Dec.-Feb. articles in the media

Here's the batch of articles to show up in the media from Dec.-Feb., regarding anime, manga and related stuff.

Japan Times

Los Angeles film museum to debut with exhibit showcasing work of Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki

A suburban home becomes an oasis for fans of girls' manga

British Museum to hold largest-ever manga exhibition outside Japan

Anime in 2018 saw serious cash but no surprise hits

'Your Name.' director Makoto Shinkai's new film set for next summer

Animator Hayao Miyazaki's 'Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind' to be adapted into kabuki production

Hayao Miyazaki: The never-ending story

Second chance for Japan's manga museum

As the heavyweights return, will 2019 be a smash year for anime?

Story of Iwao Hakamada, boxer who spent 48 years on death row, to become manga series

Cartoonist Rumiko Takahashi wins top prize at French comics festival

Shueisha starts free online distribution of popular manga in English

Anime film 'Mirai' wins Annie Award

The story behind anime localization

Japan's health ministry draws on 'City Hunter' manga nostalgia to promote rubella vaccine to men

'City Hunter The Movie: Shinjuku Private Eyes': Dated gags in modern-day Tokyo

Studio Ghibli fans flock to rural Australian bakery that may have inspired 'Kiki's Delivery Service'

From manga to news articles: Japanese civic groups create 'barrier-free' publications for people with mental disabilities



Daily Yomiuri

Atelier of Witch Hat review

Monstress review

Blue Period review

Base for fostering manga artists set up in Kumamoto

New ‘Gridman’ brings magic of tokusatsu to anime

Manga version of Masamune a symbol of Vegalta pride

Astra Lost in Space review

Dust Eighteen review

Panda Tanteisha review



Asahi

Hollywood adapting 'Attack on Titan' into live-action film

AnimeJapan 2019 set to be biggest yet with March opening

Exhibition from France honoring Osamu Tezuka held in Hyogo

Boy strikes blow for equality as a girl warrior in 'Precure' anime

Spring release confirmed for ‘Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress’

‘Ghost in the Shell’ VR ride offered in Tokyo’s Odaiba

Event with 200 figures to fete TV adaptation of 'Golden Wind'

Toei, trio of firms join forces with China for ‘Monkey Prince’

‘Sugoi!’ Anime class to be listed at Yamagata high school

Director Yuasa plans romantic comedy for next anime project

Model Tina Tamashiro to star in 'Hell Girl' film adaptation

'Eagle Talon' creator enlists Leiji Matsumoto for ghostly video

‘DanMachi’ movie to debut on Feb. 15

New ‘Doraemon’ movie set on moon, written by Tsujimura

‘In This Corner of the World’ finds niche with die-hard fans

Hosoda’s ‘Mirai’ nominated for Golden Globe award

‘Shazam!’ Record 63,000 people attend Tokyo Comic Con 2018

Detective Conan attractions set to open at Osaka theme park

Kento Yamazaki to star in live-action ‘Kingdom’ film

A Tale of Two Studios Worthy of a Dramatic Anime Tale

Celebs, atheletes give 'Dragon Ball' pop culture super status

Kadokawa opens EJ Anime Theater in Tokyo’s Shinjuku

1st new film from director of ‘Your Name.’ to hit theaters in July

Japan’s anime market in 2017 worth more than 2 trillion yen

Comics festival gives Rumiko Takahashi grand prix in France

Could "Alita" Be Hollywood's breakthrough Anime?

‘Psycho-Pass’ mystery game to be held on ships until Feb. 24

Yuhei Sakuragi's 1st feature takes viewers on trip to parallel world

Hosoda’s ‘Mirai’ wins Annie for best animated indie feature

‘Naruto’ author Kishimoto's new 'Samurai 8' set to debut this spring

Space-traveling ‘Cowboy Bepop’ to get Hollywood live-action series

Got a good One Piece costume? It may win you a trip to Japan

Tokyo anime fest reveals names of films nominated for 2019 awards

‘Dostoevsky’ the threat in third series of ‘Bungo Stray Dogs’

Arinco and Avocado

I'm really not sure what kind of shop Arinco is, if it's a beauty or hair salon, but the sign here reads "Arinko and Avocado", and uses avocados as part of an eye chart.

Almond Peak 12 Queens Cards

There's a drug store nearby in Tenmonkan that opened up to take advantage of all the Chinese tourists coming in through Kagoshima on shopping sprees. Like many drug stores here, they use chocolates and candy as loss leaders to get customers inside.



I don't normally buy Almond Peak, which are small chocolate-covered almond candies, but I noticed the advertising on the boxes for trading cards featuring famous classical paintings, which Glico is pumping as "the 12 Queens." The chocolates are cheap, and I wanted a couple of the cards for the blog, so I bought a few boxes.



You can see examples of the specific paintings they chose. Kind of a cliche, actually.



The chocolates are ok, nothing really special. The cards are inside the package, so they also smell like chocolate.





Trade you a Bottichelli for 2 Fragonard, and a da Vinci to be named later.

Valentine's Day Photos

Dolphin Port lover's messages center.



Love a lover? Love a dolphin? Are a dolphin? Are a dolphin lover?
Leave your message at the "beep."

Felt Olympics

I was on the streetcar one morning, staring at the floor, and it took my brain a few minutes to register the fact someone had glued "2020" and the Olympic Rings in felt cutouts on the access panel covers. There were two covers in the car, and both had the cutouts. I don't think these are official. I haven't seen them on any other cars, but usually the cars are packed and I can't see the floor anyway.

100 Yen Cards

100 yen shops are extremely common in Japan now, and are kind of like Dollar Stores in the U.S. Recently, though, one of the shops had a display stand filled with packs like these (which are more often found at konbini). They're kind of like trading cards in the U.S., with one card and some kind of small snack (a dried-out wafer cookie, or a tiny piece of ramune (lemonade) chewing gum). The snacks are worthless, but I did have some interest in running the cards on the blog. Pictured here are: A big foil series for DBZ, One Piece - Waters, Monster Strike, and Re:Life.



The Monster Strike card for Catastrophe is silvered, and I wasn't expecting it to scan as well as it did.





The Re:Life Emilia card is a normal laminated plastic. It starts out looking a bit washed-out, so it still doesn't scan that well.





The One Piece cards look a bit more like regular trading cards.





The Dragonball things are actually big mylar sheets that are just mirrors on the back. There's a bit of silvering on the front for effect, which messes up Freeza's face in the close-up section.

None of the cards are all that great, unless you're a fan of the series.

Shiroyama Meat Section Shrine

There's a little display area at the corner of the meat case in the Shiroyama grocery store. It's currently used to show off ornaments celebrating the new Chinese lunar year of the Boar.



No, they don't sell boar or owl meat.