wamhouse-column

[wamhouse-column]

『リリイベ』

先日フィロソフィーのダンスのリリースイベントに行ってきました。

8/31発売のシングル「イッツ・マイ・ターン」&「ライブ・ライフ」のリリースイベントで 会場は新宿マルイメンの屋上。 仕事終わりに行ったので2部のみの参加となってしまいましたが なんと開始直前の雷の影響でミニライブは中止、、、。 この日の特典会はメンバーがファンの似顔絵を描いてくれるというもの。 ライブは中止になってしまいましたが せっかくきたので特典会に参加し 十束おとはちゃんに似顔絵を描いてもらいました。

今回のリリースイベントでは握手・チェキ会以外にも たくさん面白い催しがありました。 ・チア衣装でストレス社会で戦っている貴方を応援する会(応援メッセージ動画撮影) ・猫耳つけてにゃんこにゃんこなセリフを言ってもらえる会 ・ギャルやバブリー衣装のメンバーが登場する会 などなど。

リリイベ特設サイトも開設されていて それがなんと懐かしの”魔法のiランド”。 「イッツ・マイ・ターン/ライブ・ライフ」リリースイベント特設サイト 懐かしすぎるwww

曲はとても良いので、ぜひ聴いてみてください。 (フィロソフィーのダンス)

「イッツ・マイ・ターン」&「ライブ・ライフ」は オリコンデイリー1位を獲得したり 年末から全国ツアーの開催が発表されたり これからもフィロソフィーのダンスから目が離せない夏2018でした。

#703

[wamhouse-column]

DIY始めました ( 1 )

カラーボックスを本棚として使っていたのですが、本の重みによるゆがみがひどいので、ちゃんとした本棚を探してみました。 ・本を入れてもゆがまない ・高さが低い(圧迫感がない) ・天板がフラット(ものが置けるように) という条件のものを探したのですが、なかなか合ったものが見つからないので、自分で作ってしまおうということになりました。 ただ、いきなり本棚はハードルが高いので、とりあえずケーブルボックスを作ってみることにしました。 作業工程は ・板を買う ・板の切断 ・板をつなぐための溝を掘る ・組み立て になります。

ということで板を買いました。

パイン集成材という種類で、小さい板を接着剤でくっつけて大きくした板だそうです。よく見るとつなぎ目が見えます。

この後、ジグソーで切断する予定です。

ではでは

#こうへー

[wamhouse-column]

Event Report: Tokyo Idol Festival 2018 8.2.18

Thanks to Tokyo’s crazy heatwave and who knows what else, my body has been a bit of a mess recently. But it’s stable enough today that I feel like I can handle a little adventure, so I’m headed to TIF!! I’m sad I missed Fudanjuku’s only performances yesterday, but since we couldn’t go last year I’m just glad to be there if only for a bit. 11:57 AM - 4 Aug 2018

bad news: only like 3 groups I want to see are performing today actually extremely good news: only like 3 groups I want to see are performing today 12:25 PM - 4 Aug 2018

Hellooooooodaiba! Not as flattering as the photo I usually take when I get to TIF, but I’m in a hurry so I got off at Fune-no-kagakukan station instead of the usual Tokyo Telecom Center since there’s a new, alternative place to pick up wristbands this year. 12:39 PM - 4 Aug 2018

Can’t find the alternative wristband location so I’m giving up and going back to the one I’m used to!! The Hoopers’ ice cream collab starts soon! 12:45 PM - 4 Aug 2018

AAAA got my wristband and made it to the line to get Dippin’ Dots from Cecil/Noa/Lee/Tsubasa!!!! They just walked by and are VERY CUTE!!!!! 12:52 PM - 4 Aug 2018

Lee said my hair looks like blue Hawaii (a shaved ice flavor) and Cecil is absolutely drenched in sweat already, I love them. 1:10 PM - 4 Aug 2018

The line thinned out faster than I thought it would so I ended up going through two more times and got Dippin’ Dots for two friends resting in the shade. Lee and I talked about lizards because she’s wearing an earring shaped like a gecko? Cecil seems to be resting her voice, I hope she’s feeling okay... Noa gave me a spoon very cutely....... I am consistently in awe of how straight Tsubasa’s teeth are? 1:23 PM - 4 Aug 2018

I went to go buy water and take a picture of a Fudanjuku autograph but then got distracted on the way back and bought more Dippin’ Dots but forgot water. 2:03 PM - 4 Aug 2018

Now up on Sky Stage!!!! Absolutely melting but still one of the absolute coolest places ever to watch an idol performance. 2:04 PM - 4 Aug 2018

AHHHHH OH MY GOD that was... maybe one of the best Hoopers performances I’ve ever seen I’m so emotional, we were really close and ZUCCHAN!!!! WAS BACK!!!!! Cecil and Zucchan were on our side of the stage a lot and I yelled so loud even though I don’t usually do calls for Hoops much??? 2:51 PM - 4 Aug 2018

I am positively a tomato in spite of sunscreen but I have zero regrets. 2:56 PM - 4 Aug 2018

I just remembered that when I went through the Dippin’ Dots line for the 4th time Noa was like “how many have you eaten :D” and I was like “THIS IS JUST THE SECOND I SWEAR I gave two to friends!” By the way, a fan acquaintance ate SIX. 3:19 PM - 4 Aug 2018

Made it to the front row with friends for the second Hoops live!!! Extremely worth it even if it meant squeezing between a million smelly, sweaty people!!! Haruki had a million watt smile, she looked like she was having so much fun. 4:57 PM - 4 Aug 2018

