Please enable JavaScript to view this page correctly The staff for the abridged 21-episode "One Piece Log: Fish-Man Island Saga" anime, a special edited version of the Fish-Man Island arc announced on Wednesday new theme song artists which include collaborations between the series' original performers and hololive VTubers For episodes that air in the month of February, Maki Otsuki (performer of the original anime's first ending theme song "Memories") will sing a cover of "We Go!" (the same opening theme song used during the original series' Fish-Man Island arc). Joining her are hololive VTubers Shirakami Fubuki, Houshou Marine, and Tsunomaki Watame. Mine Kushita who composed the series' latest ending theme song "Dear Sunrise" performed by Otsuki The song debuts in the anime on February 2 The song will premiere in the anime on March 2 HIKAKIN ＆ SEIKIN already covered the earlier "We Are!" theme song for the 2020 album ONE PIECE MUUUSIC COVER ALBUM but their version of "We Go!" also features Luffy's guest vocals This is the duo's first song used as a television anime's opening theme song the staff had announced that the anime's opening theme song would have different versions featuring different artists from January until March The edited arc features reshot scenes with retouched art The One Piece anime will resume the ongoing Egghead arc in April The Egghead arc debuted last January, and it is the latest one in the anime after the "wano Kuni" arc The arc takes place on the island of the notorious genius scientist Dr The manga's television anime adaptation premiered in October 1999 Source: One Piece franchise's website, Comic Natalie Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information National Report Yamanashi Prefecture—The Self-Defense Forces on Feb 28 joined in the battle against a raging forest fire here that has spread amid strong winds Three SDF helicopters were dumping water on the flames two helicopters of the Yamanashi and Gunma prefectural governments were fighting the blaze from the air The firefighting operation was suspended at 5 p.m About 200 workers stayed vigilant at the site overnight and resumed the firefighting efforts in the morning According to Yamanashi prefectural police and the Otsuki city fire department A resident made an emergency call at 1:45 p.m. reporting that the fire was spreading over dry grass The wildfire has razed at least 80 hectares of forest With the exception of a vacant house destroyed in the blaze the fire so far poses no threat to residential houses in the rural area the Otsuki city government established an evacuation center on the evening of Feb 26 and called for the voluntary evacuation of 189 residents from 102 households (This article was written by Shin Toyohira and Yusui Munekata.) Third wildfire spreads in Iwate Prefecture city; homes destroyed Rain and snow forecast in the Kanto-Koshin region for Feb Clocks vanishing from JR stations due to demands on time Fujisan Express tourist train to run for first time in two years Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission and Tsunomaki Watame alongside Maki Otsuki who has performed numerous theme songs for the anime including the first ending “Memories.” The song’s arrangement will be done by Mao Kuge who also worked on the ending theme for the Egghead Arc “Dear sunrise.”The March edition will be performed by Takanashi Kiara who is known for many ONE PIECE songs including the original “We Go!,” “We Can!” “OVER THE TOP” and “UUUUUS!” from the Egghead Arc The arrangement for this version of the song is a collaboration between TeddyLoid and tepe (OTOIRO) Two of the hololive VTubers left comments regarding the new ONE PIECE opening songs had the honor of singing “We Go!” for the SPECIAL EDITED VERSION Fish-Man Island Arc.Even now I can hardly believe that members of Hololive are part of an anime like ONE PIECE.I feel deeply honored and proud to have had the opportunity to be involved in such a beloved work.”Takanashi Kiara: “Kikkerikii This is Takanashi Kiara from Hololive English -Myth- I’m commenting on behalf of my companions Hakos Baelz and Kobo Kanaeru It feels like a dream to be able to participate in such a wonderful project This is the first time the three of us are singing for an anime so it marks an incredible milestone for us.We feel so honored to sing alongside the legendary Hiroshi Kitadani in our Hololive English/Hololive Indonesia version we hope that our Hololive English/Hololive Indonesia version brings joy to everyone and I can’t wait to hear everyone’s reactions.Hiroshi Kitadani commented as well: “After 14 years of singing this song in various places and situations it’s a collaboration with Hololive members!It features some playful pop-oriented arrangements while keeping the original energy and vibrancy intact Enjoy this fresh and nuanced version of “We Go!” to your heart’s content!” Source: ONE PIECE Official X© Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha, Toei Animation What makes him a good contender? Otsuki knows how to play with trad menswear codes, deftly applying dissonance in the details to create something that, though clearly riffing on the past, feels right for the moment. He is also excellent at tuning in to the historical dialogue between Japanese and Western menswear, finding ways to incorporate elements of both into his clothes in refreshing and convincing ways. He also added squishy shearling jackets, plus some womenswear in the form of pencil skirts styled with oversized blazers. He has dabbled in womenswear before, but this season was the first time it felt fully formed. Baggy corduroy pants were given extra belt loops attached above the waistline so that they served almost as suspenders, shifting the silhouette. There were also metal cigarette cases and belts with ashtrays built into the buckles. (Like Yohji Yamamoto, Otsuki smokes Hi-Lites.) Otsuki himself is a stoic character, but his vision speaks for itself. Looking at his clothes, even in the showroom, you can almost smell the smoke in a high-end izakaya or hear the growl of a muscle car cruising under the lights of Tokyo at night. Here is one of the most captivating menswear designers Japan has seen in a generation. The world is rightly beginning to take notice. All lectures will be held 10-11:15am US EDT and are open to all interested scientists.  For further information please contact Dr. Igor Tupitsyn, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, ([email protected]) Schedule of Lectures (dates of some of the later lectures may be adjusted) Six hololive members are partaking in a special episode of the ongoing ONE PIECE anime series The VTubers will perform the new theme song alongside Hiroshi Kitadani and Maki Otsuki who performed the series’ original opening themes The theme song will accompany the currently–airing edited version of the Fish-Man Island Saga, as part of a rerun while the main series remains on hiatus until April 6 📢重大告知📢毎週日曜あさ9:30より放送中TVアニメ「SPECIAL EDITED VERSION『#ONEPIECE』 魚人島編」2月期&3月期オープニング主題歌「ウィーゴー！」ホロライブ所属タレントときただにひろし＆大槻マキが歌唱‼「SPECIAL EDITED VERSION 『ONE PIECE』 魚人島編」… pic.twitter.com/4VUzmJMQBx The February edition of the program will feature performances by hololive VTubers Shirakami Fubuki accompanied by Maki Otsuki — known for her contributions to the anime’s theme songs “Memories.” The song’s arrangement will be crafted by Mao Kuge who previously worked on the Egghead Arc ending theme the March edition will showcase Takanashi Kiara and Kobo Kanaeru alongside Hiroshi Kitadani recognized for his work on numerous ONE PIECE songs such as “We Go!,” “We Can!,” “OVER THE TOP,” and “UUUUUS!” from the Egghead Arc This version of the song will be arranged through a collaboration between TeddyLoid and tepe (OTOIRO) Both Takanashi Kiara and Shirakami Fubuki were asked to shared their thoughts Kiara writes: “My first ever anime OP/ED and it’s One Piece that’s CRAZY GUYSTHROUGHOUT MARCHONEPIECE WILL BE AIRING AN OPENING SONG WHERE AMONG OTHERS I AM SINGING!!!my first ever anime OP/ED and it's One Piece that's CRAZY What an honor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! https://t.co/uit47Vlrzn This is not the first time hololive talents took part in any of One Piece’s events and initiatives. In July 2023, Mori Calliope performed the theme song for the manga’s 106th volume titled “Future Island”. The song also ended up in her EP that year “JIGOKU 6” VIZ Media is set to release the 108th volume of ONE PIECE in English on March 4 this year Leading the charge are Admiral Kizaru and a member of the mysterious Five Elders Can the Straw Hats survive as the greatest battle in the world breaks out By John Berger Editors' PicksObituaries started the nonprofit group Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawai‘i in 2006 Dean Otsuki — co-founder of the all-volunteer nonprofit Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawai‘i (B.E.A.C.H.) and an avid surfer and swimmer — died Dec Otsuki co-founded the nonprofit with his wife and spent the next 17 years walking beaches removing debris of all sizes and organizing beach cleanups with other organizations They worked to involve people of all ages in collecting sorting and researching the origin of marine debris members also participated in community campaigns to encourage recycling by placing HI-5 recycle bins at beach parks ban outdoor balloon releases and ban the use of plastic shopping bags and polystyrene foam food containers Frazer remembered her husband as a man who gave “selfless service” to the cause he believed in “You don’t often find people who are that caring and that unselfish that they put doing good for everyone else above their own wants and desires,” she said but in the last few years he didn’t go surfing because he was so busy doing the volunteer work for everyone’s benefit.” Otsuki’s work was recognized with several public service awards and documented in numerous newspaper articles and television news stories He also had a supporting role playing himself in the 2010 film “Bag It,” a documentary about the experiences of an Everyman who decides to stop using plastic shopping bags at the grocery store and grew up helping his parents at the family strawberry farm He graduated from Salinas High School in Salinas and continued his education at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business Otsuki’s love of surfing brought him to Hawaii He received an associate degree in graphic design from Honolulu Community College and used his training as an artist and photographer to publicize and promote his nonprofit’s campaigns ‘You don’t compromise the environment,’” Frazer said explaining that Otsuki considered a plastic bag ban that banned only one type of plastic bag or setting a limit on the number of balloons that could be released at outdoor events rather than banning them entirely were “compromises” that he did not accept “He’d say that if you’re going to protect the environment you need an outright plastic shopping bag ban Another thing he’d say – and this a quote from someone else – was until mid-2023 when his CMML2 evolved into AML an acute and aggressive form of the disease sister-in-law Sharon Otsuki and numerous nieces and nephews A celebration of life was held Saturday at Kuhio Beach in Waikiki 500 Ala Moana Blvd. #2-200Honolulu, HI 96813(808) 529-4747 AD Leave a rating/comment#PaintingBack to ArticlesSHARE ONE PIECE DAY ’24 took place in Japan on August 10-11 and it was a dream event for any ONE PIECE fan The annual event is meant to be “the ultimate gathering for fans around the globe,” and this was the first time there was a live concert There were a live performance stage and an open exhibition stage We are bringing you some of the atmosphere For Day 1, the live stage featured performances from GRe4N BOYZ, Mori Calliope, Maki Otsuki, and Hiroshi Kitadani. The event was opened by the performances of the current ONE PIECE theme songs “UUUUUS!” by Hiroshi Kitadani and “Dear sunrise” by Maki Otsuki Check out the images from the first day below GRe4N BOYZ’s performance: As an encore performer, TERU from the rock band GLAY appeared as a surprise guest. The band celebrated their 30th anniversary last year with the “GLAY EXPO” event, for which Eiichiro Oda drew a key visual.TERU first performed their song “HOWEVER,” after which he was joined by Hiroshi Kitadani and GRe4N BOYZ to sing “We Are The first day of ONE PIECE DAY ’24 also featured some special panels on the open stage One of them was the “Best Scenes Poll,” where they featured the top 30 famous scenes from the anime The winner was the Going Merry farewell scene There was also a panel dedicated to One Piece World Figure Colosseum A Roblox game was announced and ONE PIECE BOUNTY RUSH also got a panel The 2nd Extreme Treasure Festival tournament took place here Team Ambivalent won the finals against Team Otomodachi and a special video celebrating the game exceeding 150 million downloads was released afterwards They also revealed a collaboration stream between ONE PIECE and Nobrock TV It features a video where fans were tested on what they would do if they could get a leak of the ONE PIECE ending shocking the participants.A special message from Iñaki Godoy Today's print edition Home Delivery Fujikyu Railway is considering taking legal action over a dance video posted on social media that features people who appear to be foreign tourists performing in the middle of a train “We will not tolerate any dangerous or disruptive behavior in our vehicles or any behavior that interferes with the safe operation of our trains,” the Yamanashi Prefecture-based railway operator said in a statement Wednesday.