Marketing Japan: Star Wars Type Holograms Impossible? Not for Japan

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

Remember in the first Star Wars movie when Princess Leia input that holographic distress message into R2D2? Remember thinking how cool that was and just how much you wished we could do that today?

Well, get this... Japan has promised that if it is allowed to host the 2022 World Cup games, then Japan will develop the technology to make holographic images and broadcast them around the world to over 360 million people in over 208 countries...

No kidding.

The plan is called The Universal Fan Fest and it even has its own Wikipedia entry. Here's a snippet to prove to you that I am not making this stuff up:

Japan has pledged that if it is granted the rights to host the 2022 World Cup games, it will develop technology enabling it to provide a live international telecast of the event in 3D, which would allow 400 stadiums in 208 countries to provide 360 million people with real-time 3D coverage of the games projected on giant screens, captured in 360 degrees by 200 HD cameras. Furthermore, Japan will broadcast the games in holographic format if the technology to do so is available by that time. Beyond allowing the world's spectators to view the games on flat screens projecting 3D imaging, holographic projection would project the games onto stadium fields, creating a greater illusion of actually being in the presence of the players. Microphones embedded below the playing surface would record all sounds, such as ball kicks, in order to add to the sense of realism.


You might think that this is all pie-in-the-sky nonsense, but Japan already demonstrated holographic display technology at the 2009 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show. 

Japan is perfect for developing this technology, not only do we have the geeks to do it, we also have the "Otaku" who will use it for the ultimate purpose: Dressing up in high school girl uniforms for "Cos play."


See Wikipedia "Universal Fan Fest" here.


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Keywords:


Marketing Japan, holographic, NAB, Japan, HD cameras, 2022 World Cup Games, technology, Star Wars, Princess Leia, Mike Rogers, 3D imaging, holographic projection, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, broadcast

Marketing Japan: Ripping People Off on Tokyo Real Estate

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

I just found an article that shows the ultimate stupidity of some people as well as the criminal dishonesty of others... During Japan's bubble, when the Nikkei hit past ¥32,000 (today it is at ¥9,500 about) people bought all sorts of curious things as investment vehicles; they bought golf club memberships, land, stocks, condominiums, you name it.  And, while the prices were shooting up (1984 ~ 1989) they were fine.... But when the bubble burst, those people lost their shirts...

Especially the ones who speculated on Tokyo real estate.

Of course, as anyone knows, condominiums have no land with them, so, in a down market, they will lose 1/2 their value, like when buying a new car, once they are driven off the lot (in the case of a condo, once lived in)...

The real estate jerk who sold this poor woman, and people like her, condominums as "investments" do nothing but rip people off.

From the article: 

Japan women step up to make big purchases in slow economy

After 25 years working as an accounting assistant in a leading construction company, Asako Nakano decided two summers ago that she needed to stabilize her retirement plans. So she took the plunge and bought a condominium. "The decision to put almost all my savings into a home for myself was a bit daunting, but I never hesitated," said the friendly, confident single woman. "I thought to myself, I am never going to get married, so why not invest in my future? It made sense to me." With a little assistance from her mother, the 52-year-old paid almost $100,000 as a 40% down payment for her apartment in a leafy residential area of Tokyo. Japan's effort to dig itself out of its economic malaise is getting a boost from an unlikely source - the nation's female workforce. 

I like how the article spins this bad trend of dishonest sales and misrepresentation as a "part" of the so-called economic recovery that isn't happening. For more on that read my friend Mish Shedlock's blog "Global Analysis" here.

Some Real Estate Agent

What is really going on here is people are being taken advantage of by salesmen with no scruples. There's absolutely nothing wrong with buying a condominium. But being told that it is an investment for the future is just plain dishonest.

See the original article here. 

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Keywords:

Condominium, Mish Shedlock, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, Marketing Japan, Real Estate, Tokyo, Bubble, Japan, Global Analysis

Marketing Japan: Star Wars Type Holograms Impossible? Not for Japan

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

Remember in the first Star Wars movie when Princess Leia input that holographic distress message into R2D2? Remember thinking how cool that was and just how much you wished we could do that today?

