tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23367497097922806622024-03-05T02:26:59.003-08:00tokyo daydreamerEverything concerning Japan. From japanese music to art, food, traditions, fashion. Everything!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-4622526470186386332012-02-17T07:21:00.000-08:002012-02-17T07:23:37.057-08:00Hokkaido highway blues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPopV0XbkvAfZLW8v1sVQHw8SxuZdED0JJhf1NYz312NEFpT4J0oyYwVbbdIKKzHx3L7zHr9DhMVRjCqRSx1dKCjqXRLA6Y6gRH4Z0ERRdovJ9ap9nuy5k_oPUeNohbM_YmlwsDtCApsqk/s1600/hokka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPopV0XbkvAfZLW8v1sVQHw8SxuZdED0JJhf1NYz312NEFpT4J0oyYwVbbdIKKzHx3L7zHr9DhMVRjCqRSx1dKCjqXRLA6Y6gRH4Z0ERRdovJ9ap9nuy5k_oPUeNohbM_YmlwsDtCApsqk/s400/hokka.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="st">i just f</span><span class="st">in</span><span class="st">ished the book <i>Hokka</i></span><i><span class="st">ido H</span></i><span class="st"><i>ighway Blues</i> by <b>W</b></span><span class="st"><b>ill Ferguson</b>, and </span><span class="st">it was an amaz</span><span class="st">ing book </span><span class="st">i must say. He descr</span><span class="st">ibes, </span><span class="st">in perfect words, how </span><span class="st">it </span><span class="st">is to be a fore</span><span class="st">igner </span><span class="st">in Japan. </span><br />
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<span class="st">Ferguson takes us from the end of Ok</span><span class="st">inawa to the t</span><span class="st">ip of Hokk</span><span class="st">a</span><span class="st">ido </span><span class="st">in spr</span><span class="st">ing. He </span><span class="st">is follow</span><span class="st">ing the sakuraflowers throughout the country, by h</span><span class="st">itchh</span><span class="st">ik</span><span class="st">ing. </span><br />
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<span class="st">i love the book. And for people who l</span><span class="st">ived </span><span class="st">in japan as a fore</span><span class="st">igner, wh</span><span class="st">ich </span><span class="st">i d</span><span class="st">id,</span><span class="st"> w</span><span class="st">ill soon feel the commun</span><span class="st">ion w</span><span class="st">ith Fergusons exper</span><span class="st">iences. </span><span class="st">it made me laugh so many t</span><span class="st">imes and </span><span class="st">i learned a lot about japan and </span><span class="st">its culture. Next book on my l</span><span class="st">ist </span><span class="st">is Alan Booth's book <i>The Roads to Sata</i>. </span><span class="st"> </span><br />
<span class="st"></span><span class="st"> </span><br />
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<span class="st"> One of my favor</span><span class="st">ite quotes of how </span><span class="st">it </span><span class="st">is to be an outs</span><span class="st">ider </span><span class="st">in japan:<br />
</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="st">"The Japanese are not a cold hearted people. Somet</span><span class="st">imes </span><span class="st">i w</span><span class="st">ish they were, </span><span class="st">it would make leav</span><span class="st">ing eas</span><span class="st">ier. The problem </span><span class="st">is not that you aren´t welcome. You are. You are welcome <i>as an outs</i></span><span class="st"><i>ider</i>. </span><span class="st">The problem </span><span class="st">is not <i>exclus</i></span><span class="st"><i>ion</i>, the problem </span><span class="st">is part</span><span class="st">ial exclus</span><span class="st">ion. The door </span><span class="st">is open but the cha</span><span class="st">in </span><span class="st">is on. One hand becons and the other blocks. L</span><span class="st">ike a hostess </span><span class="st">in a snackbar, Japan fl</span><span class="st">irts </span><span class="st">its way </span><span class="st">into our hearts, </span><span class="st">it pours our dr</span><span class="st">inks, </span><span class="st">it strokes our ego, </span><span class="st">it sm</span><span class="st">iles and s</span><span class="st">ighs and l</span><span class="st">istens to our stor</span><span class="st">ies, and then </span><span class="st">in a moment of s</span><span class="st">ilence </span><span class="st">it askes: "how d</span><span class="st">id you ever get so fat?"</span></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-37647579903131917732011-11-14T07:45:00.000-08:002011-11-14T07:50:49.187-08:00iBousai Evacuee Support Kits for Wellnes<p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>While it’s certainly not pleasant to think about future disasters in Japan (or anywhere else), they do happen, and with them come instant problems with displaced people, broken infrastructure, and sanitation needs. Since we cannot prevent most of these problems, we can only do our best to alleviate the symptoms, and the difference between the aftereffects of the earthquakes in Japan as opposed to Haiti can be summed up in one sentence: <strong>Wealth is Health</strong>. </p> <p>Thus, the creative iBousai emergency kits from the <a href="http://www.rits-dmuch.jp/emergency_ibousai_pj.html" target="_blank">Ritsumeikan University</a> Research Center for Disaster Mitigation of Urban Cultural Heritage (yes, that’s the name) are simple solutions to very First World problems. In fact, most would be seen as luxuries during the even the best times in the Third World.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBonef-oqKUHkocm_r-ZiSvr1UBEBloaDFTs0zlTOolrYfqviAS5AHuaXhHKr8Saf80ItR7CrP_REib8Ch1pVy3v5AxJk23cOKfjc2F2KOT7f3y0ESIoMgHHFWjCR6heRNwgqwFJOlkJm/s1600/ibousai-evacuation-kits-for-women-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBonef-oqKUHkocm_r-ZiSvr1UBEBloaDFTs0zlTOolrYfqviAS5AHuaXhHKr8Saf80ItR7CrP_REib8Ch1pVy3v5AxJk23cOKfjc2F2KOT7f3y0ESIoMgHHFWjCR6heRNwgqwFJOlkJm/s400/ibousai-evacuation-kits-for-women-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674878501658124066" border="0" /></a></p><p>The iBousai come in four varieties currently being developed:<br />- <strong>Kirei</strong> (Beautification): Essential oils and other products for women<br />- <strong>Miru</strong> (Medical Care): Gauze, alcohol, and other wound treatment<br />- <strong>Kaeru </strong>(Going Home): Maps, mini radio, and items to assist in travel<br />- <strong>Yoru</strong> (Nighttime): Socks, whistle, and other items needed in the dark</p> <p>Additional products in the kits are soaps, LED lights, mobile alarms, dry shampoo, and other toiletries.<br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-RPw-Z0GKeFE2yGPPxwpRmD_sFv0j50ifIAxTmqkmEErA69yM1iMW6lyUVyopbAKSVcCIiG8_fJ42HVoU0WgNB_mG0MFaNf94RTXvQ1nMlEw0tmG3LD5BIqCTpXkvTIF1PLM9cc9UZ65G/s1600/ibousai-emergency-kits-women-japan.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-RPw-Z0GKeFE2yGPPxwpRmD_sFv0j50ifIAxTmqkmEErA69yM1iMW6lyUVyopbAKSVcCIiG8_fJ42HVoU0WgNB_mG0MFaNf94RTXvQ1nMlEw0tmG3LD5BIqCTpXkvTIF1PLM9cc9UZ65G/s400/ibousai-emergency-kits-women-japan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674878728694706434" border="0" /></a></p><p>For future disasters, these types of kits are not only compact and easy to ship, but they are designed to improve the quality of life for people living in extenuating circumstances. It might seem trivial to receive essential oils during a tragedy, but the goal of the project is to be useful for both physical and mental health, and that’s an admirable goal.<br /></p><p>source: <a href="http://www.japantrends.com/ibousai-evacuee-support-kits-for-wellness-and-lifestyle/"><span style="font-style: italic;">japantrends</span></a><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-32502699990291348952011-06-08T01:24:00.000-07:002011-06-08T01:38:07.837-07:00BBC - the japanesefalling prey to the “Paris syndrome”<p><strong><br /></strong></p><p><strong><br /></strong></p><p><strong>A dozen or so Japanese tourists a year have to be repatriated from the French capital, after falling prey to what’s become known as “Paris syndrome”.