Dir en grey 2016.02.06 日本武道館(2日目) Day 2. Live Report.

Dir en grey prove they can still enthral the Budokan!

Before I begin, I must confess that I am a massive Dir en grey fan, this marks the 15th time that I have seen them. 10 times in the UK and the 5th time in Japan. It has been a long time goal of mine to see them at the Nippon Budokan (日本武道館). This is one of the biggest and best venues in all of Japan and is always featured on their spectacular live DVDs. Finally I was able to experience it in person.

As part of the final days of their 2015-2016 tour that has spanned countries worldwide, Dir en grey returned to the Budokan for the first time in 2 years to perform a special 2 day set of gigs entitled ARCHE, named after their current album. I managed to get a ticket for day 2, which was officially sold out, placing myself in standing block F. Which is at the back right of the arena, I feared this would place me far from the stage with an awful view but I found myself front left of my block and therefore central in the area. With the big advantage of being a tall foreigner I was able to get a clear view of the entire stage throughout, awesome!

Unfortunately when I arrived almost all of the merchandise had sold out but I got myself a key chain and sticker as a souvenir, its not everyday you get to go to the Budokan, its a shame because the clothing designs looked fantastic. Outside there was a cool viewing area displaying the band's signature instruments as well as an eerie art installation based on the album artwork. While promotional videos for the tour were being played on a TV another screen displayed live tweets and instagram posts that were made with the #ARCHE and #DIR武道館 tags. Check them out for yourself to see all of the fan posts! 

You can see mine in the bottom right!

The organization of the arena was really well done. You could buy a 40L plastic bag for 500yen which you could store all of your stuff in, with a ticket to collect after. Much more effective than a locker system!
After a long cold wait I was able to enter and got to my place in F block, thankful once again for the numbered ticketing system and the great manners of Japanese fans it was a pleasant stress free experience with none of the pushing found abroad.

The arena is BIG, but didn't feel as colossal as it sometimes appears on the DVD's, big enough to have the awe factor but not at the cost of ruining the live experience! Now, let's get onto the actual live!

Day 2 Setlist:

01: and Zero

02: 空谷の跫音

03: Behind a vacant image

04: SUSTAIN THE UNTRUTH

05: 鱗

06: 懐春

07: Phenomenon

08: てふてふ

- Acapella - (Roughly around here I forget)

09: 輪郭

10: 禍夜想

11: 咀嚼

12: Midwife

13: Cause of fickleness

14: Chain Repulsion

15: Revelation of mankind

16: The Inferno

Encore:

01: 濤声

02: THE FINAL

03: OBSCURE

04: MARMALADE CHAINSAW

05: 激しさと、この胸の中で絡み付いた灼熱の闇

06: Un deux

As you can see here, the set list was predominantly ARCHE material with the encore containing a mix of classics. The live had a distinct set of three phrases for me, beginning with a dark and awe inspiring atmospheric set of songs followed by a really hard hitting heavy set of songs before reaching the encore which was a nostalgic mix of songs that brought all of the fans together in unison for a goose-bump inducing finale.

The lights dimmed and the sombre tones of 'and Zero' rang out across the arena, the entire crowd was silent. Unlike the exciting G.D.S intro of times past this track does an awesome job of building tension and with the steady build up of atmosphere it sets your skin of edge. The band gradually take to the stage, all clad in black. Shinya with his blonde hair and Die with a long flowing jacket, having returned to his LONG straight hair style. Kaoru looked freaking incredible with a long sleeveless jacket and baggy pants/skirt combo, he was also sporting some splotchy stitchlike black makeup across his cheeks. Toshiya on the other hand looked very ominous and somewhat undertaker like, with his hair covering the majority of his face. Then Kyo came to the stage to a huge roar from the crowd, having closely shaved hair and wearing what I can only describe as a dictators outfit, black gloves, leather black army hat and a flowing cloak. He looked like a complete badass and ready to command and we were ready to march.

The band launched into '空谷の跫音' which despite not being the next track on the CD connects REALLY well off the intro. My first immediate though was 'Damn the arena sound really is something else', the acoustics amplify everything tenfold and the harmonic tones of the guitars, the deep reverberating base and Kyo's ghostlike vocals shudder through you. The climax of the song really impressed me and proves that Kyo can still reach those high sustained notes without his voice breaking. I was worried that with extensive touring and growling tracks he wouldn't be able to but I was SO happy he instantly prove that wrong. There was one point where he raised the mic stand out to the crowd and he cast a perfect dictator silhouette. Commanding the masses.

Next came 'Behind a vacant image', the band were playing in front of a HUGE screen and these showed dark menacing visuals to match the songs. As the song broke down into the heavy later verse the crowd began to shift and head bang to Kyo's eccentric roars and wails. As my friend said earlier today 'Kyo is the only person I know who can go from whale song to orc roar in a second'.