Well, get this... Japan has promised that if it is allowed to host the 2022 World Cup games, then Japan will develop the technology to make holographic images and broadcast them around the world to over 360 million people in over 208 countries...

No kidding.

The plan is called The Universal Fan Fest and it even has its own Wikipedia entry. Here's a snippet to prove to you that I am not making this stuff up:

Japan has pledged that if it is granted the rights to host the 2022 World Cup games, it will develop technology enabling it to provide a live international telecast of the event in 3D, which would allow 400 stadiums in 208 countries to provide 360 million people with real-time 3D coverage of the games projected on giant screens, captured in 360 degrees by 200 HD cameras. Furthermore, Japan will broadcast the games in holographic format if the technology to do so is available by that time. Beyond allowing the world's spectators to view the games on flat screens projecting 3D imaging, holographic projection would project the games onto stadium fields, creating a greater illusion of actually being in the presence of the players. Microphones embedded below the playing surface would record all sounds, such as ball kicks, in order to add to the sense of realism.

You might think that this is all pie-in-the-sky nonsense, but Japan already demonstrated holographic display technology at the 2009 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show. 

Japan is perfect for developing this technology, not only do we have the geeks to do it, we also have the "Otaku" who will use it for the ultimate purpose: Dressing up in high school girl uniforms for "Cos play."

See Wikipedia "Universal Fan Fest" here.

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Keywords:

Marketing Japan, holographic, NAB, Japan, HD cameras, 2022 World Cup Games, technology, Star Wars, Princess Leia, Mike Rogers, 3D imaging, holographic projection, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, broadcast

Marketing Japan: Get a Professional Looking Logo for $200 (USD)

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers


People who read this blog often (thank you) will know that I am a member of many online communities. I do that because it is a good place to see what people are writing about SNS, Social Media, and Social Media Marketing (SMM). It is also a good place to see what the old school people are doing to try to make themselves look as if they are up on the Internet and the new media.

Guess how much this logo cost? A total of $200 (USD) Incredible? Read on.

It is pretty easy to pick the people out who are still stuck in the old ways at these "Marketing Online Professionals" communities. They write things like,

For this reason , I am convinced that SM works ONLY when being integrated inside a marketing plan, together with media placement, PR, promo, direct marketing and CRM. 

It is painfully obvious that the guy who wrote this is an old-school advertising guy posing as an "Internet and Social Media" expert. He laments the fact that his Social Media Marketing (SMM) plans fail consistently. He is trying to convince us - but more likely he is trying to convince himself - that the old way is vital.

In some ways he's right. The old media is vital if my product is targeted to to the 45 ~ 70-year-old crowd or if my product or service is for everyone in the family from the smallest kids to grandpa and grandma (think Disneyland, etc.) But when your product /service is for the under 40 crowd, I think you'd have to consider long and hard about spending a cent on old media... In many cases you would not be doing your client any favors to recommend spending huge budgets on TV or radio. I wrote about that in detail here and here.

Earlier today, I went to a different online professionals community and was so surprised to find people saying things like "First things, first! You must hire a professional to do your company logo!"

Of course a good logo is a must... But coughing up a few thousand dollars to hire a professional? And this advice coming from a community that calls itself, "Online Professionals"? Hmmm... Why would the people who are supposedly sold on online business be pushing the old-school ways?

Perhaps hiring a big-bucks professional will be necessary down the line, but I think us Internet types should try to use our creativity and brains before we just throw money at the problem like people used to do....

As I suspected many times, these online communities are often places where old-school advertising agents try to gain credibility as "Internet" and "online experts"... But they actually don't really do either (always ask any self-proclaimed "Internet" and "Social Media Marketer" for a list of their blog URL's and Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, U-Stream, Mixi (in Japan), etc, accounts. That's an easy way to pick out the frauds).

Click here and read at bottom for tips on how to pick out the poseurs.

