{"id":6175,"date":"2014-05-14T14:25:38","date_gmt":"2014-05-14T05:25:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/?p=6175"},"modified":"2014-08-14T02:17:35","modified_gmt":"2014-08-13T17:17:35","slug":"happiness-from-harajuku-to-the-world-an-encounter-with-the-man-behind-this-world-spread-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/?p=6175","title":{"rendered":"\u201cHappiness\u201d from Harajuku to the World! \u2013 An encounter with the man behind this world-spread video \u2013"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"e6f52dc566d20a520ffae7bd1dec9ffb\" data-index=\"3\" style=\"float: none; margin:5px 0 5px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<!-- A_728*90 -->\r\n<div class=\"ad-set\">\r\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\r\n.adslot_2 { width: 100%; height: 94px; text-align:center !important;}\r\n@media (min-width:500px) { .adslot_2 { width: 468px; height: 60px; } }\r\n@media (min-width:800px) { .adslot_2 { width: 728px; height: 90px; } }\r\n<\/style>\r\n\r\n<script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- \u8a18\u4e8b\u672c\u6587_\u4e0b\u90e8728*90 -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle adslot_2\"\r\n     style=\"display:inline-block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9758356432339035\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"4435139705\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n\r\n<!--\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle adslot_2\" style=\"display:inline-block\"; data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9758356432339035\" data-ad-slot=\"4435139705\"><\/ins>\r\n<script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script>\r\n-->\r\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u201cjapanese version is <a href=\"http:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/?p=5906\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>\u201c<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">Aya\uff08Writer\uff09<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A new happy video was released: this one will make you jump and dance !<\/p>\n<p>The title: \u201c #<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rVvUxM0ywrc&amp;feature=youtu.be\" target=\"_blank\">harajukuhappytimes<\/a>\u3000\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Code word: Happy\uff01Yes, the very \u201cHappy\u201d hit song from Pharrell Williams\uff08Note1\uff09was used yet again for the video featuring people dancing around Harajuku, #harajukuhappytimes. Viewed world-wide 230,000 times not even a week from its release, I was wondering who was behind this project&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>The instigator, Keisuke Matsushima, the Owner-Chef of French cuisine \u201cRestaurant I\u201d in Jingumae, first wanted \u201cto communicate something really exciting to a large number of people.\u201d He then gathered young creators for brainstorming about what would be the best suited event, when, at the end of March this year, a huge publicity-van was driving in the neighborhood bursting out loud Pharrell Williams&#8217; \u201cHappy\u201d song. \u201cThat&#8217;s it !\u201d Matsushima thought. He gathered the team again the next day and they all started to plan things on.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5918\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/IMG_0626.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5918\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5918\" alt=\"Ryusuke Kurokawa\u3001Ryotaro Yao, Takuro Shibasaki\u3001Naoki Tomita #harajukuhappytimes CreativeTeam\" src=\"http:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/IMG_0626-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/IMG_0626-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/IMG_0626-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/IMG_0626.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5918\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ryusuke Kurokawa\u3001Ryotaro Yao,<br \/>Takuro Shibasaki\u3001Naoki Tomita<br \/>#harajukuhappytimes CreativeTeam<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The Vice-President of the Hrajuku Jingumae Shoten-kai (local merchants\u2019 association), Chiaki Hayakawa, was quickly involved and they all went to make a proposal to the head of Shibuya Ward and his answer was \u201cYes!\u201d So the project was launched with tremendous energy.<\/p>\n<p>As Pharell Willams&#8217;s new album was to be released on the 30th of April, they wanted to be ready by the end of the month. And to show the real appeal to Japan, they couldn&#8217;t do the video without showing a Hanami pick-nick under the cherry-blossoms, which were forecasted to be in full bloom on the very last weekend of the month. The schedule was extremely tight but Matsushima entrusted the four Harajuku-loving Creators he had assembled.<\/p>\n<p>The first shooting was in Yoyogi Park, the most famous spot for Hanami cherry-blossom pick-nicks. They used a still-camera in movie mode. Without any specific choreography or moves, they decided to start dancing while filming by just having fun naturally. One person who spontaneously jumped in front of the camera and started dancing became a team assistant. Some others would introduce friends willing to be in too: the magic of the moment had worked! It took only 5 days for the whole shooting and they finished the video just before April 30th . \u201cWe were really surprised that we could make it come true!