'SUSTAIN THE UNTRUTH' is one of my favourites on the ARCHE album, it has a punchy set of riffs that automatically make you rock your body back and forth. The crowd, rocking with hands raised in a waving motion sang out in unison to the chorus creating a wall of passionate sound. The lurching guitar sections sound fantastic in the arena! They immediately jumped into '鱗', another favourite of the album, the screen showing the music overlapped with 5 live camera shots of the individual members. The crowd. went. nuts. It was a sensory overload with flashing lighting, punchy guitars, harmonious solos, Kyo's volatile yet soothing vocals. The fans surged forward in a wave of headbanging, fist pumping and jumping. I can't find the words to accurately depict how intense it was, I was lost in the moment. As with any good band, Dir en grey's songs live sound ten times as good as the CD version.

'懐春' followed next which is a very atmospheric and instrumental song interlaced with long sustained vocals. To be honest this was one of the more forgetful tracks but ends on a really well done guitar solo. 'Phenomenon' kicked in next, if one track on ARCHE could be described as 'funky' it would be this one. It has a thunderous wicked dark tone that the Budokan accentuates really well, as Kyo sang he danced a hypotic set of hand movements to the beat. We were enthralled.

'てふてふ' is one of the best ARCHE songs live, mainly because I like to watch Die throughout as he goes absolutely mental when playing the chorus! It is one of my favourite parts of the song as I loved the fast frantic pace of his playing. Whenever Kyo sings the line 'さあ、楽しもう...!' it makes my skin tingle and seeing how Kaoru and Die play off each other during the guitar solo make this definitely one of my favourite performances of the show. 

It was around this time that Kyo did his acapella, swathed in a great mist of red smoke he performed accompanied by an old bell that he rang to create haunting echoing sounds. The big screen cast his silhouetted image across the arena and he looked somewhat zombie-like in his movements as he reached upwards. It was definitely one of the most powerful acapellas that I have seen him make to date.  '輪郭' continued this vibe and whilst it isn't one of my most liked  songs I really enjoyed seeing Kaoru and Die thrash wildly as the song built up to its climax.

'禍夜想' is one song where Toshiya's bass really commands the song. Sadly it's one of the songs I remember the least as it doesn't really stand out apart from the epic basslines although the later half is much better than the beginning. ' 咀嚼' turned things around and kicked the live back into gear. ARCHE in my opinion is one of Dir en greys tightest and well put together albums from a composition perspective and this song really highlights their command of their genre, a fantastic intro, beautiful guitar solos and vocals that reach lofty heights and the lowest depths.

'Midwife' marked the point where the band GOT HEAVY. The screen showed some real dark images, centipedes, a pregnant women pawing around in the darkness. The song is a complete wall of sound live that envelops you. The transitions are really rapid and irregular though and the thrashy fast riffs made it hard to 'rock out' too. With some fans choosing to head bang wildly while others settled for punching the air rapidly. Definitely one of the 'screamer' tracks of the night, albeit one of the messier ones. 

'Cause of fickleness' reminds me a lot of their earlier albums combined with their 'Withering to death' era. The crowd went freaking mental, especially during the chorus, screaming out 'WAKE ME UP' together with arms raised in the chorus. I love how the crowds at Japanese gigs flawlessly act as one, all of the motions, from head banging etc. all happen together naturally. Even if the song is really hardcore, no-one is clashing, but enjoying everything together. In the UK gigs I always felt crushed or as if someone was trying to push me out of place. I love Japanese gigs. The song ended with a MASSIVE smoke explosion that caught me by surprise!

Wow...this is becoming a long report! Thanks for staying this far!

'Chain repulsion' is another 'technically tight' song, that rips back and force at a high pace, it carries you a long with it and you can't help but shake your body and head to it. The crowd roared along with the members' backing vocals toward the end.The visuals were vividly bright and trippy throughout which was a bright contrast to the earlier visuals. The whole song was a shock to the system.

Following hot in the wake was 'Revelation of mankind', another intense song, which was accompanied by the great PV video on the giant screen. I can imagine it will look fantastic on the DVD recording.

Dir en grey finished their main set with 'The Inferno'...the performance definitely matched the name as they performed a blistering performance with a backdrop of about 10 flame spewing torches, I could feel the heat despite being pretty far back! It was a really heavy way to end the set and I loved every damn second of it. Every fan was united together as we roared out during the chorus, it was one of those songs where you all lurch back and forth in one giant head bang tsunami, then smash your fist high as your roar out the words. You need to be there to understand.

They left to a roaring applause before the encore chants began...the band eventually returned, dressed down. Beginning with the slow and calming 'ballad' of the album '濤声'. It is a great song to build up the atmosphere again with lots of layered guitars and a beautiful guitar solo. After Kyo did some MC yelling "男...男...男！生きてるか！？" (Guys...are you alive!?) With all the men roaring after each pause, and he did the same for girls after, Toshiya smashing his bass, sending it rumbling through the air after each roar. Then the intro to 'THE FINAL' began, accompanied by the screen showing a montage of live video and photos taken from the previous dates of the tour leading up to this finale. The lyrics appeared as subtitles on top of the footage and we sang every word with a freshly revived fervour. This song always sounds amazing live and this was no exception, the video was an added touch and I saw online on twitter that it touched many fans, especially those who were lucky enough to go to the other tour dates. It was a climax of everything that got them this far on this tour. 

