J-CAST Business News

"Raki Suta" and "Ano Hana" Designed for Train Ticket

2012-01-24T09:47:51Z

Anime design ticket

Tobu Railway and Chichibu Railway have started to sell a ticket designed a popular anime "Raki Suta (Lucky Star)" and "Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai (We still don't know the name of the flower we saw that day) on Jan. 21 2012.

]]> While Tobu is selling three different "Raki Suta" tickets, Chichibu is dealing with three "Ano Hana" tickets. It is available until March 31 although it would be an end of selling when it is sold out. Tobu's Kasukabe, Tobu Dobutsukoen and Hanyu stations are selling Raki Suta tickets, and each station has different type of ticket. Chichibu's Hanyu, Yorii and Chichibu station have Ano Hana tickets.

One Piece Luffy Designed Small Figure

2012-01-05T06:34:29Z

Japanese toy maker Bandai is to release a toy doll of popular anime, One Piece on Jan. 23.

]]>
one piece@be.smile

This anime's original characters, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Hancock, and Ace become the 63.5 millimeter-size figure. Each figure is sold with a piece of gum at 368 yen. The product name is "one piece@be.smile."

Figure is designed that its head part and shoulders are movable. More figures are scheduled to be on sale in spring 2012.

Idol Momoiro Clover Z Released Official Book

2011-10-03T10:33:21Z

Ohta Publishing has released the official book of a girl idol group, Momoiro Clover Z on Sep. 30 2011.

]]>
Momoiro Clover Z

The group has added the word "Z" to its former name, Momoiro Clover, after one member left on Apr. 10. This book focuses on the seven-day-straight event which started the next day of member's withdrawal. In this event, members were assigned to talk people from e a wide variety of genre, such as comedian Shinya Arino or commentator Dave Specter.

The book is 168 pages, including over 200 pictures. Its price is at 1,470 yen.

Hello Kitty to Become DJ in Shibuya 109 Shop

2011-09-09T04:22:39Z

DJ Hello Kitty to play sometimes.

Sanrio is to open its new shop, named CLUB KT shibuya, at Shibuya 109, a popular fashion spot among young generation on Sep. 22 2011.

]]> This shop is designed with club-like atmosphere, and offers teenagers enjoying music, fashion and characters. Not only does it sell 1000 Sanrio character goods, but also it places DJ booth with a large monitor and professionally-used equipments. Hello Kitty is scheduled to play as a DJ irregularly at this booth.

Car Navigation System Gets Gundam on iPhone

2011-08-08T09:56:05Z

Namco Bandai Games released an automotive navigation system featuring a popular anime series, Mobile Suit Gundam, as an iPhone application on July 29 2011. The product is called Gundam Navi.

]]> Booting this application, mobile suits and characters show up on a screen to navigate the direction where driver wants to go. Users can choose the characters of either Earth Federation or Principality of Zeon to get navigated, and based on the choice, background design and music change.

The yearly charge of the application is 3,500 yen.

Cute, Scary Character of Madoka Magica Becomes Toy

2011-07-20T15:00:00Z

Charlotte shows up in episode 3.

Japanese cartoon character merchandise maker Movic is to sell stuffed toys of popular animation, "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" in fall 2011 at Animate and Gamers shops countrywide.

]]> The toy is named Charlotte, characterized as a snack witch, appearing in episode 3 of Madoka Magica TV anime. This reversible toy shows a cute face in one side with a scary face in the other side. It prices at 3,990 yen.

Vegetable-Costumed AKB48 Appearing Web Clock Service

2011-07-11T10:38:17Z

Atsuko Maeda as tomato girl.

Popular Japanese girls pop group AKB48, picked for the main character of vegetable juice by Japanese food company Kagome, has been appearing a web-based clock service called "Bijin Tokei" since July 4 2011.

]]> Members of AKB48, characterized as Vegetable Sisters, dressed up with vegetable-like costume. Atsuko Maeda becomes tomato, Yuki Kashiwagi is pumpkin and Tomomi Itano becomes egg plant.

Each Member holds a board telling viewers what time it is then in every 3 minutes between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. This project lasts until August 3.

AKB48 Apps Feature Atsuko Maeda, Yuko Oshima

2011-06-16T08:23:07Z

Cybird has started releasing iPhone and Android application featuring four members of AKB 48 on June 10 2011. Atsuko Maeda, a winner of the third AKB 48 election, as well as Yuko Oshima, Rie Kitahara, Rino Sashihara are chosen for apps.

]]> The latest news, official blog contents, information about new products of each four girls can be found through this app at once. Free photo album and movies are also included in it. No charge is required to download an app.

