All-Stars Makoto Nagano 長野誠 and Toshihiro Takeda 竹田敏浩 enjoying a BBQ in Nobeoka, Japan during the weekend of October 3, 2009 ©ken-ken-b Blog
Since the epic blog of Sasuke 23 (In 17 parts not including Navi)... I've been taking it easy. Upcoming are 3 sets of blogs (possibly 4). I wanted to take a break before my brain melted.. I'm waiting back to hear the responses to the Luci's blog for Sasuke 22 (Sorry no more questions - she has the list right now) and awaiting the translation of the questions to be sent to Hidenori Nagasawa 長澤 秀則 (Sasuke 10-17 and 23). Kunoichi 8 I'm thinking of doing and every time I get my brain to start doing it .. I tense up.. LOL The last blog might be a Nagano blog. 2 things are upcoming - the long awaited update promised by Takasui (poor guys have been up to their ears with with and with the opening of both Hotel ZeroCity and the Restaurant KonpiraMaru it's been hellish busy - also the long awaited Yodaraji interview (the last one was held in April). I'm not sure on both dates but they do assure me it's coming. That and of course any news on Sasuke 24's rapidly approaching tournament.. Geez.. feels like we just finished Sasuke 23.. wait.. we just DID! LOL
長野 (Nagano) 塊王 (Kaiou) (or my favorite meaning in Hiragana かいおう) (Around October, 2009) ©ken-ken-b Blog
While I take a break I love going to read the Japanese blogs. Nagano's childhood friend adores posting (if you don't believe me.. follow his site.. he posts at least 4 times a day... LOL) and even puts all of his pictures as he gets them.. sometimes within seconds.. ahahhaha Anyway. Seems Nagano and Takeda were in the neighborhood. He's posted a bunch of photos before of him (wedding pics, birth announcement and so on. Even him arm wrestling with Yamada and of course the guys recovering from Alcohol poisoning after the wedding..). I had to look at the baby picture like 10 times.. even compared it but yep.. that's baby Kaiou alright.. he's growing fast.... Seems he was caught just as he spit up.. Poor thing. Lord knows that cute little pudge (oh I want to EAT him he's so cuuuuuuuute) is already used to being photographed..
In the meantime a bunch of us online have been sharing information and trying our darnest to find anything on Sasuke 24. I got an email the other day from our friends in Taiwan (Wretch Blog). (Got a correction from Wretch) Seems a Graduate Student of Art made a tribute doll for Nagano. It's kinda eerie, cool and freaky all at the same time! Seems the actual design was inspired by the pictures he put on his site.
The doll itself is not for sale. Seems he wanted to make it in tribute to him and he hoped he would actually see it. I'm sure by now he either saw it or will see. Lord knows a few fans might have already sent it (cough.. I did too ... cough). It's funky how he inspires people to do totally different things, huh?
The detail even on the pictures is funky. The whole background and lighting to match both the 1st stage Starting line and the pictures of him posing as if he were posing for his website pics was really a cool touch. I'm sure he'll be shocked when he see it but feel honored that someone would want to make a tribute to him. Hope he writes them a letter somehow.
Meanwhile.. right in the middle of my Sasuke 23 blogging I saw that Mori had done a radio interview (or something similar) with his friends from Sasuke. For those who might remember him.. he was one of the guys I was following on my Japan Training Blog from back in August. Mori is an actor that has competed in Sasuke twice (most recent was Sasuke 21).
Mori, Hitoshi Kanno 菅野仁志 and Kobayashi having fun in the sound studio ©森渉 Mori Wataru
We all know who Kanno is by now but Hiroshi Kobayashi is an actor and has competed in previous Sasuke Trials (including the one I blogged on last last summer) and has made frequent visits as well to Sasuke Park in Muscle Park. In fact I remember one quite recently...
Kanno and Kobayashi getting ready for interview ©森渉 Mori Wataru
Either way I'm not sure if it was ever made available online like our friend in Nobeoka do with Yodaraji but it seems they had a lot of fun. Nice to see Kanno get some notoriety!
P.S. JUST as I uploaded this the Takasui pics started to come up.. Ahahahahaha dang I can time these things :)
Asami, Kaiou and Makoto Nagano posing with Hotel Zerocity Staff ©Makoto Nagano/Takasui Corp.
Btw.. His jeans look fab! Asami is looking great! And little Kaiou is growing a mohawk! LOL j/k :) He's so cuuuuuuuute!
Kaiou and Makoto Nagano posing in the first floor of the Restaurant KonpiraMaru ©Makoto Nagano/Takasui Corp.
8 comments:
Hola!
What some cute pics...I loved the first one with Nagano and Takeda, Kaiou's pics too. He's really growing up fast!
And...wtf...KonpiraMaru restaurant? =S now that's weird to think. Aren't maybe Takasui guys exagerating using Nagano as a money doll? Unless he totally agrees...I'm ok with it if so =).
Anyway, looking forward for the radio interview, the next blogs, and, obviously, Sasuke 24 news.
Namaste Elsie!
Great blog. I went to the blog that Nagano's friend does. I saw some of the pics from the wedding and had a good laugh. The All-Stars doing karaoke...that's too funny.
I would so buy a Nagano action figure if it was ever sold.
Is there anything you don't know about Sasuke?
Hey Arty! LOL I'm sure Nagano doesn't mind. He's goofy that way. Besides.. good business for Takasui ensures long term employment for him! And of course.. the perks are nice when you can get em ;)
I adored the BBQ pics and yes Tiger the wedding pics too. It's a wonder how he got the pics when by his own admission he was drinking for 13 hours straight.. LOL Wow.. that's.. excessive. The after hours stuff was cute to see since it's so rare you see it. I figured you'd like the Yamada one where he's arm wrestling the owner of the blog. It didn't turn out well (quality of the picture) but you get the idea.
Hey Sess :) LOL The puppet thing was interesting. I'm sure if he ever sent it to Nagano he'd like it.
As for knowing much of Sasuke.. this is a hobby and I OCD about things like this.. LOL I've been at this for a year and a half and am still a padawan to Ube :p
Yeah, I liked the pic of Yamada arm wrestling with the guy. I wonder who won? I'd bet on Yamada. In a couple of those pics Bunpei looked like he'd had a bit too much to drink. That kind of surprises me. I wouldn't have thought him to be the kind of guy who would do that.
Actually a couple of them seem to be heavy drinkers from what I can gather. Nagano doesn't drink at all but he seems to make up for it with his smoking. Human nature and I don't expect everyone to be like me (I neither drink nor smoke). To each it's own I guess :)
Not sure about the arm wrestling thing.. depends how drunk they were at the time.. LOL That guy is pretty big and strong.. so who knows how it turned out!
Was just wondering if you had a chance to look at Kunoichi 8 since it aired?
Oh I did :) I was in total Sasuke mode doing my blogs and burned out so I haven't done it yet. I figure I should get cracking and get it done ;) Waiting on Ube to help me with the names in Kanji though. He still has to do that.. he's on his own Sasuke blog burnout.
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