Japan Video Topics 2008/03
Tokyo Girls Collection
Like many aspects of Japanese youth culture, its street fashion is influencing trends worldwide. At Tokyo Girls Collection, top models walk the runway just as they do in the Paris haute couture collections, but there's an important difference - these fashions are all meant to be worn on the street, and the audience are normal young women rather than exclusive industry insiders. In a format likely to be adopted for fashion-conscious youth in other countries too, the show, open to anyone who can buy a ticket, also uses an innovative high tech system (via the audience's mobile phones) for placing orders in real time as the products are displayed.
01 (Street)
Young Japanese women are at the cutting edge of pop fashion today, enthusiastically exploring new styles to express their individuality.
02 (Interview - F)
[1] "It's my idea of how to look for spring."
[2] "I like this bohemian, ethnic look. Yes, I'd say my whole life is about fashion."
03 (Crowd running)
A new and massively popular event is aimed at these young fashion fans. The Tokyo Girls Collection was held for the sixth time this spring.
04 (Interview - F)
"Traditional fashion collections are exclusive events for industry insiders, journalists and special guests to see the coming season's designs from the big fashion houses. The creations on display often are not intended to be sold. What we do at Tokyo Girls Collection is different. Our show is for people who will actually wear these fashions on the street, and anyone is welcome to buy a ticket. When you see a model on the runway wearing something you like, it's very simple to just order it on the spot."
05 (Models on catwalk)
These models are usually seen wearing haute couture on Paris catwalks or on the covers of fashion magazines.
But here they are showing off "real clothes" - the sort of fashion that smart young women actually want to wear in everyday life.
06 (Audience - heads and waving arms)
However, that's not the only thing that makes the Tokyo Girls Collection different.
There's something that you'll see at no other fashion show.
Many in the audience are watching the catwalk with one eye, while keeping the other on their mobile phone.
As soon as they see a model wearing something they want to buy, they can check the details on their phone and instantly place an order.
07 (Mobile phone and reader)
It's a simple matter to register your phone on a mobile reader. This turns your phone into a display showing information about garments and other items in real-time as they appear on the catwalk.
08 (Interview - F)
"It's very convenient - if I see something I like, I just order it on the spot. There's no need to wait to go to a store."
09 (Interview - F)
"I'm very happy that our event is helping to spread the word about young Japanese fashions, and making it easier for young Japanese women to get the styles they want."
10 (Crowd)
Real-world street fashions in a fun event with high-tech backup.
This new type of fashion show, open to anyone, could be the next export from Japan's vibrant pop culture.
Contact list
Xavel, Inc.
4F Eight Bldg. 2-11-2 Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0031, Japan
TEL: +81-3-5774-7536
FAX: +81-3-5466-3671
http://www.xavel.com/
Japan Tourism Goes Green
Green tourism is a growing trend, and it's spreading widely in Japan. And naturally, it's being given a special Japanese twist. Farming and hillside communities are developing tours to introduce city visitors to the traditional land use and work practices of the Japanese countryside, long famous for its close integration of human and environmental needs. People can for example, help to work the satoyama, an area around each village that remains partly wild, but has been carefully tended over the centuries to provide the village with sustainable resources and a beautiful landscape. Volunteers are widely available to help the growing number of overseas visitors joining these tours.
01 (Rice paddy)
A chance for city-dwellers to get in touch with nature, staying in the country and enjoying the hands-on experience of work in farming and mountain communities.
This is green tourism, a booming new leisure trend in Japan.
02 (Ishioka telop)
Ishioka, in Ibaraki Prefecture, has many examples of a kind of landscape traditionally seen around Japanese farming villages.
03 (Satoyama telop)
The word satoyama describes a landscape that includes all the elements needed for life and work in a farming village, from fields and woods to ponds and irrigation.
04 (Field from above)
The traditional land-use methods that created the satoyama not only improved farm life, they also preserved the natural beauty of the countryside. This is why satoyama are now central to Japan's green tourism.
05 (Pan R - trees)
Ishioka provides a wide range of experiences for people to enjoy while exploring its satoyama areas.