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); which connects Otsuki Station to popular tourist destinations such as Mount Fuji and Fuji-Q Highland amusement park revealed that they had reported the video to the relevant social media platform and asked to have it taken down 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 Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInAt Creative Cause Solutions and Blue Stone Fabrics in Bridgewater "We're getting into our busy time of the year and we typically hire a staff of seasonal part-time workers," co-owner John Otsuki said Otsuki is delaying that search because of the partial government shutdown in Washington this shutdown is caused by President Trump," Sen "The Democrats are stopping us," President Donald Trump said But Otsuki's focus isn't on the politics of the shutdown He wants to help out the federal workers caught in the crossfire with no paycheck to support their families "It's not their choice to be in the situation they're in," Otsuki said "I think that politics should be dealt with in Washington and we can help the local families the best we can." Otsuki is trying to help government workers that are impacted by the shutdown by hiring them for part-time work even if the shutdown ends in a week or two," Otsuki said "I think those families are still going to be impacted they're still gonna need to get caught up on their bills and so we're happy to keep them on as long as it takes." government workers across the nation received their first paycheck during the shutdown: for zero dollars TSA agents and air traffic controllers are just some of the workers that have been affected by the shutdown Otsuki said he's drawn interest from workers at the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport Other federal agencies affected in the Valley include the National Park Service Otsuki is encouraging other businesses in the Valley to help out too "If they've got part-time work or projects that they want to put people on now's a great opportunity to help out people that deserve it." When Laura Bonz Otsuki was 12 in the 1960s she asked the Buddhist Church in San Francisco to start a girls' basketball team most her friends playing basketball were Japanese-American The church started the team as part of the Japanese-American (JA) leagues Otsuki's husband is a member of the JA leagues They got together after she asked him to help her coach a younger JA team Otsuki enrolled her children in the JA leagues she still plays for the San Francisco JA leagues and she's friends with her former teammates "When my brother got married to my sister-in-law I remember saying we should all play together on the same team with my mom," Traci said "I'm really proud we were all able to do that the next goal is playing with my 5-year-old niece." Over 20,000 people participate in the JA leagues in California and they are particularly famous for fostering female talent you can find women sometimes separated by a span of 30 years or more -- grandmothers mothers and daughters -- playing basketball together The JA leagues were formed as a reaction to the rampant discrimination Japanese-Americans faced in the early 1900s Japanese-Americans were often barred from participating in American public life including playing on teams or even using gyms Games gave many in the community an excuse to socialize and competitions meant teams traveled around California and got to know each other While men's leagues received more attention by the 1930s there were JA leagues for women to play basketball and softball When Japanese-Americans were interned in 1942 adults worked to set up sports teams to create a sense of normalcy for their children teams were even given permission to leave the camps to play in competitions they had little money and few social outlets The older generation worried the younger generation would get into trouble without organized activities the first post-war JA sports league sprang up The early leagues were mostly for the men and boys the first basketball leagues began to appear for the girls and these were slowly followed by leagues for women Laura Otsuki's request for a girls' basketball team resulted in a team that still plays today Thanks to these early leagues for women and girls a network of Japanese American women coaches and collegiate players began to emerge This included women such as Colleen Matsuhara who started playing basketball in the late 1950s where I'd have better competition and coaching," Matsuhara said She went on to coach basketball professionally including as head coach at UC Irvine and an assistant coach for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks and was a technical adviser for the movie "Love and Basketball." Yet Japanese-American women faced a stigma outside of the leagues They were stereotyped as short and un-athletic Several JA league players mentioned that outside of the JA leagues their skills were often overlooked "We think about basketball as a sport for tall and muscular people," said Nicole Willms assistant professor of sociology at Gonzaga University and author of a forthcoming book on Japanese-American women and basketball It makes it hard to convince someone you're going to be a powerful basketball player." Perhaps one of the most widely recognized names in the JA basketball community is Jamie Hagiya who is fourth-generation Japanese-American Willms said watching Hagiya play inspired her interest in the JA leagues Francis Stewart/National Archives and Records Administration via Densho.orgHagiya started playing with the JA leagues at the age of 4 and knew she wanted play for college she didn't receive any college basketball scholarships late in the spring of Hagiya's senior year Hagiya finished her career at USC fourth in assists and second in 3-pointers Hagiya suspects her race and her height affected the way people perceived her on court: she is 5'3 "Even though I had the same stats as another girl on my team who got scholarships Coaches said I wasn't good enough," she said Hagiya played professionally in Greece and Spain and then tried out for the WNBA but did not make the cut was the first Japanese-American to enter the WNBA in 2002 Yamasaki said race was never an issue for her but she also points out she broke the stereotype "I am not surprised that that stereotype has come up -- every single day people comment on my height and that I'm tall and Asian." she struggled to connect with fans who had grown up within the context of the leagues and the tightly interconnected JA community --a space that was foreign to her "I wasn't sure about my ability to be a role model I wasn't as connected with my culture as these kids already were," she said Many players see the leagues as a cultural safe space Everyone gets a chance to play regardless of height such as a love of spam musubi (grilled spam on top of rice the JA leagues required players to have Japanese ancestry the Japanese-ancestry requirement has loosened league requirements vary depending on city Some leagues just require players to be at least an eighth Japanese others that players merely have some Asian ancestry several players used Japanese and Asian interchangeably The race rules and the changing nature of the leagues have created complicated feelings for the community Some members worry that the lax rules mean the leagues will lose their shared