I am so, so happy that Zucchan got to perform with The Hoopers again and that I got to see it!!! There is so much love between all of them and it makes me so happy to watch... I really adore them. 4:59 PM - 4 Aug 2018

While I was resting in the Diver City food court, I got to see a couple of my favorite Cecil oshi acquaintances and also an idol friend! And maybe another member of the group she’s in? I should probably learn the other members with the frequency I run into this friend. 5:54 PM - 4 Aug 2018

Waiting for Maison book girl now, a foreign fan holding an Empire shirt just pulled out his phone and took a picture of the current act. Please don’t do that. 6:01 PM - 4 Aug 2018

Uh, unexpected reaction to seeing MBG for the first time in a long time was getting choked up to Okaeri Sayonara because I still love Coshoji so much and I feel guilty for not having supported her much in the past couple years???? Anyway it was really good, I’m just an emotional weiner. 6:27 PM - 4 Aug 2018

I was torn between seeing Nichome no Sakigake Coming Out and PASSPO☆ but it’s probably my last chance to see the latter since they’re disbanding in September, so... 6:36 PM - 4 Aug 2018

The increase of female fans since I started coming to Tokyo Idol Festival in 2012 is approximately my favorite thing. 6:39 PM - 4 Aug 2018

Idols are for Everyone 2k18 6:41 PM - 4 Aug 2018

I have a headache but I’m back up on Sky Stage and laying in the grass and life is good. 6:56 PM - 4 Aug 2018

I am. Extremely not okay after PASSPO☆. I feel like someone threw my heart off the roof this building??? My throat hurts so much from it tightening as I tried not to cry. They’ve been appearing at TIF since it started in 2010 and this is the last time before they disband and everyone just like.. was trying so so hard but looked heartbroken and there was such a heavy feeling among the audience too... I’m only the most casual PASSPO☆ fan and this messed me up bad… I’m going to miss them a lot. 7:57 PM - 4 Aug 2018

The first three songs they sang were all really emotional ones and the second one had lyrics about not crying… Afterwards Anya was like “It’s ok, we won’t cry today” but you could tell everyone wanted to. 7:58 PM - 4 Aug 2018

I’m emotional over the passing of time and how much has changed since my first TIF, how many groups have disbanded, how many are disbanding soon... pretty much every group Fudanjuku has had a strong connection with over the years... I don’t want to take any time with them for granted. 8:01 PM - 4 Aug 2018

I remember meeting a French Fudanjuku fan friend for the first time in an elevator coming up here to watch Uramasa and Renji interview Cheeky Parade and lyrical school on this little patch of grass in 2012!! I hope the video’s still on YouTube, it was really good. 8:08 PM - 4 Aug 2018

Stopped by the Snack Umeko talk show because Cecil alluded to possibly appearing again this year (probably tomorrow if at all, but oh well) and ex-Afilia Saga Louise and Yukafin were here asking why the Afilia little sister groups they produce (Iketeru Hearts, etc) weren’t invited this year. 8:35 PM - 4 Aug 2018

Ahh I’m glad I stayed til the end of the talk show, it cheered me up post-PASSPO☆! There were a couple of groups and then several members from various groups and they chose whoever’s least good at singing to do karaoke and have a professional voice instructor give them tips. 9:21 PM - 4 Aug 2018

One girl was so shy and embarrassed about singing that she ended up crying, so an idol from another group gave her a big pep talk about how the most important thing about being an idol is your spirit! This other idol then did fairly off-key but extremely enthusiastic karaoke and was met with laughter and tons of applause. Idols are good. 9:25 PM - 4 Aug 2018

Headed home now. After missing 2017, I’m glad I was able to make it this year, if only for a day. It was weird to not see my favorite group, and even more so not to see my favorite graduated member of that group, as she’s always been really involved with TIF and appeared a lot last year, even after graduating. But I’m still thankful I got to see the performances I did. TIF is always one of my favorite parts of summer. 9:30 PM - 4 Aug 2018

#Liz

[wamhouse-column]

Event Report: FUDAN10KU LIVE 10th Anniversary Special ~Summer! Water! Live Band! A Music Festival Under the Blue Sky’s Light in Osaka~ 7.21.18

Having entered their 10th year of activities in September of 2017, danso (girls dressed as boys) idol group Fudanjuku have missed no chance celebrate the occasion, starting the year off with an outdoor concert at Hibiya’s Yaon concert hall followed by a three-part countrywide tour. This third leg of their concert series included something special-- a big outdoor concert supported by a live band and including… water?? With only the concert title to go off of, I and others had a lot of questions leading up to the actual performance, but with Fudanjuku as the headliners, we knew we were in for a good time.

On a broiling hot summer day a half hour north of Osaka, we trekked to the enormous Hattori Ryokuchi park, passing massive modern art fountains and huge patches of green until we reached the entrance to the open air concert hall.

Doors to the venue opened at noon even though the live itself was scheduled for 4pm. We arrived around 2pm in an effort to not fully liquify due to heat by the time the concert started. We were told that no re-entry was allowed and offered salty candy, a staple during Japanese summers, on the way in. The concert hall was surrounded by concrete walls on all sides which trapped heat and somehow made it even hotter within the venue than it was outside of it. As fans milled around chatting with each other, a massive screen hanging above the stage played Fudanjuku concert DVDs, first of their 2017 Nakano Sun Plaza concert and later of the 10th anniversary concert in Hibiya Yaon.

