Ohtani's impact spans continentsOctober 19th LOS ANGELES -- Come to Dodger Stadium for a ballgame, stay for a ballpark tour in Japanese or a bite of Takoyaki -- a fritter described by purveyor Tsukiji Gindaco as “crispy on the outside and creamy inside with carefully selected octopus with springy palatability in the middle.” This is the effect For as sensational as he’s been on the field in his first season with the Dodgers -- founder of the 50-50 club the runaway favorite for the National League MVP Award -- Ohtani has been just as big for their brand and for Major League Baseball writ large Of course, none of it is a surprise. The Dodgers knew that Ohtani’s value would go beyond his OPS and his ERA when they agreed to the biggest contract in sports history, a 10-year, $700 million stunner that dropped jaws from Ohtani’s hometown of Mizusawa to Chavez Ravine Whoever signed him would earn a massive return on investment in sponsorships merchandising and worldwide brand awareness “People always ask me that and I never say the numbers “His most important contribution is what he’s done on the field He’s changed the mix of demographics at our stadium for games We have a raft of daily tours [in Japanese] we didn’t have before We have a raft of new sponsors with Japanese connections we didn’t have before “But the most lasting contribution has been the combination of Shohei’s profile with the profile of the Dodgers franchise It’s baseball putting its best foot forward It’s been a boon for us and for central baseball which is always looking at international opportunities It’s just been enormously positive for everybody.” The Dodgers hope the next step for baseball’s biggest international superstar is Major League Baseball’s biggest stage. After being denied by the Mets in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series Ohtani and Los Angeles will get another chance to clinch a trip to the World Series in Game 6 on Sunday That’s part of what made last winter’s Ohtani sweepstakes so compelling Teams always build in expectations for jersey sales tickets and other marketing opportunities when they pursue superstar free agents but given his unique brilliance as an MVP Award contender as a hitter and a Cy Young Award contender as a pitcher Ohtani was unlike any free agent the sport had ever seen The Dodgers saw plenty of projections of what Ohtani could bring in and made their bid accordingly but we were being conservative about it,” Kasten said Game 5 of the Dodgers-Padres NL Division Series starring Ohtani plus a starting pitching matchup of L.A.’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto against San Diego’s Yu Darvish was the most-watched MLB postseason game ever in Japan “I'm sure it's not easy for the people in Japan to be able to watch these games because of the time difference,” Ohtani said “I hope to continue to perform well as well for the fans in Japan.” Said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts: “One of our guys told me how many eyeballs were watching that Game 5 since he was in a room with officials from MLB and sports media from around the world But it’s all been especially good for the Dodgers “I think this is the 100th [percentile] outcome with Shohei,” Roberts said I can't imagine what he's -- I can't imagine what he's doing outside of our game I just couldn't have imagined any better season Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball Kasten feels that Ohtani and the Dodgers -- both inside the clubhouse and in the front office -- came together during the team’s season-opening series in South Korea Club officials cemented Ohtani’s trust and got his sense of humor He just has a superpower that you and me can't do,” said Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts goes about his work just like everyone else “I wish I could explain something he does different but he doesn't do anything different.” “He has little one-liners through conversations he has little one-liners that he'll come out of left field with He just kind of sits and chills and does his thing.” We have All-Stars and future Hall of Famers “It’s a real testament to him that he has this kind of personality along with this kind of talent 'Have you ever seen anything like this?' And of course There’s never been anyone quite like this.” The anime was delayed from its July 2023 premiere date "due to various circumstances." The story is set in a world laid waste by a demon invasion The protagonist Kyle subdues the demon king with his last remaining strength but then he is sent back four years into the past Armed with his past life's memories and experiences he takes this second chance at life to ensure that the tragic history does not repeat itself The 10th novel volume shipped in July 2018 and will announce its release date once it is finalized Sources: Tsuyokute New Saga anime's website, Comic Natalie Plumbing bills can shock you, but Shane Mizusawa wants to spare customers of 535 Plumbing that pain “We are very transparent and upfront,” he says “Most plumbing companies will just try to book you but we try our best to educate clients over the phone and give them an idea of what to expect before we even get there.” 535 Plumbing won’t charge an assessment fee unless a client can’t provide photos or a description of the issue but Mizusawa says 99% of the time people can and do clients can get an idea of the cost and “make sure they’re OK with it beforehand.” Mizusawa warns that either path could make the problem worse or create legal headaches you want to make sure that they are licensed with the (state) and have insurance because if they damage anything or someone gets hurt on your property Another PSA: Do not use caustic liquid drain cleaners like Drano because the chemicals are extremely corrosive use products with “enzymes that you can put down your drain that will break up the organic matter.” 535 Plumbing likes making installations that are both good for the environment and save clients money “We try to always install water-saving fixtures like toilets showerheads and energy-saving water heaters Mizusawa learned the trade from his uncle and founded 535 Plumbing in 2015 “The most rewarding part of my job as a leader is always talking about our values our mission and our model: be fair to the client and be fair to the company.” Customers like that approach: 535’s Yelp page contains 452 reviews with an average of 4.7 stars out of 5 Mizusawa credits his staff for the company’s continuous improvement always has an open line of communication so that we can make recommendations of how to improve Pu‘unēnē Mill on Maui was bought by Nan Inc. 90 Companies and Nonprofits Where Employees Thrive April 8, 2024 | Science High sensitivity radio observations have discovered a cloud of magnetized plasma in the Hydra galaxy cluster The odd location and shape of this plasma defy all conventional explanations Dubbed the Flying Fox based on its silhouette this plasma will remain a mystery until additional observations can provide more insight A team led by Kohei Kurahara at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan analyzed observations from the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) targeting the Hydra galaxy cluster located over 100 million light years away in the direction of the constellation Hyrda By applying recent analysis techniques to the GMRT (Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope) data archive the team was able to discover a cloud of magnetized plasma shaped like a flying fox which has never been reported before Radio/optical/IR/X-ray images failed to find a host galaxy at the center of the Flying Fox has left astronomers scratching their heads; the Flying Fox does not fit the model for any known class of objects like the Square Kilometre Array currently under construction are expected to study the Flying Fox and provide new insights into the nature and history of this unusual object Return to News Home Previous: Message from New Director General of NAOJ © 1994- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan pitches during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Angel Stadium on June 21 MIZUSAWA, Japan — Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani is often described as a once-in-a century talent especially for his dual skills as pitcher and hitter To understand how Ohtani became such a baseball prodigy it helps to journey to Ohtani's hometown of Mizusawa still practices every weekend at a diamond sandwiched between a country road and a river where salmon swim upstream from the Pacific Ocean "He and his parents came to this field to see me," recalls coach Shoji Asari Asari thought that Ohtani might like to join his school's softball team with the rest of his friends A yearbook from the early 2000s shows a young Shohei Ohtani with his former Little League team "But he looked straight into my eyes and said 'I want to play hardball with this team,'" says Asari Ohtani's capabilities quickly surpassed his teammates' he often hit home runs over the right-field fence and into the river Asari says the cost of lost baseballs began to add up I think that was when he found the fun of opposite-field hitting." Ohtani's opposite-field home runs have become a signature of his hitting, including the hardest-hit opposite-field homer by a left-handed hitter since Major League Baseball's Statcast data system began tracking them in 2015 Opposite-field home runs require more power as the batter swings later and the bat has less time to accelerate He hurled faster fastballs and his sliders curved more than other pitchers' "I had never caught a ball from a pitcher who could throw at more than 87 miles