cultural values or coaches will fill the teams with taller and bigger players Kari Dobashi-Barton's grandparents were interned and her parents were both born in internment camps Her uncle started one of the first post-war leagues in San Jose She started playing in the leagues in fourth grade and still plays today at the age of 48 Dobashi-Barton was on the tall side for the JA leagues growing up but on the short side for her high school team which had players that were upwards of 6 feet She worries about what the loosening racial requirements might do to the leagues "You'd have people who are in it to win and not for the community," she said "If they bring in someone who is an eighth Filipino with blonde hair and blue eyes how much investment would they have in the community?" Dobashi-Barton's daughters are half-Japanese and half-El Salvadorian and started playing in the leagues as kindergarteners was bullied in elementary school for being a tall Asian at 5-8 She credits the JA leagues with helping her embrace her heritage Yet she struggles with the race-based eligibility requirements of the league She finds explaining the leagues to her non-Asian friends tricky I try to explain about the internment camps and how we had to find our own way to play basketball," Dobashi-Barton said Shalene Gupta is currently working on a novel about growing up Chinese-Indian in Minnesota. A former Fortune reporter, with an M.S. from Columbia Journalism School, she is currently a freelance writer living in Boston. Follow her @ShaleneGupta. Otsuki is a man of few words, but he always mentions his father—a former karate sensei and ninja expert—when speaking about the inspiration behind his collections. His father suffered a stroke while Soshi was working on this collection, which shifted the designer’s worldview. It caused him to consider the fundamental and intangible dignity with which the Japanese approach life and death, and it was this that became the soul of his collection, which he titled Good Memory. Otsuki’s talent lies in his ability to take the touchstones of his heritage—salaryman suits, judo belts, kimono sleeves, prayer beads—and create well-executed, contemporary clothes that would look as convincingly cool in London and New York as they do in Tokyo. His silhouettes are adventurous yet wearable, while his tailoring somehow feels both traditionally masculine and totally of the moment. Otsuki styled the show himself, and put his father in a classic black suit and tie: when he came out onto the runway, he was the picture of cool. “I don’t know much about fashion,” his dad had said backstage before the show. “But I think [Soshi] has his own strong concept, and he’s doing it well.” Indeed he is. A group of Myanmar residents in Japan has launched a crowdfunding campaign to support compatriots who evacuated their homes or lost their jobs due to the military coup last year As the world closely watches Russia's aggression in Ukraine the group is calling on Japan and other countries not to forget the suffering of the Myanmar people saying the humanitarian crisis in the Southeast Asian country is only getting worse The group aims to raise a total of 10 million yen ($84,000) by April 30 targeting about 1,000 households who are internally displaced in Myanmar 200 civil servants the junta sacked for opposing the coup as well as 100 doctors and nurses taking care of affected people "We have received assistance from Japan through similar schemes but we decided to extend food and medical aid to those in urgent need with our own initiative," says Misaki Otsuki a Myanmar woman and organizer for the project who wishes to be identified by her Japanese name The first crowdfunding project by Myanmar residents in Japan had raised over 5 million yen from about 500 people as of Monday via the website: https://readyfor.jp/projects/freemm2022 "People in Japan and elsewhere seem to be paying less attention to Myanmar as the conflict between the military and anti-junta forces has lasted for more than a year," Otsuki a Tokyo resident who works for a Japanese company "And we are now seeing Russia's aggression in Ukraine." "Ukraine and Myanmar have something in common -- citizens are oppressed by force," she said "Since this is a project to support Myanmar we would like to express solidarity with Ukraine whose people -- just like citizens in Myanmar -- are robbed of their freedom and peaceful lives by violence." Myanmar's military has killed about 1,700 peaceful demonstrators and other citizens and left some 520,000 people displaced special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar said in February that Russia and China continue to provide the junta with fighter jets armored vehicles and other weapons it uses to attack civilians and has requested the Security Council halt the flow of arms enabling atrocities co-leader of the Japan Myanmar Future Creative Association a group dedicated to promoting exchanges between youths of the two countries is urging Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping to stop supplying the Myanmar military with weapons "It is no surprise that junta chief Min Aung Hlaing backs Putin's war in Ukraine," said Ishikawa a Tokyo University of Foreign Studies student who is also involved in the crowdfunding campaign Ishikawa and Otsuki hope more people in Japan and other countries will join the project which will be implemented in partnership with Myanmar's National Unity Government an organization launched in April last year by deposed pro-democracy parliamentarians anti-coup protest leaders and representatives of ethnic minority groups in opposition to military rule "More than a year has passed since the military detained our leader Aung San Suu Kyi and toppled her democratically elected government and the situation is only getting worse," Otsuki said citing sharp deterioration in the economy and surging prices of food Development Program estimates nearly half of Myanmar's population will live in poverty in 2022 "We fully understand the world is focusing on how to end the war in Ukraine and assist affected people there," Otsuki said Please help us restore our peaceful lives and regain hopes for a bright future under the democratic government.'" ASEAN urges Myanmar to facilitate visits by new special envoy Kirin to exit Myanmar, end beer partnership with military entity FOCUS: Japan sticks to quiet Myanmar diplomacy while companies in limbo 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 Well, when I started at Glitch, I often talked with Kiyokazu Suzuki (the owner) about all sorts of things—events we wanted to do, shops we wanted to open. And he was like, “Well, you’re our organizer.” At the start that wasn’t my intent, but when that happened, I started thinking more about it.  