Wednesday, April 30, 2003

>> The i-O Blog is up!

The i-O Blog is officially up. If you visit there, be sure to leave a comment too. Nifee!

Monday, April 28, 2003

>> MT and the i-O Blog

Well, it’s not official yet, but we’re going to start using MT for the main site too. It’s called the “i-O Blog” and it should be officially up by Friday.

Sunday, April 27, 2003

>> DotW: Natsukawa, Rimi

Natsukawa, Rimi (1973 ∼ )
Real Name: Kaneku, Rimi
Date of Birth: October 9, 1973
Place of Birth: Yaeyama
Official URI: Rimi-Net
Record Label URI: @Victor Entertainment
Genre: O-pop

“Minami Kaze”
Victor Entertainment, Inc. | VICL-60856 | Released on 3.21.2002
Track Listing:
01 Nada Sou Sou
02 Warabi Gami
03 Kogane no Hana
04 Irayoi Tsukiyahama
05 Tinsagu nu Hana
06 Hana
07 Nada Sou Sou (Uchinâ-Guchi Version)

>> Nidaime Teishinkai Hawaii Shibu performs at the 2003 Spring Craft Fair

The minyou group that I’m a member of, Nidaime Teishinkai Hawaii Shibu, performed at the 2003 Spring Craft Fair at the Hawaii Okinawa Center this past Saturday. We performed a 30 min. set for this yearly event.


Also performing with us were Scott N and Sara N who along with Lisa (they’re all members of Miyashiro Soho Kai) took turns on kutû, and Nona M on têku who is a member of Hawaii Taiko Kai.

>> Designer of new i-O logo posts entry

Travis Morgan, the designer of i-O v.2’s new logo, has posted an entry on the site update as well as a plug for this site — nifee Travis! His next project for the i-O site will be to create a “high impact flash intro” — can’t wait to see it!

>> i-O v.2 is up!!!

i-O (Internet-Okinawa.com, this site’s mama) has a new look! Our Jedi web master Donna has been juggling a schedule that would tire me to just write about it so I’ll just say she’s a really busy person. Otsukaresan (something like “thank you for your hard work”)! The new i-O logo (which I hope to stick somewhere in my site too *hint*) is designed by i-O team member Jedi Flash master, Travis Morgan (links to his weblog).

[update] This is my 50th post! Yay!

>> Fan of karaoke?

Love karaoke? NHK’s “Nodo Jiman” is the show for you. It’s been made into a movie, and has broadcast shows from San Francisco and Hawaii. What is it really? It’s a karaoke contest that’s also a traveling show and a mini-concert since there are two big name guest singers who co-host the show with the ageless announcer Miyakawa-san. Today’s show will take place in Ishigaki City, Okinawa, and the guest singer you’ll want to pay attention to is Natsukawa Rimi — perhaps the most searched (Okinawa born) singer on the web today. Also appearing in the show is folk singer Minami Kousetsu. The show will air in the US via TV Japan — don’t miss it!

Thursday, April 24, 2003

>> Site News 042403

Worked on some site tweaking today — mostly on the archived portion of the site tho’. I’m wondering if the site is now loading okay with Win/IE (Windows Operating System/Internet Explorer) 5.0 - 5.5 users. Because of a CSS parsing bug in those versions of Win/IE, I had to use a box model hack, but I’m still unsure as to whether or not it’s working. If you’re a visitor to this site who is using either version, can you please email me or leave a yuntaku (comment) on this site? Nifee.

This earlier post of mine has a screenshot of what the site may look like with Win/IE 5x users (note: this is before the hack) and what it should look like if it had loaded properly.

>> First Worldwide Uchinanchu Conference

We’ve been receiving quite a bit of inquires about this upcoming conference so I’m going to go ahead and post some links to sites of interest. (I’ll post more about it later as I’m still gathering a little more info on this one myself.)

• East-West Center: News & Events (nifee to Professor Vincent Pollard for the link).
• HUOA.org (the Hawaii United Okinawan Association’s site.)
• WUB - International (the Worldwide Uchinanchu Business Association’s site and one of the conference’s main sponsers.)

[Update: This entry has been updated. Please check out my latest post for more info.]