\u201d, all laughing out loud.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5914\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/IMG_0635.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5914\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5914\" alt=\"Chiaki Hayakawa President of HYPER HYPER CO.,Ltd. Vice-President of the Hrajuku Jingumae Shoten-kai  \" src=\"http:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/IMG_0635-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5914\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chiaki Hayakawa<br \/>President of HYPER HYPER CO.,Ltd.<br \/>Vice-President of the Hrajuku Jingumae Shoten-kai<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Hayakawa said that in fact, there are lots of people who have been living in the back-streets of Harajuku for a very long time, some running small businesses, others living on their second floor, all sharing daily-life. Many people collaborate with the local merchants\u2019 association and they all know each other at least by face, so this video has become a very powerful tool to show Harajuku people as a team, and I really want to use it for our PR. This project is the fruit of a collaboration within our association and I think that it was the very key to our success.<\/p>\n<p>With the low-Japanese Yen, we see an increase in inbound tourists from overseas and we can expect the numbers to continue to grow while approaching the Tokyo Olympics. But the touristic infrastructure in Tokyo still need lots of improvement. Harajuku is one of the most visited place by foreign tourists, but there is not even a single information center. There still remains a lot to do.<\/p>\n<p>Together with the local merchants\u2019 association, Matsushima, leader of the Group that aims at invigorating Harajuku, want to go further and is already thinking of a second, even a third project. There are only 6 years before the Tokyo Olympics. \u201cWe must use our pivot leg and show what we have to the world that is still unknown.\u201d The young Creators&#8217; dream is expanding, all in an effort to further send \u201cHappiness\u201d to the world from Harajuku.<\/p>\n<p>Note1 Pharrell Williams<br \/>\nAuthor of the lyrics of hit songs such as \u201cGet Lucky\u201d from Daft Punk and \u201cBlurred lines\u201d from Robin Thicke in 2013, Williams was awarded the same year with Best Producer Grammy, plus 3 others along with Daft Punk, followed by a nomination for the best single at the 86th Academy Awards for \u201cHappy\u201d, not to forget his main appearance in Uniqlo&#8217;s UT commercial. Singer-Song-Writer-Producer, fashion\/culture icon, he is known around the world to be a Super-Multi-Artist.<br \/>\nhttp:\/\/www.sonymusic.co.jp\/artist\/pharrellwilliams\/info\/439449<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u3010Recommended for You\u3011<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/?p=3030\" target=\"_blank\">Browsing through a Medical Tour in the Netherlands\uff3bHealthcare Tour in the Netherlands (Part.1)\uff3dSharing global knowledge to solve the world\u2019s problems<\/a>(Hiroyuki ABE\u30fbjournalist)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/?p=3039\" target=\"_blank\">Reporting from a comprehensive Healthcare Tour under the invitation of the Netherlands\u2019 Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport\uff3bHealthcare Tour in the Netherlands (Part.2)\uff3d<\/a>(Hiroyuki ABE\u30fbjournalist)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/?p=3045\" target=\"_blank\">Healthcare cost Reduction Attempts by Industrial-Academic-Government Cooperation built New Business Models\uff3bHealthcare Tour in the Netherlands (Part.3)\uff3d<\/a>(Hiroyuki ABE\u30fbjournalist)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/?p=3118\" target=\"_blank\">A Tour to grasp the Healthcare situation of the Netherlands\uff3bHealthcare Tour in the Netherlands (Part.4)\uff3d<\/a>(Hiroyuki ABE\u30fbjournalist)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/?p=3122\" target=\"_blank\">Trying Smart testing devices that prevent heart diseases at early stage\uff3bHealthcare Tour in the Netherlands (Part.5)\uff3d<\/a>(Hiroyuki ABE\u30fbjournalist)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cjapanese version is here\u201c Aya\uff08Writer\uff09 &nbsp; A new happy video was released: this one will make you jump and  [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":100,"featured_media":5914,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_locale":"","_original_post":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[149],"class_list":["post-6175","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-6","tag-aya","ja"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/100"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6175"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6175\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/japan-indepth.jp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}