Where to send your help.

I know that many of us who have dear friends and family in Japan wish there were something more we could do other than send money and messages of encouragement.

In such a case, I think I feel a lot better donating to a foundation that I know has a great investment in Japan already like the Japan Society.
Click the image below to go to the Japan Society donation page.

La Tenoli

EVENT: Ramen Rules New York @ The Japan Society

New York City is the ever-evolving baby nation of cultures and that includes the world's palette. There's a restaurant to satisfy almost ever kind of food craving including the otaku's favorite "fast food" Ramen! On February 8^th I attended the “Ramen Rules New York City” Lecture at the Japan Society with guest speakers J. Kenji Lopez-Alt (Serious Eats) and Mashiro Nakano (Shinyokohama Ramen Museum). So what exactly did they have to say about ramen? 

Check out some of the very interesting facts I learned below and watch the video! 

J. Kenji’s presentation was pretty amusing! :)

La Tenoli

[Japan Society Event!] The J-Pop Influence: A Western Obsession

Next week Tuesday October 12th I'll be attending a lecture at the Japan Society - The Jpop Influence: A Western Obsession. There are two reasons I'm really excited to attend the lecture:

1. Two weeks ago I blogged about Japanese Inspired Brands and ever since then it's been heavily on the brain. Plus with THE CULTYARD at NYCC this weekend, it is the perfect follow up event.
2. SIMONE LEGNO IS GOING TO BE THERE!! Yes the man behind all the tokidoki genius! *Hyperventilation* Excitement! 

Here's a little description of the event:

The Japanese aesthetic, specifically pop culture and contemporary design, has influenced many Western designers in recent years. Simone Legno, creator, Tokidoki; and Matthew Waldman, Chief Creative Officer & President, Nooka, Inc. share their love of Japanese pop culture and discuss how modern Japan has influenced the design of their clothing, accessories, watches and toys.

So here's a recap of all necessary info!
WHERE: Japan Society 333 East 47th Street
WHEN: Tuesday October 12th at 6:30PM
PRICE:  Tickets are $12 for non-members and $8 for students, seniors, and members!
Click the event link above for more info or to purchase your tickets.

If there was ever a better time to splurge on a tokidoki tee, now would be it - I'd love to get an autograph <3 All tokidoki obsession aside, I'm excited to hear what Mr. Legno and Mr. Waldman have to say. I think this is indeed an interesting topic!

Hope I bump shoulders with you guys at NYCC this weekend or at the lecture!

Till next time Tenoli lovers!~

La Tenoli

JAPAN CUTS: Nightmare Detective II（ 悪夢探偵２）

On Wednesday, July 14th I attended the US Premiere of Nightmare Detective II at the Japan Society's cinema festival - Japan Cuts. The festival began on July 1st and ended on July 16th. Unfortunately I was only able to make it to this one screening despite having wanted to see Confessions, Sweet Little Lies, and Golden Slumber.

Having never seen Nightmare Detective before it's sequel, I thought it only fair to watch it before writing my review-ish blog post.  Luckily for me, I was able to watch Nightmare Detective II without any background necessary because the sequel is more like a prequel, as I will explain.

Nightmare Detective II is the story of a man with the ability to read the mind's of others and enter their dreams on will; however, this "gift" has been more a curse to him than anything else. In the movie we watch as Kagenuma struggles to understand why he has fallen victim to nightmares while attempting to solve a case that reminds him of the traumatic experiences during his childhood with his mother.

For those who fell in love with the Nightmare Detective, (and who couldn't) it would be hard to turn down a chance to see Kagenuma on screen again. Nightmare Detective was everything one would expect from a good horror movie - gory and psychologically thrilling. It was suspenseful and mysterious, giving away just enough during each scene to make us crave for more. THIS is what I would have expected from Nightmare Detective II; however, it was not the case. Nightmare Detective II was, to say the least, extremely confusing.  There are definitely parts of the movie, that otherwise explained further, don't make any sense existing - random dead school children that parade at night? It was hard telling when the characters were experiencing a dream or reality, and while this probably adds a little bit of mystery to the movie, it is never really explained later. I looked forward to the ending for some clarity, but was left with more of a "... huh?" feeling and nothing seemed resolved.

So for those of you who have seen Nightmare Detective and are curious to learn more about Kyoichi Kagenuma's past, it wouldn't hurt to see the sequel. I wouldn't recommend watching it before the first one though, because it might turn you off from giving Nightmare Detective a try.

Aside from the movie, the theater at the Japan Society was a good size and offered pretty comfy seating. There was also a small introduction given before the movie which I found helpful in learning  about the director and the movie's background.

I look forward to more of the Japan Society's events and next year's JAPAN CUTS.

La Tenoli