Konnichiwa, Philadelphia. This week's blog speaks in general about New Years in Japan, from traditional customs of festivity to more modern routines, such as the broadcasting of NHK's annual male vs. female, team-based, musical entertainment competition, Kouhaku Uta Gassen. Read on to learn more about the Japanese experience of the New Year holiday.

Konnichiwa, Philadelphia. In this entry we lament Philadelphia's loss of its first and only Japanese baseball star, Iguchi "Gooch" Tadahito, who many agree was integral in winning the NL East title and brought the city much welcomed attention from the Japanese media. When will Philadelphia once again be home to another Japanese baseball star?

UPDATE: As if in response to our pleas, the Phillies have signed former Cardinal So Taguchi!

Recently, Miro Dance Theater invited Ikuyo Kuroda, a rising star in the Japanese dance world, to perform in Philadelphia. I was speaking with Miro’s artistic director Amanda Miller about it, and asked what kind of dance it would be.  She told me that she couldn’t quite describe it, but I pushed for a box to put it in, so she said “ballet-butoh fusion.” I couldn’t imagine what a combination of ballet and butoh would look like. From previous shows that I have seen in both genres, I can say that about the only things the two art-forms have in common are that they both involve body movement and they both begin with the letter b...