses what is acceptable to most people*. I don't like that, I think we should listen to our own thoughts more. (*Toshiya used the word "migimuke migi, 右向け右")

►Influence on the Band

Toshiya: Even if I'm designing clothes, I end up having something to do with music. Although this is a completely different field, it will eventually return to music and bands.

...

[ 京 Kyo ]

►The Person You Admire

Kyo: There are a lot of them.  Now I'm not just targeting one person. When I was young, there were a lot of senpais that I wanted to become like them.  But it's been more than 20 years, so now I don't take them as a target, just be myself.

►Interested Artists

Kyo: Haven't there "Kimetsu no Yaiba (鬼滅の刃)" recently?  I haven't read it yet, it's super popular, isn't it?  Generally speaking, if the sales are so good, it is difficult to end the series, right? There will be a variety of entanglements, such as the life afterwards, there are many to consider. Kyo: I think it's great to end the series like this, to end it at this time, with a sense of strength and determination. So if there is a follow-up manga in the future, I would like to read it.

►Opportunity to Start Solo Project

(*Screen caption: Kyo founded the rock band "sukekiyo" in 2013.) Kyo: The things I want to do often keep popping up. I think it's a shame not to do it, and I don't want to regret it.

►Influence on the Band

Kyo: I don't think so, but I feel less stressed (after the solo project).  People who like DIR EN GREY say to me, "Don't bring sukekiyo to DIR EN GREY!" Sometimes people say that, and I'm not going to do that. Kyo: I was asked why (I want to form a sukekiyo), "Diru can do it, right?" It's because I can't do it (in Diru) that I want to do it!  I don't know what criteria they used to say that Diru can do it, but I didn't do what I could do (in Diru).  If you finish what you want to do one by one, you will be less stressed out.

(To be continued…)

--- --- ---

part 1. & part 2. & part4.

topics & time marks

中文翻譯 (My Blogger) part 1. & part 2. & part 3.

[thekimonogallery]

Harajuku's [Tokyo district] next big development, opening Spring 2024, will be called "Tokyu Plaza Harajuku Harakado". Located on the Jingumae Crossing corner, it's the sister site to nearby (newly renamed) department store "Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Omokado".  Text by Tokyo Fashion

[thececeverse]

002. CHOUKA AIKAWA … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

CHOUKA AIKAWA is a soloist under Republic Records, Flowerbank Entertainment, and Avex Trax. Starting out as a fashion blogger, YouTuber, former ballerina, and socialite in 2017, Chouka branched into acting in 2019, and finally made her way into the music industry in 2024. In addition to becoming a prominent fashion influencer, she has also become a prominent singer, with her debut single “Girls Don’t Cry” going on to become a chart topper.

BASICS … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

BIRTH NAME … Aikawa Chouka

ENGLISH NAME … Love Rose Antoinette Aikawa

KOREAN NAME … Soo Sa-rang (수사랑)

NICKNAMES … Rosie, Marie Antoinette, Cupid, Ai-chan

BIRTHDAY … March 14th, 1999

ZODIAC … Pisces

BIRTHPLACE … Milan, Italy

HOMETOWN … Milan, Italy + Kyoto, Japan + Aoyama, Tokyo, Japan + Paris, France + Berlin, Germany + Amsterdam, Netherlands + Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

ETHNICITY … Japanese

NATIONALITY … Italian-Japanese-American

SEXUALITY … Pansexual

PHYSICAL … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

HEIGHT … 5’7” 1/2 (171 cm)

WEIGHT … 119 lbs (53 kg)

BLOOD TYPE … O

PIERCINGS … N/A

TATTOOS …

꒰ ♡ ꒱ “Ti amerò per sempre” + located on left shoulder blade + shares with fiancé

꒰ ♡ ꒱ A rose encased in glass + located on left shoulder

CLAIMS … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

FACE CLAIM … Minatozaki Sana (TWICE)

VOICE CLAIM … Ariana Grande (English) + YooA (Korean / OH MY GIRL)

DANCE CLAIM … Sunmi (soloist / ex-Wonder Girls)

CAREER … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

COMPANY … Republic Records + Avex Trax + Flowerbank Entertainment + Wilhelmina Models + Creative Artists Agency