per hour," says Ryuki Sasaki He remembers the numerous sprained fingers that the pitches caused In Japanese, players who excel at both pitching and hitting are called nitoryu, or "two-sword style," a term that recalls the samurai warriors of Japan's past. As in martial arts, Japanese Little League players hone their skills through repetitive drills strict discipline often included corporal punishment Players with the Mizusawa Pirates hop over a ladder for agility drills during a weekend practice Young baseball players in Japan use repetitive drills to hone skills such as bunting or executing double plays But Coach Asari took an unconventional approach "Most Japanese baseball players train hard how to play be patient and practice exactly as their coach says," explains sports journalist Nobuya Kobayashi "But Coach Asari let his players grow freely So Ohtani has continued to enjoy baseball the whole time." Kobayashi says that anyone who has ever had fun playing baseball as a kid will be reminded of it when they see Ohtani play his team's victory simply makes him happy," says former catcher Sasaki he plays with the mind of an elementary school kid who loves baseball." Many Little Leaguers in Japan are allowed both to hit and pitch partly because pitchers need to rest their arms Kobayashi says Ohtani's efforts to continue his dual role Ohtani wanted to go play in the U.S. straight out of high school, but he consented to remain in Japan to play for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters on the condition that he be allowed to both hit and pitch Kobayashi says Ohtani succeeded in playing on his own terms "Because of the Japanese mentality," he says "they wanted to believe that the double sword style was impossible Maybe they didn't want someone as extraordinary as Ohtani to emerge." In another example of how Ohtani's exceptional skills have allowed him to bend or even rewrite the rules of the game, Major League Baseball made it a rule last year that a pitcher can still bat as designated hitter, even after being relieved on the mound. It's called the "Ohtani rule." Mizusawa Pirates warm up during a weekend practice are concerned about the changes Ohtani has undergone since playing in the U.S. "It's up to the kids, but really, it's impossible," Asari says of the two swords style. "Even in America, only Babe Ruth could do it argues that Ohtani has turned away from the Japanese style of baseball — which emphasizes controlling timing and distance — and adopted the American style Ohtani has admitted feeling some fatigue this season, but he leads the Major Leagues in home runs and is among the top five pitchers when it comes to strikeouts "He made it big all due to his own efforts We had nothing to do with it," Asari says modestly of Ohtani's success in the U.S Chie Kobayashi contributed to this report in Mizusawa and Tokyo Become an NPR sponsor Thank you for completing the form, here is your download: "+jQuery("body").attr("docName")+" Thank you for completing the form, here is the link to your on-demand webinar: On-Demand Webinar Link By Mia Anzalone The Honolulu Star-Advertiser HONOLULU — After suffering cardiac arrest on April 10 95-year-old Alan Kagawa reunited Tuesday with the four paramedics who saved his life After suffering cardiac arrest on April 10 which was part of National Emergency Medical Services Week “It’s wonderful to reunite people that we are able to help director of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department “It’s the fuel that makes everyone want to come back to work every day in a job that’s very stressful and difficult.” EMS District Chief Kenneth Faria said that in his 20 years of working at EMS this is only his second reunion with a patient who has survived a cardiac arrest but to see (Kagawa) with his family today makes the job worth it [RELATED: Extraordinary bonds forged in moments of crisis] Kagawa drove himself to 8 Fat Fat 8 Bar &Grille and was playing pool when he collapsed and stopped breathing an EMS unit arrived at the scene and attended to Kagawa until he began to show signs of life " American Medical Response paramedic intern Summer Artaud said to Kagawa Though Kagawa said he has no memory of April 10 he said he feels lucky that it happened that day as the available paramedics responded so quickly Ireland said that Kagawa’s story shows the importance of calling 911 early Kagawa recovered at The Queen’s Medical Center and was discharged on April 13 Kathy Mizusawa and Kagawa drove straight to a family reunion at Maple Garden restaurant where Kagawa saw family from Kauai and Oahu so it was really nice—it was like a welcome home.” Kathy Mizusawa also thanked the paramedics at the reunion for saving her father who she described as a “feisty old man " and a “bundle of energy.” Paramedic Eugene Hata keyama said that it is a privilege to serve the public at such times of dire need “It’s amazing to see him make such a recovery This hasn’t deterred Kagawa from continuing to play pool He said he has played the game since he was 18 years old Kagawa continues to practice pool twice a week and golf once a week he played pool Monday at Kobayashi Billiards the first place she went to was the pool room Kara Mizusawa said the driving forces behind Kagawa’s recovery are the goals of turning 100 years old and traveling to Las Vegas again “He always bounces back—he has an incredible zest for life This year’s theme for EMS Week is “Where Emergency Care Begins Hawaii’s regional director of American Medical Response EMS Week is an opportunity to recognize the essential work that caregivers and EMS do for the community Ireland said that being able to see the families and relationships of the people they help is part of the passion of the job and the backbone of EMS “They do their job so that others may live (c)2023 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser Visit The Honolulu Star-Advertiser at www.staradvertiser.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Copyright ©2023 Lexipol. All rights reserved.Do Not Sell My Personal Information By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy BYBORRE has reworked DESCENTE ALLTERRAIN‘s high-spec Mizusawa Down Mountaineer Jacket with its innovative BYBORRE INSIDE knit for Fall/Winter 2019 The technological fabrication uses BYBORRE’s signature On-Pattern 3D knit which creates space inbetween the jacket liner and the underneath layer heat is trapped where needed while airflow is optimized in targeted areas around the jacket The duo has also incorporated Meryl nylon yarns which gives the liner fabric unparalleled levels of breathability as well as an outer shell made from Dermizax FlexileMatte 4 way Stretch University of Oregon women’s basketball student-athletes Corrie Mizusawa and Carolyn Ganes received Pac-10 Conference All-Academic honors Wednesday She holds a 3.78 grade-point average in education notched her second consecutive honorable-mention selection She is an exercise and movement science major the conference’s assists leader with 180 is the 10th Oregon women’s basketball player to make the first team and first since Natasha O’Brien in 1999 To be eligible for selection to the academic team a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.0 overall GPA and be either a starter or significant contributor PAC-10 ALL-ACADEMIC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAMS First TeamJen Albert (AP) -- A fifth Republican is now running in the June primary for a chance to challenge Democratic Sen News outlets reported Tuesday that Bert Mizusawa has entered the Republican primary and is expected to plan an announcement this week Army Reserve and foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign “And an ability to actually go forth and have an honest shot at being a challenge to Tim Kaine.” Mizusawa will run against Prince William Board of County Supervisors chairman Corey Stewart and businessman and military veteran Ivan Raiklin He graduated first in his class at the U.S August 31, 2020 | Science Radio astronomers have detected jets of hot gas blasted out by a black hole in the galaxy at the heart of the Phoenix Galaxy Cluster located 5.9 billion light-years away in the constellation Phoenix This is an important result for understanding the coevolution of galaxies Galaxies are not distributed randomly in space galaxies gather together to form collections known as clusters The space between galaxies is not entirely empty There is very dilute gas throughout a cluster which can be detected by X-ray observations it would condense under its own gravity to form stars at the center of the cluster cooled gas and stars are not usually observed in the hearts of nearby clusters indicating that some mechanism must be heating the intra-cluster gas and preventing star formation One potential candidate for the heat source is jets of high-speed gas accelerated by a super-massive black hole in the central galaxy The Phoenix Cluster is unusual in that it does show signs of dense cooled gas and massive star formation around the central galaxy “does the central galaxy have black hole jets as well?” A team led by Takaya Akahori at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan used the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) to search for black hole jets in the Phoenix Galaxy Cluster with the highest resolution to date They detected matching structures extending out from opposite sides of the central galaxy Comparing with observations of the region taken from the Chandra X-ray Observatory archive data shows that the structures detected by ATCA correspond to cavities of less dense gas indicating that they are a pair of bipolar jets emitted