Though it’s best known for its beautiful nature Hokuto city is also experiencing a creative infusion people chattering pleasantly as they pass through the streets a few bars and a hip and happening art space and the nondescript area turns into a bonafide destination It’s become a thriving creative community in recent years — the sort of place you’ll happily drive a couple of hours to get to Stay the night and explore Hokuto’s gorgeous nature while also soaking in its abundant cultural attractions: the best of both worlds In 2023, I made the spontaneous decision to visit Hokuto, a rural city near Mount Fuji. I’d heard of the area, as it’s home to Mangosteen Hokuto I was familiar with Mangosteen — a company specializing in food and alcohol and known for importing high-quality mezcal — through their eponymous liquor store-slash-bar-slash-deli in Tokyo’s Setagaya neighborhood Opened in 2022, Mangosteen Hokuto’s three main components are Mangosteen Brewing Lab, a craft beer brewery; a Chinese restaurant with dishes designed to go well with its brews; and a liquor store, at which you can purchase canned beer that’s brewed on-site as well as mezcal and natural wine. It also doubles as a bar and event space. Next door is Gasbon Metabolism a multipurpose art facility operated by the Tokyo-based media company Gas As Interface It opened in the same year as Mangosteen Hokuto — a complete coincidence “I’d been visiting for close to 15 years … and I’d always thought that it’d be the perfect place to start a brewery,” Daisuke Saito “When COVID happened and eating and drinking outside was put on hold I figured that it was a good time to make it happen.” The Mangosteen Hokuto branch was only supposed to be a brewery at first — a factory for the bar’s new craft beer line — but because it was so spacious Saito and company decided to expand operations Gasbon Metabolism is housed in an old factory explains why they felt the need to do something different: “We had started to question if white cube galleries were really the best place to showcase art,” he says It feels almost like you’ve stumbled into a concrete warehouse exposed interior and large rooms — worlds away from a compact gallery one might encounter in Tokyo Gas As Interface also runs the delightful Calm & Punk Gallery in Tokyo The founders of Gasbon Metabolism aimed to create a space where making art is as important as exhibiting it old works by artists from the company’s roster stacks of art books and old posters and flyers from previous exhibitions pristine galleries found so often in Japan’s capital Gasbon Metabolism isn’t the only noteworthy art space in Hokuto a complex set on the site of a former elementary school you’ll find unconventional art galleries like the Museum of the Light designed by world-famous Japanese architect Tadao Ando an award-winning restaurant in a quaint but stylish Japanese-style house provides a striking contrast to the more imaginative architecture of the art colony A 15-minute drive away is the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection The closeness of the two spaces means that visitors will often combine a visit to one with the other Adding to Hokuto’s appeal is its burgeoning gastronomic culture. In addition to Stove and Mangosteen, there’s a notable newcomer in town: Koma a vegetarian deli restaurant opened by Dawid Nowosadzki and Ayako Ono who earlier this year moved to Hokuto from London where they both served as head chefs at internationally renowned restaurants Diners at Koma are treated to an Instagrammable array of gorgeously presented deli items its lunch plate costs ¥2,300 and offers three deli options alongside a choice of mains felt drawn back to her hometown after her glittering career in the city “There are so many great organic farmers who know the craft of growing some of the best vegetables on the planet.” Opening in Hokuto makes it easy for Koma to deliver farm-to-table meals rare vegetables,” Ono explains with enthusiasm “Our menu can change a few times in one week.” It’s undeniable that Hokuto has seen some notable changes in the past few years Everyone that we spoke to for this article said that they’ve noticed a shift in the community as more people move from urban areas Saito from Mangosteen notes that the creative community is growing: “Although I wouldn’t say that the city as a whole has changed the locals often comment that there are a lot more creatives in the area It definitely feels like the community is expanding.” Nishikawa from Gasbon Metabolism agrees: “Ten years ago Hokuto felt like a typical rural area in Japan with more interesting people visiting from Tokyo.” He advises any keen visitors to stay overnight in the area to experience it to the fullest starting from beautiful nature with mountain views If you are looking for a city escape to have a good Although the SP3 ticks all the right boxes for a classic Moto Guzzi tourer Its jagged bodywork might have been au fait in the 80s but it’s an aesthetic faux pas by today’s standards He has a particular affinity for classic Moto Guzzis combined with a love for turning them into radical specials The commission for this project came from Agostini Moto Guzzi—a historical Moto Guzzi dealer located in the marque’s hometown “The bike is named ‘Hokuto’ as a tribute to the iconic 1980s anime full of criminal punk gangs with many strange motorcycles.” Davide added a pair of custom-tuned Mikuni TMR40 carbs before ordering a custom-built two-into-one stainless steel exhaust system from Exan Exhaust The bike was rewired around a Motogadget mo.unit box and treated to a new electric starter It also benefits from a new re-mappable electronic ignition Next, Davide designed the Moto Guzzi SP3 1000’s audacious new bodywork. The design called for a hidden aluminum fuel tank and a box to host the electronics, both of which were fabricated by the Italian metal shop MPR The tail section starts with large integrated side covers before tapering to a more traditional hump at the back with a rectangular LED taillight neatly integrated into the rear A Motogadget dashboard sits under the headlight cowl’s rear edge Custom rear-sets from Agostini Moto Guzzi round out the control package Hokuto looks like it was pieced together using the best parts from several donor bikes everything harmonizes perfectly—something that couldn’t be said about the original Moto Guzzi SP3 1000 Ruote Fiere Motociclette Speciali | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Rosario Liberti GET THE WORLD'S BEST CUSTOMS DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX COPYRIGHT © 2008-document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) | COLE PUBLISHING | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The latest update is out from Hokuto Corporation ( (JP:1379) ) Hokuto Corporation has completed the payment process for the disposal of its treasury shares as restricted stock compensation for its executive officers involves the disposal of 6,770 common shares at a price of ¥1,773 per share and is aimed at aligning the interests of the executive officers with those of the shareholders Hokuto Corporation operates in the food industry primarily focusing on the production and distribution of mushrooms The company is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market and is known for its innovative approaches in the agricultural sector See more insights into 1379 stock on TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page Disclaimer & Disclosure Report an Issue The latest update is out from Hokuto Corporation ( (JP:1379) ) Disclaimer & Disclosure Report an Issue The government plans to delay its plan to extend the Hokkaido Shinkansen Line partly due to tunnel construction difficulties a source close to the matter said Saturday The 212-kilometer extension between Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto in southern Hokkaido and Sapporo has been complicated by a labor shortage in the construction sector and geological challenges including massive rock formations and soft ground that are hindering tunnel work Tunnels account for about 80 percent of the extended segment which will pass through areas home to the famed Niseko ski resort The current plan is to complete the project in the spring of 2031 with the cost estimated at 1.67 trillion yen ($11.3 billion) Transport and Tourism in December 2022 revised the estimate to around 2.3 trillion yen due mainly to higher material costs which provides a direct rail link between Tokyo and the northernmost of Japan's four main islands via the undersea Seikan Tunnel Disney-themed shinkansen bullet train shown ahead of launch Japan bullet train cars decouple, 2nd time in less than 6 months Japan's "ekiben" boxed meals for train travelers rolled out in Zurich To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible Today's print edition Home Delivery There’s nothing like a bit of time travel to give you some perspective on a relationship is driving along the Shuto Expressway in Tokyo one night when she finds herself transported back to the summer’s day 15 years earlier when she met her future — and late — husband but they hit it off anyway — all of which is a bit complicated Kanna knows that Kakeru will be meeting her younger self later that day She’s also aware that their marriage won’t work out The couple will sign their divorce papers on the morning of Kakeru’s death in a train accident that provides the bracing curtain raiser for Ayuko Tsukahara’s “First Kiss.”googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); On discovering that her journey back to that fateful day can be repeated trying to change the course of events that led to Kakeru’s demise using strings of sticky notes hung from the ceiling: Maybe she can save him if she prevents him from stopping off at a croquette shop before the accident or steers him onto a different career path In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division Makoto Shinkai’s 5 Centimeters per Second is getting a live-action movie adaptation Hokuto Matsumura from SixTONES was cast as the main character while Yoshiyuki Okuyama will be the director Makoto Shinkai commented on the announcement saying that he is excited that a young and passionate team led by Director Okuyama would be taking on the project He describes 5 Centimeters per Second as a very immature and unfinished work from nearly 20 years ago saying that he could never recreate such a film now due to it being driven solely by initial impulses The director also commented:“I feel a special connection to be directing the story that Makoto Shinkai wrote when he was 33 I realize that there are things that can only be made now and perspectives that we will eventually forget I want to carefully and sincerely craft each scene and every second together with the team I trust wholeheartedly as if placing a warm hand on Takaki’s back I’m leaving all the ‘sentimental’ feelings that remain within me in this work explaining how he sees the challenge:“Since this is a work I’ve watched countless times myself I feel the weight of responsibility every day This original work has deeply influenced the lives of many people Every fan has their own interpretation and world of the story I found myself hesitating to take part in the live-action adaptation of such a beloved work the admiration and love for the original shown by Director Okuyama and the production team ‘I’d like to see Hokuto take on this role,’ gave me a reason to take on this challenge with this team This project is being created by a team of people who were inspired and influenced by 5 Centimeters per Second With respect for the original team and the fans I will take on this challenge with all my heart.” with Makoto Shinkai directing at CoMix Wave Inc The movie won Best Animated Feature Film at the 2007 Asia Pacific Screen Awards It also got a novel and manga adaptations.The story follows Takaki Tono through different periods of his life and his relationships with the girls around him Source: Official Website©2025 “5 Centimeters per Second” Production Committee Install the TJR Wrestling web app for instant access to the very latest news and reviews The best comparison I can make to today’s wrestling with this match would be if Becky Lynch wrestled Ronda Rousey one-on-one at WrestleMania Except instead of Rousey training to wrestle in WWE’s style she stuck to MMA for the most part and the only wrestling part of her offense was a few high-impact slams Now take that visual and imagine if there were basically no restrictions in terms of banned moves and both women hit each other as hard as possible and busted each other open badly That’s the kind of insanity we have with this match Today we revisit the singles match between wrestler Akira Hokuto and shootfighter Shinobu Kandori from AJW’s first Dream Slam event in 1993 As a reminder, I am reviewing Five Star and almost-Five Star wrestling matches as rated by Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer. It goes back to the 1980s and I’m going to pick different matches from different eras to see how they look today. Check out previous entries in my 5 Star Match Reviews series right here This is a match between a wrestler and a women’s MMA fighter (technically) the top women’s wrestling promotion in Japan Kandori