ONE PIECE anime has revealed the new opening and ending videos for the Egghead Island arc and they are performed by the iconic performers of its very first theme songs Hiroshi Kitadani sings the new opening theme song “Aaah!” and Maki Otsuki is in charge of the new ending song “Dear sunrise.” You can watch the two videos below: Hiroshi Kitadani performed several of the biggest songs of ONE PIECE Source: Official YouTube© Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha / Toei Animation That circa 2013 collection was called Final Homme, and was inspired by the queues of dark suited salarymen he’d observed on his commute to fashion school. “The way they all lined up looked to me like a funeral procession,” he said backstage. His new collection was a sequel—he named it Final Homme 2—though he intended to update the somber suits of that long-ago show with all he’s learned so far. Takahiromiyashita The Soloist Tokyo Fall 2023 there was a hit song in Japan titled “Ihojin,” or foreigner there was a popular music quiz program called “Do-re-mi-fa-don” that decided to hold an “Ihojin Taikai,” where non-Japanese contestants would compete against each other I thought the answer was the Momotaro song and was nudged to sing it making the audience clap along with my singing All was well until abruptly the wrong answer buzzer sounded I smile and cringe with embarrassment every time I think of this “Come Come Everybody,” a popular morning drama series Okayama Prefecture has won the PR campaign to make people believe that is where the popular hero of Japanese folklore Momotaro’s origins lay there appeared the textile company Kijima-seni (kiji means Japanese pheasant) the heroine’s brother called Momotaro and a samurai called Momoyama Kennosuke (peach mountain and ken All of these creatures are related to the story of Momotaro I’m here to tell you that many places around Japan claim to be where the story originated I picked up their Momotaro legend flier and zig-zagged around the sites a long narrow stone staff protruding from the ground at Ishido The ogre who fought Momotaro at Mount Iwadono threw it and missed where the demon’s crotch was supposedly ripped open and blood poured out I quickly left the creepy-feeling shrine and felt cleansed and peaceful seeing the stone jizo statue atop a lotus floating on what looks like a boat in the precincts of Entsuuji temple In the serene jizo’s hand was a peach-shaped object (The old couple in the story was granted the child they had long wished for.) I walked across Monkey Bridge a one-of-a-kind bridge over the Katsuragawa river Momotaro could indeed have originated here it might have just been wishful thinking or simply a coincidence but visiting the sites of famous legends is curiously satisfying a Washington-born and Tokyo-based photographer originally appeared in the June 5 issue of Asahi Weekly It is part of the series "Lisa’s Wanderings Around Japan," which depicts various places across the country through the perspective of the author Lisa’s Wanderings Around Japan/Ise Jingu: Finding divine grace along with hospitality at a grand shrine Lisa’s Wanderings Around Japan/ Makino Botanical Garden: Preserving the legacy of Japan’s ‘father of botany’ Lisa’s Wanderings Around Japan/ Echigo-Tsumari Art Field: Explore the ‘art de vivre’ of Niigata Lisa’s Wanderings Around Japan/ Dogo hot spring: Take a dip in bathhouses that are the stuff of legend Lisa’s Wanderings Around Japan/ Jigokudani Yaen-Koen: Where time stands still and monkeys bathe Lisa’s Wanderings Around Japan/ Kotohira-gu shrine: Drunken sailors and more than 1,300 steps Grant Jun Otsuki receives funding from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington provides funding as a member of The Conversation NZ Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU View all partners Artificial intelligence-based (AI) programs are quickly improving at writing convincingly on many topics It’s likely in a few years they’ll be churning out C-grade worthy essays for students remains one of the best ways to teach critical analysis Teachers rely on this mode of assessment to gauge students’ understanding of a topic we need to find ways to help students of all disciplines thrive alongside advanced automation and smart systems This involves training students to work with AI tools In February 2019, GPT-2, an AI-powered text generating system was released by OpenAI. Those interested can try the system themselves by following these instructions, or experiment with Talk to Transformer The idea behind GPT-2 is similar to the predictive text function on a smartphone A machine learning system was given 8 million web pages and told to look at blocks of text to predict what word would come next The system compared its guess with the actual text to “learn” Often within minutes, GPT-2 can generate texts that look like they were written by a human The global system of university ranking has recently been the subject of heated debate with many arguing that it is becoming increasingly irrelevant the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that the system has become increasingly irrelevant with the gap between the best and the worst universities in the world narrowing in recent years the average quality of a university’s research output has fallen to its lowest level since the late 1970s There are several signs of a non-human hand at work notably the repetition of “increasingly irrelevant” There’s also the matter that no such OECD report exists the text could probably pass as being authored by a human GPT-2 comes in forms that let anyone use it easily Such tools are a looming problem for schools and universities In an experiment, I fed the system 188 student papers on Keith Basso’s book Wisdom Sits in Places written for an anthropology course I teach I will show how conceptions of wisdom connect with place-names in Wisdom Sits in Places by explaining how place-names serve as moral compass I will also cover the cultural sphere of “notions of morality” which is explained by the stories behind the place-names It’s divided into four paragraphs and describes what appears to be examples from the book and in places the writer seems to lose their train of thought an essay worthy of a C would be within reach People are already experimenting with GPT-2 for poetry and plays written in a Shakespearean style it can also produce endless streams of fake news What can institutions do about such “plagiarised” work flooding their classrooms One response would be to ban AI tools. Leaders of 40 universities in the UK have taken this approach against essay mills Essay mills are run by people who charge students a fee in exchange for completing their work But it’s unclear how such a ban could be enforced once AI software is as easy to access as Candy Crush Institutions could look to existing rules against academic misconduct how will we prove (without watching them) that a student did or didn’t write a text themselves We can’t, so we should take a page from cyborg chess play where players embrace chess-playing computers to become better themselves it might be time to train people to write with AI Most good writers don’t write in isolation; they talk and revise their work with others which means the