They then began playing a song I have not heard live for many years...OBSCURE! Immediately the entire crowd leant forward resting on each others back from leverage and began to sweep into some immense deep head bangs to match the pace. This was the newer remade version, having seen both live I feel that I prefer the original one a lot more as it has a lot more slow impact and artistic value whereas this version is more hardcore and a lot faster. Both still blow my mind though. During this song they also raised a new backdrop screen that had 'Dir en grey' written out in giant letters.

In complete contrast they sped into MARMALADE CHAINSAW, another Vulgar era song that I totally wasn't expecting! It's upbeat, fun and felt a lot lighter in tone compared to the dark vibes of the entire set beforehand. The band members ran around the stage swapping positions and gesturing to everyone and you could see that they were letting loose too.

Before the next song, Kyo did more MC and one line that he yelled at us stuck with me. 

"お前らと俺らの未来の為にひとつなれんのか!?" "Can you all become one with us for the sake of our future!?" It kind of had a deep meaning that we should all unite together. Not just for the band's future, but for ourselves. The fans roared their answer loud and clear.

激しさと、この胸の中で絡み付いた灼熱の闇 was the perfect time for band and fans to become one. This is one of their very best songs live, it is heavy, had a clear melody, it is fast yet easy to follow. With a set of brutal verses and a chorus that allows fans to sing their absolute hearts out alongside Kyo. The entire arena sung out their resolve in one giant harmony before swinging back down into a head banging thrashing frenzy. It was one of the best feelings ever. The backdrop screen was showing the real time live footage of the members performing individually on top of the seething crowd, band and fans as one. It was amazing.

As with the last time I saw them in Namba, they announced their last song and Kyo screamed at us if we could sing as one, hell yes we could. Un deux began and real time live footage of the arena and band began playing. Below, the song's subtitles appeared and everyone once again united in celebration of their favourite band. It was a truly moving experience that I can't put into words but it was incredibly powerful as we all sang and rocked together. My voice was near to breaking point but I sang every single word with everyone I had, as did everyone around me. The screen began playing a 'credits' list of all the tour dates they had performed for that year, ending with the Budokan dates.

And then...it was over. It felt so much faster than the track list would have you believe.

The band lingered for a while handing out various picks etc before leaving the stage. Even Kyo had a rare grin on his face as he gestured to the crowd, something you don't normally see!

We thought it was over and the music was but the hype wasn't!

White text began to fill the screen with some ambient sound and new announcements began appearing.

BUDOKAN LIVE DVD RELEASED JUNE 2016

*cue the entire crowd shouting for joy as we realize we can have a video memory of this awesome show*

NEW SINGLE RELEASED JULY 2016

*more hyped shouting*

NEW 2016-2017 TOUR:  FROM DEPRESSION TO _ _ _ _ _

Wait what...!? new tour!? awesome? What does the _ _ _ _ _ ? mean....!_

FROM DEPRESSION TO _ _ _ _ Part 1...

[Mode of VULGAR] June 2016

Holy shiiiiiit they are doing an entire live tour of the Vulgar album, one of my all time favourites!

TOTALLY GOING!

FROM DEPRESSION TO _ _ _ _ Part 2...

[Mode of Dum Spiro Spero] September 2016

AWESOME! Another tour, not my favourite album by far but ...great!

FROM DEPRESSION TO _ _ _ _ Part 3...

[Mode of Kisou] November 2016

I literally screamed with happiness when I saw this. One of my favourite all time album and has tracks that I NEVER thought I would hear them perform since the songs are so old. I am going to this gig even if I have to risk my job calling sick or whatever. I AM GOING. 

Thus ended one of the best nights of my damn life.
I wish I was back there already.

Thanks for reading.

Yakisoba and chocolate : Valentines match made in heaven?

Japanese manufacturer Myojo is well known for selling their popular and super convenient 'Ippei-chan' yakisoba noodles. They apparently thought that their marketing needed something completely wild and crazy and jumped on the Valentine's bandwagon, by adding...chocolate sauce, what?

As soon as I saw the promo for this on the internet I decided on the spot that I HAD to eat this. Who the hell thinks of chocolate and noodles together? Typically yakisoba is ramen noodles fried in a slightly salty soy, Worchestershire kind of sauce. Some flavour combinations just naturally don't work together. You aren't going to add whipped cream to your squid and you won't put baked beans on a chocolate cake. So how anyone decided to make this combo is beyond me. But I remained faithful, after all, adding chocolate to a curry is a great way to add some bitterness to it, maybe this would work?

My local supermarket had an ample stack that was larger yesterday.

Sites like RocketNews have gone for the 'sensational' OMG it's so gross, so unique, rare and hard to find reporting approach. Whilst it will certainly disappear quickly like all limited edition flavours here, within a week or two max, I could find them in pretty much every convenience store and supermarket. Interestingly, it is a good 50 yen cheaper than the standard flavour, I guess even the most adventurous need a little cash incentive...!

So you buy a packet, what do you get inside?