</strong></p> <p>That is what some polite Japanese tourists suffer when they discover that Parisians can be rude or the city does not meet their expectations.</p> <p>The experience can apparently be too stressful for some and <strong>they suffer a psychiatric breakdown.</strong></p> <p>Around a million Japanese travel to France every year.</p> <p><strong>Shocking reality</strong></p> <p>Many of the visitors come with a deeply romantic vision of Paris – the cobbled streets, as seen in the film Amelie, the beauty of French women or the high culture and art at the Louvre.</p> <p>The reality can come as a shock.</p> <p>An encounter with a rude taxi driver, or a Parisian waiter who shouts at customers who cannot speak fluent French, might be laughed off by those from other Western cultures.</p> <p>But for the Japanese – used to a more polite and helpful society in which voices are rarely raised in anger – the experience of their <strong>dream city turning into a nightmare</strong> can simply be too much.</p> <p>This year alone, the Japanese embassy in Paris has had to <strong>repatriate four people with a doctor or nurse on board the plane</strong> to help them get over the shock.</p> <p>They were suffering from “Paris syndrome”.</p> <p>It was a Japanese psychiatrist working in France, Professor Hiroaki Ota, who first identified the syndrome some 20 years ago.</p> <p>On average, up to 12 Japanese tourists a year fall victim to it, mainly women in their 30s with high expectations of what may be their first trip abroad.</p> <p>The Japanese embassy has a <strong>24-hour hotline</strong> for those suffering from severe culture shock, and can help find hospital treatment for anyone in need.</p> <p><strong>However, the only permanent cure is to go back to Japan – never to return to Paris.</strong></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-72781480946122142782011-06-08T01:09:00.000-07:002011-06-08T01:16:41.801-07:00Discovering Japan's biggest Buddha at Mount Nokogiri<em><br />A mini adventure across land and sea from Tokyo to see the 31-meter Nihonji Daibatsu</em><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJkTQoavh7qKs8ciyzFIO3KqQ3hn6v61O-XkLwiFlMe4n44WW1rYiZ8wio4hVEebt18SgBR72_wOVc8MmBJA0VIX6W3mYj-JvIXjrMYQ2jGj1PtbTfq_buw6AyJwfuLwXm22iso6Iaj98/s1600/Nokogiri-buddha.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJkTQoavh7qKs8ciyzFIO3KqQ3hn6v61O-XkLwiFlMe4n44WW1rYiZ8wio4hVEebt18SgBR72_wOVc8MmBJA0VIX6W3mYj-JvIXjrMYQ2jGj1PtbTfq_buw6AyJwfuLwXm22iso6Iaj98/s400/Nokogiri-buddha.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615758315020704242" border="0" /></a><br /><br />“Almost!” screams my friend Miwa. Wiping the sweat off my forehead, I look up to see two middle-aged women in heels making their way up Jigoku Nozoki (地獄覗き; "a peep at hell"), where we are also headed. It's a surprising sight, because the walk up to Nokigiri-yama’s “peep at hell” is rocky and steep.<div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6V3o4JTpG8M1J1hX1m6GODGIY8mSBcYH9Nl7zFU1u8OnS15AHtZkjL95wZSLqCEsOa-9DMNRlIt5u9sqGCRm0b2Q-yWZvxNVNJ8bADemZ4CP4rsVj1QI86jxNnT6ojyCJxnRRZKo49Qa/s1600/Jigoku-Nozoki_0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6V3o4JTpG8M1J1hX1m6GODGIY8mSBcYH9Nl7zFU1u8OnS15AHtZkjL95wZSLqCEsOa-9DMNRlIt5u9sqGCRm0b2Q-yWZvxNVNJ8bADemZ4CP4rsVj1QI86jxNnT6ojyCJxnRRZKo49Qa/s400/Jigoku-Nozoki_0.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615758502777777778" border="0" /></a><p>It feels like we’re more than 80 kilometers away from the city center. But with just two hours travel you can remove yourself from city life entirely.</p> <p>At <a href="http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/chiba/kanouzan_nokogiriyama.html" target="_blank">330 meters above sea level</a>, Nokogiri-yama doesn’t compare, in height, to Mount Fuji’s towering <a href="http://www.mt-fuji.co.jp/info/info.html" target="_blank">3,776 meters</a>, or even Nikko’s <a href="http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=0803-141" target="_blank">Mount Nantai </a>(2,486 meters).</p> <p>Height is not the main draw, though. The fresh air does something good to our lungs. The panoramic view of Boso Peninsula’s rolling hills, Tokyo Bay and Mount Fuji provides a calming effect.</p><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6V3o4JTpG8M1J1hX1m6GODGIY8mSBcYH9Nl7zFU1u8OnS15AHtZkjL95wZSLqCEsOa-9DMNRlIt5u9sqGCRm0b2Q-yWZvxNVNJ8bADemZ4CP4rsVj1QI86jxNnT6ojyCJxnRRZKo49Qa/s1600/Jigoku-Nozoki_0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6V3o4JTpG8M1J1hX1m6GODGIY8mSBcYH9Nl7zFU1u8OnS15AHtZkjL95wZSLqCEsOa-9DMNRlIt5u9sqGCRm0b2Q-yWZvxNVNJ8bADemZ4CP4rsVj1QI86jxNnT6ojyCJxnRRZKo49Qa/s400/Jigoku-Nozoki_0.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615758502777777778" border="0" /></a><br /><p>And being part of <a href="http://www.nihonji.jp/yuisho/index.html" target="_blank">Kanto’s oldest Nihonji temple built in 725</a>, this modestly sized mountain has its own perks that the highly lauded likes of Nikko, Kamkura and Asakusa don’t: Japan’s largest Buddha, a 100-foot stone carving of the Kannon Bosatsu Buddha (Hyaku Shaku Kannon), and 1,500 Buddhist arhat saint statues scattered along the hiking trail.</p> <h2>Hyaku Shaku Kannon (百尺観音)</h2><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzlOrGXnQclUBg2H2i6rE6qhy9oId1e5hMFev70pnrzxcGe53mmT4-BRPlz2dCBG9DOumAViokdosNgBFMKYv-rC5uqLftJGFtmyuVMumE-iJL7-KcogSYrpj-BYkFt-T1IDlHIUz6kE-/s1600/Hyaku-Shaku-Kannon_0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzlOrGXnQclUBg2H2i6rE6qhy9oId1e5hMFev70pnrzxcGe53mmT4-BRPlz2dCBG9DOumAViokdosNgBFMKYv-rC5uqLftJGFtmyuVMumE-iJL7-KcogSYrpj-BYkFt-T1IDlHIUz6kE-/s400/Hyaku-Shaku-Kannon_0.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615758810273609074" border="0" /></a></div><br /><p>Completed in 1966 over a course of six years, the Hyaku Shaku Kannon was <a href="http://www.nihonji.jp/keidai/area05.html" target="_blank">built in remembrance of soldiers killed during World War II</a>. The two-dimensional stone carving of the Kannon Bosatsu Buddha (“Goddess of Mercy”) stands at 100 feet tall, right beneath the Jigoku Nozoki cliff.</p> <p>Shaped like the edge of a saw, this is where you can see how Nokogiri-yama (鋸山; “saw mountain") got its name. </p> There is no one around, just us and the surrounding flora on this quiet path. I am immersed in the grandeur and serenity of the environment.<div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXdLFkasYOb6WvAs0jO_H5b2tka8_Lzz_GwRtnk_5ywIm0UgfbZacLkaSekny1m7P7y7EnmF9PzDqycqXB3UCpd3ss6JFkLcj3sWVzHZtGORzTHlpVQVznlkSEYx73c0qXgeqFpssfvug/s1600/Nokogiri-path_0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXdLFkasYOb6WvAs0jO_H5b2tka8_Lzz_GwRtnk_5ywIm0UgfbZacLkaSekny1m7P7y7EnmF9PzDqycqXB3UCpd3ss6JFkLcj3sWVzHZtGORzTHlpVQVznlkSEYx73c0qXgeqFpssfvug/s400/Nokogiri-path_0.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615759077877702946" border="0" /></a><br /><h2>Tokai 1,500 Rakan (東海千五百羅漢) </h2></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNoSeEjrey5hSbDuhoruIf3x9TrHtqFk1bOg5k7zEUE8kfL8c7YpmBlOheT58BikL_Hzv51F9-VMizKGNmuQqSm1JftsYmIO-ckSBjL4tWknBWA-FW-hu4YylDP6BXHCrC9La_bYO9NGp/s1600/Tokai-Rakan_0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNoSeEjrey5hSbDuhoruIf3x9TrHtqFk1bOg5k7zEUE8kfL8c7YpmBlOheT58BikL_Hzv51F9-VMizKGNmuQqSm1JftsYmIO-ckSBjL4tWknBWA-FW-hu4YylDP6BXHCrC9La_bYO9NGp/s400/Tokai-Rakan_0.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615759018999915170" border="0" /></a></div><br /><p>Sweaty from walking up all the stairs, we pass by 1,500 rakan statues along our path. Each one is distinctly carved, differing in facial features, position and clothes. Some of them have been damaged from erosion. </p> <p>Sculpted by skilled artisan <a href="http://www.nihonji.jp/keidai/area03.html" target="_blank">Ono Jingoro Eirei</a> (大野甚五郎英令) and his 27 apprentices, it took 21 years to complete these statues in 1783.