OCCUPATION … Singer-songwriter, social media influencer, actress, TV personality, businesswoman, model, former ballet dancer

DEBUT DATE … April 5th, 2024

TRAINEE YEARS … N/A

YEARS ACTIVE … 2024–present

SURVIVAL SHOWS … N/A

FANDOM NAME … Rosettes (로제트 + ロゼット)

COLORS … #FFA3B9 + #FFFFFF

BACKGROUND … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 🩰 … ONE. IF I WAS A RICH GIRL

Aikawa Chouka was born on March 14th, 1999 in Milan, Italy. And unlike most in her field, she was born into immense wealth and prestige. Her father, Aikawa Chujirō (also known as Michael Aikawa), is the current president and CEO of the Aikawa Group. Originally founded in 1969 as a technology conglomerate, the company sold its shares twenty years later for $20 billion, turning itself into a sprawling holdings company. Owning mostly luxury brands (including Versace), they also own multiple department stores in the United States such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy’s, and even Paramount. The Aikawa Group has been touted as the “Samsung of Japan,” and with a net worth of over $480 billion, the Aikawa family is the richest in the world.

Meanwhile, Chouka’s mother, Nakamura Aiko (also known as Liliane Aikawa) is an accomplished, London-born actress and designer, as the founder of luxury lifestyle brand Lily by Liliane, as well as a socialite, art dealer, and former model. Aiko was born into a family older and wealthier than her husband’s (or at least that would’ve been true in 1990), and is the only child of Nakamura Hiroaki, the president of the Nakamura Foods Company. Founded all the way back in 1909 (although the Nakamura family was rather high up in Japanese society generations prior), the food packing conglomerate is worth over $20 billion. Like her husband’s family, Aiko’s family also owns a department store, having acquired ownership of the Tokyu Department Store in 2009.

Obviously, Chouka grew up in the lap of luxury. Living in Milan for the first five years of her life, she attended a Japanese international school and learned her native language of Japanese, along with Italian and English. In 2004, Chouka and her family moved to Kyoto. And due to her family’s wealth, they would spend a lot of time moving.

During the summers of 2009 and 2010, they would live in three separate cities: Berlin, Amsterdam, and Paris. Starting in 2011, they would live in Singapore for a year. And finally, in 2015, the Aikawa family would move for the final time to the wealthy neighborhood of Aoyama in Tokyo. Chouka completed her final two years of high school there, and was involved in quite a few extracurriculars. She was a cheerleader, a member of her school’s tennis team, and she served as editor-in-chief of its newspaper club. Chouka would move again in 2016, but without her parents this time. She spent that winter at a boarding school in Switzerland, like most rich girls of her caliber.

By then, Chouka was a seasoned ballet dancer. At the age of three, she was placed in classes by her mother at the request of Chouka’s grandmother. She attended two separate ballet academies at some point: the Dutch National Ballet Academy and the Paris Opera Ballet. For years, Chouka believed that she would become the world’s next prima, but the universe had different plans.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 🩰 … TWO. DRESS TO IMPRESS

For the most part, Chouka’s childhood was normal. However, when you have a designer for a mother, you tend to get dragged to a whole lot of fashion shows. At the tender age of thirteen, she attended her first show for Dior. And it wasn’t just that, either. Chouka grew up watching her grandmother order couture from Paris and Milan, she would be gifted old pieces from her mother, and her father even gifted her Louis Vuitton for her tenth birthday. After that Dior show, however, Chouka’s entire world changed.

She became quite obsessed with fashion, and she would spend hours flipping through fashion magazines or rummaging through her mother’s closet. All the balls and launch parties and red carpet events that Chouka would attend with her family changed her outlook on fashion, and after she was scouted by a modeling agency at fifteen, her interest only grew. She attended Fashion Weeks in Tokyo and New York, and modeled for brands like Betsey Johnson.

Chouka kind of knew that her career as a model was temporary, though, and her “true calling” was a fashion designer or journalist (courtesy of her mother). With the rise of the beauty guru, Chouka’s interest in fashion blogs, and all the time she spent on Instagram, however, she decided that, instead, she would become social media famous.