You get the standard packet with the cool drainage lid and 3 packets that you simply need to add after boiling the noodles and draining them, then just mix the hell out of it. Adding the furikake packet last, which is kind of the crunchy topping. Even if you don't know Japanese, the instructions are crazy simple.

So you mix it all up, wait with anticipation and you see this...oh.
I'm sure the obvious comparison is very clear...I tasted a quick sample of the sauce before putting it on an it did indeed taste like legitimate chocolate sauce!

Appetizing?

However, if you go beyond the visuals and mix it up, the taste is pretty surprising.
The texture is very much the same as your standard yakisoba but with a little added crunch from the topping. The starchyness of the noodles actually helps to mellow out the chocolate taste into something a bit more natural.
My immediate comparison would be a standard chocolate mister donut's donut. What I hadn't realized until I had began eating is that it is noodles plus chocolate AND cinnamon. This was a real deal breaker. The cinnamon, for me actually added a nice after taste and complimented the natural noodle taste. You could even say it was pretty good!

Mix, mix...!

That's a bit more natural looking...!

It became one of those dishes where the more you eat it, the more you begin to like it. I found myself saying "Hey...I could actually eat this again!" and not just to be edgy. I have had worse tasting regular yakisoba's. Perhaps I have a more forgiving palate but for that combination and for so cheap, it was a nice surprise!

If you want to try this novelty noodle dish I really recommend you go out and grab one within a week or so otherwise you will have to hunt hard. It has been released for valentines but often it seems that Japan removes these items way before the event has actually finished, marketing is weird.

If you give it a go, let me know what you think! 

Evangelion The Real 4D: 2.0 - Impressions and Merchandise

Universal Studios Japan has once again created some new and revamped versions of attractions based upon some of the very best and most popular areas of pop culture, manga and video games as part of it's 'Cool Japan 2016' campaign. The much anticipated 164 day limited event launched last Friday and has added cutting-edge technology including virtual reality headsets.
This year five attractions are featured, a revamped Evangelion ride that continues the story, Monster Hunter, Attack on Titan and Resident Evil. The most exciting new addition is a modified version of 'Space Fantasy' that has been fitted with virtual reality headsets to help you explore the weird and wonderful kawaii pop world inspired by Kyary Pyamu Pyamu.

I was lucky enough to go to Universal Studios last Saturday with the intention of trying out the Attack on Titan and Kyary Pyamu Pyamu rides, unfortunately the Attack on Titan attraction had ended at 2pm, to be switched to the Evangelion attraction instead. The Kyary ride however had a whopping SIX hour wait and they even refused further additions to the line, not that I would want to wait six hours anyway. I should have suspected this considering it was the opening weekend! Japanese people love to wait for something new!

Instead we chose to wait for the 'Evangelion The Real 4D: 2.0' experience, the queue was roughly 3 hours long which was pretty brutal in the recent freezing weather but it gave us plenty of time to catch up on the Evangelion lore which I must admit, I had mostly forgotten since I haven't seen the anime for many years!

Check out the commercial for the attraction below, to get hyped for my report! Universal always have fantastic marketing campaigns for each new ride.
"かつてない死闘を体感せよ" 'Experience the unprecedented struggle to the death!'

The Evangelion and Attack on Titan attractions take over the original Sesame Street theatre and therefore there is not a lot of external promotion beyond the odd poster and associated merchandise stands, it would have been cooler if there was some form of TV screen or promotional statues etc. alongside the line to make it a little less tedious.

MINOR ATTRACTION SPOILERS BELOW:

I will assume that you have some base knowledge of what Evangelion is and the characters involved while describing, if you haven't seen the series yet, I highly recommend it!

Upon entering you are funnelled into a briefing room just outside of the theatre and are greeted by three large monitors featuring the clasped hands and glasses of Gendo Ikari. We listen in as he has a voice only meeting with the other members of the Seele organization. Each member's role is lit up upon the walls of the area as if it was one giant communication panel.

It turns out that the people in the room, us, are researchers from the government interested in what the NERV project is currently working on and what that entails, we listen to Seele and Gendo discuss what to do with us and how to proceed with giving us a tour. After the discussion finishes we are giving a briefing by the Operations Major Misato Katsuragi, she gives us an overview of the Evangelion battle units as well as their pilots, there is an amusing fan service point during her explanation but I won't ruin it for you. This gives you a great overview of the general concept of the NERV project and therefore those who haven't watched the series can get the gist.

It turns out that we will be accompanying pilot Mari Makinami Illustrious in her Eva 04 Unit, complete with new 'rapid borer' equipment designed to inflict brutal damage in battle. It is meant to be a rudimentary tour of how the Unit is piloted and how it functions but of course it wouldn't be an attraction if it ended up so simple...!

A brief overview of the Eva - 04 as a TV commercial.

