Peter's Japan blog

Have gotten 2 packages in the last 2 weeks (one last week, one today).

Last week I got a small package with some cd's & dvd's from YesAsia:
- Hirano Aya - Riot Girl (CD Album)
- Macross Frontier OST 1 (CD Album)
- Ayumi Hamasaki - Countdown Live 2007-2008 DVD

The Countdown Live concert was already out a few month, but due to circumstances, I bought just now. I loved the OST form Macross Frontier so I decided to buy it and the same goes for the Hirano Aya album. Whenever I really like something, I buy it to support the artists.

Today I got a bigger package, this time from Hobby Link Japan:
- a dakimakura with Yoko from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
- a towel with Yoko from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
- a T-Shirt from Black Lagoon
- a Revoltech figure of Yotsuba

I always wanted to have a dakimakura (even if it wouldn't lay in my bed) and I really Yoko and it's not too provocative like some other dakimakura, I decided to buy this one.
The towel I had expected to be a little bit bigger though ;p
The t-shirt from Black Lagoon is great, it has the same tattoo on the arm as Revy and has the 2 cutlass berettas on the side. I think it's a great & original design. This is also the t-shirt that I mentioned last year in this post, I finally got it! ;p If you want it, you can still get it at Hobby Link Japan but it's getting low in stock or is being re-stocked.
And the posable revoltech figure of Yotsuba was just too cute ;p

Will have some pictures up later though ;p

The JLPT system has been unchanged since it started in 1984 and the number of participants still rises (last year being 524000 worldwide). There have been many requests for revision of certain issues.

One of the requests is to be able to takes the multiple times a year. As of 2009, Levels 1 & 2 will be held in July and December, and from 2010 this will also be the case for the other levels.

Another issue was the large gap between level 2 & 3. The difference between these levels quite large, being trippled between from level 3 to level 2, while from level 4 to level 3 is just a doubling. This has made it difficult for people to progress more easily. Therefore, the 4-level system will be changed to a 5-level system from July 2010. The new levels will be N1, N2, N3, N4 and N5. With old level 1 & 2 begin N1 & N2, the old levels 3 & 4 will become N4 & N5 respectively, and N3 will be the bridge level between the old level 3 & 2, making it easier for people to progress more gradually.

Another change is that the examinee will be given a more clear result of their exams. They will be given a more detailed list of what they can do with their current level.

Other changes will be less difference between tests in regard of difficulty, more effort will be done to make all the tests of the same difficulty. Also the test questions will not be published any more afterwards, only example questions will be published.

More info on: JEES (there is a PDF in the news section about the revisions).

I like this because I was actually planning to only go up to level 3, because of the fact that the jump to level 2 was so big. But now I could go up to the new level N3, which is inbetween the old level 3 & 2.

It has finally arrived, Hirano Aya's first album. After 6+ singles, during which many artist have already released 2 albums, she finally released her first. It wasn't until last year that she really started to focus on her singing career more. Besides still doing her job as a seiyuu for anime series which made her popular, she now also aspires a kind of idol career as well, releasing several photo books and already 2 dvds.
Click here for the full review:

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It has been mentioned on the blog of Moonphase that there will be a 3rd season of Black Lagoon! Apparently it will be about the Roberta Arc, maybe about her past or something.
No date has been announced yet though.
I hope we get to see some kickass (Revy) action again ^^ I'm thrilled, will keep you posted on this one ;p

Update March 29th 2010: Black Lagoon Season 3 OVA!

Source: Moonphase, Kurogane & DannyChoo

It seems the international tour is back on track and Yoshiki has recovered.
It will begin in Paris at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy on Saturday the 22nd of November 2008. This has been confirmed on the official MySpace page of X-Japan.
X-Japan still plan to do New York and Taiwan as well, but are also interested to include Korea.

The original concert in France was supposed to be at the Japan Expo in Paris, with 2 other concerts planned in August and September in Taiwan and New York. But due to Yoshiki having trouble again with a herniated disc the world tour was postponed until further notice. See my previous blog entry about this.

And I will be there in Paris ! That's one week after my birthday on Nov 14th, so that's a nice present ;p

The beloved Tokyo Tower will soon be surpassed by a new communication tower: The Tokyo Sky Tree. To be finished in 2011 around Oshiage Station, it will have a height of 610m with 2 observation decks at 250m and 450m. When Tokyo Tower was built in the 1950s, its 333m was enough, but now there are more and more buildings higher then 200-300m and communication is getting more difficult.

Tokyo Sky Tree will be a joint project of 7 radio & tv broadcasting companies including NHK, with the tower being built on the land of Tobu Railways which will also fund the building of the tower. Together with the Guangzhou TV Tower, they will be the tallest structures in East Asia, both being 610m. There will also be two skyscrapers built next to it to accomodate offices and hotels.

Project ptrofile on Emporis

Finally did the second entry of this category. Have been forgetting to get more movies here. Anyway, here's the second one, I saw yesterday: Shutter.

General info
Title: Shutter
Year: 2008
Languages: Engelish and some Japanese
Actors: Joshua Jackson as Benjamin Shaw
Rachael Taylor as Jane Shaw

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