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Japanorama is a series of Documentary film presented by Jonathan Ross, exploring various facets of popular culture and trends of modern-day Japan.
Each episode has a theme, around which Ross presents cultural phenomenon, films, music, and art that exemplify facets of Japan. The series is colourful in both its creative use of subject matter, and its use of bright colours that helped accent the action on screen rather than distract from it. Subjects are separated by Eye Catch that often featured the artwork of Junko Mizuno. Ross hosts each episode in bright, eye-catching suits.
Fans have praised the series for the care that both Ross and the BBC have placed in its production. Time was given to delve into each subject, and he was able to interview various figureheads of culture and industry, including Mamoru Oshii, Hayao Miyazaki, Takeshi Kitano, Takashi Miike, Takashi Murakami, and Sonny Chiba.
The theme song of the show was Kiyoshi no zundoko bushi by Kiyoshi Hikawa.
| 9 June 2002 | |
| TV: Ultraman and interview with director Kazuho Mitsuta Film: (1988), (1992) and interview with director Shinya Tsukamoto Video games: Rez (2001), (2002) and interview with Tetsuya Mizuguchi (CEO of United Game Artists) Etiquette: How to enter a room Anime: Astro Boy (1963), and Akira (1988) Film: Ghost in the Shell, Avalon and interview with director Mamoru Oshii Culture: Robot pets and robot people Film: I.K.U. (2001), sci-fi porn feature inspired by Blade Runner | |
| 16 June 2002 | |
| Film: Waterboys (2001), a high school comedy film about five boys who start a synchronized swimming team. Conceptual Art: Cupheads Etiquette: How to laugh Music: J-Pop Idols (Hikaru Utada - "Traveling", Aya Matsuura - "Momoiro Kataomoi", Morning Musume - "Sōda! We're Alive", Licca - "Get Back") Film: Love and Pop (1998) and interview with director Hideaki Anno Video games: Super Mario, Resident Evil, Doko Demo Issyo, Jet Set Radio Future, Otostaz Culture: "PostPet", this is how internet was meant to be Interview: Hayao Miyazaki, director of many Japan's most popular animated films, such as My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Kiki's Delivery Service (1989), Princess Mononoke (1997), and Spirited Away (2001) Film: Battle Royale (2000): a group of teenagers on an island are forced to kill each other | |
| 23 June 2002 | |
| Film: Warm Water Under a Red Bridge (2001), a Shōhei Imamura last feature film. TV: The Paradise TV network, a 24-hour erotic TV channel. Film: In the Realm of the Senses (1976) Film: A Woman Called Sada Abe (1975) and interview with Noboru Tanaka Interview: The "Kings of Pink" - Serious adult film makers Etiquette: Chopsticks Anime: Hentai Anime: Legend of the Overfiend (1989) Culture: Figure, erotic cosplay with masks Film: Tokyo Decadence (1992), about a sadomasochism girl for hire | |
| 30 June 2002 | |
| Film: Tokyo Drifter (1966) Film: Branded to Kill (1967) Film: Brother (2000), interview with actor and director Takeshi Kitano Etiquette: How to exchange business cards Interview: Director Takashi Miike – Audition (1999), City of Lost Souls (2000), Ichi the Killer (2001) Reality TV: "Crybaby". Which girl can produce the most tears? Interview with producer and winner Music: Pizzicato Five, interview with Yasuharu Konishi Anime: Defining the difference between anime and cartoons with (1983) | |
| 6 July 2002 | |
| Manga: Lone Wolf and Cub, Interview with writer Kazuo Koike Etiquette: How to bow Film: Zatoichi (1971) Film: Samurai Fiction (1998), interview with director Nakano Hiroyuki Anime: Ninja Scroll Conceptual Art: Breadman Film: Onibaba (1964) Culture: Kano Sisters, celebrities known for nothing in particular Music: SUPERCAR, WHITE SURF style 5 (2000). Film: Seven Samurai (1954), Yojimbo (1961), hosts from Akira. | |
| 13 July 2002 | |
| Interview: Architects and Godzilla actors Etiquette: Numbers Film: Kwaidan (1964) Film: Scarecrow (2001) Film: St.John's Wort (2001) Film: Ring (1998) and Ring 2, interview with director Hideo Nakata Anime: Barefoot Gen (1983), interview with writer Keiji Nakazawa Interview: Junko Mizuno Interview: Dir En Grey and fans | |
| 7 September 2006 | |
| Architecture: Buildings in Omotesandō, Tokyo. Interview: Pop and video artist Nagi Noda, creator of the Hanpanda. Custom: Slurping when eating noodles. Interview: Nigo, creator of A Bathing Ape. Interview: Tadanobu Asano. Technology: Robots, such as ASIMO, and an interview with robot builder Tatsuya Matsui. | |
| 14 September 2006 | |
| Culture: Akihabara Film: Densha Otoko Interview: Toru Honda, "King of Otaku" Culture: and other anime model kits, as well as Wonder festival, an annual event dedicated to these things Culture: Moe Culture: Cosplay Culture: Maid cafés Custom: Lying and the Japanese saying that doing so would cause you to lose your tongue in the afterlife Music: AKB48, Interview with Akimoto Yasushi | |
