Tag - pikotaro

 
 

PIKOTARO

Yoasobi member Ayase (far left) joins U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in a toast during a state dinner at the White House on Wednesday.
CULTURE / Music
Apr 12, 2024
A brief history of J-pop stars meeting U.S. presidents
Yoasobi's presence at the White House state dinner catapults the duo to a new strata. It also says a lot about what sound currently rules Japanese music.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 13, 2020
Pikotaro turns viral hit into anti-virus anthem
During tumultuous times, sometimes the best advice comes from toddlers.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 6, 2020
'PPAP' star Piko Taro and pop group Arashi release hand-washing songs
Comedian Pikotaro, best known for his viral hit song "Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen," and boy band Arashi have released songs encouraging people to wash their hands amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 13, 2017
Music acts found new ways to get noticed in 2017, but nothing beats an established brand
The path to J-pop stardom used to be pretty simple: Align yourself with the right talent agency and label — they'll do all the work.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Nov 18, 2017
Donald Trump's visit dominates Japan's conversation online — until he leaves
Japanese netizens spent the days following U.S. President Donald Trump's first visit to Japan trying to figure out who came out of the trip looking the best. A week later, a consensus was seemingly reached.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 29, 2017
Golfer Matsuyama and Pikotaro to entertain Trump during Japan visit
Japan will roll out its top golfer and the singer known for his viral hit "PPAP" to entertain U.S. President Donald Trump, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe angles to maintain an upbeat mood during his official visit.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 7, 2017
Uganda makes Pikotaro its tourism ambassador
YouTube star Pikotaro was appointed by the Ugandan government Friday as a tourism ambassador to help boost the number of Japanese travelers to the East African country.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Aug 4, 2017
Pikotaro marries model Yasueda, vows to work harder
Comedian Pikotaro, best known for his hit song "Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen," announced Friday he has tied the knot with model Hitomi Yasueda.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 10, 2017
Koike kicks off free lightbulb-switching campaign with Pikotaro
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government on Monday kicked off a campaign to encourage residents to replace their incandescent lightbulbs with energy-efficient LED lighting for free.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Dec 30, 2016
The top entertainment stories of 2016
The Japan Times newsroom selected these culture stories as the most important of 2016.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 18, 2016
Japan's pop music scene saw a power struggle in 2016
Media, both domestic and overseas, spent a lot of time focused on the streaming services arriving in Japan in 2016. Months of "Can these platforms thrive in CD-loving Japan?" speculation reached a climax in September, when global market leader Spotify finally debuted here. There was a big press conference, launch parties and one final flurry of articles pondering if this could be the sea change so many thirst for in the country's music industry.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2016
'Superhuman' slugger tops year's list of buzzwords
A superhuman effort on the baseball field inspired the top buzzword of the year, it was announced Thursday, in a contest that highlights social, political and entertainment trends.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Nov 21, 2016
Pikotaro's 'PPAP' sets Guinness World Record
Comedian Pikotaro's music video 'Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen' has been recognized as the shortest song ever to make the U.S. Billboard Top 100 singles chart.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 4, 2016
A timeline of how Pikotaro went viral
Internet memes often feel like they come out of nowhere, emerging from the digital ether at random before becoming inescapable fixtures of late-night comedy shows and social-network news feeds. Online ephemera tends to follow a clear path, however, journeying from obscure LOL-bait to something your grandparents can quote back to you.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 4, 2016
'PPAP' goes the world: How Pikotaro became a viral smash
Pikotaro still can't believe it all. Two days before he sits down with The Japan Times, the performer saw that American DJ duo The Chainsmokers had changed their Twitter name to "Pineapple & Pen," a nod to his song "PPAP." That pair previously claimed YouTube's most popular clip with "Closer" — until Pikotaro's 45-second ditty took the top spot.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 20, 2016
Japanese comedian Pikotaro's video 'PPAP' cracks the Billboard Hot 100
Comedian Pikotaro’s music video “Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen,” abbreviated as “PPAP,” that recently went viral on social media has entered the weekly U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart at 77th.

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores