Tokyo Disneyland 25th Anniversary!

Via JapanProbe.com: "A Reuters video report about the upcoming 25th anniversary of Tokyo Disneyland’s founding and how the theme park is responding to the changing demographic situation in Japan:"

Nanking (Nanjing)

While this is not the most appropriate book to post on Ani-Pock, I no doubt think that it's none the less an important one. I am currently reading it, and not only am I whole-heartly understanding and un-biased, but also amazed.

I recommend The Rape of Nanking for all who want to learn a bit more about World War II and it's events.

Heres the description:

"The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II is a bestselling 1997 non-fiction book written by Iris Chang about the 1937–1938 Nanking Massacre, the massacre and atrocities committed by the Imperial Japanese Army after it captured Nanjing, then capital of China, during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It documents the events, based on the author's research, leading up to the Nanking Massacre and the atrocities that were committed. The book also presents the view that the Japanese government has not done enough to redress the atrocities. It is one of the first major English-language books to introduce the Nanking Massacre to Western and Eastern readers alike, and has been translated into several languages...The book depicted in detail the killing, torture, and rape that occurred during the Nanking Massacre."

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Beware when or if you are to read this book, due to the fact that it has graphic descriptions as well as pictures and more.

PikaPika Stop-Motion Light Doodle Videos

Via JapanProbe.com: "
We took a photo of each image using long exposures and put them together to make them look like one animation.
To work on this project,we went out to various places in Japan:parks,under the train track,the Tokyo Bay,school hallways,and so on.
We got all sorts of friends in different fields together to work on this project."
And here's a video showing how they made the one above!
Really neat stuff!

Kung Fu-Kun

This looks funny! Text from JapanProbe.com:
"Chinese child martial artist Zhang Zhuang will be hitting Japanese theaters tomorrow with the release of Kung Fu-kun, a wacky action comedy that teams the kid up with al all-star cast of Japanese celebrities and comedians. Here’s the official film trailer"

Karate Chop in super slow motion!!

Really neat! Who'd ever thought it'd look so... uh painful?

Japanese TV: Anime + Ronald McDonald

omgeee

Magibon Gya0 4

Kami please translate!

London's Guinness Book of World Records' gaming character costumes attempt

80 peeps. I would think Comic-Con, Anime North or Otakon would have more.

Happy Spring Day Holiday

Happy Non-Religious-Specific Spring Day!

Kami has given Ani-Pock a very special holiday present today.
Below is a slide show of the various temples and shrines Kami has photographed when he lived in Japan!

And might I add, that each of them looks very beautiful and well-photographed.

As always you can see these and other photos at the Ani-Pock web album when you click on the slideshow. Enjoy!

Cherry Blossoms Blooming in Tokyo

Picture taken at Ueno Park, Tokyo.

Cherry blossoms started blooming in Tokyo Saturday, six days earlier than usual but two days later than last year, the Meteorological Agency said.



Picture taken at Suzuka International University (Suzuka, Mie)

The March 22 bloom is the ninth quickest start to the cherry blossom season since records began in 1953.

The agency announced that the national flower also started to bloom Saturday in Shizuoka and Kumamoto prefectures.



Picture also taken in Suzuka... Sorry... nothing from Shizuoka or Kumamoto

Cherry blossoms usually need about one week from the start of their bloom to become fully open.

Full story from Mainichi Daily
Check out our Past related stories from 2007 and 2006.

AmbassaDoraemon

Doraemon, the lovable, blue, robotic cat that has graced Japan for nearly half a century, will soon be traveling abroad to tell the rest of the world what makes Japan great.

You can call him an Ambassadoraemon.

Doraemon has been a widely popular pop culture symbol for Japan for quite some time. Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura hopes that Doraemon will help to popularize anime to the rest of the world as well, and invite people to come to the land where it is all made!

Doraemon had this to say at the morning press conference about his appointment to Ambassador:

"Through my cartoons, I hope to convey to people abroad what ordinary Japanese people think, our lifestyles and what kind of future we want to build."

In addition to his travels (via of course, his time and space warping pocket), Doraemon films will be screened in several countries as a part of this effort.

More at Mainichi news. Thanks, Kami.

Study says: Pet's like Wii too!

And dogs are better xD

White Light, Black Rain - The Destruction Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki

On August 6th and 9th, 1945, two atomic bombs vaporized 210,000 people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Those who survived are called “hibakusha”–people exposed to the bomb–and there are an estimated 200,000 living today. Today, with the threat of nuclear weapons of mass destruction frighteningly real- the world’s arsenal capable of repeating the destruction at Hiroshima 400,000 times over, Oscar® award-winning filmmaker Steven Okazaki revisits the bombings and shares the stories of the only people to have survived a nuclear attack.
1hr 21 min

Hare Hare New-kai

First of all, forgive me, I've been a little out of touch with the anime world of news, because of... life.