I know many a small to medium business owner who has hired a professional and spent a few thousand dollars only to wind up with a handful of designs and they didn't like any of them. Foolish especially considering the fact that new businesses must watch out for every single penny and paper clip!

Well, now my friends, there is a solution! It is a company called Logomyway.

Logomyway is a new service that started in April 2009. At Logomyway you make a logo design contest and get 1,000's of artists to compete for your business... You pay nothing excepting to the winning submission. The cost can be as low as $200 (USD). You decide the winner's prize fee.

My company, "Universal Vision" logo... $200! Excellent!

Hiring a professional designer right off the bat is old school. It is also the easy way to do things for salaried employees who have no problem spending the company money... They wouldn't recommend this is it were out of their pocket. The people people who were so quick to recommend throwing away $1,000 ~ $2,000 were from an online professionals group! I'm surprised that anyone would suggest the old way without investigating the new and exciting things going on online. Try Logomyway.

http://www.logomyway.com/

I have no investment nor business relationship with Logomyway whatsoever but have used it twice  and recommended to three other people who have used it. Everyone has been more than thrilled with the results... One friend was so happy because the professional that he had hired before - and paid well - gave him designs that weren't that good... He was worried that he was going to be out another $1,000 when I introduced him to Logomyway... The result? He spent $200 and got a killer logo.

And, if you don't like any of the logos... You don't pay!

All hail the Internet!!!!

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Keywords:
Logo, Logomyway, SNS, Social Media, SMM, old media, Japan, Mixi, Internet, Facebook, Twitter, blog, online professionals, Marketing Online Professionals, YouTube, Online Marketing, Universal Vision, Mike Rogers, Marketing Japan, U-Stream, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, 

Banana Vending Machine in Shibuya

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

I read about how in the west that people are buying gold from vending machines now that their fiat currencies are dying a slow death.

In Japan, we sell something that is gold colored as well, but it's not gold; it's bananas in vending machines.

Dole Banana Vending Machine at Shibuya in Tokyo

Dole has installed a banana vending machine underground at 109 in Shibuya.

Now, you might think that a banana vending machine that sells bananas for about $1.50 (USD) could sell any bananas at all due to the high price, but you would be wrong. According to a Dole spokesman, the banana vending machine is doing quite well.

I usually buy my bananas at OK store. OK sells bananas for about ¥20 each (about $0.22 cents) when you buy a bunch of four.

According to Kyodo News, the banana vending machine is doing well. Kyodo reports:

Despite the premium prices, more than 2,500 have been sold within a month.

So, how is it possible that a banana vending machine could be selling bananas at such a high price and still be doing a brisk business? Well, it's very difficult to find bananas or fruits of any kind in Shibuya. I've been there easily over 1,000 times and couldn't tell you where a grocery store is.

There are a few convenience stores, several minutes walk from 109, but most convenience stores in Japan only sell processed poison and few carry any fruits at all...

109 department store in Shibuya

The only other option is you don't want to buy a banana for about $1.50 is to go to Starbucks. Starbucks sells bananas in Japan for ¥80 (about $0.90 cents) each.

But the average Japanese businessman doesn't want to eat a healthy banana in a place like Starbucks... I mean, where would they have their after-healthy-snack cigarette?

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Keywords:
Dole, banana, Tokyo, Shibuya, vending machine, banana vending machine, Japanese, Mike Rogers, Marketing Japan, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, Starbucks, gold, kyodo news, 109 department store

Shocker! Yahoo Japan Throws in the Towel to Google Japan

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

For so many years here in Japan, Yahoo.jp was the preferred search engine for the average Japanese person. Then, about two years ago, Google.co.jp started making serious moves into Yahoo Japan's dominance.

Last year, for the very first time, Japanese users found Google to be the search engine of choice for their needs.

Now, Yahoo Japan seems to have given up...

