TOKYOPOP Fam: 你好！（Ni hao)
I hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas (whether or not you celebrate it) and are enjoying a relaxing holiday season! I've been in 北京 (Beijing) for the past week - and it has been amazing! Even though I've traveled to 香港 (Hong Kong) many times, and was recently in 台北 (Taipei) and 上海(Shanghai), this was only my second time ever to Beijing, and my first in many years. So, it felt like a brand-new experience!
Michelle Nguyen, aka IAmChubbyBunny, is a local purveyor of kawaii accessories to J-Pop culture stores and directly via the Web. She is also a world-class cosplayer. She has a TOKYOPOP connection: she was on staff with our English-language version of Gothic Lolita Bible. She recently got married, and her wedding was an Otaku dream! I had to share, even though I was not invited. No problem, she posted all the details on the Web for world+dog to see. In true cosplay fashion, Ms. Nguyen sewed an incredible dress for herself, and designed the accents for the bridesmaid's dresses as well.
One of our favorite cons every year is Anime Los Angeles. Since most of us are based in Los Angeles at least part of the time, the January event is a fun one for us. Since A-LA has pretty much maxed out its capacity at its current LA International Airport digs, it will be moving to the Ontario Convention Center in the Inland Empire next year.
Your delicious dream has come true! In 2015, the makers of Hi-Chew are opening a factory in the United States! Manufacturer Morinaga first introduced the product to the American market in 2008, but sales were low in the beginning. Unless you were shopping at a Japanese (or other Asian specialty) market, chances were low that you would find the candy on shelves or at the checkout aisle. All that changed, however, with the arrival of professional relief pitcher Junichi Tazawa on the Boston Red Sox.
Ho Ho Ho, メリークリスマス! First off, Christmas is not a holiday in Japan. Neither Christmas Eve nor Christmas Day is a day off from work. Less than one percent of the Japanese population is Christian. The big family holiday, Oshogatsu, (Japanese New Year’s season) is coming soon, so families don’t get together for the occasion.
TOKYOPOP Fam: 你好!! Ni hao! I just spent the past week in Taipei, Taiwan teaching film production - and had an awesome time! Here's a brief recap of the trip. As part of my role as International Chair for the Producer's Guild of America (PGA), I work with film commissions from around the globe, of which the Taipei Film Commission is one of the most pro-active and well-organized.
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