was part of Ladies Legend Pro-Wrestling (LLPW) which was a splinter promotion of Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling the combatants working for Japan Women split into two groups: the ‘entertainers’/wrestlers went to JWP Joshi Puroresu while the ‘shooters’/fighters went to LLPW Kandori was one of LLPW’s top stars and basically represented the promotion in big interpromotional matches Kandori hoped to represent LLPW and her shootfighting style in the biggest match of her career quite possibly the best and toughest women’s wrestler ever She had an incredible reputation for toughness and wrestled through incredible pain and multiple injuries but she wasn’t an experienced shootfighter This match originally took place on April 2nd 1993 at an event called ‘Dream Slam’ and at the time was the most financially-successful women’s-only wrestling show in history Hokuto walks up to Kandori and just SMASHES her face in with an elbow Kandori goes down like she just got knocked out for real Kandori tries to shake the cobwebs out of her head and slowly gets back up Hokuto rushes her but she fires back with stiff slaps Then Kandori slaps on a grounded armbar (Dis-arm-her) Hokuto thrashes around in extreme pain until the ref pulls Kandori off her She falls to the floor and sells like her shoulder has been popped out of its socket Several women and doctors check on her until they apply cold spray to her arm Hokuto sucks it up and goes back to the ring Except Kandori is waiting for her and rushes in with kicks to that badly-damaged arm Hokuto escapes to ringside once again to recover and then returns to confront Kandori Kandori rushes Hokuto and hits some brutal forearms to her face Hokuto fires back with slaps and starts kneeing her nose But Kandori catches Hokuto’s leg and goes for a kneebar Kandori tries to Irish whip Hokuto but Hokuto tries countering Kandori catches Hokuto in the act and counters her counter with a dragon sleeper Hokuto escapes and kicks Kandori out of the ring Kandori cuts her off and throws her back into the ring Hokuto escapes it and blocks more attempts at arm-targeting holds Then Hokuto tries her own cross armbar on Kandori She drags Kandori ringside and smashes her into the announcer’s table Then Hokuto picks Kandori up for a tombstone Hokuto hits the table so hard there’s a visible dent in it Kandori waits in the ring as Hokuto gets up and blood is just pouring out of her head Hokuto can barely stand without help as the ref keeps asking her if she wants to give up but she soldiers on like a boss as she returns to the ring where Kandori drops her with a big right hand Kandori lands some running strikes and demands Hokuto get up which she does and she takes Kandori down following a kick counter Hokuto gets a sudden second wind as she drags Kandori out into the stands Hokuto smashes her into anything she can find as the brawling continues There appear to be no count-outs in AJW so I guess this is fair game Both women return to the ring and now Kandori’s face is also bloody The crowd rallies behind Hokuto as she drops Kandori with one running kick after another Even with literal crimson mask upon her face But this time Kandori blocks it and slams her down Kandori fights back with more hard strikes Then she suplexes Hokuto to the floor and hits a pescado onto her Hokuto returns to the ring and fails to escape a back suplex from Kandori Hokuto tries to reach the ropes with her free hand Kandori traps it and locks in a sleeper with bodyscissors Hokuto lands a stiff slap and a sudden piledriver followed by a massive spinkick Kandori slumps against the ropes as though she were knocked out Both women struggle to their feet as the crowd grows louder Kandori ducks a kick and goes for a kneebar again but Hokuto gets a ropebreak Kandori follows with stiff punches and a DDT for two and then locks in some strange triangle/armbar combination hold Kandori counters into her own single leg as Hokuto gets another ropebreak Kandori lands more stiff punches until Hokuto fires back with some of her own A snap suplex gets her a two-count so she goes to the top rope She lands a diving splash but can’t pin because of the damage to her own body Hokuto blocks it and lands a bridging German suplex for two Twenty minutes have passed as Hokuto goes to the top rope again But this time Kandori cuts her off and drags her to the middle of the ring Kandori then drops to the ground and tries to make Hokuto submit to which Kandori answers with a grounded sleeper with bodyscissors The fans rally behind Hokuto as she tries to find an escape She sees the ropes and treaches out with all her might The referee slaps Hokuto to make sure she’s lucid enough to continue and the match progresses Hokuto counters with a hurricanrana and tries for a pin but Kandori escapes Kandori tries to take advantage with an Irish whip and smashes her with another powerbomb for a 2.6-count Hokuto lands a spinkick that sends Kandori to the floor She balances on the top rope…and hits a flipping senton to the floor Hokuto climbs to the top rope…and lands a diving dropkick to the floor Both women struggle back into the ring but Hokuto gets up first Kandori keeps tries to roll into a cross armbar but Hokuto avoids it each time She does get it in for a split second but Hokuto reaches the ropes Kandori goes for a double-arm suplex but Hokuto resists Kandori responds by rolling through into other submission holds until Kandori manages to and a Tiger Driver for two Kandori gets up first and lands a stiff running lariat followed by a running slap Hokuto blocks an attack and connects with a huge bridging Backdrop suplex Kandori blocks and lands her own Northern Lights Bomb The fans chant for Hokuto as fresh blood pours down her face Kandori tanks it like a boss and fires back with a punch of her own And hit each other with punches at the same time you can hear them hitting each other over all the arena noise That was an outstanding match that still holds up very well today Not only does it have some incredible wrestling and storytelling for its era but it’s also one of the most brutal contests ever It’s incredibly rare for women’s wrestlers to bleed so these two went out of their way to put on a clash for the ages This was very different from the usual joshi matches of its day Instead of a blistering sprint with insane counters and tons of high-spots these two wrestlers had a nasty and bloody brawl It was an interesting clash between Hokuto ‘the wrestler’ and Kandori ‘the fighter’ There was this perception that Kandori and the other LLPW women were tougher by virtue of being ‘shootflighters’ so Hokuto sought to prove that she was on their level by nearly breaking Kandori’s jaw with an elbow But that only angered Kandori to the point of nearly destroying Hokuto’s shoulder Hokuto had to fight from underneath with one bad arm against a smart technician that kept going back to that weakened arm throughout the match Even though Kandori’s attacking that arm wasn’t as overt and relentless as in other smart wrestling bouts she did do enough damage to keep both Hokuto and the audience worried She didn’t need to slap on armbar after armbar because Hokuto adapted quickly and escaped any attempt to work that arm which in turn forced Kandori to find other avenues to success Kandori knew that she could keep tying Hokuto in knots and go back to the arm when Hokuto’s guard was exposed Kandori simply switched into another submission hold all of which were believable and could credibly end the match since she was such a proven submission specialist this match showcased plenty of toughness and grit She took a huge Tombstone onto the announce table and within a few minutes her face was as crimson as Ric Flair’s from his heyday It made for an awesome visual and underscored how much suffering Hokuto was willing to endure to win but she was so desperate to find something to get the advantage that she resorted to high-risk dives to the floor and after both women kicked out of insane spike Brainbusters All the scientific grappling and high-spots were thrown out the window in favor of a straight-up hardnosed fight It came down to a simplistic tough-woman contest and somehow Both women punched each other simultaneously but Hokuto had just enough power in her to get the three-count Hokuto barely survived here and Kandori recovered soon afterwards both of them left this match looking way better than when they entered Kandori left with her reputation more or less intact and looked great because Hokuto had to almost kill her to win And Hokuto came out of this looking even tougher than when she entered She fought for thirty minutes against one of the most feared women’s grapplers in the country for thirty minutes nearly had her shoulder torn from its socket could barely defend herself against a dangerous opponent If that isn’t a surefire method of making someone into a top star The only real problem this match has is that it drags on in a few moments the match had a few moments of dead time during which nothing happened And it wasn’t the ‘let’s-build-up-to-something-big’ dead time but more of the ‘we’re-stretching-this-out’ sort the match lacked a sense of urgency in the middle which kind of weakened the overall atmosphere of the match Two big examples of that were Hokuto’s second stall attempt that just dragged on forever and did little to ramp up the tension and the other was the crowd-brawling spot that went too long I know the latter was done so that Kandori could end up busted open too but they could’ve accomplished this same feat in shorter time somewhere closer to the ring and it would’ve had the same dramatic impact this match remains one of the most must-see matches of its day It’s such a stark contrast to almost everything around it Whereas most big Japanese matches of the 1990s (men’s or women’s) were centered on technical grappling and exciting spots It was a genuine wrestling brawl that blurred the lines between scripted and real in an awesome way If you like realistic pro-wrestling with incredible risks and non-stop ‘how-are-they-still-alive’ action then you’ll want to cover your eyes or watch with your head turned Hokuto’s nickname was ‘the Dangerous Queen’ and she more than earned it here Thanks for reading. You can email me with any questions or comments, and be sure to check out my 5-Star and Almost 5-Star Match Reviews series here Event Hokkaido is covered in a white snowy landscape and romantic illumination and light-up events are held all over the prefecture Here are 20 illumination and light-up events that are perfect for family outings Expanding the circle of exchange in Minami-ku a community market created by students together with the local community [Updated for 2025] A complete guide to accessing Daiwa House Premist Dome (Sapporo Dome) and nearby hotels Enjoy seasonal spring gourmet food and Golden Week 10 recommended events in Hokkaido [May 2025] 5 recommended events in Sapporo [May 2nd - 6th 5 easy-to-participate social good events in Hokkaido [May 2025] [2025 Edition] 16 Flower Events in Hokkaido: Cherry blossoms Seasonal “news” of Hokkaido can be checked by category You can check the information of your “town” in one place Events” held throughout the province are easy to find and can be saved This page has been automatically translated by Google Translate service The stuff that All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling and other smaller companies showcased during the first half of the 1990s was nothing short of ground-breaking or did that style of wrestling have its fair share of overrated contests as well Let’s look back at one of many 5-Star matches of that time to see how it holds up Today we look back at a singles match between Manami Toyota and Akira Hokuto from AJW Destiny 1995 This is something of a dream match between two of the most legendary women in pro-wrestling history possibly the most innovative and skilled women’s wrestler ever she took part in some of the greatest wrestling matches to ever take place and created some of the most unique moves ever seen some of which haven’t even been used in other places She became famous for her spitfire style and tenacity in the ring as well as her incredible technique and creativity arguably the toughest woman to ever enter a wrestling ring one of which was ‘the mummy’ because she was constantly wrapped up in bandages from various injuries yet refused to stop wrestling She suffered two particular injuries that elevated this reputation of hers she broke her neck after taking a second-rope Tombstone Piledriver yet she continued the match by holding her head in place with her hands she hit a diving plancha to the floor and tore her knee open against the barricade she tried her best to continue the match by taping her own knee up like Sabu and returning to the ring the graceful technician that had countless tricks up her sleeve the hardnosed badass that refused to give up no matter what happened to her This match originally took place on September 2nd Toyota takes her coat off and charges Hokuto before the bell rings but misses and falls to the floor climbs to the top rope and lands a diving somersault senton to the floor Toyota limps back into the ring and Hokuto offers a handshake Toyota reluctantly agrees