At the top of the seating area was a stretch of grass that included the goods table, a place to reserve CDs, a booth for participating in the chuusenkai (lottery raffle, using tickets you received from goods and CD purchases) and a tent spraying mist onto the several people who were camping out around it. On the opposite side of the venue from the entrance was a food truck serving various Fudanjuku-themed items like shaved ice in member colors and yakisoba named after one of their singles. We grabbed some snacks and settled in to wait.

Shortly after 3pm, The Hoopers took the stage as the opening act. Originally established as Fudanjuku’s “little brother” group, The Hoopers made their major debut on a different label than their predecessors and the two have only managed to collaborate a handful of times, so it was wonderful to be able to see them at the same event again! The members were wearing airy white blouses and started off their set with energetic songs “Go! Go! Dance ga Tomaranai” and “New World.” Next up was “Romeo,” performed by The Hoopers’ subunit, Four Roses. All members came back on stage to perform their newest single, “Jewel no Kodou ga Kikoeru ka?” and Fudanjuku fans were happy to join in with the song’s furicopy (copying the members’ arm movements.) The Hoopers thanked the audience for welcoming them so warmly, and generously plugged their concert the following day, also taking place in Osaka. (I’m pleased to report that several Fudanjuku fans bought day-of tickets and attended!)

There was a bit of a break for everyone to rehydrate, and then it was time for the main act. One by one, members of the live band took the stage… all of them, women in danso. It suited all of them so well I wouldn’t have been shocked if you told me that they always perform like that. As the opening riffs of the first song started, Fudanjuku took the stage dressed in red and white striped outfits like Osaka’s famous clown mascot, Kuidaore Taro. Fudanjuku are always wonderfully goofy and silly so these outfits were super cute, even if maybe not the most flattering.

The first few songs started off with a burst of energy, with “Taiyou Mitai na Kimi ga Suki” and Fudanjuku’s quintessential summer song “Muteki Natsu Yasumi.” We didn’t have to wait long to find out what the “water” aspect of the live would be, as four massive cannons attached to the stage began periodically blasting in time with the music, firing arcs of water high above the audience.

From where I was sitting, the sun passing through the mist in the air painted an incredible rainbow over the members from one end of the stage to the other. At the group’s outdoor concerts in Hibiya’s Yaon in both 2012 and 2017, fans made an enormous rainbow in the audience for the members, so getting to see a completely real rainbow over the group as they performed their first outdoor concert in Osaka made me super emotional! It really felt like a scene out of a movie. Former Fudanjuku member Kyan Chiaki (FKA Bukiya Momotaro) managed to snap some photos from where she was seated:

In addition to blasts of water from four cannons attached to the stage, members took turns running two at a time into the audience and spraying everyone with big water guns several times. Next up was towel-swinging seasonal song “Cocktail on the Beach” followed by upbeat “Ore no Sora,” “Kazamidori” and “This Is Love.”

There was a quick MC where one of the group’s newest members, Kuryu Masaki, was suspiciously absent. The others left the stage to prepare for the next song, and Masaki reappeared first in a flattering and handsome white and black outfit-- holding an electric violin. He lifted it to his chin and began playing the intro to “Moshimo Kore ga Koi Nara,” much to the audience’s delight. The other members joined him in the same cool outfits for the rest of the song, and continued into “Danso Revolution,” “Welcome to my Familia” and “Shunkan Tourai Future.”

After every few songs, the members would pause to rehydrate and encourage everyone to do the same, which prompted Fujimori Leo to initiate a venue-wide kanpai (cheers) among everyone’s water bottles, sports drinks, and the occasional alcohol. The setlist had a lot of similarities to what they’ve been using at other stops on their current tour, but between the water effects, members periodically running into the audience, and really creative visuals tailored specifically to each song being projected on the screen above the stage, it was a totally unique and immersive concert.

The guitarist switched out her electric for an acoustic for some relaxing versions of down-tempo “Hoshikuzu no Namida” and “Bokura no Arukumichi.” Around this time was another costume change, this time into cute and fun baseball uniform-style shirts in member colors with their names on the back. Energy ramped up again for “Daikoukai Boy,” “Eye of the Typhoon,” “Galileo ~Procyon wo Koete~,” and “Onaji Jidai ni Umareta Wakamonotachi.” The group’s most recent single, “Kimi Iroiro Utsuri,” suited the live band and summer energy especially well.

Water effects had also been in full effect during these few songs but I thought we’d already received the worst of it, until Seto Kouki was given control a high-powered water hose during the last song, “Arata naru Makuake no tame no Makuake ni yoru Kyoushikyoku ~Kimi ga Ireba Oretachi mo Egao Mugendai~.” As Fudanjuku fans may know, Kouki loves the ink-spraying Nintendo game series, Splatoon. Kouki really, really loves Splatoon. Kouki did not hold back as he used his acquired Splatoon skills and accuracy to thoroughly, completely drench several hundred audience members. Something about being soaked to the core by a member of one’s favorite group manning a firehouse makes it difficult to contain one’s laughter, and I found myself in hysterics as members did a last lap of the audience, taking GoPro selfies with soggy fans all the while.

I managed to find a dry corner of t-shirt to dry my glasses on before the encore, which included a cover of the permanent-hiatus female idol version of Fudanjuku, Nakano Fujoshi Sisters’ “tomorrow” and upbeat but bittersweet “Jaa, ne.” The members left the stage but were soon called back on for a double encore, inviting The Hoopers members to join them for another performance of the groups’ collaboration song made for their tour together last summer, “Kiratto Love.” After everyone left the stage, a final announcement on screen revealed that it wouldn’t be long before Fudanjuku’s next outdoor concert-- the final performance in the group’s 10th anniversary tours will be held at Hibiya Yaon on September 24th, with the setlist decided by fans!