Tuesday, April 22, 2003

>> Chitose Hajime fan site (lack of) progress report

Yup, I’m still at it. I’m also working on a fan site for Parsha cluB so it may take me a bit longer to finish Chitose’s one too. In the meantime, check here for the latest news on Chitose. For a quick search you can either click the “J-Pop” link in my Categories section or do a search under her name in my “search da pop” section.

Monday, April 21, 2003

>> Parsha cluB to perform during Golden Week

My favorite O-Pop band Parsha cluB will be holding a live concert during the Golden Week holiday at CLUB D-SET on Thursday, May 1st. Doors will open at 8:00 pm with the concert to start at 9:00 pm. If you find yourself in Okinawa during this time, they’re a band you must see.

For ticket information contact:

CLUB D-SET
Kumoji, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan
Phone: 098-861-8110 (Okinawa number)

Sunday, April 20, 2003

>> DotW: Yonaha, Tôru

Yonaha, Tôru (1976 ∼ )
Date of Birth: November 6, 1976
Place of Birth: Okinawa
Official URI: Tôru’s Home Page
Record Label URI: Campus Records
Genre: Minyou

“Yozare Bushi”
Campus Records | KOZA-1 | Released in 2001
Track Listing:
01 Chatan Mêkata
02 Eguchi Bushi
03 Niji no Hashi (Nûshi Hashi)
04 Haru nu Uchimami
05 Shingapôu [Singapore] gwa
06 Nanyou Kouta
07 Chatan Kuduchi
08 Machâ Yacchî
09 Ukinju Hainju
10 Ashibi Amakawa [Amakâ]
11 Shin Daisanajâ
12 Sangen [Sanshin] Yozare Bushi
13 Rajio [Radio] Bushi

Friday, April 18, 2003

>> Bug begone!

If only things were as easy as using a Jedi mind trick to make things better —*sigh*. Anyway, the site should now load properly with Win/IE 5x users. Nifee to these sites for their valuable information on CSS hacks:

BlueRobot.com
Glish.com : hacks
Tantek.com — Box Model Hack

Again, visit this page to learn more about upgrading your web browser to a more standards-compliant one. Nifee.

>> Bugs

I found out that Win/IE 5x has a CSS parsing bug so changing the size of the main column may not make any difference at all. But luckily, there’s a fix. Funny, I’m sure my friend using WinME with Win/IE 5x (now that I think of it, it may’ve been IE 6x which should be a little better than IE 5x) had no problem viewing the site. I’ll try to have it done by the end of the night for you Win/IE 5x users. :)

>> Site News 041803

Our Jedi web master Donna sent me an email with a pic of how this page looks with the Win/OS running Win/IE 5.5 with a screen resolution of 800x600. I’ve noticed this problem (the right column blending into the main column) when the window size in a web browser is reduced but I didn’t totally factor in a screen resolution smaller than my current one (1024x768).

I’ve made the main column (the one you’re reading this in) smaller in size so I hope the problem’s solved now. This site no longer uses nested tables so I’m still getting used to working with a CSS-only layout. One thing’s for certain now, the site validates as XHTML 1.0 Transitional so please, please use a web browser that supports web standards to view this site.

For more info on using web standards compliant web browsers, please click on the graphic below. Nifee for your understanding and cooperation. :)

Links to learn more about web standards:
W3C — the World Wide Web Consortium
WaSP — the Web Standards Project

[update] I’m including a pic taken from my computer’s screen using Mac/IE 5.22 with a screen resolution of 1024x768 to compare and contrast with Donna’s earlier pic.

This is how it should look in your web browser’s window. If the right column is still blending into the main one, please email me with your OS (operating system e.g., Win2000, WinXP, MacOS9, MacOSX), your web browser (e.g., Win/IE 6.0, Win/Netscape 7.0, Mac/IE 5.16, Mac/Camino 0.7), and your screen resolution (e.g., 800x600, 1024x768). Nifee!

Thursday, April 17, 2003

>> But does it work?

From the Richie is a web browser otaku file: systems/browsers — results:

WinME
with Win/IE 5.x (thanks Ray) — works

Mac OS X (10.2.5)
with Camino 0.7.0 — works
with iCab 2.9.1 — doesn’t work
with Mac/IE 5.2.2 — works
with Mozilla 1.3 — works
with Netscape 7.02 — works
with OmniWeb 4.2 — kinda works
with OmniWeb 4.5 — works
with Opera 6.0 — works
with Phoenix for Mac OS X 040503 — works
with Safari 1.0 Beta 2 (v73) — works

Does the site work well with the system/browser you’re using? If it’s not on my list can you please offer me your info by leaving a Yuntaku (comment) or by sending me an email. Nifee!