</p> <h2>Largest Buddha in Japan</h2><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBppMCgUeNXyLm4O1w4j_xjQZV84cRsIY4tE-pJxexthj3GBv5UWH2p1SZV-RzODonPWtC5c8kiLLsBdijfX_KAm8taUn2N_QqWVjMhXCiDPyO4FjKGo726kDyL87kpI6_A7-HQnco6Fr/s1600/Nokogiri-buddha-inline.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBppMCgUeNXyLm4O1w4j_xjQZV84cRsIY4tE-pJxexthj3GBv5UWH2p1SZV-RzODonPWtC5c8kiLLsBdijfX_KAm8taUn2N_QqWVjMhXCiDPyO4FjKGo726kDyL87kpI6_A7-HQnco6Fr/s400/Nokogiri-buddha-inline.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615758388904265762" border="0" /></a></div><br /><p>To my surprise, Nokogiri is hardly mentioned in travel guides as having the largest Buddha in Japan. At <a href="http://www.keisei.co.jp/group/nokogiri-mt/kanko.htm" target="_blank">31 meters</a>, it is twice the size of the <a href="http://www.kotoku-in.jp/en/about/characteristic.html" target="_blank">Kamakura Daibatsu</a> and <a href="http://www.todaiji.or.jp/index/info/faq/d-ookisa.html" target="_blank">Nara’s Daibutsu</a> inside Todaiji Temple.</p> <p>Also carved by Ono Jingoro Eiri and his 27 apprentices in 1783, the Nihonji Daibatsu depicts the image of Yakushi Ruri (薬師瑠璃), the Medicine Buddha.</p> <p>Nearby, we write down the names of people we want to pray for on small red and white Onegai Jizo (“wishing jizo statues”; お願い地蔵尊) that scatter around a larger representation.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYT74Jys8e7W-ZyHsWDRZWdoowf9qJ3BkYqk2AYMOgJHtjdamZTU6s4KD4BEGC8CvbI7VEFY7Ikeozn5OPpKYlzs__-2HyGo_LAC7OhrZrqSXT_Tl6fLL-B4T-ytmGGhiam-T9IsvUVNs/s1600/Onegai-Jizo_0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYT74Jys8e7W-ZyHsWDRZWdoowf9qJ3BkYqk2AYMOgJHtjdamZTU6s4KD4BEGC8CvbI7VEFY7Ikeozn5OPpKYlzs__-2HyGo_LAC7OhrZrqSXT_Tl6fLL-B4T-ytmGGhiam-T9IsvUVNs/s400/Onegai-Jizo_0.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615759636373445586" border="0" /></a></p><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><h2>Minus the crowds</h2> <p>After taking countless photos in front of and around the Buddha, we picnic at the tables across from the Onegai Jizo. There are no restaurants or souvenir shops on the mountain. All of those are left near the ferry station at the bottom of the mountain. </p> <p>We see two other groups within our vicinity. But other than them, Nokogiri-yama hardly feels like a tourist attraction. It feels far away from the city, peaceful and refreshing.<br /></p><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0uvs_1jGhT-3xSRiEDjLxIdLNoYf1fxaU9E1AabdmwPIYAkk8JVBFo4Vn8QC82a3a1lTrMefXRkhIzvB62lmDwl-ntH0zF3NqLC36PhsZAgdxrfrsXnkpsnJRCSdROgduYWpv9GnNFtz8/s1600/Nokogiri-ropeway_0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0uvs_1jGhT-3xSRiEDjLxIdLNoYf1fxaU9E1AabdmwPIYAkk8JVBFo4Vn8QC82a3a1lTrMefXRkhIzvB62lmDwl-ntH0zF3NqLC36PhsZAgdxrfrsXnkpsnJRCSdROgduYWpv9GnNFtz8/s400/Nokogiri-ropeway_0.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615759553679787202" border="0" /></a><br /><br />etting there <p style="font-size: 14px; font-family: georgia; color: #333333;"> From Shinagawa station, take the Keikyu line to Keikyu Kurihama station and bus or take a taxi to Kurihama port. Take the <a href="http://www.tokyowanferry.com/" target="_blank">Tokyo Wan Ferry</a> to cross Tokyo Bay. From there, take the ropeway that will bring you to the entrance of Nokogiri-yama.<br /><br /> The complete trip from Shinagawa station to Nokogiri should take about two hours.<br /><br />For more information on Nokogiri-yama and Nihonji Temple, visit <a href="http://www.keisei.co.jp/group/nokogiri-mt/nokogiri.htm" target="_blank">www.keisei.co.jp/group/nokogiri-mt/nokogiri.htm</a> or <a href="http://www.nihonji.jp/index.html" target="_blank">www.nihonji.jp</a>. </p><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><br />Source: <a style="color: #003399;" href="http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/play/discovering-japans-greatest-buddha-mount-nokogiri-yama-409067#ixzz1Ofd1N5U5">Discovering Japan's biggest Buddha at Mount Nokogiri | CNNGo.com</a> <a style="color: #003399;" href="http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/play/discovering-japans-greatest-buddha-mount-nokogiri-yama-409067#ixzz1Ofd1N5U5"></a><br /></div><br /></div></div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-40319063504001743592011-06-08T01:00:00.000-07:002011-06-08T01:06:52.796-07:00five at random and simply go a-wandering.<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jindai Motomachi, Chofu</span></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qo7rJ8-dNFY-nqqBE4o2qSDKN1liuO7EipjLgKAeychDn6A7e4ZMrjZCTPnWnEnoPNZvv-tNvcCpL_nhgEMd1NjM0w7WuzEBzitD5cBukvk173utewkh0DqJRmTjjw_dsDhCYWu0srT7/s1600/jindai-i.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qo7rJ8-dNFY-nqqBE4o2qSDKN1liuO7EipjLgKAeychDn6A7e4ZMrjZCTPnWnEnoPNZvv-tNvcCpL_nhgEMd1NjM0w7WuzEBzitD5cBukvk173utewkh0DqJRmTjjw_dsDhCYWu0srT7/s400/jindai-i.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615756049999807970" border="0" /></a><br />Shimotakaido, Asagaya, shoto, jindai, minowabashi<br /><br /><span>Recalling an old <span>Edo</span> village, <span>Jindai</span> <span>Motomachi</span> in western Tokyo is a relaxing day-trip devoid of bustling masses, or, you know, a place to pretend to be a samurai.</span><p class="Style1"><span>A short taxi ride from <span>Chofu</span> Station drops you at the main gate of <span>Jindai</span> <span>Shokubutsu</span> <span>Koen</span> (<span>Jindai</span> Botanical Gardens), where a wealth of plants, trees and flowers remind Tokyoites of what once was, in all seasons. </span></p><p class="Style1"><span>This picturesque park is open 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. (closed Mondays and some holidays), with entry priced at ¥200-500. Don't be surprised to see white-masked tribes <span>wandering</span> -- hay-fever sufferers are right to beware.</span></p><p class="Style1"><span>As you face the entrance to the botanical gardens, there is a path to the right, which emerges into a residential street; follow this round to the left at each fork, past large houses with a sleepy atmosphere, until you pass through a secluded cemetery dotted with gigantic trees and <span>soundtracked</span> by little more then birdsong ... if you can remember what that sounded like.</span></p><p class="Style1">After 10 minutes or so you will reach another entrance to the botanical gardens and several old-style soba noodle shops, one of which, Matsubajaya, has an open fire in the middle of the floor. Yes, in a wooden building. </p><p class="Style1">Turn right here and follow the slope down to <a title="jindaiji" href="http://www.jindaiji.or.jp/" target="_blank"><span><span>Jindaiji</span></span></a><span>, the second-oldest temple in the Tokyo area, built in 733 to house a bronze statue of Buddha Shaka <span>Nyorai</span>. </span></p><p class="Style1">The narrow street along which the temple’s entrance is found is full of shops selling traditional sweets and food to keep your sustenance up. </p><p class="Style1"><span>A stream gurgles parallel to the path, with tiny bridges leading to impressive-looking (i.e. pricey) restaurants and a still pond filled with swans and <span>koi</span> carp. If it’s a time-warp you’re looking for, <span>Jindai</span> <span>Motomachi</span> is the place to find it. </span></p><p class="Style1"><em><span><span>Chofu</span> Station, <span>Keio</span> and <span>Sagamihara</span> lines, then No.34 bus or a 10-minute taxi ride</span></em></p><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><h2 class="Style1"><span><span>Shimotakaido</span>, <span>Setagaya</span> Ward</span></h2></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pLPizX9XKVi6Nt5LZAmMgZHlz9XwDmbgRg8mHky1ugmaOWFGDimBUGw1R3HEGHIaxS6s43bk6xW9pyYN2sHT1IDwmdW6g12kcbphyphenhyphen_a9BZAGvkks6ZEaA7LCSSx8BgByf0yGTEPOSo0V/s1600/Shimotakaido-i.