In 2015, Chouka launched a blog of her own: Love Moda. This was unusual for her family, as like the real-life, Japanese rendition of the Young family from Crazy Rich Asians, they were notoriously private. They would sporadically appear in news articles, Aiko would give the occasional magazine interview solely for brand reasons or to promote a new project, and Chujirō mainly limited his media appearances to business publications. Obviously, though, Chouka had vastly different aspirations. Love Moda was mentioned in an editorial she did with Tatler, and that kind of exposure—plus the fact that she had money—made interest in her blog skyrocket. By 2016, it had amassed over 10,000 readers.

By the next year, Chouka had cemented herself as a somewhat of a “baby influencer.” Despite the invites to Paris fashion shows and the articles being written about her in Vogue, however, she was far from mainstream. Her small legion of fans wanted her to be, though. Chouka was asked to start a YouTube channel by one of them, and so on May 19th, 2017, she did.

Chouka was already a bit of a “micro-celebrity,” so by the summer, her sizable following had transferred to her new channel. Her YouTube gradually begin to grow larger than her blog as the beauty community gained traction themselves, and her status as the “Aikawa Group heiress” was definitely a selling point, alongside her feminine, “rich girl” fashion and peculiar accent. By the end of 2017, the brand deals were beginning to roll in, and everyone was gradually starting to know her name.

In 2018, a particular video of Chouka’s suddenly went viral. What followed afterwards was the exact mainstream fame that she’d been looking for. She moved to Los Angeles from New York and was scoring ambassadorships with the likes of Kate Spade, Nina Ricci, and even Prada. She was getting invited to award shows, launch parties, and was a seasoned Fashion Week attendee at that point. And by 2019, Chouka blew up even further. She was named “fashion’s newest It girl,” she made her way into the acting industry, and it was pretty much impossible to escape her.

2018 was also a rather difficult year for her, though. At that point, Chouka had been a ballerina for sixteen years. But with her rising career online, she knew that she couldn’t pursue her lifelong dream of prima stardom without giving up her YouTube career.

Although ballet would always have a special place in her heart, her career aspirations had obviously changed. Even then, though, Chouka was still training, and she still wanted to attend another ballet academy. But balancing that and what clearly transformed from a hobby into her way of life was asking for too much. So that year, Chouka hung up her pointe shoes and bid goodbye to ballet. That decision was a difficult one, but it was probably for the best, as her career as an influencer has done more for her than a ballet career ever would. And there was still a whole lot more in store.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 🩰 … THREE. ALL THE INFLUENCE IN THE WORLD

Within the next five years, Chouka would grow to become one of the best fashion influencers on the planet, with 11 million subscribers, over twenty brand deals, and countless successful business ventures to her name. Even with a billion dollar bank account, though, she—like most influencers nowadays—couldn’t help but branch into the music industry.

In late 2023, Chouka signed to Republic Records and Avex Trax to manage her American and Japanese activities, promising her fans a debut by the next year. And on April 5th, 2024, she fulfilled her promise. Debuting with the single “Girls Don’t Cry,” her debut was a smash hit. Surprisingly, it was received far better than the music of other influencers, nearly becoming a No. 1 hit and turning Chouka into an up and coming pop princess. Even with her previously existing and clearly successful career, Chouka has plans for an album, a Japanese debut, and a potential Korean debut. Her first single already has fans eager to see what she has next, and her next projects can turn her into not only an It girl of the fashion world, but an It girl of the music industry, as well.

Flowerbank Entertainment belongs to @pinkscaped + @venusvity ! ♡

[siriuslysatorusimping]

*Preview* Cruel Fate: 11:40 pm (Another Level: Shibuya installment part 6)

Update: POSTED

Incident Report:

At approximately 7:00 pm on October 31st, 2018, a curtain with a 400-meter radius was cast centered at The Tokyu Department Store Toyoko Branch.

The curtain allowed entry and exit by Jujutsu Sorcerers and Jujutsu Tech Auxillary Managers, trapping only non-sorcerers.

Civilians located inside were heard repeating one phrase:

“BRING GOJO SATORU.”