Fans began streaming out of the venue, and in my sweaty, soggy state I felt immense relief I’d be able to head back to my hotel room and shower instead of boarding a bullet train as-is to head back to Tokyo. I’ve seen more Fudanjuku concerts than I can count at this point, but this one was easily in the top 5. It was absolutely one of their most creative performances, and really next-level fun for both fans and members alike. I’ve laughed through a lot of Fudanjuku concerts but never because I was being pelted with rocket-powered water. I’m looking forward to the DVD, but I sure have my fingers crossed that me looking like a drowned rat and beaming like an idiot doesn’t show up in the recording.

#Liz

[wamhouse-column]

Event Report: The Hoopers 9th Single - Tower Records Shibuya, 6.26.18

One of my favorite groups, The Hoopers, have had an eventful several months. The group’s leader Makoto graduated in February, and just as they had begun acclimating to having 7 members instead of 8, it was announced that popular member Haruki would suspend her activities indefinitely due to poor health. The group continued doing their best with 6 members, but had definitely entered a period of uncertainty.

Then in April, the group released a YouTube video with a big announcement. Shibuya Azuki, a member of seiyuu (voice actor) idol group i☆Ris, would join the group as a temporary member for their 9th single, “Jewel no Koudou ga Kikoeru ka?” i☆Ris’ image is pretty much opposite to The Hoopers’, but after undergoing a major image change a few years ago, Zucchan began embodying an ikemen joshi (handsome girl) style offstage and in other work, like modeling for genderless fashion brand KINGLY MASK. I knew she was a fan of groups like The Hoopers and their predecessors Fudanjuku and I’d become a fan of hers in spite of not knowing a lot about i☆Ris, but it felt like a weird dream that this individual idol I admired would join a group I loved so much, even if only temporarily!

Because of her activities with her main group, Zucchan was only able to participate in 3 of the many pre-release and release week events, so I knew I didn’t want to miss this rare chance to see her on stage alongside The Hoopers.

My mother was in town visiting, and though she often asks about my favorite idols and has come to two Fudanjuku events with me, she had yet to make it to a Hoopers event with me. We met up after work on Tuesday and headed to Tower Records in Shibuya. The huge yellow building houses a livehouse in the basement that seems to be especially popular for “flying get” events-- ones held the evening before a new album or single’s official release day when fans can grab their new CDs a bit early.

We were told when we got in that all the seiriken (entrance tickets) had already been distributed, but I knew that didn’t necessarily mean a full house. A trend I’ve noticed among Hoopers fans is that lots of folks will stand in line to receive entrance tickets several times and only use the one with the lowest number, so I was pretty confident we could still make it inside. Sure enough, the venue was only about ⅔ full, with plenty of space towards the back for my (much taller than the average Hoopers fan) mother and I to stand without blocking anyone’s view.

The minilive portion included rock Shamrock, the new single’s upbeat coupling song Clear Sky and fan favorite New World. Before leading into the title song of the new single, dance leader Lee had a special set of instructions of audience participation. Unlike other Hoopers songs, Jewel no Kodou Kikoeru ka? asks fans to turn off and stow their penlights for takeoff and landing and perform furikopi (fans mimicking artist choreography) with their bare hands. The motions included waving some finger guns around, throwing fists in the air, and pointing at your favorite member, all of which were easy enough for even a furikopi-impaired fan like myself.

As the minilive wrapped up, lead singer Mirai referenced the recent announcement that Haruki would be participating in events again from July. She acknowledged that everyone must be impatient to see her, and said that she was too, and that she wanted us to see Haruki soon, too. “You all want to see her, right?” she asked. Of course, the audience emphatically answers yes. She asked again, and the calls of “we want to see her!” were even louder. Finally Haruki, dressed in casual clothes, emerged from backstage to cheers and a handful of sobs. Her first appearance since the announcement of her break, which included a complete social media silence since the end of February!

Zucchan and the other members welcomed her back, and Haruki apologized for making everyone worry. She joked that she wants to hug, kiss, and push everyone who worried about her onto a bed. (Spicy.) MC specialist Sena questioned if that’s a good choice for someone still in recovery, but Haruki seemed undeterred. Zucchan and Haruki traded some meaningful hugs, with Haruki thanking Zucchan for holding her spot and Zucchan saying that what she’d really wanted was to perform alongside Haruki, too. Since Zucchan wouldn’t be able to participate in another event until the very last one, she joked that she would lend her costume to Haruki if it weren’t already sweaty. But oh, what’s this…? From offstage, Zucchan produces… another costume, for Haruki? It’s announced that Haruki will rejoin the group for the remainder of the week’s events, including the final event at which Zucchan would also appear, once again bringing their member count up to 8. The members poke fun at Mirai (who’s very close with Haruki) who has been crying basically the entire time, and the event comes to a conclusion in preparation of the attraction-kai (the portion of the event including handshakes, photos, etc.)

This event’s attraction-kai included handshakes, photos taken on your phone, and a personalized autograph session on the new CDs. At the members’ and fans’ request, Haruki was permitted to participate in the handshake even though she was in plain clothes and the staff had obviously not planned for it. It was a really nice surprise for everyone to be able to welcome her back personally!