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pLPizX9XKVi6Nt5LZAmMgZHlz9XwDmbgRg8mHky1ugmaOWFGDimBUGw1R3HEGHIaxS6s43bk6xW9pyYN2sHT1IDwmdW6g12kcbphyphenhyphen_a9BZAGvkks6ZEaA7LCSSx8BgByf0yGTEPOSo0V/s400/Shimotakaido-i.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615756435562426226" border="0" /></a><br /><br />himotakaido, a trainspotters dream destination.<p><span>Seemingly randomly slashed into </span><span>north and south by an imposing rail crossing and attracting a young but funky crowd of residents thanks to a wealth of bars, cheap eateries, band rehearsal studios and more, <span>Shimotakaido</span> is kind of like the more famous "Tokyo Camden" of <span>Shimokitazawa</span>, but more homely. </span></p><p>Head out of the station and north of the tracks and you’ll stumble on a small indoor shopping street, crammed with stalls whose wares -– fresh fish, homemade tofu, fruit and veg -– spill out onto the covered street. Standing proudly on a corner just beyond this is Baobab No Ki, a small but well-stocked wholefood store.</p><p><span>All over <span>Shimotakaido</span> you’ll find stalls selling <span>taiyaki</span>, fish-shaped wafer cakes filled with <span>azuki</span> (red bean) paste and other treats. </span></p><p>Stomach still rumbling? For a more filling meal, cross the tracks south and then turn right and immediately left to find Italian restaurant <a title="mushinosu" href="http://mushinosu.com/" target="_blank"><span><span>Mushinosu</span></span></a> (literally Bugs’ Nest -– but don’t worry, they’re plastic), whose pastas and risottos are well matched to a lengthy wine list and reasonable prices. </p><p><span>Opposite <span>Mushinosu</span>, hipster haven <span>Trashmundo</span> is stocked floor to ceiling with cult vinyl and <span>CDs</span>, classic movies, vintage magazines from "Rockin’ On" to "Playboy," collectors’ figures and more. </span></p><p>Film buffs can check out boutique theater <a title="shimo" href="http://www.shimotakaidocinema.com/" target="_blank"><span><span>Shimotakaido</span> Cinema</span></a>, just east of the station, for a selection of films handpicked to expand your movie trivia horizons.</p><p class="Style1"><em><span><span>Shimotakaido</span> Station, <span>Keio</span> and <span>Setagaya</span> lines</span></em></p><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><h2><span><span>Asagaya</span>, <span>Suginami</span> Ward</span></h2></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnpkUvjVzrwfu7mpYO6XoklGUDAiezYq_HdXLxVkt1ihdAQvSTCfA1Doow2sePw-f6Q5twC-1rbKpNQtiaq438Zx-X0btlsODdsmZDGmwysqyHcAEng03JVvkCS6ou10IIhv1Y9n8nnEw/s1600/Asagaya-i.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnpkUvjVzrwfu7mpYO6XoklGUDAiezYq_HdXLxVkt1ihdAQvSTCfA1Doow2sePw-f6Q5twC-1rbKpNQtiaq438Zx-X0btlsODdsmZDGmwysqyHcAEng03JVvkCS6ou10IIhv1Y9n8nnEw/s400/Asagaya-i.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615756612676987554" border="0" /></a><br /><div class="inline-image-caption in-captioninline_image_624x416">Far from the chic Aoyama, Asagaya offers the grungy and funky.</div><span><span>Asagaya</span> is a Tokyo jazz <span>hotspot</span>, with the </span><a title="asagaya" href="http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fm20021023h1.html" target="_blank"><span><span>Asagaya</span> Jazz Streets Festival</span></a><span> taking over the neighborhood for the last weekend of October. It’s also a haven for film buffs and chin-<span>strokers</span>, with revivalist theater <span>Laputa</span> specializing in 1950s-70s Japanese cinema.</span><p class="Style1">Take the North Exit from Asagaya Station and turn left to explore Star Road, actually a collection of streets that are filled with hundreds of eateries, bars, and clubs that host live jazz, blues and world music. Many of these, such as <a title="jamb jamb" href="http://www.cosmomagicpro.com/jambjamb/" target="_blank">Jamb Jamb</a>, <a title="yellow vision" href="http://www5.ocn.ne.jp/%7Eyvision/newpage2.html" target="_blank">Yellow Vision</a> and <a title="manhatten" href="http://www.ateliermw.com/manhattan/" target="_blank">Manhattan</a>, are barely large enough to fit a double bass, let alone many customers. </p><p class="Style1">The scent of charcoal wafts from <a title="asagaya" href="http://www.tokyofoodlife.com/?cat=20&paged=2" target="_blank"><span><span>Buchi</span> <span>Yakiniku</span></span></a> barbecue restaurant, while <a title="don tsucchi" href="http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1319/A131905/13099824/" target="_blank"><span>Don <span>Tsucchi</span></span></a> (at the far end of Star Road’s main thoroughfare) is almost as narrow as the strands of spaghetti it serves.</p><p class="Style1">Record shop Rare, meanwhile, sells beautifully preserved collectors’ vinyl and bootleg music DVDs. </p><p class="Style1"><span>Turn left at Don <span>Tsucchi</span> to find <span>Nigiyakana</span> <span>Kaze</span>, a small shop selling cakes, <span>ramen</span>, bath salts and more, all made by disabled people in centers around Japan; this compact store also hosts live theater events.</span></p><p class="Style1"><span>South of the station you’ll find the covered Pearl Center arcade; during the first week of July, the local <span>Tanabata</span> festival sees the street adorned with striking paper lanterns, while the rest of the time it boasts gourmet spaghetti bar </span><a title="meat-ya" href="http://www.sunnypages.jp/travel_guide/tokyo_restaurants/italian/Meat+ya/3319" target="_blank">Meat-Ya</a>, organic <a title="misty" href="http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1319/A131905/13092012/" target="_blank">Cafe Misty</a><span>, and shops selling everything from material to tea, vintage toys to <span>videogames</span>.</span></p><p class="Style1"><em><span><span>Asagaya</span> Station, <span>Chuo</span> Line</span></em></p><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><h2 class="Style1"><span><span>Shoto</span>, <span>Shibuya</span> Ward</span></h2></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45A_xM7nWhox0jeGHgbPuDiZjpuFrZmteZrd8b09DeLnPeSJa9l4Pc9YuQWinj6OePSaJatA8JasNETyX03fU7ZykRISFkoWxkzQ1Wcx0rMPCrbGwrja_M9iJh6JFySVwN8EPeGRpztkA/s1600/Shoto-i.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45A_xM7nWhox0jeGHgbPuDiZjpuFrZmteZrd8b09DeLnPeSJa9l4Pc9YuQWinj6OePSaJatA8JasNETyX03fU7ZykRISFkoWxkzQ1Wcx0rMPCrbGwrja_M9iJh6JFySVwN8EPeGRpztkA/s400/Shoto-i.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615756810763108482" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div class="inline-image-caption in-captioninline_image_624x416">French influence out in Shoto at Maison De Many Collection Privee.</div><span>Though barely minutes from the action of <span>Shibuya</span>, <span>Shoto</span> is nonetheless a relatively unexplored neighborhood that is home to several delicious destinations. That’s right: <span>Shoto</span> is all about the food. </span><p class="Style1"><span>Take <span>Shinsen</span> Station’s North Exit and muddle your way north for five minutes, till you hit a main road; or approach the same street from <span>Shibuya</span>, turning left off <span>Bunkamura</span>-Dori when you reach Don <span>Quijote</span> and <span>Tokyu</span> department store. </span></p><p class="Style1">From the Shinsen end, the first and most fun eatery you’ll come across is <a title="junkadelic" href="http://gourmet.suntory.co.jp/shop/0X00181653/index.html" target="_blank"><span><span>Junkadelic</span> Jalopy!</span></a><span> This tiny and self-exclaimed branch of the <span>Junkadelic</span> chain serves gorgeous Tex-Mex grub in a laid-back tumbledown shack –- very bohemian.