Podcasts about takarazuka

 Subscribers! Be sure to go to the blog to read the description easier & check out links for this episode!Treat yourself or a loved one! TokyoTreat makes the perfect gift for any occasion. Use code "NOSTALGIA" for $5 off your first #TokyoTreat box through my link: https://team.tokyotreat.com/theanimenostalgiaThis month, I'm joined by returning champion Tricia to check out the brand new Mappa-animated Rose of Versailles anime film on Netflix. Released a whopping 46 years after it's first anime adaptation (and a musical to boot?!), what do we, as Rose of Versailles fans, think of this new vision of Oscar & company? Well...it definitely surprised us, alright, but it also left us asking quite a lot of questions. Listen in as we discuss what we thought worked, what we thought didn't, and answer your burning questions--like what other anime & manga should get musicals!  Stream the episode above or  [Direct Download]Subscribe on apple podcasts | Spotify Relevant links: Buy the original Rose of Versailles manga thru my affiliate links at Bookshop.org, Crunchyroll Store, or Amazon!Buy the original anime release on bluray thru my affiliate links at Crunchyroll Store or Amazon!Watch the original anime adaptation for free (with ads) in the US on RetroCrush, Pluto TV, Crackle, and currently updating weekly on TMS' Youtube channel!Read about the history of Takarazuka and how Rose of Versailles was a key factor in its popularity!Watch a recent trailer for one of the many Japanese Rose of Versailles Takarazuka Review stage musicals (no subtitles)Follow guest Tricia on Bluesky!  My theme song music was done by Kerobit! You can find more about them on their website! As always, feel free to leave me your thoughts on this episode or ideas for future episodes here—or email me directly at AnimeNostalgiaPodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

角和夫さん阪急阪神ホールディングス前会長阪急阪神ホールディングスの社長、会長を務めた角和夫さんが４月２６日、兵庫県宝塚市の自宅で死去した。 Kazuo Sumi, former president and chairman of railway operator Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., died at his house in the city of Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on April 26, it was learned Wednesday. He was 76.

Kazuo Sumi, former president and chairman of railway operator Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., died at his house in the city of Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on April 26, it was learned Wednesday. He was 76.

In this supplemental we travel to Japan to see Om Shanti Om, Takarazuka style.  Show notes: Takarazuka Revue Om Shanti Om: Endless Cycle of Love NEXT TIME: Pilot Season 3 Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook!

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment includes a personality test to help you choose your Death Note game character, industry veteran crowdfunding after being robbed, and Castlevania getting the Takarazuka treatment! Also, Netflix facing backlash over its payment structure, Interstella 5555 coming to theaters for one night only, and the TRANSFORMERS mobile game is revealed! Meanwhile in Japan, the Vatican now has an official anime-style mascot who is soon to travel to Japan, and a preschool principal hires a DJ for the kids... --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/animejamsession/support

Con Laura y Hira de @japones.con.nipponismo hablamos de la compañía de teatro musical Takarazuka. Una compañía japonesa con mucha historia, una escuela y con una peculiaridad que la hace única: TODOS los personajes son interpretados por mujeres. Escucha el programa y aprende todas las curiosidades de este grupo teatral japonés --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stories-de-radiocastellar/message

New anime from the man, Shinchiro Watanabe announced at San Diego Comic-Con, as well as new anime trailers from Adult Swim! The Idolm@ster and Love Live School Idol Project plan for a joint concert, IKEA launches an anime-like campaign, FLOW brings us new opening and ending themes for the new 4 episodes of Naruto, and One Piece gets a new ending theme after 17 years?! Meanwhile in Japan (take two)... A haunted hide and seek comes to Osaka this summer, a swimsuit model and former adult actress releases her own AI-generated photo album, Final Fantasy 16 becomes a Takarazuka stage play, and a city allows residents to control the mayor's salary?! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/animejamsession/support

Alex from the BeruBara Tag Boom joins the show to discuss the history and politics of an all-women musical theater based in Western Japan known as the Takarazuka Revue. We discuss the class politics of the Takarazuka Revue, particularly its ties to an Osaka-based private railway corporation called the Hankyu Corporation (now a subsidiary of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group), the development of railway infrastructure and the suburbanization of Osaka in the early twentieth century that created the revue's petty bourgeois or middle class audience base, as well as their children as a pool of future Takarazuka actors.We discuss the contradiction between the apparent queerness of the Takarazuka Revue and the conservative values it promotes, and the role Takarazua has played and continues to play in the reproduction of Japanese capitalism and imperialism since the revue's founding in the 1910s, through the rise of fascism in the 1930s and WWII, into the post-war period and the present day, and a correlation between the boom and bust cycle of capitalism on the one hand and the Takarazuka Music School's enrollment rate and the revue's overall popularity on the other. We conclude our discussion by asking whether the Takarazuka Revue is fundamentally a reactionary form of art or a potentially liberatory form of art that can convey revolutionary politics. Follow Alex on Twitter @NOAHs_SaviorWorks Mentioned:Gender Gymnastics: Performing and Consuming Japan's Takarazuka Revue by Leonie SticklandA History of the Takarazuka Revue Since 1914 by Makiko YamanashiOn the Reproduction of Capitalism: Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses by Louis AlthusserIntro:  Cielo by Huma Huma Outro:  Youth Doesn't Need Roses by the Beauty PairSupport the show

Agradece a este podcast tantas horas de entretenimiento y disfruta de episodios exclusivos como éste. ¡Apóyale en iVoox! Continúo hablando de esta ciudad, que parece que os gustó en la primera entrega. Esta vez nos vamos a alguien tan importante en Japón como el llamado Dios del manga. En esta ciudad podemos encontrar el museo que rinde homenaje a este gran creador y su obra. Pero eso no es todo, os descubriré otros lugares de Takarazuka... Será mejor que lo escuchéis en lugar de que os lo cuente por aquí, ¿no? Muchas gracias por apoyar. Foto CC usada en este episodio: -Hi-no Tori (Phoenix) de Hideyuki KAMON en Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hyougushi/13670430203 Música usada: -"Paperwings" Creative Commons Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com audionautix -"Miyako Japan III" by SHW - Japanese Music [Free - No Copyright] Por Alfonso M. GonzálezEscucha este episodio completo y accede a todo el contenido exclusivo de Podcast Japón - GAIKAN Japan Limited. Descubre antes que nadie los nuevos episodios, y participa en la comunidad exclusiva de oyentes en https://go.ivoox.com/sq/651913

Agradece a este podcast tantas horas de entretenimiento y disfruta de episodios exclusivos como éste. ¡Apóyale en iVoox! Vamos con la primera parte de esta visita en audio a una de las joyas ocultas de Kansai. Os quería traer algunos extras y programas con una vocación más turística, repasando lugares que he tenido la suerte de visitar. A ver si me prodigo más a menudo con contenidos como este... Quizá incluso hemos pasado por Takarazuka y no hemos sido conscientes de ello. Se ubica entre Osaka y Kobe, y en algunos de nuestros desplazamientos por territorio nipón es más que probable que hayamos transitado por allí. Es un lugar muy especial y en estos dos extras os explicaré el porqué. Os hablaré también del Takarazuka Revue, la popilar compañía de teatro y de Sakura Wars... ¿Un videojuego? Dale al PLAY y lo entenderás todo. Músicas usadas: -MIYAKO JAPAN II by SHW - JAPANESE MUSIC [FREE - NO COPYRIGHT] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPVb_RmjUBg -Sakura Taisen (SEGA Saturn intro) by Alfonso Martínez, autor de «Pulp Reality»Escucha este episodio completo y accede a todo el contenido exclusivo de Podcast Japón - GAIKAN Japan Limited. Descubre antes que nadie los nuevos episodios, y participa en la comunidad exclusiva de oyentes en https://go.ivoox.com/sq/651913

