TOKYOMANGO

Web site shows pretty Japanese girls apologizing

December 10th is Apology Day. To commemorate, somebody made a site called Gomenne.jp (Gomenne means I'm sorry) that counts down to Dec 10 with a hot Japanese girl for each of the 31 days preceding the made-up holiday. You can click on each girl to see a detailed profile of her, as well as a video of her apologizing. This girl, 19-year old Asuka Morimoto, apologizes for eating all the steak at a family dinner.

Gomenne.jp (via Japanator)

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Agnes Lum, the Original Gravure Model

In Japan, there's a category of celebrities called gravure idols. The closest Western equivalent would be a swimsuit model, or someone who poses in sexy photographs without exposing her privates or doing anything pornographic. Many believe that Agnes Lum, a 1970s import from Hawaii, was the first gravure model ever. She came to Japan to become a talento, or celebrity, but rather than focusing on singing and acting, she made a living by posing in sexy shots caressing a surfboard or just laying out by a beautiful beach. Her seductive eyes, tanned skin, and luscious breasts made her instant obsession fodder. She had a couple of hit singles, and also appeared in a couple of commercials, including one for a Daihatsu minivan with her two kids.

Check out a fan-made photo montage set to her singing a cutsey Japanese song after the jump.

Taichi Saotome = The Most Beautiful Man in Japan

Taichi Saotome may be the most beautiful man in Japan. The 17-year old actor is a famous onnagata, or female impersonator who has starred in everything from jidaigeki (period plays) to Zatoichi movies. His new play, Sennen no Inori (The One Thousand Year Prayer), debuts on July 23rd in Tokyo and August 4 in Nagoya. It already has rave reviews, mostly by women, who claim they were more moved by his feminine performance than anything else in the whole world.

Saotome was destined to be a superstar. His father is the head of a famous theater troupe, and Beat Takeshi had eyed him as promising talent since he was a wee elementary school kid.

Keep reading for a sneak preview of his stellar performance in Sennen no Inori.

Where's Lisa? I'm in São Paulo Looking for Lovefoxxx

Yep, I'm off to São Paulo for a week—and hopefully taking a side trip to Rio and some jungly rain forests. Look! São Paulo kinda looks like Tokyo. Did you know it also has the largest Japanese population outside of Japan? There are about 1.5 million Japanese immigrants and descendants living in Brazil—more than in the US. And some of them are hot and talented! My two favorite Japanese-Brazilians are supermodel Juliana Imai and Lovefoxxx of CSS. CSS is a kickass indie-electro girl band from Sao Paolo that I've seen in concert a couple times in San Francisco. Pics after the jump.

Miss World Contest in China

The Miss World contest is coming up, and right now all the contestants are in China visiting the Great Wall. Pictured here is Rui Watanabe, who represents Japan this year. (Last year it was Kazuha Kondo.)

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