and Hokuto pulls her in and lands a high-angle Backdrop suplex as the bell rings Toyota blocks being thrown out of the ring and lands a diving dropkick She goes for a running springboard dive but Hokuto clotheslines her off the top rope Hokuto climbs the top rope but Toyota boots her to the floor and lands a diving dropkick Hokuto gets back into the ring and they lock-up She lands an underhook suplex into a cross arm stretch and then switches to a dragon sleeper Toyota kicks out (literally) so Hokuto mounts her and slaps the taste out of her mouth Toyota fires up and lands slaps of her own Hokuto no-sells and locks in a sharpshooter Toyota tries pulling Hokuto’s hair so Hokuto adds a headlock to the sharpshooter to worsen the pain Hokuto follows with a camel clutch and pulls Toyota’s hair back as payback She applies a dragon crossface and sends Toyota into the ropes but Toyota counters with a springboard crossbody out of nowhere She follows by spamming shotgun dropkicks on the ropes and in a corner Toyota’s in control as she throws Hokuto by her hair and stomps on her as the ref gives her warnings She whips Hokuto into the ropes but Hokuto ducks a clothesline and lands a German suplex out of nowhere She follows with some type of high-angle reverse Exploder and reapplies the sharpshooter Toyota reaches the ropes so Hokuto lets go for a fraction of a second and then reapplied the same hold but also traps the arm Toyota wriggles free and counters an Irish whip Hokuto counters and goes for a low-angle powerbomb Toyota counters that with a Frankensteiner that gets two Toyota charges for the Manami Roll/Yoshi Tonic Hokuto counters with a vicious one-shoulder powerbomb and then lands a poisoned Frankensteiner for two Akira Hokuto lands an inverted Frankensteiner in 1995 That’s how ahead of their time she and her fellow joshis were Toyota counters with a Japanese Ocean (double hammerlock) suplex for two Toyota tries the Japanese Ocean Cyclone Suplex Hokuto counters with a Dangerous Queen Bomb Hokuto taunts the crowd and lands a vicious Fisherman Brainbuster the finisher of her then-fiancé Kensuke Sasaki Hokuto mocks Toyota by going for a moonsault Hokuto decides to switch to a diving dropkick but misses Toyota Hokuto counters with a victory roll for two Snap moonsault by Toyota…connects…with Hokuto’s knees Toyota throws Hokuto out of the ring and grabs the sturdiest table she can find She places Hokuto onto it and goes to the top rope but the table supporting her doesn’t even bend A few rookies check on Hokuto to see if she can continue Hokuto somehow gets up first and drags Toyota over to the announce table Not through the table as usually happens in WWE or AEW but onto a Japanese table that won’t break Hokuto repeats the same move a minute later and then climbs the top rope She dives from the top rope to the table and onto Toyota The referee basically drags both women back into the ring by himself and checks to see if either can continue Toyota plants Hokuto on the mat head-first a second time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrEXm-kvy5A&t=32s This was one of the most unique joshi matches I’ve ever seen thanks to some great storytelling most of these old joshi matches are explosive and technical affairs with lots of insane action and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it transitions and reversals After Hokuto kicked out of Toyota’s ultimate super-finisher It went in a more brutal direction with some insane table spots and powerbombs But those weren’t done gratuitously or for the sake of popping the crowd; instead Toyota realized her ultimate weapon wasn’t enough to keep Hokuto down for the three-count so she resorted to desperate tactics like those table spots and stealing her opponent’s finisher It was a much-needed change of pace from the typical blistering sprints that defined joshi wrestling from that era But just because I said the match was ‘unique’ doesn’t necessarily mean it’s some kind of legendary encounter Even though the wrestling was intense and exciting (especially with all the crazy and innovative spots like the poisoned rana and Hokuto’s sick Dangerous Queen bomb) The wrestling was rather bland for a lot of it Hokuto tried many different holds to slow Toyota down but she just powered through and did the bare minimum in terms of selling those holds or incorporating them into her comeback it was a bit sloppy and hard to tell if what happened was intentional or not Toyota smashed Hokuto onto the table twice and it didn’t break I’m amazed she didn’t break any ribs with her landing This pencil-thin woman who was lucky if she weighed 150 pounds dove from the top rope onto a non-gimmicked table at an awkward angle and didn’t even make a dent into it Poor Hokuto had to absorb that entire impact as well which must’ve been an excruciating experience it looked like they were trying to put together a new finish which led to a rather rushed closing stretch and a deciding fall that came out of nowhere This is one of those matches that looked amazing in 1995 It’s still pretty cool to see two women hitting such innovative offence way back then but that was only a small fraction of the match It would’ve been much better if there was a bit more consistent selling and a tenser closing sequence the lack of selling leads to earlier stuff being inconsequential and the finish ended up lacking the necessary drama to make it feel like a genuinely-great match At least it had an interesting story that made it easy to understand There’s this annoying trend in modern matches whereby wrestlers throw each other through and smash them with various weapons for the sole purpose of getting a big momentary pop that direction actually served a narrative purpose to tell a deeper story which was refreshing because it made complete sense If only they polished things up with that part of the match and went a bit further then maybe this match would stand the test of time better than it does now Niuland: House approves and recommends construction of slab culverts at Khuboto Town The District planning and Development Board meeting for January was held at DC’s Conference Hall 2025 under the chairmanship of DC and DPDB Vice Chairman The board reviewed the last meeting minutes and deliberated on construction of office building for Department of Land Resources and opening of New Government Primary School at Hokuto Village where the house after detailed discussion approved the proposals The house also approved and recommended for construction of slab culverts at Khuboto Town The house also discussed on the work distribution for the upcoming Republic Day The Horticulture Department gave a power point presentation where they highlighted the on-going projects schemes and achievements under the district The Department of Power was entrusted to give PowerPoint presentation in the next DPDB meeting The meeting concluded with vote of thanks from the chairman and request all the departments to give a joint efforts and contribution for the successful conduct of Republic Day feedback@nagalandtribune.in Fans will be able to unlock this costume as early as tomorrow Transform Karin into Hokuto with this Fighting EX Layer Crossover Costume available starting Oct 13!" the official Street Fighter Twitter account writes This Hokuto costume comes hot off the heels of the Fighting EX Layer Kairi crossover outfit we saw for Ryu last month Though specifics on how to obtain the new Karin costume haven't been shared we have a good idea of what fans will be looking at come tomorrow Hokuto made her debut back in 1996's Street Fighter EX She is a practitioner of the kobudō martial arts style and is sister to Kairi Hokuto fights using a variety of weapons including fans and a bow and arrow For the Kairi costume — which acted as the first crossover costume here in Champion Edition — players were prompted to only complete a single mission in order to unlock the new digs At a very reasonable 500 Fight Money fee (per attempt) players had to defeat a CPU-controlled Kairi (Ryu) in order to complete the challenge Defeating the opponent unlocked the costume right then and there with colors 1 - 8 but if fans wanted access to colors 9 and 10 they'd have to go in and complete two follow-up missions These missions included winning five casual and five ranked matches with Ryu This was a big departure from what we saw previously with crossover costumes in Street Fighter 5 players were required to complete four missions strewn across four weeks each unlocking an item upon successful playthrough and if you missed a single mission out of the full month span you were unable to unlock the crossover outfit If the process remains the same as it was for Kairi Ryu then tomorrow we can expect to see fans everywhere unlocking the new threads for Karin right away They will receive the Hokuto crossover costume with colors 1 - 8 in tow and later this week the two follow-up missions should spring up ask anyone outside the wrestling bubble if they’ve heard of Charlotte Flair or Becky Lynch You might get the odd person that knows but you’re more likely to find people who have no idea who you’re talking about the joshis of All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling (AJW) were said to have almost Steve Austin-levels of popularity and appeal And today we look back at another classic from that era to see if it holds up Let’s look back at the singles match between Bull Nakano and Akira Hokuto from January 4th (Editor’s note: The video quality of the match isn’t great so we just used a featured image of Bull Nakano herself rather than an image that included Hokuto as well Sometimes with these older matches it’s difficult to find great images for the matches.) This was a straightforward women’s world title match between champion Nakano and challenger Hokuto Nakano was already known for being what can best be described as ‘a beast’ Literally: she was big by women’s standards at the time called herself ‘Bull’ and looked like she used industrial strength glue to keep her hair up in that weird shape who was only 24 at the time (which was technically considered old and approaching retirement age by then-AJW standards) This match took place before Hokuto would really come into her own and become one of the very best women’s pro-wrestlers of all time This is for Nakano’s WWWA World Single Championship Hokuto offers a handshake but Nakano slaps her hand away Hokuto responds with a bridging German suplex the instant the bell rings but Nakano easily powers out Hokuto follows with a piledriver and goes for a dive Nakano sends Hokuto into the ropes and then press slams her Hokuto ducks a clothesline and lands a sunset flip for a one-count Nakano flips over into her own pin for one and then drags her to the floor She smashes Hokuto’s face into anything made of metal that she can find Then she smashes Hokuto’s head with the mallet they use to ring the bell Hokuto crawls into the ring as many girls in the crowd scream ‘Akira’ in high-pitched voices But Nakano pounces on her and lands a clothesline Hokuto bridges out and then lands a rebound counter clothesline of her own for a two-count Hokuto lands some wild slaps but those just anger Nakano Nakano proceeds to kick and smack the ever-loving piss out of Hokuto and then chokes her through the ropes She drops a knee on Hokuto’s face and starts choking her and then busts her open by biting her forehead Hokuto fires up and swings wildly at Nakano She goes for a roll-up but Nakano counters into an armbar/headscissor Nakano tries trapping Hokuto’s arm and switching to a sleeper hold but Hokuto literally kicks out and locks in a high-angle Boston crab Hokuto maintains the pressure however she can by switching to a single leg crab and then to an STF/Romero Special combo hold and then tries a camel clutch But Nakano escapes by biting Hokuto’s hand Hokuto sits back into a back-arcing camel clutch Hokuto switches to a bodyscissor but Nakano powers into a pin but only gets a one-count Nakano sends Hokuto into the ropes and lands a bicycle kick for a two-count as Hokuto gets a ropebreak Nakano follows with a sharpshooter and then goes for a clothesline But Hokuto counters with a Fujiwara armbar It takes a multitude of kicks to the head from Nakano for Hokuto to break the hold Hokuto Irish whips Nakano and lands two dropkicks for a two-count Nakano kicks out and gets a ropebreak to escape a sleeper hold Hokuto repositions herself so that she’s between the ropes and Nakano and reapplies that same hold Nakano kicks out of that hold and lands a nasty high-angle bridging back suplex for another two-count and lands a diving splash that takes out both Hokuto and a ringside attendant only to eat a diving guillotine leg drop from Nakano Nakano lands another piledriver and goes to the top rope She misses a second guillotine leg drop and Hokuto lands a bridging Tiger suplex Hokuto lands four consecutive missile dropkicks Diving somersault plancha from the top rope Hokuto goes for another top-rope move but Nakano cuts her off and slams her to the canvas someone comes into the ring to help Nakano The picture is grainy so it’s hard to tell who it is That woman lifts Hokuto into Nakano’s arms as Nakano is perched on the second rope Nakano covers Hokuto but the referee