ideas and arguments in a text change and develop as a writer reads and edits their own work systems such as GPT-2 could be used as a first-draft machine taking a student’s raw research notes and turning them into a text they can expand on and revise not just on the basis of the final product but on a student’s ability to use text-generating tools Powerful AI tools could help us analyse and communicate complex ideas All of the above prompts a question we need to consider if we’re to live in an AI-friendly world: why do we teach students to write at all One major reason is many jobs rely on being able to write we need to think about the social and economic implications of a type of text runs on the continuous production and circulation of blog posts While computer writing might never be as original or insightful as the work of a skilled human it will quickly become good enough for such writing jobs and AIs won’t need health insurance or holidays If we teach students to write things a computer can then we’re training them for jobs a computer can do Educators need to think creatively about the skills we give our students or we can embrace it as a partner that helps us learn more By Leslie Brenner executive chef Suki Otsuki sat down with me in front of the cameras to respond to the review "The perception of what we were trying to do wasn't quite there," she told me "I think more and more people are become aware of what they're eating and what food can do for you and that's the lifestyle we're trying to cater to," Otsuki explains in the interview vegetable-forward style of cooking; it's a place for Eat Drink D-FWThe latest food and drink reviews GoogleFacebookBy signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy "In Texas in particular it's difficult to find anything like this, and we really worked hard to be on the forefront of that. We know in that process that we were trail-blazing, and we knew it might not be well received or understood, but I think the people that do live this lifestyle (which is how we live, as well) really get it." For instance, she says, "Our hummus isn't perfectly smooth, but we believe fiber's good for you. If you don't quite understand that, it might seem like things are forgotten." Her favorite dish? "The Loco Moco," a beef-and-bacon patty sandwich with cauliflower rice, mushrooms "and an egg on top." Want to see the full-length, uncut review? Here you go. the new annual food and wine magazine from The Dallas Morning News cooking and wine coverage as food editor for the Los Angeles Times’ award-winning section She has won a long list of writing and editing awards including honors from the Association of Food Journalists and the James Beard Foundation Her personal cooking website and blog is Cooks Without Borders Suzanne Frazer and Dean Otsuki began walking along Waimanalo Beach as a way to reduce stress But they found they couldn’t get far without encountering tiny blue and white plastics or larger debris such as deteriorating fishing baskets and buoys trying to figure out which entity was responsible for cleaning the beach “I got a complete runaround,” Frazer recalls “Nobody said it was their department.” they returned to the beach every day for the next several months it just comes in all the time,” Otsuki says and then you look back over your shoulder and there’d be more stuff that had come in.” They started nonprofit Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawaii (B.E.A.C.H.) in 2006 to raise awareness and bring solutions to the issue of marine debris who spend up to 70 hours a week on B.E.A.C.H Frazer and Otsuki explain that marine debris is plastic (mostly) that has been in the ocean Marine life may get tangled in debris or ingest plastics and could end up starving to death as a result as fish that ingest plastic containing chemicals may end up on our plates B.E.A.C.H.’s work includes environmental education such as presentations to schools and hosting leading scientists; marine debris removal and research; and plastic reduction and litter prevention which includes promoting the use of reusable shopping bags and utensils and supporting related legislation Plastic and Hawaii’s Marine Life,” a free public lecture series on chemicals called persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the ocean April 22 and 29 in the UH Manoa Architecture Auditorium “The word POPs isn’t in everyday language like global warming is,” Frazer says because the most terrible problem of marine debris is that plastic absorbs POPs The consequences of inaction are illustrated in the condition of the Big Island’s Kamilo Beach “You get out of the car and you step straight on to not sand “Every time I have been to Kamilo I felt absolutely sick and nauseous and upset that humans did this too … That is why we did this – why we stopped our careers why we have worked for no money,” she adds That is how desperate the situation is.” For more information or to become a B.E.A.C.H. member, call 393-2168 or visit b-e-a-c-h.org By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy KAPITAL is back with its latest drop, following its 7G Wool Fair Isle “Bone” Crew Sweater and Vest with a set of its intricately woven Wool Otsuki Mufflers Stretching all the way back to the ’80s KAPITAL has built a name for itself for its vivid prints and unique cuts The label’s Wool Otsuki Mufflers is a good example finely crafted to illustrate an image of a complete eagle the piece can be hung over the shoulders like a large blanket as motifs at each end of the piece depict fallen feathers The silhouette comes in base palettes of charcoal while small buttons joining each of the piece round up the winter accessory In News by Dennis AbramsJuly 24 By Dennis Abrams | @DennisAbrams2 One of Otsuki Shoten’s book editors tells Kyodo “We want children who are not [of the LGBT community] and teachers to read these books,” to further understanding are translated by Ueshida Ueda and are reportedly published under the supervision of the LGBT Law Federation: sells for 2,160 yen (US$19.40) and covers one or more aspects of LGBT experience one “explores what it means to be transgender,” says the Kyodo report “and the personal experiences of people who take steps to transition from the sex they were assigned at birth,” as well as “your options when you feel like your physical sex is out of sync with who you are.” Much of the books’ content is focused on coming-out stories and the range of potential experiences encountered from easy acceptance by friends and family to the struggles of some parents to come to terms with who their children are “It’s important to have the books readily available at libraries and schools for when someone’s interest is piqued.” the four Otsuki Shoten volumes are ‘Wonderfully LGBT 1’; ‘Warmly LGBT 2’; ‘Wishfully LGBT 3’; and ‘Wonderfully LGBT 4’ And for younger children, Tokyo’s Poplar Publishing Co. Kyodo reports has “released an educational three-volume series titled Iro-iro na Sei and blue bindings and manga drawings” for