G-Men X feat. the GazettE with DJ Takuya, Special 2009 Part Kai

Happy holidays, everyone!

I've promised over and over and over again that I would post Kai's portion of this radio transcript and I finally have! YAY!!!

Anyways, like most of the G-men X Specials (see Aoi, Uruha, Reita and Ruki), Kai gets his embarrassing traits spilled by his oh-so-loving band mates.

We've also got a ton of new stuff on our SALE page, so be sure to check it out! :)

Without further ado...we present GazettE's super bullied incredibly loved leader and drummer, Kai!

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-Bell Chime-

DJ TAKUYA: Last is~the drummer and leader, Mr. Kai!
I think everyone's been eager to get to this particular questionnaire. As expected of this level-headed leader, right, a reliable person☆ He won't be late☆ And he gets to meetings early and stuff

the GazettE: Yeah!

Reita: You can write it, and you can say it to the man himself.

DJ TAKUYA: Ah! Is tha~t what it is?

Ruki: It isn't that he's level-headed so much as he's calculating!

DJ Takuya: A calculating person?

The GazettE: Fufufu (laugh)

DJ Takuya: And! Things you want him to fix!! Everyone wrote, “forgotten items”...

the GazettE: Ahhhh

Ruki: I think anyone would say the same thing about this~forgotten items huh~He'll eventually forget his own name too

the GazettE: HAHAHAHA, that's so mean

Ruki: That's mean!

Reita: That's really mean, y'know!!

※Mail
Please tell us about a recent interesting episode about Kai

Uruha: Ahhhh!! Ah! Um...he's already lent Reita the Crows ZERO② DVD~today's me! He brought it for me, right?

Reita: I brought it, I brought it.

Uruha: Didn't Kai lend it to you?

Reita: Yeah!!

Uruha: He forgot it at the office (laugh)

Everyone: Eehhh~??

GazettE: ahahahaha

Reita: You're kidding right (shocked)

DJ TAKUYA: That's not good, right~

Reita: You're joking, right!!

DJ TAKUYA: Leader (laugh)

Uruha: Eh, well, if I say, "I might let it spill," I'll spill it to Rei-chan after

Reita: I'm not listening

DJ TAKUYA: Ah, didn't he also forget that?

Reita: That guy--!! He--seriously--it's really bad.

Ruki: Earlier, Rei-chan was like, "Who was it again"

Reita: Oi, oi oi oi (laugh)

GazettE: HAHAHA

Reita: Waitt!! Seriously, I didn't know who owned the DVD

DJ TAKUYA: That's Mr. Careless, eh~

Reita: No!! It doesn't stop at careless!! This guy--it's almost criminal!!

GazettE: Ahahahahaha

Ruki: Seriously, it's like he uses all his energy to forget things.

DJ TAKUYA: He seems to be firm, careless, shrewd and calculating?

GazettE: Yeah

DJ TAKUYA: Man!! (laugh)

GazettE: Ahahaha

DJ TAKUYA: Next, this is from Aoi, he's gotten too into muscle training?

Aoi: Ahh, recently, y'know, like, it seems to be something he took up recently...but I don't think so (laugh)

DJ TAKUYA: Really? It's different? He seems to want to fix how thin he is...

Aoi: He's really disciplined, y'know. That's one of the things that appeals to us.

Reita: Because that means he'll do handstands as we watch.

DJ TAKUYA: Wow, in other words, it's not for the public to see.

Aoi: Right, right, right!

Ruki: It's like he'll suddenly go, "I'm gonna put on these sunglasses."

GazettE: Hahaha!

DJ TAKUYA: Ah, so like, you'd want something to help you prepare.

Aoi: Yeaahhh.

Reita: Y'know, he goes to a gym, and before this, he couldn't remember what gym he's been going to.

GazettE: Ahahahaha!

DJ TAKUYA: That! No way, right! As expected, Reita (laugh). Seems like he couldn't remember where his membership was with.

GazettE: Wahahaha!

DJ TAKUYA: Seems like the thing Uruha wants him to fix the most is his lack of interested in stringed instruments.

Uruha: Ah, uhm, he isn't interested in anything but drums. It's good to concentrate on one thing, but...it's like there's nothing but the drums...

Reita: A little bit too much of the, "there's nothing but the drums."

DJ TAKUYA: That, well, it's cool, right...

Reita: Didn't he just forget?

Uruha: Ahhhhhhh

DJ TAKUYA: Ehh??

Uruha: And the band?

Reita: The band too?

DJ TAKUYA: Forgetting an instrument called the guitar exists...it seems (laugh), that can't be, right?

Uruha: If that's really the case, he's beyond help.

DJ TAKUYA: This conversation completely went back towards his forgetfulness.

Ruki: Nfufu

DJ TAKUYA: From Ruki, "He's a good guy~"

Ruki: During the lives, he says some pretty good stuff~ but at the very end, he'll definitely add some swear word, that guy. And the way he says it makes it seem like he's trying to pick a fight.

DJ TAKUYA: Ah, it's a let down right. "It'd be good if he stayed nice until the very end" like that, right?

Ruki: "Cause I'm covering these asses!!" he says things like that

Uruah: Asses (laugh)

Ruki: At lives

Aoi: In this age, right! Ehh. Because he's covering his own ass (laugh).

Ruki: It's like, "Dude, what manga were you reading just now," right (laugh)

DJ TAKUYA: Ahaha, it seems interesting, so he ends up using the phrase a lot.

