Hatsune Miku's big North American tour is set to go live this April, and the Vocaloid superstar will be joined by one of the chiptune music scene's most well-known bands. If the first name that came to your mind was Anamanaguchi, you got it! They …Read more »
A sad day for fans of singer Mami Kawada. The crooner, who sang themes for anime like Shakugan no Shana and A Certain Magical Index , among others, announced on Sunday she is planning to retire this May after a final concert. Kawada, who was …Read more »
Legions of J-pop fans around Japan and the world were shocked Tuesday with the news of the possible break-up of SMAP, a boy band that’s been around for over 25 years. What’s the deal with SMAP and why are they calling it quits? SMAP is …Read more »
A 26-year-old man in Kyoto was arrested for possession of an illegal fake ID card, it was reported January 6. His motive for owning the card: to attend more AKB48 handshake events. Part of the charm (read: marketing gimmick) of idol group AKB48 is the …Read more »
What do Hawaii and Texas have in common (aside from having been independent nations before becoming states)? They are both set to host some rocking Japanese musical performances at upcoming cons, that’s what. Hawaii’s Kawaii Con will host GARNiDELia, the duo behind Kill la Kill …Read more »
One of the Japanese guests at this year’s Sac-Anime convention in Sacramento was not a director or voice actor, but one DJ Hitomi, a anime song (anison) DJ who spun tracks at the con’s late night raves. After a few failed attempts to cross paths …Read more »
Italian musician Paolo Tuci is making a habit of creating music videos inspired by 80's and 90's girl's cartoons. First he did one based on Jem and the Holograms , and now he's done a Sailor Moon video using his new single “Sailor Moon e …Read more »
Hatsune Miku Expo is heading west. The concert tour featuring the virtual idol has been on a roll since 2014, and it’s showing no sign of stopping. Miku and crew will idol their way to North America in spring 2016, making stops in Seattle, San …Read more »
Bakuman is the best live-action manga adaptation I’ve seen this year. Based on the manga by Death Note creators Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, Bakuman is the story of two high school students who team up to create a manga worthy of serialization in Shonen …Read more »
There are perhaps no more important 90 seconds in an anime series than its opening or ending theme song. Either setting the tone for the entire series to come or serving to wrap up episode after episode, the best opening and ending themes are destined …Read more »
Japanese rock duo VAMPS—consisting of Hyde, of solo fame and L'Arc-en-Ciel, and K.A.Z.—is getting ready to play the United States, with dates lined up for October 5 in Los Angeles and October 7 in San Francisco. The tour currently has Facebook , Twitter , and …Read more »
In July of last year, world-renowned musician Ryuichi Sakamoto was diagnosed with mesopharyngeal carcinoma . He had to cancel all of his ongoing work to undergo cancer treatment, including a position as both director and performer at the 2014 Sapporo International Arts Festival. Sakamoto's fame …Read more »
You might be familiar with all-girl J-rock group Gacharic Spin if you've heard one of the ending songs from Dragon Ball Z Kai , "Don't Let Me Down," which started running with the series in its 147th episode. Soon you'll be able to see them …Read more »
Sure, this weekend’s Anime Expo was the host of a KISS/Momoiro Clover Z concert (how was it, dudes?) but they’re not the only convention rocking all night and partying every day. This week Otakon announced they’ll host Japanese rock band BACK-ON at the Otakon Matsuri …Read more »
This year's J-Pop Summit looks to be bigger than ever. The event takes place Saturday and Sunday, August 8 and 9, at the historic Fort Mason Center in San Francisco's Marina district, and while we'll have to wait to find out what the second day …Read more »
Joseph Luster
Matt Schley
![[Interview] DJ Hitomi Breaks Down Borders with Anime Beats](https://otakuusamagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/hitomithumb.jpg)
Julian Gnam
