Getting Lost In Japan

So the magazine is a month behind and I'm relaxing playing in Japan. Guilty as charged. Actually I'm out here on assignment for the magazine and doing a tone of work. But the upside is I get to eat all the Ramien and Pork and drink all the Sake I want.

I can tell you though that I have gotten severally lost in Japan and one night I was lost for two hours on the train and luckily caught the last train to my station. Not just that but I also only speak a little bit of the language and often found my head spinning when someone would answer me in anything other then Yes or No. Hahaha... I'm starting to get the hang of it though.

One of the great things about Japan is reguardless of the rushed pace of Tokyo everyone likes to relax and get some R&R. This is most obvious when seeing the business men passing out on the train after a long day of work. I thought I'd join in the experience....

I was very lucky on this trip to make some great friends on my first studio stop in Tokyo. In the picture you see in the front Atsuko Miyake (Compositor), in the middle myself (John Ikuma), and in the back Keita Funamoto (Village of Marhem: Studio Owner and Animator). It's amazing how many places Keita took me in two days. Lets just say that my legs are tired and all I want to do for the next couple of days is write. But what an awesome crew of people he's working with.

In this picture you see: (upper left/Tetsu Kawamura: Famous Armature Maker and owner of the Arm Benders brand of Armatures), (upper right/Jenya: Anime Voice actress- Her first big break was in Evangelian the Movie!!! Wow!!!), (bottom left/Atsuko Miyake-Compositor and Animator),(Middle/Myself),(bottom right/Keita Funamoto-studio owner, animator, and new best friend).

Here's Keita Funamoto autographing his Stop Motion Training book.

And just to get your juices flowing for the next issue of the magazine I thought I'd post a picture of one of Keita's wifes dolls which are made at the studio. They are trying to pioneer a new method of puppet making using Japanese Ball-Joint-Dolls. Pretty amazing!!!

So I will be heading to Dwarf Studio's on the 20th of July, and then I believe there are three other locations I will be visiting. Also, I will most likely be interviewing a few well known and famous animators for whom you've most likely watched their work but never knew their name.

O'Boy!!! I got to go I think it's lunch time!!!