refuses to count the pin due to the interference Winner and STILL WWWA World Single Champion after 18:31: Bull Nakano This match is over thirty years old yet it is still way more intense than most of what’s seen today I can see why the joshis of that era were praised so much: they were pioneers They kept pushing boundaries of what was possible and convinced people that they were literally superhuman I’ve seen crazier joshi wrestling matches and ones with better wrestling overall The story was that Nakano lived up to her reputation and was too much for Hokuto to handle Nakano manhandled (womanhandled?) Hokuto throughout the match and maintained constant pressure on her smaller opponent All she could muster was some quick counters here and there and could only hit moves in short bursts It was easy to see why the audience was clearly in love with Hokuto: she showed this spitfire personality and just wouldn’t lie down and die She hit Hokuto with everything she had from powerbombs and piledrivers Hokuto kept going even as blood poured down her face It reached the point that Nakano was forced to bring back a specter from the past: the second-rope Tombstone It was that very move that broke Hokuto’s neck three years earlier Hokuto continued the match by holding her head in place with her hands It didn’t stop her then and it didn’t stop her here we got to see a clever way to handle interference The rules in these old joshi matches have never been fully explained to me so whenever I’ve seen weapons use I’ve just gone with it as part of the unchained madness there was blatant interference in a one-on-one title match the referee didn’t call for the bell and end it in a cheap disqualification to protect the integrity of the match and the title he simply refused to count the first pin after the interference spot was completed It made total sense; why punish Hokuto for no reason by ending the match therefore allowing Nakano to win on a technicality Nakano had to keep wrestling to win on her own who barely managed to string together enough offense before the diving Tombstone to somehow manage that same feat after being spiked so badly But Nakano won on her own at that point and did so (relatively) fairly Goliath formula has existed so long in pro-wrestling because it works Everyone loves a good underdog story and there’s no simpler way of telling that story than a small person trying to defeat someone much bigger than them Hokuto tried every trick in the book do be ‘David’ here but it just didn’t work Not only was ‘Goliath’ here almost as agile as she was but she hit harder and benefitted from some outside assistance to keep ‘David’ down for the three-count and the borderline savage willingness for both women to spike each other this match still holds up very well over three decades later The risks and intensity on display here have yet to really make it over to North America 1990s joshi wrestling is the ultimate niche in an already niche fandom If more people appreciated this older stuff then maybe it would have more influence stateside and it would bleed into modern wrestlers’ styles just like the top male wrestlers of the 1990s did to the post-Monday Night Wars independent scene The ‘Gallery of Growing’ inside the building There is a gentle slope as you go further inside On the wall there is a photograph of Keith Haring at a subway station alongside Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat one of the street artists that really represents 1980s New York The world’s first art gallery dedicated solely to exhibiting the works of Keith Haring is located in Kobuchisawa The ‘Nakamura Keith Haring Collection,’ which is surrounded by the beautiful scenery of the Yatsugatake Mountains was originally established by gallery director Kazuo Nakamura as a place for his personal Keith Haring collection Nakamura thought that he would like to show his collection publicly As he was taken in by the vitality of Haring’s works Nakamura decided to locate the gallery in Kobuchisawa Kobuchisawa is in Nakamura’s home prefecture where many Jomon Era ruins have been excavated and is a place that is overflowing with the vitality of nature ‘Untitled (Figure Balancing on Dog),’ 1989 In the ‘Room of Darkness,’ the particular silver colour of aluminum emits light Many different expressions are created depending on the angle you are looking from One version of a work that is dotted around the world; in the St If you step foot inside the modern building and follow the designated route you will be met with the ‘Slope to Darkness,’ which was constructed to work with the natural terrain which is adorned with suspended neon signs you will arrive at the ‘Room of Darkness.’ Here is a collection of works that are perhaps different from what immediately comes to mind when thinking about Haring; for example As you progress farther along the route you come to the ‘Gallery of Growing,’ where art typical of Haring’s style is hung on the wall Here you can see representative works that will look familiar to anyone Beyond this is the ‘Room of Hope,’ a sizeable space with a high ceiling that holds large-scale works you will feel a great degree of satisfaction It is easy to understand why art lovers from all over the world come here ‘The Room of Hope,’ large-scale works over two metres tall are exhibited There is a freshness to the sculptural works of Keith Haring The outline that protrudes in all directions and the trapezium windows made from all different sizes of glass and marble come together to form an eye-catching hotel exterior ‘Hotel Keyforest Hokuto’ was established jointly with this gallery explains that “This hotel was built thinking that the visitors who come to the gallery need a place that welcomes them with the same worldview Guests receive free entry to the gallery when staying at the hotel so some people make a round trip just to spend time at the hotel and gallery.” The impactful design of the building was completed by the same architect who designed the gallery It is said that the architectural concept of this hotel was to combine opposing elements such as ‘architecture and nature’ and ‘modern and primitive.’ The hotel windows which take a trapezium as a base and combine all different sizes of glass and marble were based on Kitagawara’s conceptions of the Jomon Era including ‘Uose’ and ‘Mitsu,’ are all taken from ‘Woshite Bunken,’ an ancient manuscript written in the language of the Jomon Era It has been four years since the hotel opened and nowadays there are many people who are charmed by the establishment itself and come back for multiple stays To be immersed in contemporary art and Jomon romanticism and have the senses stimulated The disproportionate trapezium windows are found at every turn around the building as nothing in the natural world is exactly the same shape The furniture and lighting are arranged according to the name of the room The name of the double-type room is ‘Mitsu,’ which means water and so the interior has a feeling of transparency There are many Jomon earthenware replicas exhibited in the public spaces The trapezium shapes are found not just in the windows Being conscious of the range of the natural light and the movement of the line of sight these are works that are typical of Kitagawara who always pays careful attention to details If you make a reservation you can privately enjoy an open-air bath with hot-spring water flowing from the source looking out at the abundant forest and blue skies you can eat meals on the spacious terrace of your room This is a service that pleases those who want a secluded stay The breakfast menu consists of dishes made using ingredients from the Yatsugatake Nanroku area you can enjoy a panoramic view overlooking magnificent mountains At night there is a never-ending starry sky Total Rooms: 6 / Double room Use = From ￥38,335 (tax included) Access: Approximately six minutes by bus from JR Kobuchisawa Station approximately five minutes by car from Kobuchisawa IC Ephemeral Sculptures at the Tottori Sand Museum Supporter of Artistic Projects Between Japan and Europe Traditional tattoos were strong signifiers; murderers had head tattoos The series 'Hysteric Ten' by photographer Sawatari Hajime revisits one of the most sulphurous relationships in Japanese art Nagisa Oshima made Sada Abe the heroine of his film defying the codes of 'pinku eiga' that make men the focus of attention This rice soup seasoned with miso is served by a monk to Ashitaka one of the heroes in Hayao Miyazaki's film we interviewed its founder and chief representative Login | Sign Up Time Extension Guest "This should make the 'bad' original into a more enjoyable experience" Buronson and Tetsuo Hara's Fist of the North Star (Hokuto no Ken) has had legions of fans post-apocalyptic formula is perfect for representation in video games The first Fist Of The North Star game appeared in 1986 via Enix and Sega's relationship with the franchise would kick off later that same year on the Mark III home console (this version would later be released in the West as Black Belt) Sega's second stab at the series would be 1989's Hokuto no Ken: Shin Seikimatsu Kyūseishu Densetsu. Based on the "Imperial Capital" and "Asura" story arcs of the manga, this side-scrolling action title boasted what were impressively large sprites for the time, and Sega promptly localised it for Western release under the title Last Battle (oddly this localisation was later ported to home computers by Elite Systems) even the most dedicated fan of Hokuto no Ken: Shin Seikimatsu Kyūseishu Densetsu will have a love/hate relationship with the game – your author included The problem is that the game feels unbalanced with certain bosses killing you in seconds Kenshiro's movement is also famously sluggish and stiff and the general gameplay is pretty repetitive that Last Battle (which is pretty faithful to the Japanese version although it removes the signature exploding heads and changes all of the character names as well as recolouring some enemies) was savaged by Western critics upon release and has gone down in history as one of the worst games on Sega's 16-bit console (UK publication Mega famously ranked it the second-worst Mega Drive game of all time while rival magazine MegaTech gave it a 32% review score) Thankfully, a fan named Ernani S. Costa has taken it upon themselves to "fix up" this much-maligned cult classic. A new patch has been released which is described as "a major overhaul of the Japanese original.. [a] translation of the original Japanese Hokuto no Ken for the Mega Drive to restore the blood and original colour changed in the last battle localisation." Referring to the original Western localisation – which launched alongside the Genesis in North America in 1989 and in Europe the following year – Costa explains that it made little sense so the text here has been changed "to better reflect the events of the anime." The text now "fills in the details that are not conveyed in the game as the original text did not explain much and had some inconsistencies with the anime." Tidying up the story is only one way in which this new patch fixes the mistakes made by Last Battle but the patch is in playable state already," adds Costa this should make the 'bad' original game into a now somehow more enjoyable experience." It seems that the long-suffering fans of this game agree, too. A review left on ROM Hacking.com says: I remember buying Last Battle when it launched It looked so awesome to my 12 year old eyes It ended up being a frustratingly difficult and slightly slow game I am happy to report that the improvements made to Hokuto no Ken have swept away the buyer’s remorse I had experienced back then Hokuto No Ken 3 was originally released in 1989 [source romhacking.net] Prev Next Damien has been writing professionally about tech and video games since 2007 and oversees all of Hookshot Media's sites from an editorial perspective. He's also the editor of Time Extension which – paradoxically – is all about gaming's past glories The intro text goes on for something like 5 minutes I assume it's summarising the entire anime up to that point or something 😂 It probably needs some controls to slow down the scrolling as I couldn't quite keep up with the text towards the end In terms of gameplay it's pretty decent I plan to give it a longer go at some point it feels a bit like Shinobi when you've run out of throwing knives As someone who was foaming-at-the-mouth desperate to see Final Fight come to the Mega Drive I find it intriguing that they renamed the game "Last Battle" in the west kid-me was ALMOST duped into considering getting it even though in my heart of hearts I knew it was meant to be rubbish Sadly for the dev who bothered it’s still a terrible game This became a meme amongst my friends (with a gasp of STEROIDS ON!) whenever he powers up One of my favourite aspects of Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise on ps4 is you can go back to Kenshiro's apartment and play the original 1986 Hokuto no Ken game on an old console you find in the desert I'm a little confused; is this patch for Last Battle or Hokuto no Ken Show Comments Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment.. We Might Be About To Lose A Powerful Force In The World Of Video Game Preservation we are