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Monday, July 21, 2003

>> Kashi: Iwai Bushi

Haisai Nidaime Teishinkai Hawaii Shibu members! Below you’ll find the romaji kashi for Iwai Bushi. Let me know if you run into any problems with it. I have two versions available this time around:

For Iwai Bushi in a PDF format please click here.
For Iwai Bushi in a printer-friendly version please click here.

You’ll always be able to locate things related to Nidaime Teishinkai Hawaii Shibu under the “Teishinkai” category (i.e., until I finish our website).

Sunday, July 20, 2003

>> For the month of August

I’ll soon be taking my yearly break from the pop pages in August to prepare for the Okinawa Festival in Honolulu. Before that happens, I hope to have a DotW for Rinken Band, my final J/O music store review of Tower Records, and a few other things. Of course, I’ll still be reading my email so keep ‘em coming. :)

>> hiro’s new single and site renewal

hiro (formerly of SPEED) has a new single called “Ai ga Naiteiru” (AVCD-16038 ¥1,000) which will be released on Thursday, July 24th. The single contains 5 tracks: “Ai ga Naiteru”, “Ningyo no Koi”, “LOVE IS SHOUTING OUT” (an English version of the title track), and instrumental versions of the first two tracks. This is hiro’s first single since turning 19, and is her 10th overall single since SPEED disbanded. Her official Avex site has been renewed to commemorate the upcoming release of her new single.

Sunday, July 13, 2003

>> Hyping it up

So now that we know for sure that a certain top O-pop band will be performing in Honolulu, what better time to hype things up a bit?

My next DotW will feature that band and some info along with it. Stay tuned!

>> Taking a break

Okay, I got quite a lot done yesterday so I’m going to take a break from this site (at least for the rest of today). I’m still working on the final Hawaii J/O store review, and I have most of the info I need to complete my History of J-pop - Okinawan-style, but I’ll post those entries on a future date. For now, I think I deserve a much needed cup of coffee. Tege!

>> Update to my entry on the First Worldwide Uchinanchu Conference in Honolulu

I recently received a yuntaku (comment) for this earlier entry from Dawn, who asked me to check out her site, www.Uchinanchu.com. My earlier entry contained nothing more than a few links (to her site as well as two others), so this is a much needed update.

The First Worldwide Uchinanchu Conference will be held in Honolulu from Friday, August 29th, to Tuesday, September 2nd.

Here’s an excerpt from the www.Uchinanchu.com website:

Aloha! Building on the success of three worldwide Uchinanchu Festivals or Taikai in Okinawa in 1990, 1995 & 2001, Hawaii welcomes uchinanchu and uchinanchu-at-heart from around the world to a mini festival - the First Worldwide Uchinanchu Conference.

Since this is an Okinawan pop culture site, of particular interest is the Closing Ceremony International Eisa Festival on Tuesday, September 2nd, at 6:00 pm. Performing on that day will be the most popular O-pop band in Japan, Rinken Band. The concert will take place during the finale of this event and will be held at the Les Murakami Stadium, located on the campus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

For more information regarding this awesome event, please check out the www.Uchinanchu.com website. They even have a section for travel and accommodations for our mainland and international visitors.

Saturday, July 12, 2003

>> DotW: Noborikawa, Seijin

Noborikawa, Seijin “Seigwâ” (1930 ∼ )
Date of Birth: 1930
Place of Birth: Hyougo, Japan
Genre: Minyou


“Churabiki”
Victor Musical Industries, Inc. | Released on 07.21.91
Track Listing:
01 Takou Yama
02 Tomibaru Nâkunî - Hantabarû
03 Hiyamikachi Bushi
04 Kâdikû
05 Yanbaru Timatu
06 Choudêgwâ Bushi
07 Saiyô Bushi - Ijihai Chikuten
08 Esa Bushi
09 Kariyushi no Jifuni
10 Yamabarê Yunta
11 Nîma no Shû
12 Irabu Chijuyâ
13 Yuwatari Bushi
14 Shin Tonosama Bushi
15 Tôganî - Tomai Takahashi
16 Midare Uchi


“Howling Wolf”
Omagatoki Co., Ltd. | Released on 03.05.98
Track Listing:
Disc 1:
01 Gunka Tabetai nâ (Roei no Uta)
02 MC: “Nandemo Tabetai na”
03 Sengo no Nageki
04 MC: “Wasurerarenai Uta”
05 Ishikawa Kazoe (Duet: Teruya, Rinsuke)
06 MC: “Beigun Kyanpu [camp] no Pîwi [peewee]”
07 Pesuto [pistol] Pâkin [packing] Mama (Duet: Teruya, Rinsuke)
08 MC: “Uta wo Narai Kotoba wo Shirazu”
09 Shin Densa Bushi
10 MC: “Sakusha no Kokoro wo Wakatte Hoshî”
11 Tunbaru Nâkunî (Tomibaru Miyako no Ne)
12 MC: “Yamatuguchi wa Dekinaikeredo”
13 Midori no Uchinâ
Disc 2:
01 MC: “Hayakuchi Kotoba wa Omakase Seigwâ”
02 Naritai Bushi
03 MC: “Tsuji no Uta wa Chimu Don Don”
04 Seigwâ no Rokuchou Bushi
05 MC: “Mimi Dorobou to Kun-Kun-Shî”
06 Hiyamikachi Bushi
07 MC: “Ireba wa Uta wo Joutatsu saseru??”
08 Asadôya Yunta (Asadoya Yunta)
09 Atchamêgwâ


