This time Yoshiki composed the theme song for Golden Globe Award of the United States for the first time in the history of Golden Globe Award.  Yoshiki says that it’s such an honor to do that, and he added that he never dreamed this kind of event over himself when he started X JAPAN.

Yoshiki is already recognized as the icon of Asian rock stars, but fans and people around him know his talent is not limited only in rock music.  Yoshiki’s talent has no border.

Together with the increasing popularity, Yoshiki once composed a song for Emperor of Japan.  It means, at that moment, nobody in Japan can deny his irreplaceable talent of music. Also Junichiro Koizumi, the ex-prime minister of Japan, often said he is a fan of X JAPAN. After all, Prime Minister Koizumi invited Yoshiki to the welcome meeting for American President, George Bush in Japan.

As we all know, X JAPAN broke up in 1997. However, their fans never forgot their music.  When they got back in front of us as X JAPAN by reunion, lords of fans filled the concert stadiums of Japan in 2007.

More than 35 countries gave them concert offers soon after the reunion. This is really incredible.  Who imagined this phenomena when they said ” that’s it ” in 1997?

Yoshiki writes super hard rock music, moreover, he also writes tear-dropping beautiful songs that never leave from human heart.

He is already in the middle of 40′s in his age.  But he never looks old.  Anything related with Yoshiki, or X JAPAN never gets old.  Fans know it.

It’s still in the middle of the champion battle race, as today is the 13th day of 15 day competition,   he won championship with no loss without waiting for the final day match.

Congratulations !

It’s easy to suppose how his life was hard in this far east land without knowing language or custom of Japan.  Now he speaks fluent Japanese and behaves like a champion in a gentle and traditional way that Sumo champions should be.

I hope fans in his country, Estonia, also is glad to hear this news.

Some months ago, a new unique film reached my attention. That was a film making story about a famous Japanese Sushi Chef, called JIRO.

He runs a small sushi restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo, the name of it is Sukiyabashi Jiro.  But the Sushi restaurant is always full of sushi lovers who made reservations for dinner some months before the tasting day.

Jiro is renowned not only in Japan but also worldwide.  Michelin gave Jiro 3 stars, which means this restaurant is ranked as the top level in the world.  In Tokyo there are more than 1000 or maybe much more sushi restaurants, and it’s said Tokyo has 160,000 restaurants approximately.  Among them, only 11 restaurants got 3 stars in Tokyo. Jiro is the one out of 11.

He was sometimes  picked up as focus of TV program before in Japan.  With all he is over 86 years old,  his sense of talk was incredibly sharp and he had absolutely strong philosophy in the work of sushi chef.  He says he has not yet seen the top of the sushi cooking,  what’s more,  he says he doesn’t know when he would be able to see the satisfactory taste as the final top level.

In a sense, he might be said to be stubborn.  However, that’s really a nature of Japanese chef’s nature.

When the director of the film first came to Jiro,  it’s said that Jiro refused it because filming often disturbs his work, and he has no more interest in promoting himself through media.  As the time runs, Jiro noticed director’s passionate attitude to get to know the secrets of sushi.  After that, gradually Jiro changed his mind and started becoming friends with the director.  And with the friendship,  the filming finally started.

The film of sushi chef Jiro is finally completed.  I’m also a sushi lover.  I want to see it somehow.

**a little note:  His restaurant is crowded and needs reservation. Also it’s expensive.  There are not many menu.  Usually when we take our seat, chef starts making sushi after some confirmation for favorites. Then we just eat when he makes for us.   This is not usual style in Japan, but this style certainly exists especially when the chef has pride in his cooking.

Japanese fans seem very glad to know this news,  although some of his fans would miss him as they can’t see his pitching live in Japanese stadiums.

Many Japanese players went across the Pacific Ocean to Major League Baseball of the USA.  Among them, I personally think Darvish is the most expected player with such ability on both sense in physically and mentally.

He controls himself to construct ideal body structure for best pitching form, and it’s carried out under perfect planning targeting on the playing term in a year.  He is a given talent player indeed, but we know he is at the same time smart in achieving his ideal results.

