Photo Dump #2 of Rock Stars I've Met in Japan

"My idea of a good picture is one that's in focus and of a famous person." - Andy Warhol

"If you see something that moves you, and then snap it, you keep a moment." - Linda McCartney

This is a boring post with photos.... Move along... Nothing to see here folks...

I'm putting these photos up here because they had been on Myspace but Myspace seems to have compressed the hell out of many of them and now they are only icon sized so the digital images are worthless. (You can see them all here - still many are missing!) These are a few that I could save that seem to have escaped massive compression and I don't know where the originals are (I put them on Myspace to save them originally!)

There's tons more that are lost forever it seems. I can't find the photos with Joey Ramone, the Stranglers, Aerosmith and there's so many others that have fallen in the memory hole.... Tons of photos with really famous artists over the years (Japanese artists too)... Poof! Gone!

Oh well... Here's what's left... These are all photos taken between the years 1998 (99?) to 2009 or so... (Oh and a photo of me with a 10-year-old Ricky Martin!)....

Placebo

Maximo Park

Rancid

New Cassettes

Duncan Redmonds of Snuff and Duncan's Divas

Marky Ramone and Alex of Anti-Product

Paul of Maximo Park

Yoko Ono

Linkin Park

Fat Mike

Siouxsie Sioux (my wife, Yuka, in front)

Siouxsie Sioux

Vincent Gallo

Elvis Costello with George Williams (George took better care of his photos than I did. He even has an awesome photo with Jimmy Page!)

Zebrahead

Daisy Chainsaw

Howard Devoto of the Buzzcocks

Maximo Park

Elvis Costello

Jake of Stiff Little Fingers and Bruce of the Jam

Juliette Lewis

Guitar Wolf

Donnas

Buckcherry (the girl standing up on the left is my wife) 

Olga of Toy Dolls (Hey! Why isn't Mike in some of these pictures? Duh! Someone has to hold the camera! - and I can't find the photos with me in them!)

Le Tigre

Pere Ubu

Alex Empire of Atari Teenage Riot

Bis

Animal Collective

Earl Greyhound

White Stripes

Boss Hog

Mike of Suicidal Tendencies

Paul Weller (second from left) Taro Furukawa (far right)

I'm in the white shirt with Menudo. Ricky Martin at 10-years-old is in front with solid blue shirt.

With Shiga san and Yasuha (Japanese TV show, never mind)

With Shinko san and Yukari Morikawa (Yukari had one of the biggest selling and number one hit songs in all of Japan in the 1980s) 

That really is daddy Bush. Don't believe me? See here. I've gotten lots of photos with famous politicians in Japan too.

I Was a Teenage Converse All-Star!

It's not everyday one can be at the center of a massive national advertising campaign for one of the coolest shoe makers in the world, but I was. Hence the title of this post: I was a Teenage Converse All-Star! (Okay, that part about being a teenager? That's a lie. I'm 57. But the rest is true. So please allow me to brag. I usually don't get that chance in my mealy existence!) 

So, thank you God! Thank you Punk Rock! Thank you InterFM! Thank you Converse! Read more below!

創立100周年を超えるコンバース！毎週日曜日「What The Funday!」10:15からの「CONVERSE - THE SOUND OF CALIFORNIA」

毎週カリフォルニアのアーティストを1組ピックアップしてご紹介！

さらに、 タロヲの「カリフォルニア小話」も放送中。

実はこの小話、コンバースオフィシャルサイト内の特設ページで、いつでも聞けるんだよね！URLは　http://www.converse.co.jp/the-endless-summer/fm/index.html

僕らがCONVERSEのモデルとして登場しているとっておきの画像もみれるよ！

InterFMからもアクセス出来ます。「CONVERSE - THE SOUND OF CALIFORINIA」

チェックしてね。

Currently, the other two guys on my radio show, (WTF? What the Funday, InterFM, every Sunday morning 8 am ~ 11 am) George Williams and Taro Furukawa and I, am at the center of a massive Converse Shoes campaign for all of Japan. It's called "Converse - The Endless Summer" campaign and they are sponsoring our radio show as well as putting our faces on advertisements that show up somewhere that I am not quite sure about. But, you can see our photos here (https://www.interfm.co.jp/the-endless-summer/) or at the link at the very bottom of the page, so there! That's another reason for this blog; I wanna make sure I keep these photos forever! My mom is so proud of me!

Every Sunday morning at 10:15 ~ 10:25, Converse sponsors our show and we have a special that features a few songs from artists from California, insider information about said artist and also we GIVE AWAY CONVERSE SHOES FOR FREE TO LISTENERS!!!!! 

What!? Free Converse shoes??? Yes, just listen in every Sunday morning from 10:15 ~ 10:25 or so and you can win! (Actually, listen from 9:00 because we often give away hints on how to win earlier in the show!

The show is entitled, "Converse - Sound of California" and it's great.

