August 20, 2014... What the Friday? Secret Live!

I have organized another free concert for people to enjoy. 

I think these big summer festivals whereby people spend $500 to $1000 (more?) to go to a festival to see bands with crappy sound, bad food, and stand in long lines to go to the toilet are way over priced. 

On August 20, 2014, I have set up another killer show that is "invitation only" limited to 250 guests. The show features "The Man";  Also Japanese band, "Taffy" (who garnered 8 out of 10 stars from Britian's NME Magazine (an new band getting 8 out of 10 stars? Never heard of it!)  "The Twenties" and "Good Warp."  Also DJ'ing that night is the eclectic and infectious sound of "Amducias." 

I think it will be one of the best and most memorable shows of summer 2014.

The show is by invitation only and drinks are a mere ¥500 (at the door) So, I hope to see you there!

It's going to be one of the most happening parties in Tokyo summer of 2014.

Amducias

Be there!

If you wanna go, send an email to: wtf@interfm.jp

The Coolest Summer Concert in Tokyo of 2014? And It's Free!

I hadn't blogged in three weeks. Didn't realize it had been so long until an anonymous writer sent this comment: "21 days with no blogging. Sure hope your life is alright."

Thanks Anonymous. I appreciate it.

My life is alright. I hope yours is too.

I've been working 14 ~ 16 hours a day, everyday for the last 5 weeks or so. Then, during that time, I had a hellacious gout attack! I don't know why, I hadn't been drinking and have been basically doing the raw food thingy. Maybe it is stress... At least, that's what the doctor said.

Then, as soon as my gout went away, I went back to my exercise routine: 90 minutes speed walking.

That was a mistake.

Because of the gout, I had been walking funny for a week and my left knee hurt from that. So, while my knee was out of whack, I went for a 90 minute walk again. On the way back, darn if my knee didn't start burning. Uh, oh... Felt like I was getting water under my left kneecap.

It was.

Within a day, my knee had swollen up and hurt like heck, but I kept working.

That was another mistake.

By the third day, I couldn't walk and was in bed with my knee under ice packs and elevated. Still was doing work from the computer.

In the meantime, I completed several important tasks and nearly completed or completed a few videos.

Video screen capture of Neatbeats, "Snakey Baby"

One of the ones that was finished was for a really awesome Japanese Beat Group called, "The Neatbeats." It stars Japan's best authentic beat music group, Mina Shirakawa, Japan's Sexy and Hot New Pinup girl and a funny sumo wrestler. I have my "Hitchcock style cameo" right at the very start (I'm the guy in the red sweater). For some reason, I can't link that video but you can view that video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1L3leqBg-8

Besides these things, I've been doing my regular jobs and trying to get stuff done.

I have also organized another free concert for people to enjoy. I think these summer festivals whereby people spend $500 to $1000 to go to a festival to see bands with crappy sound, bad food and stand in long lines to go to the toilet are way over priced.

On June 23, 2014, I have set up another killer show that is "invitation only" limited to 250 guests. 

The show features the above mentioned Neatbeats. Here's a different video of theirs

The Neatbeats can easily sell out 500 ~ 600 people venues at $60 a ticket. Think people will wanna see. 

Also Japan's power drum and bass duo, Moja will perform. 

Julie will perform...

and also Mz. Moxy from London in her Japan debut.

It's a killer show and I hope that you can attend. I think it will be one of the best and most memorable shows of summer 2014.

So, besides trying to be a father and husband, that's what I have been doing...

I hope to blog again because there's so much nonsense going on right now: Ukraine, stock market, Abenomics, Justin Beiber that the world's a ripe grape ready for the picking for some blogger...

But for now, I've got to get back to work.

See you soon.

Where Have I Been on My Blog?

Axel, a regular reader wrote in and complained to me. He wrote: "Why has this column/blog recently morphed into a self-help book? What happened to astute and witty observations on life in Japan?"

Axel is completely right. (Not so sure about the "... astute and witty observations on life in Japan?" part... But he's right about the rest!)

My excuse: Starting in April, I became the producer, director, engineer, writer, song selector, news person and promoter of a new radio program. I am doing the job of 4 people (at the pay of one). The show is called, "WTF?" ("What the Friday" and it is on 761. InterFM): 
http://www.interfm.co.jp/wtf/index.php?mode=fri&id=32

I'm not complaining (too much).