Japanese women during Valentine's Day, more foreigners expected to come to Japan, the school that bans jackets in the winter, and more! Those are the topics for this week's episode of Small Talk Japan with Mitch and Natsuki! Support us on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/smalltalkjapan Articles from this week's episode Japan aiming for record number of foreign visitors in 2025 https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/02/f9f34e464698-japan-aiming-for-record-number-of-foreign-visitors-in-2025.html Draft bill proposal seeks to curtail unconventional 'kirakira' kanji name readings - Japan Today https://japantoday.com/category/national/draft-bill-proposal-seeks-to-curtail-unconventional-%27kirakira%27-kanji-name-readings Students forbidden from wearing coats in winter due to meaningless rules at Japanese schools - The Mainichi https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230203/p2a/00m/0na/003000c Aide to Japan's prime minister says he 'hates' to see LGBT couples - Nikkei Asia https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Aide-to-Japan-s-prime-minister-says-he-hates-to-see-LGBT-couples City officials learn easy Japanese as number of foreign residents increases https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/02/040c0794d3a2-city-officials-learn-easy-japanese-as-number-of-foreign-residents-increases.html Sushi chain limits conveyor belt use to orders after licking scandal https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/02/dff310aa378a-sushi-chain-limits-conveyor-belt-use-to-orders-after-licking-scandal.html Mitsubishi Heavy gives up 1st Japan-made passenger jet project https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/02/0aa9f96d1f08-urgent-mitsubishi-heavy-set-to-terminate-passenger-jet-project.html 'Be lazy anywhere': Pop-up store in Tokyo to let customers try on wearable beanbags - The Mainichi https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230204/p2a/00m/0bu/013000c Not in the mood for small talk? Japanese taxis add Silent Mode service, activated with finger tap | SoraNews24 Japan News https://soranews24.com/2023/02/09/not-in-the-mood-for-small-talk-japanese-taxis-add-silent-mode-service-activated-with-finger-tap/ UK-style 'ground floor' to be abolished at Japan's Takarazuka city hall after complaints - The Mainichi https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230208/p2a/00m/0na/015000c Burger King Japan's Cheeseburger Gelände — exceptional in taste, size and… paper napkins? | SoraNews24 Japan News https://soranews24.com/2023/02/03/burger-king-japans-cheeseburger-gelande-exceptional-in-taste-size-and-paper-napkins/ Sakurajima volcano in southwestern Japan erupts - The Mainichi https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230208/p2g/00m/0na/046000c 83% of women in Japan don't want to give 'obligatory' chocolates on Valentine's Day: poll - The Mainichi https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230208/p2a/00m/0na/009000c Japan bureaucrat turns into YouTube 'mutant' turtle to tell of new rules on alien species - The Mainichi https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230209/p2a/00m/0sc/011000c 今こそアカミミガメを語ろう！カメトーク！【WoWキツネザル×環境省】 - YouTube https://youtu.be/OT7CdGIpbUA Check out our sponsors! STAPLETON 英会話: https://stapleton.me/ Online classes! DROPS Hair: http://drops-hair.jp/ If you are interested in the equipment we use, check out the links below! mic https://amzn.to/3gtJapQ mixer XLR USB https://amzn.to/2XtQ8SL camera https://amzn.to/2ZwsLuu headphones https://amzn.to/2TAYt64 asdasdsad

When looking for inspiration, when looking for someone you can look up to in your craft, I look to Paul Binnie. Paul is an artist who has carved a living from their craft, and has been a large part of the greater mokuhanga community. His work has touched on so many themes, concepts and ideas. His mokuhanga takes the past and brings it firmly into the future.  On this episode of The Unfinished Print, I speak with mokuhanga printmaker Paul Binnie. Paul speaks about his life and career, how he uses pigments, paper, and wood for his work. We discuss the fantasy and reality of an historical past. We look at shin-hanga, and sōsaku hanga, observing kabuki, as well as taking a look at his other work such as oil painting and his drawings.  This interview was recorded during Paul Binnie's solo show at Scholten Japanese Art in June, 2022. There may be some background noise during the interview. I apologize for any inconvenience.  Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own mokuhanga work on Instagram @andrezadoroznyprints or email me at theunfinishedprint@gmail.com  Notes: may contain a hyperlink. Simply click on the highlighted word or phrase. Artists works follow after the note. Pieces are mokuhanga unless otherwise noted. Paul Binnie - while Paul doesn't have a singular website he does have his Instagram. There is the "Binnie Catalogue," which is produced by a third party which digitally collects his work, past and present. This can be found, here.  Protest March - from the Flowers of a Hundred Years Series (2016) New Year Card - called nengajo (年賀状) in Japanese, these cards have been traditionally passed from person to person since the Heian Period (794-1185). Mokuhanga practitioners make them as well, creating a new one every year focusing on the zodiac sign of the year as a theme. Scholten Japanese Art - is a mokuhanga focused art gallery located in midtown Manhattan. It was founded by René Scholten, an avid collector of the Japanese print. More info can be found, here. intaglio printing - is a printing method, also called etching, using metal plates such as zinc, and copper, creating “recessed” areas which are printed with ink on the surface of these "recesses.” More info, here. The MET has info, here.  Yoshida Hiroshi (1876-1950) - a watercolorist, oil painter, and woodblock printmaker. Is associated with the resurgence of the woodblock print in Japan, and in the West. It was his early relationship with Watanabe Shōzaburō, having his first seven prints printed by the Shōzaburō atelier, that made Hiroshi believe that he could hire his own carvers and printers and produce woodblock prints, which he did in 1925.  Yoshida Tōshi (1911-1995) - eldest son of Hiroshi Yoshida. Having been affected by polio, and the pressure of continuing his fathers legacy, Tōshi Yoshida made prints and paintings which gradually became expressive, avant garde and abstract. Later in life he focused on birds and mammals. Seki Kenji - is a woodblock printmaker based in Tokyo. He was head printer, and produced prints, for Doi Hangaten as well as making his own pieces.  Late Fall (ca 1990's) Western Representational realism - is an attempt to represent the subject in art in the most realistic way possible. Interchangeable with naturalism in European art of the 19th Century.  kabuki - is a traditional form of Japanese theatre which started in Kyoto on the banks of the Kamo River in the 17th Century. Today it is a multi million dollar business and is almost exclusively run, professionally, by The Shochiku Company. Kabuki, the word, is separated into three different sounds; ka - meaning to sing, bu - meaning to dance, and ki- meaning skill. There are various families in kabuki which generate actors, passing down tradition throughout the lineage. For more information please read this fine article from Nippon.com. There are many books written on the subject of kabuki, but in my opinion, to begin, one needs to read Leonard Pronko's work Theatre East & West, Kawatake Toshio's Kabuki, and Earl Ernst's The Kabuki Theatre. Online, please visit Kabuki21.com, who's site is unparalleled. On YouTube there is the new(ish) Kabuki In-Depth which is updated regularly on kabuki information and history, and is very well done.  Hiroo/Roppongi -  is an upscale area of Tōkyō, Japan. It has a thriving international community, museums, galleries and the like. More info can be found, here.  Nakamura Utaemon VI (1917-2001) - was a kabuki actor who focused primarliy on female roles, or onnagata. He is considered one of the best actors in this kind of role, and was designated a Living National Treasure in Japan, in 1968.  From, A Great Mirror of the Actors of the Heisei Period: Nakamura Utaemon as Agemaki in Sukeroku by Paul Binnie (1997) Agemaki - is a character from the celebrated story Sukeroku, a story about love and revenge. It was first staged in kabuki in 1713. Agemaki is a famous courtesan who is in love with Sukeroku.  Edo Wonderland Nikko Mura - is an Edo stylized theme park based on the architecture of Edo Period (1603-1868) Japan, and is located in Tochigi Prefecture. There are other areas in Japan which contain Edo Period architecture and events, such as the Dutch Trading Post located on Dejima Island in Nagasaki. More info regarding Edo Wonderland, here.  More info on the Dejima, Dutch Trading Post, here.  nō - is a traditional Japanese theatre based on ghost and mythological stories. It, like kabuki, uses dance, music, and drama to tell its story. It is older than kabuki and was patronized by the aristocratic class in Japan. Kabuki was the oppoosite, where the everyperson could enjoy kabuki, the aristrocrats enjoyed nō. Like kabuki, the stage is set in a traditional way, and the roles are played by men. For a more detailed descriptor of nō, you can find it at Japan-Guide.com, here. Takarazuka -  is an all female musical theatre troupe, based in Hyōgo Prefecture, and founded in 1914. The revue has become a popular Kansai tourist attraction. For a detailed description of the Takarazuka, their website in English can be found, here. A Crib's Notes descriptor can be found, here.  kappazuri-e - is the method of stencil printing, usually atributed to the sōsaku hanga artists of the 1950's and 1960's. Artists such as Yoshitoshi Mori (1898-1992), used stencil's to make elaborate prints. It can be quite an interesting and complicated process. More information can be found, here, from Viewing Japanese Prints.    Yoshitoshi Mori : Street Vendors (1970)    German Expressionism - focused on emotional expression rather than realistic expression. German Expressionists  explored their works with colour and shape searching for a “primitive aesthetic” through experimentation. More info can be found, here, on Artsy.net    Max Pechstein - Angler am Lebastrom (1936) watercolour on paper   Edvard Munch (1863-1944) - was a Norweigan artist, who initially was a painter, but also ventured into printmaking making 850 images. His print medium was etching, lithography, and woodcut. More information can be found here, at Christie's.      The Girls on The Bridge (1918) woodcut printed in blue with lithograph and pale green on wove paper.    Ralph Kiggell (1960-2022) -  was one of the most important mokuhanga practitioners. Originally from England, Ralph lived and worked in Thailand. Ralph pushed the boundaries of mokuhanga with extremely large pieces, jigsaw carving, and by using fantastic colour. He also worked with the International Mokuhanga Conference to promote mokuhanga around the world. He will be greatly missed. Ralph's work can be found, here. His obituary in The Guardian can be found, here. His interview with The Unfinished Print can be found, here.     Jackfruit (2018)   Tama Art University - is an arts university located in various campuses in Tōkyō. It has various departments such as Architecture, Product and Textile Design, and Art Studies.    Ban Hua: Chinese woodblock prints - the history of Chinese woodblock goes back centuries, longer than the Japanese method. Modern Chinese printmaking began after Mao's Cultural Revolution, strongly connected  by the writings and work of philosopher, academic, and artist Lu Xun (1881-1936) who established the Modern Woodcut Movement. There is a lot of information regarding Chinese woodblock printing. To begin, check out the Muban Educational Trust based in England and their work. More info can be found, here.  And here at artelino, For the history of Lu Xun, this can be found, here.    powdered pigments - are an option when producing your mokuhanga. They are pigments which are made of powder, and when mixed with certain binders can be used as gouache, or water colours.    nihonga - was a Japanese artistic movement based on going back to a “traditional” form of Japanese aesthetic in painting, away form the new Western influences which were coming into Japan during the later 19th Century. More info can be found, here.      Tetsu Katsuda (1896-1980) - Evening (1934)   Uemura Shōen (1875-1949) -  was the pseudonym of Uemura Tsune, who was supported by her mother to pursue painting, at a time when female painters were rare. Her work focused on various themes such as nō, the four seasons, and nationalist paintings during World War 2.      Daughter Miyuki (1914) painting   kozo paper -  is paper made from mulberry bark and is commonly used in woodblock printmaking.   shina - is a type of Japanese plywood used in mokuhanga. Not all shina is made equally, buyer beware.    Wood Like Matsumura - is an online and brick and mortar store, for woodblock printmaking, located in Nerima City, Tōkyō. website.   Nihon no Hanga - is a mokuhanga museum located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It focuses on many types of mokuhanga in history and publishes various catalogues of their exhibitions, which are top notch. More info, here.     The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art - This museum is dedicated to the arts, Western and “non-Western”from all periods of human history, focusing on education, and conservation. More info, here.    Kabuki Earphone Guide -  is and was an audio guide in Japanese for Japanese, and English for English speaking tourists coming to watch kabuki. It hired English speaking academics to narrate the action as you watched. In 2015 the English version of the audio guide was replaced with the GMARK or GMARC captioning guide. GMARK stands for Graphic Multilingual Advanced Real-time Captioning system.    Kabuki-za - is the main theatre in Tōkyō which shows kabuki performances. It was opened in 1889 and has been rebuilt several times in its history.    Okubi-e -  are woodblock prints of close-up human heads, which came into prominence in the late 19th Century. For me, the best mokuhanga designer of okubi-e is Toyohara Kunichika (1835-1900). His okubi-e of kabuki actors is unparalleled, showing the actors in various positions with intricate backgrounds and poses.      Kawarazaki Gonjuro I as Sato Masakiyo (1869)     Ichikawa Ennosuke IV as Nikki Danjō (1996) by Paul Binnie   Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) - was a Dutch post-Impressionist painter. He began to collect Japanese woodblock prints around the winter of 1886-1887 from the art dealer Siegfried Bing. he used to collect and to sell for a profit, although he didn't sell very many. This collection would go on to influence much of his work.  Rebecca Salter - is the President of The Royal Academy of Arts, in London, England. She is also an artist who has written two books about Japanese woodblock printing, Japanese Woodblock Printing (2001), and Japanese Popular Prints (2006). She worked with the Satō Woodblock Print Workshop, documenting their process. Her interview with The Unfinished Print can be found, here.  into the light II (2011) Akira Kurosaki 黒崎彰 (1937-2019) - was one of the most influential woodblock print artists of the modern era. His work, while seemingly abstract, moved people with its vibrant colour and powerful composition. He was a teacher and invented the “Disc Baren,” which is a great baren to begin your mokuhanga journey with. At the 2021 Mokuhanga Conference in Nara, Japan there was a tribute exhibit of his life works. Azusa Gallery has a nice selection of his work, here. W- 396, Wandering Heart (2017) Wimbledon, England - is a district located in South West London. Considered an affluent neighbourhood, it is the home of the Wimbledon tennis tournament. More info can be found here, at Visit London.    Stockwell, London - located in the burough of Lambeth, in London, England. It is a diverse neighbourhood, close to Brixton, with shopping, and restaurants. It's a great area to stay and enjoy a different side of London.    International Mokuhanga Conference - is a bi-yearly conference dedicated to mokuhanga which started in 2011 by the International Mokuhanga Association. Each conference is themed. The latest conference was in 2021, delayed a year because of the pandemic. More information can be found, here.       Hiroshi Yoshida - Fishes of Honolulu at The Honolulu Aquarium (1925)     Summer Canyon - Black's Beach: Sunrise   © Popular Wheat Productions opening and closing musical credit - Yazoo: Too Pieces. From their 1982 album Upstairs At Eric's logo designed and produced by Douglas Batchelor and André Zadorozny  Disclaimer: Please do not reproduce or use anything from this podcast without shooting me an email and getting my express written or verbal consent. I'm friendly :) Слава Україну If you find any issue with something in the show notes please let me know. ***The opinions expressed by guests in The Unfinished Print podcast are not necessarily those of André Zadorozny and of Popular Wheat Productions.***            