The doors then open and we get seated, along with our 4D glasses that are surprisingly lightweight and comfortable, they don't obstruct your vision in any way. For those of you that are familiar with the series, the events of this 2.0 attraction closely resemble the battle against Angel 10 Zeruel in the 2.0 movie. The story is fascinating, especially if you’re a fan of the series, but what stands out is the multi sensory effects that come at you from all corners of the room. It truly is a 4D experience, complete with visceral spraying blood (water), explosions, vibrations, shocks and other effects –– coming from under your seat. With each movement and impact of the Eva unit alongside being hit by debris and attacks, the seat shifts and the cool air of the sky can be felt against your face. It's a pretty intense and absorbing simulation.

We see everything from the perspective of Maki, within the cock-pit of the Unit, it is a totally first person experience so we can see our arms move in front of our face, reminiscent of an FPS game. Our tour quickly goes awry as we receive a briefing from NERV command that an angel enemy has breached the area, the extremely strong 10th Angel - Zeruel from the movie/climax of the series.

The hollow face of Zeruel, who attacks with ribbon like appendages.

It is a code red attack and we immediately launch into action, obtaining an air dropped rifle and begin to shoot at our new foe. It is hard to recall as the battle is very intense, very fast and very dynamic. You are constantly moving, both on screen and physically in your seat. They had me hyped from the start.
Asuka jumps into the fray with her progressive knife yelling that she can handle it herself and leaps ahead to assault Zeruel while we give support fire. She struggles to break it's incredibly strong AT field (shield) and is thrown off but not before a ribbon like limb severs her entire damn leg off, covering the screen in visceral red blood - which you feel spray across your face. At that point I was sold, this is amazing.

Shinji and Rei now jump in, Shinji leaping upon Zeruel and attempting to punch through while we give support rifle fire alongside Rei. It is no use and Shinji gets viciously impaled, spraying more blood, his limp body being cast aside. We go in for a close assault, smashing at the angels face but to no avail and are whacked aside, sent sprawling alongside Shinji's motionless and most likely dead unit. We look up and see Zeruel hurling towards us but Rei jumps in and vows to protect us using her own AT field, she puts up a valiant fight but it is no use...

Rei is gripped by the Angel's limbs and we can do nothing but look up and see her arms torn off graphically one by one, once again covering us in gore. The angel then sprouts a disgusting and huge mouth that consumes Rei, before spitting out her torn Unit head right into our visor causing massive damage (and shock! Way more intense than I was expecting!)

Maki (and us) spur into action, equipping our new 'Rapid Borer' arms and eagerly assault the Angel, relentlessly pummelling and boring against the AT Field but it just isn't enough. Our borers sustain massive damage and malfunction. In desperation, as in the original anime, Maki enters 'beast' mode becoming a more feral version of her original self, transforming her unit in unison as we can note with our now claw like hands. We take to the sky and can see in the water's reflection that we have now been equipped with beast like wings, feeling the air and the splash of water against our skin as we rush in for an aerial assault. So. Intense. Everything happens so quick and seamlessly.

We get wrecked nonetheless and all seems helpless. Once again hit to the ground. We smack Shinji's lifeless wreck across the face cursing at him for being a weak guy unable to do anything. This somehow reaches him and edges him into life, he awakens and goes absolutely berserk, forming a new arm with his AT field energy and goes completely nuts against Zeruel as we look on. He completely smashes apart the At field and despite the crew and NERV HQ's warnings he continues the assault, leading into one epic punch in mid air that makes Zeruels body EXPLODE into gore and blood that fills the entire screen. The scenery is full of beautiful yet scarred imagery as if the world is going to end.

From within the body, Rei's core manifests itself into a glowing red image of her before she is consumed by Shinji's unit, thus initiating the 'Third Impact' and thus the end of the world and all life on it...

A few other details happen that I won't mention but at the end we are left with a 'to be continued...' message so I assume there will be another iteration next year, lets hope!

I was really impressed by it and would recommend it to anyone, fan or not. Three hours is a bit long to wait if you are not a fan but I can't imagine the line will get any shorter than 2 hours for the time being, definitely worth it if you have a year pass though! It is entirely in Japanese but I am sure you would enjoy the experience even if you don't understand the dialogue.

Outside of the experience itself is an ABUNDANCE of merchandise, I took a few shots of the various goods below, the popcorn helmet steals the show though!

USJ must make so much money...

Not going to lie, I thought this was pretty damn cool...the price? Not so cool.

Very similar to the figures you could win in the 7/11 prize raffle..

Popcorn bucket WITH GLOWING EYES and LCL Drink.

Popcorn buckets are quite pricy at 3,980 but definitely are a unique item!

More advertising...

These stores are cool to check out even if you don't ride.

Overall a very good start to my experience of the 'Cool Japan 2016' campaign! I definitely aim to ride the rest. I was able to check out the Monster Hunter attraction too so stay tuned for another post later this week!
Thanks for reading!

Osaka takes Japan's first steps against hate speech.

Progress, but small progress.
Osaka has passed its first ruling by a major city against hateful speech last Friday.

A more indepth ordinance failed to pass last year due to the LPD and Komeito parties opposing the idea of giving the city authority to loan money to victims who would want to take their case to court.