The highlight for me was being able to take a picture with The Hoopers-- and my mom! The Hoopers offer fans a pretty unique option of taking photos solo, or with up to three friends. One picture for each person, so if 4 people take a photo all at once, they get 4 photos essentially for the price of one! Definitely recommended to team up with other fans if you can. Anyway, sitting down for the photos with my mom and hearing all of the members go, “Mama? Mama!!” at her was absolutely adorable, and she even ended up with Mirai’s arm around her during one of the photos. But, like mother like daughter, we both share Cecil as our favorite, which I made sure to tell Cecil during our autograph session. (Cecil raised her arms in excitement and then said, “Oops, I can’t finish your autograph like this!” and continued writing.)

I’m extremely fortunate to have a mom who not only approves of my idol habit but is intrigued enough in my hobbies to come check them out for herself, and I felt lucky to be able to share these memories with her! It was a particularly emotional event for a lot of people, and I’m definitely glad I could attend.

#Liz

[wamhouse-column]

How to buy Japanese CDs from abroad

The very first Japanese CD I ever purchased was a Pokemon Meowth’s Party mini CD in a cardboard sleeve at New York City’s Kinokuniya bookstore at approximately age 11. The second was T.M.Revolution’s Coordinate at an anime convention he attended as a guest in 2003.

Excellent album of songs I didn’t hear live because Mom wouldn’t let me stay at the convention past the opening act. :(

Fast-forward several years, and I found myself enamored with Jpop girl groups, first Morning Musume soon followed by AKB48. New to the scene and fairly clueless, I relied on generous friends and forum download links to acquire the music I was falling head over heels for. But things have changed a lot since 2009, and it’s easier than ever to get your hands on physical or digital copies of the music you want with the added bonus of supporting the idols you like! It can be hard to know where to start, so I want to look at some of the options I’ve had experience with, and some others I’ve heard good things about.

SHOPPING SITES

CDJapan - When I lived overseas, this was my go-to for access to idol CDs. They offer a bunch of shipping and payment options, a rewards program, song samples and bonuses like preorder and first press rewards (photos, postcards, etc.) The shipping can get a little pricey if you choose the faster and more reliable options, so if you’re ordering several CDs with varying release dates, it’s best to wait until they’re all on sale so they can ship together!

HMV - HMV is generally comparable to CDJapan in selection, preorder bonuses and rewards programs, but with a few big differences. As the partnership between Japan’s convenience store empire Lawson and HMV has strengthened in the past few years, it seems like HMV Japan’s English page has gotten more accommodating to English speakers living in Japan than those overseas. For addresses outside Japan, EMS is the only shipping method and PayPal isn’t accepted. But if you’re an idol fan living in Japan who doesn’t want to decode all-Japanese sites, this is a great resource AND you can receive and use points with your Lawson Ponta rewards card.

Amazon.co.jp - Amazon.co.jp is, embarrassingly, easily my most-used online shopping service here in Japan, but I’ve recently discovered that Amazon Global can be a solid way to buy idol CDs, photobooks and DVDs even from overseas! During my test purchase, it looked like a base shipping rate of ¥950 for 1 CD, with an increase of ¥350 for each additional CD, making it the most competitive shipping rate out there. (Your prices may vary.) The selection is more limited than music-focused sites but it’s worth a look if you’re into mainstream, popular groups.

Mandarake - Secondhand collectibles chain Mandarake has a surprisingly extensive English (and Spanish, Russian, Italian…) site where you can sift through a treasure trove of idol CDs, photos, goods, and who knows what else. Obviously not the most reliable for new releases, but if you’re like me and enjoy searching for old, rare, vintage idol treasures, it’s pretty great. Oh, minus the occasional questionable name or group translation. Why are most Dempagumi.inc items listed as “Propogation.inc?” An unsolved mystery. Shipping is a flat ¥2000 for packages up to 500g and then increases incrementally by weight. (A typical CD is roughly 100g, for reference!)

YesAsia - I’ve known about YesAsia since before I even got into idols, and it’s generally reliable with a pretty extensive music selection, even including older and harder to find CDs. One big difference you’ll find is a markup reflected in item prices themselves, with the trade-off being that it’s pretty easy to qualify for free international standard shipping at orders over $39 (at the time of writing.) They accept PayPal, but all payments are only accepted in US dollars.

PROXY AND OTHER SHOPPING SERVICES

ZenMarket - You may not always be able to find what you’re looking for through foreigner-friendly online shops, but you’ve still got options! Shopping, forwarding and proxy services are all worth a try. ZenMarket is a shopping service with one of the lowest service fees on the market (¥300 per item) that will purchase items for you directly from Japanese online stores and even bid on auctions on your behalf.  I admittedly had some difficulty finding what I was looking for due to the autotranslation into English in the built-in marketplace, so I’d recommend using Japanese search terms if you can.  ZenMarket will also buy for you from online shops outside of their affiliates, which is great for idol goods sold directly through the agency or record label! Plus, no additional fee to combine multiple orders.

Tenso Japan - If you’ve got a bit of confidence in your ability to navigate Japanese web shops but just lack a Japanese shipping address, a service like Tenso is a huge help. Signing up assigns you a real Japanese address to send your goods to, after which Tenso will forward your packages straight to you when you’re ready. They charge a small fee to combine multiple orders and accept credit cards, PayPal and Alipay.

A Tenso address is also an excellent thing to have if you’re visiting Japan for a short time. Say you come out to make it to your favorite group’s concert, but then find that the only way to get a handshake ticket to meet them after the show is to reserve their upcoming single that comes out weeks after you leave Japan. What do you put in the address field?? You could beg a random stranger to let you use their address, make up something fake and let it be lost to the ether, or make a reasonable choice and have it sent to your Tenso address when it’s released. Much less stressful.