"Delicious and cost-effective bread is a specialty! Takarazuka Kobayashi ""Pannel Ichimugikan Takarazuka Sohonten"" has a wide variety of breads, sweet breads, breads, and sandwiches. I had some errands in the Takarazuka area, so I visited a popular local bakery . We have a wide variety of breads w" "START AD- #TheMummichogblogOfMalta Amazon Top and Flash Deals(Affiliate Link - You will support our translations if you purchase through the following link) - https://amzn.to/3CqsdJH Compare all the top travel sites in just one search to find the best hotel deals at HotelsCombined - awarded world's best hotel price comparison site. (Affiliate Link - You will support our translations if you purchase through the following link) - https://www.hotelscombined.com/?a_aid=20558 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."""" #Jesus #Catholic. Smooth Radio Malta is Malta's number one digital radio station, playing Your Relaxing Favourites - Smooth provides a ‘clutter free' mix, appealing to a core 35-59 audience offering soft adult contemporary classics. We operate a playlist of popular tracks which is updated on a regular basis. https://smooth.com.mt/listen/ Follow on Telegram: https://t.me/themummichogblogdotcom Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/themummichogblogofmalta Blogspot: https://themummichogblogofmalta.blogspot.com/ END AD" "ith excellent cost performance, such as side dish breads, hard breads, popular breads and sandwiches ! I bought about 4 types, all of which are delicious and make me happy! ! I would like to stop by again when I have business in the Takarazuka area ! ""Pannel"" https://hasshin.livedoor.biz/archives/2022-12-03.html "

A la Weeberie, on ne parle pas que des blockbusters du manga ! Et aujourd'hui on accueil Théodore Pralinus (@dr.t.pralinus) qui nous parle d'un anime plein de meufs et de paillettes queer : Kageki Shoujo!! Takarazuka ça vous dit quelque chose ? Non ? C'est l'occasion de découvrir une compagnie de théâtre japonaise 100% féminine ! Vous aimez Lady Oscar, la rose de Versailles et vous avez envie de savoir à quoi ressemble "Aimer" de Roméo et Juliette chanté en japonais ? Ou vous avez envie de découvrir des œuvres qui sortent des sentiers battus ? Vous êtes au bon endroit ! Pour lire la transcription de cette chronique c'est par ici !

住みやすい日本を創るための情報発信番組 HÃY AN NHIÊN MÀ SỐNG 2022年5月 (第1回)「宝塚歌劇についてのお話」 Tháng 5 năm 2022 (lần thứ 1) “Chia sẻ về đ … 続きを読む Tháng 5 năm 2022 (lần thứ 1) “Chia sẻ về đoàn kịch Takarazuka” / 2022年5月 (第1回)「宝塚歌劇についてのお話」 →

住みやすい日本を創るための情報発信番組 HÃY AN NHIÊN MÀ SỐNG 2022年5月 (第1回)「宝塚歌劇についてのお話」 Tháng 5 năm 2022 (lần thứ 1) “Chia sẻ về đ … 続きを読む Tháng 5 năm 2022 (lần thứ 1) “Chia sẻ về đoàn kịch Takarazuka” / 2022年5月 (第1回)「宝塚歌劇についてのお話」 →

Emperors and fishmongers.  The opposite end of the social spectrum, but in Japan, I discovered the levels of formality in meetings was unnervingly similar.  Formality in Japan is linked very closely to what is perceived as being polite.  European countries may feel more familiar with Japanese style formality, but for countries like the US, Australia, Canada etc., this level of formality is not the usual.  There is a sense of formality here in Japan that is unexpected and sometimes hard to fathom for most foreigners.    The most formal meeting I have ever attended in Japan was when I met the current Emperor in his palace.  When every new Ambassador arrives in Japan, they go to the palace to present their credentials.  This was the case with Australian Ambassador John McCarthy, while I was Country Head for Austrade at the Embassy.  The Ambassadors don't go to the palace on their own. They have their entourage of senior officials from the Embassy with them and I was in that group.  There is a special waiting room for you at Tokyo Station and then you are taken by horse drawn carriage with a mounted escort to the palace.  A senior Japanese Cabinet member attends you, in our case, the Minister of State for Financial Services was Heizo Takenaka.   There are numerous points of protocol when greeting the Emperor – how you walk, stand, move, speak, sit etc.  Formal beyond words is how I would describe the atmosphere.  The second most formal meeting I have been to in Japan was with some fishmongers in Osaka.  I was introducing Australian Ambassador Dr. Ashton Calvert to various importers dealing with Australia.  This seafood business was a large one and a big customer of Australian produce.   They had the entire echelon of senior management turn out for the meeting with the Ambassador, it was a very stiff affair, a complete ceremony in itself.  The formality was quite breathtaking.  I never expected that fishmongers could be that formal, but it was a very serious affair, because of the “above God” status of the visiting Ambassador.   There are levels of politeness here with the accompanying formality.  Even simple things like how you sit.  I had an embarrassing experience when I was attending a senior Australian government official making the rounds of calls in Osaka.  The Governor of Osaka was unavailable that day for the meeting, so we met the Vice-Governor.    Picture this scene.  The Vice Governor is sitting ramrod straight in his chair, with a 10 centimeter gap between his spine and the back of the chair.  Roman patrician style – very formal and upright.  My Aussie VIP visitor by contrast, was sitting there with his legs kicked out in front of him, lounging back in his chair, like he was on his couch at home watching the footy.  The contrast in informality and formality was stunning.  The formality-politeness construct comes straight into play here.  Is lounging around in a formal meeting polite in a Japanese context?  Was my VIP showing any respect for the Vice-Governor?  I don't think so.  After the meeting, I tried to breach the subject of required formality in Japan with my visitor in a subtle way, but I failed.  The cognition gap was too big to straddle.   When we are in business, always think that Japan is more formal.  When you go into the meeting room, there are these massive big chairs with solid wooden arm rests.  These are big units and must weight about 50 kilos.  They are also set at quite long distances across the room, so you are quite separated from the other side.  It is very, very hard to build up any rapport when you are sitting that far apart in such a formal atmosphere.   If you are a training business like we are, you want to show things to the buyer.  Well you just can't do it at that distance, so you have to get up and go sit closer.  Of course you have to apologise for breaking protocol to do that, but otherwise you have no chance of introducing your solution with any impact.  Now a Japanese visitor is unlikely to ever attempt to alter the seating arrangement, which is why being a foreigner is an advantage sometimes in business in Japan.    We can break through the formality, but you have to know when it is appropriate and when it is not.  We are dealing with Presidents of companies or very senior people and it is great chance to go straight to the top and get them interested in what we can do for them.  In the typical Japanese setting among Japanese, they are going to find that hard to do, because of all the formality attached to the meeting.   We are in this room as a sign of respect.  They have lots of other meeting rooms which are a lot less formal and where you can do business across the table more easily.  The formality of the meeting room reflects the degree of politeness being shown to the visitor.  Because of your rank you go into the big, formal,  impersonal, almost impossible to do any business meeting room  But it is a strong sign of polite respect and we should be extremely appreciative of that indicator.   So what happens when we flip it around and you are receiving visitors – what degree of respect are you showing them?  Do you walk them out to the elevators?  In Japan that is part of being polite, showing respect.  Now in some cases you may not rank that degree of respect, so it is sayonara at the door.   Japan's politeness is linked to formality and thoughtfulness.  Japanese are very, very thoughtful.  Australia, where I grew up, is so much more easygoing, informal and casual, so sometimes it is hard to get your head around Japanese formality.  The thoughtfulness thing is also surprising too.   As an example, my wife's friend invited us to the wedding of her daughter.  The family is super wealthy and they could have had an extravaganza of a wedding, inviting all the heavy hitter business contacts as well and making it a big affair.  Instead, it was about 100 people and they were all close friends and relatives.  My wife who is Japanese surmised that the reason we were invited was because her friend wanted to introduce us to our own neighbor.    Our neighbor, like my wife's friend was in the Takarazuka troupe, which is super famous here in Japan and they are all female entertainers, acting, singing and dancing.  Our neighbour has gone on to become a major Japanese actress, very famous and a big, big celebrity.  Her house is a huge fortress and we have never even laid eyes on her. When you do the call to introduce yourself to your neighbours, you get the maid in her case and that is it.  So finally we had a chance to meet her and that was through the thoughtfulness of my wife's friend to do that.   What are you doing to be thoughtful in business with your clients?  What can you do for them?  When you go into the meetings, be more formal than normal – it will be seen as polite.  Australia is probably the casual capital of the universe.  That is fine in Australia but Japan is different.  How you sit, stand, walk, move, speak were all determined very rigorously in samurai days and many of those attributes have trickled down to today, as acceptable, polite behaviour.    All of this flies out the window however when you go out drinking together.  It is extremely informal, but that is the correct environment for that activity and Japan doesn't mix it together.  The problem with a lot of informal countries like my own, is we tend to want to mix them together, to be informal when we should be trying to be formal.  Don't mix them up in Japan.   If you say “no” I want to do it my way, this is how I do it in my country, I am not going to be Japanese about this, then good luck with that approach.  Let me know how that is working out for you!  I wouldn't recommend that.  I suggest you try to be seen as polite in a Japanese context and that means being a lot more formal that normally would be the case in a business setting in your own country.    By the way, you will never be Japanese.  Trust me.  You will never be considered Japanese. But you will be considered polite from their point of view, their reference point, their cultural context.  We have to be conscious of that and maybe up the formality levels a bit to fit in, at least during working hours.  After work we are all champions of informality, so we have that part down already.

A busca pela Tiara Celestial e o posto de Top Star. Nesse segundo Clube do Anime, Diego e Fábio, junto de dois convidados especiais, discutem sobre Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight. Anime de 2018 com direção de Tomokawa Furuhiro, a série traz inspirações do teatro Takarazuka para contar a história de nove garotas em busca de sua própria estrela. --- Versão em vídeo: https://youtu.be/siSub3pYgp0 Junte-se ao clube: https://discord.gg/GdQQeHu4gH --- Links: → Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6aepRVrkN0ZX-F3gZ_Sv3w → Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1sBTRgeKv7psBFsMHhDbHG → Página no Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/clubedoanimepodcast → Twitter: https://twitter.com/clube_do_anime Anime21 → Blog: https://anime21.blog.br/ → Página no Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/animevinteum → Twitter: https://twitter.com/animevinteum "É Só Um Desenho" → Blog: https://esoumdesenho.wordpress.com/ → Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_QLze_iERQUceFEtEn4zeA → Página no Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoUmDesenho/ → Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoUmDesenho

เรียกได้ว่าใครที่เป็นแฟนละครเวทีจะต้องรู้จักขณะนี้ ถือได้ว่าเป็นตำนานของวงการบันเทิงประเทศญี่ปุ่นเลยก็ว่าได้ --------------------------CODE YABAII by AKIถอดรหัสญี่ปุ่น เพราะว่าประเทศนี้มีเรื่องคูลๆ ที่ทำให้เรา ทึ่ง ประทับใจ และสงสัยเยอะ มาร่วมถอดรหัส กับ AKI กัน ///////////////////////////////////////////////////// ติดตามอัพเดท HUDI Podcast ได้ทาง Website - www.HUDIPODCAST.com Facebook - www.facebook.com/hudipodcastInstagram/Twitter - @hudipodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Salut à tous ! Cette semaine dans MUTEKI, le duo FAKE TYPE est notre invité, en direct depuis Tôkyô, avec notre correspondante sur place Amélie ! On part avec eux à la découverte de leur univers musical où se mélangent Electro, Swing et Hip-Hop, mais aussi leur identité graphique et visuelle, entre ambiance de cabaret rétro et personnages mignons et horrifiques. Bref, tout un monde à explorer ! Cette semaine également, on rend hommage à l'auteur et illustrateur KENTARO MIURA, récemment décédé, à travers deux compositions liées à son oeuvre majeure: le manga Berserk. Enfin, l'intemporelle Dalida reprise par la prestigieuse revue de cabaret TAKARAZUKA, et de la mignonnitude parfumée à la pomme, avec la sélection Idols d'AURE SENPAI. Bonne écoute ! Hi everybody ! FAKE TYPE is our guest this week on MUTEKI, Live from Tôkyô, with our lovely reporter Amélie as translator ! an interview in which we go on discovering this duet's musical style where Electro, Swing and Hip-hop collides, but also their graphic and visual identity, heavily influenced by retro cabaret scenery as well as cute and horrific characters. A whole world we invite you all to explore ! Today also, we pay tribute to late author and cartoonist KENTARO MIURA, with two musical tracks linked to his major creation: Berserk. Also on the playlist: the legendary Dalida covered by the famous TAKARAZUKA revue, and apple-flavored cuteness with AURE SENPAI's Idol selection of the week. Mata raishuu !! Playlist: 1- SUSUMU HIRASAWA - Berserk - Forces 2- FAKE TYPE - Fake Land 3- PEEL THE APPLE - Ringo no kawa o muku na ~Don't Peel The Apple~ 4- FAKE TYPE - Tandemoon Rendezvous 5- TAKARAZUKA REVUE - Me & My Girl - Lambeth Walk (Dalida) 6- MAX BACKMAN - Berserk - Guts (Susumu Hirasawa Guitar Cover)

Episode 7: Turn a Disability into an Ability + Tea and Social Work in Japan In this episode, I speak with Yuko Satoh, the director of the Tsubasa Institute and owner of the Tree of Life Aroma & Herb Cafe in Takarazuka city, Japan. Yuko contracted a rare disease when she was 24 years old that hospitalized her for 10 years and left her wheelchair-bound. Despite her setbacks, Yuko pursued her dream to start a small cafe. This eventually led her in starting an organization that offers social services for the physically and mentally handicapped. This interview is conducted through a translator who is a friend and fellow social entrepreneur, Eriko Miller who is also from Japan. This interview in anyone interested in how to: Turn your disability into an ability Serve the mentally and physically handicapped Listen to transformative voices Serve the country of Japan How to stay in contact with Yuko Satoh and the Tsubasa Institute: tsubasa-support.love Instagram.com/inochinoki_surumesyok --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thisishope/message