Osaka drew international focus for hate speech in February 2013 when an anti Korean group 'Zaitokukai' held a rally in the Tsuruhashi district where many ethnic Koreans reside. During the rally a YouTube video was taken showing a 14 year old hurling abusive slurs and death threats towards Koreans while the Zaitokukai members cheered on. This led to then-Mayor Toru Hashimoto and his 'Osaka Ishin no Kai' (One Osaka) party beginning to attempt to crack down on hate speech. Eventually leading to a heated debate against the head Zaitokukai member, taking place in October 2014.

 

An example of one of their rallies.

The ruling that passed on Friday simply allows a committee to be formed, consisting of 5 legal and academic experts who will investigate any allegations of hate speech filed by Osaka residents. Unfortunately, no 'real' action can be taken against the perpetrators. If the committee agrees that a hate speech case has taken place then the offender and their affiliated group will have their names posted on the city's website. It's effectively an official name and shame ruling.

During the early stages of the assembly it was even disrupted by a man throwing two orange paint balls to the ground and then yelling "Protect the self-esteem of Japanese people" as he was subdued by security, Kyodo News reported.

Korean activists have welcomed the decision but says more needs to be done. Current existing rules regarding public welfare allows public facilities to refuse groups who participate in discriminatory or violent behaviour, as well as revoke rally permits. However, this is full of exceptions and is generally down to subjective views of what is discriminatory so it is hard to enforce.

There are also a lot of concerns about the interpretation of 'free speech' regarding this new ruling but I feel that there is a huge difference between voicing an opinion and having a gang screaming abuse and wishing someone to die based purely on their ethnic background. It can cause emotional distress, destroy reputations as well as their income and future prospects. Not to mention the chance of inciting violence against them.

While Japan has definitely come along way regarding international communication and understanding, some citizens still feel there is something 'unique' about being Japanese and thus look down upon others who are not.
But don't get me wrong, I personally have had only positive experiences here and absolutely love the Japanese community and their hospitality. I wouldn't be living here otherwise. Despite this, it is easy to see the many micro aggressions that permeate Japanese society against outsiders, whether intentional or not.

             

The obnoxious Uyoku dantai in action, note how the police do nothing about their numerous obstructions and traffic law breaking either.

I'm sure many foreigners in Japan have uncomfortably witnessed the 'Uyoku dantai', the loud obnoxious right wing black vans, fitted with loud speakers and imperial propaganda. These often preach hostile messages against foreign groups at irritating volumes and can be pretty intimidating to some. Whenever I see these it reminds me of the problems back home regarding the BNP or EDL (English Defence League) groups in the UK who also rally for independence while acting extremely hostile to particular groups.

...I'm not really sure where I'm going with this post but I'm glad that some first steps have been taken to highlight hate speech as an issue that requires action rather than just ignoring it. I somewhat doubt whether this committee will be effective but some progress is better than none!

This should apply not just to Japan, but the world as a whole.

Habitica - Level up your lifestyle

Want to make a change in 2016?

Hey everyone, long time no see!
Like most people at the beginning of the year you may have decided to make some lifestyle changes for 2016. However most people, myself included, often find themselves with an initial huge burst of motivation that gradually dwindles away due to various distractions and laziness, we lose track.

There are a large number of apps and services out there to help you get organized but one in particular stood out for me - Habitica.
I freaking LOVE video games and Habitica offers you a way to 'gamify' your lifestyle, offering progressive challenges and rewards as you complete quests and tasks as you aim towards your life goals.

Previously known as 'HabitRPG', it is a free website service as well as a phone app. Anyone who has played an RPG before will feel immediately at home as you begin creating your avatar and as you level you can choose a class specialization such as a Warrior or Healer. You can defeat monsters, collect materials and earn equipment, skills and pets along the way!

Sounds good...but how in the hell does that help your productivity?

The key is in how you do damage to enemies and gain experience. In order to make progress you need to complete 'daily quests' as well as short term and long term missions. Above all, these are not provided by the game itself, they are created entirely by the character, you. Following the basic yet sufficient tutorial you can entirely customize your quests aka your 'to do' list in order to suit your personal needs.

A glimpse at my personal quest lines

Quests are split into 3 main categories:

1) Habits
These are good or bad habits that you passively want to encourage or discourage. Completing a positive task such as 'Wash up immediately after cooking' will reward you with experience and maybe an item. A negative habit such as 'Eat take away pizza' would cause damage to your character. With each 'consequential' completion the rewards/punishments will scale off in order to not be overpowered as it becomes an actual habit.

2) Dailies
These are the main focus of Habitica. These are habits and tasks that you actively want to complete on a regular basis. If these quests are not completed by the end of the day it will result in both you and your party taking damage for each individual task. It varies per person but it my case it includes tasks such as 'Review 3 kanji and its compounds', 'Exercise', 'Get out of bed immediately', 'Organize my work for the next day' etc. These can be as specific or as vague as you like.

3) To do's
These are your bigger, long term goals. Or those type of tasks that you won't get round to immediately but need doing. On my list right now I have 'Clean the inside of my PC' because it is WAY overdue. Other examples could be 'Pass license examination' or 'Lose 5 kg' and so on. These types of quests offer larger rewards depending the difficulty and if left to stagnate, gradually become more red compared to your fresher green tasks.

