Famous Japanese

People around the world can name American presidents, American movie actors, American pop music artists, American companies, and American fictional characters.

They’re world famous.

It’s been that way for at least a few generations now.

But before I came to Japan, there was no internet back then and Japanese food and pop culture wasn’t popular around the world like it’s become in recent years.
Back then, I wouldn’t have been able to name a single Japanese prime minister.
The only Japanese actor I knew back then was Pat Morita (from “Karate Kid“)…and he was actually a Japanese-American.
The only Japanese musicians I knew were Yoko Ono and the Japanese heavy metal band Loudness.
Of course, I would have been able to name a number of Japanese companies such as Sony, Toshiba, Toyota, Honda, etc.
As for Japanese fictional characters, I knew Ultraman and Godzilla.

I’ve now been living in Japan for most of my life…so, I probably know more about Japan than I know about America anymore.

How about you? How familiar are you with Japan and Japanese culture?

What famous Japanese people do you know?
Japanese characters?
How about Japanese food / dishes?
Actors / actresses?
Bands / musicians?
How about Japanese words?
Japanese cities?
Or any other things you know about Japan?

Animetal USA

Have you ever heard of the Japanese heavy metal band “Animetal“?

The Japanese band "Animetal".

They were an extra band made just for fun by members of other established Japanese metal bands. Animetal played heavy metal versions of Japanese anime theme songs.

The artwork of the cover of Animetal's first album (released in the mid-90's).

Animetal disbanded about five years ago…but this year, Marty Friedman (who was the lead guitarist of the American heavy metal band Megadeth but quit that famous band so that he could live in Tokyo with his Japanese wife) helped organize the formation of “Animetal USA“.

"Animetal USA"

Animetal USA consists of Mike Vescera (formally the lead vocalist of the Japanese band “Loudness” for a short time), Chris Impellitteri (of the band “Impellitteri”), Rudy Sarzo (from “Quiet Riot”) and Scott Travis (of “Judas Priest”).

Just like the original “Animetal”, this band sings heavy metal versions of Japanese anime theme songs…but, unlike the Japanese band, only some of their songs are in Japanese—the rest are in English.

They will be releasing their debut album on 2011 October 12 and on October 15, they will perform at this year’s Loudpark Heavy Metal Festival in Saitama, Japan.

The cover artwork for Animetal USA's debut album...due for release on 2011/10/12.

Here is the official video for “Animetal USA“‘s first single…the theme song of the anime 「宇宙戦艦ヤマト」 (“Space Battleship Yamato“):

Is my music collection considered “oldies” now?

In 1986, when I was sixteen years old, if you had asked me my opinion of music that was released twenty-five prior to that (in 1961)…music by artists such as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and Chuck Berry was popular at that time…I wasn’t interested in that type of music and I probably would of considered it “ancient”.

It’s now 2011 and 1986 is now twenty-five years in the past!
My taste in music hasn’t changed at all. I still listen to the same great albums that I bought in the ’80s.
My I-pod has a number of albums from 1986.

Look at this list of albums that are now twenty-five years old (listed here in order of release). You can’t deny that they’re all excellent…much better than most of the forgettable “music” that is released today:

• Black Sabbath “Seventh Star” 
  
• Ozzy Osbourne “The Ultimate Sin”

• Metallica “Master Of Puppets“

• Van Halen “5150“

• Judas Priest “Turbo”

• AC/DC “Who Made Who“

• Savatage “Fight For The Rock“

• Loudness “Lightning Strikes“

• Great White “Shot In The Dark“

• Iron Maiden “Somewhere In Time“

• W.A.S.P. “Inside The Electric Circus“

• KiLLeR DWaRfS “Stand Tall“

Have you heard any of these albums? What do you think of them?
As for me, even though they’re twenty-five years old now…and nearly every one of these bands have better albums in their catalog (except Metallica—“Master Of Puppets” is legend!…these albums still stand the test of time!

Music Promotion Videos

I mentioned some of my favorite rock ‘n roll albums on an earlier post (Click here to read it).

Here are some of my music videos to some great songs:

KISS “I Love It Loud”

Megadeth “Symphony Of Destruction”

Ozzy Osbourne “Gets Me Through”

Quiet Riot “Cum On Feel The Noize”

Metallica “Nothing Else Matters”

Jackyl “I Stand Alone”

The Japanese band Loudness “This Lonely Heart”

Twisted Sister “We’re Not Gonna Take It”

Judas Priest “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’”

AC/DC “Thunderstruck”

Lordi “Would You Love A Monsterman?”

Scorpions “Rock You Like A Hurricane”

Skid Row “Youth Gone Wild”

A Japanese band named RIZE “Name”

Def Leppard “Rock Of Ages”

Monkey Majik and 吉田兄弟 “Change”

Jackyl

Loudness drummer R.I.P.

Do you know the Japanese heavy metal band “Loudness“?

They were the first Japanese heavy metal band to become popular in America (followed by Japanese bands like EZO). For their U.S. label, they released about five albums in English (including one (“Soldier Of Fortune“) with an American singer named Mike Vescera (because the original singer was fired in the late 1980s…then rehired)…but in Japan, they’ve released many Japanese albums.

I saw Loudness in concert in America around 1987 for their “Hurricane Eyes” tour. (And I also saw the the lead vocalist, 二井原実 (Minoru NIIHARA) singing for the band Ded Chaplin at a concert in Tokyo). Loudness hasn’t been popular in America since the late 1980s (and probably most Americans don’t even know the band…unless they were a heavy metal fan in the ’80s).

But Loudness has released many albums in Japan and have put on concert tours here (in Japan)…until as recently as last October.

Recently, tragedy has struck Loudness. Last April, the drummer of the band, 樋口宗孝 (Munetaka HIGUCHI ), was diagnosed with liver cancer.

Well, he died last Sunday morning (November 30, 2008) about one month before his 50th birthday.

樋口宗孝 (Munetaka HIGUCHI ), R.I.P.,  December 24, 1958 – November 30, 2008.

(BTW, another great rock drummer died of cancer in his forties around this time seventeen years ago: Eric Carr, drummer of the American rock band KISS from 1980 -1991, died of heart cancer on November 24, 1991 at the age of 41).

• Loudness Official website (in 日本語 (Japanese) only): Click here.