French free-newspaper "20 Minutes" published a photo taken during the Japan Expo 2006 event to illustrate an article on "otaku" culture.

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A l'occasion de Japan Expo 2008, le quotidien 20 Minutes a publié une photographie du stand du maid-cafe "Cco cha" (Tokyo) prise durant l'édition 2006 de Japan Expo pour illustrer un article intitulé "Le marché des otakus est au taquet"

A series of images showing European emblems was added under the reference 002-000063. Eiffel Tower and other symbolic places has been transformed into "promotional objets" in order to advertise European Community and to commemorate the French presidence of EU by Nicolas Sarkozy.

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Une série d'images illustrant la promotion de l'idée européenne et célébration de la Presidence du Conseil de l'Union europeenne par la France (1er juillet 2008) a été ajoutée sous la référence 002-000063 (disponibles directement auprès de l'agence photographique Sipa Press sous la référence 564236).

L'opération "Paris Plages" lancée par Bertrand Delanoë se met, elle aussi, aux aux couleurs de l'Europe (#002-000063.004): les affiches de l'édition 2008 de "Paris Plages" présentent une petite nouveauté: des étoiles rappelant l'embleme européen sont venues s'y poser. La Tour Eiffel, pour l'occasion vêtue de bleu, est décorée par Areva de l'emblème aux douze étoiles, symbole de perfection et de plenitude (#002-000063.005). Quant à l'Arc de Triomphe, une immense bannière "EU" y a été suspendue, juste au-dessus de la tombe du Soldat Inconnu, l'un des symboles les plus forts de la Nation et de la Résistance (#002-000063.002).

A night view of the famous Shibuya crosswalk, Tokyo, Japan, surrounded by surrounded by large and noisy advertising screens was published in the French weekly magazine Communication and Buisiness News (CB News).

This year the young-fashion department store "Laforet Harajuku" shown some of the well-known Japanese cult brand name such as Casper John, Atelier Pierrot, Chantilly, Angelic Pretty, Metamorphose temps de fille, dedicated to gothic and lolita fashion style during a beautiful show

Links to some of the presented brand names:
Laforet HARAJUKU Collection '08 in Paris: Japan Expo 2008 show
Métamorphose Temps de Fille: http://www.metamorphose.gr.jp
Atelier Pierrot: http://www.atelier-pierrot.jp
Chantilly: http://chantilly-mimidy.com
Angelic Pretty: http://www.angelicpretty.com

The 500 Series Shinkansen are the fastest, most powerful and most expensive trainsets yet to run on Japan's Shinkansen high-speed rail network. Each train costs an estimated 5 billion of yens and only nine of them were built. They are normally used only on the premium Nozomi services.

3 images were added under the reference #001-000127.

Image added: Tori no Ichi Festival (#001-000127.024)
Image added: Tori no Ichi Festival (#001-000127.025)
Image added: Tori no Ichi Festival (#001-000127.026)

To display photos of Japanese festivals, Click here.

Sugamo-Jizo shopping street for elderly people is also known as the "Grandmas' Harajuku" in reference to the young-people dedicated shopping streets of Harajuku. Located in the North of Tokyo in the district of Sugamo, the Jizo street shopping area is a very particular place in Tokyo: people gathering here are mostly old and middle-aged ; often enthusiast and energetic despite their age.

People coming there often visit the Kogan-ji Temple adjoining the shopping-street: the temple is mostly frequented by elederly for its "magical" statues - By washing the appropriate part of the statue of the "boddhisattva Kannon" is it possible to cure pains (Tokyo, JAPAN - 05/2008).

34 photos were added under the reference #001-000215 .

A black and white photo-essay is also available here.

L'édition en ligne du magazine français Le Nouvel Obervateur publie une photographie prise à Harajuku (JPDN.NET #001-000054.010 ; Sipa Press #551191.19) pour illustrer un article sur la chaine de télévision NHK, "NHK change de look".