>> Review: Bookoff

Bookoff
(Shirokiya in the Ala Moana Shopping Center)
1450 Ala Moana Boulevard, #2250
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
(808) 952-9115
URI: Bookoff (Japanese Site)

Summary:

Bookoff specializes in new and used CDs, videos, books, magazines from Japan. They have the largest selection of J-pop on the island at prices competitive to buying them online. The items are merchandised in Japanese-style so being able to read Japanese is a plus (or a necessity?). Don’t expect the sales staff to approach you so if you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask. Price-wise, Bookoff is quite unbeatable in Hawaii, but you should be aware that they carry new, used, and overseas versions (read below for more details) of CDs. I recommend this store for the seasoned shopper of O/J music who’s not concerned with customer service, and can discern between what’s new, used, or overseas. This is the perfect place to sell your unwanted O/J CDs (btw, if you’re planning on selling any Okinawan music, email me first, I might be interested in buying them off of you).

Bookoff is a large chain of stores that specializes in used/new music, movies, and books (also called “recycle” shops in Japan). They have stores throughout Japan, from Hokkaido to Okinawa, and even stores in New York, Los Angeles, and Hawaii. The Hawaii branch is located in Shirokiya, a store that specializes in Japanese merchandise, at the Ala Moana Shopping Center’s mall level. Their kiosk is conveniently located by the mall level’s entrance (pictured) and is flanked by other kiosks that specialize in electronics and toys. This is a very good place to go to if you’re interested in Japanese books and magazines because they have a great selection at that even greater used book/magazine price. They also sell denshi-jiten (electronic dictionaries) from Seiko for students of Japanese or English. They also carry videos if you’re a Japanese cinemaphile. There were three store staff present but none bothered to help me or any of the other customers there. In that sense, the Bookoff in America (or at least Hawaii) is no different from most of the stores in Japan where they usually won’t bother (or should I say “help”) you unless you go up to them - very Japanese-style.

To my knowledge, they have the largest selection of Japanese CDs on the island. To their advantage, they can easily move stock throughout any of their other branches, whereas locally-owned stores are stuck with their stock and will have to mark them down below cost. As stated above, the Bookoff store is Japanese-style so their CDs are arranged with the CD jewel case’s (left-hand) spine facing outwards, and the artists are filed (by last name) according to the Japanese phonetic system (in other words, no ABCs folks). The enka section is kept on a separate shelf from the pop stuff and they don’t have an Okinawa section (boo!). Carrying used stuff means being able to get stuff at a great price, so value-seekers, this is your store. They also carry new stuff and they’re able to keep the cost down by bringing in the overseas versions (usually from Taiwan) of Japanese artists’ albums (e.g., the Utada Hikaru “Deep River” album, her latest, is the Taiwan version). A little side note about overseas versions: for the most part, they’re the same as the original Japanese versions (i.e., a Taiwan version doesn’t mean that they’re singing in Taiwanese), with the main differences being lower cost (about US $10 less than the Japanese versions), a small difference in packaging, and sometimes there may be added tracks (mostly in a VCD format). Bookoff plays an important role in Hawaii because they also specialize in buying CDs. So if you’ve ripped your entire O/J music collection and you’re looking to unload them, look no further than Bookoff. I haven’t sold any of my collection yet, but if I do, I’ll post my experience in a later update to this page.

>> Site News 041703

Haisai and welcome to pop.internet-okinawa.com’s site renewal!

If you’re a total newbie to the site, you may want to check out my About/Info Page first. Also, you may want to read my older posts which can be found by clicking on the links to “March” or “April” in the Archived Stuff section on the right column (old timers may want to check out my archives too). You could also check out the Categories section which are defined as:

DotW (the Discography of the Week) — Okinawan artist discographies, pop.internet-okinawa.com’s bread and butta.
J-Pop — News on the J-Pop scene.
pop.i-o — Site news.
Reviews — Where Riccin (Richie’s nickname pronounced like “Gucci” but with a “n” at the end) reviews all kinds of Okinawan-related stuff.
Terebikko — What’s on TV?
Yuntaku — Anything and everything (rants & raves) I have to say about Okinawan things.

