Bounce with me!

January 1, 2007 5:20 PM

In America, some rang in 2007 by watching (a propped-up) Dick Clark rockin' the Eve away alongside Ryan Seacrest & his crush (yeah, right), Christina Aguilera. Ho hum. Japanese television on the other hand? Well, my friends... television viewers in Tokyo enjoyed this little extravaganza (It's SFW, they're wearing bodysuits.) Yokatta koto!
posted by miss lynnster (58 comments total)

Bounce with me! Bounce! Come on! Bounce!!!!!!

...

why is nobody bouncing?
posted by OverlappingElvis at 5:31 PM on January 1, 2007

The only ways that could have been better:

1) Actual nudity
2) The "big reveal" at the end? Shatner!
posted by jonson at 5:32 PM on January 1, 2007

I attended many New Years Eve events in Japan. Every year, friends & I would go to a huge ass concert at the Tokyo Dome and then we'd go into Tokyo to party until dawn. Nothing here in the US has lived up to the experience. What we get here are jacked up club cover charges, long lines to get drinks that magically cost 50% more than they did the night before, and plenty of traffic.

My conclusion: Japan is an awesome place to be on New Years Eve. Tokyo at midnight is fantastic.

Oh, and yeah, they show a heck of a lot more stuff on Japanese TV. We've known this for ages. :)
posted by drstein at 5:33 PM on January 1, 2007

Japan is an awesome place to be on New Years Eve. Tokyo at midnight is fantastic.

Most off the money comment ever. Unless you like eating noodles and watching TV.
posted by dydecker at 5:39 PM on January 1, 2007

I had a lot of fun in Kyoto for New Year's 99->00.
Didn't really get out much on NYE in Tokyo though, but I've been to some pretty fun parties on other holidays.
posted by bashos_frog at 5:42 PM on January 1, 2007

Since when are nipply boobs SFW?
posted by eparchos at 5:50 PM on January 1, 2007

It's amazing that "Na-Na-NaNaNa" can be expressed in Japanese without loss of meaning.
posted by crispynubbins at 5:54 PM on January 1, 2007

They're not really boobs! They're painted on! They're art! So there.
posted by miss lynnster at 5:55 PM on January 1, 2007

Pseudonudity is annoying. Like those magazine pictorials where they zoom in on panties around ankles to 'leave it to the imagination.' why not just take a picture of a pile of clothes next to a bed and I'll get all agitated at the implication that somebody's fucking in it.

/grumpy old man
posted by jonmc at 6:02 PM on January 1, 2007

Heh. My wife and I were flipping around for a while between the Korean countdown festivities (oh the lame! oh the pain!) and the show on NHK. Apparently they got a lot of email and phone complaints in real time from people in Japan (and possibly here in Korea, I guess) who thought the dancers were actually nude.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:11 PM on January 1, 2007

Haha, love the reference to Ryan Seacrest and his "crush". Watching him kiss her on the check was painful. Be gay, Ryan! It's OK!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:14 PM on January 1, 2007 [1 favorite]

New Years in Haerbin, China was lame. We went home by 10:00. This show on NHK was the highlight of the evening but I think jonson is on to something!
posted by Pollomacho at 6:14 PM on January 1, 2007

Can't watch! Clown will eat me!
posted by gamera at 6:16 PM on January 1, 2007

Pseudonudity

What a strange, strange thing to say out loud. Seriously. Try it.

Scuba. Scuba scuba.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 6:16 PM on January 1, 2007 [1 favorite]

Despite the body suits, um... that pseudonudity is Not Safe For Work. Most managers looking over a shoulder would fire a person for that just as they would for downloading nude images, because at a glance, that *does* look like nudity.
posted by Doohickie at 6:21 PM on January 1, 2007

If David Lee Roth were to copy this .... he would be back on top baby!
posted by R. Mutt at 6:22 PM on January 1, 2007

wait, what? i want fake tits for new years!
posted by tehloki at 6:22 PM on January 1, 2007

(It's SFW, they're wearing bodysuits.)