From the Yomiuri Newspaper:  

Yahoo Japan aims to improve the quality of its services with its recent decision to use Google Inc.'s search engine, a move that will cause the firm to rely on a rival company, according to analysts. The partnership between Yahoo Japan and Google of the United States is indicative of the fierce competition in the Internet market. The deal, announced Tuesday, means Google will dominate about 90 percent of the Internet search market in Japan. While both firms will use the same search engine, each company will provide services using its own information. "The competitive relationship will continue," Yahoo Japan said. By utilizing Google's search engine, Yahoo Japan hopes to optimize its business resources. Yahoo Inc., which owns 34.7 percent of Yahoo Japan and is its second-largest stakeholder, suspended development of its search technology and now utilizes rival Microsoft Corp.'s Bing search engine, hoping to catch up with Google--the leader in the U.S. Internet search market. What a load of "spin." Yahoo here actually admits in public that Google search engine is superior (but you and I already knew that!) when they say,  Yahoo Japan aims to improve the quality of its services with its recent decision to use Google Inc.'s search engine I'll bet this steams the buns of Yahoo Inc. in the USA. By the way, like the article says, Yahoo in the USA owns 34.7% of Yahoo Japan so you can bet that there were some heated debates about this pulling up their skirts and running for cover.  No doubt about it anymore... Google has kicked Yahoo's butt!   I have been to both Google Japan's office's and Yahoo Japan here in Tokyo. I can tell you from experience that there seems to be much more of a "buzz" at Google and I get the impression that the Google people just know that they are kicking the butt of the competition. It reminds me of the atmosphere difference between Apple and Microsoft. At Apple Japan, things are happening and people just brim with excitement. At Microsoft I get the impression of a company that is fat and resting on their laurels. It's the same at Yahoo Japan and Google Japan... With this deal, Google Japan gets 90% of the search market in Japan. Look for Yahoo to slip back to more and more of a bit player in the Japanese market over the next 5 ~ 10 years.    ---------- Keywords: Google, Yahoo, Yahoo Japan, Google Japan, marketing, Apple Japan, Internet, United States, Microsoft, Japanese, Tokyo, Marketing Japan, Mike Rogers, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, search engine,

Asia Images by John Lander

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

If you are ever in need of excellent, super high-quality stock images of Japan and Asia, then let me highly recommend John Lander. I think his work is fantastic.

John Lander Asia Images

Here is a slide show of a recent trip John took to an onsen (hot springs) in Japan. See the slideshow here.

John is a free-lance photographer and here is a short bio on John from Phottix Journal:

John Lander is a freelance writer and photographer based in Japan with a passion for Japanese gardens, Japanese cuisine and festivals. John’s credits include photos and articles published by Travel+Leisure, Forbes, Camping Life, Diversion, Asian Geographic, The Japan Times, The Toronto Star, Sydney Morning Post,The Australian among many others. Other clients include Twentieth Century Fox, Hachette Media, Asahi Press and McGraw-Hill.

You may not be able to visit Japan right now, but, if you have the desire, you can see John Lander's work and get the feel of being here.

John Lander photography is the next best thing to actually being in Japan! See his galleries here.

Book Reviews for Thinkers: Malcolm Gladwell "Outliers"

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

I am a huge fan of Malcolm Gladwell and, even if you don't read books too often, I strongly suggest that you read Malcolm Gladwell.

It will put you well ahead of your peers in understanding, perhaps not the nuts and bolts of marketing, but philosophy and great insights to how things work and why some things become popular in our society today.

Malcolm Gladwell

Gladwell became hugely popular with the books, The Tipping Point and Blink.

The Tipping Point explains why things run as under-currents for so long and then, suddenly, burst out into mass popularity. His theory is best explained as a comparison to the common cold or influenza. In the case of influenza, the disease is in all of our bodies at all times, but what causes it to suddenly explode and to become pandemic only to subside quietly later on just as quickly as it arrived? Gladwell explains that perfectly and in an incredibly interesting writing style that will have the reader enthralled the entire book.

In Blink, Gladwell explains how we can judge something within a split second and do... It's just that, as a result of living in modern society, we depress our instinctive feelings and use our brains more... Sometimes with bad results...

