しあわせ

Mixi now requires a Japanese mobile phone email in order to register a new account. I became aware of this reading Tofugu.
It may just be an anti-spam or age checking measure but it effectively shuts out anyone not in Japan; including Japanese ex-pats who don’t keep a Japanese mobile phone account.
So just like the the 1600’s no (new) foreigners are allowed and those Japanese leaving the country aren’t very welcome either.
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Late News (again!)
Tonight until the 10th of May Rouge28 Theatre is presenting a performance of Urashima Taro at Shunt Lounge in London. This is part of the celebrations of 150 years of relations between Japan and the UK, Japan-UK 150. (we’ll forget about the original circumstances though.)
There’s a video clip on Rouge28’s website and the life-size bunraku style puppetry looks very exciting.

I haven’t seen this play yet but Shunt is an amazing club. I’ve played there with Frank Chickens. It’s underneath London Bridge Train station and has the sort of ambience where you’d expect modern day vampires to congregate in it’s crypts!

I believe day membership covers you for the performance and any other events that may be on and there’s a late bar and usually DJ’s so you can make a night of it.

If you miss this at Shunt you can also catch them at the Sprint Festival at the Camden’s People Theatre from Monday 9th to Wednesday 11th of June at 8pm or the Buxton Puppet Festival on Thursday 31st of July at 9pm

You can read the story of Urashima Taro in English and Japanese here.
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There’s always some Japanese films at this festival.

This year it’s running from the 30th of April until the 4th of May, and these films are showing:
Dai Nipponjin
Vexille and an
Anime All Nighter (9 hours, 4 films, including Tekkonkinkreet and The Girl who Leapt Through Time)

All films are showing at the Apollo Cinema Regent Street.
Films are £10, the all-nighter is £25, booking details are here

There are goody bags with the Anime All Nighter, and before every screening T-shirts and DVDs are usually thrown into (at?) the audience.

I’d really like to see The Girl who Leapt Through Time but I don’t think I can do an all-nighter anymore. Maybe it’ll get a DVD release. . .

PolarC (aka BigHeadedMan, aka Chika-san) is dj at a club night in Life, Old Street on the 11 May. Interesting music is guaranteed. Chika-san had this to say in her flyer –
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Just a headsup for anyone in the UK that on Radio 4 tonight there is a programme about Anime, Karaoke (badly mispronounced as karyoki as usual.), Sushi and all things Japanese. Children’s Magazine Show Go 4 It is broadcasting a Japanese special at 7.15.
UK listeners can also listen at the CBBC Radio Player. Although I think both these links will probably expire within a week. People outside the UK may have to find a way to present a UK IP address in order to listen to the show.