You can read Another Level on AO3 :)

“Looks like the cavalry’s finally fucking here,” Rinko said quietly as she saw Kusakabe in front of Hime with his sword drawn. He’d used his Simple Domain to block the rest of them from the blast.

Patting Miwa’s head gently, she smiled as the girl lifted her eyes to stare at her.

“You good, kid?”

“Rinko-sensei,” she breathed. “How did you-”

One thing she could right from last year.

Turning back to meet Geto’s eyes, she felt her chest lift. It only felt fucking right that she got to use it against that asshole.

For Touma.

[purseowner4thequalityanimation]

[Additional logos from Shin Megami Tensei NINE’s prerendered backgrounds, and their real world inspirations. Thanks to @eirikrjs for recognizing the real world equivalents.] [From top to bottom. JLP is based on JTB, a travel agency; note the mascot on an airplane in NINE’s version. Tokyo Handz is based on Tokyu Hands, a Japanese department store. Dolly’s is based off Denny’s, an American diner style restaurant chain.]

[michiyo-japan]

吉祥寺個展４日目です。

地元開催ということもあり、学生時代の友人やご無沙汰しておりましたお客さまにもお会いできて嬉しい日が続きます😊

画像はご成約いただいた作品達です。

今後は個人蔵となり実物を一般に公開できることは難しくなりますので、ご興味のある方はぜひ会期中にご覧ください。

今日も皆さまのご来場をお待ちしております✨

ーーー

「ミチヨ　スクラッチ絵画展」

11/16(木)〜22(水)

東急百貨店吉祥寺店　8階アートサロン

※最終日は16時閉場

※会期中、作家は全日在廊予定（10:00-19:00）

This is the fourth day of the Kichijoji solo exhibition.

As it was held in my hometown, I was happy to see friends from my school days and customers I have not seen for a long time😊

The images are of works that have been signed.

The works will now be in private collections and it will be difficult to show them to the public, so if you are interested, please come and see them during the exhibition period.

I’m looking forward to welcoming you today✨

ーーー

Michiyo Scratch Painting Exhibition'

16(Thu) - 22(Wed) November

Tokyu Department Store Kichijoji, 8F Art Salon

Closes at 16:00 on the last day.

The artist will be present on all days during the exhibition from 10 to 19 o’clock .

[estellamiraiauthor]

The Stars May Rise and Fall: The Annotated Re-read (Chapter 26)

Welcome back to chapter 26! This one was also pretty straightforward, but there are a couple of fun little things to comment on.

Spoilers, including spoilers for chapters beyond this one, under the cut!

Not a lot to comment on in the beginning. Teru goes back to his own apartment to get all his winter clothes so he can essentially keep living at Rei’s. I guess Rei is probably paying the rent on Teru’s apartment at this point, even though no one is using it, and… that’s an interesting choice. I think it’s partly just that Rei is still a little afraid of rejection, and that if he says “We’re living together anyway, why not make it official?”, there is a chance that Teru might say no. (He absolutely wouldn’t at this point, but Rei is super anxious about rejection so you know he’d worry about that.) But I think it’s also for Rei to give HIMSELF a way out…

Teru runs into Yasu in a music store where they’re both looking for bands who are looking for new members (nowadays this is probably done online, but people used to post fliers in places like this). They have an interesting conversation about the rest of the band, particularly when Yasu says he thinks Seika will be doing music forever, but he’ll be just as happy if he never makes it big. That’s a little bit of foreshadowing as well, since other than Teru, Seika is the slowest to say yes to the offer they’ll get later from a record label.

They leave the music store and walk over to Tokyu Hands, which was one of the few places you could easily get stage makeup. This section ended up being really nostalgic, because the area between Shinjuku Station and Takashimaya/Tokyu Hands has COMPLETELY changed since I wrote this.