</span></p><p class="Style1">Behind the main street lies <a title="arossa" href="http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g513000/" target="_blank"><span><span>Arossa</span></span></a><span>, an Australian wine bar and grill twinned with a New Zealand-style branch in <span>Ginza</span>. The wine menu is extensive and varied, there’s plenty of fresh cheese, and the grilled crocodile is worth getting your teeth into.</span></p><p class="Style1">Back on the main thoroughfare, Ivy-covered eatery <a title="galettoria" href="http://www.many.co.jp/galettoria/" target="_blank"><span><span>Galettoria</span></span></a><span> serves, unsurprisingly, French <span>galette</span> pancakes, which come loaded with organic fillings. </span></p><p class="Style1">Head towards Bunkamura-Dori and turn right at Community Store and you’ll find <a title="tomboy" href="http://gourmet.livedoor.com/restaurant/465115/" target="_blank">Tomboy</a><span>, whose Maui-inspired menu features the signature <span>Tomburger</span>, crammed with homemade relish, bacon, avocado and tomato. Bigmouths might be able to chomp it as is; the rest of us will need a knife and fork.</span></p><p class="Style1"><span>It’s not all about your belly, though. Along the same <span>Shoto</span> street you’ll also find fine crockery shop Maison De Many Collection <span>Privée</span>; Carnival, a men’s and women’s lingerie shop well placed for the nearby love hotels; the <span>Shoto</span> <span>Rokubankan</span> museum, with its collection of calligraphy; and </span><a title="barnicha" href="http://www.shibuya.info/S323.html" target="_blank"><span><span>Barnicha</span></span></a>, a bar whose video jukebox consists entirely of 1980s and 1990s J-pop hits -- so brush up those Pink Lady dance moves before you go.</p><p class="Style1"><em><span><span>Shinsen</span> Station, <span>Inokashira</span> Line</span></em></p><p> </p><h2 class="Style1"><span><span>Minowabashi</span>, <span>Taito</span> Ward</span></h2><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6csVqL0mFb3K64PcriZFvmZBHVnlHQ4YELl2fM1vagmsyCw2Zxh5kslB0mGXW0wXzinSagnDbLez82nLpKUYlc3xRj0JNJEcbWWd_TlJYElKCrmR7lj1srarBDymXb93toIjGN4BXPFlz/s1600/Minowabashi-i.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6csVqL0mFb3K64PcriZFvmZBHVnlHQ4YELl2fM1vagmsyCw2Zxh5kslB0mGXW0wXzinSagnDbLez82nLpKUYlc3xRj0JNJEcbWWd_TlJYElKCrmR7lj1srarBDymXb93toIjGN4BXPFlz/s400/Minowabashi-i.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615756999884657890" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div class="inline-image-caption in-captioninline_image_624x416">Suburbians bring color and a friendly feel to the arcade in Minowabashi.</div>The <a title="arakawa" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toden_Arakawa_Line" target="_blank"><span><span>Arakawa</span> Line tram</span></a><span> is a dinky one-carriage conveyance that trundles from <span>Waseda</span> in northwest Tokyo to <span>Minowabashi</span> in the east with a “ding-ding” as it departs, for a flat rate of ¥160 for adults and ¥80 for concessions. </span><p class="Style1"><span>Fittingly, <span>Minowabashi</span> Station is not much of a station at all; more a pair of outdoor alighting and boarding points set around a quaint square speckled with rose beds, <span>Showa</span> Era advertisement posters, plenty of pigeons and a handy bilingual map. </span></p><p class="Style1">Head through the wooden archway and go straight to the main road, Nikko Kaido, established in 1617 as one of the five routes of Edo. </p><p class="Style1">Cross over and you’ll see <a title="sound" href="http://www.mitsui-sound.co.jp/" target="_blank"><span>Sound In <span>Mitsui</span></span></a><span>, a music store run by a family since the 1920s that stocks both pop <span>CDs</span> and musical instruments; the real treasure trove is a comprehensive selection of <span>enka</span> (ballads) albums that are even available on cassette, with a set of magnifying glasses for older customers to browse with.</span></p><p class="Style1"><span>Heading north, <span>Nikko</span> <span>Kaido</span> leads all the way to <span>Senju</span> Bridge, rebuilt in 1921 to replace the 1594 construct that was the first ever to bridge the <span>Sumida</span> River. </span></p><p class="Style1"><span>The street is also lined with temples and shrines, each with its own cemetery; the most striking of these structures is <span>Entsuji</span> Temple, whose collection of unusual statues includes a vast effigy of <span>Kannon</span>, the Buddhist goddess of compassion, mounted on the roof.</span></p><p class="Style1">One block north from Minowabashi Station, running eastwards parallel to the tramline, the covered Joyful Minowa Shopping Street should be your final stop. </p><p class="Style1">Stock up on everything from fresh produce to traditional Japanese sweets, tools to stationery; rice specialist <a title="minoriya" href="http://www.minoriya.com/" target="_blank"><span><span>Minoriya</span></span></a> sells grains from around Japan, polished while you wait or simply sold unrefined for extra health value. And if all that walking has exhausted you, the public bath midway down the street will soak it up in no time.</p><p class="Style1"><em><span><span>Minowabashi</span>, <span>Arakawa</span> Line</span></em></p><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><br />source: <a style="color: #003399;" href="http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/visit/2011-paths-less-trodden-tokyo-587504#ixzz1OfaPMX00">Discovering five of Tokyo’s lesser-known neighborhoods | CNNGo.com</a><a style="color: #003399;" href="http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/visit/2011-paths-less-trodden-tokyo-587504#ixzz1OfaPMX00"></a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-85828627355234645932011-04-12T12:14:00.000-07:002011-04-12T12:19:14.748-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBbwpwssLBGpVGx2DD18kVLtbq9zfXJ-LaoKclKCR4VLVmjcNTP2HuZTZyzX6kfLu99jNZ_fhj1mmQNOX4yMZynP-CLEXdN7Yu63gBSJ2NeKvRBd9EeWaYFm5IUloGkU1cbXbpaEVs5VK/s1600/Veer-EloquentSwashJF.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 66px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBbwpwssLBGpVGx2DD18kVLtbq9zfXJ-LaoKclKCR4VLVmjcNTP2HuZTZyzX6kfLu99jNZ_fhj1mmQNOX4yMZynP-CLEXdN7Yu63gBSJ2NeKvRBd9EeWaYFm5IUloGkU1cbXbpaEVs5VK/s400/Veer-EloquentSwashJF.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594777890186538370" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?5052.donation=form1&df_id=5052&idb=0">American Red Cross</a>, <a href="http://www.redcross.se/teman/tsunami-japan/">Swedish Red Cross</a>, <a href="http://www.clover.sc/jrc/index02.aspx?id">Japanese Red Cross</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-61041465917013829342011-03-22T23:24:00.000-07:002011-03-22T23:26:04.076-07:00Donate by Clicking to Japanese Red Cross<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFzd_ZHQFjCGMHm684sxV0ajpl_YV2nscB3hYrj4wZqlraTh192XbBc8nzPQs2I6x6ltwmyJehfeGWRSrMVn4i4j8t6v54V1mN5zmuE-3x5FiovF9Sv3T-LXsWxtx0234uTg3SB_uG6jTH/s1600/tumblr_lhwe8z5xUs1qz57hso1_500.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFzd_ZHQFjCGMHm684sxV0ajpl_YV2nscB3hYrj4wZqlraTh192XbBc8nzPQs2I6x6ltwmyJehfeGWRSrMVn4i4j8t6v54V1mN5zmuE-3x5FiovF9Sv3T-LXsWxtx0234uTg3SB_uG6jTH/s400/tumblr_lhwe8z5xUs1qz57hso1_500.