It’s fact that we are deeply impressed to see his play.  He has various types of pitching.  Fast ball is amazing, also carve, slider, sinker, and more wondrous breaking balls leave us stunned.

HIdeo Nomo was also a fabulous pitcher,  however,  Darvish could top the record of Hideo Nomo in the Major League baseball.  Daisuke Matsuzaka went to Boston Redsox with high expectation some years ago but no good result since then.  I didn’t expect him at all, at the time, I wondered why many said Daisuke Matsuzaka would be great in the USA.  Apparently Darvish is far greater than Daisuke Matsuzaka.

We all expect Darvish with much loving support.

It means Japan is not that popular travel destination judging from the numbers of travelers.

When I think the reason for this, maybe some of the reasons are:

1. It’s very far and air fare is expensive to go to Japan
2. There are not many attractive aspects for foreigners.
3. English or other languages are not so available in Japan
4. Japanese Yen is always stronger these days and it costs much for traveling.
5. No interest

Actually numbers of travelers have been increasing in the last several years, but last year, Japan had serious disaster, the earthquake and tsunami. Probably the travelers to Japan would not be back soon.

We Japanese like traveling. For example I saw a lot of Japanese when going to overseas, but recently I see more Chinese or more other countries people where I go. I think the numbers of travelers from Japan are still the same but some of the other Asian countries already outnumbered the Japanese. So now China is the most famous Asian country for the rest of the world.

China already has much travelers from outside, it probably mean that travelers are interested in China more than Japan when they choose an Asian country for their travel.

I came back to Japan 2 years ago after a long time stay abroad. Now I found good things in Japan more than some decades ago. I hope Japan could have more travelers just like China does.

I don’t often watch TV in Japan, so she might be on Japanese TV programs sometimes but as far as I know, I’ve never seen her on TV.

A news says that she has career as a  Japanese AV ( adult video ) actress in the past, and if it’s true, that might be a reason for less exposure in Japanese TV programs.

Probably she has been focused in the magazines or some fans’ media also in Japan.  Actually I found some videos of her works on YouTube. They seem to have been uploaded by Japanese fans.

If the news is true, she is the most famous or popular Japanese girl in China now.  I don’t know the reason for that popularity in China.

I remember that in China some Japanese stars, such as Momoe Yamaguchi and Noriko Ssakai, became famous through TV programs of Japan.  But the news says that Sara Aoi is the most famous ever in China among Japanese girls.

I will try to collect more information about her from now on.

I have several countries in my interest now. Not yet decided. I’ve been to 10 or more countries or areas in my life, some of them are still interesting through, maybe I should explore more other countries than those I’ve visited.

In Asia, if I need to choose, some of those I’ve never visited and am interested are Taiwan, Vietnam, Thai ( once visited but only one place in Thai ), Palau, China including Hong Kong ( once visited but too short time ), Turkey, and Philippines.

In Europe, they are Italy, France, Netherlands, Poland, Spain and more. Actually only country I’ve visited is UK in Europe. And Russia is also in my list now. It’s extremely hard for me to choose some in this situation.

Africa and South America is too far and air fare would be really expensive now for me. I have big interest in those area, but now I need to give up.

North America including Hawaii and Oceania countries already gave me good memories, so not now. Also Middle East countries are really fascinating for me but again, it’s far to go there as it needs some transits and much time required. Maybe next time.

As a matter of fact, I would like to know more people in the visiting country because I travel alone.

But the image of Shinjuku city changes from the pictures in my mind every time I visit.

Shinjuku is a large area for a town of Tokyo.  It’s divided into 3 or 4 parts depending on how we enjoy the city of Shinjuku.

Firstly, the business area is in the West area.  It’s easy to access from Shinjuku train station, you will find a lot of tall buildings once you step out on the ground from the station.  It’s a clean place with modernized city look and people are walking in business suites.  You can visit some of the beautiful buildings in this area and it’s a nice look from the top of them to see vast city of Tokyo.