Ruki: Nfufu

DJ TAKUYA: From Aoi~ Kai is the "confirmation gramps." (laugh)

RukI: Ahh~ AAhhhh~

Aoi: Seriously! Before the live, always, at the venue...he always gets so annoying. Ah, but it's a good thing. Um, like, "We're gonna stop it here," and he does it every time, but it's pretty much the same exact thing every time.

Ruki: Yeah!

Uruha: Yeah! It's because he doesn't ask anyone else before he does things. Like he's just addicted to doing things.

Aoi: You said it! You said it!

Reita: You...(laugh)

DJ TAKUYA: So, he just doesn't ask anyone?

Ruki: The staff also have to do everything again for him. And then they have to come again! How many times have the staff had to come over, right?

Uruh: It's like, "Ahh!! Seriously?"

Ruki: Yeah! "Again? For the same thing?"

GazettE: Ahahahaha

DJ TAKUYA: Well, well, well

Ruki: It's like a really bad joke!

Aoi: Thisssss (laugh)

DJ TAKUYA: Wait, wait, wait, that's...one second...

Ruki:...is how it reached us from the staff☆

Reita: Seriously!! He's always just rushing things!! (laugh)

DJ TAKUYA: Next~ Is it ok to say it? Reita--ahh! But, Reita wrote something good, so it should be fine, right?

Reita: Eh?...what was that!

DJ TAKUYA: He wrote two syllables~ Baka☆

Ruki: Butter?

Reita: No! (laugh) It's gonna infect someone!!

GazettE: Ahahahaha!

Reita: No, but, y'know! He can't recognize kanji, he cuts people off when they're talking.

*Bell Chime*


DJ TAKUYA: Ah, it's the chime telling us our time's up


Aoi: Ehhhh!?

Reita: But I wanna keep talking~

Uruha: Even though I could keep going~


DJ TAKUYA: Kai, welcome back

Kai: Thanks...

DJ TAKUYA: Somehow, it got really heated, didn't it! We'll come back after everyone strips off one article of clothing. (laugh)

※Mail
"Who in the GazettE is bullied the most?"

Kai: Probably! Probably...Reita, right?

DJ TAKUYA: Ah, it's Reita?

Kai: He's bullied quite a bit, right

Reita: How?!

Kai: No way, it's definitely quite a bit (laugh)

Aoi: No, no, Kai-san! Kai-san! (laugh)

GazettE: AHAHAHAHA!

Kai: No! Earlier, wasn't everyone saying how much they loved me....so even this guy has to get it...

Reita: No way, it isn't bullying, all I get is love☆ You're the one getting bullied, aren't you?

GazettE: Wahahahaha!!

Kai: That's mean!

『Mail intro & Conclusion』

※Mail Intro
The french toast that Kai made before, was it delicious?


Reita: Ahhh, he made that, huh (laugh)

Ruki: It was pretty good, right

Kai: But I can't make it anymore

Everyone: Eh

Reita: But I've never heard of someone being bad at french toast before.

DJ TAKUYA: For real...

GazettE: Ahahahahaha

Uruha: For real, right (laugh)

※Mail
Kai is shrewd? I've also heard that he's mean?

GazettE: Wahahahaha

Aoi: Hey hey hey~

DJ TAKUYA: This!! "Hey hey" indeed, right, Aoi, that sort of thing isn't possible, right~

Aoi: Hey hey, that...to say our leader's mean...

Kai: No, no, for people, you need to be mean, otherwise you can't survive

DJ TAKUYA: He admitted it!! (laugh)

Aoi: You--can you say those things!?

Uruha: Oi oi oi oi

Kai: For people, if you aren't a little mean....

DJ TAKUYA: Ahh, well, that's true, eh (laugh)

Aoi: Kai-san! Kai-sannnnnnn! (laugh)

DJ TAKIYA: But that's also important, right

Ruki: Reita's kinda--

DJ TAKUYA: Reita, what's up?

Reita: In the end, we still can't cover our asses☆

GazettE: Wahahahahah!

※Mail

I thought Ruki was really taciturn, so I was surprised to hear he talks a lot.

Ruki: Ah, well, sorry...'scuse my, what was it..."taciturn".

GazettE: Ehhh?! (laugh)

DJ TAKUYA: No, it's pretty unexpected, you can't see it in his face at all, since you're so happy, right!

Ruki: Nnnn, since I talk a lot♪

GazettE: Ahahaha

※Mail
Ruki likes to talk, huh☆ It's very cute, but let's fix that habit of oversleeping.

DJ TAKUYA:...is what she said, ufufu (laugh)

Aoi: But, one thing I don't get...talking too much is cute?

Ruki: How is that...right?

Reita: Well then, I'm gonna talk too. I'm gonna talk too.

GazettE: Ahahaha

Aoi: Well, me too, me too!!

Uruha: And me too, me too!!

Kai: Well--well~ Me too! Me too!!

Reita, Aoi, Uruha: Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead~

*simultaneous breaking out in laughter*

DJ TAKUYA: As expected, Kai, you're in Ueshima's position (laugh) Just now--you got there naturally? As expected of the leader! (laugh)

Reita: (laugh) This is the only way he'd be popular.

DJ TAKUYA: Well, it's eventually gotten to the time for us to say our goodbyes~

Aoi: Ah? Really?