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587157660723609538" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>Donate by Clicking to Japanese Red Cross: <a href="http://www.clover.sc/jrc/index02.aspx?id" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span>www.clover.sc/jrc/index02.aspx</span><wbr>?id</a><span class="messageBody"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>The Japanese Red Cross will donate 1 yen (free to you) for every click. (1 click per day)</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-91850454750678776472011-03-09T04:09:00.000-08:002011-03-09T04:11:20.532-08:00WWOOF Japan Can Place Travellers And Holiday Makers With Host Families On Organic Farms, Ski Resorts & Holiday Inns Throughout Japan<p style="text-align: left;" class="font_4"><span class="font_3"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;" class="font_4"><span class="font_3"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;" class="font_4"><span class="font_3">WWOOF Japan is a program facilitating travellers and holiday makers to visit hosts around Japan and receive meals, boarding, learning and be part of the family or community at no financial cost, in return for assisting the host with the ork they do. </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><p style="text-align: left;" class="font_4"><span class="font_3">WWOOF hosts include farms, holiday inns, ski resorts, and more. A 12 month membership is 4000 yen allowing you to visit as many places as you like. </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><p style="text-align: left;" class="font_4"><span class="font_3">We do have hosts that will accept people all year round. Please have a look at <a href="http://www.wwoofjapan.com/" target="_blank">www.wwoofjapan.com</a> and see information on what a WWOOF Japan membership will give you. One can see a preview of some (not all) of our hosts at <a href="http://www.wwoofjapan.com/preview_e.html" target="_blank">www.wwoofjapan.com/preview_e.html</a></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><p style="text-align: left;" class="font_4"><span class="font_3">You can join and pay online via our website or pay at any post office<br />throughout Japan - see the website for details. Members have access to bilingual forms from our website to use to communicate with hosts and make plans that best suit them. WWOOF is a great way to see Japan away from your daily grind. You can arrange to visit a host for just a day or two or for longer periods, or start out with a day or two and extend if you like it.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><p style="text-align: left;" class="font_4"><span class="font_3">Check out our website for all the details at <a href="http://www.wwoofjapan.com/" target="_blank">www.wwoofjapan.com</a></span></p><br />source:<a href="http://www.anyworkanywhere.com/wwoofjapan.html">workanywhere</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-69464901593352141172011-03-08T23:28:00.000-08:002011-03-08T23:31:46.922-08:00Video: The weirdest sushi in Japan: How to make your own fish, rice and nori with sugar and water Read more: Video: The weirdest sushi in Japan<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Gr-qewC-4gY" allowfullscreen="" width="480" frameborder="0" height="390"></iframe><br /><br /><p>If you ever wanted to try your hand at making sushi -- but just didn't like the taste -- pharmaceutical company <a title="kracie" href="http://www.kracie.co.jp/eng/index.html" target="_blank">Kracie</a> has the answer.</p><p><a title="popin" href="http://www.nerune.jp/popin/" target="_blank">Popin' Cookin' </a>is a range of products for those with a sweet tooth who need to improve their creative culinary skills. And fool their friends.</p><p>Surprisingly though, the "just add water" range, which <a title="ramen" href="http://www.nerune.jp/popin/" target="_blank">also includes</a> ramen, o-bento and ice cream options, are made using natural coloring. It's the pH levels that create the <a title="nifty" href="http://portal.nifty.com/2009/04/29/c/2.htm" target="_blank">food illusions</a>. </p><p>The first instant sweets of this type were actually launched <a title="curiosite" href="http://www.curiosite.com/post/popincookin.html" target="_blank">in 1978</a>, though the latest range are a considerable step forward, with the ingenious salmon roe (ikura) perhaps the most impressive and lifelike.</p><p>Popin' Cookin' is <a title="kids" href="http://www.kracie.co.jp/cm/1226701_4487.html" target="_blank">aimed at kids</a> as a way build kitchen knowledge. </p><p><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">source: <a href="http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/eat/pop-sushi-make-your-own-fresh-fish-just-adding-water-176324">CNNGo</a></span></span><br /><strong><em></em></strong></p><p><strong><em>More on CNNGo: <a title="cream art" href="http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/eat/art-good-enough-eat-or-food-cute-enough-display-817114" target="_blank">Art good enough to eat or food cute enough to display?</a></em></strong></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-54974176537070791762011-03-08T23:13:00.000-08:002011-03-08T23:22:23.715-08:00japanese symbols<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgABtX3_IaOi8SLqUdjl3pIDlBxAcG5V8ns9QK76Zwtquq1QeMSgeQPlYpSxp5sf3zjjrx2UBPp6s3uf6miNgXJl_nBpVLOhJ6SnHNJJDbnKUcI6M1hgPGJgmrE67IYYlZiTANPRxu2OfPC/s1600/crest-3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgABtX3_IaOi8SLqUdjl3pIDlBxAcG5V8ns9QK76Zwtquq1QeMSgeQPlYpSxp5sf3zjjrx2UBPp6s3uf6miNgXJl_nBpVLOhJ6SnHNJJDbnKUcI6M1hgPGJgmrE67IYYlZiTANPRxu2OfPC/s400/crest-3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581975156112284850" border="0" /></a><br /><b>Chrysanthemum</b><br /></div><br />As well as the many thousand kanji characters (漢字) that make up Japan's written language, Japan is a country of many important symbols, originating in its people's early cultural beliefs, religion and imperial myths.<br /><br /><h2>Imperial & State Symbols</h2> <p>The sixteen petal chrysanthemum, usually white or orange, is the crest or <i>mon</i> (紋) of the Japanese emperor and is often seen displayed on Shinto shrines throughout the country.</p> <p>The Imperial Regalia of Japan, also known as the "Three Sacred Treasures of Japan," are the sacred sword (<i>kusanagi</i>), the mirror (<i>yata no kagami</i>), and the jewel (<i>yasakani no magatama</i>), symbolizing the imperial virtues of valor (the sword), wisdom (the mirror), and benevolence (the jewel).</p> <p> These mythical objects are not on display to the general public but the sword or a replica of it is said to be kept at <a href="http://www.japanvisitor.com/index.php?cID=406&pID=2377">Atsuta Shrine</a> in Nagoya, the jewel at <a href="http://www.japanvisitor.com/index.php?cID=430&pID=1706">The Imperial Palace</a> in Tokyo, and the mirror is the <a href="http://www.japanvisitor.com/index.php?cID=357&pID=1230">Grand Shrine of Ise</a>.</p> <h2><a name="magatama"></a>Magatama</h2> <p>The curved stone beads or <i>magatama</i> (勾玉 or 曲玉) often made from agate, jade, jasper, quartz or talc date from shamanistic rituals in the <a href="http://www.japanvisitor.com/index.php?cID=403&pID=1898">Jomon period of Japanese history</a> and are believed to symbolize the vitality of the human spirit. Popular with the ruling chieftains of the period, magatama have been found in numerous burial mounds (<i>kofun</i>) dating from the Jomon era.</p> <p>Three magatama forming a flowing circle can be found on the rounded roof tiles in <a href="http://www.japanvisitor.com/index.php?cID=406&pID=1320">Japanese temples</a>. The use of <i>magatama</i> as regal symbols also spread to the Korean peninsula through the close connections of the various kingdoms in Korea and Japan at the time. Nowadays, magatama make for popular cell phone straps.<br /></p><h2>Japanese Flag</h2><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57HDC_SAXLgxNLX5gaMI_Oug_y-XrH8ybP3xa7ZSmGH3m5cQsYxYD4YgEUGWptBG74AHR0pe-g6wiam7_1evbXHywwH8hPIwWUAmV74yuUZOHYI2DzHUHiEg4QCFLllXqzDYZ4qgSqonk/s1600/flag-c.