But, if you got the Japanese release of the new SHnY PS2 game last month, you got a disc containing this video of Haruhi and the crew remixed in 3D, doing the Hare Hare Yukai in their game costumes!

And I promise, it will be the very last HHY dance video I upload on Ani-Pock.
I'll just get PC to put em up from now on...

Well, here you go, it's all high-quality formatted, so the runtime appears longer than the video is because of the extra awesomeness you get from when it was coded. Enjoy:

BTW, we're also expecting the much anticipated season two, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, this spring. Hopefully, that means when Clannad ends, which is soon enough.

Azumanga Daioh: The Lost Episodes II

A funny mix of Azumanga to various songs. Thanks Rin!

Sponge Bob + Death Note!

Recap of Top Viral Vids!

New Dancing Storm Trooper in Japan Video

Hey Hullo, you should post your flash in the comments to go along with this!

A very cool bird

Impressive abilities. TINY! (wait until second half)

Pokemon: Politics Edition

Add the battle music! xD

Trailer Toppa Gurren Lagann!

I caught this on the disc in the final issue of NEWTYPE. February's issue, that is.
It's the English trailer for Gurren Lagann!
Doesn't look like voices are picked yet, and I do so hope the staff does justice to them.
Do check out just how awesome this Gainax series is! Now with more YouTube Hi-Fi! ;)

Don't let the skeleton turn you off now, you won't find dead folks explicitly littering the series with their bones. Lookie, I even got the border to match!

Japanese Tea commerical

This is a commrical about 2 catterpillers, a dad one , and his son, and they're traveling up a tea leaf stalk to get the top leaves. Tis cute and funny

Superflat Monogram - Art of Fashion

This is a commercial done for Louis Vuitton in the superflat anime style. Though the style is supposed to be representative of the emptiness of consumerism, this commercial seems to portray the opposite.

Here is Superflat Monogram by Mamoru Hosoda in all its glory:

Thanks, Stan, for suggesting the video!
If you want a higher-resolution copy of the video for download, please contact Kip.

New Planet Spotted... Hopefully Will Have a "P" Name

From Yahoo! News:

Scientists at a Japanese university said Thursday they believed another planet up to two-thirds the size of the Earth was orbiting in the far reaches of the solar system.

The researchers at Kobe University in western Japan said calculations using computer simulations led them to conclude it was only a matter of time before the mysterious "Planet X" was found.

"Because of the very cold temperature, its surface would be covered with ice, icy ammonia and methane," Kobe University professor Tadashi Mukai, the lead researcher, told AFP.
"If research is conducted on a wide scale, the planet is likely to be discovered in less than 10 years," it said.

Planet X -- so called by scientists as it is yet unfound -- would have an oblong elliptical solar orbit and circle the sun every thousand years, the team said, estimating its radius was 15 to 26 billion kilometres.

The study comes two years after school textbooks had to be rewritten when Pluto was booted out of the list of planets.

Thanks, Kami.

Slayers Makes A Triumphant Return

Okay! I won the lottery!
No? Better than that?
I've been elected President of the world!
No? Well, what could be better than those things?
Could it be that The Slayers is getting a new series?
No?
Two new series-es!?!

What!?!

You'd better believe it. This is a great time for the cuh-huh-lassic anime tale of the great "dragon spooker" Lina Inverse, and her dimwitted guardian, Gourry Gabriev. Not only are each of the first three series being released on complete collection DVDs, as well as re-releases of the OVAs and specials on to complete sets, but the series is making a big comeback as it will be renewed for a much anticipated (read: decade-long-wait) fourth and fifth season!

Homigawd homigawd homigawd! Personally, this has been an awesome day for me, but this is the icing on the tayaki! I couldn't make it to the J-blog fast enough to type this! \^o^/

Read more at Wizard Universe.

Anime Dominos!

This is a video of Hayate no Gotoku’s anime/manga character Hinagiku Katsura being made. At first it seems the colors are a bit iffy, but if you wait it out…

An Ani-Pock Public Service Announcement

Be advised!
Small cell phone charms modled after the Japanese "kaomiji" emoticons are running away with cellphones!
They are notiorious for dancing on the spot and fleeing when their routine is done. A recent trend is to attach these kaomiji people on to cell phones as charms.

Pictured left are each of the offenders still wanted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. PATLABORS have already been dispatched. The evil masterminds, Yujin, creators of these monsters, could not be reached for comment.

And now, here's a Civil Defense video that will explain nothing to you:


Thank you to tipster Pocky for providing this up-to-date news!

Anime Speed drawing!

Anime Girl

Cat Girl