They walk past a Starbucks (which at least WAS real; I’m not sure if it’s still there) where two girls are reading a manga together at the counter by the window. Teru internally comments that the girls probably aren’t a couple any more than the schoolgirl and the biker chick on the cover of the manga, but it would be nice if they were. This is pretty much a throwaway detail, but there are a couple of things happening here. First, the schoolgirl and the biker chick on the cover are Hiromi and Emika, the main characters from a second manuscript I had written, that I expected at the time to be my second book, so I added a little cameo in editing. It’s not a REAL cameo, because those characters were 18 in 2016, when their story was set, so they’d only be toddlers, but I put them in in manga form. (Teru and the band also had a cameo in THAT manuscript, where one of the girls says to the other, “You know the singer’s gay, right?”… Even if I never write a full sequel about what happens to Teru and company going forward, I was so excited to at least be able to make it canon that he’s still performing 16 years later, and is either publicly out or at least out in an “everyone knows even though it’s never been officially announced” sense.) The other thing going on here with this wistful “it would be nice if they were a couple” thought is probably that Teru IS wanting to be a little more like a normal couple with Rei… which leads into his next conversation with Yasu.

(That second manuscript is unfortunately never going to be published BTW… I hit a brick wall with editing and just generally have a lot of trauma over the whole process.)

The department store is decorated for Christmas in garish metallic colors that were kind of meant to highlight the difference between manufactured beauty and the inherent beauty of real, imperfect things just kind of as an ongoing theme. Yasu asks Teru if he and Rei have any plans for Christmas… Christmas in Japan is mostly a secular holiday. Only 1% of the population is Christian, so unless you’re a little kid or the parent of a little kid, it’s mostly a holiday for couples… so having some kind of romantic plan for Christmas would kind of be expected. Teru sort of confides in Yasu that they don’t go out much because people stare and Rei is self-conscious, and when Yasu suggests a love hotel, Teru admits that the one time they tried that, it didn’t go so well. Then we get what’s probably my very favorite moment from Yasu in the entire book, when he admits that he’s self-conscious sometimes too, about being “the fat kid who wanted to be a rock star”, and suggests that continuing NOT to have sex with Teru probably isn’t doing much to boost Rei’s body image. This gives Teru a lot to think about, and he lets Yasu load him up with a bunch of pamphlets from a travel agency.

Here, again, he tries to come up with a plan that Rei would enjoy, and I think he does better than he has in the past. Teru rightly thinks it wouldn’t be a lot of fun to take a plane. Even though this was pre-9/11 and security in Japan is more relaxed than in the US, Rei would still need to show his face and would probably set off all the metal detectors, so Teru finds a place they can get to by train, with hot springs (good for pain) that can be accessed via a private bath attached to the room… no need to be naked in front of strangers.

I think it’s very cute that Teru has to ask Seika if the hotel he finds is going to let two men check in together… of course when you think about it, it’s kind of a silly question. People go on vacation with family members or on business trips with colleagues or whatever all the time—no one would even have to know they were a couple. But it’s something I would probably have worried about at Teru’s age, and it feels very in character for him to have that fear!

And then we have the call from Minori, which is going to completely change the fate of the band in the next chapter.

[tatsumine]

TOKYU DEPARTMENT STORE －－－－－－－ camera #KONICAC35 film #ILFORD #ILFORDHP5 develop 岩手県奥州市水沢の #美光社 location 東京都武蔵野市 #お写んぽ #team_jp_モノクロ #wp_bnw #instabnw #bnw_city #bnw_captures #bnw_drama #insta_pick_bw #フィルムカメラ #filmcamera #filmphotography #フィルム部 #j_world_jp #love_camera_club #spicollective #myspc #街角スナップ #街撮り #streetsnap #moments_in_streetlife #streetartjaponism #sweet_street_beat #japan_daytime_view #ザ壁部 #japancityblues #fntish (東急百貨店 吉祥寺店) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqKpk-qvS_Z/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[emaadsidiki]

Discovering the beauty of Japan. The Perfect Blend of Old & New.

[konradnews]

UNIQLO sells a limited number of Hokkaido local T-shirts. Total of 12 types, including Shimaenaga and Clark statues, drawn by Masao Takahata.

UNIQLO has been selling original UTme! Each is priced at 1,990 yen and will be discontinued as soon as they are gone. The design was created by Masao Takahata, an illustrator, and features motifs from various parts of Hokkaido, such as the zebra finch and Clark’s statue. Tokyu Department Store Sapporo offers all types, and 28 other stores in Hokkaido offer three types in each of the four areas…

[madstars-festival]

[JURY INTERVIEW] Unlocking the Secret of the Finalist!