Japan's State of Emergency has been extended, Love Live Nijigasaki gets a season 2, and a Dragon Ball Super movie announced! Plus, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie tops in theaters worldwide! The Next Manga Awards opens for nominations, and visuals for Takarazuka's City Hunter musical are released! Meanwhile in Japan, we have an update on the 7-11 in a 7-11 for y'all! Discover how to earn money from scamming scammers and a stranger is in a man's kitchen eating? --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/animejamsession/support

Amy talks with Dr. Judith Pascoe in her office on the campus of Florida State University while a Brontëesque storm rages outside their window. Pascoe discusses aspects of her book On the Bullet Train with Emily Brontë: Wuthering Heights in Japan. A fun, engaging read, Dr. Pascoe deliberates on some of the 20 or so Japanese interpretations of the novel, including translations, manga versions, and the reenactment by the Takarazuka all-female theater in Japan and even offers up some unique Japanese-language learning tips. Recorded on July 6, 2018.To see her book and others discussed in the podcast, go to the Books on Asia website at: https://booksonasia.net/category/issues/issue-2/The Books on Asia Podcast is sponsored by Stone Bridge Press, publisher of fine books on Asia for over 30 years: www.stonebridge.com

Happy New Year, everyone!! Join Julie, Kitty, Jen, and Kate as they talk about what they enjoy about Takarazuka revue shows, their directors, and some of their favorite shows. (Jen is a liiiitle late getting this posted, so you’ll see the news section is out of date. Ahahahah.) We’d love to hear from you about … Continue reading Episode 50: Revue Reviews

En realidad este episodio debería haber sido la continuación del 2x05 que grabé en compañía de David Boscá, la segunda parte de la biblia del retro a la que os emplazamos... Sin embargo por problemas de agenda no hay sido posible y lo tendréis más adelante. Pero no hay ningún problema porque he preparado un contenido hablando del retrogaming en el país nipón porque es un tema que me apasiona y del que no me cuesta hablar y contar varias reflexiones, anécdotas y demás cosas que serán de vuestro interés. A disfrutar del episodio. Aprovecho para dejaros varios enlaces de otros en los que hablo de juegos clásicos en el país del sol naciente: -Entrevista con David de Creativo en Japón en la primera temporada. Parte 1: https://gaikanpodcast.blogspot.com/2019/08/entrevista-creativo-en-japon-david-bosca-tiendas-secretas-videojuegos-retro-japon.html Parte 2: https://gaikanpodcast.blogspot.com/2019/08/buscar-comprar-videjuegos-juegos-retro-japon-osaka-kansai-tiendas-raras-desconocidas-chollos-baratos-david-bosca-creativo-en-japon-entrevista.html -Entro a una tienda de videojuegos vintage al sur de Osaka, el 2x33: https://gaikanpodcast.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiendas-de-videojuegos-retro-y-actuales-figuras-manga-peliculas-y-de-todo-un-poco-en-japon.html -Viajar a Japón con videojuegos antiguos en mente, colaboración con JapoFan: https://gaikanpodcast.blogspot.com/2020/11/videojuegos-retro-en-japon-clasicos-y-tiendas.html -Extra explicando el retrogaming en Japan para profanos en la materia: https://gaikanpodcast.blogspot.com/2020/10/porque-en-japon-hay-tantos-videojuegos-y-tiendas-retro.html Vais acabar empachados del tema ☺️ Muchas gracias por estar ahí siempre escuchando y os deseo lo mejor para el 2021 que llegará en un par de días!! ¡Okini tomodachis! P.D. Y si vas a viajar no olvides hacerlo con seguro (te irá bien por ejemplo si traes mucho retro en las maletas, por lo que pudiera suceder). Si lo contratas con Chapka ayudas a este pódcast y además tendrás un descuento. Puedes hacerlo con el código GAIKAN o a través de este enlace: https://www.chapkadirect.es/?app=cd_gaikanpodcast Músicas usadas: -Good Morning Tokyo por milton.(Milton Musical Capsules) | https://freesound.org/people/milton./sounds/79645 Reconocimiento-NoComercial 3.0 España (CC BY-NC 3.0 ES) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/es/ Cambios realizados: Normalización, aparecer y desvanecer progresivamente (Audacity) -Playtime de k_jose_: https://modarchive.org/index.php?request=view_by_moduleid&query=187317 https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.es Música en cuña: - Oboro por Peritune: https://peritune.com/blog/2019/04/08/oboro/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Cambios realizados: Normalización, autoduck, aparecer y desvanecer progresivamente (Audacity) Imagen de miniatura en iVoox: -Foto de algún colega cuando me pilló con mucho retro en una taberna en Takarazuka 😉

En realidad este episodio debería haber sido la continuación del 2x05 que grabé en compañía de David Boscá, la segunda parte de la biblia del retro a la que os emplazamos... Sin embargo por problemas de agenda no hay sido posible y lo tendréis más adelante. Pero no hay ningún problema porque he preparado un contenido hablando del retrogaming en el país nipón porque es un tema que me apasiona y del que no me cuesta hablar y contar varias reflexiones, anécdotas y demás cosas que serán de vuestro interés. A disfrutar del episodio. Aprovecho para dejaros varios enlaces de otros en los que hablo de juegos clásicos en el país del sol naciente: -Entrevista con David de Creativo en Japón en la primera temporada. Parte 1: https://gaikanpodcast.blogspot.com/2019/08/entrevista-creativo-en-japon-david-bosca-tiendas-secretas-videojuegos-retro-japon.html Parte 2: https://gaikanpodcast.blogspot.com/2019/08/buscar-comprar-videjuegos-juegos-retro-japon-osaka-kansai-tiendas-raras-desconocidas-chollos-baratos-david-bosca-creativo-en-japon-entrevista.html -Entro a una tienda de videojuegos vintage al sur de Osaka, el 2x33: https://gaikanpodcast.blogspot.com/2020/09/tiendas-de-videojuegos-retro-y-actuales-figuras-manga-peliculas-y-de-todo-un-poco-en-japon.html -Viajar a Japón con videojuegos antiguos en mente, colaboración con JapoFan: https://gaikanpodcast.blogspot.com/2020/11/videojuegos-retro-en-japon-clasicos-y-tiendas.html -Extra explicando el retrogaming en Japan para profanos en la materia: https://gaikanpodcast.blogspot.com/2020/10/porque-en-japon-hay-tantos-videojuegos-y-tiendas-retro.html Vais acabar empachados del tema ☺️ Muchas gracias por estar ahí siempre escuchando y os deseo lo mejor para el 2021 que llegará en un par de días!! ¡Okini tomodachis! P.D. Y si vas a viajar no olvides hacerlo con seguro (te irá bien por ejemplo si traes mucho retro en las maletas, por lo que pudiera suceder). Si lo contratas con Chapka ayudas a este pódcast y además tendrás un descuento. Puedes hacerlo con el código GAIKAN o a través de este enlace: https://www.chapkadirect.es/?app=cd_gaikanpodcast Músicas usadas: -Good Morning Tokyo por milton.(Milton Musical Capsules) | https://freesound.org/people/milton./sounds/79645 Reconocimiento-NoComercial 3.0 España (CC BY-NC 3.0 ES) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/es/ Cambios realizados: Normalización, aparecer y desvanecer progresivamente (Audacity) -Playtime de k_jose_: https://modarchive.org/index.php?request=view_by_moduleid&query=187317 https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.es Música en cuña: - Oboro por Peritune: https://peritune.com/blog/2019/04/08/oboro/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Cambios realizados: Normalización, autoduck, aparecer y desvanecer progresivamente (Audacity) Imagen de miniatura en iVoox: -Foto de algún colega cuando me pilló con mucho retro en una taberna en Takarazuka 😉

DOOR radioはSASI DESIGNのプロジェクトを、経営やデザインの目線から紐解くポッドキャストです。 今週ピックアップするのは、兵庫県神戸市と共に進めるプロジェクト「経営デザイン一体化推進事業」です。 2018年度からSASI DESIGNがディレクションしている神戸市の事業「経営デザイン一体化推進事業」、通称デザ経。 取り巻く環境が大きく変わり続けるなか、デザインの力で経営を変え、「生き残る経営」を目指すため、10人の事業者と5人のデザイナーと、デザイン経営を推進する事業。 今回はデザ経のこれまでどこれからについてトークしました。 また、Bookcafe DOORがある宝塚市でも開催となる、デザイン経営スクール「START UP in TAKARAZUKA」に関するお知らせも。 【SASI DESIGN のwebでもデザ経についてご紹介しています。】 【START UP in TAKARAZUKAについてはこちら】 今週もコメントありがとうございました！ ふわっとしてしまいましたが、いただいた質問を中心にまったりトークしています。 【こちらからコメントお待ちしております！】

Tym razem próbowaliśmy pokazać kobiecą część japońskiej duszy. Poznaliśmy zawody przeznaczone wyłącznie dla pań, od gejszy do office lady. Spotkaliśmy się z ostatnimi japońskimi syrenami, a także z Polką grającą w teatrze Takarazuka, gdzie wszystkie role należą do kobiet, a zdobycie biletów na ich spektakle graniczy z cudem. Nie zabrakło opowieści o popularnych w Japonii artystkach, np. o Yaoi Kusamie, najdroższej malarce, rzeźbiarce i performerce świata, jawiącej się jako Andy Warhol naszych czasów. Gościem Jerzego Jopa była Patrycja Yamaguchi, suchedniowianka od 20 lat mieszkająca w Japonii, założycielka serwisu podróżniczego po tym kraju Ryoko.pl.