Yeah, people who appear nude are just as likely to get fired as people who are actually nude.
posted by delmoi at 6:34 PM on January 1, 2007

The "big reveal" at the end? Shatner!

I was hoping for the same thing. What a bummer.
posted by peeedro at 6:39 PM on January 1, 2007

some of us watched MTV blurt out the first f-bomb of the new year (warning: self link)

although i agree, a nude Shatner would have been preferred.
posted by tsarfan at 6:45 PM on January 1, 2007

NHK just wants us all to pay for their HiDef feed...
posted by MonkeyAround at 6:48 PM on January 1, 2007

wait, what? i want fake tits for new years!

They'd clash with your old balls.
posted by jonmc at 6:48 PM on January 1, 2007

Pseudonudity gives me pseudowood.
posted by Tube at 6:51 PM on January 1, 2007

Just be careful with the fauxgasm.
posted by jonmc at 6:54 PM on January 1, 2007 [1 favorite]

Things that video taught me:

1.) The Japanese New Year television programing was, in fact, more entertaining that Dick Clark's.

2.) Fake nudity which is not immediately and at a glance apparent to be 'fake' is still not safe for work.

3.) Apparently the Japanese have no words for "bounce with me", or the days of the week. Failing that, the English variants sound better when sung.

4.) Asian men should not, under any circumstance, have blond afros. It is a crime against nature.
posted by quin at 6:55 PM on January 1, 2007

Dick Clark looked and sounded really bad. I predict his death this year.
posted by mike3k at 7:15 PM on January 1, 2007

So... anybody know who that guy at the end is?
posted by Kattullus at 7:23 PM on January 1, 2007

That was the most entertaining 3 minutes and 55 seconds I've had all year. Genius!!
posted by Skygazer at 7:25 PM on January 1, 2007

Dick Clark looked and sounded really bad. I predict his death this year.

He had a stroke. Impairment of his voice has nothing to do with his prospects for longevity.
posted by caddis at 7:32 PM on January 1, 2007

Dick Clark looked and sounded really bad. I predict his death this year.

Silly mike3k. Dick Clark has been dead since 1735. What you see now is his undead visage. He looks bad lately because he feeds on the blood of virgins (thus his affinity for teen pop culture) and with kids these days it's become harder and harder for him to find one, especially near his crypt in Times Square.
posted by Pollomacho at 7:33 PM on January 1, 2007

Yeah, I thought Dick Clark would be done after last year which was about as sad and horrifying. I really have to wonder, is he insisting on doing this, or does no exec want to be the one the pulls the plug, or what? All those 'Dick Clark is ageless' jokes ain't so funny now, huh?

I think Bob Barker should send him a letter.

As for the clip, it looks like the guy at the end is their Dick Clark!
posted by ulotrichous at 7:35 PM on January 1, 2007

"As for the clip, it looks like the guy at the end is their Dick Clark!"

Dick Crark.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 7:53 PM on January 1, 2007

I don't get it. This is no different than any of the other hundreds of New Year mainstream celebration broadcasts. Corny, cheesy, and utterly not entertaining. You should've seen the joke that was Toronto's.
posted by juiceCake at 8:11 PM on January 1, 2007

Skygazer : That was the most entertaining 3 minutes and 55 seconds I've had all year. Genius!!

But we're only a day into the year, so the video doesn't have a lot of competition 'most entertaining' yet, huh?

;)
posted by quin at 8:23 PM on January 1, 2007

"Most off the money comment ever. Unless you like eating noodles and watching TV."

Noodles & TV are great, but that doesn't change the fact that most of the US sucks ass on New Years Eve, and Japan rocks.
posted by drstein at 8:41 PM on January 1, 2007

The "big reveal" at the end? Shatner!

