Mito Komon Ends!

One of Japan's longest running samurai drama series, Mito Komon has come to an end after 42 years of weekly broadcasting. The series is based on the real life character, Mito Mitsukuni, cousin of the Shogun and ruler of the Mito Domain. The old Mito Mitsukuni and two of his bodyguards roam the land incognito, righting wrongs as they go. The final scenes are always the same, a fight breaks out, the bodyguards, and often the old guy himself fight them off, until Mito Komon gives the word....
It's then that one of the bodyguards will then pull out the special crest of the ruling Tokugawa Clan, effectively announcing Mito Komon's true identity, to which the baddies all fall in line and kowtow before him, allowing him to mete out punishments and commend the do-gooders...
As is often the case, there's a scene where one of the lesser characters, a female ninja is caught in the bath.... For the final episode, old cast members were reunited for one final hurrah. It was almost sad to see the series end.

Goodbye Mito Komon,...guess we'll have to enjoy 42 years of repeats from now on,....

Earthquake Helicopter Rescue

I'll be doing a talk show with the leaders of the Helicopter Collective of Japan (HCJ) in mid-January. I was one of the volunteer pilots to help in the aftermath of the killer quake and tsunami that wiped out large swathes of north eastern Japan in March this year. We'll be addressing the issues we faced, and what can be done to prepare for future emergencies.

Samurai Talk Show

After completing my radio show, it was off to Atsuta for a talk show on Samurai heros of the local region with my friend Sagusa san. We've been friends since he joined the Japan Armour and Weapons research and Preservation Society about 8 years ago...
Meeting and greeting the members of the audience after the talk show....
After the hour long talk show, we caught up with other members of the society who came to watch our talk
Good job! we both had a bit of fun talking about the things we love most, samurai history, heroes and culture!

Today's fashion??

Live On Air in the ZIP-FM studios for my weekly Radio Orbit show. After the show, I'm off to a talk show near Atsuta Shrine, and don't have time to change...I'll slip into my samurai armour and swords waiting in my car, when I get there!

Bronco!

In the studio recording the voice over for a TV commercial for Steak House, Bronco Billy! The TV commercials can be seen across central Japan and Tokyo over the X-mas, New Years period!

Meat party

With friends and clients at our monthly meat eating party, celebrating our last gathering of the year! Here's to a meaty 2012!

Year End Party Time

Beer flows like the Kiso River at the Year End Parties,...being a non drinker, I order pitchers of cola to keep me going....
Tonight was a huge party for friends, clients and staff of a local production company...Cheers!

Nagakute's Tokugawa Rock

Out and about for more Japan Tourist articles, this time a quick trip to the old battlefield at Nagakute. First stop was the site where the bulk of the ferocious fighting took place, the battlefield marker above the museum, and the site of the massacre of the samurai general Ikeda and his troops...
After that, a quick trip to Iroganeyame, a national Historic site, and where Tokugawa Ieyasu set up his headquarters, and the rocks he covered in tiger skins to sit on and direct the battle can be seen.

BINGO!!

On stage at the Marriot Hotel to host a BINGO game for the doctors, nurses and staff of one of Nagoya's biggest hospitals. 800 staff were on hand to enjoy their X-mas, Year End party!

Guns 'n' Samurai

My friend's teppotai, samurai gunnery group recently celebrated their 20th anniversary with a matchlock gun demonstration on the old Nagashino Battlefield....
Each member in full armour shot off a number of volleys from their antique matchlock guns...
The noise and the smoke was terrific, and the event, about 30 minutes in all was well worth the hour and a half long drive to get there!
With the teppotai gunnery team. Some of the members came to Australia with me in 2006 and again twice in 2010 for demonstrations and events. Congratulations on 20 years!

Producers' role

Usually I work behind the mic or behind the camera. For a recent automotive parts manufacturer, roles were reversed and I produced the narration and soundtrack....

Working for once!

Oda Nobuhide's grave

Out and about taking photos and getting details for the Japan Tourist project,...visited Banshoji, a temple in Nagoya City central, where the grave of Oda Nobunaga's father, Nobuhide is located...
Banshoji Temple has a long and interesting history, look it up on the Japan Tourist website, japantourist.jp

Pottery International Marketing and PR talk.