by a black hole in the galaxy in which intra-cluster gas cooling and black hole jets coexist Further details of the galaxy and jets could be elucidated through higher-resolution observations with next generation observational facilities such as the Square Kilometre Array scheduled to start observations in the late 2020s These results appeared as T. Akahori et al. “Discovery of radio jets in the Phoenix galaxy cluster center” in the August 2020 issue of Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan Next: Misaligned Planet-Forming Rings around Triple Young Stars Previous: Rare encounters between cosmic heavyweights November 26, 2020 | Science Earth just got 7 km/s faster and about 2000 light-years closer to the supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy this doesn’t mean that our planet is plunging towards the black hole Instead the changes are results of a better model of the Milky Way Galaxy based on new observation data including a catalog of objects observed over the course of more than 15 years by the Japanese radio astronomy project VERA VERA (VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry by the way “VLBI” stands for Very Long Baseline Interferometry) started in 2000 to map three-dimensional velocity and spatial structures in the Milky Way VERA uses a technique known as interferometry to combine data from radio telescopes scattered across the Japanese archipelago in order to achieve the same resolution as a 2300 km diameter telescope would have Measurement accuracy achieved with this resolution is sharp enough in theory to resolve a United States penny placed on the surface of the Moon Because Earth is located inside the Milky Way Galaxy we can’t step back and see what the Galaxy looks like from the outside accurate measurement of the positions and motions of objects is a vital tool to understand the overall structure of the Galaxy and our place in it the First VERA Astrometry Catalog was published containing data for 99 objects Based on the VERA Astrometry Catalog and recent observations by other groups astronomers constructed a position and velocity map From this map they calculated the center of the Galaxy The map suggests that the center of the Galaxy and the supermassive black hole which resides there This is closer than the official value of 27700 light-years adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1985 The velocity component of the map indicates that Earth is travelling at 227 km/s as it orbits around the Galactic Center This is faster than the official value of 220 km/s particularly ones close to the central supermassive black hole to better characterizes the structure and motion of the Galaxy As part of these efforts VERA will participate in EAVN (East Asian VLBI Network) comprised of radio telescope located in Japan By increasing the number of telescopes and the maximum separation between telescopes “The First VERA Astrometry Catalog” by VERA collaboration et al appeared in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan in August 2020 This article is including a link to a article for kids The Universe Awareness website provides children through the world with fun easy to understand news and educational materials about the Universe These help kids understand the size and beauty of the Universe The “Space Scoop” section of Universe Awareness contains articles written for kids explaining current astronomy news A Space Scoop is available for this article Next: The Subaru Telescope Hails Return of Hayabusa2 Previous: Galaxies in the Infant Universe were Surprisingly Mature After creating a detailed kettle of the Gundam ZAKU, another anime-themed Nanbu Tekki iron kettle surfaces This new kettle features Evangelion‘s Eva Unit-01 across the heavy-duty kettle with three-dimensional text and an image that is incorporated into the lid this 400 ml cast-iron kettle is produced by Mizusawa Foundry while the art form of Nanbu Tekki itself dates back to 1088 Return to Picture of the Week Home Previous: A Telescope for Theoretical Astronomy: Supercomputer “Aterui” Descente ALLTERRAIN turns 10 this year, and in celebration of its decade of outerwear, the Japanese label has produced a knock-out Fall/Winter 2022 collection centered around the silhouettes and technologies that have shaped the brand’s identity Signatures such as the Mizusawa Down Jacket appear in a new “Burnt Orange” colorway injecting a pop of fun into the otherwise strictly-business garment Known for its waterproof qualities that come as a result of seam taping and the brand’s proprietary Parahood system that keeps the elements from gathering inside the jacket’s hood and shell we now find it standing out among Descente ALLTERRAIN’s more subdued offerings Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump campaigns in Wisconsin Print As his campaign navigates a tough stretch Donald Trump has adopted some of the trappings of a more traditional presidential candidate: meeting with Republican Party officials even announcing a cadre of foreign policy advisors rather than the go-it-alone approach he had favored when it came to issues abroad even these straightforward political acts are not without controversy The advisors he has enlisted appear to have spent little to no time as policymakers and of those who have served in the military One has been consistently condemned by Muslim rights groups and another was investigated while working as the Pentagon’s inspector general saying Monday at a campaign rally that most so-called experts have done more harm than good “The experts are terrible,” he said in La Crosse “Look at the mess we’re in with all these experts that we have If our presidents and our politicians went on vacation for 365 days a year and went to the beach we’d be in much better shape right now in the Middle East.” So who are some of the people Trump is listening to instead Kellogg served for nearly three decades in the Army until his retirement in 2003 which primarily provides computer software to government agencies he was an executive vice president at CACI International a Virginia-based intelligence consulting firm that was embroiled in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal prior to his arrival there Kellogg had little to do with the company’s cleanup as he was primarily focused on research and tech systems A lawsuit brought by prisoners against the firm was eventually dismissed See the most-read stories this hour >> to slaveholders and citing the Kanye West track “New Slaves.” In the song West notes that after consistent mistreatment slaves were bound to eventually “wild out,” and Page wrote that other countries would similarly go rogue should the U.S Papadopoulos served as a policy and economic advisor to Ben Carson who notably struggled with domestic and foreign policy issues during his failed presidential run Before that Papadopoulos was a consultant at a London-based oil and gas company He’s a director at the London Centre of International Law Practice the group views global issues with a “promotion of peace,” which falls into accord with Trump’s noninterventionist approach He graduated from DePaul University in 2009 who served as a foreign policy aide to Mitt Romney in 2012 is perhaps the most controversial of Trump’s advisors He was the subject of a 2011 Mother Jones story that said he has ties to a right-wing Lebanese militia accused of committing war crimes against Muslims during that country’s bloody 15-year civil war Phares did not respond to requests for comment about the story Officials at the Council on American-Islamic Relations have condemned Phares – like Trump – for his comments about Muslims Phares is a professor at the National Defense University in Washington He’s also a regular on Fox News and tried to tamp down Trump’s calls to reinstate the torture of terrorism suspects after last month’s bombings in Brussels but when he will come to the White House … then he’s going be tasking experts to answer that question and I’m not sure that the experts are going to recommend any form of torture,” Phares said on NPR Join the conversation on Facebook >> Schmitz had a rocky tenure as the Pentagon’s inspector general from 2002 until 2005 during the runup to and early years of the Iraq war Schmitz is alleged to have “slowed or blocked investigations of senior Bush administration officials spent taxpayer money on pet projects and accepted gifts that may have violated ethics guidelines,” according to a Los Angeles Times investigation in 2005 Schmitz resigned and took a position with the parent company of notorious defense contractor Blackwater Harrell oversaw combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of his three decades in the Army and retired in 2008 as deputy commanding general for the Army Special Operations Command Kubic served for nearly 30 years in the Navy including helping rebuild schools and hospitals in Iraq as commander of the Naval Construction Division “I’ve been up here since the early days of the war every week the country returns to normal,” he told CNN in 2004 as he praised the U.S a comment that predated the bloodiest years of sectarian violence in Iraq during the war and the consistent failure of the U.S government on diplomatic facilities in Kabul Mizusawa has the most decorated military career of Trump’s advisors He ferried a Soviet defector to safe ground while under fire from 30 attacking North Korean soldiers “He personally led the defector to safety while under fire and deliberately exposed himself to the enemy in front of his own troops,” the Pentagon said he ran in a GOP primary for a congressional seat in Virginia Follow @kurtisalee for political news Ted Cruz is working