What in the HECK were you Talking About?! Podcast Tie-In Post - Saijo and Reve21

Hi! If you are here, you are either mildly confused or have just listened to my Podcast: Storytime with Momes! Good on you!

In that episode, I talked about a lot of possibly confusing things...badly. I apologize! But that is what this post is for. Clarification! And to put all of those images into your head so the episode makes a teeeeeeeeennnny bit more sense!

Let's do this!!

First of all. Let's address the difference between a shoutengai and an arcade!

Soutengai according to Wikipedia:

A shōtengai (商店街) is a style of Japanese commercial district, typically in the form of a local market street that is closed to car traffic. Local shōtengai cater to the needs of nearby residents with a diverse mix of small specialty shops and few large retailers. In many older neighborhoods, these streets serve as cultural gathering spaces, holding seasonal festivals, processions, and other events throughout the year.

Many older shōtengai developed along roads leading to large shrines or temples. More modern shōtengai often connect to the nearest train or subway station, or other public gathering points such as large parks or landmarks. Most suburbs and towns of Japan have shōtengai of varying size, and larger shōtengai may take the form of covered arcades that are accessible only by foot or bicycle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dtengai

This isn't necessarily the image I had in mind when I think of Shoutengai, but it'll do!

Arcades are pretty much the same thing, but covered!

I hope these help to paint of better picture of what I was talking about? The middle image is closer to what I used ride through, but mine looked really...dirty and stinky and just all around unpleasant.

NOW! For the fun stuff!

Let's start with Akiko Wada!

She is Korean-Japanese (her Korean name is Bok-Ja Kim 김복자). She was born in 1950 and that would make her 72 years old at the time I am writing this. She is also super tall (174 cm or 5'8.5"). It looks like she started recording music in 1968, so she was popular in the 70's (I can't remember what I said in the episode? I think I made her older than she is. Oops). But look at this absolute QUEEN! (or jotei (女帝),"empress" which is apparently one of her nicknames).

Definitely not a bowl cut like I remembered...I think it was the bangs that made me think it was a bowl cut?

But like...Look at young Wada-san! Gorgeous!!

I'm going to link a couple of her songs from YouTube. Like. I genuinely would listen to her music. I think she is a super talented singer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6duOe4nIWQ (this one is from 1972 called Kodoku)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6Rr8kTDqoM (Unchain my Heart)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdLydN0liYQ (ano kane wo narasu no wa anata (あの鐘を鳴らすのはあなた) This was from 2010? Her voice has changed a lot, so the song makes a bit more sense? I knew of her in 2005).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL-kBpVfzDE (this is a 7min video of the variety talk show things I was mentioning that I had seen her in. Hence why I thought she was a commedian).

Random other things I mentioned in the episode:

Bobby Ologun is the Nigerian comedian that I couldn't remember. He used to be very popular in 2005 and he would pop up in a lot of comedy shows. ボビー (Bobby), has a really deep voice and honestly, this man had AMAZING facial expressions. I remember him coming on to shows and just laughing at his faces and inflections on words. I didn't even have to know what he was saying to find him hilarious. He is actually a MMA fighter turned comedian? Heck yeah! Unfortunately it looks like he has some assault charges from the early 2000's and a domestic violence charge in 2020...so...that sucks.

Here is part of an interview for "Great Africans in Japan."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sVZH6nuNhQ

Jagarico Commercial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjfQ8uIXSg0

Pocky Commercial:

Here is one of the ones I remember!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QP0iGKOOJM

And now. The commercial that started it all. Reve21:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc1CsccfCSg (not the one I remember, but here is one version!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPp6rfMmTfQ (This is a more...eccentric version. I love it! THIS is why I thought she was a comedian)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sahDrq3oKRQ (Not the one I described either.)

This is the video that I talked about that gave me everything I needed to make this podcast episode possible! (at 49:53 if you want to skip to it).

Well! I think that covers everything and then some? I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane! It was exhausting, but I had fun!

Want to listen to the episode I am referencing? You can find it here!

https://anchor.fm/storytimewithmomes

Want more content from me? Check out these links!~

Twitter: @MPeachyFishy

Instagram: @supermomochan

TikTok: @peachyfishy

Until next time!!

Bonus commercial!

I get this one stuck in my head a lot too...Brains are weird

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMXSZuUwhA0

All of the links and images above are not mine and I do not claim them as mine. The images are all from Google.com and the video clips are all from YouTube.com and belong to their respective owners!