Ever wonder why Japanese search engines are better for searching for gravure idols and maids? a) the results are geared for otaku b) they search in Japanese c) they don’t have family filters or d) they index content better than Google. The answer is probably b) searching in Japanese as most web content about gravure idols and maids is in Japanese language.

We base our answer on the following funny TV commercial from top Japanese search engine and portal “goo” owned by Japanese phone giant NTT. Type a search for “gravure maid” in your local area and get the following results.

While fans of 1970’s anime Space Battleship Yamato have been eagerly awaiting the completion of the animated film version  by Yoshinobu Nishizaki they can hop over to their local Pachinko parlor and play the pachinko game Space Battleship Yamato Pachinko machine!CR宇宙戦艦ヤマト made by Fuji.

Fuji has created a two games Cryamato 1 and Cryamato2.  For the launch of Cryamato2, there are a series of  impressive TV commercials with some awesome CGI footage  and starring Japanese model Sara Kagami 各務沙羅 cosplaying as Yuki Mori 森雪

Space battleship Yamato TV commercials

Ryoko Yonekura is a 31 year old former ballerina, fashion model and one of the most visible and popular actresses on TV and in magazines. This Kanagawa native started modelling at the age of 17 and worked steadily over the next seven years as a fashion model, campaign girl and in TV commercials. In 2000 she made her leap into acting starring in the TBS drama Koi no Kamisama (God of Love) and has since appeared in many TV dramas.

You can read more information about her here and here, photos of her here and here

Ryoko Yonekura Videos

Takanoyuri Beauty Clinic Commercial

Making of and press release of Takanoyuri commercial

Pocari Sweat Commercial 1

Pocari Sweat Commercial 2
]]> http://www.japansugoi.com/wordpress/ryoko-yonekura-videos/feed/ 0 http://www.japansugoi.com/wordpress/lets-make-pocky/ http://www.japansugoi.com/wordpress/lets-make-pocky/#comments Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:04:31 +0000 admin http://www.japansugoi.com/wordpress/?p=203 Our first post on this blog was about Pocky. For all you Pocky lovers (Pocky otaku), here are more clips about Japan’s favourite biscuits.

Japan Sugoi Videos

Pocky Ad with 4 of Japan’s most popular idols – Nakama Yukie, Shibasaki Kou, Matsuura Aya and Ishihara Satomi

In this clip, the dog holds up a sign that says “Plan before your Borrow!”

One of the most popular TV commercials in Japan this summer is SoftBank’s  ソフトバンク  (Japanese mobile service provider) Come On! campign featuring Jpop supergroup SMAP. The song used in the commercial is the 1974 recording of The Loco-Motion by Grand Funk Railroad and luckily the SMAP boys are just dancing in the commercial and not singing the song!

Softbank Commercial 30 second and 60 second versions

making of  TV commercial

Grand Funk Railroad 1974 The Loco-Motion

One of new attractions that opened in Tokyo Disneyland earlier this year is the Tokyo Disneyland Monsters, Inc. Ride and Go Seek attraction.  It’s been 5 years since any new attraction was added to Tokyo Disney Land and so far the new attraction has been popular with the Japanese fans.  Here is the Japanese TV commercial with the Pixar characters speaking in Japanese.

]]> http://www.japansugoi.com/wordpress/tokyo-disneyland-monsters-inc-tv-commercials/feed/ 0 http://www.japansugoi.com/wordpress/michael-jackson-off-the-wall-tour-japan-1987/ http://www.japansugoi.com/wordpress/michael-jackson-off-the-wall-tour-japan-1987/#comments Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:37:59 +0000 admin http://www.japansugoi.com/wordpress/?p=100

Not content with just selling Suzuki Love Scooters, Michael Jackson came to Japan in 1987 with his global Off the Wall tour.  He was and still is a big draw in Japan.

Tekken 6 鉄拳6 fans in Japan will have the choice of playing on PayStation 3 or Xbox 360.  Here is the Microsfot xbox 360 TV commercial  which features the  “rage” system which kicks in when the energy on characters is low.

Tekken 6 Xbox 360 TV commercial

Xbox 360  summer promotion TV commercial

Japan recently launched a blue beer called Okhotsk Blue (Ryuho Draft) from the Hokkaido Abashiri brewery. The brew is made using water melted from icebergs that float each year onto Hokkaido beaches from the chilly Sea of Okhotsk near Russia.

The same brewery makes other colored beers the Hamamsu Draft (red- contains anthocyans, natural pigments found in plants and fruit) and Shiretoko Draft (green -  made of seaweed, hops and a mixture of plants from Japan’s Siretoko peninsula).  This of course from the same brewery that mixed beer and milk together to form Bilk.

Okhotsk Blue (Ryuho Draft) videos