multiple angles to take down Donald Trump Smoke-filled room, meet Silicon Valley: Techies see opportunity at GOP convention On campuses across the country, students are standing up for Donald Trump California Hollywood Inc. World & Nation Business Politics Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Mizusawa launched her Hinakosan no Wakeari na Hibi manga (pictured right) in Ane Kei Petit Comic magazine in 2014 Shogakukan published the manga's seventh and final volume in August 2019 By Craig T. Kojima Hawaii Photos British heritage outerwear label Gloverall has partnered with Descente ALLTERRAIN for a reimagining of the classic Monty duffle coat The design of Gloverall’s signature style remains the same with its Japanese partner bringing technical expertise and its Mizusawa Down to the design Mizusawa Down is crafted in Descente’s factory in Japan and is bonded using thermocompression techniques rather than sewing This technique helps prevent water entry and feather loss while making the jacket more efficient at heat retention Descente has also used a “heat navi” system to convert sunlight into stored heat and a dual zipper ventilation zipper while shoulder harnesses mean that the coat can be worn as a backpack In late 2022, Chika Mizusawa — best known under the moniker Genkakulemon — served up a feast fit for a twisted Alice in Wonderland banquet On the menu: a bright blue embroidered fish bleeding yellow blood and flowers onto a ceramic white plate a vermillion rose with a steak at its center and a vibrant red lobster growing a bouquet across its lower abdomen Mizusawa’s curious creations struck a chord online drawing thousands of followers to her Instagram She has since branched out into making heart brooches — the organ kind — that bloom with stumpworked flowers TW sat down with Mizusawa to have a chat about all things twisted and artistic but I have been in Tokyo since I was 18 to attend art school and I’ve kept a sketchbook with me from a very young age I’d always be drawing and creating things with my hands I was in sewing club during elementary school and would often play around with clay I had written “Genkakulemon” in my sketchbook so when I decided to start an art group with two friends but I kept the name because I liked the sound of it There is a French film I love called L’Amant where the lead character has a free and innocent side but also an air of mystery This mixture of light and dark provides inspiration for all my works The rose piece was the very first thing I wanted to make “bara” means rose but is also a cut of meat so I always had that at the back of my mind as an idea There is also the association of “bara” murders — where the body is dismembered — making it “bara From there, I thought it would be good to do a feast of daydreamed food. I originally thought I’d sew flowers growing out of a Coelacanth, but the image of flowers bleeding out grew on me. When I posted it on Instagram I never expected it to have the reaction it did I thought I’d been hacked and started Googling ways to check When I was younger, I read a lot of books. I was always reading. I read a lot of Shuji Terayama I’m a great admirer of Japanese painter Kuniyoshi Kaneko Find Genkakulemon on Instagram By Nelson Daranciang Convicted child killer Matthew Higa spoke publicly for the first time yesterday about the death of 23-month-old Cyrus Belt maintaining he did not throw the toddler off a freeway pedestrian overpass bridge "I didn’t throw the baby over the bridge," Higa said at yesterday’s hearing to help the Hawaii Paroling Authority decide whether Higa should remain in prison for more than 15 years before he can ask for parole The hearing was held at Halawa Correctional Facility A state judge found Higa guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced him to life in prison with the opportunity for parole after 15 years Honolulu Prosecutor Peter Carlisle asked the parole board to require Higa to spend 200 years behind bars He did it because he was high on crystal methamphetamine," Carlisle said A 200-year minimum guarantees that even if Higa asks for and gets a reduction in his prison term after completing a third of it The parole board will send Higa a letter informing him of its decision in two to three weeks Higa said he had smoked methamphetamine nine to 10 hours before the fatal plunge semiconscious to what was going on," Higa said He said a lady gave him a bag on the overpass and told him to throw it He said he realized there was a child inside the bag only after police arrested and questioned him A witness said he saw Higa throw Belt off the overpass "I’m sad (about) what happened to the baby," Higa said that Belt was probably dead before he was thrown from the overpass He said the state failed to take a hard look at Shane Mizusawa who at the time was the boyfriend of Belt’s mother A Honolulu police officer had seen Mizusawa with Belt 15 minutes before the toddler went off the overpass Oyama said if Mizusawa had harmed Belt and did not want to get in trouble "the easiest way to get away would be to put (the toddler) in a bag and give it to the mental boy who’s not in his right mind." Higa said the lady who gave him the bag is a friend of Mizusawa’s said Higa had a bad drug problem and was experiencing a psychotic episode on the day Belt died He said Higa has no prior criminal history and has never shown a propensity for violence or disregard for human life The "Mizusawa Down" is the face of DESCENTE ALLTERRAIN Many athletes and outdoorsmen have been,Ichiro Yamaguchi of "Sakanaction."This down has been captivating even big names such as The new model named "DESCENTE MIZUSAWA DOWN JACKET "ALPINE"" is the crystallization of the technology that DESCENTE has cultivated so far it is set to be adopted as national team wear in Switzerland we will see "Mizusawa Down Alpine" in many competitions What the evolved "Alpine" achieves is unparalleled mobility and efficient air circulation within the garment New materials and mechanisms have been developed for this purpose This is a new material that is like human skin with different levels of elasticity in different parts of the fabric despite being a single piece of fabric with no seams This is fused with our unique pattern design technology which uses 3D meticulous measurements to form a body-hugging shape that reduces wearing stress and supports improved performance the other "Insulator System (3D Insulator System)" is a special tube structure with down and a ventilation system placed in the front and back This "breathing" down fabric is designed to meet the needs of athletes who engage in strenuous exercise in climates that vary from one expedition to the next and from season to season Exhaust vents on the upper back of the jacket work in conjunction with the zippers on the sides This adds breathability and air permeability The product will go on sale in Japan on Monday Reservations are already being accepted online You must experience firsthand a living down jacket that snuggles snugly to your body Ichiro Yamaguchi of the band "Sakanaction" captivates fans with his unique and overwhelming world view he is also known as an avid fisherman and often demonstrates his skills on TV Yamaguchi's favorite winter jacket is the "Mizusawa Down," one of DESCENTE ALLTERRAIN's flagship products he makes sure to stop by the DESCENTE Blanc store in Daikanyama to check out the newest additions to the lineup now he is releasing a special-order model of his project "NF" Yamaguchi and "Sakanaction" stylist Shinichi Mita is based on the high-spec model "Mountaineer While retaining traditional features such as "dual ventilation" on the front zipper and "Heat Navi," a heat-retaining material that converts light into heat the inside has a detachable shoulder harness so that the jacket can be carried on the back when not in use NF MOUNTAINEER ULTRA SUEDE "Lake" ¥187,000 In addition to the "DERMIZAX®︎ MICRO STRETCH" used for the regular model the lineup includes the "Toray" ultra-suede that Mr Both "Lake Size" and "River Size" based on the "Mountaineer" L size are available Lake Size" is an oversized design with a wider body width and the "NF" logo is casually decorated on the left collar and right sleeve NF MOUNTAINEER DERMIZAX®︎ MICRO STRETCH "River" ¥132,000 Applications for this special model are being accepted at the official online store of "sakanaction" until November 14 (Sun.) by lottery Please note that only "NF members" of "sakanaction" can apply you can try on all four types of products at "Descente Blanc Daikanyama" and seamless pouches with "NF" specifications will also be available and the products will be shipped in early to mid December The seamless pouches will be available on the official "Sakanaction" website after the down jackets Although the price is high for the "Mizusawa Down," it is a must-have for fans of "Sakanaction We recommend those who are interested to visit "Descente Blanc Daikanyama" at first Source: Sankei Sports, Sports Hochi <Dialog description or question goes here> This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. By continuing, you are agreeing to the use of cookies on your device as described in our privacy policy Beware of fake email, SMS and WhatsApp messages: check before clicking. Read more Wakatipu High School’s student-directed production of ELL faculty member Dr Ken Mizusawa’s one-act play That Time secured top honours at the National Theatrefest 2023 in New Zealand including the coveted prize for Best Overall Production The school bested 33 school and youth theatre groups as well as 16 adult community theatre groups in this annual competition At the national finals held in the city of Christchurch they won a total of five prizes:Best Overall Production That Time. That Place., is published in the play collection, The Boy Who Caused 9/11 and Other Plays (2013) by Dr Ken Mizusawa and was licensed for three school productions in 2023 alone.    