- Rimantas Staevičius, Creative Director, Milk

- Nurlan Satarov, & creative director & creative group director, Cheil Worldwide

We met up with Rimantas Staevičius, creative Director, Milk, and Nurlan Satarov, creative director and group creative director, Cheil Worldwide, who were two of the four preliminary juries who participated in MAD STARS last year, to talk about the preliminary judging process.

Last year, MAD STARS announced the finalists after an online preliminary judging round, followed by two online final judging rounds and one offline final judging round to determine the winners.

So, Rimantas Staevičius and Nurlan Satarov served as preliminary judges at MAD STARS 2023, so their assessments were conducted online rather than in a physical jury room.

What were the criteria they used to evaluate the entries?

Rimantas says that his criterion for judging work never changes regardless of the judging process. It is always the central idea.

Nurlan was judging Film & Film Craft. For the Film, MAD STARS asked for judgment that was a 50-50 split between the idea and the execution. For Film Craft, it was all about the execution.

Rimantas Staevičius

: I ask many questions about each piece of work he is judging - Is it fresh? Is it unexpected? Does it evoke an emotional response, be it laughter or tears? Next, I evaluate the implementation of the idea.

It must be engaging, well-crafted, and thoughtfully executed. Lastly, but just as crucial, is common sense. Beyond its artistic merit, does the piece effectively communicate its intended message? Does it have a sound strategic foundation, or does it merely exist for the spectacle? A gimmick to win an award?

And I also use the same criteria whether he is judging festival entries or the work his creatives produce.

Nurlan Satarov

: The key to being a good jury in this process is having a strong opinion, loads of industry experience, and a memory that can recall past works from all over the globe. That's how we make sure we're not falling for any hijacking or copycat stuff.

In Film and Film Craft, it’s all about classical storytelling and the mastery of the craft to effectively convey a message. In other categories, I'm really into ideas that cause a massive culture shift and have a profound impact. I'm talking about ideas that go way beyond the medium itself.

What stood out at MAD STARS for Rimantas was “The unbeatable Thai humor, evocative Japanese poeticism.”

Three pieces of work that he remembers vividly are:

<THE AIR DRUMMER>

Location: Thailand┃Advertiser/Client: Robinson Department Store┃Agency: Wolf Bkk

Everyone has what they wish, but one who has a discount sticker gets what they want.

Robinson, Thailand’s top department store has launched its annual ‘Robinson Salesation’ sale, which allows you to choose whichever items you want to discount by just putting stickers on and getting the price off.

To promote this campaign, Wolf BKK and Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, Thailand notable director, have collaborated to create this amusing commercial called The Air Drummer. The film spot wants to encourage Thai people to “Discount for what you love most.”

<A Train of Memories>

Location: Japan┃Advertiser/Client: Sotetsu Holdings┃Agency: good design company , SIX inc. , Hakuhodo , Hakuhodo Kettle

SOTETSU is a Japanese railway company operating entirely within Kanagawa Prefecture, which neighbors Tokyo, since 1917. In March 2023, SOTETSU established a direct through service to central Tokyo by connecting with the Tokyu Line, which had been a long-awaited dream since its establishment.

Our film follows the track of the father-daughter relationship evolving over twelve years as they commute to work and school on the same train on the Sotetsu Line. The entire story is set on a train and was filmed in one shot. As the daughter grows, she explores new social values, ventures beyond her family circle, and becomes distant from her father. The ever-changing father-daughter relationship throughout the years is styled as a seamless time-lapse sequence of 50 lookalike actors with train’s winding movements to express the swaying emotions of the two. In the final scene, the father prepares to get off at their usual station, except this time, the daughter will continue on to her new university in Tokyo. She is on the new connecting line that goes directly into Tokyo.

<The Tale of Two Lajjos>

Location: India┃Advertiser/Client: KC Mahindra Education Trust┃Agency: Ogilvy Mumbai

* Rimantas said, “It was heartening to see pieces that embrace their cultural identities, unique local issues and crafting resonant narratives.”