Buyee - Though Tenso is exclusively a shipping service, they also have their own proxy site, Buyee.  They’re affiliated with lots of Japanese webshops and have a built-in Yahoo! Auctions browser, and have even developed a browser extension to make shopping on over 150 sites easier. They have a 0% service fee on the big shopping sites Yahoo! Shopping, Rakuten and Amazon.co.jp, and a 5% charge on auctions and other shopping sites. Lots of shipping methods, but not the cheapest options out there.

FromJapan - [grandpa voice] Back in my day, we didn’t have all these new-fangled proxy services and shipping sites with reasonable commission rates and shipping options! We took what we could get, and what we could get was an item that ended up about 3 times its original price after processing and shipping from FromJapan! No but really, FromJapan’s been around for years and has served me well, and though I definitely have memories of them being pretty expensive, it looks like competition has driven them to lower prices! Their current rate is ¥700/order for buyer protection, and ¥300/order for basic forwarding, which is much more reasonable than I remember.

Do you have experience using any of these services, or maybe even others? Let us know in the comments!

Stay tuned for part 2 of this article, highlighting some options for digital enjoyment as well as where to look for CDs when you come visit Japan!

#Liz

[wamhouse-column]

『自作PCを組んで見たvol.3』

十束おとはちゃんに影響されてはじめた自作PC。 ついにOSのインストールも終えて自作PCライフを楽しんでいます。

今回購入したパーツはこちら

色々回った結果TSUKUMO eX. さんで購入。 秋葉原の気になっていた大きな黒いビルがまさかPCパーツ屋さんだったとは、、、！

結果としておとはすが使っているパーツと同じものは一つもなく ケースだけ色違いを購入。

さらにおとはちゃんも用意していたドスパラのパーツの犬も購入。

静電気がとっても怖いので静電気防止手袋も入ってて助かりました。

あとはおとはちゃんが用意するものとして書いていた

＼折れない心／

これはもう作業中何度も折れかけました。 が、おとはちゃんが書いていたのでそこを常に意識したおかげで なんとか完成まで漕ぎ着けました。 （おとはすブログに書いておいてくれてありがとう。。。)

まずはPCケースを組み立てて マザーボードにCPUとCPUファン、メモリをつけます。

マザーボードかっこいい！！！

CPUをそーっとはめて、グリスを塗って

(これ、結果量が多すぎて、取り付け直した時に一度全部拭き取りました涙)

CPUファンを取り付けます。

開封してからここまでで約2時間経過、、、 予想以上に時間がかかりました。

CPUファンが結構固い。 固いというか、結構力入れないとうまくはまらなかった、、、。 ドライバーでネジを止める作業も慣れていないから結構大変。 この時点で一度心が折れかけました。。。

次にメモリをカチャっとはめて

(なかなかカチャっとはまらず心が折れた深夜2:30。 そんな時にタイミングよく社長から 703マウスのこだわりに気づいてくださったLINEが届いて 気づいてもらえて嬉しくて元気を取り戻しました笑）

マザーボードをケースに入れて

配線作業！

最初は恐る恐るピンにさしていたので なかなかコツがつかめず最後まで刺さりきってない感じがあったのですが 途中からコツがつかめて時間かからずにさくっと配線作業を終えました。

一番かっこいいかつ一番奮発したグラボをさして

(最初このキャップの存在に気づかず、なかなかささらなくて焦りました)

SSDとHDDを設置して完成！

⊂( ˆoˆ )⊃電源ON!!!━☆ﾟ.*・｡

光ったー！

BIOS無事起動したー！！やったー！！！ (カーテンの外から射す光が明るいぞ、、、)

問題なくついた！！！と感激していたのですが、、、

BIOS設定を色々見ていたらメモリが片側しか認識されていないことに気づきました。 とりあえず刺し直してみたのですが、今度は

「シグナルが検出されません」

の文字が、、、 ここまでおとはすと一緒なの！？ そこまでおそろいは求めてないよ！！？ と焦りましたが、結局メモリがうまくはまっていなかっただけでした。 一安心。 （ymmt大先生に相談したり、不安すぎてツクモさんの相談窓口までパーツ一式持っていくまでしました汗)

OSのインストールも無事終えて 諸々ドライバーもインストールして HDDも使えるようにして ようやく自作PCライフのスタートを切りました。

今回自作PCを作ってみて ネタになればいいかなーと思い挑戦した自作PC作りでしたが パーツ構成を考えるのも最初はよくわからなかったのですが 色々調べていくうちに自分が使いたいソフトの必要構成を理解することが出来たり 知識が深まっていく過程がとても楽しかったですし 組んでる最中心は何度も折れかけましたが だんだん完成に近づいていくにつれて形になっていくのが面白くて 結果楽しく組むことが出来ましたし 念願のデスクトップPCも手に入れることが出来て (予算を大幅オーバーしてしまったのは痛いですが、、、) 大きなモニターでマリオテニスエースで遊んだり モーニング娘。のMVをみたり Photoshopで写真いじったり wordpressいじったり 充実した自作PCライフを送れているので 挑戦してみて本当に良かったと思いました。

おとはちゃんのブログに 「想像してた以上にわくわくしてとても楽しかった」 と書いてあったのですが 本当に想像してた以上にわくわくしてとても楽しかったと思いました。

長々と読んで頂きありがとうございました！ 最後に自作PC作りのBGMに聞いていた 先日公開された フィロソフィーのダンス / ダンス・ファウンダーのMVを置いておきます。

#703

[wamhouse-column]