completely out of cash in September" Wii Homebrew Community "Built On Lies And Copyright Infringement" Limited Run And Retro-Bit Under Fire For Using Recycled Chips In Shantae Advance Sega's Altered Beast Gets A Free Fan-Made Remake After More Than 20 Years, Sonic Will No Longer Overlook One Of The UK's Busiest Roads Sega Europe is leaving its Brentford-based office for pastures new Last Battle: Legend Of The Final Hero Mega Drive SEGA Shin Seikimatsu Kyūseishu Densetsu: Hokuto no Ken Feature We Might Be About To Lose A Powerful Force In The World Of Video Game Pr... News Limited Run And Retro-Bit Under Fire For Using Recycled Chips In Shantae... News After More Than 20 Years, Sonic Will No Longer Overlook One Of The UK's ... News The WavePhoenix Brings Nintendo's Best Controller Back To Life For $5 News Claims That Square, Capcom, Taito, & Sega Are Promising To Preserve Thei... News The Fan-Resurrected Sega Neptune Is Getting A Special Doom-Themed Variant News Sega's Altered Beast Gets A Free Fan-Made Remake News Namco's Unported Arcade Classic 'NebulasRay' Gets Its Console Debut Late... News Soon, You'll Be Able To Play Diddy Kong Racing Natively On Your PC News Wii Homebrew Community "Built On Lies And Copyright Infringement" Show More © 2025 Hookshot Media, partner of IGN Entertainment | Hosted by 44 Bytes | AdChoices | Do Not Sell My Personal Information ShareSaveInnovation GamingMasato Yagi And Hokuto Okamoto Talk All Things ‘Dragon Quest XI S’ByOllie Barder Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights Ollie Barder covers Japanese pop-culture and gaming from Tokyo.Follow AuthorNov 04 03:03am ESTShareSaveThis article is more than 4 years old.'Dragon Quest XI S' is also coming to the Xbox One This version merged the original Japanese PlayStation 4 and Nintendo 3DS games released back in 2017 and added a lot more content on top of that Such as an all-new Japanese voice over and orchestral score It’s this updated version of Dragon Quest XI that will be coming to PlayStation 4 and PC, not to mention the Xbox One, a first for the Dragon Quest series it seemed like a good idea to check in with the latest Dragon Quest game’s director and producer to see how things were going the director of 'Dragon Quest XI S' Yagi kicked off about why the updated version of Dragon Quest XI was being given a new lease of life “We wanted to make Dragon Quest XI S a game that could be enjoyed by those who had already played the PlayStation 4 or 3DS versions of the game as well as those playing the game for the first time and also newcomers for whom it will be their first time playing the Dragon Quest series I would say that the photo mode was particularly good as it lets you preserve your memories of adventuring together with your comrades It fits perfectly with one of the big themes we set ourselves for Dragon Quest XI S which was to improve the feeling of being on an adventure together “One other thing I really like is the new “Super Shypox” Draconic Quest condition that lets you see some unexpected sides of your comrades.” the producer of 'Dragon Quest XI S' Okamoto followed up with how this new release differs from the Switch version released last year “The Dragon Quest XI S Definitive Edition contents and upgrades are in line with the release of the game on Switch allowing more people to enjoy this enhanced version across more platforms dependent on which platform you are playing on We welcome players to check out how the game looks in the free downloadable demo “After the original Dragon Quest XI was released we gathered together feedback from players and took into account all the positive and negative opinions of the game We debated whether to expand the journey part of the game or not for a very long time it does not follow that depicting absolutely everything that happens is the best way to go and it is important to leave a certain amount to the imagination so we needed time to solve the riddle of how much to show and how much to imply the orchestral recordings were carried out at the time we were working on the Definitive Edition and we implemented them because we wanted to provide the player with an even richer game experience There are those who feel that the synthesized music fits better with the pixel sprites in the 2D mode so put both in to allow players to play in the way they like I feel that the characters shine through even more than before Watching the recordings was very enjoyable as I could see life being breathed into the characters with the subtle nuances of the dialogue and performances.” Dragon Quest XI S is released for the PlayStation 4 Read my Forbes blog here Karin's special Hokuto outfit is now available to unlock via Champion Edition's Extra Battle mode for cheap Just like for Ryu's Kairi costume before players will only need to spend 500 Fight Money for one battle to acquire the new digs and eight of its 10 colors immediately This is of course a big step up from how Extra Battle missions usually worked before with splitting fights up over four weeks while costing much more in precious in-game currency Missions to unlock the final two colors will go live starting October 22 and will likely require players to take Karin online if Ryu's were anything to go by Hokuto first appeared in the original Street Fighter EX title as the sister of Kairi and Nanase with the developer Arika retaining the rights to use the original characters This is the second Fighting EX Layer costume added to SF5 in two months we may see another one come mid-November as well Hokuto's inclusion also came alongside the new Version 5.051 update which added in eSports-themed DLC costumes for Akuma What's perhaps most interesting, however, is the patch claims to make improvements to SF5's netcode once again with some added detail of what Capcom did this time to try and make things better online You can get a closer look at Karin's Hokuto costume below Women’s wrestling is said to have come a long way over the past half-decade or so the Divas in WWE were not given the time to have good matches And in TNA – which was the #2 company in the US at the time and is somehow still alive in 2021 – they had talented women’s wrestlers but they were often relegated to lesser matches because that company’s booking was all over the place Things have improved to an extent over the past few years but the truth is that women’s wrestling had its peak a long time ago It happened in Japan during the 1990s because – surprise surprise – women were treated like athletes and combat sports competitors There was a sense of legitimacy and respect in their craft which are two things that are only starting to be recognized stateside That’s why we’re looking back at another alleged wrestling classic here It took place almost twenty-eight years ago during a year when All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling was in the midst of a golden age Their wrestling product has long been lauded as being revolutionary and ahead of its time And now that a lot of time has passed and another ‘revolution’ has taken place today we revisit the double feature between Manami Toyota & Akira Hokuto vs Kyoko Inoue & Toshiyo Yamada from December 12th As a reminder, I am reviewing Five Star and almost-Five Star wrestling matches as rated by Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer. It goes back to the 1980s and I’m going to pick different matches from different eras to see how they look today. Check out previous entries in my 5 Star Match Reviews series right here This is a match featuring four of the best women’s wrestlers in the world at the time: Manami Toyota was quite possibly the most revolutionary wrestler in the world at the time She was innovative in the ring and unbelievably quick Although she was mostly known for spamming dropkicks she also threw crazy suplex variations that I haven’t seen anywhere else Akira Hokuto was arguably the toughest woman to ever enter a wrestling ring She fought in a brutal wrestling style and seemed to be a glutton for punishment she took a second-rope Tombstone Piledriver and broke her neck But she didn’t end the match; she continued it as if nothing happened and simply held her head in place with her hands Toshiyo Yamada was Manami Toyota’s regular tag team partner and someone with whom Toyota had a long and storied past They were bitter rivals at one point and had some high-profile singles matches together She was more of a martial arts-type wrestler preferring to use simple kicks and realistic holds over flowery offense and high-flying Kyoko Inoue was the biggest woman in this match She was both heavier and stronger than the other three in the match but she too could run around and land a dive out of nowhere This match took place during an annual December tag tournament called ‘Tag League The Best’ thrown-together teams all vying to see which one of them was the best That was exemplified by this match in particular Toyota and Yoshida were AJW’s tag team champions having won the titles together four days before this match took place they were on opposing sides in this tournament The last two matches were scheduled for the same day Both teams had the same number of points in the tournament and thus would face off to declare a winner Why they decided to have two matches instead of one It doesn’t add up and leaves the viewer confused if both teams score a fall since there’s no tie-breaker Toyota and Inoue start off by dropkicking each other as the bell rings Hokuto holds her in place and Toyota lands two massive running dropkicks They double-team dropkick Inoue some more and Toyota applies an octopus stretch Toyota rolls into a pin for a one-count and tags Hokuto who lands a diving ax handle and a piledriver for a one-count A second piledriver gets her a two-count and she applies a sharpshooter Toyota tags in and lands a double knee crusher alongside Hokuto Inoue counters an Irish whip with a fallaway slam and tags Yamada She lands a flurry of high kicks and a snap butterfly suplex and works over Toyota’s leg Toyota crawls over to Hokuto for a tag but misses by less than an inch as Yamada drags her away She kicks Toyota hard in that now-weakened leg and tags Inoue who lands a torture rack slam and applies a Boston crab Toyota reaches the ropes but then gets booted in the face by both Inoue and Yamada They continue double-teaming her with a double stretch muffler and Yamada works over the same bad leg as the five-minute mark passes Toyota gets a sudden counter off an Irish whip and gets two off a sunset flip Yamada slams her hard and sends her into the ropes but Toyota counters with a huge front dropkick and tags Hokuto Hokuto lands two massive spinkicks to Yamada’s head for a two-count She gets another two-count off a back suplex and applies a camel clutch and holds Yamada in place as Toyota punks her in the collar Toyota tags in and they do the same move but with the roles reversed and she also gets a two-count Toyota dives from the corner with a dropkick but Yamada dodges and tags Inoue She and Yamada then do the exact same camel clutch/kick combo to both Toyota and Hokuto Toyota gets taken down with a back suplex as Inoue tags She lands a running dropkick and goes for a back body drop but Toyota counters with a Manami roll for a two-count Toyota goes for anther diving dropkick but Inoue counters into a giant swing She ducks a clothesline and catches Inoue in the rolling cradle that goes on for a long time and gets another two once more Ten minutes have passed as Toyota goes to the top rope but gets kicked off by Yamada She and Inoue land a dropkick/German suplex combo for another two-count and Inoue goes for a slam But Toyota wrestles out and goes for a Japanese Ocean Suplex Inoue escapes so Toyota goes for a running dropkick on the ropes But Inoue dodges and Toyota goes flying out of the ring and lands a springboard plancha to the floor Hokuto follows that with a diving senton of her own to the floor Toyota and Hokuto dropkick Inoue from opposing corners and pin Yamada breaks it up so Toyota goes for the Japanese Ocean Cyclone (bridging electric chair) suplex Inoue escapes and spikes Toyota on her head with a German suplex She goes to slam Inoue but Inoue counters into a cradle Yamada tags in and starts hitting running kicks Toyota holds her on the ropes on the third one for Hokuto but Yamada dodges at the last moment and Hokuto boots Toyota instead Yamada and Inoue climb the same corner and hit diving dropkicks to Hokuto Yamada goes for the vertebreaker but Toyota dropkicks her first Hokuto comes in and spikes Yamada with a nasty powerbomb Inoue drills Hokuto with a lariat before she can attack Yamada Yamada tags Inoue and she lands another lariat Toyota counters into another Manami roll for two They still manage to boot Toyota as she comes charging over Toyota fights out of a double-team powerbomb Inoue escapes a JOCS and smashes Toyota with a Niagara Driver Winners after 15:36: Kyoko Inoue and Toshiyo Yamada After about a minute or so of recovery time Inoue rushes Hokuto into a corner and then dropkicks Toyota as hard as possible Yamada tags in and lands five backdrop suplexes before Hokuto breaks up her pin Inoue attacks Hokuto and drags her into the crowd as Yamada lands another backdrop for a two-count But Toyota