Tag Archives: Japanese entertainment

November 08

Poppins-san

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In the land where nannies are nearly as scarce as chimney sweeps, this all-Japanese celebration of bygone British privilege is about to hit the stage. It’s too bad they don’t adapt these things for the local audience the same way they “improve” pizza, because I would pay good money to hear someone sing such hits […]

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February 22

Honest Abe Gets An Extreme Makeover

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I thought playing Rhett Butler in an all-Japanese, all-female production of Gone With The Wind was about as gender-bendy as you could get, but now one of the esteemed actresses in the famed Takarazuka troupe is donning beard and top hat to portray America’s most gangly abolitionist! • Read a novel set in Tokyo…  

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September 25

Frankly, My Dear, I Don’t Give A Damn (That We’re Both Female And Japanese!)

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Yes, the famed all-female Takarazuka troupe is back on stage, mustachioed and corseted and ready to kick some Civil War butt! After mind-bendingly taking on the roles of handsome male scalawags (Oceans Eleven) and all-American soldiers fighting the Japanese (South Pacific), it’s not so much of a stretch to imagine a dashing Rhette-ette sweeping Scarlett off her feet. But […]

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September 21

Art Aquarium

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  Part laser light show, part aquatic extravaganza, Art Aquarium is the newest take on the old idea of keeping cool during the steamy Japanese summertime by contemplating goldfish bowls. Over 3 million people have visited this summer-long exhibition since it started in 2008, and now I see why: giant artfully-designed aquariums use inset lenses, unusual […]

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August 02

Fishing For Women

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Of all the rakugo performances I’ve seen, Fishing For Women is my fave. It’s got great characters, including a guy who’s more of a nightmare than the worst Tinder story you’ve ever heard! THE CHARACTERS In this story, a nice old fisherman is visited by a beautiful ghost, but the dateless wonder next door has other ideas… And then…! If you watch the video, […]

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March 22

The Robot Restaurant

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Fembots, scantily-clad taiko drummers, battling transformers…okay, I admit the Robot Restaurant is more like Vegas on steroids than ye olde Nippon, but you’ve really gotta see this extravaganza once in your life! Even the waiting lounge is entertaining – every nook and cranny is paved with flashing lights, shiny baubles, and wall-to-wall video screens showing […]

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December 10

Jack The Ripper – The Musical

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Purple crushed velvet, bejeweled fake fur, slashed to the navel satin shirt – somehow the Japanese version of the elusive old serial killer comes off as slightly more of a gay blade than history gives him credit for! But it gets better – this isn’t the original production of Jack The Ripper, The Musical. The world […]

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