Japan Video Topics 2008/09
Manga Goes Worldwide
The worldwide spread of Japan's manga sub-culture was on view again this year at the second International Manga Awards, where prizes were presented to artists from many different countries for the best manga work produced outside Japan. Many who came for the Awards went on to the International Manga Summit in Kyoto, which focused on ways to use this rapidly internationalizing art form for the benefit of society in every nation, just as it has long been used in Japan.
World's Biggest Firework
Summer fireworks displays have long been a Japanese custom, and Japanese fireworks are among the world's most spectacular. Among the more than one thousand fireworks displays held here every year, there is one that features the world's biggest firework. The tiny town of Katakai (pop.6,000) has had a fireworks industry for over 400 years. They used a combination of traditional and innovative techniques to produce the 420 kg, 120 cm shell that now draws crowds of 200,000 to their annual display.
Japanese Denim - High Fashion and Eco-Friendly
Japanese denim, currently the favorite material for high-fashion jeans worldwide, was the theme of the Japan Blue Exhibition, part of this year's Japan Fashion Week in Tokyo. The world's fashion houses choose Japanese-made denim for a number of reasons; the excellent appearance produced by Japan's indigo dye and traditional dyeing techniques, the leading ideas of contemporary Japanese jeans designers, and the pioneering efforts of Japanese jeans and denim companies to make the manufacturing process more eco-friendly.
Deco Art - It's Everywhere!
A new fashion trend is spreading from Japan to the world. It originated when nail artists discovered their clients wanted the same kind of decorations applied to cellphones and other personal objects. Driven by user demand, stores sprang up offering custom-decorated phones and the parts and tools for people to do their own decoration. This trend was quickly taken up by the world of street fashion, and a sub-culture known as "deco-art" now supports the desire of young Japanese to express their individuality by personalizing each product they wear.
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