doesn’t kick out; she bridges out Inoue leaves Hokuto for dead way back in the concession area as Yamada suplexes Toyota more and more Inoue jumps onto the top rope for a counter but Toyota catches her and lands a German suplex Inoue kicks out again and somehow takes over with a single leg crab Hokuto reaches the ropes so Inoue drags her to the middle of the ring and applies another leglock Yamada tags in and does the stretch muffler swing She looks like she’s trying to tear Hokuto’s leg out of its socket as she applies the full stretch muffler hold Hokuto reaches the ropes so Yamada tags Inoue Hokuto reaches out for a tag but she’s still too far away Inoue pulls her back and applies a Romero special that’s locked in for a while until Yamada tags back in Five minutes have passed as Yamada puts Hokuto in the corner upside down and kicks at her bad knee The fans chant for Hokuto as Yamada puts her in another single leg crab hold and eventually reaches the ropes and tags Toyota Toyota answers an Irish whip from Yamada with a running dropkick Two more diving dropkicks get her a two-count Yamada gets a shoulder up before the pin can be counted but Yamada fires back with a jumping 540 kick She lands one more and follows with a top-rope shoulder tackle Inoue drags Toyota off the apron as Yamada pins Hokuto She ducks them and Toyota lands a missile dropkick on both of them Hokuto tries the same but Yamada reverses it and spikes her instead Inoue decides ‘f**k it’ and lands a diving ax handle onto both of them and tosses Hokuto into the ring Hokuto counters into a victor roll for two Yamada connects with her finisher this time Inoue tags in and lands a top-rope diving back elbow for two She goes for a powerbomb but Hokuto fights out and tags Toyota Toyota counters by jumping onto the top rope and lands a moonsault body block That’s followed by a top-rope diving moonsault block that gets her a very close two-count Toyota and Hokuto attempt the double diving dropkicks Yamada and Inoue go for another double-team Toyota answers with a springboard crossbody onto both of them and tags Hokuto She and Yamada go for a two-woman superplex Hokuto counters into a crossbody press for two Toyota moonsaults off the top rope onto Inoue on the floor Hokuto ducks a kick and lands a clothesline Winners of the 1993 Tag League The Best Tournament after 14:49: Manami Toyota & Akira Hokuto I’ll review both matches together since there’s no reason to distinguish them from one another I don’t see how either match could possibly considered 5-stars given the setup and circumstances behind them This match should’ve been either a two-out-of-three falls match given how it was laid out or combined into a longer single match with a decisive finish at the end it was two short matches – at least by 1990s joshi standards – and neither one really accomplished much in the end Both matches were hamstrung by being divided into two separate contests with opposing outcomes The first match was more even with both sides landing big moves in equal amounts while the second one saw Toyota and Hokuto fighting from beneath the first match was more about pure competition while the second one centered more on drama and story But by splitting the matches up in the way they did neither one felt particularly special or unique The first match was a more technical affair centered on Toyota battling both Inoue and Yoshida It was a non-stop counter fest with lots of lightning-quick escapes and transitions that made the women come across as almost superhuman They packed twenty-five minutes’ worth of action into just over fifteen minutes and they made it look easy These women really were ahead of their time Toyota was the centerpiece of the first half as she hit big move after big move on both Yoshida and Inoue while reversing out of almost everything her opponents threw at her But Inoue and Yoshida’s strategy of isolating her and keeping Hokuto at bay as much as possible proved itself a superior strategy Toyota couldn’t handle two opponents that kept double-teaming her so much and she ended up taking the fall off a massive Niagara Driver things became even more chaotic and hard to follow despite being virtually immobile for two minutes following that Niagara Driver That direction flew in the face of the story of the match How was Toyota supposed to come across as a believable face in peril when she was kicking out of big moves with authority and had enough strength left to bridge out That paradox muddied the match’s story and made it hard to follow in spite of the rabid crowd that never quieted The second match also suffered from a lot of inconsistency from Hokuto Most of the match centered on her being thrown around like a ragdoll and having her leg worked over It made sense for this to apply to Toyota since she had the benefit of rest from being on the apron for most of the match But it made no sense for Hokuto to go from limping around like a one-legged woman to diving from the top turnbuckle to the floor in the span of less than one minute This isn’t to say that these aren’t good matches; far from it Even with all those flaws and the fact that the matches were all over the place I’m surprised no one wrestles like this anymore If you wanted to make an argument about women’s wrestling being on an equal level to men’s this is better evidence than anything ‘modern’ Even though both matches veered way into the realm of excess and impracticality they both featured fantastic in-ring action Both teams demonstrated solid tag-team psychology and worked together There were many great sequences filled with clever counters and impressive technical wrestling there were many good moving parts in both these falls; it’s just that when they were all combined together the end result wasn’t as airtight and sound as expected It’s a shame that we have to go almost thirty years back in time to another country to truly experience the best women’s wrestling of all time I’ve heard a lot of talk and read a lot of arguments on how things have changed for the better in North America since 2014 But the sad truth is that nothing in women’s wrestling that has been showcased in North America over the past decade comes close to what the joshis did back in the 1980s and 1990s the stuff from AJW and other companies from that era set the bar and have yet to be surpassed And even though these two matches didn’t really live up to their original hype as perfect 5-star matches With the fandom of pro-wrestling either stagnating or shrinking wrestling companies should do more if they hope to survive The biggest companies have tried different things to bring in new viewers and the results thus far have been mixed at best So why not try introducing stuff like what took place in these matches to see if they’ll draw in viewers But I think that trying something new and taking a small risk is better than recycling the same ideas over and over again and expecting different results Please click the "..." buttonSelect "browser" to open Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Guangzhou Risong Intelligent Technology Holding Co. ("Risong Technology") announced on August 28 via its WeChat account that its subsidiary Guangzhou Risong Hokuto Automotive Equipment Co. ("Risong Hokuto") has a significant contract worth approximately 150 million yuan with GAC AION a Chinese leading new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturer under GAC Group This contract pertains to the establishment of the "intelligent flexible production lines for vehicle body assembly and other parts" for GAC AION's ACS project The intelligent flexible production lines Risong Hokuto builds for GAC AION's 2nd factory; photo credit: Risong Technology Built upon their successful collaboration in providing intelligent flexible production lines for GAC AION's first and second plants Risong Hokuto once again undertook the construction project of production facilities for GAC AION's third factory Anticipating the smooth execution of this project the initiative is expected to substantially bolster Risong Technology's growth within the NEV sector further enhancing its influence in the market and strategically contributing to the company's high-quality development The explosive growth trend in China's NEV industrial chain demands has been a focal point in recent years Risong Technology has adeptly seized the policy-driven advantages and capacity expansion opportunities within the NEV landscape and has vigorously expanded into the realm of NEV automation operations related to the NEV industrial chain now constitute over 50% of the company's overall revenue catering to a diverse clientele of more than 10 NEV manufacturers The offerings encompass flexible intelligent welding lines for steel and aluminum vehicle bodies as well as the lines for battery packs and battery pack assemblies it is poised to become GAC AION's third plant with the new facility projected to achieve production readiness by early 2024 According to publicly available information Risong Technology a Chinese high-tech enterprise engaged with R&D Its subsidiary Risong Hokuto is one of the earliest companies in China to provide intelligent solutions for automotive equipment Gasgoo not only offers timely news and profound insight about China auto industry, but also help with business connection and expansion for suppliers and purchasers via multiple channels and methods. Buyer service: buyer-support@gasgoo.com Seller Service: seller-support@gasgoo.com All Rights Reserved. Do not reproduce, copy and use the editorial content without permission. Contact us: autonews@gasgoo.com. Premium Bandai has opened pre-orders for an S.H. Figuarts ZERO release for Kamen Rider Build This is a set of figurines of the Castle Hard Smash also known as the Hokuto Trio who followed Kamen Rider Grease Included with the set is an alternate right hand for Kamen Rider Grease featuring the dog tags of these three characters There is also the Hokuto’s Sawatari Farm Set which features S.H Figuarts Kamen Rider Grease in addition to the above contents Source: Premium Bandai Copy editor for TokuNet. Creator of a few casual Kamen Rider blogs on Tumblr (FruitRiderNews/GameRiderNews/BuildRiderNews). Collector of Riders, Transformers and generally robotic/cute stuff. I also do a lot of art, so if you're interested in a commission you can check out this link This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Enter your email address to subscribe to the Tokusatsu Network and receive notifications of new posts by email Rise of the Northstar is a Japanese-themed thrash metal act that blends many aspects of Japanese culture into their full-on neck snapping assault and I was able to catch up with drummer Hokuto No Kev to chat about the record and the group Check out the song “Dressed All In Black” Interview with Aversions Crown; Vocalist Colin Jeffs Discusses New Nuclear Blast Album ‘Tyrant’ In The Presence of Wolves – “Man of the Times” [Free Song Download] Mike Plume Reimagines “This Is Our Home (8:30 Newfoundland)” Comeback Kid Confirms “Wake The Dead 20th Anniversary Canadian Tour” Dropkick Murphys Headlining “Unite For Veterans” D-Day Rally Perturbator Releases “The Art Of War” Music Video Lockimara Releases ‘A Vision Again’ Album & New Music Video Austin Gatus Shares Live Look of “Don’t Want This to Change” feat it was like monsters with guitars and I was blown away.” Mark Morton: “I was starting to break out of the clouds I could tell that was happening and it felt really free to be creative.” Shadows of a Silhouette Premiere Energetic New Single “No Matter Where I Go” KING 810 Reveal ‘Rustbelt Nu Metal’ Album Details & European Tour Dawn Of Ouroboros Announce Extensive Spring & Summer US Tour Dates Headliner to Date at Boston’s MGM at Fenway Diablo® and Berserk Join Forces with Beast In Black for Epic Collaboration Deafheaven – ‘Lonely People With Power’ [Album Review] ©2025 V13 Media is part of V13 Media Group, owned by V13 Ventures. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy // Terms of Use The opening of a roughly 148-km section of the Hokkaidō Shinkansen between Shin-Aomori and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Stations is the first stage of the new high-speed line which once completed in 2030 will stretch approximately 360 kilometers to Sapporo Station The Shin-Aomori–Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto span passes through the roughly 54-km long Seikan Tunnel The Hokkaidō Shinkansen line will be operated by JR Hokkaidō Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station is about a 20-minute ride from Hakodate proper on the preexisting Hakodate Liner Traveling on to Sapporo from the Shinkansen terminal currently takes upward of 3 hours 40 minutes by express train The Hayabusa express service will be extended from the Tōhoku Shinkansen line There will be 10 northbound and 10 southbound trains per day directly connecting Tokyo and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto The fastest trains will link the two stations in just 3 hours 58 minutes One Hayabusa train per day will also run in each direction between Sendai and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto The Hayate service will cover shorter distances with one northbound and one southbound train ferrying passengers daily between Morioka and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto and another pair running between Shin-Aomori and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto JR Hokkaidō will introduce four H5-model trains The H5 series has the same basic specifications as JR East’s E5 model but the former sports a purple stripe along each side The interior design also incorporates allusions to the culture and nature of Hokkaidō The Hayabusa service spanning Tokyo and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto will consist of 10-car trains of either the H5 or E5 model In keeping with the existing Tōhoku Shinkansen trains operating between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori each train will include one “Gran Class” car and one Green Car Both carriage types feature automated reclining seats with footrests and reading lamps Interior of a “Gran Class” car where dedicated attendants will be on hand on the Hayabusa service to and from Tokyo Green Car Standard class Travelers with a valid Japan Rail Pass may make use of either standard class or the Green Car on any Hokkaidō Shinkansen service for no additional fee For a journey between Tokyo and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto passengers must pay a limited express fee and Gran Class seat fee totaling ¥26,720 The Japan Rail Pass will no longer be valid in this section the city of Hakodate is a tourist hub that attracts close to 5 million visitors yearly In 1859 the Port of Hakodate became one of Japan’s first ports of foreign trade leading to the exotic atmosphere that the city’s streets retain today The nightscape from the top of the 334-meter Mt Hakodate is reputed to be among the best night views in Japan Thanks to bountiful fishing grounds nearby visitors can enjoy a variety of seafood throughout the year at Hakodate Morning Market The city takes special pride in its squid and kelp Hakodate is also known for its red-brick warehouses in the bay area the Goryōkaku (Japan’s first Western-style fort) Night view of Hakodate in winter Hakodate Morning Market Ōnuma Park is a nature resort focused around three lakes The park is served by JR Ōnuma Kōen Station and buses are also available from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station Ōnuma Park in summer Esashi is a port town that once thrived as the northern end of the Kitamaebune trade route and a center of herring fishery Hokkaidō’s only commercial port until the end of the Edo period (1603–1868) it retains traces of this history in the form of merchant houses and other historic architecture built between the Edo period and Taishō era (1912–1926) Another highlight is the Kaiyōmaru Youth Center where a full-size replica of the Kaiyōmaru a battleship of the late Edo period that sank off the coast of Esashi greets visitors and artifacts salvaged from the shipwreck are on exhibit The town has roughly 10,000 residents today take a bus from Kikonai Station (1 hour 20 minutes) or Hakodate Station (2 hours) Merchant house of the Yokoyama family in Esashi Matsumae was the only castle town in Hokkaidō and the regional hub of politics Main attractions include Matsumae Castle and the Matsumae Feudal Domain Residence The city is also renowned nationwide for its wealth of cherry trees which blossom between the end of April and mid-May About 1 hour 30 minutes from Kikonai Station by bus Matsumae Castle (Photo courtesy of Matsumae Tourist Association) Visitors are welcomed by a panoramic view of the Tsugaru Strait and Hokkaidō as well as strong winds that blow in from the sea throughout the day Tappizaki Lighthouse and the Seikan Tunnel Museum are among the places worth visiting Tappizaki A shuttle bus makes four round trips a day between Oku-Tsugaru-Imabetsu Station and Tsugaru-Nakasato Station the northern terminus of the Tsugaru Railway; the 70-minute ride costs ¥1,200 for adults Famous for its wintertime “stove trains,” the Tsugaru Railway takes travelers to various destinations in the Tsugaru Peninsula The Tsugaru Railway’s “stove train.” (Photo: Aptinet Aomori Sightseeing Guide) (about 15 minutes from Tsugaru-Nakasato Station) is the hometown of the author Dazai Osamu whose stately house of birth is now a tourist attraction known as Shayōkan The town is also the birthplace of the Tsugaru samisen (Tsugaru jamisen) known for the distinctive playing style of forcefully striking the bachi (large plectrum) against the strings Tourists can experience the music live at Tsugaru-jamisen Hall Shayōkan A live performance at Tsugaru-jamisen Hall (about 40 minutes from Tsugaru-Nakasato Station) is home to the Tachineputa Festival which features parade floats as tall as 22 meters—equivalent to about 7 stories or papier-mâché floats usually in the shape of a warrior or other human figure but the Tachineputa Museum exhibits tachineputa year round Tachineputa By Jamie Lang | 09/13/2023 6:05 am | Be the First to Comment! Japan has revealed that production is underway on Fist of the North Star: Hokuto no Ken a new series adaptation of the hugely popular manga created by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara The original Fist of the North Star manga debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump on September 13 1983 – 40 years ago today – and ran for five years The manga has sold over 100 million copies Toei Animation produced the first anime series adaptation of Fist of the Northstar The franchise has added several animated features Jamie Lang is the former Editor-in-Chief of Cartoon Brew It’s been fifteen years since the wasteland’s protector last took to the small screen in Fist of the North Star: The Legends of the True Savior-Zero: Legend of Kenshiro it appears Kenshiro will soon be returning to fight against the evils of the post-apocalyptic wastelands once more RELATED: ‘Medabots’ Celebrates 25th Anniversary By Making Full Series Available To Watch For Free On YouTube Announced on September 13th – otherwise known in Japan as Hokuto no Ken day in honor of the original manga’s first publication date – the series will reporetedly be a completely new adaptation of writer-and-artist-duo Tetsuo Hara and Buronson’s seminal manga replete with voice actors brand new to the franchise Speaking in celebration of the announcement, the aforementioned Buronson declared (translated via Crunchyroll) “A work from 40 years ago will be reborn as an animated work.” “I took a step back from animation at the time since it is a little different from manga,” he continued “Now animation and movie technology has evolved tremendously How will that cook-up FIST OF THE NORTH STAR: Hokuto no Ken the principle of new anime production is to depict the original work with great care which has been loved by many fans over the past 40 years will make a comeback as an anime I look forward to enjoy it with everyone.” “I am grateful for a new anime project I would never have dreamed of FIST OF THE NORTH STAR: Hokuto no Ken to have its 40th anniversary and also to be recreated as an anime.” “Time has passed☆ I was happy to hear that voice actors are reading the original manga as if to listen to characters’ voices and to visualize how they will act them out,” he further expressed.” I am very much looking forward to seeing how the manga that I put my heart and soul into 40 years ago will be reincarnated by the production staff who are full of love for the original work and how they will be brought to life!!”” Making its debut in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump on September 13 Fist of the North Star (originally titled Hokuto no Ken in Japan) is set at the end of the 20th century where an unprecedented nuclear war has left the world desloate and with little resources which in turn has resulted in a worldwide culture of ‘the strong reign over the weak’ a renowned martial artist of the Hokuto Shinken style sets out to save his fiancée Julia from the man responsible for leaving him with seven scars on his chest the Nanto Seiken disciple known simply as Shin RELATED: 9 Ultra-Violent Japanese Anime Films From The 1980s You Need To Watch In the forty years since the initial manga’s 1983 release the franchise has gone to become a worldwide phenomenon launching a franchise’s worth of anime and even a live-action Hollywood film adapatation the series has even continued on in manga form with the Hokuto Gaiden spin-off series wherein various manga artists illustrate a solo story centered on one of Fist of the North Star’s many characters Fist of the North Star Side Story: Genius Amiba’s Another World Overlord Legend – Even If I Go to Another World Was I Mistaken by Sokra Nishiki and Natto Gohan is follows the isekai-parody adventures of Ambia awakens to find himself in a world exactly like his own but where magic rules over physical prowess Japan’s upcoming project will mark the fourth time the fist-filled exploits of Kenshiro has been adapated to animation Broadcast in two parts – the first consisting of 109 episodes and the second of 43 – from October 1984 to February 1988 the series was so massively popular that it not only served as many’s first introduction to Fist of the North Star Worked on by the same team behind the anime the film features an alternate retelling of the manga’s first few arcs with events rearranged but all the blood kept intact Next up was New Fist of the North Star – or Shin Hokuto No Ken – a three-part OVA produced in 200 by the OB Planning subsidiary of A Certain Scientific Accelerator (2019) animation studio A.C.G.T and helmed by Slayers director Takashi Watanabe Based on Buronson and Hara’s 1996 novel Fist of the North Star: The Cursed City the OVA trilogy takes place after the events of the original manga and finds Kenshiro interceding against the plans of a man named Sanga to control every last drop of his region’s local water supply TMS Entertainment produced Fist of the North Star: The Legends of the True Savior the series tells another ‘reimagining’ of Kenshiro’s original adventures Japan has not confirmed a release date or which streaming platform Fist of the North Star: Hokuto no Ken will be hosted on NEXT: Naofumi And Crew Begin Their Quest To Free Enslaved Demi-Humans In Latest Trailer For ‘The Rising of the Shield Hero’ Season 3 More About:Anime Manga CELEBRATING THE BEST OF TV, MOVIES, AND COMICS Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out Popverse's guides to: Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news Visit Reedpop ID if you need to resend the confirmation email Find out how we conduct our review by reading our review policy Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing The gold standard of a comic book artist for DC & Marvel and more Jackson 'Butch' Guice dies at age 63 Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts* movie puts the final nail in the coffin for the Joss Whedon-era superhero film God over greed: HBO's The Righteous Gemstones finds true faith amidst false idols in its series finale ending Livestream all of Boston's PAX East 2025 free with Popverse The simmering Marvel Comics (and Marvel Studios) drama deepens as Paul Jenkins weighs in amid Thunderbolts* theatrical debut the new Sherlock Holmes LEGO set from Barnes & Noble DOES count as a business expense The Last of Us Part II ending explained: What happens - and who survives - in the game that inspired HBO's post-apocalyptic hit No part of this website or its content may be reproduced without the copyright owner's permission Experiences Event (Photo courtesy of Hakodate City Tourism Department) (Photo courtesy of Hakodate City Housing and Urban Facilities Corporation) (Source: Hokuto City Tourism Association) (Photo provided by Be my BIEI (Hill Town Biei DMO)) (Photo provided by Be my BIEI (Hill Town Biei DMO) A big transformation for your usual illuminations We tried out a mysterious camera lens that makes stars and hearts appear [2025 Latest Edition] A winter tradition in Hokkaido [Updated for 2025] Enjoy Tomamu's winter How to enjoy the fantastic "Ice Village" and the spectacular "Frost Terrace" [Updated for 2025] Experiences that can only be had in the Sea of Okhotsk Restaurant & Farm Inn "Takahashi Farm & Shorthorn Kingdom Maburitto" (Erimo Town) - Full of the charm of shorthorn beef's "red meat" One of the common refrains I saw after Sasha’s incredible title win on Monday Night Raw was a general sentiment of "why is she trying to die every match?" Certainly a very fair concern but the honest answer is: Because she wouldn’t be Sasha Banks if she didn’t That sense of reckless abandon is a huge key in explaining why people connect to her big matches so much even on an episode of Raw where the audience very much did not start out connected And it all comes back to the woman who inspired the title of this piece one of the most iconic Joshi wrestlers of all time No one embodied the spirit of "It's better to burn out than to fade away" like Hokuto A year ago, shortly after Sasha's TakeOver match with Becky Lynch, she appeared on Chris Jericho's Talk is Jericho podcast and they talked about Joshi a bit and she noted that her favorite was Hokuto because Hokuto has always been my favorite as well the more clear it is that she's the spiritual successor to The Dangerous Queen’s legacy as a performer Unlike