| 21 September 2006 | |
| Culture: Harajuku, Tokyo and the subcultures who go there to show off – , gyaru, and the like. Music: Junko, dancehall queen. Custom: On graduation day, girls ask the boy they like for their second uniform button – the one closest to his heart. Interview: Paul Smith Culture: Yakuza and their style in clothes and . | |
| 28 September 2006 | |
| Culture: Manzai, stand-up comedy Interview: TV comedian Hard Gay TV: Oh! Mikey, TV comedy sketches Film: Cop in a Wig Anime: Cromartie High School Film: The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai | |
| 5 October 2006 | |
| Culture: Beetle sumo Interview: Director Minoru Kawasaki about his films Calamari Wrestler, Executive Koala and Crab Goalkeeper Technology: Sumo robots controlled by cell phones via Bluetooth Film: The films with Chiaki Kuriyama | |
| 12 October 2006 | |
| Culture: Hello Kitty. Music: Ichirou Mizuki, King of the Anime Singers. Custom: The tradition to throw a fallen-out bottom tooth over your house to symbolise the new tooth growing straight up quickly. Upper teeth should be thrown under the house. TV: and Funny Pets by Ryuji Masuda. Culture: Gloomy Bear and an interview with its creator, Mori Chack. Culture: Japanese dolls, in particular the Super Dollfie dolls. | |
| 19 March 2007 | |
| Culture: Bosozoku (bikers) Motorsports: Drift racing, Interview with Keiichi Tsuchiya Music: Electric Eel Shock hard rock band Culture: Dekotora trucks and their drivers Manga: Afro Samurai, manga and anime series about a black samurai taking revenge Culture: Yayoi Kusama, polka dot artist | |
| 26 March 2007 | |
| Religion: Shinto shrines with fertility rites and penis festivals. Culture: where women go to meet well-paid male hosts for companionship. There are also onnabe hosts – women dressed as men and taking to grow beards. Culture: Takarazuka Revue, an all-female revue form of theatre. Manga: Yaoi, a genre of manga featuring romance and sex between males. Culture: Air sex, like air guitar but pretend sex instead of guitar play. Culture: Businesses renting rooms with sex doll to men. | |
| 2 April 2007 | |
| Culture: Takashi Murakami's "Superflat" style of subversive characters derived from Manga and Anime, turned into merchandise Culture: Gesai #10, Tokyo fair for young artists, 2006 Culture: Toast Girl uses household items for performance art Culture: Yoshitomo Nara and his paintings with dark childlike figures Culture: designer toys, collectible figures created in limited editions Culture: Tomohiro Yasui creates paper figures of wrestling robots Culture: Hard Gay's paintings and sculpture, showing a giant anus Culture: Keiichi Tanaami has created colorful psychedelic art since the late 1960s. | |
| 9 April 2007 | |
| TV: Celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the Ultraman series Anime: Gundam, Pokémon, Astro Boy Culture: Illusionist Princess Tenko Song: Haruka and Rena perform "Tarako, Tarako, Tarako" Food: Ramen, noodles in broth with toppings Interview: Martial arts actor Sonny Chiba, about his film The Street Fighter and his acting in Kill Bill | |
| 16 April 2007 | |
| Culture: kimodameshi (scary walks for children) Entertainment: "Haunted Hospital" in Fuji-Q Highland, one of the scariest , with live actors Anime: Spirited Away (Oscar, 2001), Pom Poko (1994) Culture: Obake, transforming monsters in Japanese folklore, including Kaminari, Bake Chochin and Kasa-obake (one-legged umbrella) Music: Interview with Demon Kogure, head of a religious heavy metal band who claims to have conquered Earth in 1999 Film: J-Horror films including Kwaidan (1964) with "The Woman of the Snow" and "Hoichi the Earless"; Kuroneko (1968) by Kaneto Shindo; Ring Trilogy (1998-2000) by Hideo Nakata and Norio Tsuruta; (2003) by Takashi Shimizu Manga: Interview with Junji Ito, creator of Uzumaki, Tomie and Gyo Photography: Kaoru Izima takes pictures of fashion models as if they were dead Film: Ero guro ("erotic grotesque") movies, many based on the horror novels by Rampo Edogawa, e.g. Japanese Hell (1999) and Blind Beast vs. Dwarf (2001) by Teruo Ishii and Sexual Parasite: Killer Pussy (2004) by Takao Nakano | |
| 23 April 2007 | |
| Culture: , Ganguro and Yamanba girls. Dance: Para Para, synchronised group dancing performed to eurobeat music. Interview: Maeda Ken, para para pop star behind the Maeken Trance Project. Film: Azumi (2003). Feature: Entertainer Reiko Ike, best known for her action/erotic roles in so-called "". Film: Kamikaze Girls (2004), Sakuran (2007) and interview with actress and pop idol Anna Tsuchiya. Culture: Female wrestling. Music: Female pop stars Namie Amuro, Ayumi Hamasaki and Kumi Koda. All-female bands Metal Chicks, The Feminine and eX-Girl. | |
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