Each quest can be modified for difficulty or you can add time limits and specific days for them to appear. For example, '5 km Jogging' could be made to appear in your 'dailies' for Mon, Weds and Fri only.

Your character is displayed on the left, your party members on the right

Habitica has a very active community like any other good RPG. You can join parties and guilds and these allow you to challenge story quest lines together and defeat bosses with your accumulated damage. Other the other hand, if your party members fail a task, you will also suffer damage, therefore being in a party is a good motivator to complete each daily list!
The main positive aspect is that many groups are targeted to various lifestyles ranging from  office workers to fitness buffs or language students. You can help motivate each other and share tips for optimizing your goals, maybe make a real friend or two in the process! My current group contains an engineer, a law student and a tri-athlete!

The interface is relatively clear with cute pixel art, and the layout is constantly being tweaked to be more efficient. The party and social screens are a bit messy in my opinion but once you get used to it the navigation becomes second nature. Habitica could benefit from adding a separate chat tab as it currently displays party chat amongst the battle data and it feels a little disjointed.

But...does it work!?

Yes...and no.

Habitica offers a lot of incentives to help you stay motivated, equipment, special pets, exclusive pets and the damage system to name a few. The main drawback though is that there is NOTHING preventing you from cheating the system - whether by checking off uncompleted tasks to prevent party damage or creating trash tasks in order to boost your equipment and experience gains. Therefore Habitica's success strongly relies on the user's integrity, honesty and pure willpower to reach their goals.

Various monsters can be defeated with your group

I have been using Habitica for over 6 months now and while I started off really well, when my motivation began to slide I slowly fell into the trap of checking off a few uncompleted tasks just to prevent my party dying, DO NOT DO THIS as it totally ruins the purpose of Habitica.

There is a large wiki and forum that offers advice for optimizing your lists as well as various other tricks. You can also set yourself 'Rewards' that you can purchase with accumulated gold. For example if you lost 5kg then perhaps you could treat yourself to that take-away pizza...for 500 gold. Pass an exam? Treat yourself to a weekend spa...for 7777 gold and so on.
There is a mobile app to coincide with the website and it helps your to keep track and check things off as you complete them. It is nothing mind blowing but it gets the job done.

So many pets to collect! Each pet can also be turned into a mount with food, hence the progress bars.

I have revamped my list again for 2016 and have vowed to be more strict with myself, the deaths of myself and my party members be damned! One of my new tasks? CREATE BLOG CONTENT!!
2016 will be a year of change!

Give Habitica a try, its a fun new way to help improve yourself!

Dir en grey at Namba Hatch 2015/09/20 Live Review

Dir en grey : TOUR15 NEVER FREE FROM THE AWAKENING

NAMBA HATCH // 2015/09/20

I have just come back from a phenomenal live show at Osaka's Namba Hatch as Dir en grey stopped for their 6th show on their current 'TOUR15 NEVER FREE FROM THE AWAKENING' tour. It has been about 2-3 years since I last saw them perform in London, UK and marks my 12th time seeing them live overall! This was my third time seeing them in Japan however!

Dir en grey proved to me once again why they are, and will remain my most favourite band of all time. Today they performed a dark and powerful set drawing mainly from their latest album release 'Arche' but also had some select classics dispersed through the set and one hell of an intense and surprising encore!

Tonight's set list:

01 Behind a vacant image

02 Sustain the Untruth

03 OBSCURE

04 DOZING GREEN

05 Merciless Cult

06 朔-saku-

07 てふてふ

08 輪郭 / Rinkaku

09 VINUSHKA

INWARD SCREAM

10 and zero

11 咀嚼 / Soshaku

12 Revelation of mankind

13 鱗 / Uroko

Encore:

14 ain't afraid to die

15 鼓動 / Kodou

16 THE IIID EMPIRE

17 激しさと、この胸の中で絡み付いた灼熱の闇 /
 hageshisa to kono mune no naka de karamitsuita shakunetsu no yami

18 un deux

Cool artwork in the venue lobby

Namba Hatch is a fantastic venue, the perfect size to be close to the band yet also have some breathing space. Plus if you are as tall as me you can have a clear view of the stage from anywhere in the venue. This time I stayed near the back as I has quite a late entry ticket #1939!! I usually spend Diru gigs in the thick of it at the front but this time enjoyed the show in its entirety without overdoing it in the pit area. Was a refreshing choice!

Unlike in the West there is actually a bit of breathing room in the gigs and people respect each others space. There is a great harmonious atmosphere overall as everyone fist pumps and head-bangs in unison, a tsunami of hair and raised hands...the best feeling in the world.

The first thing that struck me was the sheer power of their sound, Shinya's drum kit sounded immense tonight as he thunders through the darker songs from Arche and adds a great depth to their songs which really power the rest of the band's riffs. This was my first time hearing the Arche songs live and they really transition well to a live performance, very dark, brooding and atmospheric. Dir en grey invade your senses with a pounding assault accompanied by Kyo's wailing vocals. Whereas the faster tracks showcase Die and Kaorus ability to performance speedy solo's and chugging riffs. Die's performance in 鱗 / Uroko stood out in my mind especially, his solo was nuts.