‘Nanhi Kali’ is a pan-India program, designed to support economically and socially disadvantaged girls to complete 10 years of schooling. In India, instead of being sent to school, girls are often made to help with daily household chores. Since this is part of their upbringing, girls accept it as normal. As a result, their confidence and self-worth take a huge beating and they never realize their potential. This would change if girls were sent to school. The brief was to make people understand this situation and encourage them to support ‘Nanhi Kali’.

The film draws parallels between two ‘Lajjos’ - a young village girl and a buffalo. As the story unfolds, we see how these two have more in common than just their name. Narrated from the buffalo’s point of view, the film highlights how they both work long, hard, and selflessly for their respective families. Unless something changes, they will end up staying beasts of burden. For the girl, education is what can bring about a change because for her it is not just a human right, it is a way for her to feel human.

Nurlan Satarov

: Creativity is all about connecting the dots between what I like to call ‘ingredients'. It's a bit like making a salad or a sandwich – it might sound simple, but the real magic happens when you start thinking about how to put it all together, finding new perspectives, employing clever tricks, and merging seemingly unrelated things. The true art of it lies in the small details and the care you give to them, even after you've put everything together. That's where the real difference is made.

Nurlan also commented on Rimantas' recommendation of "The Train of Memories" saying, "It may be a simple story, but it has great technique and a deep sense of metaphor."

What small details stood out to Nurlan during the preliminary round?

<Film in the Dark: Faith>

Location: Republic of Korea┃Advertiser/Client: Samsung Electronics┃Agency: Cheil Worldwide

<FAITH> is a short film written and directed by Na Hong-jin, who creates extreme suspense with his unique mise-en-scene in films such as The Chaser, The Yellow Sea, and Gokseong, and shot by Jung Jung-hoon, and was created to showcase the powerful camera capabilities of the Galaxy S23 Ultra with its professional-grade camera.

The film is themed around the theme of Faith, as the title suggests, and tells the story of how those who think they have the strongest beliefs can realize that 'it's not just you. It belongs to everyone." The story is told through 'Key'.

With the expertise of director Hong-jin Na and the Galaxy S23 Ultra's Nightography feature, the short film was shot in the dark - in low light - with stunning visuals and crisp details to effectively showcase the feature.

<Change The Angle>

Location: Singapore┃Advertiser/Client: Unilever LUX Singapore┃Agency: Wunderman Thompson Singapore

Sexist camera angles aimed at women at sports events not only objectify them but also disrespect their skills and achievements.

LUX stands with women against sexism in sports by raising awareness of sexist media camera angles with a campaign called Change The Angle. South Africa’s players sported QR codes on parts of their bodies where the media cameras tend to focus. Scanning the QR code led to the Change The Angle film where female athletes revealed our message about sexist camera angles. The film ended with a call for media cameras to focus on female athletes’ strengths and prowess and to follow the simple actionable guidelines included.

 LUX has long stood with women against sexism wherever it occurs and wanted to create awareness of sexist camera angles which has gone unchecked for far too long.

< knock Knock>

Location: Republic of Korea┃Advertiser/Client: Korean National Police Agency┃Agency: Cheil Worldwide

* 2023 Grand Prix of the Year (PSA) *

SHELLMET is a combination of shell and helmet and is an upcycled helmet developed by the town of Sarufutsu in Hokkaido, Japan, and plastic manufacturer Koushi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

The town of Sarufutsu, one of the scallop-producing areas in Hokkaido, Japan, exports about 40,000 tons of scallops every year, but at the same time, 40,000 tons of shells are being discarded as marine debris. When the export of shells was suspended in 2021, the town suffered from soil pollution and odors as the shells were left behind.

TBWA\Hakuhodo and Koushi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. stepped in to solve this problem by creating a durable new material from scallop shells and recycled plastic and repurposing them into helmets.

Less than 50 days left until the first round of entries for MAD STARS 2024! 🌟

Don't miss out on the chance to showcase your quirky creative solutions and compete for the prize this year.

Remember, the first deadline is on May 10th (KST), with the final deadline on June 15th (KST).

It's not too late to join the excitement! Show the world your idea and make your mark.

Submit your entry here 👉 https://bit.ly/3x4rjlZ

[japan-korea]

Pink rice (!) from Tokyu Department store