06 (Red helmet & chainsaw)
For example, you can help to thin the forest. Periodic thinning of trees is essential to ensure a forest's healthy and balanced growth.
Supervised by a forestry worker, visitors learn to cut and trim the surplus trees.
The satoyama survived for centuries thanks to constant human care, and such work is needed for its preservation.
07 (3 people at table)
The thinned timber is not wasted. It's used for a variety of purposes, for example wood burning. Here a hot iron is used to create pictures on postcard sized slices of wood.
Making art is just one way the forest's excess wood is used.
08 (Drilling logs)
Visitors are shown how to plant shiitake mushroom spores in thinned logs.
The edible mushrooms won't appear until a year has passed, though.
09 (Bento)
Another attraction is the chance to enjoy meals made with fresh local ingredients.
10 (Forest trail)
Satoyama woodlands usually merge into the surrounding mountain forests, and forest walks are a popular option.
Several regions now provide volunteers with foreign language skills to help the growing number of overseas visitors who join these tours.
11 (Farmhouse exterior)
Old straw thatched farmhouses are now carefully preserved as historical legacies.
Tours around such houses give us a glimpse into the traditional lifestyle and culture of Japan's farming communities.
12 (Hillside logging)
An unforgettable chance to explore an alternative way of living with nature, satoyama tours are just one of the many varieties of green tourism now being developed by Japan's country communities.
Contact List
Tsukubane Forestry Association
1764-2 Kakioka, Ishioka-shi, Ibaraki 315-0116, Japan
TEL: +81-299-44-0167
FAX: +81-299-44-0168
http://www.camp-tsukubane.com/kumiai.htm
Oba Vineyard
258 Saku, Ishioka-shi, Ibaraki 315-0117, Japan
TEL: +81-299-43-1799
FAX: +81-299-43-1799
High-Tech Hairpieces
Japan has a long tradition of making fine wigs, and their quality is world-renowned even today. In contrast to the focus on fun and fashion that dominates many overseas wig markets, Japanese wigmakers have focused very strongly on total realism and comfort. Each client's head shape and remaining hairline are precisely mapped to allow the factory to produce a custom wig that fits perfectly and looks just the way the client wants. And a high tech solution that creates microscopic irregularities in the fiber surfaces now allows wigs made of synthetic fibers that behave and look just like real hair under all conditions.
01 (Wigs)
Fashion wigs come in a huge range of styles and colors, following each year's new trends.
They're a quick and popular way for young people to experiment with different looks to match the mood of the moment.
02 (Katsura telop)
In Japan, where wigs are known as katsura, the approach has always been different. Japanese wigmakers have traditionally focused on realism rather than exotic fashion trends.
03 (Pan R - factory interior)
So how are Japanese wigs different? What advanced technologies give these hairpieces a quality respected around the world?
04 (Pan L - factory roofs)
Many are designed at this research and development facility, run by one of Japan's leading wigmakers.
05 (Interview - M)
"We have to take everything into account, from the condition of the person's hair to how it grows. Only then can we make a hairpiece that will be exactly suitable for that individual."
06 (Strands of hair)
Thickness, color and texture - wigs must meet many different requirements.
A major achievement of Japan's wigmakers was to discover how to use synthetic fibers to make artificial hair that feels and looks completely natural.
07 (Interview - M)
"The luster, texture and feel of real hair are very difficult to imitate. Synthetic fiber curls when damp, so we developed special proprietary techniques to give it an irregular surface texture that behaves like real hair."
08 (Shop exterior)
Before making a wig, each client is carefully consulted about their preferences.
09 (Interview - M)
"I sit down with my client and find out all the details of what they like and dislike about their hair, and exactly how they want it to look."
10 (Measuring head)
A special device is used to make an exact pattern of the client's head shape and hairline.
This is sent to the overseas facility where the wig will be made.
11 (Factory exterior)
This method means that each client gets a personalized, order-made hairpiece.