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 167px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57HDC_SAXLgxNLX5gaMI_Oug_y-XrH8ybP3xa7ZSmGH3m5cQsYxYD4YgEUGWptBG74AHR0pe-g6wiam7_1evbXHywwH8hPIwWUAmV74yuUZOHYI2DzHUHiEg4QCFLllXqzDYZ4qgSqonk/s400/flag-c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581975714857301586" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpyJMYJgvUXqXrEqsHO4tqlFT7BJGgBmw87iVa6uOfxcD8aW5VV3_z9BDmXHZAZkVdRvDYyBela6Fy_lyjwVlppMKZfhNR83Tw-6wqZwUQgIObGXQ_swco6UdHK5KvwHDju2a0CpMkOB0v/s1600/flag-b.jpg"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 167px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpyJMYJgvUXqXrEqsHO4tqlFT7BJGgBmw87iVa6uOfxcD8aW5VV3_z9BDmXHZAZkVdRvDYyBela6Fy_lyjwVlppMKZfhNR83Tw-6wqZwUQgIObGXQ_swco6UdHK5KvwHDju2a0CpMkOB0v/s400/flag-b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581975673521313794" border="0" /></a><br /></div><p> <a href="http://tokyodaydreamer.blogspot.com/2010/11/japans-flag-nisshoki-hinomaru.html">Japan's national flag</a>, the Nisshoki (日章旗, "rising sun flag"), more commonly known as the <i>Hinomaru </i> (日の丸, "the sun disk"), is the well-known and memorable red circle in the middle of an all white background. The red symbol is the rising sun. </p> <p>The Rising Sun Ensign (旭日旗, "kyokujitsu-ki") with sixteeen sun rays (image above right) is the controversial Japanese war flag used during World War II and now flown by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces. The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces fly an eight-ray version of the flag. </p> <p>The original flag was flown by various feudal lords (<i>daimyo</i>) during the Edo Period (1603-1868) and was adopted as the de facto national flag in 1870 at the beginning of the new Meiji State. </p><h2>Japanese Crests: Mon</h2><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZEUmrzgMWFB81Qr51eZdhuyuknkw3DkMk68RZogCF9jLj08ezYqez-WsYac3rG0eH8oMirizYEi4QjDm-08ek4ij3t5O0ChZziV_MSig5Q_wrxCfgj-yd1AK03HXwQlQ8avnPHZDL70U/s1600/crest-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZEUmrzgMWFB81Qr51eZdhuyuknkw3DkMk68RZogCF9jLj08ezYqez-WsYac3rG0eH8oMirizYEi4QjDm-08ek4ij3t5O0ChZziV_MSig5Q_wrxCfgj-yd1AK03HXwQlQ8avnPHZDL70U/s400/crest-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581976383160933122" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1UoV6V-GKeyrI0ucHnwhcGQksYWKwM03L95e04U4siUcCFGkE3BPipjsjOdqSMeJbJ9ihca9rx8XOuG7gXcEtUADlSl9frum5NCFbO_yX2IiB0qArHGc59fOWyk4xBEP-zr0colJOIpE5/s1600/crest-2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1UoV6V-GKeyrI0ucHnwhcGQksYWKwM03L95e04U4siUcCFGkE3BPipjsjOdqSMeJbJ9ihca9rx8XOuG7gXcEtUADlSl9frum5NCFbO_yX2IiB0qArHGc59fOWyk4xBEP-zr0colJOIpE5/s400/crest-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581976189302663970" border="0" /></a><br /></div><p>Japanese family crests (<i>mon</i>, <i>monsho</i> or <i>kamon</i>) are somewhat similar to European coats of arms in heraldry. </p> <p> Japanese crests originated as badges woven into clothing such as <i>haori</i>, <a href="http://www.goodsfromjapan.com/product/product-list.php?cID=129&cName=Happi%20Coats&pID=0&pName=Product-list" target="_blank"><i>happi </i>coats </a> and kimono to distinguish the members of a particular clan. Later these crests were added to the flags, arms and armor of the samurai. Well-known <i>mon</i> include the chrysanthemum crest of the Emperor (see above), the three hollyhock design of the Tokugawa family and the three water chesnuts in the Mitsubishi logo. Family crests are also seen in the rounded ceramic roof tiles of surviving samurai houses. </p> <h2><a name="modern"></a>Modern Japanese Symbols</h2> <p>Other more modern Japanese symbols used by organizations and businesses as well as on maps include the Japanese post symbol - a capital T with a bar over the top representing a post office (〒 unicode: U+3012) and the beginning of a Japanese 7-digit post code, the symbol for <a href="http://www.japanvisitor.com/index.php?cID=359&pID=318">public bath</a> (<i>sento</i>) and <a href="http://www.japanvisitor.com/index.php?cID=363&pID=382">onsen</a> - a circle with three lines of steam rising from it or the kanji (<i>yu</i>, 湯) or hiragana (ゆ) and the <i>torii</i> gate sign to represent a Shinto shrine. The symbol used on maps and signs for Japanese temples is the <i>manji</i> (卍) or swastika (which has no relation whatsoever with Nazi Germany). For schools and <a id="KonaLink1" class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static; font-family: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important; font-size: inherit ! important;" href="http://www.japanvisitor.com/index.php?cID=359&pID=2439&cName=Japanese%20Culture&pName=japanese-symbols#"><span style="font-weight: inherit ! important; position: static; color: rgb(176, 0, 0);font-family:inherit ! important;font-size:inherit ! important;" ><span class="kLink" style="font-weight: inherit ! important; position: relative; border-bottom: 1px solid blue;font-family:inherit ! important;font-size:inherit ! important;color:#b00000;" >universities</span></span></a> the symbol <i>bun</i> (文) with the meaning of "literature" or "composition" hence "study" or "school" is used - a place where people write. </p><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAx0NecznUWBbZVN9ZJ3xJ74FXujci0_Ub7wjHt0YMhvSgUUz-wgikvECO1rrQsCJcFAQ92MlHw92hD-SnaYPnp8jpZi-CE5CrHCB2yGPSaqUroOLph5J5reEOHrR2KXVmfPAyF6w91o_A/s1600/symbol-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAx0NecznUWBbZVN9ZJ3xJ74FXujci0_Ub7wjHt0YMhvSgUUz-wgikvECO1rrQsCJcFAQ92MlHw92hD-SnaYPnp8jpZi-CE5CrHCB2yGPSaqUroOLph5J5reEOHrR2KXVmfPAyF6w91o_A/s400/symbol-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581976761520968002" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc61qvdjb2cw78DKzVUk3_9uPNA8BUPCU4cWQO8picFZJNnp02vpftTvksQJTSburQkTQNARIbTpvidDh1_xu8RTPz7KpMSr3FR9E_vqVBZEn41tJJxXlgnNsYVy5Ua0pRxo4qEdflRX7Y/s1600/symbol-2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc61qvdjb2cw78DKzVUk3_9uPNA8BUPCU4cWQO8picFZJNnp02vpftTvksQJTSburQkTQNARIbTpvidDh1_xu8RTPz7KpMSr3FR9E_vqVBZEn41tJJxXlgnNsYVy5Ua0pRxo4qEdflRX7Y/s400/symbol-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581976682051334610" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OlkMtdLRL9ydSpUXeJOaONbePAkE6nZpL_ruYj7X-nkYV83x3N1F-e0RpuV5yURl0wwFpSphHUQY0UbnoKDABZlNOG2TvCBoUH9k2372RmLtNrCBsV4hg1s1CfDchXIntmTAP8wQAp7g/s1600/symbol-3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OlkMtdLRL9ydSpUXeJOaONbePAkE6nZpL_ruYj7X-nkYV83x3N1F-e0RpuV5yURl0wwFpSphHUQY0UbnoKDABZlNOG2TvCBoUH9k2372RmLtNrCBsV4hg1s1CfDchXIntmTAP8wQAp7g/s400/symbol-3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581976643825288898" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-style: italic;">source: </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.japanvisitor.com/index.php?cID=359&pID=2439&cName=Japanese%20Culture&pName=japanese-symbols">japanvisitor</a></span><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-47437756268862317372011-01-11T13:03:00.000-08:002011-01-12T07:41:58.333-08:00the suicide forest<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgli_W2wTIeJXUkoRQivWi0XUQFOzAXqmwIG3dGy16aV7m5rQu7eHvQjbOdge9mvcjdHO3x5UY5cxoxiEcYgRQPTb_E79oT2qsAF6ljdz8MBb67SNyzRLnUkWDBDcBb6qWuBlGlsNgWKfFM/s1600/Aokigahara.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 398px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgli_W2wTIeJXUkoRQivWi0XUQFOzAXqmwIG3dGy16aV7m5rQu7eHvQjbOdge9mvcjdHO3x5UY5cxoxiEcYgRQPTb_E79oT2qsAF6ljdz8MBb67SNyzRLnUkWDBDcBb6qWuBlGlsNgWKfFM/s400/Aokigahara.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561036944908697474" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">photo; </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vahala/">vahala</a><br /><br /><b>Aokigahara</b> (青木ヶ原), also known as the Sea of Trees (樹海, Jukai), is a 35 km2 forest that lies at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan. The forest contains a number of rocky, icy caverns, a few of which are popular tourist destinations.<br /><br />The forest, which has a historic association with demons in Japanese mythology, is a popular place for suicides; in 2002, 78 bodies were found, despite numerous signs, in Japanese and English, urging people to reconsider their actions.