Toshiya looked like a bad ass throughout, reminding me of an old school undertaker as he came out dressed in black with his hat casting a morbid silhouette. In deep contrast to Kyo who once again has gone for the skinhead look, he has become noticeably more built and with his tattoos looked pretty menacing.
Midway through they played Merciless Cult, a personal live favourite of mine and 朔-saku- which was a pleasant surprise and lit the crowd on fire. The set was well balanced, with heavy assaults and haunting melodies working together in unison. Kyo's vocal style has changed a lot over the years and I'm surprised he can still switch between death growls and high pitched melodies. His voice will never be like the Six Ugly days but he has still got it and has an incredible aura as a front man. You just need to take one look at the crowd to see the admiration that he commands.

After what seemed forever, they returned for a shocker of an encore...a familiar piano melody began to play and the crowd gasped together "Ooohhh...!" before falling deathly silent as they realised that Diru began to play 'ain't afraid to die', it was a beautiful performance, with the backing screen lit up in a glittery snowy background. It was one of the saddest and more heart rending versions of the song that I have heard, both live and on DVD, with Kyo getting lost in his words. I could hear sniffles nearby as a few girls shed tears with clasped hands...the song ended to a great applause.

Then they played...鼓動 / Kodou, this is one of my ALL TIME favourite songs, I used to be obsessed with it and committed the words to heart back in school before I even began studying Japanese so when this began playing I went absolutely nuts. So did everyone else! The crowd turned into a sea of raised hands and singing voices. I couldn't have been happier. Until...they began playing IIID EMPIRE! This song always makes me nostalgic of their earlier UK performances as it always used to be in their set and is a great song to jump and chant along to.
The entire encore was full of energy, the entire crowd singing verses or choruses together whenever Kyo gestured for it, the volume was electrifying, the kind of moment that makes your skin tingle all over.

Before the final song, 'Un Deux', Kyo asked the crowd to shout that they were still alive, together, women, men...then he asked us "Let me hear you! Can you become one!? Can you sing as one!?" He dropped his microphone and came to the edge of the stage in front of his mic stand. The lyric whirled in and out of the backing screen with the crowd all singing 'Un Deux' together in perfect harmony, it was an empowering end to a gig to see every fan singing every word together with Kyo fiercely shouting and gesturing to everyone as the other members rushed to different areas of the stage to greet fans in different sections.

...and then it was over, I so wish I was back there right now.

Swarm of fans leaving the venue after the show!

Japanese gigs have such a powerful aura, all the fans enjoying the show together with none of the violent or mean behaviour that often occurs in the Western gigs. The ticket number entry system is great too because you can come and go as you please and socialise whoever, no horrible and exhausting queues or drama! I met some nice fans who came up to me to ask where I got my clothing from since I had a London tour t-shirt and an a-knot towel from 2011 haha! They were pretty surprised but it was nice to talk with them! 

I really hope I can see them live again soon! Fingers crossed I can get a Budokan ticket for February!

No lines needed, you get called by number groups

Cool TV screen outside the venue

Farewell Satoru Iwata

Today gamers across the world are mourning a great loss.
Sadly the CEO of Nintendo Satoru Iwata has passed away on July 15th at the tragic age of 55 due developing a tumour in his bile duct. He was unfortunately absent from E3 due to his condition worsening and its a shame that anyone should die so early.

I am not normally the type to mourn celebrities or post about their deaths but I really respect Mr. Iwata. Many company CEO's and people high up in the ranks of gaming companies, are often said to be disconnected from their audience, too focused on the marketing and profitability of things.

Flag at half mast at the Kyoto Nintendo HQ

One of his more famous quotes is as follows...

"On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart, I am a gamer."
- Satoru Iwata

Which is pretty damn beautiful in my opinion. He began doing programing work for HAL while in school before later joining Nintendo to work as the companies co-ordinator of software production. Some of his earlier projects included Balloon Fight, Earthbound and Kirby but he also helped do programming on the Pokemon series as well as also dabbling in the production of other fan favourites such as Mario, Zelda and Wario World.

After the release of the GameCube, Nintendo began to struggle against their rivals, however under his guide the company released the Wii and DS to critical acclaim and wide world appeal, Nintendo's stock price DOUBLED under his lead yet he never really lost touch with what was important...

"Video games are meant to be just one thing. Fun. Fun for everyone!"
- Satoru Iwata

Sure many people bash the Nintendo franchise for being a 'kiddy market' or making 'family friendly' games, but they also made some fantastic games for the more hardcore gamers out there too. Creating instantly recognisable characters that are loved by all ages worldwide, without all the edge angst that saturates games these days. He had a friendly charming character that incorporated the best parts of business with his programming and gaming background.

Despite only recently being announced, the internet has been flooded with tributes and I would like to share some of my favourites with you below.

R.I.P Sawato Iwata.