Also, there's a massively popular joke corner where we tell jokes that are quite risque (and that's unheard of in Japan!) you can practice your Japanese, see the script, and hear a recording of the actual broadcasted joke here. Check it out, it is massively popular amongst the Japanese (and people studying REAL Japanese language): Taro's California Ko-Banashi (Joke) (If that link doesn't work, copy and paste this: http://www.converse.co.jp/the-endless-summer/fm/index.html) 

Click here to listen to the joke. 

http://www.converse.co.jp/the-endless-summer/fm/index.html

Actually, it's a secret, but this Sunday, there will be some folks from Converse at the show and they are bringing a bunch of presents so definitely check it out.

If you do not have an FM radio, you can listen on Radiko. Just download Radiko and click the button at the top that says "InterFM" and you can win some cool free Converse shoes. Radiko! Listen online: http://radiko.jp/

Converse - The Sound of California! And I was a teenage Converse All-Star, really! Just I wasn't in their advertising campaigns until I became over 55! So, I guess that's cool. I reckon there aren't very many olde pharttes like me who get to model sports shoes for youth culture at my age! Yikes!

---------------------------

* Check out the funny jokes online: http://www.converse.co.jp/the-endless-summer/fm/index.html

* WTF? What the Funday URL: https://www.interfm.co.jp/wtf/index.php?mode=sun&id=32

* Converse - Sound of California Homepage URL: 
http://www.converse.co.jp/the-endless-summer/

* Listen online: http://radiko.jp/

Crowd Funding? WTF? Yes!

I started producing, directing and co-hosting a 5 hour Friday morning FM radio show on 76.1 InterFM. The show is entitled, "WTF?" 

.....What!? That's not a foul name? "WTF?" Means, "What the Friday?" (Kind of like "TGIF" means, "Thank God it's Friday" and NOT "Thank God it's F*cked!") Heavens! What kind of a people have you been hanging out with? Now, go wash your brain out with soap and water! What if your mother ever found out what you were thinking? You should be ashamed!

Anyway, the show is going well. It's not your typical Japanese FM radio show (boring) and we are loud, laugh and play loud music. You can see the WTF? program web page here. http://www.interfm.co.jp/wtf/index.php?mode=fri&id=32

The other day, we had a gentleman by the name of Yu Sasamoto, the head cheese of WESYM, as a guest on the show and he told us about "Crowd Funding." You might have heard of Crowd Funding but weren't too sure of what it was. Yu explained it all to us. 

Crowd Funding is a way for people (without deep financial backing) to get their fans and friends to help fund their projects. It's a boom in the west and just starting out in Japan.

Being the kind of guy who doesn't quite understand this new-fangled "Internets" thingy, I decided that the best way to learn wasn't reading the "Users Manual" but by just jumping in and doing it! So we started our own Crowd Funding effort.

In this effort, I want to do three things:

1) I want to fund a product for program merchandise 
2) I want to help build a buzz for my program
3) I want to help build "community"
4) I want to take the extra proceeds and help out my favorite charity: Children with Incurable Diseases (That's me as Santa!) (If that link doesn't work, use this: http://modernmarketingjapan.blogspot.jp/2011/12/santa-claus-visits-hospital-for.html)

The campaign just started yesterday and I think it is going OK! 

Crowd Funding seems like a great idea and I want to do more if the future! See below the actual page for our effort. Crowd Funding is cool!

Japan's Radio Show X Crowd Funding: Engaging with listeners.

About the Project

Hello Japan!

I am Mike Rogers and I have a show every Friday on InterFM, a radio station in Tokyo.

Our program was renewed this April and is delivered to those who look forward to Friday every week. Don't forget to tune in!

For most of us, Friday is a great day just before the weekend. That's why the phrase TGIF (Thank God It's Friday). On this happy Friday, we have a great show called WTF!? What The Friday.

The show airs every Friday mornings with George Williams and Taro for 5 hours, providing the hottest info on music before anyone else along with easy listening music such as cross over Jazz. We only air once a week, so don't miss it. You not only get a great start to your Friday, but also get great information to make the most out of your weekend.

So why are we starting crowd funding on WESYM?

We want to create cool & fun goodies, as well as, events with our listeners and crowd funding is a great tool to make this happen.

Would you be interested in a private party on a cruiser with great food and music with the WTF!? Staff and listeners? Anything is possible.

For starters, we came up with an idea to create an original magnet that you can stick on your fridge. People who support the project will automatically get a cool WTF!? magnet.

We want at least 200 supporters for this project! So, help us spread the words to make it happen!

What? You rather have a T-Shirt? No problem. We can start another project or add a gift to this project.

Crowd funding is all about a community of fans or supporters making a fun idea a reality. It is somewhat similar to the European soccer team Barcelona being supported and funded by its fans. For us, our supporters are our listners. We would luv to create something with our supporters that everyone can enjoy and be a part of together.

