June 26, 2009:
Japan Society will be having an event for UrumaDelvi as a part of their Japan CUTS Festival. UrumaDelvi is a series of cartoons for kids to sing along and dance to. Think of it as Japan's version of "Sesame Street." The characters are hilarious and adorable. They even provided a trailer for you to see!
SBR will be there on July 12th (Sun). Feel free to come up to us and say hi.
June 25, 2009:
Our podcast section has been updated with an interview with Kristen Nelson and Kalafina at Anime Boston.
June 12, 2009:
Our Podcast section has been updated with our interviews with Orange Pekoe and Kawashima Ai at Japan Day. Translations of the interview are available on our blog.
We have some more exciting news regarding Ai. Her book, "Saigo no Kotoba" ("Last Words") will become an anime biography of her. The name of the anime is called "8-gatsu no Symphony- Shibuya 2002-2003." For more information on this anime, check out what Anime News Network wrote about it. Details are vague for the time being and will be updated as soon as they hear more.
June 3, 2009:
You heard it here first! VAMPS' video message to their U.S. fans! Enjoy!
Translations of their message can be found on our blog.
Lastly but a goodie: Our HYDE Podcast from Paranormal Day has been uploaded.
[EDIT]: For those who visited and couldn't play the video, we apologize. We hit some technical difficulties with the file. But it's up and running now. Enjoy!
May 28, 2009:
Pictures from Kinokuniya's Para-Normal Day can be seen here.
We would like to thank Peter Tatara from NYAF for providing them.
May 23, 2009:
As SBR is counting down to Japan Day, we got around in putting all of Ai Kawashima contents on our site, including her own writing and podcasts here for ease of access.
Ai has also been featured in Purple Sky Magazine, along with several other medias in the States. Click here and here to check out Purple Sky's articles on her.
Our fellow guy and MC, Brian Nishii, is co-hosting the show and more artists from Japan including Orange Pekoe, Taro Masuda will be performing. For more information on performers at Japan Day, please to go their site.
AnimePodcast.net aka あ!PON was nice enough to share their video interview with Kawashima Ai with us.
SBR would like to thank Tasayu for the interview and for sending us the link to share.
Kawashima Ai will be coming back to New York for a brief appearance at Japan Day on May 31st in Central Park's East Meadow. As you know, SBR has previously interviewed Ai prior to her performance at Sakura Matsuri at Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. If you would like to get to know her better, check out her blogs with us and our Podcast.
Japan Day will have a mix of old and new Japan: It will be a clash of traditional and modern "cool Japan." Events will include a robot fight, origami folding lessons, samplings of Japanese cuisine, and so on. This day will start with a 4-mile race by the New York Runners at 8AM. After the race is finished, a ceremony awaits their victory with a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony.
To find out more about the events and appearing music acts, check out their website.