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Say, late at night, a woman enters a dark building and goes to the elevator. She stands there and then a man comes to stand next to her. She instinctively feels that something is wrong; there is some danger. Yet she rationalizes that she is just being paranoid. She enters the elevator with the man and then, in the elevator, she is robbed or worse.

Compared with the fawn in a field. A fawn senses danger and then does not hesitate to think, the fawn is off on a dash to run away.

Had the woman trusted her instinctive feelings that nature gave her, she wouldn't have had the unfortunate incident happen to her. That is the lessons of Blink; that we can judge anything, a person, a book, a movie, music, whatever within a second or two.

I think this is absolutely true. After working in music and entertainment for over 30 years, I can judge within 2 seconds if some music I hear is "good" or not (meaning something that I would like).

Malcolm Gladwell's newest book Outliers "The Story of Success" is another winner. This time he explains about what it takes to be a world class professional. It doesn't matter whether we are considering   professional hockey players, musicians, concert pianists, soccer players or Biochemical engineers... Gladwell has unlocked the mystery as to what makes one person a Nobel Peace Prize candidate and ones that were also-ran...

I highly recommend this book for everyone especially parents with small children. After reading Outliers, you may see why some kids excel and others are just "like all the others" and how much you really do have to say about your child's future.

I think the results will astound you.

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Keywords: Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers, Tipping Point, Blink, Nobel Peace Prize, kids, children, Mike Rogers, Marketing Japan, Mike in Tokyo Rogers

  

Does Social Media Need Old Media to be Effective? No! Here's Proof!....

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

There sure is a lot of boring stuff on Social Media these days. I was just checking out Linkedin where they had a topic of "What are for you the most common mistakes in social media marketing approach?" (sic)

It said:

What are for you most the common mistakes in social media marketing approach?

Either from client's side or agencies' side, what are the obvious reason why social media strategies you have seen were not working?

For me , some are:
- lack of time investment,
- Boring / irrelevant content,
- lack of clear objectives,
- Being inactive,
- Do not react when sollicitate
- ...
What are yours?

(sic)

I didn't correct his post. That's how poorly it was written. I'm assuming that he's missing one of the reasons that his SMM is doing poorly is because his spelling, diction and grammar are wretched... 

Besides that, these good people are mainly talking about pick, Twitter and Facebook (Mixi is only in Japan). Some of the good folks actually did write intelligent comments and I usually don't write comments on these things, but this time I made an exception. I responded:

 I think everyone is missing two huge points that I see all the time and that I do believe will be, say, Twitter's undoing within 3 years (besides 60% of all Twitter users dropping off within the first 30 days).

1) Boring writers make boring content. Get motivated, creative and funny or interesting writers. Quit forcing office clerks to do SMM (I see that all the time). If the writer is not motivated what makes anyone think the readers will enjoy the writing?

2) Quit sending out motivational and sales stuff all the time... I'd say that at least 1/2 of the junk I get on Twitter is the same as Direct Mail. Who needs it?


Another guy (obviously an old hand at advertising and marketing) wrote:


I see the market and clients every day, and the thing I can tell you is that a B to C company investing all its marketing budget and ressources in social media has 99% chances failing. (sic)


This might be true, but rather than trying to convince you or me, I gather he is trying to convince himself... This would also explain why his Social Media Marketing efforts fail. He doesn't "get it." 


He goes on to write:


This for one simple reason, their are rules and processes in marketing and nobody will want to connect and engage with a brand you don't know.
For this reason , I am convinced that SM works ONLY when being integrated inside a marketing plan, together with media placement, PR, promo, direct marketing and CRM. (sic)


Notice that there is not single fact or piece of evidence that he inserts into his claims. What a load of nonsense. What "rules"? What "processes"? 


(I can imagine that his retort to my skepticism would be "Because I know. I've been in this business a long time!" Just as the captain of the Titanic, Edward Smith, was a thirty-two year veteran when they hit that ice-berg!)


