tarento watch

JAPAN TODAY

Temp agency Careo has announced the results of a survey in which it asked 500 men and women various questions about work attitudes. Among the queries were the following two pearls: “Which celebrity would you like to have dispatched to your workplace?” and “Which celebrity would you not like to have dispatched to your workplace?” For the first question, TV personality Becky, 25, was an overwhelming favorite with female respondents. One woman wrote: “I think the general atmosphere would improve,” while another commented, “If Becky were here, bullying and backstabbing would go down.” For the second question, comedian Tetsuro Degawa, 45, came in at No. 1. As to why people did not want him in their workplace, one respondent said, “He’s too noisy and I wouldn’t be able to concentrate.” Another said, “I just have an instinctive dislike for the man.” CB

Actress Masami Nagasawa, 22, currently appearing in the movie Gunjou (“Cobalt Blue”), has been named “Churashima Okinawa Taishi” (Beautiful Island Okinawa Ambassador) because she has visited the prefecture every year to work on films or photo shoots since her showbiz debut at age 13… Members of Canadian-Japanese J-pop band Monkey Majik have been appointed goodwill ambassadors by Canada to promote the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Tokyo and Ottawa… Popular singer Gackt, who is celebrating the tenth year of his solo career, has announced the “enlargement” of his name, from “Gackt” to an all-capital “GACKT,” explaining, “To commemorate ten years as an artist, I’ve gone all big letters.” Well, it beats changing it to a symbol, at least. CB

taste test

You know that summer’s arrived when Coca-Cola and Pepsi unveil their latest novelty flavors. This season’s offerings both turn to traditional Japanese staples for inspiration, with predictably mixed results.

Name: Pepsi Shiso
Selling point: Refreshing… and green!
Looks like: Cream soda, or toilet cleaner
Tastes like: Shiso, surprisingly enough. Thirst-quenching at first, but gets a bit sickly towards the end of the bottle
Likely to appeal to: Children, novelty-obsessed OLs

Name: Coca-Cola Plus, Green Tea Flavor
Selling point: Zero calories, contains antioxidants
Looks like: Regular Coke
Tastes like: Regular Coke, more or less. Faint traces of green tea flavor soften the aftertaste. Not entirely unpalatable
Likely to appeal to: Health-conscious junk food aficionados

urban wildlife

The long-standing claim in Japan that men are strong and women are weak is fast becoming an anachronism. The past few years have seen a dramatic rise in the breed known as herbivorous males (草食系男子 soushoku-kei danshi), timid creatures with little interest in dating. To restore the natural balance, a new species has emerged: carnivorous females (肉食系女子 nikushoku-kei joshi). Women’s magazines are dishing out advice on how to attract reticent guys, though you might do better to pick up a copy of the new book Nikushoku-joshi no Renaigaku (Love Strategies for Carnivorous Women) by Piroko Sakuragi, a dedicated carnivore herself. Do-it-yourself tests on the internet and in magazines help modern ladies figure out which type of carnivore they are: a harmless penguin, a cunning fox, a vicious lion, or a blood-curdling T. Rex. Fellas, be warned: these women are apparently everywhere. Look for the following red flags if you want to avoid becoming their next dinner:

Very sexually active

Approaches a man without hesitation

Independent, aggressive and success-driven, professionally and socially

Dresses well and isn’t afraid to flaunt her goodies

Prowls around at clubs and bars at night

Has male friends but not many, if any, female friends

Relates to the characters in Sex and the City

Doesn’t believe in a monogamous relationship. On her part, anyways

scared ****less

What: Drop, a horror story printed in nine installments—on rolls of toilet paper

Who: Novelist Koji Suzuki (of Ring fame) in collaboration with Shizuoka-based Hayashi Paper Co.

Where: Bookstores, Tokyu Hands, Loft, etc.

How much: ¥210/roll or ¥2,520 for a dozen



digital grieving
Mixi users react to the untimely death of Michael Jackson

Topic: Michael Jackson’s Death

June 26, 7:00
This sucks. Somebody must be making this up.

June 26, 7:34
No way! Aliens can’t die!

June 26, 7:57
Say it ain’t so? Say it ain’t so? Say it ain’t so? Say it ain’t so? I think I’m gonna cry.

June 26, 8:31
He’ll be doing shows in heaven, right? I wanna go to heaven. Somebody tell me this is all just a lie.

June 26, 8:51
It’s okay, he can’t die. He’s been a zombie all along.

June 26, 9:03
Please stop this thread. It’s not amusing.

mark the date

diss

“Simply put, Haruki Murakami is a great read, but awful literature. Literature has the power to change the way readers think and feel… When you read one of Murakami’s books, what changes? Nothing. In fact, he affirms that lack of change. He comforts those who, while they have a certain amount of self-respect, lack the courage to make breakthroughs in their own lives, saying ‘Hey, it’s okay for you to be bitter and lonely.’ Most people don’t have the guts to get their hands dirty, which is why Murakami is so popular.”

Naomi Watanabe, literary critic, in the July issue of Cyzo magazine