japanamerica

"...into the stratosphere." We're chuffed to announce that the first issue of  Monkey Business: New Voices from Japan is one of the "Seven Great Lit Mags of 2011," according to the Luna Park Review .   We're twice-chuffed to yawp 'cross rooftops about Issue # 2 of Monkey Business , which is just now barreling down the tarmac. Barring bird strikes and other unnatural hazards, MB 2 will be fully airborne in late Feb./early March. Plans are now set for a team of Japanese writers, editors and artists to soar into NYC from Tokyo and join select American authors for a week of launch events in Manhattan and Brooklyn during the first two weeks of May. More TK. You can read the Luna Park review of Monkey Business and six other gems here : Thanks to the efforts of translator Ted Goossen and the editors of  A Public Space , 2011 readers were introduced to the acclaimed Japanese literary magazine Monkey Business, edited by  Motoyuki Shibata  (curator, a...

SOFT POWER HARD TRUTHS / Embattled North American anime industry seeks redemption in digital streaming Roland Kelts / Special to The Daily Yomiuri For anime fans in the United States, the new year picked up where the old one trailed off--with news of another veteran distributor shuttering its operations amid industry layoffs and cutbacks. On Jan. 3, Bandai Entertainment officially announced it would no longer release new DVD or Blu-ray titles in North America after 13 years in the market, canceling all releases scheduled beyond the first week of next month and laying off the majority of its staff and contractors. One week later, North American anime distributor Media Blasters confirmed it was downsizing its workforce, asking most of its employees to continue working only as freelancers. While the New York-based company said it would proceed with its February and March releases, the combined announcements signal the radical shift under way in the overseas anime indu...

L’ARC-EN-CIEL MAKE NEW YORK CITY DEBUT WITH HEADLINING SHOW AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN BAND MAKES HISTORY BEING THE FIRST JAPANESE ARTIST TO HEADLINE THE LEGENDARY VENUE "The biggest band you've never heard of." - Kerrang! ­ L'Arc-en-Ciel, one of Japan's most celebrated rock bands, will make their long overdue U.S. return on March 25th with a performance at New York’s legendary Madison Square Garden. Originally scheduled for March 23 rd at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, the show has been moved to the world famous arena due to the overwhelming demand of fans. This will mark the first time a Japanese band headlines MSG. Tickets will go on sale this Saturday, January 28 th . Visit www.larc-en-ciel.com for details. In support of their 20th Anniversary, L'Arc-en-Ciel will bring their epic pop rock - a sound that has sold over 40 million records, scored the band back to back #1 albums and broken numerous concert records – to their most passion...

[photo courtesy of Akiko Yano] [photo by Matthew Septimus for The Greene Space] [screen shot by Lisa Kato]

Tonight's PEN/WNYC Japan event--"The Global Salon: Cities in Japan"--is apparently sold out, but it will be video simulcast and archived online here .  Starts at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST/9 a.m. JST.   Updated info below. THE GLOBAL SALON: CITIES IN JAPAN In collaboration with PEN World Voices Festival Thursday, January 19, 2012  7:00 PM Sold Out Recommend Share Print Email Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes Venue: The Greene Space 44 Charlton Street, New York, NY (corner of Varick Street) The Global Salon: JAPAN presents compelling stories of courage and resiliency, while the country continues to face unprecedented hardships of increased suicidal rates and unemployment, before and after the Tsunami of 2011. Host Eddie Robinson will engage the audience and esteemed guests through captivating dialogue and enchanting musical themes about the country's economic future, advances in technology, and the preservation of its remarkable...

My chat with Hugo Macdonald of Monocle 24's 'Midori House'   starts at 37:00 here . Kitty, of course, was born in London .

Modestly hopeful profile for The Christian Science Monitor : Thirty ideas from people under 30: The Entrepreneurs The Monitor interviewed young artisans, politicians, educators, entrepreneurs and faith leaders. And they have trenchant suggestions on how to improve the world. We'll serve this smorgasbord in bite-size servings of 3 to 7 profiles per day. Today's lineup of entrepreneurs includes a Mexican rain man, an Indian bike rental exec, and a Japanese web business recruiter. -  Monitor staff and correspondents 1 and 8 Enlarge Akiko Naka, founder of wantedly.com in Japan. (Yuka Yamaguchi) Akiko Naka: Japan's high-tech recruiter In  Japan , 27-year-old Akiko Naka is a triple threat: an independent IT entrepreneur in a culture that prizes conformity, a successful young professional where status is still rooted in age-based hierarchies, and a fluently bilingual and bicultural businessperson in a mono-ethnic and largely monoli...