Claude Michel-Lesne, spécialiste du théâtre musical japonais, fait la lumière sur un projet scénique unique au Japon et dans le monde. Site de la compagnie Takarazuka :https://kageki.hankyu.co.jp/english/index.htmlCrédits musicaux : © Takarazuka Kagekidan, usage loyal dans un but non lucratif d'éducation et de recherche.Classic Medley (A), adaptation des Danses polovtsiennes d'Aleksander Borodin, extrait du spectacle Wonderland, 2005, Snow Troupe.I Love Revue, extrait du spectacle The Revue '99, 1999, Aika Mire & Flower Troupe.Nazotoki no gêmu, extrait du spectacle The Scarlet Pimpernel, 2008, Yuzuki Reon & Toono Asuka (Star Troupe).Futatsu no ai, reprise de la chanson d'Henri Varna et Vincent Scotto. Extrait du spectacle Chanson d'amour, 1931, Miura Tokiko & Snow Troupe.Fantomu no fûga, extrait du spectacle Phantom, 2011, Flower Troupe.Victory, chanson-titre du spectacle Trafalgar, 2010, Ôzora Yûhi & Cosmos Troupe.Kurotokage no rakuen, extrait musical du spectacle Kurotokage : Akechi Kogorô no Jikenbô, 2007, Flower Troupe.As Time Goes By, extrait du spectacle Casablanca, 2009, Ôzora Yûhi & Cosmos Troupe.Tamashii no rufuran, reprise d'une chanson du film d'animation Evangelion : Death & Rebirth, extrait du spectacle Misty Station, 2012, Kiriya Hiromu & Moon Troupe.Give you up, reprise de la chanson de Rick Astley, extrait du dinner-show Starlight Fantasy, 1989, Suzukaze Mayo & Moon Troupe.Pour aller plus loin : Roland Domenig, “Takarazuka and Kobayashi Ichizō's idea of Kokumingeki”, in Sepp Linhart et Sabine Frühstück (dir.), The Culture of Japan as seen through its leisure, pp. 267-284, State University of New York Press, 1998. Claude Michel-Lesne, « La question de la mixité dans le théâtre Takarazuka : jeux d'ombre et de lumière », in Cipango : Cahiers d'études japonaises, n° 20, pp. 165-230, 2013. En ligne : http://journals.openedition.org/cipango/1944.Karen Nakamura et Hisako Matsuo, “Female masculinity and fantasy spaces: Transcending genders in the Takarazuka Theatre and Japanese popular culture”, in James E. Roberson et Nobue Suzuki (dir.), Men and Masculinities in Contemporary Japan – Dislocating the Salaryman Doxa, pp. 59-76, New York, Routledge, 2002.Jennifer Robertson, Takarazuka: Sexual Politics and Popular Culture in Modern Japan, Berkeley, University of California Press, 1998. 278 p. Leonie R. Stickland, Gender Gymnastics: Performing and Consuming Japan's Takarazuka Revue, Trans Pacific Press, 2008. 281 p.

Join Kate and Jen as they talk about things and shows from Takarazuka that give them comfort and distraction. Then let us know how Takarazuka has been comforting you over the past few months! Happy Things: Haikara-san: Here Comes Miss Modern Miyume Himari’s Twitter Cher’s 1-man West Side Story Shows Mentioned: Guys and Dolls (2002) … Continue reading Episode 49: Takarazuka – Comfort and Distraction

Thanks to many requests here in the blog, on Tumblr, and on Twitter, we have some quiz games headed your way. First up: Play along with Lella, Kitty, Jenn, and Julie and test your esoteric Takarazuka revue show theme song knowledge! Don’t cheat, but if you want to double-check your answers after playing, here is … Continue reading Special #18: Revue Theme Song Quiz Game!

Part 3 of our Male Impersonators series, where we explore the life of Gladys Bentley a wonderful singer and pianist who worked in Jazz clubs during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s. She became known for her bawdy lyrics and dapper sense of style. In addition, I will be indulging in a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine by chatting about the history of the all female Takarazuka Revue. Glitzy big productions, with gorgeous costumes, high drama and amazing singing and dancing! I hope you find the beautiful fantastical world of Takarazuka interesting as well as the fascinating hierarchy and structure within the company and the intensity of the top stars fan bases.Resourceshttps://kageki.hankyu.co.jp/english/troupe/index.htmlhttps://www.cambridge.org/core/books/history-of-japanese-theatre/interlude-takarazuka-allgirls-revue-and-musicals/3C549E349067367686FD924340BC1350Lorie Brau. ""The Women’s Theatre of Takarazuka." TDR 34.4 :79-95.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladys_Bentleydragkinghistory.comInstagram @themuseumoffemininity

Spotkałem się z Evitą, żeby porozmawiać o japońskim żeńskim teatrze Takarazuka. Social Media Evity: Instagram z życia w Japonii: https://www.instagram.com/asayuri_rin/ Instagram jako modelka: https://www.instagram.com/model.santa.evita/ Facebook fanpage https://www.facebook.com/model.santa.evita

Join Becca, Julie, and Jen as we talk about the movie “Casablanca”, the Takarazuka musical “Casablanca”, the controversies, stories about the show, the shinko, H1N1, engagements, and lots of other things I’m no doubt forgetting. Then drop a line below to let us know your Casablanca stories or thoughts! Things We Mention In the Podcast: … Continue reading Episode 45: Looking Back at “Casablanca”

Happy New Year! (The year of the Rat is almost here!) In this episode, Heidi, Jen, and Lella talk about Mirio’s career in Takarazuka. Please share your memories and thoughts in the comments! Links: KEN-ON ( 研音 ) talent agency website (Japanese only – She doesn’t have a profile page up yet)Asumi Rio profile on … Continue reading Episode 43: Farewell to Asumi Rio

Carly, Jenn & Julie talk about Kurenai Yuzuru and Kisaki Airi’s Takarazuka careers, leading up to their retirement on 10/13/19. LINKS: Ranno Hana’s Twitter & InstagramGOD OF STARS Script (Translation by hoshigomi)Kurenai YuzuruKisaki Airi

shop for samba drums Bio:Kahlil Cummings, a Los Angeles native, is an acclaimed drummer, exceptional performer, composer, and educator. Kahlil was recognized as a child prodigy very early; since childhood, he has played with numerous reputable groups including Ballet Folclórico Do Brasil, Sona Sané, Abalayé, Mila Samba School, Inu Olorun, Debbie Allen Dance Company, Les Amazones, and Viver Brasil. Kahlil honed his rhythmic gifts with noted teachers including Mestre Amen Santo, Jose Ricardo Sousa, Kobla Ladzekpo, Esteban “Cha Cha” Bacallao (Ibae), and Sandy Perez. His studies in Guinea, Brazil and Cuba have helped to widely broaden his knowledge and musical strength. However, he is most profoundly influenced by West African master drummer Mamady Keita, with whom he has studied since the age of 13. Kahlil helped start the group Balandugu Kan, which was sanctioned by Keita as representing “the voice of Balandugu”--- the village where Keita was born. His compositions can be heard on his debut album Iniké Baba, recorded live in Guinea, West Africa.Kahlil was the musical director for opening numbers for both the NAACP Image Awards and the Choreographers Awards in 2004. Since then, he has performed with several renowned artists such as Janelle Monae (American Idol), Shakira (music video “Waka Waka), and R. Kelly. He recently recorded percussion for Aloe Blacc in a song titled “Let the Games Begin,” which was featured in the movie “Race.” In addition, Kahlil performed with Pharrell Williams and Kendrick Lamar in the 2015 and 2016 Grammy Awards, respectively. His prolific abilities have even taken him as far as Japan, where he produced and recorded music for Takarazuka, an elite Japanese theater ensemble, and for Pomba, a well-known fitness company.Currently Kahlil plays and tours with international recording artist Rocky Dawuni, and can be heard on the album “Branches of the Same Tree,” which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album of the Year in 2016. He is now the musical director for Viver Brasil, Los Angeles's premier Afro-Brazilian dance company. His latest musical project, Capofresh, a hypnotic blend of West African, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and hip-hop rhythms fused with an LA sound is due out later this year.Song: Canto AncestralLinks:kahlilcummings.comYemonja Asaba Workshop Feb 3 https://www.facebook.com/events/275043896524821/?ti=icl viverbrasil.comhttps://www.facebook.com/Kahlilc33 Shop for samba drums Samba gear. Imported from Brazil

Hi everyone! On this episode, Carly and guest violetposies talk about understudies in Takarazuka, and the understudy performances that took place during this year’s Elisabeth. CLARIFICATION: we mention that Grand Hotel was at the same time as Rurouni Kenshin, but they weren’t running simultaneously; they took place at roughly the same time of year but … Continue reading Episode 36: Understudies

Hi all! A short episode continuing the history of the Takarazuka Revue, this time focusing on the 1950s. Please enjoy, and don’t forget to join the conversation on the blog, Facebook, or Twitter! Thanks! Sources for this podcast episode: 「夢を描いて　華やかに」(Painting Dreams Gloriously: Takarazuka Revue’s 80th Anniversary)  ISBN 4-924333-11-5 「すみれ花歳月を重ねて」(Gathering Up the Years of the Violets: … Continue reading Special #15: The Golden Age of Takarazuka (1950s)

Join Carly and Jen as they talk about the shows Carly has seen over the last few months. Shows Discussed in This Podcast: Company / Baddy The Sky Is on the Banks of the Red River / Citrus Breeze -Sunrise- Another World / Killer Rouge Arch of Triumph / Gato Bonito!! Messiah / Beautiful Garden … Continue reading Episode 35: Catching Up on 2018!

