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30,000 hits!
Here’s wishing all of Karakui.com’s visitors a happy and safe holiday season. Nifee (thanks) to all of you for the 30,000 hits (well, we’re actually about 11 shy but what the hey) from December 2006 to December 2007. Not too shabby for an Okinawan pop culture blog. 🙂
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Kiroro to resume activity – Tokyograph
Okinawan duo Kiroro announced that they are planning to fully resume activity next month, in time for the 10th anniversary of their major label debut. The two women both got married in 2005, and Kiroro was put on hold as they each prepared for motherhood. Ayano Kinjo gave birth in November of that year, and…
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Kazutoshi Matsuda posts pics from Okinawa’s New Year’s TV specials
Popular utasha (Okinawan folk singer) Kazutoshi “Kaazuu” Matsuda recently performed in two of Okinawa’s New Year’s TV specials: RBC’s “Kouhaku Uta-gassen” and OTV’s “Shinshun! Shimauta no Saiten.” Although both shows won’t air until January (RBC’s one on 1/2, OTV’s on 1/3), Kaazuu is sharing a few pics on his blog which gives us a preview…
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しらの家 よくばりそば
しらの家 よくばりそば Originally uploaded by earthhopper Feeling hungry? One of the tastiest treats you can find to feed your hunger is Okinawa suba and earthhopper’s extensive Okinawa Soba photoset on Flickr will whet your appetite. Happy slurping!
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Cocco’s ‘Jugon no Mieru Oka’ links to Okinawa
Being a big fan of Cocco’s art and music, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the tun-tun-ten of a sanshin in her latest single “Jugon no Mieru Oka.” Although that alone is pretty cool in itself, Cocco goes on to sing (at 4:51) lyrics from “Ittaa Anmaa Maakaiga”, an Okinawan warabi uta (children’s song). While…
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Two Uchinanchu at the top of Oricon’s most successful young star of the year
Oricon has released the results of its end-of-the-year survey asking men and women who they thought was the most successful young star of 2007. With two thousand people participating in the survey, the answers were actress Yui Aragaki and comedian Yoshio Kojima. (Via Tokyograph: Yoshio Kojima, Gakky named this year’s top stars.) I guess the…
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They call him ‘jimihen’
Continuing their tradition of releasing a commemorative t-shirt with album releases from legendary utasha Seijin Noborikawa, Respect Record has the “Suikojizai” shirt available for purchase at record stores (like Takara Records on Kokusai) or online at their website. The album is set to be released on 1/16/08. (Via the Campus Record Staff Blog.)
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Kaneshiro, Matsu to star in “Niju Menso” – Tokyograph
Toho has announced that it is producing a movie titled ‘K-20: Kaijin Niju Menso Den,’ directed by Shimako Sato. The story revolves around author Edogawa Rampo’s infamous criminal, Kaijin Niju Menso (also known as the ‘Fiend with Twenty Faces’). However, the movie is not an adaptation of Rampo’s works; rather, it is based on a…
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Lina (MAX) to release photobook ‘LINA SINGS’ on 12/22
Lina (30, of the J-pop group MAX) announced on her blog the upcoming 12/22 release of her solo photobook (shashinshuu) LINA SINGS. Her fellow band mate, Reina, has already released two photobooks the latest R-017 is from 2006. (Above image comes via Lina’s blog.)
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TV: ‘Gokusen 3’ in April 2008
Yankumi, played brilliantly by actress Yukie Nakama, will be returning to the classroom in April 2008 with its third installment. The popular J-drama (pulled in a whopping 32.5% viewership) airs on the Nippon Terebi network which is celebrating its 55th anniversary and hopes to make it big with “Gokusen 3”, returning three years after season…
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