Today on a Cultural Radio Show

2004/07/31

I'll be appearing as part of JAM as a guest on 'Super Radio Show Anispa!' starting at 9PM! We'll be singing a bit, too.
Tune in!!

Today... Mizuki Nana-chan

2004/07/30

I went to Nana-chan's concert today at the Zepp.
Oh... there were a lot of people that came today, just like in previous concerts...
I was watching from the second level, and I was able to see a lot of faces in the audience. There were many times during the concert when the lighting was very bright, so I see the audience clearly and distinctly. (Of course, I also saw Nana-chan veeerrrryy well.)

'With every concert she holds, her stage presence becomes that much more refined," I felt, and I kept thinking, 'She really is so cute!' I was also able to observe the stage from a professional perspective... it was quite a helpful lesson. Her performances was so wonderful today that I found myself thinking, 'Someday, I hope that the singers I will be producing for can become very much like Nana-chan...'
Very good job!

Okui Masami Has Founded an Independent Record Label

2004/07/29

We held a press conference in the city today regarding my independent record label. Despite that fact that the weather was unpredictable and that today was a weekday, many magazine reporters and others were gracious enough to come. Thank you very much. I myself carried out the requisite presentation, but I was incredibly nervous... Singing at a live concert seemed millions of times easier than this... But, surprisingly, I feel I was able to say what I wanted to say.

For the events on this day, we were able to watch videos from Aida Shoko-san and everyone from JAM Project, as well as hear an audio message from Matsutouya Yumi-san that were full of supportive words. And then, somehow...! Mizuki Ichirou 'Aniki' showed up all of a sudden and said a few warm words of encouragement for me.
To everyone, I really thank you!
All the members of the staff were a great help as well.

In any case, what is certain is that I, the Okui Masami that stands before you today, resolves to continue to keep on singing, and to retain my policy to go on 'evolving' as I look towards the future.

These are only the beginning stages, but... please continue your support. m(_ _)m

The photo is of me in the middle of my presentation.

After Returning Late Last Night...

2004/07/26

...I woke up today in the afternoon.
Once again I was surrounded by powerful voices in our festivities yesterday, and I also sang very strongly, so my diaphragm seems to have gotten a workout even more strenuous than it does during my live concerts.
But it was really fun to have such a festive dinner with everyone along with the staff. I really enjoyed it.
The warm, friendly environment among the people at Lantis is so nice!! We're helped along by all the terrific staff members, I'm convinced because they (the people at Lantis) are such a terrific group of people. Cause and effect. They say, "What goes around comes around", but rather than meaning that in a bad way I think "goodness" is repaid with "goodness".

Oh! This photo is of a geode of amethyst crystal that I purchased in Brazil. I had it shipped via airmail, but it seems there are more cracks in it than I remember seeing when I first bought it... (T-T) Well, no use quibbling over small matters...
I'm preparing a setting for it in my bedroom.

JAM Party

2004/07/25

Today we held the JAM Party.
It took place at a concert hall called the "San Paolo Arakawa", and it was so big that we had no problems with space. Since this event was supposed to be a party, we let our imaginations go wild and set out to hold it in a big place, like those used for wedding receptions. (@@)
We held a mini-concert around our latest single, and it was a good bit of image training. In any case, it was fun.
To those who came, thank you very much.

Quiz!

2004/07/22

I wrote in my 7/10 entry that I thought I saw my "Big Brother", Mizuki Ichirou-san, in Brazil. Now here's the question.
Where is my "Big Brother"???

* Note: This isn't a composite.

Our trip to Brazil is described in great detail on the "Secret Diary" on Kageyama-san's website, so everyone please go take a look.......

http://www.mmjp.or.jp/birthday/kage/

note :
For the full-size image of the above photo, please visit the diary section at makusonia.

Oh no...

2004/07/18

Monty's been infected with the Influenza A virus from Hong Kong!!
He's been admitted into the hospital... He came along with us to Brazil as a cameraman but started feeling sick on the flight back to Japan. The air in the plan was really dry and stale, and the influenza virus really loves that sort of environment. I thought at first that maybe he had caught my cold, or whatever it was that I had had. Just in case, I also went to the hospital to check for influenza, and the results were negative.
Kageyama-san and En-chan (and probably Eizou-san, too) are still fine, so I guess there really are cases where it's contagious and cases where it's not.
Well... it's summer in Japan, but over in Brazil it was winter, about 13°C... In any case, influenza is a frightening thing!! Everyone, be careful.

Ah, Monty seems to be getting better, by the way.
But I'm going to have to get him to take it easy for a while....