Don’t worry, you won’t have to remember these (if you don’t want to that is :P) as each category page will have its description underneath the site’s banner.

Finally, if you encounter any problems with the site or just want to yuntaku (talk story), feel free to email me or leave a Yuntaku (comment) below. Nifee for your interest in the pop culture of Okinawa and I hope you’ll stay with me long enough to enjoy the things to come.

Têgê (hang loose),
Richie “Riccin” Yamashiroya

P.S.
If you’re interested in joining our Internet-Okinawa.com team, feel free to send an email to our Jedi web master Donna. If you want to be a part of the pop weblog you can send me an email at riccin@internet-okinawa.com (yeah, I’m asking to be spammed :P).

Wednesday, April 16, 2003

>> Going live

Having finished transferring my first review, I’m now ready to make this site go into default mode. Nifee to those of you who have been checking out and knowingly or unknowingly helping me beta-test this site renewal. To those of you who are just joining us, haisai and welcome to the new pop.internet-okinawa.com filled with CSS goodness.

>> Review: Hokama’s Music Store

Hokama’s Music
1319 South King Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
(808) 597-8046
URI: n/a

Summary:

Mom & Pops atmosphere, with a great selection of enka, a decent number of Okinawan CDs, and an okay amount of J-pop. There’s free and ample parking on a gravel lot and they’re within walking distance of a few eateries (right next door is an okazuya). Their prices are rather high at an average of US $45, but their customer service is top-notch and they do special orders. I highly recommend shopping at this store.

Hokama’s Music stocks both Okinawan and Japanese music. Their specialty is enka so they know a lot about the Okinawan music boom in enka too (e.g., Okinawan-themed songs by Sakamoto Fuyumi, Sen Masao, Yamamoto Jyouji, and Yoshi Ikuzo). They’re quite knowledgeable of Okinawan music as far as artists and songs go, although their selection is quite small. They have a reasonable amount of J-pop music and they even stock 45s and LPs (if you don’t know what these are, go and ask your parents [hint: 45s and LPs preceded tapes and you can also call ‘em vinyls]). I think Hokama’s Music is the oldest store of its kind, and it’s reflected in their old school way of servicing their customers.

To say that their customer service is old school, well, I’ll just say that it involves a lot of “talk story”. You don’t simply go there to shop, you go there to shop and to shoot the breeze, chat about the latest trends in J or O music, or trade some insider gossip or information. Mrs. Inada, who was very helpful in showing me her selection of CDs, is one of the nicest people you can meet - and she knows her stuff. It was great talking story about the Okinawan music connection (or “boom” as I called it above) with enka as we talked about Sakamoto Fuyumi’s song “Urizun no Koro” (you’ll find a RealAudio stream by following the link, or email me and I’ll send you the .ram file). Yes, even Riccin can still learn a thing or two, for I learned that “Urizun no Koro” was meant to be Sakamoto Fuyumi’s swan song since she is taking time off of show-biz after being diagnosed with cancer. It’s a beautiful song that’s sung with much emotion and is very appropriate for a swan song, but I, as well as Mrs. Inada, would very much like to see her healthy again and continue to charm audiences with her beautiful voice. In no time at all, I found that I spent over an hour in Hokama’s and if I didn’t have to go on to the next store (Part 2’s featured store will be Bookoff), I would’ve been there for who knows how long?

Being in Hokama’s Music is like going back in time. From the old enka posters, to the old Kokiku magazines, to the vinyls, even the scent (smell?) of the store is nostalgic! Like walking through a time warp as you enter their store, you’ll find yourself stepping into your kid-sized zori (slippers) staring with wide-eyed fascination at all the bright colors the album covers beam your way. You can spend hours in that store just looking through all the stuff they have there or by just talking story with Mrs. Inada or the other store staff. As far as CD prices go, the average price of a CD is about US $45. In that sense, they can’t compete with the internet so they must depend on the relationships they build with their customers. There was a time when looking for J-pop music in Hawaii was like looking for a contact lens you dropped in the bathroom sink, but now, besides there being a few more stores (to be featured in Parts 2-4), you also have the convenience of online shopping. Sadly, value overrides good customer service, but I urge you to stop by this store and spend some time in there and talk story. Stores like this one are not only one-of-a-kind, they’re also a dying breed. Before it becomes a legend, or just a memory of a little J/O music store that used to occupy that space, go and visit there, soak in as much as you can, and buy something.

>> Ukwanshin Kabudan

Champuru.com has a “Backstage Pass” of the Okinawan performing troupe Ukwanshin Kabudan’s recent performance in Maui. Although the troupe’s been around for several years, they did not have an “official” name and they would instead list the different schools each member belonged to. This is definitely one of the groups you’ll want to keep your eye on in the coming months. Karii (cheers) to Ukwanshin Kabudan!

>> Validated!

Just put my CSS and XHTML 1.0 pages through the W3C validator and they all (almost) pass! “Almost” because I still have a parse error for “select.jumpbox” on two of my CSS pages. Oh well. No biggie.

>> Ahead of schedule

The Links Page and the About/Info Page is done! I’ll put up one of my old reviews by tomorrow and then this site will be the default for pop.internet-okinawa.com!

Tuesday, April 15, 2003

>> Site News 041503

This weblog is almost ready to go live! Yay! I think I’ll finish up the links page then work on a review before making it the default for the main site. Projected date of semi-completion (nothing’s ever completed here): Friday, April 18, 2003.

>> A bit late but here it is

A new (actually the first) DotW (Discography of the Week) is up! This week’s featured artist is Parsha cluB.

I also changed the fonts around and added the banner (the one you see above with Seigwa) to the archives and permalink pages.

I’m planning on putting up one of my old reviews next.

[update] Hmm. Interesting. The posts done with MT leave a break (an XHTML tag) after the title while the ones done with Kung-Log don’t, e.g., look at the title for this post which was written in MT, and look at the one below it (the DotW one) which was written in the Kung-Log app. I can’t believe that I’ve only noticed it now. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to do the KL ones manually. :(

[newer update] My bad. I simply wasn’t setting Kung-Log’s text format to convert line breaks. Note to self: if I don’t wanna read directions, at least look at every detail of the app very closely. ‘Nuff said.

>> DotW: Parsha cluB

Parsha cluB (also: Ara Yukito Parsha cluB, Ara Yukito with Sunday, & Acoustic Parsha)
Official URI: Parsha World
Record Label URI: Office Parsha
Genre: O-Pop
Current Member Line-up:
Ara, Yukito: Vocals, Sanshin
Uechi, Masaaki: Guitar, Chorus
Kamimura, Hideyo: Bass, Chorus
Tsuhako, Jino: Drums, Chorus
Nakasone, Satoshi: Percussion, Chorus


“Ara Yukito Parsha cluB [Ver.1.02]”
Toshiba-EMI Limited | TOCT-8746 | Released on 01.25.95 as Ara Yukito Parsha cluB
Track Listing:
01 Katami Bushi
02 Kûdâkâ - Chunjun Nagari
03 Hanjou Bushi - Sakieda Bushi
04 Asadoya Yunta
05 Shiraho Bushi
06 Tsuku nu Kaisha
07 Kaji Yu Iyari
08 Maya-Gwa
09 Sakiyama


“Parsha”
Toshiba-EMI Limited | TOCT-9248 | Released on 11.29.95 as Ara Yukito Parsha cluB
Track Listing:
01 Famuleuta (Acoustic Version)
02 Yunon Kyatto
03 Acid-ya Yunta
04 Asadoya Street
05 Kaji Yu Iyari (Naha Club Mix)
06 Ime nu Kaji
07 Famuleuta (Sanshin Version)


“Nanafa”
Toshiba-EMI Limited | TOCT-9467 | Released on 06.26.96 as Parsha cluB
Track Listing:
01 Nanafa
02 Gokoku Houjou
03 Gamaku
04 Hanazumi Tisaji
05 Haifuni
06 Akigumu
07 Ichanda Hip
08 Jûguya Nagari
09 Natsu Tîda
10 Churasa Churasa
11 Kagome
12 Sato Yurari


“Okinawa Paradise Radio”
Toshiba-EMI Limited | TOCT-9905 | Released on 11.07.97 as Parsha cluB
Track Listing:
01 DJ#1 Opening DJ
02 Yô Reggae
03 DJ#2 Telephone Requests
04 Paradise (Album Version)
05 DJ#3 Introducing “Kumoyo”
06 Kumoyo - across the ocean -
07 DJ#4 - Gokoku Houjou (Club Mix)
08 DJ#5 Special Guests “Yukito & Yoshibo”
09 Bole Mole
10 Okinawa Paradise Radio (Instrumental)


“Nada Nada”
Office Parsha | OPMC-0004 | Released on 10.21.00 as Parsha cluB
Track Listing:
01 Umi no Kanata
02 Jûsanya
03 Papaya
04 D-Spot
05 Silence
06 Deep South - Inori no Daichi
07 Beni
08 Moon Blue
09 Katsuren Castle
10 Nachi nu Yu - it’s a hopeful summer -
11 Manten no Hoshi
12 Akayura no Hana
13 Inochi no Uta
14 Kumoyo (Instrumental)


“Tsukiya Hama”
Office Parsha | OPMC-0006 | Released on 10.25.01 as Acoustic Parsha
Track Listing:
01 Basu nu Turi
02 Densa Bushi
03 Maruma Bunsan
04 Kohama Bushi
05 Agarôza
06 Manganisuza
07 Tsindara
08 Kubayama Kuitsu
09 Maferatsi
10 Shonkanê
11 Tubarâma
12 Tsukiya Hama


“Shunkashû Chotto Sui-ing”
Sui-ing | SW-0001 | Released on 04.10.95 as Ara Yukito with Sunday
Track Listing:
01 Yuntaku
02 Shiraho Bushi
03 Maja Bushi
04 Zanzaburou/Takana Bushi
05 Asadoya Bushi
06 Natsi Bana
07 Papiru Bushi (Koza-ni-te)
08 Sakiyama Yunta & Minatôma
09 Maya-Gwa
10 Abujâma

Sunday, April 13, 2003

>> Recent Comments section

I’ve decided to scrap the “Recent Comments” section for now.

Saturday, April 12, 2003

>> Still up

Yup, I’m still up and making little changes to the site. I added a “Recent Comments” section although I’m not sure if I’ll keep it or not. If I do decide to keep it, I’ll make a graphic for it later on tonight. Now, it’s time for sleep. (-_-)zzz

Friday, April 11, 2003

>> It’s decided!

Ha! Don’t you love it when there’s no one else in control! I’ve decided to go along with my plans below. I’ll be testing out a DotW category come Sunday. I’ll start with Parsha cluB. Oh, and I’m still taking comments even though I’ve made up my mind to do things the selfish way. But, if I read a good argument against my decision, I’m willing to work around my wagamama-ness.

>> Hmm

I’m thinking of sticking to this MT weblog for things that I would normally have made a web page for. For instance, if you visit my “da pop that works” site (the original “working” site), you’ll notice that I have separate pages set-up for my DotW (what I call my “Discography of the Week” feature), UPzine (the Uchinâ Pop eZine), my reviews, and my Chitose Hajime Fan Site. With the exception of the fan site, I could actually make the others into MT categories and blog it instead of writing up the HTML for it. Everything incorporated into the weblog and made simpler for me. Hmm.

Let’s see if it’s possible. With the DotW, I could make thumbnails of the album covers and save some space that way. Where the title is, I’ll have the artist name. Definitely a possibility. I’ll have to give this a try with one of my older discographies.

With the UPzine things get a little hairy. I could just do away with the UPzine as I’m already posting entries to this weblog that is similar to my sections (or categories) in the actual ‘zine. If I do decide to do away with it, I should set-up a categories link on the menu column to make it easier to see what I have available (in fact, I should’ve made one in the first place).

My reviews section fits perfectly into a weblog category so that leaves me with making pages for my fan site. I just freed up a lot of time away from my Mac! Wait, is this a good thing?

Yuntaku (comment)?

>> Hajime Chitose’s 4th single

Hajime Chitose’s 4th single entitled “Sen no Yoru to Sen no Hiru” (ESCL-2410, Epic Records) is set to be released on Wednesday, June 11. The song is being used as a CM (commercial) song for Marocha 120 and is produced (he also penned the words and music) by Ueda Gen who is responsible for her hit song (and major label debut) “Wadatsumi no Ki” from 2002.2.6.