I think you can check which building accepts visitors for sightseeing if you look up any guide books or through internet inforamtion.

Shopping area of Shinjuku is mainly in the East area, where there are some traditional Japanese department stores such as Isentan department store.  Other than big stores, you can enjoy a number of small shops selling fashion items, books, music CDs, and also various types of foods.

Staying on the streets in this area, we feel that Tokyo is really an amazing city with large number of entertainments around us.

Night life spots are mainly located in Kabukicho area. You can walk to this area through East area of Shinjuku, but as a note, this area is rather a sexual night spots than drinking bars or fine foods.  It’s not dangerous walking here but you must be careful if you enjoy such sexual amusement.  Recently we don’t hear much about deceivers or some bad guys, but I think there still are some who try to get money from strangers.  It might be interesting, if you are the first visitor in Shinjuku, to check this area how Japanese night life is on.

There is one more area in Shinjuku, where is in the South part of Shinjku.  This is a newly developed area in the last 10 years or so, and the main thing in this area is the huge department store called Takashimaya.   It’s new and beautiful entertainment zone not only for shopping but for foods and some attractions.

Shinjuku, especially Kabukicho Area never sleeps.  It’s 24 hour OK amusement place.  But again, visitors should be careful more than the day time.

When I was a college student, I sometimes spent the night  in Shinkjuku coffee shops or bars waiting for the first morning train for my home.  It’s a little nostalgic thing.

Detail of the news is not enough.

About a year ago, she got married an Austria born actor. The happy time for two of them were for 1 year only, and Ayumi Hamasaki expressed the reason for this result is because she does not want to leave Japan especially in this timing after the heavy damage of earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

They seem to have been planing to live in the USA together.  Ayumi says that for the first time, it could be a kind of matter of place to live.  If so, it could be overcome by traveling between Japan and the USA.  But at the end, she says she noticed it’s an issue of minds of the two.   It means she and her husband are no longer in love for each other.

I’m not sure about this news in the detail,  so this information is just a quotation from Japanese news service.

I think it already started, as I didn’t check it, I hope it’s still running OK.

I found one of the radio programs which was  recorded with Toshi, the vocalist of X JAPAN, as a special guest.

As far as I hear that, it seems a good program for X JAPAN and Yoshiki fans.  The talking style is pretty casual and he also plays the piano suddenly in the program.  That’s cool for listeners.

On the recorded program, Toshi also sang the new song, Jade, accompanied by Yoshiki’s piano.  Toshi’s vocal is really beautiful in this program, although it’s not the live act or recording sound, Toshi can gives us his amazing voice right away at request.  It’s an amazing thing, as we know, it’s also really hard to keep high note of X JAPAN songs whenever the vocal play is requested.  But Toshi is capable on any requests as he proved in this program.

Not many fans of X JAPAN know that Toshi is not only a vocalist but also a real good player of guitar, piano, or even drums.  He is also highly admired musician in Japan, but when Toshi appears with X JAPAN members, he needs to take the lead vocal part, that’s why we scarcely see his musical instrument playing scenes.

As my personal impression, I think Toshi respects Yoshiki as the leader of X JAPAN, so Toshi doesn’t often claim his requests to Yoshiki although they have been real good friends since they were kindergarten kids. ( Please refer to this page for more info )

We know Yoshiki speaks good English as he lives in Los Angeles.  He often takes interviews from media or at some events in English without interpreters.  Only some Japanese accent still remain in Yoshiki’s English but no problem for us.

Again, Toshi also speaks English in this program and it’s clear and good both in conversation and in the song !

I, again, think Toshi is a little shy in spite that he acts strongly on the live stage.  In any interviews, he is really quiet and refrains from talking aggressive.  He is always gentle in the interviews.

Of course Yoshiki knows well about Toshi’s character, so I understand Yoshiki handles Toshi with care in the radio program.  Also it’s easy to know their friendship here in this conversation.

Anyway, it’s a nice program.  I hope they will keep on !