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.

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.

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.

"Let's Stand Up!" Iketeru Hearts Unveils Music Video for Tsunku♂-Produced Debut Single

Idol group Iketeru Hearts has unveiled the music video for their debut single "Let's stand up!" on YouTube today.

The track, which releases on 10 February 2016, is written and composed by renowned record producer Tsunku♂, best known for producing highly-acclaimed idol group Morning Musume.

$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.

Interview with Lia: Working With Jun Maeda, Voicing IA and That Life-Changing Call

Eurobeat, techno, trance, happy hardcore and anisong- Japanese singer-songwriter Lia has sung for so many different music genres but she is not stopping anytime soon.

"I like anime songs and I think my voice is more suited to them but I also want to try as many genres as possible in my life. I really like trying new things," said the 30 year-old in fluent English. She was in Singapore to perform at Anime Festival Asia 2015 last month .

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!

Want to Make your Anime Product Official? Now you Can, at AFA 2015!

Urawa no Usagi-chan

Are you an anime merchandise creator? Do you make your own doujinshi? Want to make your product official? Good news, now you can! With copyright infringement of doujinshi becoming a hot topic in Japan lately, you wouldn't want to be caught on the wrong side of the law, would you?

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.

The Idol Resurgence in Singapore Continues! Rie Yunohara and You Yanase Enthrall at STGCC's First Idol Showcase!

Kyoto and Tokyo. One is the keeper of tradition while one is a modern metropolis. They hail from two distinctively different regions of Japan yet what they do is very much alike. Idols You Yanase and Rie Yunohara were in Singapore to perform at STGCC 2015 last month. Each bringing their unique brand of music, they enthralled a strong crowd at the pop culture convention's first-ever idol showcase.

Exclusive Interview with Rinahamu of BPM15Q in Singapore

Rinahamu of BPM15Q speaks about the duo's origins, goals and feelings about their first overseas performance in Singapore.

Japanese idol unit BPM15Q held their first overseas performance at the first Moshi Moshi Nippon Festival in Singapore over the weekend of 5 and 6 September. Idols Rinahamu and Nicamoq, who make up the duo, performed three self-produced songs tirelessly for a total of four times over two days.

Ever wondered what is BPM15Q? Who are they? What do they do? How did they come about? We find out the answers straight from Rinahamu, one-half of BPM15Q in a Tanoshii World exclusive interview.

STGCC 2015: Rekindling the Comic Book Fan in Us

STGCC rekindled the comic book fan in us

STGCC 2015 was dearly special to us for one reason. It rekindled the comic book fan in us. Before our interests became aligned more towards Japanese pop culture, we were huge followers of American pop culture. We used to collect American comics, watched American dramas and kept ourselves up-to-date on the latest Hollywood movies (which we still do).

STGCC 2015 Media Preview: The Biggest, Most Record-Breaking Edition Yet

It has been a very busy and record-breaking day for us today as we prepare for our first STGCC coverage as accredited media. With this post, we will be setting a new record of publishing three full-length feature articles on the same day. In addition, this might also be the shortest article to ever feature on the site. Seems like there will be no short article. Without further ado...

The Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention (STGCC) has always been one of the XDantheManX Online team's favourite events to attend in Singapore. We simply love the unrivalled freedom of interaction with the guests, the diverse mix of Eastern and Western pop content, the stunning and incredible guest cosplayers they invite every year and who could forget- the riveting stage programmes, including the annual DJ Night!

18 Guests to Check Out at STGCC 2015 this Weekend!

The Coolest Event of the Year is back again, leaving pop culture fans barely any room to breathe as it lands on the weekend right after the inaugural Moshi Moshi Nippon Festival in Singapore. This year's edition promises to be the biggest and the best yet, with the largest line-up of Japanese pop culture personalities- a staggering total of 19, making up more than half of the 29 invited guests. STGCC really represents the best of both worlds.

Japanese Idols Invade Singapore! BPM15Q's Memorable First Overseas Live

SUPER HIGH TENSION! Those were fitting words to describe the atmosphere at idol unit BPM15Q's first overseas performance in Singapore. Winning over many new fans with their unique brand of yume-kawaii music, the duo were amazing and talented performers, eliciting loud, rapturous cheers from the crowd whenever they took to the stage during the two days.

10 Exciting Things to Do at Moshi Moshi Nippon Singapore

Sing Japanese karaoke, drink miso soup, take photos with cute Japanese girls and even sell your luxury goods! There are so many things which you can do at MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL in Singapore this weekend!

It is the largest free Japanese pop culture showcase to ever be held in Singapore and there will be many exhibition booths promoting Japan's renowned technologies and services, featuring karaoke, Japanese fashion, cuisine and more!

Here are 10 exciting activities for you to enjoy at the festival!

The Untold Story of BPM15Q's Journey to Singapore

They're not your normal idols. They smoke and love to eat pizza, or at least that's the image they're trying to project. BPM15Q, an idol unit comprising of former BiS member Rinahamu and model Nicamoq, are coming to Singapore this September for the inaugural MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL!

They won a contest organised by CHEERZ, the idol-supporting app, coming in first with 241,333 votes, ahead of second-placed adorable Mecha High member Sayama Shiho.