I bet this is the kind of crap he tells his clients. What's he doing on a Linkedin Social Media site besides posing as a SMM expert I don't know. Besides that, like I said, I hope this guy doesn't write copy. It's terrible. 


Besides his being wrong and just throwing out opinions. He obviously doesn't know or comprehend how to use Social Media well... I suspect that, from being in a dusty old advertising company desk for so long, that he's so used to taking client money and going out to "do" lunch while on the client's dollar that he thinks he can do things the old way; think for a while (or tell someone else to do the thinking) and order someone else to do the Social Media part (I explained above why that's a bad idea) and sit around like always.


Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. 


I didn't blast the guy (like he deserved), but added this as my last word:


One more thing that I think is missing - and I don't agree that a big bucks mass media plan is necessary - I've done it without one.

Notes: We increased airline passengers to and from Japan for a Chinese airlines by over 270% between October 2009 and April 2010. We also increased tourism to Croatia by 300% in three years (don't forget this was during a seriously down market - airlines lost billions in 2009) all by the internet only - with minimal mass media support (we certainly did not spend one cent on mass media!).

It seems that too many good folks are trying to do the SMM the lazy way... You do SMM to keep costs down, but SMM is, perhaps not labor intensive, but it is certainly effort intensive.

Besides SMM you need to do a Word-press blog for the client that includes SNS (Use Ruby on Rails to build - dirt cheap) and gives away killer content, has contests and prizes, and motivates people to return everyday!

Being lazy and throwing money away at the old media then doing a few Twitters doesn't cut it anymore. (which is actually why I say Twitter is in serious trouble!)

Make a killer blog for the client (perhaps using a persona like Helga of Volkswagen - Look her up on Google). The blogs needs video (suggest U-Stream recorded to YouTube), SNS, chat, free information, excellent and compelling writing, and free giveaways all the time.

That motivates people!

Then your SMM directs people to the blog, not to some boring corporate site that is nothing more than an online company brochure (that is structured like web 1.0) .

This is effective. This s the new way. It is not easy and lazy people who think that throwing money or half-butt efforts at it need not apply.


Like I've said many times before, it seems that a lot of these people who claim to be experts at Social Media actually do not "do" Social Media. If you ever get anyone who claims to be an expert, first off ask for their URL's


Hint: If they do not blog - and do not actively blog at least three times a week - I'd say it's a 99% chance that they are blowing smoke in your face. Don't fall for it. 


Smart Social media marketers will have a rundown of what they do (excepting for invitation members only sites) as the signature of their e-mails. Here's mine:


Mike in Tokyo Rogers
e-mail: mike.rogers@universal-vision.jp 
Blog: http://modernmarketingjapan.blogspot.com/

Lew Rockwell: http://www.lewrockwell.com/rogers/rogers-arch.html
Twitter: http://twitter.com/mikeintokyo2004
Pick: http://naver.jp/mikeintokyorogers
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/mikeintokyo2004

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MikeinTokyoRogers
Linkedin: http://jp.linkedin.com/in/mikeintokyorogers

Look for these kinds of things when investigating a potential company to help you with marketing. Be leery of companies, big or small, who claim to be experts at Social Media. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding.


Some of my readers know I will be on vacation from tomorrow, but nevertheless the BLOG calls! Tomorrow, I will place diagrams and information tomorrow morning for all of you who have mailed about bit differentiations between Japanese Katakana and Japanese Kanji versus English pertaining to my recent blog.


But, just for a teaser. Consider:


Word (translation).......................................Bit count


イギリス (England)...................................8 bits
England.......................................................7 bits
旅行 (Travel)...............................................4 bits
Travel...........................................................6 bits


Data on the Internet consist of bits. It is the way data is stored. This is important to know if you want to run a successful business in Japan.