Links to articles about Wakatipu High School’s achievements: Student Intranet Visiting NTU Careers A-Z Directory Contact Us Whistleblowing The fans of Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki are expecting episode 5 to show a bit of romance. The reason behind this was because the fourth episode ended up on Tomozaki asking Hinami to watch a movie together She accepted his invitation which is why the fans were eagerfor it the latest episode started on Tomozaki narrating what happened on their date It seems that after seeing the movie together they went to a cafe but nothing romantic happened Hinami is just lecturing Tomozaki based on his experience that day so that he knew what to do when he goes on a real date It just ended up like a normal day for them like what they are doing in the school’s old building But since Tomozaki has been working hard since episode 1 until now you can say that there’s a huge character development in him he started to have friends and interact with them normally With what happened on episode 4 between Tomozaki and Nakamura He said that he is on Tomozaki’s side because of what he said Mizusawa also mentioned that he’s not the only one He invited Tomozaki on a foursome date and told him to invite another girl besides Hinami Tomozaki decided to invite Izumi so that they can help her buy a present to Nakamura since his birthday is approaching Izumi accepted his invitation and told him that he is her friend he is slowly realizing that he has improved a lot They bought presents for Nakamura’s birthday Tomozaki learned a few things and decided that he’s going to keep up in the game called life it seems that his emotions are also developing since Izumi told him that there is a rumor that Mizusawa and Hinami are going out He ends up thinking about it until they got home We can find out the answer on the future episodes Each episode of Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki showed decent character development, and episode 5 was no exception. You can watch the show on Funimation, and also vote for it as the best on our weekly poll.The synopsis of the story:Expert gamer Tomozaki Fumiya doesn’t exactly fit in With no written rules for success and gameplay that doesn’t work in his favor the real world seems impossible for someone like him all he really needs are some strategies and a seasoned player like Aoi Hinami to help him Tomozaki will gain the experience he needs All images via Funimation©屋久ユウキ・小学館／「弱キャラ友崎くん」製作委員会 Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki Episode 10 is out. In the last episode Hinami invited Tomozaki first on a Barbeque night Their priority on the camp was to bring Izumi and Nakamura closer to each other  Since Tomozaki and Minami’s house were close they rode the train at the same time to get to their meeting point Minami gathers her courage to thank Tomozaki for everything he did for her especially on the Student Council Elections Then, when they are all together, Hinami told Tomozaki that he must mess with Nakamura three times on that day, and it will serve as his daily task. That said, it seems that it is not the only thing on Hinami’s mind.Hinami Decided to Pair Up With TomozakiImage of Tomozaki and Hinami working on igniting of charcoalsThe first plan is to make Nakamura and Izumi prepare the ingredients for their lunch and one of their friends named Takei took charge of setting up the tables Hinami decided to pair up with Tomozaki to ignite the charcoals Tomozaki thought that the reason why Hinami decided to pair up with him was because she wants to give him instructions Hinami told him that the only reason why she paired with him was because she does not trust Tomozaki on doing chores.She also told Tomozaki that she can put a rest on her lively acting when she was with him It seems that Hinami really trusts Tomozaki that she even shows her true colors when she was around him they went to their respective rooms for their own boys and girls talk and Takei went to the girls’ room to play a card game called Tycoon and the only winning players are Tomozaki and Hinami.Tomozaki won 4 times while Hinami won 5 times It seems that they are competing even in this game Mizusawa noticed that something is going on with Tomozaki and Hinami because the two of them are taking the game seriously He said that it is only a game and there’s nothing to be serious about It looks like Hinami and Tomozaki are starting to form a good chemistry between them unconsciously.Hinami Suddenly Became Clingy on TomozakiImage of Hinami acting scared around TomozakiThe last part of the plan is to setup Nakamura and Izumi for a test of courage and Mizusawa played Janken to know who their patch will be Tomozaki and Hinami ended up as a pair in the end The other group left the two of them on their starting point Hinami then told Tomozaki that it’s a chance for him to do a special training on how to handle girls Hinami suddenly became clingy with Tomozaki Tomozaki figured out that Hinami was only teasing him Tomozaki saw a Cicada on their way while walking and purposely tried to step on it to scare Hinami She fell on the ground and Tomozaki helped her get up but she suddenly put her arms around Tomozaki like she was about to kiss him It appears that on Bottom-tier Tomozaki Episode 10, Hinami is starting to make a move on Tomozaki. Will she continue, or this is yet another tease? What is her real motive?Every episode of Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki displays the Character Development of Tomozaki Fumiya from episode 1 to episode 10. The show can be watched on Funimation. You can also vote for it on our weekly poll Expert gamer Tomozaki Fumiya doesn’t exactly fit in the real world seems impossible for someone like him.But Screenshots via Funimation©屋久ユウキ・小学館／「弱キャラ友崎くん」製作委員会 Today's print edition Home Delivery I've traveled 500 kilometers north of Tokyo to shake a metallic replica of Shohei Ohtani's pitching hand It's next to the information desk at Oshu's City Hall flanked by panels covered in newspaper clippings of his recent success in Major League Baseball (MLB) looping a video celebrating the process of creating the statue There's no footage of Ohtani's on-field endeavours but plenty of him sitting in a chair as his fingers are scanned meticulously by a laser.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); This shiny re-creation is one of the city's most prominent tributes to Oshu's biggest star and you'll notice smaller tributes to Ohtani the best two-way player in professional baseball in about a century 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 Here it is: The long-awaited confrontation between Tomozaki and Hinami the two of them have never fully seen eye-to-eye The seeds of the conflict in this episode were laid way back in episode 4 when Tomozaki first decided to come clean with Kikuchi about the misunderstanding between them Tomozaki wants to improve his social skills but he also wants to remain truthful to himself to the very end something which Hinami thinks of a sign of weakness People who aren't committed to changing themselves all the way are just making excuses for themselves when they say they're happy with something "genuine," she argues Hinami really stands out this episode as an unusual character among romcom heroines The genre is filled with seemingly "perfect girls" who put in a lot of hard work to maintain their image behind the scenes but Hinami stands out in the utterly ruthless and cold-minded way she has approached that The moment when Mizusawa pours out his heart to her and she replies in what seems like a frank and empathic way was utterly chilling Tomozaki knows – and the audience knows – that it wasn't the real her She simply swapped out her normal mask for a different one that made her seem like she was letting her guard down her façade does not flicker for even a single moment I wouldn't blame you at all if you watched that and thought Mizusawa ended up playing a pivotal role in galvanizing Tomozaki to action We've consistently seen hints that he admires Tomozaki for his honesty but as it turns out there's an underlying reason for that He envies Tomozaki because he doesn't think that he's capable of taking off the mask that he instinctually wears around other people he told Tomozaki about his ambivalence about the girl he's currently seeing to which Tomozaki replied something along the lines of "I don't think you should date a girl if you don't truly like her." Looking back that was a significant moment for Mizusawa because in this episode he finally decides to just tell Hinami everything he feels he doesn't just reveal his romantic feelings for her but also his uneasiness with the person he currently is Tomozaki is impressed with Mizusawa's resolve and that was probably why Hinami's stone-faced reaction gutted him despite his own budding feelings for her her actions revealed that Hinami's calculated approach to social interactions doesn't necessarily impress her She preferred talking to Tomozaki when he's bumbling and honest even if he didn't realize that at the time Now that he's aware that other people can see through Hinami's dishonesty Tomozaki confirms Kikuchi's feelings when he goes out to the fireworks display with her and uses none of the techniques Hinami taught him It's a heartbreakingly cute moment seeing Kikuchi dress up in a yukata; the atmosphere is so romantic that it seems almost inevitable for Tomozaki to get swept up in it and ask her to be his girlfriend he asks instead whether she thinks he's been easy to talk to that day The answer he receives is what ultimately inspires him to confront Hinami for himself cutting to the core of what the characters are really thinking If the anime had opened with the characters talking like this but here it's cathartic because they're finally verbalizing what has been evident in their actions all along If only the animation and storyboarding was more up to snuff like when Hinami turns her back to Tomozaki But if only this series had more ambitious visual direction in general – it could have truly elevated this series to stand among the high school anime greats このサイトを利用するには、コンテンツブロック機能（広告ブロック機能を持つ拡張機能等）を無効にしてページを再読み込みしてください。 