In case you missed our earlier premiere at NYICFF, you’ll have another chance to catch the animated film Summer Wars this Saturday, March 13, at IFC Center.  Summer Wars just took the award for best animated picture last Friday at the 33rd Japan Academy Awards, so don’t miss out on your chance to see this critically acclaimed film.

Also, if you’re looking for further info on Japanese films released last year, take a look at NYT’s J-Film 2009 Database.  The database includes both animated and live-action films from 2009, including the Japan Academy Award winners from this year and the films that NYT is presenting at NYICFF, so check it out!

Shin Tanaka is in NY this week! So, New York-Tokyo and Frank’s Chop Shop have decided to join together for a party. See a live art session by Shin Tanaka with music provided by DJ Souljah, Cougarskin and DJ Kei! It will be a night of fun and creative energy! The event will be held at one of our favorite new venues, B.East! B.East has a great atmosphere and is the cool spot to be these days! Please come check out the event! RSVP below:

Here is a creative TV spot of two runners. The spot was put together with footage put together over a one month period. Check out the piece to see the outcome.

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So, days 10 and 11 are the last days of the NYTS: Hokkaido snow tour before hopping on the plane. We sadly had to say our goodbyes to Rusutsu Resort and head over to Sapporo city for the last activities of the tour. The bus ride to Sapporo was not too long and less than 2 hours. As soon as everyone settled into the hotel, everyone jumped to the streets of Sapporo for food and city exploration. We have been in the mountains for most of the trip, so this was a big change in scenery. Ramen alley was nothing like we’ve seen before with countless little ramen shops lined up. Even though the group eventually split, we ran into each other in the streets many times!

On the following day, we took a shuttle to Sapporo Teine mountain for the last riding day. The conditions on this day were pretty bad to say the least. It was very icy due to the unusual warm weather melting the snow and freezing with the return of lower temps. These conditions were very unusual for the island with the best pow in the world. We made the best of it on this small mountain that was once a location for the Olympics in 1972. The Flux Bindings and A-Seven outerwear has held up very well for the tour. It’s like we discovered new features of the outerwear every day. Very interesting takes on pockets and little hidden secrets on the jackets by A-Seven! It was great to see many people using Flux Bindings on the mountains in Japan.

Everyone jumped into packing mode after returning from Teine. Everyone went out to stroll through the city for the last night in Sapporo. Of course this night saw some snowfall as we were about to leave Hokkaido! Some people left early in the AM to the airport to catch their flights as others set off to Tokyo for a few days. This will be one of the most unique snow tours to Hokkaido to ever go down! We thank all those that helped in making the NYTS: Hokkaido happen. We had the best times at Rusutsu Resort and will be sure to return very soon! You can even go to Rusutsu Resort during the summer time to play some golf or hit up the biggest amusement park in Hokkaido! Until next time!

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Here is the new G-Shock Man Box set. The GA-110F model comes in a multicolor body along with a matching G-Shock Man. This new colorful release should hit retailers in the coming weeks.

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Fans of Mega Man would definitely appreciate this piece of clothing. Iconic and totally cool looking, This Mega Man skullcap will represent the Nerd in you while keeping your head and ears warm at the same time. Crochet has never been this sexy! The entire hat is crocheted with no-dye acrylic, other parts sewn onto it. This hat should fit all sized heads (keyword “should”). The hat measures 26 inches and can stretch out to 29 inches when worn by someone with a head as wide as a football. DAMN!

$25.00 @ Etsy.com

Source: EmpireStateGamer.com

Here is the part 3 video for NEW YORK – TOKYO SPORTS: HOKKAIDO snow tour! Some good times on the mountains at Rusutsu Resort and Niseko Grand Hirafu! There are plenty of things to do at Rusutsu Resort and we took advantage of checking out some of the restaurants after riding. More to come!

KAWS and Medicom’s brand, Original Fake has worked with Loopwheeler on some great pieces. The zip hoodie comes with some great detailing, including the signature KAWS X Eyes and some nice leather detail on the zipper. The hoodie will be available in two colorways.

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The NYTS: Hokkaido is on it’s last leg of the snow tour. Rusutsu Resort has been our home since February 20th and we’re living well here! The 7 day tour crew has arrived on the night of day 7. So their first day on the hills was on day 8 at Rusutsu Resort. Unfortunately, mother nature wasn’t too nice (to us) as the weather was at 40F degrees. We were hit with some an extreme spring wave causing the snow to be sticky and heavy! The skies were bright blue and the temps were warm which was nice but not the best for us snow fiends. Most cut the day early as riding in sticky snow was just not enjoyable. Some took to the hot springs for a relaxing time. Others decided to get massages to relax their muscles from many days of straight riding. Unsatisfied with the day conditions, others hit the slopes for the night session. As the temps dropped, the snow was much better to ride on. We were amazed with the amount of good riders riding solo to brush their skills.

Day 9 was spent at Niseko Grand Hirafu. When we went down for breakfast, outside was practically zero visibility due to fog. This caused most of us to be pessimistic on the conditions for the day. The temps were once again higher than average with moisture in the air. When we got to the mountain, as expected the mountains were covered with fog and you could not see 5 feet ahead of you. As an hour passed, the fog cleared and we were hit with awesome conditions with some sun! Though the spring conditions from the day before were horrible for riding, this day was exciting! To get the most out of our time at Rusutsu Resort, a group of us decided for a night session. We’re going to be hit with extreme Rusutsu Resort withdrawals as day 9 is the last night at our new home in Hokkaido! We really couldn’t have asked for anything better! We’re all coming back to Rusutsu Resort without a doubt!

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