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Keywords:
blog, Social Media, Mixi, Google, Helga, SMM, Mike Rogers, Social Media Services, China, Croatia, England, Travel, bit, bit count, Japan,  Japanese Kanji, Modern Marketing Japan, social media marketing, promo, Japanese Katakana, PR, Twitter, marketing plan, Facebook, Linkedin, airlines, YouTube, U-Stream, e-mail, Lew Rockwell, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, chat, Marketing Japan, web, web 1.0, Volkswagen, Ruby on Rails, Placement, Word Press, mass media, free information, direct marketing,

George Williams: The Music Revolution Starts Here

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

Yesterday, I had the chance to visit George Williams and check out his very cool studio in Tokyo where he records shows for his blog / video blog, "The Music Revolution Starts Here." What a fantastic and extremely cool set-up he has.

George Williams at the Yakult Swallows' Jingu Baseball stadium

At The Music Revolution Starts Here, George introduces many of his extremely famous Japanese musician friends and the site is totally Indie and underground music. It's way cool and there's nothing like it anywhere else in Japan. You can see this completely new and ground-breaking way to promote music and do your very own TV right here.

The reason why I mention George and his web site is that I think he is setting records for unique users to his site. Get this: The site started on July 15th. Yesterday was not quite 2 weeks and The Music Revolution Starts here web page has been averaging just over 1,100 visitors a day! That's incredible!

Of course George Williams is on TV and radio all the time but he is also a whiz-kid at utilizing Social Media to promote his work which is updated daily.

You can follow George's Twitter here (great place to study up on Japanese!): http://twitter.com/kungfugeorge
Pick here: http://naver.jp/kungfugeorge
Facebook here:

He's got a bunch of other Social Media and things he does like Mixi and others (search on YouTube and U-Stream) but those URL's escape me now (I'm sure you can find them all on Facebook or on his web site).

At his web site he has tabs for Music, English, Cooking, Variety and Schedule (I don't know exactly what that last one is all about!) and he records new content every night. Last night's show featured Japanese rock star Ken Lloyd from Oblivion Dust (they sold millions of records in Japan); and more recently, "Fake."

See pirated version's of Oblivion Dust on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rnzuhCs9vE&feature=related (parental warning on this one!)

Fake? "Just Like Billy": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNJfUyVByP4

(Check these out while you can cause they are not supposed to be there... The record label are real assholes!)

Ken Lloyd is very famous and popular with the girls and, of course, he - as well as all his friend's - are big fans of mine... Ken (bless his heart) constantly begs for my autograph.

George Williams' The Music Revolution Starts Here getting over 1,000 visitors a day (with many of the visits coming from Europe and Russia) has to be some kind of record for a new blog. Someone from Google confirm that for me, willya?

Anyhow, George Williams and The Music Revolution Starts Here are definitely happening!

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Keywords: Indie, Indie Music, George Williams, English, Cooking, Pick, Japan, Twitter, U-Stream, Variety, Schedule, Mixi, YouTube, The Music Revolution Starts Here, Oblivion Dust, Japanese, Ken Lloyd, Fake?, TV, Jingu, Yakult Swallows, underground music, Japanese rock star, Music, Social Media, Facebook, Record label, assholes, record label assholes

Fashion Design Business

Get a Job as a Fashion Designer or
Start Your Own
Fashion Design Business

As a fashion designer, you will have a creative and

exciting career that many people only dream about.

Design by Louis de Gama

There are many fashion design career paths for you to

choose from. Some fashion designers work for top

houses such as Tommy Hilfiger and Chanel. Others

are employed by mass-market manufacturers of men's,

women's and children's apparel. children's

Or you could start your own fashion design business,

establishing a distinctive style and overseeing fashion

creation from initial concept to manufacturing and distribution.

In this field, there is a long history of people rising from

humble beginnings to become fashion designer stars.

• Laura Ashley got her start as a secretary.
• Vera Wang began designing when she became engaged at age 39 and couldn't find a suitable wedding gown for the mature first bride.
• Ralph Lauren was born into a middle-class family who lived in the Bronx, and used to buy suits with his pocket money at age 12. He is now one of the richest and most famous fashion designers in the world.

Of course, it takes hard work, creativity, and a true passion for

fabulous designs to achieve success as a fashion designer,

but you can break into this career much more quickly and easily