“Spiritual Unity”
Respect Record Ltd. | Released on 05.09.01
Track Listing:
01 Kunjan Jintôyô
02 Naritai Bushi
03 Asadoya Yunta
04 Sengo no Nageki
05 Midori no Okinawa
06 Iwai Bushi
07 Nâkunî - Hantabaru
08 Shin Densâ Bushi
09 Hiyamikachi Bushi
10 Yudan Shiruna
11 Shima no Hana
12 Gushikawa Nâkunî
13 Yushigutu nu Takara
14 Katainaka
15 Tabi no Sora ni
16 Uta no Kokoro

>> DotW: Tink Tink

Tink Tink
Official URI: www.rinken.gr.jp
Genre: O-Pop
Current member lineup:
Sakihama, Sachiyo: Vocal & Sanba (1979 ∼ ), Okinawa
Miyagi, Azusa: Vocal & Sanshin (1981 ∼ ), Okinawa


“Tink Tink The First Album” (Two language versions available: Okinawan & Chinese)
Rinken Records | Rinken-2021 (Okinawa Version) & Rinken-2022 (Chinese Version) | Released on 7.1.01
Track Listing:
(Chinese Language Version)
01 Iianbê
02 Umi tu Shima
03 Murika Muchibushi
04 Hisuhisu Karukaru
05 Arigatou
06 Yoi Yoi Yoi
07 Iju no Hana
08 Pon Pon Pon
09 Tinsagu nu Hana
10 Bîchi Pârî (Beach Party)
11 Imi nu Naka
12 Okinawa kara no Kaze
13 Iianbê (Chûgokugo [Chinese Language])

Track Listing:
(Okinawan Language Version)
01 Iianbê
02 Umi tu Shima
03 Murika Muchibushi
04 Hisuhisu Karukaru
05 Arigatou
06 Yoi Yoi Yoi
07 Iju no Hana
08 Pon Pon Pon
09 Tinsagu nu Hana (Uchinâguchi [Okinawan Language])
10 Bîchi Pârî (Beach Party — Uchinâguchi)
11 Imi nu Naka (Uchinâguchi)
12 Okinawa kara no Kaze (Uchinâguchi)

>> And for the rest of this weekend

I hope you’re enjoying your weekend. I have two, count ‘em two, DotWs coming up by Sunday and I hope to have my final Hawaii J/O store review of Tower Records up by tomorrow too. And, if I somehow find the time, I’ll post an entry on the history of J-pop — Okinawan-style. Stay tuned for more!

>> Namie Amuro as hot as ever

Namie Amuro will be releasing a new single called “Put ‘Em Up” on Wednesday, July 16th. With a total of two songs (the second song is yet unnamed) and two instrumental versions, the title song “Put ‘Em Up” looks to be in the same category of hip-hop as her stint in SUITE CHIC (one of my top albums of the year in the J-pop category).


Namie proves that she has the power needed to remain at the top of the J-pop scene. Her official site renewal shows that she has fully regained all of her trademark image and then some — a far cry from her comeback to the scene after taking a one year maternity break.


She’s definitely as hot as ever.

>> AKINA’s 2nd solo release and site renewal

Continuing with the J-pop news…

AKINA’s new single “One wish” is her second since going solo from her group Folder 5.


The single features the songs “One wish” and “Without you” and two instrumental tracks.

AKINA’s official Avex website has been renewed to reflect the release of her new single.

>> DA PUMP site renewal and new single report

As part of Avex’s (DA PUMP’s record label) ongoing new single/album release = site renewal phase, DA PUMP’s website has been updated with a new look.


The single, “Night Walk”, is the group’s 18th and it not only marks their 7th year in the J-pop scene but also their first job as producers.


“Night Walk” is a maxi-single and has a total of eight tracks with four of them “Back Tracks” or karaoke versions of the first four tracks of the disc. The songs on the disc are: “Night Walk”, “Sound of Bounce” (the opening theme for the TV anime “Dear boys”), “Stay with me”, and “Make it hot”.

On a similar note, ISSA (the lead singer of DA PUMP) has his own official Avex website over here.

>> Lots to report

I’ve been gone for much too long and I have a lot of stuff to report. The first of these entries should be done in about an hour.

Friday, July 04, 2003

>> Site News 070403

Wow, my last “Site News” was back in April of this year! Anyhoo, if you’re visiting from the mother site nifee for stopping by. :)

I still haven’t decided if I’ll keep this layout or not so the other links still use the original layout (since moving to MT). The logo is of an Okinawan woman with traditional hairstyle listening to music through a pair of state-of-the-art (okay, it can be low-tech ones too) stereo headphones. It’s kind of a mixture of new and old with a tie-in to music.

>> About the new pop.i-o logo

The new logo for the pop weblog, or Yuntaku, is inspired by works from manga artist Monkey Punch and Okinawan artist Bokunen Naka. If there’s anyone who can take this concept and make it better please contact me. Nifee!

[Update] I wasn’t happy with the new logo so I’m going to fall back on my old one for the time being. The offer still stands for the new one tho’. :)

[Update 2] Okay, I tried again and I like this logo better than the original new one. And yes, the offer still stands. ;)

>> Site renewal, well sort of

Doing a little tweaking here and there so please pardon the real-time construction of the pop weblog. Not sure if I’ll keep this design but it should work better with older IE/Win browsers now.

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