Category: Japan
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Cool Japanese Music Vol 4. Utada Hikaru
It was 1998 when I left Japan. In that year, Hikaru Utada made her debut. So did Ringo Sheena. When I came back to Japan, I can remember my brother asking me, “Do you know Utada Hikaru?” he talked excitedly about her. Hikaru seems to be good friends with her peer Ringo Sheena, and they…
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It was the winter solstice. Spiritual awakening day
Dec. 21 was the winter solstice, the shortest daylight hours of the year (in the northern hemisphere). In spiritual circles, it was a big-time to spiritually wake up until yesterday! Two years ago, I heard from Mr. Yoshikazu Namiki that the gates close at the winter solstice, so I went to hear him talk about…
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Cool Japanese Music Vol 3 : Sheena Ringo
Another singer who got me hooked from 2015 Kohaku is Sheena Ringo. I’ve heard her name and songs before 2015, and she’s been on Kohaku since 2011, but I have glued to her song “long and short festival – This is Hell or Heaven” on Kohaku 2015! She was so cool. It was a fusion…
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Cool Japanese Music Vol2, Hoshino Gen
Kohaku Uta Gassen is a national show that airs on 12/31 every year in which selected singers gather together and sing in male and female groups. The viewer rating is usually around 50% in Japan. I’m going to be into two singers for the 2015 Red and White Year-end show. One of them was Gen…
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Cool Japanese Music Vol 1 : Sekai No Owari (End of the world)
I haven’t listened to many Japanese songs since I came to the U.S., but I do watch the annual Kohaku Uta Gassen at the end of the year. I thought, “This is it!” Sekainoowari appeared for the first time in 2014. The song “Dragon Night” was so good that I listened to all the other…