『eスポーツ』

自作PC作ってみた篇の途中ですが、、、

秋葉原の書泉ブックタワー9Fイベントスペースにて行われた 『eスポーツマガジン　Vol.2』発売記念　十束おとはさん＆はつめさん　トークショー・サイン会に参加してきました。

今回のイベントはフィロソフィーのダンスの十束おとはちゃんが出演するイベントということもあって参加を決めたのですが 自作PCを組むことにしてからPCゲームに興味が出てきていたタイミングだったので とても楽しくお話を聞くことができました。

プロゲーマーであるはつめさんはストリートファイターVの大会に世界を飛び回って出場しているそうなのですが まずゲームの大会が年間を通して様々な大会でポイントを稼いで 最終的にそのポイントの上位プレイヤーで優勝者を競うような規模だということを初めて知りました。

さらにはつめさんは専門学校の講演会に登壇して SNSの使い方などのネットリテラシーに関する講演なども行なったりしているそうです！ プロゲーマーという職業に関してはざっくりと ”企業の協賛を受けてゲームの大会に出場しているゲームが強い人” みたいに思っていたので、幅広い活動をしていることに驚きました。

このイベントをうけて ストリートファイターVやPUBGも気になったのですが とりあえずFortniteを始めてみようと思います。

トークショー後にはサイン会がありました。 はつめさんのお話を聞いて 小学生の頃にスーパーファミコンでストリートファイターをやっていた事を思い出して久々にストリートファイターをプレイしたくなった事をお伝えしたら まずはぜひプレイ動画を見てみてくださいと仰っていたので 帰宅して早速プレイ動画を見て見ました。

ストリートファイターやってましたーな��て恥ずかしくて言えるレベルじゃなかった。。。

今まで"eスポーツ"という言葉は聞いた事あったのですが 具体的にどういうものかがわからなかったので 今回のイベントで"eスポーツ"について少し知ることが出来たイベントでした。

今回のこのイベントが行われた会場の書泉ブックタワーは JR秋葉原駅昭和通り改札口出て右を向くとすぐにみえるビルです。

そのビルに向かって進み、信号を渡るとすぐ到着するので 迷わずにたどり着けました。

東京メトロ日比谷線5番出口から出るとすぐにビルがみえるみたいです。

この会場ではよく写真集の握手会 / サイン会なども行われているので アイドルヲタクが訪れる機会の多い会場の一つだと思います。

今回のイベントは元々おとはちゃん目当てで行ったイベントでしたが 結果的にプロゲーマーであるはつめさんや ゲームにもっと興味をもつきっかけになったので こうしたアイドルと異種格闘技(おとはす談)的なトークショーも 知らなかった世界を知ることが出来て面白いなと思いました。

#703

[wamhouse-column]

『自作PCを組んでみたvol.2』

フィロソフィーのダンス 十束おとはちゃんに影響されてはじめた自作PC。 まだBIOS設定やOSインストールを行なっていないのですが 無事電源がつきました👏

自作PC初心者はまずパーツの構成を考えるところから始めました。 おとはちゃんが使用しているパーツから徐々に自分仕様に変更していくことに。

まずはざっくり自分で考えて秋葉原に相談しに行きました。 おとはちゃんも相談しに行ったドスパラさんへ！ 「初心者で / adobe系のソフト使いたくて / ガチめじゃないけど軽くゲームもやりたいかも」 というざっくりとした条件をお伝えし、考えていた構成を見直してもらってその日はそれでおしまい。

見積をだしていただくのを忘れてしまったため 翌日地元のドスパラさんに行き見積を出してもらいました。

すると、モニターなどを含めた予算を20万と設定していたのに モニター /キーボード / マウス含んでいない状態で予算オーバー。。。

さらに予算オーバーしているのにも関わらず どうしても欲しいマウスを見つけてしまいました。

ロジクールのワイヤレスゲーミングマウス G703です。

名前だけで絶対これがいい！予算オーバーしても譲れない！と一目惚れ。 握った感じのフィット感も悪くなかったので、予算上限を上げることを決意しました。笑

買いに行く前にymmt大先生に見直してもらい最終決定したパーツをついに買いに行くことに！ (ymmtさん親身になって話聞いてくださってありがとうございました！) パーツを買いに行く前日は遠足の前日の子どものような気分でした。

気になっていたモニターが週末限定価格で安くなっていてラッキーだったり 週末は色々とセールがやっているみたいで 考えていた金額より少しお安く買えました。

長くなってきたので次回に続きます。

#703

[wamhouse-column]

new game *71歩

こんにちは。kaneiです。

最近『Don't Starve』というゲームにはまっています！

様々なプラットフォームで販売されている人気のゲームなのですが、任天堂スイッチ版は海外でしか販売されておらず･･･色々と手を尽くして、Lizにも協力してもらい何とか手に入れ、現在に至ります。

無人島でサバイバルをするゲームなのですが、単純なゲームシステムなのに奥が深く、遊んでいるといつの間にか数時間経っていた事も･･･ ゲームとして面白いだけではなく、デザインが可愛らしいところもGoodです！！

しばらくは抜け出せそうにないです。

#kanei

[wamhouse-column]

温泉(座間)

神奈川県座間市に温泉があったので行ってきました｡

相模原駅からバスでイオンモール座間にいきます。

今年の３月にオープンした、イオンモール座間。

関東地方で最大級だそうです。

イオンモールの近くに"野天湯元 湯快爽快 ざま"があります。

土曜日のお昼過ぎに行ったのですが､かなり混んでいました｡

平日に行くことをおすすめします｡

ではでは

#こうへー

[wamhouse-column]