consumption by young elementary school children Education commentator Naoki Ogi is quoted in Kyodo’s story “Despite this being an important issue efforts for the LGBT community by teachers and schools in Japan have fallen behind [But] I feel like the tide has finally turned.” And a teacher from Tochigi prefecture is quoted “If you look at recent survey results there’s inevitably at least one LGBT child to a classroom To build a relationship of trust with students it’s important for teachers to acquire proper knowledge.” Dennis Abrams is a contributing editor for Publishing Perspectives and the author of "The Play's The Thing," a complete YA guide to the plays of William Shakespeare published by Pentian as well as more than 30 YA biographies and histories for Chelsea House publishers Tags: , , , , Sports | Oct 9 The Vail Christian Saints boys tennis team traveled to Grand Junction to participate in the 2021 4A Region 8 tennis tournament on Thursday and Friday with three singles players and four doubles teams the high schoolers battled it out for their spot on the roster The top three players settle into the singles spots in order and the next eight players are partnered together to form the doubles teams The Vail Christian team is the only one in the area and is open to all high school boys in the valley This year’s varsity squad is made up of six Battle Mountain Huskies and five Saints and is coached by JD Webster and Derek Fischer Each line was seeded for the tournament based on regular season results Both the regional champion and runner-up from each line will travel to Pueblo next weekend for the 4A state tournament Vail Christian was spearheaded all season long by Battle Mountain junior Kai Otsuki at the No Thanks to his success in the regular season Otsuki entered regionals as the top seed of the top line He then cruised past Durango on Thursday afternoon to reach the regional championship Otsuki faced Grand Junction’s top player with a state tournament ticket on the line dropping the first set 1-6 and then trailing 0-3 in set two of the best-of-three-set match winning six of the next seven games to take the second set and force a winner-take-all third the two players found themselves knotted at six games each meaning a seven-point tiebreaker would be the deciding factor With each point carrying intense weight and pressure 1 singles regional title and book his trip to state by a final score of 1-6 Battle Mountain freshman Wyat Fischer began his first regional tournament with consecutive wins over Durango and Steamboat to put himself in the championship match Fischer battled Grand Junction on Friday morning but still reached the state tournament thanks to his second-place finish the Saints were represented by Battle Mountain senior Nate Nabonsal at the No Nabonsal defeated Grand Junction Central for the second time this season to move into the second round where he fell in a tough matchup against Grand Junction This moved him to the playback bracket where he dominated Durango to earn the chance to play Steamboat Springs for second place Nabonsal battled through inclement weather to defeat Steamboat Springs 6-0 and secure his spot at the state tournament Vail Christian and Grand Junction claimed all six singles spots from Region 8 1 doubles began with a victory over Durango but then fell to Grand Junction Central in the second round The Saints’ top doubles team then came out victorious over Basalt in the playback bracket to meet up with Aspen in the third-place match where they were defeated to conclude an impressive season Battle Mountain seniors Elliott Jarnot and Alex Nabonsal both went into their final regional tournament seeking their first state tournament appearance at the No The Huskies boys split their first two matches against the Grand Junction teams then beat Durango for the chance to play Aspen to go to state Jarnot and Nabonsal were able to overcome the Skiers in three sets and secure a trip to state by a score of 6-2 The Saints’ third and fourth doubles lines were made up of Vail Christian underclassmen who did not advance to states but will have more chances in the coming years the Vail Christian Saints took second place in the region This is the second time the Saints have mounted a second-place finish since the team moved to Vail Christian from Vail Mountain School in 2019 “I’m so proud of all of our players and coaches Everyone worked so hard as a team to get these wins I’m excited to go to state and compete for the championship The future is bright for VCHS tennis,” said coach JD Webster The four lines will head to Pueblo this week for the state tournament from Thursday to Saturday The Saints will be represented by Kai Otsuki Former «Asian Private Banker» deputy editor Richard Otsuki is joining finews.asia's editorial team The Hong Kong-based journalist is the latest reinforcement of the Swiss and Singapore-based finance website Richard Otsuki (pictured above) joined finews.asia in July 2019 The 30-year-old journalist graduated with a BA in English language and literature before joining Hong Kong publishing house «Asian Private Banker» in 2012 as a reporter he became a senior reporter and the head of investment coverage he is a renowned journalist and well-connected in the financial industry.  As finews.asia's chief editor in Hong Kong he will provide additional content to the fast-growing website that started its service in 2016 out of Singapore «Richard Otsuki's hire is another clear commitment to quality journalism and our desire to keep investing in the know-how of our newsroom,» finews.asia founder Claude Baumann said Richard Otsuki is also an ideal addition to our newsroom in Singapore with Val Law and Timothy Misir on board,» Baumann further said «He will also get substantial support from Shruti Advani the co-founder of «Asian Private Banker» and former editor-in-chief of the publication who now works out of London and Hong Kong for finews.asia.» Since its launch three and a half years ago finews.asia has been constantly expanding its news service and registers almost 100,000 monthly unique users and 260,000 page impressions.  