In a winter outwear market dominated by Canada Goose Japanese sportswear company Descente has achieved considerable success with its Mizusawa Down line of down jackets The low-end models cost just over 80,000 yen or about $680 and the more expensive selections come in between 12,000 and 13,000 yen or about $1,000 and $1,100 placing them on the higher end of the price spectrum in the sports outwear market Even with the increasing number of stores selling their products the total volume of Mizusawa Down products carried by clothing shops has tripled compared with 2014 figures At the company's direct-sales store near Harajuku Station in Tokyo total Descente sales numbers for the October–December 2015 period are increasing annually with Mizusawa Down accounting for half of the overall sales The popularity of this brand's products has deep ties with the original development goals—Mizusawa Down jackets were first designed for use by competitors in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics the Descente brand director in charge of product design explains "I wanted to create a versatile coat that could be used in the rain and other types of weather" in order to differentiate the brand from competitors Yamada revised the quilted stitching patterns often seen in down jackets Standard jacket materials let water in through the seams so Yamada came up with a new approach that achieves an unquilted outer layer His approach also resulted in an additional unexpected advantage—through improved waterproofing Yamada also increased the airtightness of the jacket design enabling him to achieve sufficient body-heat insulation using smaller amounts of down material This made it possible to produce a lighter weight jacket that offers a slimmer appearance His unquilted design also eliminated the problem of down material leaking from the seams Descente has its own production facility tailored specifically to the manufacturing of down products—the Mizusawa Factory in Iwate Prefecture a facility that has produced skiwear for many years and also serves as the origin of the Mizusawa Down brand name Each product is handmade by experienced craftspeople with down material measured out by the gram and manually stuffed into the coats The brand's original down jacket took one and one-half years to develop and was released on the market in 2008 for roughly 70,000 yen or $600 This was about 3.5 times the average price of other Descente products but it still won popularity thanks to its outstanding heat-insulating properties and design Only several hundred jackets were produced with the original model; seven years later that figure is twenty to thirty times higher In light of the excellent consumer response to the Mizusawa Down brand the company opened branches of their direct-sales brand store Descente Blanc in Osaka a move that marked a new approach to selling Descente products The company had two reasons for opening these stores: the first was to create more venues for marketing the unique advantages of its products directly to customers who supervises all direct-sales stores in Japan says "a wholesaling approach makes it difficult to convey information to customers We need to create points of direct contact with customers so they can understand why our products are so popular." the company has focused on stationing permanent Descente sales staff at department store sales areas These venues currently account for 30% of overall sales and the company plans to increase this to 50% by 2020 The second reason for opening these Descente Blanc stores can be found in the harsh reality of declining growth in the overall skiwear and competitive sportswear market—the area in which Descente specializes In addition to diminishing numbers of competitive athletes sporting goods retailers are increasingly focusing their sales efforts on private-label products individual sporting goods shops are dwindling in number and the number of sporting goods shop is decreasing "It's impossible to maintain current sales figures unless we establish direct-sales shops in shopping centers and other commercial facilities and it's also necessary to find sales channels outside of the sports-product realm By developing strategies that focus on offering new lifestyles to customers it's possible to get them into our shops." The company's new focus on attracting shoppers not included in their traditional target-customer segments can be seen in the ways in which their stores are being set up and operated The Descente Blanc stores were designed by architect Jo Nagasaka who has handled designs for Blue Bottle Coffee and other prominent brands and colorful down jackets are hung from above and can be brought down for viewing with the push of a button this store design makes it easy for customers to view the products manager of the Descente Blanc Daikanyama Shop in Tokyo tells us "people who have grown tired of standard down jackets come to our shop and tell us they are really impressed." as she wowed his “teammates” with her focus and breath control and he turned all his good-boy skills towards writing the best punishment essay ever.  There were some fascinating elements here by a 4-1 score (no word on who their one winner was though it seems likely to have been Amakasu-kun).  Even Sudou’s eyes have been on the other match where the white-hot tension that was so palpable last week carries over to this episode when Chihayafuru spends extended stretches of time focused on Karuta match play the series is far better off when the camera focuses somewhere besides Chihaya from time to time.  As dramatic as her matches are (and Megumu’s match was no exception) there are five of them out there it’s not realistic to have every team match always come down to Chihaya’s individual one.  Thankfully as the two aces continued their duel to the death we did get our focus elsewhere at least a little.  Nishida lost quickly and Taichi followed up with his own win soon after.  Interestingly for all that self-doubt seems to be dragging him down this season Taichi has been Mizusawa’s best and most consistent player – as far as we’ve seen I don’t believe he’s lost a match either at the Tokyo qualifiers or the Nationals at Omi Jingu and it comes as she’s built a tiny lead in the endgame.  It seems obvious that with Megumu it’s all about motivation.  She has tremendous talent but unless there’s something urging her forward she plays down to the level of the competition.  Having her pride wounded both by her teammate’s usurpation of the leadership role and by Chihaya attacking her comfort zone Megumu showed why she was the West Representative – and why Chihaya and he wins it in style by throwing caution to the wind after all the dead cards are read (I suspect only he and Taichi knew that was the case) and attacking his opponent’s card rather than protecting his own and hoping.  Why?  Because his observations tell him that a “The” card comes up slightly more than half the time in a luck of the draw situation.  Hand it to Tsutomu for being fearless and believing in his methods – in truth it’s really an issue of small sample size because in reality a 50-50 is a 50-50 and there’s nothing more to his success than guessing right and getting lucky and seemingly capable of pulling off the seemingly impossible – but both the empirical evidence and dramatic precedent seem to indicate that Fujisaki should carry the day This episode I think confirmed for me that this tournament will in all likelihood be what we watch for the remainder of the season We still have the match with Fujisaki (2 episodes) a quick break in which Arata will meet with the gang (1 episode) and if Chihaya is to go further than last year and face either him or Shinobu then another (3-4) episodes plus any other big matches involving the rest of Misazawa Shinobu and vanquished foes from the team battles No way we'll get the Meijin/Queen in now so here's for season 3 I appreciate how you discussed in the match and it's implications in detail that wasn't the highlight for me in this episode We all speculated that it would be up to Tsutomu to win the team match and how Kana will end up winning as well There was no surprise there but it's great how these two are shaping to become a good pillar for the team What I really wanted to talk about were the gestures that went unnoticed I love the scene wherein Taichi unfolds Chihaya's clenched fists One of things that conveyed was how Chihaya does not have to torment herself for her lost because he's also like that with himself It also showed how much he cares about her since he's always watching out for her I love Taichi as a character but as a potential love pair I always believed Arata had the upper hand It's in those moments where he only focuses on Chihaya where he shines It's nice to see jealously in his face for once this season this is just my speculation I also believe