Iketeru Hearts Interview: Making "Iketeru" A Universal Word

(Top left, clockwise) Iketeru Hearts members Yuyu Arata, Kotone Uchida, Rie Tachibana, Karin Ochi, Yuno Yurano, Nijika, Kazune Manami (Not in picture: Madoka Usami)

Their ambition is to make the Japanese word "iketeru (cool)" a term as well-known as "kawaii (cute)" and be a bridge connecting Japan and the world.

Idol group Iketeru Hearts were in Singapore last month for the recent Anime Festival Asia (AFA) Japanese pop culture convention. It was their second year in a row attending the event, having placed first in a contest organised by idol-supporting app CHEERZ for the second consecutive year.

From Stand-Up! Hearts to Iketeru Hearts: One Last Stage in Singapore

Idol group Iketeru Hearts (formerly Stand-Up! Hearts) performing on the second day of AFA 2015

Over three days, they had fun with, bantered with and no doubt, put a smile on the faces of the many who had dropped by their booth, their curiosity piqued by the eight vivacious girls who would cheerfully invite them to take a picture or two together.

Often performing alongside many other groups at idol events in Japan, they had the audience's undivided attention showered on them for the first time, with supporters turning up in droves to spur them on at their daily stage performances.

They were only idol trainees, yet to make their professional debut but it didn't matter. The crowd couldn't care less. To them, "Stand-Up! Hearts" was what they were there for, what made them happy the most.

Ex-AKB48 Singer Tomomi Itano Holding Singapore Fan Meeting in October

Well, this is unexpected but great news! Ex-AKB48-idol-turned-pop-singer Tomomi Itano will be be performing in Singapore for the first time next month! The JAPAN MUSIC FESTIVAL - Tomomi Itano Fan Meeting & Showcase Live in Singapore will be held on Saturday, 8 October at Millian Singapore.

C3 CharaExpo 2016 Press Conference LIVE!

It's time again for Southeast Asia's largest mid-year anime, comics and games convention!

Get live updates from the latest press conference at the Playstation stage at the 313@Somerset flagship Sony Store!

Tohoku Kyodo Ryori & Sake is so Good! Unique Flavours from Japan's North-East!

Eugene Chua writes

 

Featuring Kyodo Ryori (郷土料理) or traditional local cuisine, from the Tohoku region, in particular, Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures

11 March 2011 - A great magnitude-9.0 earthquake struck the Pacific Coast of Tohoku, Japan. The largest earthquake to have ever hit the island nation, it triggered a massive tsunami which brought great devastation upon the region, wrecking properties, taking lives, and sparking several nuclear accidents.

Five years have passed since the incident and the people are slowly recovering.

Singapore Fans Welcome Eir Aoi Home with Intimate Concert

Ardent fans staged a warm homecoming for Eir Aoi earlier last month as she returned to Singapore for her "ROCK THE WORLD" 2015 world tour concert after more than a year's absence.

The show was very much theirs as it was hers, with the vivacious crowd heavily responsible for igniting the atmosphere. Armed with glowing lightsticks, they illuminated The Coliseum at Resorts World Sentosa in a sea of blue, the Japanese singer's characteristic colour throughout the one hour and forty minutes.

Q'ulle Announces Singapore Stop on 2016 Asia Tour!

Singapore is one of the stops on Japanese rock dance unit Q'ulle's 2016 Asia Tour

Eir Aoi, ONE OK ROCK and ELISA are already coming to Singapore in the first month of 2016 but there are still more Japanese artistes set to make their way to our shores next year. 5-piece Japanese rock dance girl group Q'ulle has announced Singapore as a stop for their 2016 Asia Tour in a post on their official website.

In 2 Weeks... Eir Aoi's First Solo Concert in Singapore & All The Merchandise You Can Get! (UPDATE)

Christmas is just around the corner... and Eir Aoi's first solo concert in Singapore is also just two weeks away! That's right! The prolific anisong singer is set to wrap up her first ever world tour, -ROCK THE WORLD!!- on our shores on Saturday, 9 January 2016.

Eir Aoi ROCK THE WORLD!! Interview: Musical Influences, Soup Curry King And More

First world tour. Nippon Budokan concert. Fourth album release. 2015 has certainly been an extraordinary year for Eir Aoi.

One of the hottest singers in Japanese music today, the Hokkaido-born songstress with eleven singles to her name, has performed the theme songs to many hit animes, from the likes of Sword Art Online, Aldnoah.Zero and Kill la Kill, gaining a legion of fans worldwide for her magnificent voice.

Originally scheduled to make a stop in Singapore this October as part of her "ROCK THE WORLD" first world tour, the concert was postponed to next year because of air quality problems.

$38 to Catch ELISA, Kamen Joshi & More Perform at ASCOT Singapore in January 2016

There's an anisong concert already planned for the first month of the new year!?