The single will contain 3 tracks, one from regular contributor Eric Mouquet from the group Deep Forest called “Hakuya”, and a yet untitled track. Her previous single, “Kono Machi”, was released on November 7 of last year and was used as a theme song for the popular NHK morning serial drama “Manten”.

Links:
Official Site
Epic Records Japan site
Sony Music Online Japan site
My Chitose Hajime Fan Site (Note: it’s in the process of being renewed so it doesn’t contain any up-to-date news on Chitose.)

Thursday, April 10, 2003

>> Don’t I ever sleep?

I just finished the about page! Actually, there’s still some things I want to add to it so it’s not really completed yet. False alarm - gomen! Perhaps I’ll have some time to finish the links and some of the other pages tomorrow later on today. (-_-)zzz

Wednesday, April 09, 2003

>> Fixed 040903

It wasn’t some crazy CSS flaw on my part but a XHTML one! Anyhoo, it’s been fixed and I’m outee!

>> Finally, a site update

A new look - scratch that - a new temporary look for “the pop”. Still fixing some CSS mistakes but I’ll have it done in no time (note: I’m running on Okinawa+Hawaii Time™). What do you think? (psst, that means please leave a comment - nifee!)

Oh, and the other pages have not been updated yet. Doh!

Friday, April 04, 2003

>> ISSA to make his solo debut

ISSA, lead singer from the popular group DA PUMP, will release his solo debut single “PLAY, THIS, SATISFY” on April 23rd. A full album will follow with a release date of May 21st, called “EXTENSION”.


No word on whether or not the group will be disbanded, but being as ISSA is the lone vocalist (the others perform as background singers/dancers/rappers) of the group, what else could this mean? Perhaps his label (Avex) is testing the waters to see if he can stand (or “swim”) on his own.

With the exception of the group SMAP (and to a smaller extent TOKIO), boy bands/groups don’t last that long, anywhere (Backstreet Boys or *NSYNC anyone?). They could follow SPEED’s example and have each member go on to semi-popular solo careers (so far anyway), or stay together a la SMAP or TOKIO despite side “projects” of the more popular group members.

My hope is that they’ll stay together, but who knows, this (i.e., if they disband) may be a good thing. Discuss?

Thursday, April 03, 2003

>> Site News 040303

I didn’t have a chance to work on the site today, gomen. I’ll try to have some updates by Monday.

Wednesday, April 02, 2003

>> Welcome to the party!

Visitor from the main site? Haisai!

As you can see, this looks totally different from the site you just came from. Donna (our Jedi web master) and I are in the process of redesigning both sites (www.internet-okinawa.com for Donna [and what an undertaking she has!] and the “pop” site for me) from the bottom up with CSS.

Please read through my past posts (there’s only a few more than what’s on this page) to gain a better idea of where I’m at with the site renewal.

Feel free to leave a comment or two on the posts that interest you the most. Nifee (‘thank you’ in Okinawan) for your interest in the music of Okinawa and please continue to support our site.

Têgê (‘hang loose’ in Okinawan), Richie “Riccin” Yamashiroya.
riccin@internet-okinawa.com

>> Looking more Okinawan

I’m working going to start working on Okinawan-themed background images for this site. I rummaged through my parents’ closet and got some good ideas from their clothing with Okinawan designs. Maybe I’ll have some of them up by Friday.

Instead of a “sneak peek”, I now officially have a link to this page from the main site. I think it’s better if more people are involved in my so-called “beta test”.

Tuesday, April 01, 2003

>> Ara Yukito Plans to Stay in Hawaii

After last night’s Aloha Party with the performers from Saturday’s “Imai no Kaze” performance, Ara Yukito stated that he plans to remain in Hawaii.

As to where he plans to stay, he said that Riccin’s house will do until he finds a home in Kahala. Riccin quickly agreed to this sudden announcement with only one thing to say, “wow, cool.”

Today Riccin showed Mr. Ara around his room and showed him how to work his Classic iMac and even let him handle his beloved iBook. When Mr. Ara’s keen eyes noticed that the left-shift-key on Riccin’s iBook is broken, he offered to buy him a brand new 12-inch PowerBook to which Riccin gleefully replied, “wow, cool.”

Happy April Fool’s Day. I know I’m a bit late, but it’s still 10:58 pm in Hawaii! Têgê. :P