The radio station seems not too interested in promoting our show so I have taken that responsibility by myself completely. So now I do the job of 5 people for that show.

The job that takes the most of my time is promotion. The show is an unheard of 5 hours long live show on Fridays. This is a problem for promotion. The reason being is that if you want people to look forward to a show that is only on once a week, you'd better stick in their minds for the other six days a week.

This is the reason I have not found the time to blog too much. Axel, my friend, the self-help posts are recycled old material.

I spend at least at least two to three hours a day, everyday, writing information and interesting things for our "WTF?" Facebook page. This is the way, I think, that people can "stay with us" everyday of the week and I can ready them and get them to remember and look forward to our Friday show.... 

Frankly speaking, it is exhausting. I never consistently spent two hours a day on my blog! Let me tell you that this is hard work! Not only do I have to think up, research and write good content, I must write it in English and Japanese (I speak and write Japanese but am not a native-speaker so I make many mistakes!)

By starting this Facebook promotion, though, I began to get very interested in seeing what kind of posts draw huge numbers of reactions and views and what posts do not. This is incredibly valuable information that cannot be found in books, they can only be found by experience.

I have to say that I've learned a lot in just 10 weeks. I also have to say that blogging and my past experience with SEO work helped me greatly in figuring out the fast track way to do this.

The results? They are awesome! In less than ten weeks, our WTF? Facebook fan page has garnered over 2000 "Likes." (We average well over "15,000 People Reached" daily!) This is incredible when you consider that the station's Facebook page is nearly 4 years old and they have about 9,700 Likes. 

So a show that is on for 5 hours, once a week, garners over 2000 Likes in 10 weeks while a station that is on 24/7 and has a Facebook page for over 4 years "only" has 9,700? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that this is an awe-inspiring feat. I thank our listeners and fans...

Yet, people need to be motivated to click. I want my WTF? Facebook page to give everyone something to look at and think, "That's interesting" or "That's funny" if even for just one minute a day. It keeps us fresh in the minds of the people. I want us to be what the daily newspaper was for me when I was a kid: I didn't read the newspaper my dad got; I only looked forward to reading the comics everyday - if even for only one minute. It was just one more small thing, if for only one minute, to look forward to everyday!

Everyone needs something to look forward to! 

That's what I want the WTF? FB page to be for you, our fans and everyone else; just one small fun thing to look forward to everyday of the week!

So it's the WTF? Facebook page, my other job at the research company (we just had a shareholders revolt and they fired the CEO!) and my bad habit of drinking too much that just, pardon my French, mind-f*ck me so much that I haven't the time nor energy to get back to serious commentary and blogging.

But I will very soon, Axel. I promise. 

If anyone would like to help me out by "Liking" our WTF? FB page, I'd sure appreciate it. We also, by the way, ran a charity for Children With Incurable Diseases and the FB page was a great help in promotion. Please help us out and "Like" our page! Please! https://www.facebook.com/WhattheFriday

We ran a promotion to help the "Children With Incurable Diseases" Charity and was rewarded with a huge write up in the Asahi Newspaper earlier this month. The Asahi morning news has over 8 million newspapers delivered everyday... Not bad promotion, I'd say!

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/

WTF? Starts Today! 7 am!

Starting today 7 am! "WTF?" (What the Friday?) on 76.1 InterFM in Tokyo Japan! Listen online at Radiko (click the "InterFM" button at top)! http://radiko.jp/ 

今朝７：００スタート　"WTF?" (What the Friday?) 76.1 インターFM．オンライン：http://radiko.jp/

Hanami Party! April 6 & 7! At Tamagawa! Free! You're Invited!

don't forget about our Hanami party on April 6th and 7th at Tamagawa!

2013年花見！Hanami Party!  今年もこの季節がやってきました！花見〜〜〜〜今回は4月6日、7日の２日間でやります。日曜日に来れなかった人も今年は大丈夫だよ！皆さんに声をかけて参加して下さい。会場は毎年花見をやっている尾山台の多摩川河川敷です。飲まない人は駐車場も増えたので車でもだいじょうぶです。

More info on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/153224684837610/

ACCESS: Best way is Ooimachi line to Oyamadai Station. Walk towards the river. You'll see a huge Volkswagen used car lot. We're on the other side of the road by the river in the grassy area. You can't miss us. Be careful when crossing the busy streets! URL to Volkswagen: http://yahoo.jp/h6jYOo

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