many nicknames in wrestling history She’d been one of the most promising prospects in women’s wrestling ever at that point winning AJW’s rookie of the year in 1985 and being in the AJW match of the year in 1986 1987 was when she won the tag team championships with her partner Yumiko Hotta That title reign only lasted twelve days because of a catastrophic injury in her infamous title defense against the Red Typhoons later that month Hokuto broke her neck after a Tombstone Piledriver from the second rope which was the first and last time that move was ever attempted in AJW she held her neck in place for the rest of the match and kept wrestling in possibly the most insane display of toughness that the business has ever seen because her body didn’t get to win the internal struggle with her spirit This was her first major setback as she tried to reach the pinnacle The story of her road to becoming the Dangerous Queen continued in 1990 when she was set to win the Japan Grand Prix a prestigious AJW tournament in the spirit of the G1 she suffered another catastrophic injury when she dove to the floor during a match with Manami Toyota and slammed her knee into the guardrail and trying to bandage her leg up to continue wrestling but the officials wouldn’t let her This was the most enduring of her many injuries as she wrestled wearing a thick bandage around her damaged knee for the rest of her career and that damaged limb became a focal point of many of her matches she was set to get her big moment once again and face Aja Kong for the WWWA championship a wonderful capstone to arguably the best in-ring year a performer has ever had including the best women’s match ever against Shinobu Kandori at Dreamslam in April of that year but predictably suffered another injury in the run up to the match forcing her to get surgery on her meniscus and PCL two weeks before the match In what should now be very unsurprising news at this point obviously Hokuto still hobbled to the ring and wrestled Aja Kong two weeks after surgery but requested the match be a non-title match as it was disrespectful to the championship and the women that have held it to have an injured challenger compete for the title And those three were only the most noteworthy of her many other calamitous injuries over the years Hokuto’s matches always had an added layer of storytelling and drama that elevated great matches into all-time classics because she beautifully conveyed with her selling and especially her reckless devil may care style that more than just her opponent fighting with her body that simply wasn’t as strong as her indomitable will And that gave such meaning and emotional heft to everything she did When she did huge flip dives to the floor she sold the danger and risk of it all such that it never felt like merely a big high spot to pop the crowd it felt like this was her understanding that she was going to succeed or die trying She fostered such investment and high drama because she had you on the edge of your seat for every big match just hoping that she could get through it with her health intact While thankfully Sasha doesn’t have that same laundry list of major injuries to her name she shares Hokuto’s incomparable stubbornness and refusal to give anything less than everything she has in every match her narrative that inspires that same level of reckless abandon might be even stronger from a storytelling standpoint because she isn’t just wrestling against herself and her fragile frame she’s wrestling against the echoes of history She’s fighting not just for her own success but as she said in her wonderfully heartfelt promo after her win on Monday night she’s fighting for the future of an entire gender that has been maligned and marginalized for decades in professional wrestling in the United States with the way she’s such a livewire of emotion every big match for Sasha feels like the big match like the weight of the world is on her shoulders things could all come crashing down in an instant So if she needs to throw a dive that might snap her neck she’s going to throw that dive because dammit the future of women’s wrestling is too important to do anything less Matches in modern wrestling can often feel ephemeral because there’s just so much content at our finger tips and blood feuds feel like something of a relic of the past but what Sasha does so well is that she makes big matches feel historic There were lots of great matches last year Her matches with Bayley are going to be remembered after most of those great matches are long forgotten There are few people who can foster the big fight feel in the way she does and she proved that once again on Monday by turning a disinterested crowd into a crowd that was living and dying right along with her superhuman drive to be the best at any cost Sasha managed what Hokuto sadly could not and did finally make it to the top of the mountain and I’m hoping desperately that she can stay there that type of indomitable will doesn’t make for a long career Hokuto was the most compelling wrestler I’ve ever seen the most compelling person has been Sasha Banks It's a style and a persona that can't help but be engaging I know that most people hope Sasha works safer but given what she feels she’s trying to protect Massive congratulations to The Dangerous Princess on a well-deserved ascent to the top of the mountain Hokuto ga Gotoku is due out for PlayStation 4 in Japan in 2018 Thanks, Games Talk Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without acknowledgment of Gematsu is prohibited Use of this site is governed by all applicable laws Website by 44 Bytes The Yakuza series has proven to be a winning formula for Sega The open worlds set in a realistic Japan (realistic aside from the antics with chickens and the like) have been a hit resulting in a long series of seven mainline games Hokuto ga Gotoku, the latest such spin-off, is a Yakuza-style game applied to the world of Fist of the North Star (Hokuto no Ken in Japanese). The Yakuza series itself has been gaining more and more traction in the west, especially since the release of Yakuza 0 last year which provided a good entry point for newcomers but Fist of the North Star is also a widely loved series in the west Not every Yakuza spin-off has been localized but perhaps the high score combined with rising popularity will create enough demand It's a visual novel that follows Mafia members in 1930s America Tied with it for second highest score is another visual novel titled Fortissimo which is a visual novel aimed at women (an “otome” game) where you become a manager of a boys idol group and romance it up Tower of Babel didn't fare terrible well despite it's best efforts to win me and perhaps other over by resembling the “Twisted System” mini-game from Fusion Frenzy on the original Xbox It hasn't fared too well in the west either No part of this website or its content may be reproduced without the copyright owner's permission VG247 is a registered trademark of Gamer Network Limited Tesla CEO Elon Musk is getting ready to hand over the first batch of Model 3s to owners this week And with 30 of those cars scheduled to come off the electric-car maker's assembly line in Fremont it's safe to assume employees are living and breathing all things Model 3 as the clock winds down Tesla has been here before — three times before shepherding a new vehicle from prototype to production is a labor of four equal but opposite elements: innovation In part because of a level of secrecy matched only by Apple it is not possible to know exactly what's happening inside Tesla while those first 30 Model 3s are being built but a former Tesla employee who managed the launch of the Model S offered some insight into what's going on behind Tesla's factory doors a Harvard Business School graduate who was on the team that took the Model S from prototype to delivery and launched Tesla's Gigafactory told Business Insider it was a "surreal" experience "The atmosphere is definitely intense," Ueda said every timeline that Elon set for us seemed impossible Long hours to try to cross that finish line Ueda started at Tesla as an engineering intern, preparing the first prototype of the Model S in 2010, later building the Fremont factory and launching Model S production. He left Tesla after five years in 2015 as one of the founders of Drivemode a Panasonic-backed startup whose app turns smartphones into infotainment systems for cars that don't have the latest tech The Model 3 has now joined the existing platforms on Fremont's assembly lines "The biggest challenge of building that factory," Ueda told Business Insider "was that we were going from planning stages of the Model S to production in less than two years." "The typical car model takes three to five years to launch — and that's without having to build a brand-new factory around it and with existing adding that his team worked around the clock when the first Model S cars were being assembled "You're literally in the factory all day and all night — we ordered pizza and sandwiches for dinner — and then you go home for a few hours and come back and do it all again I felt like everyone was committed to making that happen." Ueda said the team building the first Model 3s was most likely feeling some pressure the mandate for the Model 3 is far greater Tesla has taken no fewer than 400,000 orders for the entry-level will ultimately come down to the employees' hustle inside the factory and Musk's leadership "I think to be part of something like that is special and it's what keeps people going and I think that's what's special about Elon and his leadership style is the ability to really get people to feel like they're making history they're a part of history — and that sort of brings 110% out of everybody," Ueda said will require Tesla to build lots and lots (and lots) more cars than the company has before so Tesla's goal to produce 20,000 Model 3s per month by December — and potentially fulfilling hundreds of thousands more Model 3 orders while still cranking out Model S and Model X vehicles — resembles another of those "impossible" goals Ueda spoke of previously the former Tesla engineer remains confident in Musk and his team: "The goal he had set for you seemed insurmountable in the beginning and then you’re actually delivering a car on time and that just sort of reframes your thinking around what is possible and not possible." the first cars are the first cars," Ueda said We've rounded up images of Hokuto Karin in as she sports all 10 of her various costume colors and have also included an example of what she looks like when you input the special Easter egg code to alter the garb just a bit There appears to be something of a FEXL trend emerging for Street Fighter 5 right now as the previous Extra Battle costume addition also involved combination with a FEXL character: Ryu as Kairi Hokuto Karin requires only a single bout and a fraction of the cost of previous Extra Battle costumes Users used to have to fork over a total of 10,000 Fight Money over the course of four weeks to gain access to such outfits in the past We nabbed colors 1-8 as those are all unlocked immediately upon winning the Extra Battle challenge, but nabbed screen shots of colors 9 and 10 from the Shadaloo CRI site as you'll have to score some wins with Karin online before you'll gain access to those Check out Karin's new look via the gallery below The very first color sees her with the Easter egg code inputted and essentially reverts the character halfway back to regular Karin by omitting certain details and pieces of the costume The final image gives you a look at Hokuto Karin on the character select screen please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent said Thursday that its two subsidiary banks will consider merging in fiscal 2026 to enhance operations at a time when their earnings power is declining amid ultralow interest rates and falling populations The envisaged merger would create the first local bank in the Tohoku northeastern Japan region to operate across a prefectural border based in the city of Tsuruoka in Yamagata Prefecture listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s top-tier Prime section was created in 2009 through the business integration between Shonai Bank and Hokuto Bank such as integrating the two banks’ head office functions and back-office operations the group completed repayments of public funds injected for recapitalization in the past The group expects that the merger will create synergies in areas including a matching service for businesses and support for business turnaround in wide areas in Tohoku and help reduce costs through the full adoption of the same computer systems and administrative work procedures If the Bank of Japan raises interest rates in a shift from its current ultraeasy monetary policy in the future that would provide commercial banks with an opportunity to expand their profits The Fidea group aims to support local industries in Tohoku and help the region’s decarbonization efforts by expanding its business scale and reinforcing its business foundations Fidea considered integrating operations with Tohoku Bank But the idea was withdrawn later due to gaps in their management strategies Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun