Press and Kick-off Party For "Utsutsu"

Above, the poster for "Utsutsu." Click on the image to see it full-size.

by Armand Vaquer

Japanese swordplay is coming to Southern California and I attended the Utsutsu press and kick-off party this evening.

At the party, held at Royal T in Culver City, I met the cast and crew.

I received an invitation to attend the press and kick-off party from actress/model/Japanese language instructor Yuu Askakura. Regular readers know Yuu as the model for The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. She will be appearing in the play.

The play, to be held this month at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre in Hollywood, is about a blind swordsman. The title of the play is Utsutsu (Genesis: Blind Swordsman) and it was written by Junko Honkawa and Masue Ogawa. The English translation is by John D. Swain. The production is produced and directed by Ryuji Yamakita.

It was an enjoyable evening and it included refreshments and a swordplay demonstration by some of the actors of the play.

Utsutsu, will be presented in an unusual way. It will be presented some nights in English, while on other nights it will be presented in Japanese. Most of the players, if not all, are Japanese nationals.

For more information on Utsutsu and to purchase tickets go to http://www.itsmyseat.com/Utsutsu.html.

Here are some photos of tonight's press and kick-off party:

Above, I was able to reunite with the lovely Yuu Asakura.

Above, producer and director Ryuji Yamakita and Yoshi Ando.

Above, here I am flanked by "Utsutsu" players Kyoko Okazaki (Otose) and Masamichi Kanobe.

Above, the party attendees gather for the swordplay demonstration.

Above and below, the swordplay demonstration.



Above, following the swordplay demonstration, the players graciously posed for photographs.

If you are in Hollywood, or plan to be in Hollywood from November 19 to 28, be sure to attend a performance of Utsutsu.

Designer Issey Miyake Debuts a New Fragrance for Women

Designer Issey Miyake Debuts a New Fragrance for Women

New York, NY (August 11, 2009) /PRNewswire/ — This fall, world-renowned Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake continues his quest for the essential with a new women's fragrance called simply 'a scent by issey miyake'. According to the designer, the new fragrance is "a scent as simple and beautiful as the air we breathe", merging technological innovation with nature's poetry. Following his iconic L'Eau d'Issey in 1992, a tribute to water, and Le Feu d'Issey in 1998, an homage to fire and light, 'a scent by issey miyake', marks the designer's latest collaboration with Beauté Prestige International, the Paris-based fragrance division of the Shiseido Cosmetics Corporation.

Issey Miyake's work is renowned as much for its fundamental minimalism as for its ability to surprise, and his newest fragrance continues that tradition. Created in collaboration with perfumer Daphné Bugey of Firmenich, 'a scent by issey miyake' features fresh notes of Hyacinth and Galbanum setting the fragrance's green, floral, delectable tone, enlivened by vivacious hints of Verbena and Jasmine.

Issey Miyake's innate intuition drives him to constantly reinvent by experimenting with new manufacturing techniques. Such is the powerful, avant-garde concept explored by bottle designer Arik Levy, whose unassuming design "does not hide behind plays of color or texture and instead deploys its infinite naked beauty". Levy's innovative design suggests that the bottles are sliced, depending on the desired size, from a single, continuous block of light-filled glass – a remarkable piece of glasswork that tests the boundaries of transparency.

The 'a scent by issey miyake' range of products includes a 5 oz Eau de Toilette ($115.00 USD), a 3.3 oz Eau de Toilette ($89.00 USD), a 1.6 oz Eau de Toilette ($65.00 USD), a 6.7 oz Moisturizing Body Lotion ($48.00 USD) and a 6.7 oz Moisturizing Shower Gel ($42.00 USD). 'a scent by issey miyake' will be available this fall exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom stores nationwide.

Beauté Prestige International was created in 1992 to augment Shiseido's fragrance business with the development of new designer fragrance brands. Beginning with Issey Miyake's L'Eau d'Issey in 1992, the company has slowly and steadily built its brand portfolio to include French designer Jean Paul Gaultier's CLASSIQUE (1993) and American designer Narciso Rodriguez' 'for her' 10 years later. In 2006, BPI USA was selected to administer the sales and distribution of the John Varvatos fragrance and skincare brands, an existing Shiseido subsidiary. Today, Beauté Prestige International's fragrance brands can be found in fine department and specialty stores nationwide.

For more information, contact:
Jessica Barlow, Exec. Director, Public Relations ·212.805.2347· jbarlow@bpi.shiseido.com
Jonathan Leacock, Manager, Public Relations ·212.805.1299· jleacock@bpi.shiseido.com
Cara Krystofiak, Coordinator, Public Relations ·212.805.2380· ckrystofiak@bpi.shiseido.com


Entertainment Highlights
The Nominations for the Pepsi Rock Band Music Video Promotion are Out
Grammy Award Winner Ashanti Joins Denzel Washington and Other Prominent Alumni in Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Youth Advocacy Campaign
'The Playbook': Change Your Life Forever, the Brutal Truth Regarding Women
MTV Launches 'Declare Yourself with HP' Campaign to Give Youth a Voice
iUniverse Presents 'A Full-Grown Man'
Brian Wilson Single 'What Love Can Do' Biggest Radio Hit in a Decade for Former Beach Boy!
New Practical Guide Book From Mirrorstone(R) Feeds Vampire Fans
Cable Programming Highlights