It did kind of look like George Takei.
posted by bicyclefish at 8:48 PM on January 1, 2007

Hmmm... I was going to change that to say NSFW... but I can't seem to do it. So, my apologies to anyone who got fired for pseudonudity viewing...
posted by miss lynnster at 9:28 PM on January 1, 2007

pseudonudity.com remains unregistered.

Just sayin'.
posted by roll truck roll at 9:58 PM on January 1, 2007

Seriously, how can I get Japanese TV? I don't even need any real programming, I'd just watch it for the commercials.
posted by metaly at 10:52 PM on January 1, 2007

I didn't see any of Dick Clark's show (it was a Wii party until 11:45), are there any videos of his performance out there?
posted by Brainy at 10:53 PM on January 1, 2007

I don't get it. This is no different than any of the other hundreds of New Year mainstream celebration broadcasts. Corny, cheesy, and utterly not entertaining. You should've seen the joke that was Toronto's.

But it's from Japan! Those Japanese - they're so wacky!
(don't tell a Japanese person they're wacky though - you're calling them an armpit)
posted by FieldingGoodney at 11:00 PM on January 1, 2007

dr. stein, you must have gone to a different Japan than I lived in for 12 years. Most Japanese celebrate New Year's Eve by sitting at home watching TV eating noodles with their families. Sure, you can go out clubbing and partying, but hardly anyone does, except party people, gaijins and gaijin-like Japanese. It doesn't take more than a sliver of 0.1% of the population to fill up the bars in Tokyo, but that doesn't mean that it's in any way a tradition to party on NYE in Japan.
posted by dydecker at 11:02 PM on January 1, 2007

Here's Dick NYE countdown & Ryan/Christina's uncomfortable kiss. Hey... am I the only person who noticed that Dick's reverse countdown was missing the number ten?
posted by miss lynnster at 11:09 PM on January 1, 2007

that doesn't mean that it's in any way a tradition to party on NYE in Japan.

IIRC the metro ran all nightけど。
posted by Heywood Mogroot at 11:30 PM on January 1, 2007

roll truck roll : pseudonudity.com remains unregistered.

Which is, frankly shocking. I was under the impression that all domains that had even the slightest reference to pr0n or nudity would have already been grabbed up.

metaly : Seriously, how can I get Japanese TV? I don't even need any real programming, I'd just watch it for the commercials.

And let me be the one to say it, but WTF was that? I mean, don't get me wrong, it was beautiful and well directed, but how the hell is that a 7-11 ad? When I see interesting and lovely people on a beach being tracked by satellites, my first thought rarely goes to: 'Hmm, I could really use a soda, a couple of AA batteries and a hot dog'.

I mean, if that is par for the course in Japanese commercials, we in the US are really missing out. But on the other hand, I like the idea that when advertising compelles my attention, it does so because I have a clue what they are trying to get me to buy.
posted by quin at 11:46 PM on January 1, 2007

Yes! DJ Ozma! (You might know him better as the lead singer for Kishidan, especially if you've played Ouendan on Nintendo DS.) All the songs on his cd are either covers of Korean songs or Kishidan covers. You can find a lot of the videos that came with the limited edition of the cd up on youtube - here's Together, One Night, Love & Joy, Age Age Every Night (take off version), and My Way.

This looks like it was from this year's Kouhaku, though I can't tell you for sure as I went home for the holidays this year. Past years, Kishidan has been on it, usually performing One Night Carnival.
posted by emmling at 11:48 PM on January 1, 2007

emmling: this post features a youtube link with the kohaku's announcer reaction. "Body suits" my ass, AFAICT.

quin: The 7/11 ad was a little over the top, but the pairing of a major J-POP song with a random product . . e.g. this ELT CM is commonplace.
posted by Heywood Mogroot at 12:13 AM on January 2, 2007

Ummm, so what did the announcer say? My Japanese is rusty...
posted by miss lynnster at 12:26 AM on January 2, 2007

Kattullus - The guy at the end is Medaka Ikeno, one of the most famous comedians in Japan.

drstein - What concert did you go to in Tokyo Dome? The only one I know of in the Dome is Johnny's Countdown, though it's possible it's only been there in the last few years.

Heywood - The trains do run all night on New Year's in Japan, so people can go do their hatsumoude - the first temple visit of the new year - right at midnight and still get home. Last year I went to see Toudaiji, as it's one of the two times during the year you can see the Daibutsu's face through the window in the top of the building (the other time is in August, at Obon).
posted by emmling at 12:39 AM on January 2, 2007

miss lynnster - the female announcer (Nakama Yukie) said she was surprised, and the NHK announcer said that it was a live broadcast, and in the previous song, DJ Ozma's Age Age Every Night, they WERE NOT NAKED THEY WERE WEARING BODY SUITS THEY WERE NOT NAKED. (^_^);
posted by emmling at 1:10 AM on January 2, 2007

Funny thing is a pretty piano solo from a new artist called Angela was supposed to follow that. Wish I had the video for that.
posted by Heywood Mogroot at 1:43 AM on January 2, 2007

What sort of Kohaku Utagassen would you like to present this year? What is the viewer rating you are expecting?

(Comment by Genichi Hashimoto)
The main emphasis is being laid on audience participation and interactivity. The most important thing is to generate a sense of intimacy between NHK and the audience and to give the audience a sense of satisfaction. I hope this year’s show will let audiences enjoy every song fully. There is no ceiling to our desire with regard to viewer ratings, and all I can say is that we hope many people will tune in to the program. We will spare no effort to achieve this goal.
(Comment by Taeko Nagai)
The theme of this year’s Kohaku Utagassen is Love and the Family: Songs Beyond Generation Gap. I hope we can present songs that will help build family bonds and bridge generation gaps.
posted by Heywood Mogroot at 2:44 AM on January 2, 2007

It doesn't take more than a sliver of 0.1% of the population to fill up the bars in Tokyo, but that doesn't mean that it's in any way a tradition to party on NYE in Japan.

dydecker is right about this. There is no tradition of partying on NYE. It's strictly a family holiday: virtually everyone spends the holiday quietly with family. An enormous percentage of Tokyoites blow town for the provinces to be with mom and dad (or grandma/grandpa, whatever) for the New Year holidays. Which makes it a GREAT time to be in Tokyo. It's so wonderfully quiet. Uncrowded. Best time of year!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 2:48 AM on January 2, 2007

There is no ceiling to our desire with regard to viewer ratings

Interesting comment from someone who comes from a country where the ceilings are really FUCKIN' LOW!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 2:51 AM on January 2, 2007

posted by emmling:The guy at the end is Medaka Ikeno, one of the most famous comedians in Japan.

No he's not. He's enka king Kitajima Saburo. Starting from 1963, he has attended almost every annual NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen, making him the most long-lasting and frequent participant in the show.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:19 AM on January 2, 2007

Sorry 'bout that, he looked enough like Medaka-shisho that I got confused.
posted by emmling at 9:40 AM on January 2, 2007

"What concert did you go to in Tokyo Dome?"

Mostly old school 80's metal bands. There were usually 4 bands. I still have the ticket stubs at home. One year was Tesla, Europe, Thunder (british band, iirc) and Metallica. Another year was Bon Jovi, Skid Row, The London Quireboys, and Cinderella. (I told you, 80's bands!) I lived there from 1988 until 1994 and always had a great time on NYE.

Keep in mind that I am not Japanese. I am an American that lived in Japan. So for us, hell yes it was a tradition that we party like crazy on New Years Eve. We partied on any day that ended in "Y." Maybe the traditional Japanese stay home, but there were certainly a heck of a lot of them out there partying with us. So, dydecker, I was one of those 'party people.' heh.

Anyway, it doesn't really matter. I think it was a great place to be on New Years Eve.
posted by drstein at 9:53 AM on January 2, 2007

Scuba. Scuba scuba.

Pseudo-scuba?
posted by sparkletone at 4:40 PM on January 3, 2007