Don't be shy if you have great ideas on what we can do together. Will be sharing ideas on a regular basis on WTF!? What the Friday!

◇ Return to the project supporters;

500 SEEDs will get you an original WTF!? Magnet. This is to show you are an official member of WTF!? What The Friday

You get TWO magnets for 500 SEEDs. One is signed by George, Taro and Mike. Another one is for you to either keep or give it away to your friends!

*When we exceed the required SEEDs to produce the magnet, we are to donate them to"Children with Incurable Diseases"

http://www.nanbyonet.or.jp/

▼ We plan to use the design below.

Check out our program blog as well!

http://www.interfm.co.jp/wtf/blog/

Kegawa No Maries - Japan's Best Band?

I think Kegawa No Maries are one of Japan's best bands today...

Of course, since they are good, they will get almost zero airplay.

This is a song called "Good Morning Mika"



This one is called, "Bonnie & Clyde Are Dreaming Tonight"

They were guests on George Williams and Taro Furukawa's Bam!

Japanese guys stocking up on cigarettes

As everyone in Japan knows, the price of a pack of cigarettes is about to jump 20% in a few days. That will bring the price of a pack of regular cigarettes to about ¥410 (about $4.80 USD pack). I'm sure glad that I quit smoking a few years ago. 

I smoked from 1998 to May 2009. Yes, I am lame. I didn't smoke at all until I became over 40-years-old. Interestingly enough, I got hooked on cigarettes during a five-week hospital stay in 1998.

How does one get hooked on cigarettes while staying in the hospital? This is Japan, there are still lots of hospitals that have smoking sections inside the hospital. The one where I got hooked on cigarettes had a smoking lounge that seated at least 100 people. While I was staying there, there was not much to do - couldn't really go out (it was winter) so us guys would sit around in the lobby and smoke cigarettes...


That is so Japan...

Back then, a pack of cigarettes cost ¥240 yen (about $2.80). The price of cigarettes has been steadily increasing by about ¥30 a pack every two years or so.

I got fed up with that nonsense and quit when cigarettes hit ¥300 per pack (about $3.60). I wrote about that and how you too can quit easily here.

Now, with the price of cigarettes about to skyrocket, Japanese people are stocking up. I was in my favorite grocery store the other day and over-heard two register clerks saying that they were out of several brands of major cigarettes and that was in the morning just after opening.

Some people are buying hundreds of cartons and storing them like gold. 

Bloomberg reports:

Yusuke Sato says a man walked into his tobacco store in Atsugi, southwest of Tokyo, this month and bought 100 cartons of Mild Seven cigarettes. While they may not be good for his health, he may have saved $1,300.

The man is one of thousands of smokers across Japan stocking up before Oct. 1 to beat a record 40 percent tax increase on tobacco. Their hoarding may add as much as 1.4 percentage points to this quarter’s annualized economic growth rate, according to estimates from the Japan Research Institute.

“We were afraid we would run out of stock,” said Sato, who started taking reservations for cartons last month. “Thirty cartons has been the norm.” Next month, customers would pay 110,000 yen ($1,300) more for the same 20,000-cigarette order after the price of a pack of 20 jumps by a third, he said.  

The headline of the Bloomberg article talks about how the Japanese government is benefitting from this "cigarette rush" due to a jump in tax income from sales.

I'm sure the government needs the money too since the economy is so bad...

But how long will this last?

I asked my best friend, Taro Furukawa, about it. Taro is 38-years-old and has been smoking since he was 14. In the last few years, he's been conserving cigarettes and sometimes smoking the same cigarette twice (he takes a puff then puts it out gently and returns it to the pack to smoke later - they taste rancid that way, but at least you get a nicotine rush, I used to do that too!). Taro is a hard core smoker - like many Japanese his age. Taro says he will not quit smoking even if cigarettes hit ¥1,000 (about $11) per pack!

Taro Furukawa

Taro went to the store and bought several hundred dollars of cigarettes at once... The amazing part is that everywhere in Japan is sold out of cigarettes. Taro had to place an order and wait one week. He will get his cigarettes tomorrow he said.

Taro says he will never quit smoking no matter what the price of cigarettes. Why? Because he likes to smoke.

I quit smoking almost 2 years ago and do not want a cigarette anymore... But I can understand why a guy likes to smoke.

If it helps him to relax and enjoy himself, then why not let him do it?

Life can be difficult enough as it is, full of stress, without having a one minute simple pleasure taken away.

But, after some more prodding, Taro admitted that his wife was not happy at all that his weekly cigarette allowance went from $21 to over $600 in one shot.


Taro said, "I might have to quit smoking at this rate..." If Taro thinks this, then there must be millions of other Japanese guys who think the same thing. Maybe this one time burst of spending helps Japan's GDP but it's going to end and, besides a huge decrease in cigarette taxes, we might see a huge increase in irritated Japanese men.


I hope not.