Tag - k-pop

 
 

K POP

Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 12, 2018
Revisit the biggest albums of Namie Amuro's career
From 'Sweet 19 Blues' to '_genic,' Namie Amuro covered a lot of musical ground.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 4, 2018
South Korea may seek change in controversial military exemption for athletes
South Korea may seek to revise its military exemption program for athletes amid calls for stricter rules after the country's soccer and baseball teams earned the exemption by winning gold medals at the Asian Games over the weekend.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 16, 2018
Summer Sonic's helter-skelter lineup provides a lot of chances for younger Japanese acts
When it comes to music festivals in Japan, Fuji Rock is the pretty one, Rock in Japan is the domestic one and Summer Sonic is the crowd pleaser. Past headliners have included acts as diverse as Metallica, Beyonce, Green Day and Stevie Wonder.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Aug 10, 2018
'Namie Amuro generation': Okinawa moms pursue dream of fame
Five Okinawa women in their 40s, who practiced singing and dancing as teens at the same school as pop diva Namie Amuro, have recently relaunched their music careers after a lengthy break with a goal of achieving fame.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 27, 2018
Sally Amaki's life as an animated idol-pop star
Though she liked anime growing up, Sally Amaki never thought she'd grow up to be an anime character.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Jul 18, 2018
Da Pump scores an unexpected summer hit with 'U.S.A.'
The highly coveted song of the summer needs to cut across demographics and unite one nation under a beat. Think Len's "Steal My Sunshine" in 1999, Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" in 2013 or Luis Fonsi's "Despacito" in 2017. Who'd have thought that, in 2018 Japan, the uniting beat would be Eurobeat?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 16, 2018
'Akira': Looking back at the future
On the 30th anniversary of the release of the animated version of 'Akira' in Japan, we examine the enduring legacy of Katsuhiro Otomo's sci-fi classic.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Jun 21, 2018
Online media pick up #MeToo stories the major outlets miss
The Japanese media love a scandal and so far 2018 hasn't disappointed in that regard. Two recent stories centered around J-pop idols have been mostly ignored by mainstream outlets, but both have taken off online thanks to web publications, hinting at a shift unfolding in the nation's news landscape....
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Jun 16, 2018
Meet summer head on with Coco's limited-edition Pop Blue Soda kakigōri shaved ice
The addition of popping candies on top of this Blue Hawaii and lemon-flavored kakigu014dri might not add much flavor-wise, but they are a treat to be enjoyed.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 3, 2018
Nariaki Obukuro comes out of left field
Nariaki Obukuro bristles at the suggestion he makes J-pop. He prefers his music being described as J-pop-adjacent.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Apr 21, 2018
Baskin Robbins' 'Popping Shower' ice cream promises more pop
Baskin Robbins' ongoing tie-up with confectionery maker Fujiya has produced a bumper crop of tasty sweets available at convenience stores across the country. But so far, none of them have been particularly daring. The candies tend to highlight a pretty basic palette of flavors — chocolate, strawberry,...
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Apr 19, 2018
BTS is big, let's hope the hype helps other Asian acts
Earlier this month, an album sung mainly in Japanese landed on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart at No. 43. That's a rare accomplishment for any Japanese artist — and an even less frequent one for a non-Japanese outfit to pull off.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Apr 1, 2018
K-pop stars turn diplomatic envoys with concert dates in North Korea
They won over buttoned-up investors at a banking conference with their jingles about teenage love, but the K-pop girl band Red Velvet is about to face what may be its toughest audience yet: North Korea.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Mar 22, 2018
Just let Johnny's Jr. be Johnny's Jr.
Around 60 people gathered at YouTube Space Tokyo on Tuesday to welcome Johnny & Associates to the 21st century. It was a day before the launch of the talent agency's first official YouTube channel, devoted to its Johnny's Jr. acts. It's a huge development for a company that has viewed the web as one...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Feb 15, 2018
Pyeongchang's pop takes home gold
Politics hovered over the opening ceremony of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. The pageantry came against a backdrop of geopolitical intrigue, featuring the presence of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's younger sister, Yo Jong, who was on hand to watch a unified Korean team march into the Olympic...
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jan 19, 2018
Famed producer Tetsuya Komuro quits music industry over alleged affair
Music producer Tetsuya Komuro said Friday he will retire from the industry following a recent magazine report about his alleged extramarital affair with a nurse.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 14, 2017
South Korea's Moon tries K-Pop and TV stars in China charm offensive
South Korean President Moon Jae-in will unveil an array of TV talent and K-pop celebrities at events, including a state dinner, in China on Thursday as he attempts to smooth out a year of difficult diplomacy with a star-laden charm offensive.
CULTURE / Music
Dec 11, 2017
Electronic music artist LLLL gets more intimate on latest chain of releases
Kazuto Okawa, who performs as LLLL (pronounced "four-el"), has spent the past two years since releasing his sophomore album, "Faithful," getting in touch with his personal side.

Longform

Professional cleaner Hirofumi Sakurai takes a moment to appreciate some photographs in a Gotanda apartment whose occupant died alone.
The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan