Rei Nakafuji

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Articles

Studio Ghibli composer sees AI-generated music as just imitations

Sep 21, 2024 | asia.nikkei.com | Rei Nakafuji

PALO ALTO, California -- A longtime composer for Studio Ghibli animated films said he believes that generative AI can only imitate music created by humans and is incapable of producing something new. Joe Hisaishi, spoke with Nikkei during a recent visit to San Francisco for concerts featuring music from Studio Ghibli.
'Shogun' dominates Emmys as Hollywood pursues diversity on screen

Sep 16, 2024 | asia.nikkei.com | Rei Nakafuji

LOS ANGELES -- "Shogun" reigned over the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards with its portrayal of feudal Japan, driven by a cast and crew dedicated to historical accuracy and a growing appetite in the U.S. for stories featuring diverse perspectives. The historical epic had won a record 18 awards by the end of Sunday's ceremony, including best drama series, best lead actor in a drama series for Hiroyuki Sanada and best actress for Anna Sawai.
Disney aims to bring magic of American movies back to Japan: content officer

Sep 2, 2024 | asia.nikkei.com | Rei Nakafuji

PALO ALTO, California -- Moviegoers in Japan have been flocking to domestically made works of late, but U.S. entertainment group Walt Disney wants to woo them back to its films with a robust lineup of coming attractions, Disney marketing and content executive Carol Choi told Nikkei Asia. The media behemoth also seeks to leverage more Japanese-made content for its Disney+ streaming platform.
Disney sees digital engagement as way into new markets, brand officer says

Aug 24, 2024 | asia.nikkei.com | Rei Nakafuji

ANAHEIM, California -- U.S. entertainment group Walt Disney hopes to use digital engagement to reach more fans, the company's chief brand officer Asad Ayaz said in response to questions about how the company can expand into countries without a Disney theme park or where film screenings are restricted. "The top two drivers of the Disney brand are obviously our movies and our theme parks," Ayaz said on the sidelines of the D23 fan event held in Anaheim, California, between Aug. 9 and Aug. 11.
Japanese American WWII detainees honored in book that lists every name

Aug 17, 2024 | asia.nikkei.com | Rei Nakafuji

LOS ANGELS -- Hisae Shima does not remember much about life at a Japanese American incarceration camp nearly 80 years ago, but wants to make sure hers and her parents' names are recorded as part of this painful chapter in U.S. history. And so, Shima, 82, recently travelled to the Japanese American National Museum (JANM), to look through a commemorative book that lists the names of more than 125,000 people of Japanese descent incarcerated in U.S. camps during World War II.
Epic Games' app store launch ensures 'more freedom' for developers: CEO

Aug 16, 2024 | asia.nikkei.com | Rei Nakafuji

PALO ALTO, California -- U.S. game developer Epic Games, creator of the smash hit Fortnite, on Friday launched its own smartphone game app store, aiming to list thousands of apps in the near future, including those developed by third parties. The company's CEO, Tim Sweeney, told Nikkei in an exclusive interview that the launch of the gaming app store will give "more freedom" to game developers, allowing them to "build bigger and better games and attract more players."
Disney takes its cruise ships to Singapore, Japan in major expansion

Aug 12, 2024 | asia.nikkei.com | Rei Nakafuji

ANAHEIM, California -- U.S. entertainment group Walt Disney is more than doubling its fleet of cruise ships in a bid to capture Asian demand and drive growth for the theme park business. Disney announced its new plans at the D23 fan event, drawing roughly 12,000 to the Honda Center here.
Yoasobi, Creepy Nuts lead Sony's new wave of J-pop to the U.S.

Jul 28, 2024 | asia.nikkei.com | Rei Nakafuji

PALO ALTO, California -- Japanese pop music is having a breakout moment in the U.S., with groups like Yoasobi and Creepy Nuts performing to big crowds. Creepy Nuts put on a show July 20 for baseball fans who came to Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium to see the home team take on the Boston Red Sox. The hip-hop duo performed its global hit "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" just outside center field.
L.A.'s Little Tokyo fights to survive to the next generation

Jul 27, 2024 | asia.nikkei.com | Rei Nakafuji

PALO ALTO, California -- After 140 years as serving as the center for the Japanese diaspora, the Little Tokyo section of Los Angeles is struggling to survive and retain its character in the face of spiking property values and a graying community. Little Tokyo occupies a 0.6-square-kilometer area in downtown Los Angeles. The central part of the enclave is home to Japanese Village Plaza, where the Nijiya Market and a cafe operated by Yamazaki Baking draw large numbers of customers every day.
Sony Pictures finds gold in remakes as platform broadens

Jul 21, 2024 | asia.nikkei.com | Rei Nakafuji

PALO ALTO, California -- Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), a U.S. subsidiary of Sony Group, is putting more effort into turning out new programming and remakes, as it adapts to changes in how people view entertainment content, including free, ad-supported shows and in-car streaming. In late May, the SPE studio in the suburbs of Hollywood hosted LA Screenings, an annual event where new dramas and titles purchased abroad are unveiled.