Getting ready for a talk show on international marketing and publicity for the National Pottery Association In Nagoya recently....
Over 80 representatives from the pottery and ceramics industry stayed awake for a 90 minute presentation on why "Made In Japan" is a good thing, and how originality, quality, pride and marketing with a good story will sell their products.

Samurai ID.

Bought these Aijirushi at an antiques fair recently. Cost about $200 for the set seen here, but these are about 160 years old, and were owned by retainers of the Ikeda Clan of Kurashiki, modern day Okayama Prefecture. They were probably made just before the Meiji Revolution, circa 1868.
Samurai would wear these on their armour as identification. Samurai armour was rarely made as a uniform, and made to specification and choice of the wearer. For that reason it was hard to tell who was who in battle, therefore aijirushi came into being. One would be set on the left shoulder plates, one hung in front from the waist, one on the back of the helmet, and another on the back of the armour. They're relatively rare these days, and to get so many together and in such good condition is even rarer still!

Shrine Ceiling Art

A friend of mine, Iwata Sensei is currently painting the ceiling panels for a shrine in Inuyama.
He's done about 100 so far, and has another 200 to go to complete the entire shrines' ceilings. As they're all painted by hand, it takes him about 2 to 3 days to complete a panel....
The themes involve Japanese history and cultural icons, birds, fish, animals and plants. The shrine he's working on is just below Inuyama Castle. Visit any day to see the ceiling, and say G'day to Iwata Sensei too!

KOOZA

Just outside of the Nagoya Dome complex, Kooza, a special mime, acrobat circus has come to town...

The Kooza Big Top!

The show was absolutely fantastic! Kooza runs till late Jan. in Nagoya,...do yourself a favor, see Kooza!

Rob's art event

With Robert Moore, a local graphic artist holding his book launch and music art themed exhibition at Nagoya's Nadya Park complex.

Two Sword Style

At the Ito Martial Arts store near Nagoya Dome...

At last, they had a Daisho (Long sword, short sword) set of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu bokuto...wooden practice swords for the Enmei Ryu, or Two Sword style created by Miyamoto Musashi....

...and a bag to carry them in! All for about $150! HAPPY!

Ogaki Castle in the Rain

Went to Sekigahara to take pics, but it was pouring with rain! Did a U-Turn and headed back to Ogaki Castle, and guess what, by the time I'd found a carpark,...it started raining!

SAMURAI MAGAZINES

Recent purchases, 2 history related magazines, one about civil war period samurai, and another about Japanese castles,...all I need now is some time to enjoy reading them!

MAGAZINWE

PUBLIC SERVANT

At the Nagoya City Offices with Nishiura san of the Earthquake Relief Centre. I'll be one of the celebrity faces for the up coming charity events for children who have suffered through the quake in North East Japan. 40 children will be flown to Nagoya as guests of the city for a week of R&R away from the destruction around them. I'll be taking a group to look at the radio station. Big question is, why can't all public servants look like this?

CHARITY CHERRIES

Bought some cherries at the charity event the other night. For me cherries bring back memories of X-mas, as that's when they come out in Australia, and the only time Mum would buy them. Another memory is of making an emergency landing in the jungle of New Guinea during the Friendship Flight 2005 project, a helicopter flight between Australia and Japan,... the next day a rescue helicopter brought cherries along with water and tuna sandwiches for us!

YuM!

EARTHQUAKE CHARITY EVENT PT.1

In rehearsals for a charity event to aid victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan's North eastern regions. The event featured DJ's and TV announcers, most of whom originally came from the quake affected areas.
Prior to the show beginning all the announcers and DJs sold quake affected area produce in the lobby area...
I was main MC for the event, organised by former work partner P-KAN TV announcer Inaba San.
All announcers told folk stories or enacted skits from their native regions to entertain the 400 strong crowd.......

EARTHQUAKE CHARITY EVENT PT.2

Apart from being MC of the event, I also "performed" John Lennon's Imagine...I didn't sing, but accompanied by piano, slowly read the lyrics.....
During intermission all the announcers and talent sold quake affected area wares in the lobby area... and at the end as patrons exited, collected donations for the quake victims...
Musical guests for the evening were Japanese duo Honey L Days,... great guys and great music too!