Hamish Downie’s News Sushi #137 : Morsels of News From Japan and Beyond

Hamish keeps serving the best News Sushi!
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Editor Note:It is Friday and that means it is time for the World Famous, soon to be Intergalactic Famous, News Sushi from our very own, Hamish Downie. Hamish brings us a decidedly different slant on Pop Culture as viewed through the lens of a non-native living in Japan.



Thank you (ありがとうございました) Hamish, for your insights.

 
こんにちは！Which means “Hello”!

How’s your week been going? Have you done all your Christmas Shopping?

What is it about the end of the year that makes the body slow down? I’ve been getting a little bit into the Japanese Year Cycle, and I’ve been starting to do the Year-End Cleaning early. In Japan, the annual Spring Clean happens on Dec 31. So, you can start the new year fresh. It’s called ​​Osoji, which directly translates as big clean.

I also did an audit of my DVDs, and I’ve got nearly 70 unwatched films, which is more than enough for next year. No wonder my partner says I have a problem! Time to start watching more films! The thing is that I often buy box sets for one or two films, so I need to watch the others in the set. There might be a new classic there for me, or I may find out why “How Green is my Valley” (an actual unwatched film in my collection) won over The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind at the Oscars.

It’s just been announced on IMDB that Qyoko Kudo, who starred in my film Matcha and Vanilla, will feature in three episodes of the Untitled Apple/Godzilla and the Titans Project. She is an amazing actress and deserves every bit of this success.

New Manhole with Osaka Expo Mascot! I don’t think this makes it any less weird, but the more I see it, the more I like it. As my partner says, at least it’s creative.

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Speaking of Creativity, look at what this artist made with string and colour! It’s so realistic – like the Jade Cabbage at the Taipei National Art Museum.

これは糸の焼きのり。 pic.twitter.com/HJ1cIyVvCX

— ipnot イプノット (@ipnot) November 16, 2022

Congratulations Tokyo Cowboys on their success at Tokyo Comic-Con! If you remember, we interviewed nearly everyone in the cast of the web-series. Have you watched “The Benza” yet? It’s so much fun.

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“Frances” – Classic Film Review

I reviewed this film nearly ten years ago on my blog, but with the success of my youtube channel this year, I thought I would breathe new life into it. Featuring my friend Vikki Ann, as Frances Farmer. I hope you enjoy her performance. I think she’s so talented.