12 (Fitting the wig)
About one month later the wig is ready. Along with their new hairpiece, the client is given detailed instructions on how to fit and care for it.
13 (Interview - M)
"I was amazed at how incredibly light it feels."
14 (Head & mirror)
Although they've achieved a completely natural appearance and a highly comfortable fit, Japan's wigmakers continue to evolve their technology and range of applications.
15 (Wig on dummy)
Another important use for wigs is to help patients who have suffered major hair loss from surgery or chemotherapy.
16 (Interview - M)
"On top of the suffering from their medical conditions, such patients often have a great deal of mental anguish due to their hair loss. We see this work as being part of our responsibility to society and we will never stop trying to develop new solutions."
17 (Fitting wig)
Japanese wigs are renowned worldwide for their quality.
And continuing research keeps on making these hairpieces ever more realistic.
Contact List
Aderans Co., Ltd.
Production Management Department
1-1 Hiranedai, Tainai-shi, Niigata 959-2702, Japan
TEL: +81-254-45-3111
Aderans Co., Ltd. Nakajo Store
2F Ono Bldg., 4-22 Omote-cho, Tainai-shi, Niigata 959-2631, Japan
TEL: +81-254-44-1960
Railway Country
Railways were introduced into Japan quite early - in the 1860s - and the nation would go on to develop one of the world's most intensive passenger rail networks, with 27,000 km of track reaching into every part of the country. When you add the comprehensive subway systems found in most major cities, it's no exaggeration to say that rail travel forms a close and familiar part of every Japanese person's life from their earliest childhood. Fast, extremely punctual, high-tech and safe, trains carry the Japanese to work, to school and on vacation. As a result, the nation has huge numbers of train lovers of all ages, and a new railway museum - where you can actually drive a train - is proving a big hit.
01 (Trains)
Japan built its first railway in the 1860s, and the nation has been at the forefront of railway innovation ever since.
02 (After Shinkansen)
Some countries have no railways at all, but Japan is at the opposite extreme. A dense rail network with about 27,000 kilometers of track covers the entire nation.
03 (Green train with red stripe)
In addition, most large cities have extensive underground rail systems.
04 (B/W photos)
Historically, most rail systems began as freight carriers. In contrast, Japan's railways developed primarily to transport passengers.
Going to work, to school or on holiday, train travel is an inescapable part of Japanese life.
05 (Red train)
Each train line is distinguished by a unique carriage design and color scheme.
Growing up surrounded by a world of trains, Japanese children quickly learn the colors of familiar lines.
06 (Station exterior)
Many towns first grew up and developed around their railway stations, and the area around the station is often still the focal point of these communities.
07 (Platform and sign)
Japan's railways are justifiably proud of their record for safety and punctuality.
Timetables are accurate to the minute, and advanced technology is used to ensure comfort and safety.
And in a world concerned with climate change, emission-free railways are one of the most ecological forms of transportation.
08 (Museum interior)
Japan's railway fans flock to this new museum, devoted to the history of the nation's railways and the development of its train technology.
This museum was designed to educate, using working models, simulations and interactive games.
It's a place to see, touch and experience the technology that made Japan one of the world's leading railway nations.
09 (Looking down on orange & red trains)
In addition to the impressive sight of 35 classic trains, the main History Zone has exhibits of accurate scale models, rare photos and railway memorabilia.
10 (Three model trains)
Fully 200 square meters in size, this is the largest railway diorama in Japan.
Model trains of all kinds run on its 1.4 kilometers of track.
11 (Crossing signals)
This is the museum's most popular attraction, especially with younger visitors.
You can ride scaled down but very realistic trains on this railway line.
And, as long as you're over six years old, you can try your hand at being a train driver.
12 (Shinkansen from above)
Japan is a nation that loves its trains. And Japanese railways keep on getting better, smoother, safer and more comfortable to ride.
Contact List
The Railway Museum
3-47 Taisei-cho, Omiya-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama 330-0852, Japan
TEL: +81-48-651-0088
FAX: +81-48-651-0570
http://www.railway-museum.jp/top.html
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