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Japan Now! Official Thread

I'm wondering how old your students are. I asked my children (8 and 6) whether AKB48 were popular with boys and girls in their class and they weren't with either.
Mike Cash - you're absolutely right, if cartoons weren't made to sell the merchandise, there'd be far fewer of them around, though it still grates that a children's program is being used to promote the rather sordid AKB48 business, whose main audience seem to be adult men.

I teach children of all ages. From 1 year olds to high school students. The kinder/elementary school girls had a favorable opinion. Cartoons in general are made to promote a toy line. We all liked the TMNT 80s cartoon right? It only existed to market their toy line.

AKB48 was/still is to an extent popular with kids too. I teach 200 - 300 kids and when AKB48 came out everybody was humming and singing their songs. Not just adult men. That being said, I'd prefer not to get into the business ethics of jpop groups in this particular thread though. Maybe make a new thread about it? I've heard all kinds of awful things regarding Hello Project, Johnnies groups and of course the 48 franchise.
 
I teach children of all ages. From 1 year olds to high school students. The kinder/elementary school girls had a favorable opinion. Cartoons in general are made to promote a toy line. We all liked the TMNT 80s cartoon right? It only existed to market their toy line.

AKB48 was/still is to an extent popular with kids too. I teach 200 - 300 kids and when AKB48 came out everybody was humming and singing their songs. Not just adult men. That being said, I'd prefer not to get into the business ethics of jpop groups in this particular thread though. Maybe make a new thread about it? I've heard all kinds of awful things regarding Hello Project, Johnnies groups and of course the 48 franchise.

Fair enough, I agree this isn't the best place for a discussion on jpop groups and I won't make any further comments.
Keep up the good work on the YouTube!
 
Fair enough, I agree this isn't the best place for a discussion on jpop groups and I won't make any further comments.
Keep up the good work on the YouTube!

Thank you so much! I hope you will continue to comment here about other things though ^^. You should totally start a thread about the dark side to jpop. I'll drop this topic too now.
 
Japan Now! - Pretz and Pocky Day



I revisit and discuss the lore behind Pocky and Pretz Day. What exactly is it and how did 2 popular snacks come to have their own holiday? Find out today.
 
This week I go to my favorite restaurant in Japan to eat my favorite food! Shabu-shabu! Join me as I explain what it is and why you need it in your life.

 
I love shabu-shabu too. Just had it last weekend at a home party. It's been a long time since I've had it in a restaurant.
 
I was wondering the same thing. Given that his YT channel hasn't been updated in a while I assume he's busy bonenkai'ing.
 
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I was wondering the same thing. Given that his YT channel hasn't been updated in a while I assume he's busy bonenkai'ing.

Featured thread or I wouldn't be posting to it...

I think he may simply have lost interest when the channel just didn't gain any traction. There are so many J-vloggers out there and so many videos on YT covering similar material that it would be practically a full-time job trying to get enough notice to stand out from the others. Creating and editing video content is very time consuming and a person would have to be some kind of a masochist to stick with a project like this through the early period when it must seem like the return in terms of views and subscribers isn't paying off.
 
Creating those videos must have taken a tremendous effort. As his game channels haven't seen any updates either I hope it's just that: a loss of interest. Anyhow, I've unfeatured the thread, still hoping Kazekawa will resume his projects one day.
 
What I've discovered over the years is that life happens. I'd love to blog, make videos and web surf full time. But there always seem to be other priorities. Like supporting a family. Paying bills. Mowing the lawn.
 
With or without videos, it would be nice to have him hang out with us here on the forum.
 
I've started about three blogs in my life. None of them made it past the first entry..

It should really be your hobby or passion to do it. If earning money is your motive, you'll have to support the project fulltime.
 
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