Oh Yes, the Get-Together

2004/07/16

The event in Brazil and other things have been happening in rapid succession, but it seems like we have a MaBIC get-together scheduled for the end of summer, don't we.
Last year, we had (day-long) bus tours, but this time I'd like to have something involving "overnight agendum", too. Mm... I'm happy and grateful to the staff people who've organized this project. We also have plans for a new live concert where I'll be singing to my own piano accompaniment, titled "Maekara: Series", and members of the online BBS have been posting extensively on the subject. Maybe you'll get a preview on it at this coming get-together!! After all, I must let you hear the wonderful piano-playing coming from these clunky fingers of mine....
Uh... I should start practicing. (*o*)
In any case, everyone, come wearing your summer robes and we'll have a big party!
I think I'll wear a summer robe like the ones from a Japanese inn...

We Got Back Safely, But...

2004/07/15

...maybe our extensive traveling was too tiring for me, but I think my health has gotten worse again. (T-T) I've been sleeping non-stop.
Maybe it was because I'm not used to attending an out-of-country anime event, I so I was very anxious?? Well, this is a good experience for me, and next time I'll be okay!
But really, Kageyama-san really is in good health, isn't he.
En-chan and Eizou-san are healthy, too, but he has really got it, I think. Wow... amazing.
I'll gradually start uploading photos. But for now, I'm back home...

Farewell, Brazil... (T-T)

2004/07/12

We left Brazil today.
It felt at once like a long and at the same time very short 10 days(?) there, but because of my bad health I didn't get to fully appreciate of the entire experience!! Now that I've returned home I finally feel like my body is back to normal. I'm hoping we can go again next year... Before we left Japan on this trip I'd been incredibly busy, and I hadn't been able to control the condition of my mind or my body. But next time things will be better! I'll try not to schedule work anytime shortly before or after the trip, and so on... It would be nice to focus just on getting ready...

Oh yes.
There were an incredible number of people there on the last day of Animefriends in San Paulo. Several tens of thousands, perhaps??? A huge crowd of people came and stood in line, and I worried that they might catch a cold since it was so chilly in Brazil.
For the live performance, a local band was kind enough to perform with us. The sound was very heavy and loud!!
I sang like there was no tomorrow.
Kageyama-san's "Changeman" is incredibly popular in Brazil, and I was surprised by how warmly people reacted to it. En-chan did really well, too.
This was my first time to see Eizou-san (from Animetal) perform on stage, and it was really impressive metal. I was happy, since I really like metal. (^^) There were many elements of staging that I could learn from. Maybe I'll go see Anthem [1] or some other group back in Japan.

I think this was due to my writing earlier in my diary about "My Big Brother's Face", but I saw a group of kids holding a sign that said "Masami-san, where is Ichirou?". There was yet another photo of my big brother there, and it was really amusing... (Do you get what the sign meant??) Did they really take the time to read this diary and make that fantastic sign, and did they really think Mizuki-san might have been there...? I can't be sure, but at that moment I thought, maybe some Brazilians do visit makusonia?
Especially since everyone is so good at Japanese.

It was a long trip, but it was really fun.
I think my opinion and feelings on Japanese anime have changed a bit once again. To all the fans in Brazil, thank you very much! Take care!! Ciao!!

P.S To everyone at YAMATO who helped us, to Chika-chan, Hicardo, Mayumi-san, to the chaffeurs, and to the many other people in the staff, thank you very much!!

note :
[1] "Anthem" is an old popular Japanese metal band from the 80's, headed by the same man from Animetal, Sakamoto Eizou. The group disbanded but achieved a revival in 2000 with a couple of new albums.

Rain and Thunder in Brazil Today!

2004/07/10

I thought I heard some pit-pat sounds outside, and when I looked through the window, I saw it was raining.
I hear also some low rumbling.
Today's Animefriends featured Eizon-san's autograph session, and Kageyama-san's and En-chan's akogi live concert (like a summer robe). Today is my day off, and I think I'll spend it in the hotel quietly resting.

Oh right. Yesterday's live performance wrapped up without a problem. I was really surprised by how many fans there were there. Kageyama-san is already known as "Hiiroo!", but what would their reaction be to me? I was a little worried, but it turned out all right. There were a lot of female fans there. It seems "Shoujo Kakumei Utena" really has a big following here.
Japanese-Brazilians, Caucasians... many different people were there in the audience. But while I was singing my eyes suddenly caught a face in the crowd... When I looked reeeaaally closely, I saw... it was the face of Mizuki Ichirou-san, my unofficial big brother!!! But that I realized it was just a life-sized image of him. (@-@)/ Huuhhhhhhh?!, I thought.
I was dancing around the stage quite a bit...
It was really interesting, though I wasn't able to keep my gaze on it for very long...