Kawaii Girl Reads Cheering Messages to Recover from Earthquake

2011-04-18T10:16:22Z

Shiori's voice is by popular voice actress, Nozomi Sasaki.

Otobank has developed and released an iPhone application, which a character anime girl reads cheering messages to recover from a catastrophe of Great East Japan Earthquake occurred on March 11 2011.

]]> The application called "Rodoku Shojo," meaning "a reading girl", usually contains writings of the Japanese classic literature. Its original female character named Shiori Otoha, dubbed by a voice actress Nozomi Sasaki, reads stories aloud.

As a special version, Shiori reads messages from many creators including a novelist Shusuke Michio, a winner of Naoki Award in 2011, as well as a psychiatrist Daiji Akehashi and a cartoonist Keisuke Itagaki. These messages are to cheer readers to recover from a huge damage by the earthquake. The application is provided with no charge.

Love Plus Becomes Visa Card

2011-02-13T10:49:19Z

Card-only illustration

Sumitomo Mitsui Card has issued an original credit card with a design of popular communication game, Love Plus. The company started to accept applications on Feb. 4 2011.

]]> The card design is an original illustration of three character girls. Sumitomo Mitsui gives all the card members an amenity student ID card of Towano High School, the school where the game is taken place. Members are able to exchange the original Love Plus items for the points, pooled due to card usage. The items are a character sticker, wrist band, and a big-size pass case.

Comic Book Explains Japanese Politics

2010-11-03T15:50:44Z

Serious political story turns to be comical.

Libre Publishing released a new comic book on Oct. 29 2010, which personalizes Japanese political parties as its original characters.

]]> For example, a character named "Minshu-tan" is a personalization of ruling Democratic Party of Japan. This person is described as a younger brother of another character, "Jimin-tan," a personalization of Liberal Democratic Party. Minshu-tan is characterized as the one who actually listens to what people say though he is considered as a person who doesn't listen to people's voices. Minshu-tan also has 2 pigeons.

As an extra, the comic has a 4-page interview story between its cartoonist and Shizuka Kamei, a leader of ruling People's New Party.

Evangelion Cake for Christmas with Rei Ayanami Figure

2010-10-11T14:38:57Z

Shito is on a cake.

Chain convenience store Lawson is to sell a chocolate cake for Christmas called Evangelion cake (SHITO chocolate cake). Lawson started to accept an order on Sep. 28 2010, at its 8,671 stores around the nation.

]]> The concept of this cake is based on an animation, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and it was planned by a toy maker Bandai. On a cake, which is 13 centimeters high, there is a plate designed an enemy character, Shito. A figure of Rei Ayanami, one of the popular characters in this anime, as well as a fork designed to look like an item called Lance of Longinus, which is to be seen in a latest movie of Evangelion, are with a cake.

A cake is to be handed between Dec. 19 and 25 at a store where customer makes a reservation. It is 3,950 yen.

Oshio Found Guilty, Sentenced 2 1/2 years

2010-09-20T10:37:10Z

Actor and singer Manabu Oshio was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison by Tokyo District Court on Sep. 17 2010. The court judged Oshio giving a woman named Kaori Tanaka the synthetic drug MDMA, which caused Tanaka's death. Oshio was accused of failing to fulfill a responsibility as a guardian when she took a drug and got very sick.

]]> After hearing this decision, Oshio, who plead not guilty, was dissatisfied it and immediately appealed a ruling.

Kan Re-elected DPJ President over Ozawa

2010-09-15T10:20:36Z

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan defeated rival Ichiro Ozawa in the presidential election of ruling Democratic Party of Japan on Sep. 14 2010. Kan received 721 points while Ozawa had 491 points at the election. While Kan was strongly helped by party's supporters, Ozawa acquired 400 out of 812 DPJ's Diet members.

]]> After being elected, Kan started to focus on selecting new party leadership as well as the Cabinet members. On Sep. 15, Kan met Ozawa, former PM Yukio Hatoyama, and some other DPJ members. It is said that Kan asked Ozawa for cooperation in appointing party executives.

K-ON!! Songs Played by Anime Band Get Real

2010-09-12T14:51:48Z

(C)Kakifly,Houbunsha/Sakura-ko Keion-bu

Pony Canyon, a major company of Japanese music industry, released a CD with 2 songs of popular TV anime K-On!! The songs are used at the episode 20 of K-On's second season, which a band, composed of the anime's main characters, plays in a story.

]]> The band, named Houkago Tea Time (meaning a tea time after school) plays 2 songs titled "Gohan Wa Okazu," which means rice is a main dish, and "U & I." The instrumental pieces are also recoded. CD is sold at 1,260 yen.