Formality In Doing Business In Japan   Formality in Japan is linked very closely to what is perceived as being polite.  European countries may feel more familiar with Japanese style formality, but for countries like the US, Australia, Canada etc., this level of formality is not the usual.  There is a sense of formality here in Japan that is unexpected and sometimes hard to fathom for most foreigners.    The most formal meeting I have ever attended in Japan was when I met the current Emperor in his palace. When every new Ambassador arrives in Japan, they go to the palace to present their credentials.  This was the case with Australian Ambassador John McCarthy, while I was Country Head for Austrade at the Embassy.  The Ambassadors don't go to the palace on their own. They have their entourage of senior officials from the Embassy with them and I was in that group.  There is a special waiting room for you at Tokyo Station and then you are taken by horse drawn carriage with a mounted escort to the palace.  A senior Japanese Cabinet member attends you, in our case, the Minister of State for Financial Services Heizo Takenaka.   There are numerous points of protocol when greeting the Emperor – how you walk, stand, move, speak, sit etc.  Formal beyond words is how I would describe the atmosphere.  The second most formal meeting I have been to in Japan was with some fishmongers in Osaka.  I was introducing Australian Ambassador Dr. Ashton Calvert to various importers dealing with Australia.  This seafood business was a large one and a big customer of Australian produce.   They had the entire echelon of senior management turn out for the meeting with the Ambassador, it was a very stiff affair, a complete ceremony in itself.  The formality was quite breathtaking.  I never expected that fishmongers could be that formal, but it was a very serious affair, because of the “above God” status of the visiting Ambassador.   There are levels of politeness here with the accompanying formality.  Even simple things like how you sit.  I had an embarrassing experience when I was attending a senior Australian government official making the rounds of calls in Osaka.  The Governor of Osaka was unavailable that day for the meeting, so we met the Vice-Governor.    Picture this scene. The Vice Governor is sitting ramrod straight in his chair, with a 10 centimeter gap between his spine and the back of the chair.  Roman patrician style – very formal and upright.  My Aussie VIP visitor by contrast, was sitting there with his legs kicked out in front of him, lounging back in his chair, like he was on his couch at home watching the footy.  The contrast in informality and formality was stunning.  The formality-politeness construct comes straight into play here. Is lounging around in a formal meeting polite in a Japanese context?  Was my VIP showing any respect for the Vice-Governor?  I don't think so.  After the meeting, I tried to breach the subject of required formality in Japan with my visitor in a subtle way, but I failed.  The cognition gap was too big to straddle.   When we are in business, always think that Japan is more formal.  When you go into the meeting room, there are these massive big chairs with solid wooden arm rests.  These are big units and must weight about 50 kilos.  They are also set at quite long distances across the room, so you are quite separated from the other side.  It is very, very hard to build up any rapport when you are sitting that far apart in such a formal atmosphere.   If you are a training business like we are, you want to show things to the buyer.  Well you just can't do it at that distance, so you have to get up and go sit closer.  Of course you have to apologise for breaking protocol to do that, but otherwise you have no chance of introducing your solution with any impact.  Now a Japanese visitor is unlikely to ever attempt to alter the seating arrangement, which is why being a foreigner is an advantage sometimes in business in Japan.    We can break through the formality, but you have to know when it is appropriate and when it is not. We are dealing with Presidents of companies or very senior people and it is great chance to go straight to the top and get them interested in what we can do for them.  In the typical Japanese setting among Japanese, they are going to find that hard to do, because of all the formality attached to the meeting.   We are in this room as a sign of respect.  They have lots of other meeting rooms which are a lot less formal and where you can do business across the table more easily.  The formality of the meeting room reflects the degree of politeness being shown to the visitor.  Because of your rank you go into the big, formal,  impersonal, almost impossible to do any business meeting room  But it is a strong sign of polite respect and we should be extremely appreciative of that indicator.   So what happens when we flip it around and you are receiving visitors – what degree of respect are you showing them?  Do you walk them out to the elevators?  In Japan that is part of being polite, showing respect.  Now in some cases you may not rank that degree of respect, so it is sayonara at the door.   Japan's politeness is linked to formality and thoughtfulness.  Japanese are very, very thoughtful.  Australia, where I grew up, is so much more easygoing, informal and casual, so sometimes it is hard to get your head around Japanese formality.  The thoughtfulness thing is also surprising too.   As an example, my wife's friend invited us to the wedding of her daughter.  The family is super wealthy and they could have had an extravaganza of a wedding, inviting all the heavy hitter business contacts as well and making it a big affair.  Instead, it was about 100 people and they were all close friends and relatives.  My wife who is Japanese surmised that the reason we were invited was because her friend wanted to introduce us to our own neighbor.    Our neighbor, like my wife's friend was in the Takarazuka troupe, which is super famous here in Japan and they are all female entertainers, acting, singing and dancing. Our neighbour has gone on to become a major Japanese actress, very famous and a big, big celebrity.  Her house is a huge fortress and we have never even laid eyes on her. When you do the call to introduce yourself to your neighbours, you get the maid in her case and that is it.  So finally we had a chance to meet her and that was through the thoughtfulness of my wife's friend to do that.   What are you doing to be thoughtful in business with your clients?  What can you do for them?  When you go into the meetings, be more formal than normal – it will be seen as polite. Australia is probably the casual capital of the universe.  That is fine in Australia but Japan is different.  How you sit, stand, walk, move, speak were all determined very rigorously in samurai days and many of those attributes have trickled down to today, as acceptable, polite behaviour.    All of this flies out the window however when you go out drinking together.  It is extremely informal, but that is the correct environment for that activity and Japan doesn't mix it together.  The problem with a lot of informal countries like my own, is we tend to want to mix them together, to be informal when we should be trying to be formal.  Don't mix them up in Japan.   If you say “no” I want to do it my way, this is how I do it in my country, I am not going to be Japanese about this, then good luck with that approach.  Let me know how that is working out for you!  I wouldn't recommend that.  I suggest you try to be seen as polite in a Japanese context and that means being a lot more formal that normally would be the case in a business setting in your own country.    By the way, you will never be Japanese.  Trust me. You will never be considered Japanese. Trust me.  But you will be considered polite from their point of view, their reference point, their cultural context.  We have to be conscious of that and maybe up the formality levels a bit to fit in, at least during working hours.  After work we are all champions of informality, so we have that part down already.        

Aaaand, we’re back with more quiz show goodness! This time we are super excited that we managed to get a lot of the crew together, so please join Anna, Carly, Elin, Jen, Kitty, and Julie and play along at home. Apologies, there were a lot of technical difficulties, which means that although we recorded this … Continue reading Special #11: Trivia Quiz!

A round table episode with a bunch of the fans who came to see World of Dreams in Seattle, recorded live at the after party. Along with Carly, Jen, and Heidi, a special appearance of Erin’s voice! Also many thanks to Al, Amelia, Connie, Gen, Karin, Maizy, Megan, Rachel and everyone for sharing their many … Continue reading Special #10: World of Dreams

Come join Carly, Heidi, and Jen and pit yourself against some crazy Takarazuka song trivia! Can you name the singer, year, show and (toughest of all) song title? All are from Grand Theater shows from 2000-2017, sung by the top star. Don’t be shy, let us know how you did in the comments! (Don’t cheat… … Continue reading Special #9: Quiz Game!

This week Heidi, Lella, and Carly talk in-depth about traveling to Japan to see Takarazuka and the various ways you can procure tickets, both official and secondhand. Helpful links: Transportation: airfarewatchdog.com Hopper japan-rail-pass.com willerexpress.com/en/ PASMO/SUICA cards General Accommodations: booking.com APA Hotels MyStays Airbnb Hostels in Takarazuka: Takara-ya Renoir Pucchi House Official tickets: English ticket site … Continue reading Episode 30: Visiting Japan and Buying Tickets

Join Carly, Julie, and Jen as they tackle that most exotic of Takarazuka musical genres: the nihonmono. A bit of a rambling summary of Japanese history, a bit about favorite motifs, what’s to love about nihonmono, and a loooong bit about some of our favorites! (Jen apologizes for her incoherent rambling in this episode.) Things … Continue reading Episode 29: Nihonmono

Becca, Carly, Jen, and Soragumi expert Julie (in her first recorded episode!) talk about the history of Cosmos troupe! Correction: Julie mentioned that Aran Kei only guest starred in Soragumi during Phantom, but she also appeared in Lightning in the Daytime. Links to things mentioned in the podcast: Visual for Ryuu Masaki’s album Official Takarazuka … Continue reading Episode 28: Cosmos Troupe (宙組)

Carly, Jen, and Julie talk TakaWiki: Where it came from, why we love it, why English-language fandom is awesome, and why you should not be scared to contribute! Fandom meta splurge❤ (Julie is a new member of the podcast. Check out up-coming ep #28 for her self intro. She wants to add an apology for … Continue reading Special #7: TakaWiki

阪急電鉄6000系電車の走行音です。宝塚線の急行列車で録音しました。区間は、梅田から宝塚までです。It is running sound of Hankyu Railway 6000 series train.I recorded on the express train of Takarazuka Line.The section is from Umeda to Takarazuka.阪急6000系 宝塚線急行 梅田から宝塚まで.m4a

Join Becca, Lella, and Jen as they try to stay on topic and … mostly succeed? PLUS, fun news out of Seattle! Let us know your thoughts on the upcoming shows! Links: Addams Family Arkadia Embraced by the Seas of Calista Fashionable Girl Passing By Golden Desert (Konjiki no Sabaku) Land of the Gods Om … Continue reading Special #6: Upcoming Schedule Chatter

Additions: We mentioned Shion Yuu being ill or injured. Research on Wikipedia says that what happened was that she injured her Achilles tendon during rehearsals for Ephemeral Love. She was out for that entire Grand Theater run and the following national tour, but after rehabilitation came back for the Tokyo run. Wikipedia also confirms that … Continue reading Episode 26: Star Troupe (星組)

A little late now, but here’s a roundup of all the big news in Takarazuka recently! NOTE: Lella mentions that Kurenai Yuzuru said doing Scarlet pimpernel was “hitokakera no yume.” This is a reference to Percy’s big song in the show, “Hitokakera no Yuuki” – “A Piece of Courage.” So Beni was saying this role … Continue reading Episode 24: March News

Some not-at-all-official advice and gossip from Elin, Lella, Becca, and Jen. Finally managed to get all our time zones lined up again!