It's Around 10 AM on the 9th, Brazil Time

2004/07/09

Hm... my room is very humid.
My laundry items refuse to dry. But this is perfect for my throat.
Yesterday, we held the signing session, the talk session between Kageyama-san and Sakamoto-san, and the live concert. I, the perpetually not-up-to-form Okui, after wrapping up the signing session and an interview with a local TV station, called it a day prematurely.
The signing session had about 200 people there.
Everyone there seems to be studying Japanese; and they did an admirable job of telling me their thoughts in Japanese. Hm... I was so moved!
And, I was amazed at how many young girls there were and how cute they all were.
The boys are really earnest!
To tell the truth, there were still some people left in line waiting for an autograph, but unfortunately there was another program scheduled (and things were already falling behind by one and a half hours), so I regretfully had to turn those kind people away.
That said, Kageyama-san, Sakamoto-san, and En-chan all arrived before I did and managed to do about 200 autographs. Incidentally, today is Kageyama-san's signing session.
Now then, today I have a talk session with En-chan and a live performance.
My voice has returned somewhat, so I'll be singing as best I can.

From Brazil, With Love

2004/07/07

Right now it's about 10 AM on July 7.
After eating breakfast at the hotel restaurant's buffet, some of the fans here approached us, so I did some signing and took photos with them>
How can I describe it? Seeing that there are these young fans here, clear on the other side of the world, who will come up and talk to you makes me think, "Hm. I want to keep doing my best."
I feel that when I'm in Japan and thinking about those things there, it becomes easy to get stuck in your own small way of thinking, but I can really realize the importance of going to another country and getting to sing there.

So, this morning En-chan (Endou Masaaki) and Eizou-san (Sakamoto Eizou) took a ride of the hotel's aerobike. Kageyama-san probably went for a jog today, as usual... And oh, Monty, who's accompanying me on this trip for whatever reason as a photographer/cameraman, went swimming today.
As for me, after breakfast I rested in my room. Since we have a signing session tomorrow...
Our singing event is the day after tomorrow!! My nose is still stuffed up so I can't sing well... Not much time left!

In Brazil

2004/07/06

It's about 10 in the morning right now on July 6.
Our group arrived yesterday morning, and after our arrival everyone except me took off for the afternoon. As for me... since before our leaving the country I've been running a high fever and suffering from tonsilitis, and during the long flight I began to feel worse and worse (T-T), so I've been staying indoors and sleeping.
Today we're supposed to be rehearsing with a few local bands, but my voice is gone....
There was one other time long ago, when I couldn't sing during a live event and had to lip-synch, but yet AGAIN??? No no, I'll sing even if I have to do it through raw willpower!!
So I've been spending my time shifting between sleep to waking.

Incidentally, Kageyama-san was jogging through the neighborhood this morning.
Now he seems to be writing music in his room...
Hm... he really is very diligent, isn't he...

P.S We received some hiepita from some fans of Kageyama-san and Endou-san at the airport. I've been using one on the airport and in my room. Thank you very much! (^^)/

notes :
A hiepita is a cold pad that works like a cold pack for cooling down the face during the onset of fever. Learn more about it here.

I'm Off!

2004/07/04

We're heading off!
I'm still running a fever, but will it be OK? (I won't get held back at the airport, will I...? Since I'm so sick...)
Well, I needn't talk about such things, I'm off!!

My cats are caring for the house... I have a petsitter who'll take care of them...

Heading Off to Brazil Soon...

2004/07/03

And yet... Whyyyy~~..... (singing)
Yes, I'm currently running a high fever.
Ever since I was a child I tend to give tonsilitis when I'm too busy, and sure enough my tonsils flared up on this very busy day today! I went on a seldom-made trip to the hospital, and I'm sleeping a lot. And so, I haven't been memorizing my lyrics.....

It's July At Last...

2004/07/01

Whew... it's hot.
For the sake of my Fuku-chan and Mii-chan, I've had the air-conditioning continually on for several days and nights in a row! My electricity bill is sky-rocketing.
Oh yes.
Our date of departure for Brazil is fast approaching.
Ishida Youko-chan has headed off to America for an event there. There really are a lot of anime festivals (some of which are really music festivals, too) being held in the summer, aren't there... It seems to be pretty warm in America, but Brazil really holds a reputation for having really hot weather.
We're singing a total of 12-15 songs, so as always I have to start memorizing lyrics! My Japanese might not be well-understood there, but we'll do our best! Now, what am I going to wear there...