That's right! Get ready for an all-new anisong spectacle in January 2016! Featuring the return of Japanese singer ELISA, together with idol group Kamen Joshi and many other anisong legends in Singapore for the first time, ASCOT Singapore will be held at the Kallang Theatre on Friday, 29 January next year.

A New TV Programme to Watch in January! Set Sail for Japan's San-in Area and Savour Delicious Seafood!

"Enjoy! Cruise Japan!" airs on Mediacorp Channel 5 from Sun, 3 January at 12.30pm!

Ever fancied travelling to Japan by cruise? Wait- who takes a cruise there? Well, you'd be surprised!

Starting 3 January next year, let Asia's popular travel show host Anita Kapoor take you to the beautiful San-in Area! With its mouthwatering fresh seafood, rich nature, history and culture, this southwestern region of Japan is the perfect destination for food and nature lovers.

Why You Definitely Need To Go to AFA 2015 This Weekend! You Won't Regret It!

How did your first day of Anime Festival Asia go? Large crowds and snaking queues were the most common sights of the day as fans scrambled to get their hands on exclusive merchandise and autographs in the eighth edition of the annual Japanese pop culture convention. XDantheManX Online checked out what went down on the opening day and what you can expect over the next two days.

All the Autographs You Can Get at AFA 2015! Collect them ALL!

Gotta catch 'em all!

AFA 2015 starts tomorrow! What's the first thing to do when the doors open? Dash in and get every possible autograph you can get, of course! Ain't nothing better than meeting your favourite singers and voice actresses and getting your memorabilia signed by them personally! Here's XDantheManX Online's guide to ALL the autographs that you can get at AFA! Collect them all!

6 New Exhibitors to Check Out at AFA 2015!

Bushiroad! Culture Japan! Good Smile Company! Many famous companies will be returning to AFA once again, following their successful outings in previous years, bringing with them tons of new and exclusive anime merchandise sure to tempt the many gullible young fans attending the convention. Joining them every year will be many new exhibitors, both big names and lesser-known ones. We take a look at some of the new exhibitors who you can check out at AFA this Friday!

DJ YURiA is Coming to AFA! Meet this Super-Cute Japanese Bunny Disc Jockey!

Source: DJ YURiA's Instagram

Going along with their all-new introduction of opening acts for this year's I Love Anisong Reboot concerts, AFA has announced super-hot Japanese EDM DJ, YURiA to open Sunday night's concert. "Wait- who's DJ YURiA? Is she an anisong DJ like Kazu?" you ask.

Fret not, the XDantheManX Online team has got you covered! The EDM disc jockey has been on our radar for some time ever since we chanced upon her Instagram profile a while back. Find out who this super-cute bunny-loving Japanese DJ is!

What You May Not Know About AFA 2015...More Cosplay and Idol News

Exciting news for cosplayers and idol fans after the break!

It's less than two weeks away to the largest Japanese pop culture convention of the year and announcements are in full swing. The organisers are certainly not resting on their laurels, with this year's all-new, all-different "I Love Anisong Reboot" concert's 17-singer line-up and an astonishing 13 guest cosplayers hitting our shores.

Amidst the deluge of recent announcements, here are some interesting news which you may have missed.

13 Cosplayers to Meet at AFA 2015!

What's an anime convention without cosplay?

The slate of announcements from the year's largest Japanese pop culture celebration, Anime Festival Asia (AFA) 2015 continues with the reveal of an astounding 13 bedazzling cosplayers, a mix of both fresh and familiar faces, who will be making their way to the convention later this month. With so many cosplay guests, will you have the time to meet all of them?

[Video] Highlights from Moshi Moshi Nippon Festival 2015 in Singapore

Attracting more than 7,500 visitors over two days, Moshi Moshi Nippon Festival 2015 in Singapore was held at *SCAPE Playspace on 5 and 6 Sept. Aimed at promoting Japanese pop culture to the masses, the festival featured a diverse selection of booths showcasing Japanese cuisine, music and products.

Japanese Pop Culture Invades Singapore! Top 10 Moments from the First Moshi Moshi Nippon Festival

It has been a month since the first Moshi Moshi Nippon Festival, aimed at introducing Japanese pop culture to the masses, was held in Singapore. Many renowned Japanese personalities including model-singer Anna Yano, DJ twins AMIAYA and idol unit BPM15Q were invited to the outdoor festival, which was held in the heart of the city and attracted over 7,500 visitors over its two days.

Higedriver Interview: Talking "Maware!", Love for Chiptunes and Rock music

Maware! Setsugetsuka (Unbreakable Machine-Doll ED), Fubuki (Kantai Collection ED) and Uraomote Fortune (Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun ED). You may know these anisongs but do you know the man behind them? A top musician in the chiptunes scene, Hige Driver has been steadily creating chart-topping anisong hits since his breakout success with Unbreakable Machine-Doll's sensational ending theme in 2013.

We sat down for a chat with the Yamuguchi native about his career, inspirations and plans for the future when he came down to Singapore to spin at STGCC 2015's DJ Night recently.