On this episode, discussions were made about Haruka's outfit... References to "Dude Looks Like a Lady" are made. Then the hosts talk about electric violins and Lindsey Sterling. Chibi Usa plays an integral role as Marty McFly, for her parents. What is the origin of the Holy Grail? Dating and cultural differences are made, and then what's going on with the Italian translation. Updated transformations and hammerspace? And the battle between Mercury and Villuy is discussed... Dreams and premonition... The rules of Takarazuka, and what's up with the changes in the opening and ending theme songs? *There are some audio issues with this podcast.

CORRECTION: The first PUCK was in the 90s, not the 80s. XD In This Podcast: Tamaki Ryou love (+ Manaki Reika) Top Star stats What’s making us happy in Takarazuka lately Short Sendai travelogue (not really, kinda) Addendum to our discussion, as promised: Tamaki Ryou is listed as having gone to Hikarigaoka Girl’s High School … Continue reading Episode 9: Tamaki Ryou is the Next Top Star of Moon Troupe!

Read the full article with photos at  https://www.otsuka.co.jp/en/company/globalnews/2015/0220_01.html   The Otsuka Museum of Art hosted the sixth Sistine Kabuki production – Yuriwaka Daijin: Ulysses – for 3 days, beginning on February 20, with two performances each day. As has been the case in past years, tickets sold out almost as soon as they went on sale. The performances were attended by 2800 persons from across Japan. Incorporating Technology in Kabuki The stage for this year's production was set up in the style of an arena, with elevated walkways leading off in all four directions. The stage was lit in various colors using blue light LED technology, made famous recently as the invention that received the Nobel Prize in physics last year. This year's performance was notable for the singing and dancing elements, which are not usually seen in kabuki, and for the use of slang words in the spoken dialogue, which drew cheers from the audience. "Sistine Kabuki" productions are based on the themes of Japanese-Western collaboration and the creation of innovative kabuki theater. The current production – Yuriwaka Daijin: Ulysses – is a completely new work, a fusion of Greek mythology and traditional kabuki theater based on the tale of Yuriwaka Daijin, which is considered an ancient Japanese retelling of the Odyssey, the epic poem attributed to Homer. Kazuo Mizuguchi returned as producer and director, and Kanjuuro Fujima returned as choreographer, and they collaborated with the Chinese opera performer Zhang Chunxiang to create a kabuki performance with musical accompaniment that incorporated both kabuki movements and Chinese opera-style percussion instruments. The presence of Yuuga Yamato, a former star of the Takarazuka Review theater troupe in Japan, playing two roles, one Eastern and one Western, was also a topic of great interest. The protagonist, Yuriwaka Daijin, was played by Ainosuke Kataoka, making his fourth appearance in a row in Sistine Kabuki performances, and the roles of Princess Tachibana and the goddess Calypso were both played by Yuuga Yamato, making her first appearance. The roles of Takahime (the Spirit of the Hawk) and Hidetora's older sister Matsugae were both played by Kichiya Kamimura, who has appeared in Sistine Kabuki performances since their inception, and the role of Hidetora Ichiro was played by Tanenosuke Nakamura. After the first performance, Ainosuke Kataoka said "I have sung in Sistine Kabuki productions before, but this year I was nervous singing because of Ms. Yamato's presence," and Yuuga Yamato said that "I had thought that only men appeared in kabuki, and I had played male roles before when I was with Takarazuka, but I was really grateful for the opportunity to appear in a kabuki production."  

It’s the episode of Love and Justice you’ve all been waiting for!  The one where we talk about a beautiful lady playing a more attractive version of Tuxedo Mask than any dude could possibly hope to achieve. This episode is all about Sailor Moon: La Reconquista, the first of the new Takarazuka (meaning, all the roles are played by women) style Sailor Moon musicals, initially released as part of the 20th anniversary celebration.  We’ve got a super hilarious guest, comedian/host/cosplayer Alana Jordan, who dreams of someday playing the role of “Incense Face”, and points out to us that the stab count in this musical surpasses that seen in any previous version of Sailor Moon.Connect with us!! Twitter: @LnJPod, tumblr: loveandjusticepod, email: loveandjusticepod@gmail.com

Hello and welcome to this edition of "In the Spotlight", a show featuring arts, culture and showbiz from right here in China. I'm your host, Li Ningjing. First up on today's program, is a taster of the charm of Yue Opera, as top Yue opera troupes bring the art form's unique southern flavor to the northern city of Beijing. Next, we'll learn some ancient Chinese characters whilst checking out the latest research project on the Forbidden City. "Deciphering a word in an oracle bone script feels like discovering a new supernova." Staying in the field of cultural studies, we'll travel to the Mogao Grottoes in Northwest China. The treasure trove is now being digitalized with the help of the latest technology. And last but not least, we'll introduce you the book "New Museums in China" by American writer Clare Jacobson. "I try to show a good representation of different areas in China and also different types of museums, from art museum to car museum, to better collide of collections." Plenty of entertaining and informative stories are up ahead on "In the Spotlight," so stay with us. If you're a fan of Chinese opera but are getting tired of the bold and vigorous style of opera from the North, why not try something different? Recently, top Yue opera troupes have swept the capital with their unique southern flavor. Reporter: On the stage of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, wearing long flowing gowns and singing rolling and gentle tunes, artists portray the tragic love story between ancient poet Lu You and his wife Tang Wan. Not only is the performance elegant and graceful, but more importantly, the opera is performed exclusively by women. This is Yue opera, a unique form of drama and musical theatre born in Zhejiang Province, southeastern China. Traditionally, just like Takarazuka revue in Japan, Yue opera used to be an all-women affair. Actresses dressed up to play male roles. Although men start to make their appearance on the stage in recent years, but still, female who play male parts are much more popular. Originating from the folk tales and ballads of local farmers, Yue opera borrows many aspects from traditional theatre and even western culture. Featuring soft melodies and exquisite performances, it blends literary classics, fairy tales and historical stories. Thanks to its lyrical style and romantic nature, this local art form, merely a century old, has captivated audiences nationwide and has been recognized as the most popular drama form after Peking opera. However, according to Mao Weitao, head of the Zhejiang Baihua Yue Opera Troupe, the situation of Yue Opera has deteriorated in recent times "For today's audience, it is a piece of history and tradition; it is very outworn, or in other words, it has been marginalized. Therefore, we must let more people hear it, modernize our show and allow more people to accept this art form." In order to promote Yue opera, leading troupes and artists have been invited to perform in the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing from late February till mid-March. They bring a list of classic plays, such as "Dream of the Red Chamber", adapted from famous Chinese classics, narrating the rise and fall of a wealthy family; and "The Butterfly Lovers", a China's equivalent of Romeo and Juliet. Opera lovers have high expectations about the performances. "Two years ago, I watched "The Butterfly Lovers" performed by first-rate actresses in this theatre. This time, the cast is different, which is definitely a highlight of the show." Some audience members have even brought friends from other lands along to watch the show. "I booked the tickets a month ago in case all the good seats sold out. See, she flew all the way from Japan to watch the play." In the star-studded show, "The Butterfly Lovers", first-rate performers from Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Fujian gather together to play same characters on the same stage; helping to demonstrate the different schools of Yue opera. In the end, all the performers wave colorful long sleeves in a group dance to manifest two separated lovers turning into butterflies. The subtlety and distinctive aesthetics displayed during the performance reinforces the eternal theme of love. Besides the classics, these troupes also bring fresh pieces to the stage, such as a new adaptation of the hit TV show "Palace of Desires," and a play recomposed from the novel "The Family" by novelist Bajin. Reportedly, compared with traditional plays, the staging and costumes for these new shows will be a real surprise. More importantly, the cast is no longer limited to women. However, according to Wu Fenghua, a renowned performer of Yue opera, the changes are not enough. "First of all, I think we need to be creative when searching for stories, but at the same time following the established traditions. We could learn from other countries. By integrating Chinese drama and foreign culture, we may help develop Yue opera. Moreover, the music needs to be changed. The plays should bring brand new audio-visual experiences to our audiences."