Subscribe to the finews.asia WhatsApp channel and receive regular updates with our news and background stories directly to your mobile phone + More on this topic A post shared by 🔥渋谷 エルドラード スタイリスト 大月ショウ🔥 (@ld_shou) on May 18 Those who are always changing up their hairstyle will know that the right cut and color can drastically improve your look. Japanese hair stylist Shou Otsuki specializes in giving his male clients transformational makeovers turning them from drab dudes to dapper men Otsuki posts each hair transformation on Instagram in fun before and after videos Viewers first see his clients sitting in the salon chair pre-styled before the talented barber uses some video trickery to cover the camera with his scissors or electric shaver the fresh new looks are then dramatically revealed From short back and sides to textured quiffs Otsuki has not only made his clients look great but he’s clearly helped boost their confidence Many videos show shy and awkward men that can be seen grinning proudly following the reveal If you’re in Tokyo, you can get an Otsuki makeover at L. DORADO salon. If you can’t make it to Japan, join the stylist’s 40,000+ Instagram followers to watch more inspiring transformations A post shared by 🔥渋谷 エルドラード スタイリスト 大月ショウ🔥 (@ld_shou) on May 30 A post shared by 🔥渋谷 エルドラード スタイリスト 大月ショウ🔥 (@ld_shou) on Apr 19 A post shared by 🔥渋谷 エルドラード スタイリスト 大月ショウ🔥 (@ld_shou) on Oct 25 A post shared by 🔥渋谷 エルドラード スタイリスト 大月ショウ🔥 (@ld_shou) on Oct 4 A post shared by 🔥渋谷 エルドラード スタイリスト 大月ショウ🔥 (@ld_shou) on May 31 A post shared by 🔥渋谷 エルドラード スタイリスト 大月ショウ🔥 (@ld_shou) on Nov 4 A post shared by 🔥渋谷 エルドラード スタイリスト 大月ショウ🔥 (@ld_shou) on Jul 18 A post shared by 🔥渋谷 エルドラード スタイリスト 大月ショウ🔥 (@ld_shou) on Feb 4 A post shared by 🔥渋谷 エルドラード スタイリスト 大月ショウ🔥 (@ld_shou) on Apr 4 A post shared by 🔥渋谷 エルドラード スタイリスト 大月ショウ🔥 (@ld_shou) on Jun 28 A post shared by 🔥渋谷 エルドラード スタイリスト 大月ショウ🔥 (@ld_shou) on Mar 3 A post shared by 🔥渋谷 エルドラード スタイリスト 大月ショウ🔥 (@ld_shou) on Apr 7 A post shared by 🔥渋谷 エルドラード スタイリスト 大月ショウ🔥 (@ld_shou) on Jul 25 A post shared by 🔥渋谷 エルドラード スタイリスト 大月ショウ🔥 (@ld_shou) on Oct 29 Shou Otsuki: Instagram | Twitter h/t: [Bright Side] Stylist Cuts Hair Using Samurai Swords, Blowtorches, and Razor-Sharp Talons Stylist Showcases Amazing Artistic Skills Using Hair as a Canvas Compassionate Barbers Give 80 Free Haircuts a Week to Nashville’s Homeless 6-Month-Old Baby Girl Gains Internet Fame for Her Brilliant Bouffant Hair Photographer Travels Around the World to Capture the Unique Beauty of Red Hair Want to advertise with us? Visit My Modern Met Media Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening Submarine Systems NEC Corporation announces that NEC Yamanashi Ltd. Otsuki Plant has completed the construction of its new building and is ready to start its operations NEC Yamanashi is NEC's major production center for optical transmission systems whereas the Otsuki Plant's main products include optical devices and key components for communications equipment It includes products such as WDM optical amplifiers LD modules and SMT/PLC modules for optical access transmission systems NEC Yamanashi now is one of the world's largest manufacturing facilities for optical transmission systems 18,000 sq meters of plant floor space has been added to the existing 20,000 sq meters Due to the rapid growth of the multimedia and internet-related industries the production of optical modules at the Otsuki plant now stands at 1 million units a 50% increase compared to that of the previous year the production amount in 1999 is expected to double NEC has brought all submarine cable systems-related production / testing lines to the Otsuki Plant the Otsuki Plant has become the total manufacturing center for submarine cable systems NEC's accumulated production for submarine cable systems amounts to about 2,000 for the past 30 years it is expected that the Otsuki plant will manufacture around 300 submarine systems this year and the number will be doubled in 5 years time NEC is targeting to have 30 % of the market and projects an annual sales figure of 40 billion yen in this area large capacity telecommunications infrastructure is expanding due to the rapid growth in multimedia and Internet markets high-speed access system and large capacity optical submarine cable system areas which are key technologies for optical transmission systems NEC has already received orders for WDM systems from telecommunications carriers in North America NEC has supplied total broadband access systems for Hongkong Telecom's world first interactive multimedia project this year NEC has been involved in most of the major submarine cable projects and has recently received orders for China-U.S NEC Yamanashi and its Otsuki plant becomes the most important and strategic manufacturing center for NEC's optical transmission systems business NEC will maintain it status as one of the major suppliers of optical transmission systems in the world NEC is targeting more than 20% share of the $7 billion worldwide market in year 2000 Yamanashi plant and Otsuki plant were formerly operated by NEC Corp. these plants were restructured as a manufacturing subsidiary named "NEC Yamanashi Ltd Yamanashi and Otsuki plants" to achieve more efficient and flexible business management and production Top of this page By submitting the above I agree to the privacy policy and terms of use of JTA.org a Japanese man named Takeji Otsuki heard God https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fgEqoieGt8 Reverend Otsuki took his duty seriously and soon founded the Japan Christian Friends of Israel (JCFI) also known as Beit Shalom (House of Peace) Japan His vision was to create a group of Christian Zionists who prayed for Israeli and world peace who were not interested in converting to Judaism but simply wanted to celebrate the culture Before long, he founded a choir, too. And since 1971, that Kyoto-based group, Makhelat Hashachar (aka the Shinonome or Dawn Choir) has been touring internationally and Israeli folk songs to fans around the world All while wearing traditional Japanese kimonos and flying the Japanese and Israeli flags side by side Rev. Otsuki passed away in 2004, but his Makhelat Hashachar is as lively as ever. Their latest North America tour just concluded in Toronto JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent I accept the Privacy Policy ツアートーナメントを目指す選手たちが出場するACNツアーをサポートしていただいております。 ウォール・ストリート・ジャーナルは日本ゴルフツアー機構のオフィシャル・パートナーです。 オフィシャルフォトシステムは、株式会社ラキールのクラウド/コマーズ・システムのサポートによりJGTOimagesのウェブサイトでの写真の閲覧や検索、購入が容易に可能となりました。 SMBCモビットは、「JGTO クォリファイングトーナメント」のタイトルスポンサーです。 全ての選手にツアートーナメント挑戦のチャンスを提供するJGTOの姿勢にご賛同いただき、ＱＴをサポートしていただいております。 テーラーメイド ゴルフ株式会社は、日本ゴルフツアー機構のコーポレートサポーターです。 テーラーメイド ゴルフ株式会社からはツアーディレクター、競技委員、競技スタッフらがトーナメント会場で着用するユニフォームとして、商品のご提供をいただいています。 全国約240店舗のフィットネス施設を運営するセントラルスポーツ株式会社からは、ツアーメンバーが年間を通していつでも自由に施設を優待利用することができる環境をご提供いただいています。 株式会社LoungeRangeは、日本ゴルフツアー機構のコーポレートサポーターです。 完全個室の会員制インドアゴルフ場を運営する株式会社LoungeRangeからは、 ツアーメンバーがプライベート空間で練習できる環境を提供いただいております。 video and audio information and other data (collectively "content") contained or displayed herein are the exclusive property of the Japan Golf Tour Organization Copyright 2025 JAPAN GOLF TOUR ORGANIZATION coffee and daily life are inevitably intertwined each of his parents ran their own jazz kissaten (old-school coffee shops) in Kyoto — his father's was a typical jazz kissa while his mother's was more of an artistic gallery and kissa combination — so he grew up amid the scents and accoutrements of coffee.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); the name of his company — Kurasu — is a romanized rendition of the Japanese word for "to live," or "lifestyle." It is a multifaceted business one that combines an online shop specializing in Japanese coffee equipment and brewing accessories a monthly coffee subscription service featuring domestic partner roasters brick-and-mortar cafes in Kyoto and Singapore and