Media invasion!

You may remember faithful readers when I wrote about the knitting prince visiting our Tokyo SNB in late May. Just let me say from the outset, that visit was AWESOME and something that I'll never forget. Since then, we've been in Japan's biggest knitting magazine, Keitodama, been in both the Japanese and English version of Asahi Shinbun and this week alone, I have done an interview for NHK radio, and THREE (yes, three) tv interviews over the past two days.

I am so over it. BUT I want to thank ALL of the Tokyo SNB girls for all of your support during this craziness!

At first it was exciting, but now it is just tiring and a lot of these other tv stations are just hopping on the bandwagon. They read the Japanese Asahi Shinbun article and contacted me through that. The reporters they have sent have very little or no knowledge about or interest in knitting and ask the same repetitive questions. Is this really such a novelty? I realize that there hasn't been the same knitting boom in Japan as in the US, so for most Japanese people it is interesting to hear about what we do. As I said in the interviews, it would make me really happy (after all this press coverage) to hear of other people starting up their own knitting/crafty groups around Japan. I want to share the knitting love, but I think we've done enough interviews for now.

Anyway, it has been a truly educational experience about how the whole media thing works. Parts of it have certainly been fun - here are some photos of that fun at the NHK radio studios. There was actually a relatively big earthquake while we were on the 13th floor of the building and this horrible alarm went off.

Earthquake alarm

Darin proudly sporting his NHK pass (don't mind the spooky eye expression)

Me in the studio (you can't tell in the photo but I was super hungover - very unprofessional and indeed uncomfortable when you are about to do an interview in your second language)

Daz and I taking a photo of our reflection in a big silver globe (between Australia and NZ) very happy to be done.

Comments

[Lucy]

Kat! That is amazing! I can see how it would be draining though! :)

But... just think... you guys could open a cute little funky knitting shop somewhere in Tokyo right now and WOW would it be a hit or what? You need to capitalise on this media attention! :)

maybe something a little like this gorgeous-looking place - http://www.loop.gb.com/index.html

whaddya say? I will try and learn Japanese (and knitting!) really quick so I can come over and be your salesgirl :) xx

[gleek]

you're a SUPER STAR!! and damn am i impressed that you did the interviews in japanese. it truly is your second language.

i'm also with lucy on this one. if KP really likes tokyo, he's been talking about getting tranfered there :) you should think about starting up a knit cafe like the point. i bet you would rake in the cash.

[Andrea]

wow! that's really cool!

[Andrea]

wow! that's really cool! I think you would do really well in a business relating to knitting. You're so dedicated to it, and people notice that.

[tokyo used books]

Now, now. Now who is the famous one? Don't let it go to your head and start snobbing people like someone we both know!!

[drh]

What a great experience!! I'm sure you were great at the interview despite the hangover. :-) You should post when the TV segments will be on so those of us in Japan can tune in!

[Jess]

I can totally see a knit cafe called Pinku in Japan... what fun to be in the spotlight for a bit.

[Carrie]

It sounds like fun and really, really tiring. but you totally look like a superstar in the studio. Congrats on the spotlight!! :)

[Amy]

That is so great, but I can see why it would be exhausting.

I can't until you are the next celebrity gaijin!

[erin]

I have that copy of Keito Dama, can't wait to go home and take a closer look at it. Of course I can't read a word of japanese, but I'm sure they said fabulous things about you!