『自作PCを組んでみた vol.1』

初めてPCを触ったのが3歳の時。 そして初めて自分専用のPCを手に入れたのが12歳の時。 ついに自作PCに手を出す日がきました。

初めて自分専用PCを手に入れてから今までずっとノートPCを使用していて 現在は2台目と4台目を自室で使用しつつ、3台目をリビングに置いて家族が自由に使える状態にしています。

今メインで使ってる子が会社のPCのスペックとは比べ物にならないため Photoshopを使うにせよAfterEffectsを使うにせよ 起動とか作業とか何から何まで遅くて、、、 (会社のPCを使うまではそれが”遅い”という事に気づきませんでした汗)

モニターをデュアルにしたいな、とか ライブDVDをみるための大きいモニターが欲しいな、とかも 何年も前から思い続けていたので そろそろデスクトップPCを新調しようかなと考えていました。 そんな時！ 最近はまっているアイドル フィロソフィーのダンスのおとはすこと十束おとはちゃんがこんなブログを更新してくれました。

アイドルが自作PC組んで見た。①

そしてその数日後に投下された動画。

自作PCちゃんキラキラ光って可愛い…愛しい…(配線は後ほど綺麗にします) pic.twitter.com/8vyBiQgagW

— 十束おとは@フィロソフィーのダンス (@ttk_philosophy)

2017年10月18日

これを見た瞬間に 「おとはすの真似して自作PC作りたい！！！！！」 と思ってしまいました。

でも自作PC大変そう、、、 失敗した時のリスク高そう、、、 やっぱりメー��ーPCが安定かな、、、 なんて色々自作する事に対してマイナス方面で考えていたのですが、、、

うちの会社にはymmt大先生がいらっしゃる事に気づきまして！！！

＼自作PC作っちゃう事にしました／

もう本当に急に組みたい！って思ったので おとはちゃんと同じように

・モニターなどすべて合わせて予算は20万円

という感じで目標を設定。 組むことを決めたのが年末〜年始でそこからとりあえず半年資金を貯めてようやく目処が立ってきたので とりあえずはおとはちゃんが使ってるパーツを基準に自分の用途にあったパーツに変更していこう！ とパーツの選定をはじめました。

一回自分で考えて→PCパーツ屋さんに相談にいって→ymmt大先生に相談して 遂に昨日アキハバラにて自作PCパーツを全て購入してきました！！！ 購入したパーツ類は明日届く予定なのでまた次回続きを書きたいと思います。

#703

[wamhouse-column]

Just the two of us.

It’s been an eventful few weeks!

Two weeks ago, I had my first experience being alone in the office, including opening and closing all by myself!  While my coworkers traveled to Fukuoka for work, I manned the fort from Thursday afternoon to Monday afternoon.  Though I had a bit of company:

This is my dog, Lychee!  I’m very lucky that he’s welcome here at wamhouse and able to come to work with me some days.  He has a lot of health problems, so it’s comforting to me to be able to be close to him, and I think he feels the same way!

Anyway, Lychee kept me company on Friday, and we enjoyed a bright, sunny office as I opened all the curtains and windows and played some happy music!  I felt super energetic and productive, it was very peaceful!  I also successfully received a package my boss had delivered to the office, but I was thankful I didn’t have to answer any phone calls.

It’s nice to be given responsibilities like this at work, and I hope I can continue doing a good job of taking care of the office if I’m alone again here in the future!

#Liz

[wamhouse-column]

『カラテア』

2月に枯れてしまったカラテアが復活していました！！！

枯れた葉っぱを取り除きしばらく断水をして休眠させて 4月頃から水やりを再開。 それでもなかなか回復する様子もなく一時はもうだめなのかと思っていましたが 先週末くらいに新しい芽が出ているのを発見し ついに今日出社したらきれいな葉をみることが出来ました！！！

今年の冬こそ枯らさないようにしたいです。。。

#703

[wamhouse-column]

『滝』

先日滝を見に行ってきました。 神奈川県足利上郡山北町にある「洒水の滝」です。

ここの水は名水百選に選ばれているそうで ペットボトルに水を汲んでいる人もいました。

いまこの記事を書いていて知ったのですが 洒水の滝は日本の滝百選に選ばれている滝だそうです。

道中にあった紫陽花もとっても綺麗でした。

#703

[wamhouse-column]

『完成』

先日のポーセラーツ レッスンで作成したお皿が完成しました！

かわいくておしゃれなカレー皿が欲しいという母の要望のもと作成したのですが 早速カレーはもちろんパスタや冷やし中華を食べるときに愛用しています。

今回のスカラップ模様は一部にしか施さなかったので 次回は一周スカラップ模様のお皿を作成したいです。

#703

[wamhouse-column]

Trying new things!

When I was in college, I spent a lot of time studying technical theater-- not acting and performing, but helping my school and fellow students put on performances from backstage.  I sometimes helped with set construction and as stage crew, and once I was the lighting operator for an entire show!

So I was really happy last weekend when I got a chance to experience operating LED visuals before a concert that wamhouse worked on.  Cueing concert visuals is pretty similar to cueing lights, but more fun because it’s matched to music!  It reminds me of a rhythm app game, which I’m not very good at, but I still like them anyway.  I hope I can get better at cueing visuals with more practice, and maybe operate the board myself someday!  I’d also love to learn AfterEffects and try designing visuals in the future, too.  I’m glad I found some new goals!

I’m looking forward to all the other new experiences and opportunities I’ll get thanks to wamhouse!

#Liz