Mizusawa will definitely lose the match against Fujisaki They crushed Hokuo so easily that everyone else decided to watch the match between First Akaishi Girls vs Mizusawa instead Even spectators were amazed with the progress of a no-name school has achieved I think Fujisaki will become their next goal as a team they'll get even stronger so that one day This year for Mizusawa is meant more for recognition of skills there's a good team in Tokyo just waiting to be known As for Tsukuba replacing Kana in the final match it's great how this time it isn't driven by selfish desires to play but because he was genuinely worried about Kana's condition he'll lose but I'm hoping he got something out of the match against Akaishi What I would love to see in him is he doesn't give up and throw away the match like he always does It's disrespecting not only his opponent but also his team but it's been awhile since I commented some like this for Chihayafuru 😛 aww taichi (the moment was so beautifully animated I still would complain about how nishida doesn't seem determined enough or strong for an A-class player to me it's always seemed pretty obvious that in terms of ability I think that's part of the problem – Taichi knows he's better than many Class A players out there He continually wins his matches in team play Yet he's never been able to get over the hump So knowing he's better does him more harm than good and the longer he goes without moving up the more pressure he puts on himself because of it did you consider that Taichi has a chance to move up during the individual tournaments Although I think even when Taichi movies up to Class A his struggles will not be over After he moves up to Class A he will want to match up with the stronger Class A players I honestly think Arata vs Taichi will be the east and west Meijin match towards the end of the series @Kim does the National Tournament count as a tournament win when its only for highschoolers while the other tournaments are free for all I might be misremembering but I was pretty sure in the individual HS tournaments you are still divided by class and if you win your class you move up (if you are in B-D that is) but i'm not comparing taichi to nishida i just feel that nishida's mentality doesn't deserve him a top class in karuta i mean… it should be pretty hard to make it there though they never did mention approx how many players there are in class Abut well that may be a fault with the focus of chihayafuru it's not concerning how he seems to lose matches a lot I certainly know that's possible – but I don't think it contradicts anything I've said @Enzo And I wasn't contradicting anything you said either I know you were worried about Taichi's role this season based on previous posts and since you brought up his path to Class in this post I just thought I would mention that possibility @Kim well in that case I guess that Taichi might move up this year If the scene with Harada-sensei last season was the highlight of Taichi's growth then I think a tournament like this will be his one chance to rise just because its the first major individual event since that proclamation The possibility of Taichi going up to class A in this latter half would be a great moment for this season The final match coming down to Komano was just perfect to me I think Chihayafuru really does a great job balancing all its characters Chihaya might be the strongest player on the team but she isn't the team And I think this episode highlighted that beautifully As for whether they will win the finals at first I thought no because they are 2nd years and in true story fashion it might make sense to make them win next year Of course that is bad for us anime fans because we might not get to see in animated However I've been thinking we spent so much time on this team match (it's been longer than any other) In some ways I think having them win after that will actually make sense because it adds meaning to every match we saw Well I hope I am right because I do want to see them win and I want to see it animated 'This leads to the best moment between Chihaya and Taichi all season as he clasps her hand – the one she's clenched so hard that she's digging her nails into her palm – and slowly No words pass between them and he never even looks at her – it's just another silent reminder that he knows her better than anyone and that she's never ever far from his thoughts.'That's the spirit Uncle Andre Grandier would be proud of you Taichi my boy ;) I'm glad this match at least is over – and that Kanade and Tsutomu (best girl 2nd best boy!) were the first and last seal to the team's comeback Yeeeeee 8D – It was well managed nd I really like the combo karuta matches+bgm but I'm finding myself increasingly relieved whenever any non-match scene pops up honestly The Arata and Shinobu breather was so much needed And by now she's a mistress of the horror movie shots on top of feeeeeeeeling the cards I don't know if Mizusawa will come out on top this year (and season) as a team but so far it seems to me although we've been shown they're making progress quickly it's still too soon Tsutomu's winning was the moment that moved me…it felt like the moment when Mizusawa won the Tokyo tournament in S1 Taichi's unfolding the clenched hand of Chihaya was a long-awaited surprise In such a simple gesture it said so much about Taichi and Chihaya — and of course it drew back the emotion that has left with us from S1 While I still like S1 better — it has a nice balance between the exciting Karuta matches and the emotional drama driven by its characters — S2 is still a very strong series setting high standards and playing them out consistently While I longed for the moments focusing more on the characters S2 never failed in glueing my eyes to the screen even when it's pretty much all about the matches and I am happy to see the growth in Chihaya — which was lacking in S1 I don't expect Mizusawa to win — that will be quite against the realism that the show has displayed — but perhaps the match will build up something that will make the individual matches more exciting Chances may be slim as how the series progresses but I still hope for the moment when Taichi wins his seat in Class A I guess I just crave for moments focusing on Taichi where the emotional display is the strongest I see arguments both for and against Mizusawa winning the tournament Against are all the valid points everyone has mentioned They're second years (mostly) who need that final victory in their third year before it's too late Their opponent is a team who decimated the team that beat them at the regional the for argument is that defending a title is said to be harder than winning the title in the first place The only way the Mizusawa second years can defend a title in their third year is if they win this year So I don't feel confident predicting a team winner for this year's national I love the fact that the true hero of the team finally emerge from the shadows and gave the team the win they need to reach the finals I'm still rooting for Mizusawa for a win in the finals but I don't think they will I feel like they will focus more on the individual matches especially with Taichi and Chihaya I am glad to see that Chihaya's growth isn't like a shounen hero and her growth seems realistic I was hoping to see a match between the two but I guess we will have to wait till later or maybe never I'm glad to see the imagery of Shinobu sensing strong opponents clawing their way at her because she seems way too lonely even for a player and I really hope that either Arata or Chihaya will show her the merits of team Karuta the thing about "going back the next year and we'll defeat you by then" seems to be quite moot since the frontrunners of Fujisaki are all third years unless they are keeping some great junior or freshie players to be used for the final round Fujisaki and Mizusawa will face again… it's not the same match anymore Props to Desktomu sticking with his beliefs for the gamble The part when suddenly everything rested on him to win… what dramatic tension Now when will Taichi be in the spotlight this season The parallel between Megumu's and Chihaya's feelings here is quite understandable Megumu won her own game but her team did not and she somehow did not expect herself to be too upset While Chihaya on the other hand wondered where she lacked and keeps on brooding The first one was Tsutomu's "here I come to save the day" play And with a matching nice BGM to boot and boost the mood It's great to see that even though he's Class C he's able to topple a class B player And of course as a Taichi supporter who would not love the unclenching hand scene he did not utter a word but Chihaya clearly understood what his message is… she needs to relax… Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Please consider becoming an LiA patron through one of the methods below Shohei Ohtani, a name that reverberates through the arena as one of the greatest ballplayers of modern baseball, has many big-name fans, including prominent Japanese actress Aki Mizusawa. She became Ohtani's supporter during his time with the LA Angels Misuzawa is referring to Ohtani's habit of picking up trash on the field the two-way athlete made a "Harada method chart" in high school to stay focused and reach his goals One section of the chart focused on "karma," encouraging him to always be a good person He believes that picking up trash is good luck - luck that others have thrown away ' + Math.round(optionPercentages[index]) + '% Mizusawa was also "particularly surprised to learn about the existence of a 'life planning sheet,'" because she herself is "also a planning freak." Mizusawa