(Announcements about BID, lives, the DVD)

DJ TAKUYA: Thank you for giving us so much of your time today.

GazettE: Thank you very much!

DJ Takuya: Let's roar at the Milky ways! Alien Gmen TAKUYA with a GazettE SP~

Presenting Ruki! Uruha! Aoi! Reita! Kai!

Thank you very much for today.

GazettE: Thank you very much!

---

Well there you have it, the most bullied and "loved" member of the GazettE! Leave us a comment about what you hate or love about Kai (or any of the other members for that matter).

At any rate, I hope you all enjoyed this interview that we finally finished! All of the parts have been pretty interesting but Kai's responses seems to be the most hilarious!

Please don't forget to check out our SHOP page for merchandise sales!

And, of course, if you want to catch all our updates, please remember to follow MICHIDO with an Email Subscription, on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

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Utahiroba Jun: Even if this is a VK fanboy's blog, you can't call it that.

Fangirls are a dime a dozen for the VK industry, but what fan boys are a tiny bit harder to come by.

Celebrity fanboys seem to be things of legend.

So, now, we bring you another Kishidan Banpaku-related story.

Golden Bomber's Utahiroba Jun fanboys about meeting the GazettE's Reita backstage on his Ameblo blog.

Translation was requested by Denise Mello on Facebook :)

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It was sudden, but the other day at Kishidan Banpaku, I was given the chance to speak to the GazettE's Reita-san.



I've already known about the GazettE, onesidedly, for about 10 years now, and by chance, I saw them at an unimaginably tiny live house. After that I spent most of my school years with the GazettE's music, so I was really excited to perform together, and I was doki doki the entire time.



I really respect everyone in the GazettE, but I especially like the bassist, Reita, so this time, after the live, when we went to greet them, I was breathing so hard that I was at the point of hyperventilating and I was sweating so bad that I just barely managed to get through greeting them.

「I really like you!」

when I said that, the Reita himself turned his head and, with a goods towel

「Here, I'll give this to you」

is what he said and gave it to me.



And, I'd already lost my head, and because of that, after the performance, when we got to greet them again, I was thinking, "Maybe this really isn't so good," when I got permission from their manager to ask Reita for an autograph.



And then, he happily agreed and, on top of that, without me saying anything, he added a message.



And, I said to Reita, 「I'm really happy we could meet, you guys really worked it,」 and I got a handshake, but, seriously, like an idiot, I couldn't get anything but "thank you" to come out, at any rate, I still haven't calmed down yet, so even now, I'm staring at the room's wall and grinning.









[Note: Reita's message says, "For the wife...♥"]








I'm sorry I'm all over the place.



Thank you, Reita.

---

Isn't it so cute knowing that celebrities can fanboy/girl the same way regular people do? If you were in Jun's position, what would you have said/done? Let us know in the comments below!!

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Kishidan Banpaku Part I - DJ Ozma & Golden Bomber

Olympics was a perfect name to give to Kishidan Banpaku

This music festival, although relatively small, featured some of the biggest names in the music industry.

MICHIDO caught the second day of Kishidan Banpaku and its star-studded lineup up close and personal. The lineup started strong with Golden Bomber followed by Unicorn, the GazettE, Kishidan, T.M. Revolution, VAMPS and Hamasaki Ayumi.

DJ Ozma opened the second day.

The variety of artists in the lineup resulted in an equally colorful audience. Audience members arrived in punk shredded jeans, bikinis and, a personal favorite, Kishidan-esque biker gang uniforms and pompadours.

DJ Ozma opened the second day of Kishidan in his usual outrageous and questionable fashion.

His performance included King and Pancho as they danced with dancers in bikinis. DJ Ozma, Pancho and King sang while attempting to strip their dancers of their bikini tops.

The three men eventually succeeded and the female dancers appeared to be baring their naked breasts to the audience. But upon closer inspection, dancers who lost their tops were wearing flesh-colored skin-tight suits. DJ Ozma then took the show one step further by pulling down the bikini bottoms and showing off his "naked" dancers.

If this weren't quite enough to scandalize more conservative audience members, several men hopped out wearing only black thongs, holding long inflated balloons which protruded from their crotches. The balloons were released and then flew into the sky to open for Spiderman.

Apparently, DJ Ozma didn't think his audience had had enough quite yet. His next stunt was to have a group of men, including Pancho and King, run out on stage naked while dancing with only a large uchiwa to cover their private parts while managing to not flash anyone their fronts.

Their setlist included Happy Song, 超, MATSURI, 気持ちE, Drinkin' Boys, Spiderman, 珍魂歌, 純情～スンジョン～ and アゲ♂アゲ♂EVERY☆騎士.

Golden Bomber then--excuse the pun--bombed the stage.

Kiryuuin, perhaps to not be outdone by Pancho and King's borderline obscene performance, emerged on stage wearing nothing but flesh-colored boxer shorts and a black circle to cover his actual crotch.

Kiryuuin also came in danger of losing his disc of modesty when he was surrounded by other band members as they tried to continue stripping him before the audience.

After opening with the first song, Boku Quest, each member introduced themselves to the audience for the benefit of those seeing the band for the first time.

Kyan Yutaka announced his long lasting desire to join Kishidan and how he felt he needed the pompadour to be a proper member. To achieve this goal, he brought out his ultimate tool.

A cotton candy maker.

The cameras panned out to give a bird's eye view of the stage. Audience members watched in anticipation as Kyan began the first initiation into Kishidan.

The brief silence was broken as the audience let out a collective laugh and cheers of disbelief. Kyan's pompadour was taking shape right before everyone's eyes as he used his head to collected cotton candy around his hair.

He completed the transformation by dashing into the stage's side wings and returning with a long overcoat and a pair of sunglasses to accompany his new and proud white pompadour.

During the next song, band members picked away--literally--at Kyan's new Kishidan identity. Jun and Kiryuuin both took bites out of Kyan's "hair" and, due to the heat, the cotton candy was dropping rather sadly and only went more askew as Kyan dashed around the main and protruding stage.

At the end of the song, Kyan attempted to remove the cotton candy from his hair, but it was too sticky, resulting in him pulling his hair up along with the candy. The air guitarist made another run backstage, later reappearing cotton candy-free, but still wearing the overcoat and sunglasses as water dripped from his hair.

Another Golden Bomber highlight included Dervish Kenji expressing his love for synchronized swimming. Kenji promised that the audience would see the fruits of his training during their performance.

He did not disappoint.

In the usual golden Bomber fashion, Kiryuuin sang as his band mates went wild with their antics. Utahiroba and Kyan pulled a blue tarp to cover the majority of Kenji's drumset.

Kenji then proceeded to "swim" and showed off his legs as he did a perfect synchro swimming split and other fundamental synchro moves. Audience members were reminded of how well built Kenji was as he held his poses without any noticeable wavering.

The Golden Bomber set finished with the classic Memeshikute as the audience cheered and danced along. The band members raced to the side stage and then the protruding stage to ensure that everyone was dancing along before saying thank you at the protruding stage.

The Golden Bomber setlist consisted of 僕クエスト, 綺麗になりたくて, 抱きしめてシュヴァルツ, ICE BOX, 酔わせてモヒート, 成龙很酷, †ザ・V系っぽい曲† and 女々しくて.

While not believing myself to be a rabid Golden Bomber fan, the Golden Bomber segment was certainly one of the better Kishidan performances in terms of audience engagement and interaction.

As Golden Bomber left the stage, the staff hurried on to prepare the stage for Unicorn's set.

That, however, will be left for another day.

To make sure you get Part II of the Kishidan live report, don't forget to follow MICHIDO with an Email Subscription, on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for our latest updates!

Don't forget to also check out our SHOP page for our newest and featured products!

Slider photos were taken from Natalie Mu.

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Vogue Fashion's Night Out 2012

Tokyo has always been a place a hub of fashion, and September 8th was no exception.

Vogue's annual Fashion's Night Out (FNO) made Omotesando the place to be.

Omotesando is a shopping haven for people looking for both haute couture as well affordable, but still trendy street fashion.

All of this came together at Fashion's Night Out, where stars like Tsuchiya Anna, Tominaga Ai and JuJu made appearances at the opening ceremony.

The event as a whole was a celebration of beauty. Despite the official event being run by Vogue, Tokyo was bustling with people on the streets parading their own sense of fashion, from the individuals striding around in designer brands to all the kids on the block who thought to party in whatever they wanted.

Because there were so many venues, it was a little difficult to get a grasp of what was going on where, so our approach on this impromptu attendance was just to walk around Omotesando.

We started at Omotesando Hills, home of designer brand shops, such as Yves Saint Laurent, Dolce&Gabbana, Armani Junior and much more.

Although we barely missed the entrance ceremony, we got the chance to see the world-famous photographer, Leslie Kee, who has photographed celebrities such as Ayumi Hamasaki and Koda Kumi, in action.

Kee picked enthusiastic and stylish attendees to photograph, and their photographs would be featured on the FNO website.


Seeing a professional fashion photographer at work was nothing short of amazing. Within the span of half an hour, Kee and his crew had turned the tiny stage at Hills into an impromptu photo studio and making people he literally picked off the streets into incredible models.
For those who wanting to "get their groove on", there was also a free party, complete with a DJ and bar in the basement of Omotesando Hills.

We took it to the streets of Omotesando next.

There were plenty of sights to see as we strolled down the streets with many individuals wanting to turn "haute couture" on its head.


Many shops were also having their own little parties, including Tommy Hilfiger, complete with waiters handing out drinks, badges, to photos with models against the Vogue backdrop.

Fashion's Night Out was a great experience, regardless of whether or not you had the money to take advantage of the sales and promotions offered by top brands from around the world.

This annual party thrown by Vogue doesn't only take place in Tokyo though. FNO takes place all around the world, so be sure to check the Vogue website for the location nearest to you!

For more pictures, be sure to visit the MICHIDO Facebook. Several of the pictures in this post were taken by our wonderful friend, AppleJays, so skip over there to check out his photos as well!

If you want to make sure you get all our updates about our Tokyo adventures, don't forget to follow MICHIDO with an Email Subscription, on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

And, we'll definitely have lots of updates, especially with the Kishidan Festival coming up soon (speaking of which, have you ordered your hooded towel yet?)!

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Rurouni Kenshin: Samurai X Live Action Review

The highly anticipated live action Rurouni Kenshin movie opened in Japan on August 25.

Rurouni Kenshin has been a much-loved classic, with a franchise that spanned across different types of media as well as time.

Directed by Keishi Ohtomo and featuring stars Yuu Aoi as Megumi Takani, and Takeru Sato as Kenshin Himura, Rurouni Kenshin definitely had an all star cast and production team.

Despite previous flops of anime turned movies (think the Gantz and the Death Note movies), Rurouni Kenshin started out strong with a visually intense and promising trailer.


The actual movie did not disappoint at all and covered the arc that included meeting and rescuing Megumi Takani from Kanryu Takeda.

Most of the popular characters made appearances, including Kaoru, Sannousuke, Saito, Yahiko and Megumi, but there was the notable absence of Aoshi and his Oniwabanshu. The featured villains included Jin-e, Kanryu Takeda, Gein and Inui Banjin.

The movie overall is adapted very well for the silver screen. It does not mirror the manga or anime plot exactly, but given the time restraints, the plot still flowed relatively smoothly while including classic original scenes and lines. After all, Kenshin is not Kenshin without his "de gozaru" and "oro".

Pacing and character development were also fairly well done, although I personally would have liked longer fight scenes that didn't end quite so abruptly.

The fight scenes, though short, were also choreographed very well, allowing the viewer to relive Kenshin's agility or feel the impact of Sannosuke's brute force.

In terms of character development, Saito's importance as Kenshin's eternal rival was reduced to two scenes where he actually drew his sword and fought. Sannosuke's relationship with Kenshin, Kaoru and Yahiko also did not deepen as he seemed to move coincidentally and sporadically in and out of the storyline. On the other hand, Kaoru, Kenshin and Megumi's relationship played out well, culminating in a climax very reminiscent of the original series.

Casting was also done relatively well, although not perfect. Sato was surprisingly adept as Kenshin switching smoothly from the harmless Himura Kenshin to the ruthless Battousai. There were, however, moments when he would look rather vacuous instead of kind and harmless, but over all, a very believable Kenshin.

Aoki Munetaka also fit the role as Sanosuke perfectly, playing delinquent-type character while also providing comic relief through the movie.

However, despite my personal liking for Yuu Aoi as an actress, her physical appearance did not quite have the "vixen" feel that Megumi Takani was so famous for. Despite her ability to sound and move like a vixen, in terms of appearance, she was simply too cute for the role, even with all the makeup that had been applied.

Even with some minor kinks with casting, the movie still came together very well. The cinematography effectively enhanced the atmosphere of the movie, and I certainly left the theater with a much better feeling than other anime adaptions I had seen before. If there were sequels to follow, I certainly wouldn't complain.

All in all, Rurouni Kenshin, although not the perfect movie, is certainly worth seeing on the silver screen. It is currently being screened only in Japan, but keep an eye out for news that it may go overseas!

Leave us a comment with where you want to see Kenshin and what you think about or anticipate from the movie!

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Free Tokyo!

It sounds like Tokyo's under siege, but that isn't quite the case. This past week, the giant metropolis has had its fair share of events, and MICHIDO lost some sleep scrambling to get to them all. Best of all? They were free!

Our first stop was A-nation--one of the hottest music festivals taking place in the heart of Tokyo. Featured artists included the GazettE, VAMPS, Hamasaki Ayumi, Ayabie, Acid Black Cherry and SCREW.

Even with these big-label artists at paid performances, there were ways to enjoy A-nation for free. In the Resort Area, which was Yoyogi National Gym's courtyard, there were performances and activities, such as cosplay dances and chances to see up and rising artists in person. Other venues included Shibuya AX, Ajinomoto Stadium and Shibuya Public Hall.

The Beach Park area also had entertainment and cooling stations for those who were looking for some relief from the Tokyo heat. Attendees could dip their feet into pools of icy cold water while staff provided free bags of rice and coupons for food stands close by.

Another personal favorite were the skillful skating and skateboarding demonstrations provided by Murasaki sports. Both child and adult athletes defied gravity by spinning and twisting in the air before landing safely back on the ramp.


The other major free-entry event in Tokyo was the infamous Comiket, a major manga and doujinshi market. This market takes place twice a year at Odaiba's Tokyo Big Site. You can catch it once during the summer and one more during the winter.

This was a great chance to experience a Japanese-style convention although it would be more accurate to describe it as a market for professional-level artists to sell fan work.

As a warning for those planning to visit Comiket in the future, most of the works, while well done, are not family friendly. Beware of your company! Luckily, no one in our group was a minor...

Comiket is worth the travel simply to see the fabulous cosplayers that emerge against the beautiful backdrop of Odaiba, Tokyo.


In contrast to A-nation, which provided "relaxation" stations for visitors and ample space to wander and sit down, Comiket can be a bit of a claustrophobic experience, especially during the high humidity of Japanese summers.


Tokyo Big site, for all its vastness, had little air circulation, and with over half a million people crammed into its halls, what little air conditioning there was--if there was any at all--was ineffective.

Despite that though, it was an awe-inspiring experience seeing so many people gather for a common interest. Comiket is definitely an event to attend to get a feel for the anime and otaku culture of Tokyo.

For more news about having fun in Tokyo, follow MICHIDO with an Email Subscription, on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

We also have more A-nation photos and Comiket photos on our Facebook, so be sure to check them out!

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SCREW Transitions to Major「Mom, I'm going to debut!」

Lots of stuff happened today, but I figured this was some pretty happy news, so I slapped this together.

My goodness...a second post, in less than week? What is the world coming to?!

At any rate, enjoy, and congrats SCREW! The original article is from Natalie mu.

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SCREW Transitions to Major「Mom, I'm going to debut!」

Released from Tokuma Japan Communications, visual kei band, SCREW, has been slated for their major debut, and their single「XANADU」will be released on October 17th.

The band has steadily gained popularity under the PS COMPANY indies label, and in May of this year, SCREW pulled off a successful European tour. The men held a live where they also had their first live after the band's formation in Tokyo ・ Takadanobaba AREA and yesterday, August 5th, was also celebrating Kazuki's (G) birthday. During the live's encore, they announced the information about their major debut.

The vocalist, Byou, spoke on stage, 「These 6 years has had its difficulties, its obstacles, there were many of those. Whenever I looked back, I thought, "Let's do this," and we've continued forward till now. Honestly, when our major debut was decided, I was so happy. But, even with all these emotions that come with our major debut, I want to continue towards the same dream, and I'm gonna show you all that dream too, so come with us!」A number of the fans in the audience were moved to tears.

From the birthday boy, Kazuki, 「We couldn't have gotten here if it weren't for these members,」he said before being overtaken by his emotions. Drummer Jin showed a joy that was「really beyond words」. Rui, the bassist who joined 2 and half years ago added, 「Meeting the current members, receiving this, I'm really happy right now,」. Guitarist Manabu 「Since I said 5 years ago,『I'm definitely gonna get a major debut』, and I left my hometown and came here, I'm really happy that it came true. I'm typically the cool guy, but today, I'm gonna say it. MOM, I'M GONNA DEBUT!」, inciting the venue.

On the day of SCREW's single release, 10/17, they will start at with a performance at Tokyo・Shibuya O-WEST, and will have 17 performances in 12 venues in their one-man tour「XANADU-Seventh Heaven...-」

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Well, there you have it! The SCREW boys have finally gotten their well-deserved major debut! It's definitely going to be a busy few months for them, but don't forget to cheer them on~!

Also, be sure to check out our new Sales page to see if there's anything of interest! Also feel free to request things in the "Other" box of the order form.

If you want more happy SCREW news, follow MICHIDO with an Email Subscription, on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

And last, but not least, be sure to leave us a comment down below--remember, more comments = more interest = more articles about things you're interested in! (^O^)／

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RR43 Coverage Inside Story Part 1 of season1（戒／the GazettE）

I feel like I say this every time I post here, but it's been a while since we updated the blog, haha! But it's also true every time ＿|￣|● ｶﾞｯｸﾘ

It has been, but there's a lot of activity since DIVISION is coming out soon (speaking of which, have you ordered your copy yet?).

Rock and Read is no exception--but what to do, I should just let you read it before I spoil it.

Enjoy!

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RR43 Coverage Inside Story Part 1 of season1（戒／the GazettE）

It's a bit sudden, but we have an announcement!

The next issue,『ROCK AND READ 043』will go on sale 8/29!

Ad, why, you ask, 8.29,,,,

It's because, on this day, the GazettE's new album『DIVISION』will be released!

Yes!

That's it! That's right!

On the cover of the next volume, it'll be THAT the GazettE member!

Who is it,,,

If you took take a look at this blog's header....
Vol. 33＝RUKI
Vol. 36＝REITA
Vol. 38＝葵
Vol. 41＝麗
have made appearances.

With that said!

YE----SSSSSS！

This time is the GazettE's leader, Kai-san, who will be making an appearance!

First, here's 1 snapshot from the scene of the photoshoot.

Tada


SOOOOOO COOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!

Please wait for the next report.

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Pretty short time time, but Kai looks flipping awesome--even when he isn't actually posing for a camera! Don't you think he brings a whole new meaning to badass?

Also, be sure to check out our new Sales page to see if there's anything of interest! Also feel free to request things in the "Other" box of the order form.

And, if you want to see more badass Kai, be sure to follow MICHIDO with an Email Subscription, on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

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Subtitles: Kaito Royale Episode 4

Welcome (back) to Kaito Royale!

Episode 4 really manages to bring up even more mysteries--if that was possible! Or, episode 4 if you have the version without the longer introduction.

Please don't encode or stream our subs! We just might send Sister Snake after you. However, feel free to link people back here to get the subs. You may post the download link on your own page, but please use our file (no reupload), and credit us ("Mou Ichido" and a link).

Also, be sure to check out our new Sales page to see if there's anything of interest!

And, if you want to make sure you won't have Sister Snake shooting you down in the middle of a fortune telling session, follow MICHIDO with an Email Subscription, on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

Without further ado...let's go steal some files. ;)

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Kishidan World Festival 2012『Rampaging Rock'n'roll Olympics』

「Kishidan World Fair」Part 1 Tamashii, MomoClo, VAMPS 8 Artist Announcement

9/16・17 in Chiba・Sodegaura Kaihin Park, a festival organized by Kishidan called 「Kishidan World Festival 2012『Rampaging Rock'n'roll Olympics』」has just released its 1st round of performers.

The 8 artists revealed this time include the sponsoring Kishidan, the GazettE, Group Tamashii, Shounan no Kaze, DJ Ozma (unconfirmed), VAMPS, Momoiro Cloverz, and Unicorn. There is already an early showing of how this will reach out to different genres and ages.

