The Man in Japan

It's not as as testosterone-soaked as his sax solo in "I Put a Spell On You"-- but then again, what COULD be.

Makka Na Taiyo: Sam "The Man" Taylor

Black Tight Killers - Selected Screenshots (1966)

Black Tight Killers (1966)

Directed by Yasuharu Hasebe

About the film: Filmed in delirious pop-art color and directed like a live-action comic book, this tongue-in-cheek Japanese spy thriller plays like a surreal cliffhanger serial dropped into swinging Tokyo and zipped through on fast-forward. Go-go-dancing female assassins in form-fitting black leather bedevil a globetrotting photographer as he battles the Yakuza thugs and American gangsters who keep kidnapping his stewardess girlfriend. The women, armed with ninja chewing gum bullets, razor-sharp phonograph records, and explosive golf balls, alternately flirt and fight it out with our suave hero (played with effortless charisma by Akika Kobayashi), while his doe-eyed innocent honey Chieko Matsubara is tied up and staked out in one kinky trap after another. --Sean Axmaker

Zabadak!

The Jaguars - Zabadak! (they do a spirited version of the Monkees theme song, too)

Taboo

"Masami Kawahara presents Taboo ( タブー (禁断) a song from her 1970 album named Kokotsu (Ecstasy)" uploaded to YouTube by Nenuupharr

You can't be sure what's really happening but I don't think it's SFW.

Japanese Clothing Ad - YeYe

Smiley Ohara & Skyliners

I don't have a clue what this is all about, but I like it. If anyone can enlighten me, please do.


update: this one's even better. I believe it's the same orchestra, and according to Babelfish it's The Peanuts.

ちょっと・ひと息＾＾

Pinky Violence

Insane funky tracks from Japanese films of the early 70s ... available via The Black Revolution

The Peanuts' First Album

It's those fairies from the Toho 'Mothra' films. Their first record has a couple of recognizable numbers including Quizas, Quizas, Quizas.

Find it @ Raymondo's Dance-O-Rama.

Petite Fleur

V/A - Midnight Tokyo

ongaku tanoshimi has this collection of japanese clubjazz music from 1966-1981.

Tadayuki Harada And His Group - Cinnamon And Clove

Stray Cat Rock: Delinquent Girl Boss (1970)

Stray Cat Rock: Delinquent Girl Boss (1970) aka Nora-neko rokku: Onna banchô aka Female Juvenile Delinquent Leader: Stray Cat Rock

"Yasuharu Hasebe developed and directed this first installment in a five-film series dealing with the adventures of an all-girl motorcycle gang. Pop singer Akiko Wada heads the distaff bikers in this episode, with the gang involved in rigging boxing matches until the yakuza intervenes by killing Wada. Her assistant (Meiko Kaji) takes over the gang, which then gets revenge on the mobsters. Good-looking and fast-paced, this film and its sequels are typical of Nikkatsu Studios' slick output before they dedicated themselves to erotica as the decade progressed. Stray Cat Rock : Wild Jumbo (1970) and two more sequels followed later in the year."

Film available over here

Robogeisha

I'm not sure, did anyone post this one yet?

黛ジュン - Jun Mayuzumi

Fans of 60s Japanese pop music will LOVE this hard to find collection of tunes from pop princess Jun Mayuzumi. An extra big THANK YOU to the Music From the Third Floor blog who allowed me to share these goodies with all of you!

Not the least bit disturbing.

Well, would you look at that ...

Ultraman in love

So, is that Ultraman's skin or does he (and the other Ultra Family members) wear some kind of suit?

Strike!

computopia - old visions of a high-tech future

In 1969, Shōnen Sunday a japanese magazine featured a series of illustrated articles entitled “Computopia,” which depicted life in a pleasant future pervaded by computers. Here are three illustrations from the series.

Airi & Meiri Twinkle Magic Music Video

Palhaço Yê-yê-yê

Richard from the very excellent Bongos/Flutes/Guitars was kind enough to send me a link to this frightening album by a Brazilian clown backed by a children's choir (I have night sweats just thinking about it) from Mundo Estranho de PB. Actually, the Aladdin's Lamp song turns out to be pretty catchy, I may have to start a Brazilian Clown playlist for my iPod.

Here are our clown friends, in action:



Also found at Mundo Estranho de PB: a ton of Japan disco and pop, some odd Brazil psychedelica, Stockhausen, Fred Frith, Claudine Longet....you get the idea, "diverse" doesn't even begin to describe the site.