said that she connected with Ohtani because they are similar in that regard She also shared that she went hoarse cheering for him during his games: Mizusawa revealed in the same interview that she attended the Dodgers' "Japan Day" on July 2, during a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks A celebration of Japanese culture was held with pregame performances at Dodger Stadium She also attended the Sept. 26 game against the San Diego Padres where the Dodgers and Ohtani clinched the NL division title It was a historic season for the Boys in Blue and Shohei Ohtani who is primed to win his third career MVP award Mizusawa followed along for much of the ride Your perspective matters!Start the conversation 2024 years 12 month 22 Date 19 when 48 minutes Please note that this article contains advertisements a birthday celebration for Kamen Joshi member Kojima Yuuka was held at Akihabara PARMS Kamen Joshi 2024 has been extremely busy performing live at various events so it has been a while since they held a birthday celebration at their permanent theatre a large number of fans came to the special event of his birthday celebration Kojima Yuka performed in two outfits: an adapted version of her birthday T-shirt and a cute outfit she found on an overseas website just for the occasion She also performed in collaboration with CheGuts Members of Kamen Joshi and Meno New Year wore cute hats made from felt hydrangeas which were apparently handmade by Kojima Yuka's mother I'm sure many of you were wondering who that was made a special appearance at the concert that day Mizusawa Mai also showed up to one of Kojima Yuka's regular TikTok live shows and they hit it off so well that she decided to take part in the birthday celebration live show fans were thrilled by the dance performance of Kojima Yuka and Mizusawa Mai so I was happy to be able to perform live with all the CheGuts The All Night Festival Lover hadn't been formed yet either so I was happy to be able to perform live together I haven't done many collaborations with MenoNewYear-chan so I thought I'd get her to do one with me this time I wanted to challenge myself to do a song that I haven't done before and I thought that Surijie-chan's song was really good the song "Haru Matsu Sprout" really touched me and I thought it was a really good song so I thought maybe I'd like to do it at the birthday celebration so I recruited some members and performed it with five people including myself but the members praised it and said it was really good so I really thought it was good that we did it it was announced that Aihime-chan will be graduating so there will be no more members of Slygie again so I'm glad we were able to do it at the end and I want many people to listen to good songs from now on so I really hope that we can deliver them in various ways "Ever since the birthday celebration was decided I kept worrying about the set list and it was like I couldn't decide Alice Project still has so many wonderful songs I'm happy to have been blessed with such great songs and I'm once again happy that we were able to hold the birthday celebration with such wonderful songs." She also mentioned that special guest Mai Mizusawa also participated in the birthday celebration We have never invited an OG member to our birthday celebration before but recently she came to our TikTok live and we talked about wanting to dance together again we got permission to appear at the birthday celebration and she is like a comrade who has shared good times and bad but I thought that "HIGH and LOW" was a must we put on gas masks and bump our fists together and the fans said that this part was very emotional and I have taken a lot of different shots with her and I have a lot of memories of her performing "HIGH and LOW" "Hoshitachi yo☆" was the first song of the Steam Girls unit debut and it's a song that has a lot of memories for me and I was able to perform it while feeling once again how wonderful the lyrics and the song are but I'm glad I didn't give up on the path of Steam Girls and I think that while Kamen Joshi songs are of course important I'd like to do more and more of each unit's songs as well "Last month we did a two-man live show with a live band and I'll never forget the solo live show we did with Kamen Joshi in Roppongi in the past It was so much fun and my heart was dancing We call it the ghost of the live show with a live band but it was such an unforgettable and fun time that we definitely wanted to perform Kamen Joshi songs with a live band again but it was so much fun to welcome the band members and perform a set list that included songs from the new Kamen Joshi lineup When asked what she would like to achieve in 2025 "I really want to do a solo live band performance it's frustrating that we can't appear at rock festivals like ROCK IN JAPAN or SUMMER SONIC with the current Kamen Joshi I think Kamen Joshi are more like artists than idols so I really want to appear at lots of rock events." -Idol News, Live Report, What's New, Music News -, Meno New Year: Lovely Princess announces graduation at her birthday celebration Full energy for her solo live on January 1th GLAY announces dome tour as grand finale of 30th anniversary 2025 years 5 month 4 Date 22 when 23 minutes {excerpt}<\/p><\/li>"},"theme":{"name":""}}What's New [aoen] A new generation J-POP boy band from HYBE's label. Debut single "The Blue Sun" concept photo [#Night] released on Wednesday, June 6th! A yo-yo, a key item that burns the hottest blue flame in the world, is also available! 2025 years 5 month 5 Date 20 when 00 minutes 2025 years 5 month 5 Date 20 when 00 minutes 2025 years 5 month 5 Date 19 when 27 minutes 2025 years 5 month 5 Date 19 when 14 minutes 2025 years 5 month 5 Date 19 when 00 minutes 2025 years 5 month 5 Date 18 when 55 minutes 2025 years 5 month 5 Date 17 when 19 minutes Link Copied!via Getty The baseball world knows Shohei Ohtani with distinct names these monickers sync with his talent as a boy who bleeds baseball starting from Japan to becoming the highest-paid athlete in the United States But not all of this could be possible if Ohtani missed proper guidance But the question remains: how exactly did Shoji Asari do this An insight into Asari’s life shall answer it Although the information remains hazy about baseball coach Shoji Asari and his personal life one thing is clear: Asari also bleeds baseball he has mentored many in realizing their baseball dreams as a baseball coach and a founder of Mizusawa Pirates the same team from where Ohtani became a household name after blistering with his pitching and batting skills Shohei Ohtani 大谷翔平 | Mizusawa little league team pic.twitter.com/dY4zHiY5jh — 大谷翔平 ¹⁷ Ohtani Shohei ¹⁷ 😎 (@shoheisaveus) October 6, 2023 Though Ohtani’s association with the team has strengthened Asari is still working as a coach guiding the Pirates “they still practice every weekend at a diamond sandwiched between a country road and a river where salmon swim upstream from the Pacific Ocean,” continuing the trend that the Dodgers star was one part of Asuri did not think Ohtani would turn out to be a world-beater right now Physical sports demand a lot of effort and physical strength to do well and there is a perception that bulky bodies dominate the sport who was judged for being lean by Shoji Asari Read More:- EXCLUSIVE: Shohei Ohtani’s Tommy John Surgery Raises Doubt Over $700M Investment in ‘Most Protected Pitcher’ – MLB Analyst Explains. “He and his parents came to this field to see me.” Due to his physical appearance he thought Ohtani “might like to join his school’s softball team with the rest of his friends.” But that was not the case the eight-year-old destroyed that perception and said “I want to play hardball with this team.” This moment won Asari’s heart as he agreed to provide the eight-year-old Ohtani a path to future success Japanese ethics promotes discipline and has been part of their history and athletes are to follow it strictly and face the punishment for failures Ohtani did not go through it due to Coach Shoji Asari’s unconventional approach According to sports journalist Nobuya Kobayashi So Ohtani has continued to enjoy baseball the whole time.” It made him a player who loved winning it for his team while enjoying the game with Ohtani emerging as a star like a double-edged sword The first recipient of this was Japan’s top baseball league Ohtani represented Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters for four years It put him on the World’s map as the MLB and the Los Angeles Angels players became the other recipients of his authority It happened with the start of a rule that permits players to pitch and then bat known as the ‘Ohtani rule.’ But it seems as though Coach Asari appreciated this but had a fear around it Shoji Asari believed in Ohtani and allowed him to nurture his dream of becoming a player who can pitch and bat The reason is the stress pitching and batting could bring to the body Shohei Ohtani fatigued after starting a season on a high note resulting in an injury hampering his entire season Once destined for a record-breaking home run chase Ohtani lost the pace and finished multiple home runs behind with many expecting him to find it tough on the mound “He (Ohtani) made it big all due to his own efforts We had nothing to do with it.” Will 2024 be the participant of this change Watch This Story: Shohei Ohtani’s Two-Way Dream: Before Injury He Always Wanted Both EssentiallySports is a digital-first sports media house that surfaces the best stories on America's favorite sports celebrities with a fan's perspective to 30+ M average monthly readers. 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