At the moment, due to DJ OZMA's appearance as a headliner still being negotiated, we have attached (unconfirmed) to his name. Ayakouji Shou thoughts about 「Kishidan World Festival」 will be published again in an interview on Natalie Super Power Push's Kishidan feature frame.

Currently, today from 5/15 12:00 to 5/23 18:00, advanced tickets are available through Natalie. If you would like to reserve your ticket, please feel free to apply.

Kishidan World Festival 2012「Rampaging Rock'n'Roll Olympics」

2012/09/16 (Sun) Chiba Sodegaura Kaihin Park
OPEN 9:00 / START 11:30 / END 19:50（Scheduled）

2012/09/17 (Mon ・ Holiday) Chiba Sodegaura Kaihin Park
OPEN 9:00 / START 11:30 / END 19:50（Scheduled）

＜Headliners＞
the GazettE / Group Tamashii / Shounan no Kaze / DJ OZMA (Unconfirmed) / VAMPS / Momoiro Cloverz / Unicorn / Kishidan / and more
※Performance dates will be announced at a later date

Advanced booking 1 day ticket / 10000円
Advnced booking 2 day ticket / 19000円

Original booking day: 2012/08/11 (Sat)

Original article from Natalie Mu.

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Definitely sounds like it's gonna burn the park down with a lineup like that!

If you want more news about this HOT festival, don't forget to follow MICHIDO with an Email Subscription, on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

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Radio: BayFM78 ON8 feat. The GazettE, Aoi & Reita, Pt. V

Do you all remember this project? Haha....

At any rate, this segment has talk of Reita's lack of popularity and how these guys seem to live and thrive off of their work.

It's funny how their workalicism really shows since both of them seem to not know what to do on their days off. Do any of you have the same problem? When you're off classes or work, you're just not sure what to do with that extra time...

Don't forget to leave us a comment at the end about what you thought!

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BAYFM78 ON8 Part V --- A Conflicted Aoi
DJ: Emiko Furukawa
GUESTS: the GazettE's Aoi & Reita

* * *

DJ: And you just heard the GazettE's “Before I Decay.” While these guys were listening to the broadcast just now, Aoi, well, he expressed his professional thoughts, didn't he?

Aoi: I did~ Reita's presence has become much more dominant

DJ&Reita: Yeah

Aoi: I think the bass is awesome.

DJ: “It even crosses over!” you said. “He's obviously powered up!”

Reita: He's cute, eh! Giving me compliments when we're not on air.

DJ: Ahahaha

Reita: Really! Right, Keiji!!

Aoi: No! No! I'm not Keiji!!

(Everyone bursts out laughing)

DJ: Aoi, when did you become Keiji?! (laughs)

Reita: He put on too much blush.

DJ: (Laughs) Blush?! You didn't right?

Aoi: I did not! I did not!

Explaining BEFORE I DECAY

DJ: And now, in a bit our two guests will in a quick breath give the listeners a shout out! Before that, Reita!

Reita: Yup

DJ: When do you feel like you're useless, like you're “decaying”?

Reita: During my days off!!

---Commercial Break----

DJ: We're back, during the CM, just now, Reita yelled at me for saying, “You're the useless one right!”

Reita: What, no! I didn't! I didn't!

DJ: I apologize for teasing you a bit.

Reita: I didn't!!!

Aoi: Ohh~Reita's scaaaarrryyy.

Reita: No, no, no! Wait a seconddddd!

DJ: I'm very, very sorry...(laughs)

Reita: Waaaaaaa—it's a set up!!

DJ: Ahahaha, Reita! Just now, you said it really sucks because the days when you feel like you're “decaying” are during the days off...

Reita: It really is. I have nothing to do! And, if I get 3 or 4 days off, I seriously spend those 4 days checking for incoming messages.

DJ: Emails? What about emails?

Reita: I guess I check my email sometimes? When I do online shopping...

Aoi: (laughs)

DJ: Ahahaha...not sending them to friends (laughs) (to the side) he doesn't have friends

Reita: And plans with the manager...

DJ: Confirming the schedules, right (laughs)

Reita: Huuuuuh? Am I...alive?

DJ: (laughs) You are! You're alive, you're living, and sought after by everyone! Reita!

Reita: Oh, and the other day, Aoi ruined the only incoming call I got!

DJ: Ooh? Ooh? Ooh?

Reita: I thought “Ooh!” then I checked it, “Hey, where's that hair salon again?” It was the same hair salon but the phone call was just, “Where is it again?” That was at the end of that day.

DJ&Aoi: Hahahahahah (laughs)

Reita: Well, anyways I was happy.

DJ: Aren't you the type that's really good at chatting with friends like this?

Reita: Nope, because when it comes to my popularity, I have none (laugh)

DJ: Your days off are really something (laughs) Aoi, what about you? What do you do with 3-4 days off?

Aoi: No, well, I...(inaudible), I've got things to do, but...

DJ: There are “things to do, but...”? So you mean you're “gonna” do it, but you don't really know how to delegate time for it?

Aoi: Yeah, that's right. I should be like Reita and at least say something interesting.

Reita: Aa~ Well you have a friend here.

DJ: (laughs) and you even have the same aura.

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And that was Part V of this BAYFM series! Poor Aoi, getting demoted (or was it a backhanded promotion??) to being Reita's pet parakeet. Check out Part I, II, III, and IV!

What was your favorite part of this segment? Did you like Aoi's new makeup style with the super red cheeks? Let us know in the comments section below!

If you like parakeet Aoi, then make sure you don't miss out on future articles by following MICHIDO with an Email Subscription, on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

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Videos: HollyHock Radio 08.22.2009 Part III

Hi everyone!

My goodness, it's been a while since our last update.

Before we get to the video though, we wanted to put up a magazine order offer.

Rock & Read 041 came out on 04/25, and MICHIDO is taking orders!

Why order from MICHIDO?

Because:

1. Price: Our base price for each RR41 is ￥1400. Shipping fees will vary based on your location and what kind of shipping you want (please email for more information). We accept Paypal, but please be aware that there is a 3.9%+￥40 charge that will be added onto the ￥1400.
2. Translations: We'll be doing translation snippets and translating the most interesting material, so if you order from us, you'll actually know what highlights your magazine has right here on this blog.
3. Easy: Just shoot an email to mou.ichido.2010 [at] gmail.com with questions and order requests, and we'll get right back to you! It'll be confidential and quick!

More details about RR41.

The covers have Uruha (the GazettE) and Tatsurou (Mucc). Other highlighted artists include Takeru (SuG), KENZO (Ayabie), Tsurugi (Sadie), Yusuke (lynch), Nii (Girugamesh), YUKI (Versailles), You (Matenrou Opera), Ibuki (D=out), Tohya (vistlip), BAN (Shoujo Lolita 23), and Ryuichi (Guild).

Basically, if we have positive feedback for this, you readers will be able to read more material and variety in the future ^^

Anyways, onto the featured media!

It's your favorite HollyHock Radio! This one doesn't involve so much laughter, but it definitely has Aoi musing to himself about yukata and his cute little male fantasies about girls and their outfits.



Hope you enjoyed that! Sakai seems so timid while Aoi sounded like he was in his yukata-filled world. At some point, it even sounded like a yukata fetish........

At any rate, if you loved listening to Aoi drift off about his clothing fantasies, then follow MICHIDO with an Email Subscription on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

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お花見

Hi everyone!

The blog has been really quiet mostly due to how chock-full everyone's schedules are with other things.

But this week is a really special week in Japan.

That's right! The sakura are in bloom, which definitely calls for a ohanami (flower viewing).

To give you a bit of a live experience, MICHIDO did a bit of vlogging to show you how many other people were enjoying the beautiful flowers.



Sakura is celebrated mostly because the blooms are only for a very short period of time. What's the best way to celebrate the blooms?

Basically, here in Japan, you break out the alcohol. My personal favorite is Sakura Wine. There is barely a hint of alcohol, and you can savor the sweetness while watching the sakura drift down.

Plenty of people also bring food and snacks, and there are many traditional matsuri, or festival, foods and activities.

The most important thing about hanami is really to enjoy the time with your friends and family. The forecasters in Japan predict the week the sakura will bloom, and as a result, everywhere with cherry blossom trees was crowded with people enjoying the beautiful weather and flowers with their loved ones.

I hope you all can also enjoy hanami wherever you are! If you have a hanami experience, you should definitely share it with us with a comment or a video reply!

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Blogs: One Year

It's been a whole year since the Tohoku Earthquake, which struck Japan on March 11, 2011 at 2:46pm.

I remember working frantically on a project for the blog when a burst of tweets started to, literally, tweet to me frantically from my computer. A flood of Facebook updates suddenly exploded with news about an earthquake in Japan.

The following weeks involved watching the news, seeing the devastation that had destroyed so many lives in a blink of an eye.

But these weeks also involved realizing the kindness and empathy that humanity is truly capable of.

Political boundaries didn't matter as strangers sent help from all over the world to help Japan recover. Socks, food and supplies were shipped from overseas to feed and clothe those who suddenly lost their homes. Volunteers went into the epicenter, risking their lives and never knowing if the next one would be the fatal "big one" or if the nuclear meltdown might be more lethal than any earthquake.


Help and strength came in the form of humanity.



These entries were put together rather hastily just to gather some thoughts on the web about the anniversary. Click on the picture to get taken down to the entry.

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One Year

It's been a year since the great earthquake,

I might not have been able to feel how happy and treasured my relationships with other people were.

Many things were lost, but
above that, we must continue forward to reap the benefits of the future.

I hope for the victims of the earthquake to rest in peace, and I'd also like to do what we can as individuals, whether it's always or for a day, to make the wounds of the earthquake heal sooner.

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Balls

I thought, "Should I tweet this on Twitter?" but it'll go on the blog.


A year has passed since the Great Tohoku earthquake.

I don't have the brains to write difficult things, but


people are surprisingly delicate


I think that at any given time, we probably want for trivial things, good health, smiling faces, things like that.


There aren't any less people to encourage

No, really.


On the other hand, whenever someone gave me encouragement for something I did


I felt encouraged about that particular thing


It's been a year like that



So, everyone, cheer up! (^-^)



Let's return the favor 100 fold! ≡⊂( ^-^)⊃

Tomorrow too, any time onwards, let's continue to make the most of it Na!

And bye!

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2012.3.11

It's been one year since the earthquake...

There are still victims who are recovering, and they're still going through painful and tough times.

I'm truly sorry I can't do anything to help them directly,
but even if, for a moment, they can go to where there feelings are...for a little bit, go to the power to keep living...
I want to sing the songs that will take them there.

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Hopefully the country will continue to recover. Meanwhile, feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments.

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