<br /><br />Due to the wind-blocking density of the trees, and an absence of wildlife, the forest is known for being eerily quiet.<br /><br /><br />¨The forest is a popular place for suicides, reportedly the world's second most popular suicide location after San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. This popularity is often attributed to the 1960 novel Nami no Tō (波の塔) by Seichō Matsumoto, which ends with two lovers committing suicide in the forest. However, the history of suicide in Aokigahara dates from before the novel's publication, and the place has long been associated with death: ubasute was practiced there into the 19th century, and the forest is reputedly haunted by the ghosts of those left to die.<br /><br />Since the 1950s, more than 500 people have lost their lives in the forest, mostly suicides, with an average of approximately 30 counted yearly. In 2002, 78 bodies were found within the forest, replacing the previous record of 73 in 1998. In 2003 the rate climbed to 100, and in recent years the local government has stopped publicizing the numbers in an attempt to downplay Aokigahara's association with suicide. The high rate of suicide has led officials to place signs in the forest, in Japanese and English, urging those who have gone there in order to commit suicide to seek help and not kill themselves. The annual body search, consisting of a small army of police, volunteers and attendant journalists, began in 1970.<br /><br />Aside from those intending to die there, the dense forest and rugged inaccessibility has attracted thrill seekers. Many of these hikers mark their routes by leaving colored plastic tapes behind, causing concerns from prefectural officials for the ecosystem of the forest.<br /><br />source; wikipediaUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-27479305377363143272011-01-11T12:58:00.000-08:002011-01-11T13:00:14.516-08:00Ubasute<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKL8vbtR49QOsmi1nIvI3Mb1QvAgKvauctnO2gbuYxGZvEvlSmHqrPheT8JbJZIOin1xMcSMn9MaZRu2I1Pm_Lh4XR-cWF49bL4qX53DyZ19mm0gWOP-fspTVkpVYabWBquEqKZR9fAYM/s1600/ubasute.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKL8vbtR49QOsmi1nIvI3Mb1QvAgKvauctnO2gbuYxGZvEvlSmHqrPheT8JbJZIOin1xMcSMn9MaZRu2I1Pm_Lh4XR-cWF49bL4qX53DyZ19mm0gWOP-fspTVkpVYabWBquEqKZR9fAYM/s400/ubasute.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561035979965695458" border="0" /></a><br /><b>Ubasute</b> (姥捨て, abandoning an old woman) (also called "obasute" and sometimes "oyasute") refers to the custom allegedly performed in Japan in the distant past, whereby an infirm or elderly relative was carried to a mountain, or some other remote, desolate place, and left there to die, either by dehydration, starvation, or exposure. It "is the subject of legend, but [...] does not seem ever to have been a common custom". The practice was most common during times of drought and famine, and was sometimes mandated by feudal officials.[citation needed]<br /><br />Ubasute has left its mark on Japanese folklore, where it forms the basis of many legends, poems, and koans. In one Buddhist allegory, a son carries his mother up a mountain on his back. During the journey, she stretches out her arms, catching the twigs and scattering them in their wake, so that her son will be able to find the way home.<br /><br />A poem commemorates the story:<br /><br /> <i>In the depths of the mountains,<br /> Who was it for the aged mother snapped<br /> One twig after another?<br /> Heedless of herself<br /> She did so<br /> For the sake of her son</i><br /><br />source: wikipediaUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-56008718024670063502010-11-30T06:41:00.000-08:002010-11-30T06:45:22.439-08:00Japan's Flag - Nisshoki (Hinomaru).<br /><br />Japan's national flag, the <em>Nisshoki</em> ("rising sun flag"), more commonly known as the <i>Hinomaru</i> ("the sun disk"), is the well-known and memorable red circle in the middle of an all white background. The red symbol is the rising sun.The flag's origins are unknown (though the radical Buddhist priest Nichiren is sometimes credited) but the <i>hinomaru</i> flag dates to at least the Warring States Period of <a title="Read about the history of Japan." href="http://www.japanvisitor.com/index.php?cID=359&pID=334">Japan's history</a>, in the 15th and 16th centuries. It officially became the national flag only in 1999, partly due the the legacy of the War. However, it was designated the country's flag as early as 1870 by the centralizing Meiji government and became a symbol of the new Japan after the rule of the Tokugawa regime.<div><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"> <p>The flag remains controversial because of its strong associations with Japan’s wartime past and the Imperial system. Unlike Germany, which in the 1930s was taken over and ruled by a particular party with its own symbols that were discarded as soon as the War was over, Japan’s symbols prior to, during, and after the war were one and the same.</p><a href="http://www.japanvisitor.com/images/content_images/flag-b.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 167px;" src="http://www.japanvisitor.com/images/content_images/flag-b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.japanvisitor.com/images/content_images/flag-c.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 167px;" src="http://www.japanvisitor.com/images/content_images/flag-c.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><p>Following World War II, American occupation authorities restricted displaying the flag. These restrictions were lifted in 1947, and the flag continued on in its de facto status as the official flag of Japan.</p> <p>As noted above, this changed in 1999 when the Japanese Diet made the <i>hinomaru</i> the official flag.</p> <p>Controversy today is, aside from the occasional flare up in Beijing or Seoul, most likely to come from Japanese school teachers.</p><div><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><p>Japanese teachers and their powerful union have historically been left wing and pacifist, mainly because of profound regrets over the role they played in indoctrinating pupils in the pre-War period.</p> <p>Some conservative school boards have made the singing of the national anthem, <i>Kimi Ga Yo,</i> also a symbol of Japan’s militaristic past, and “showing respect” for the flag, mandatory. Some teachers have even gone to court—and usually lost—over this.</p> <p>With the possible exception of <a title="Read a travel guide to Okinawa." href="http://www.japanvisitor.com/index.php?cID=357&pID=1157">Okinawa</a> - which was the only part of Japan that was invaded by US forces during the War and today has the highest percentage of US military bases - most Japanese are fairly casual about the flag. The only time you will see the flag in great numbers is during a national team soccer match or when the Emperor comes out of his palace for a meet and greet with his subjects.</p><span><span style="font-style: italic;">source: </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.japanvisitor.com/index.php?cID=359&pID=1803">japanvisitor</a><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 51, 153);" href="http://www.japanvisitor.com/index.php?cID=359&pID=1803#ixzz16mEwDrk8"></a></span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-71306530034435951562010-11-28T01:39:00.000-08:002010-11-28T01:51:58.867-08:0010 Japanese fashion flops.<br /><br />Compared to the hey-days of FRUiTS magazine, Japanese fashion has calmed down considerably. Ganguro and yamamba have gone back to their mountain huts, leaving the watered-down gyaru in their wake. <div><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><p>That doesn’t mean the streets are safe from missteps though. Here are 10 that persist:</p><span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpCswDKP6r805PwOa4LMMA0OvkP85SsFyLvqizlGYjuyQ9Qfyi8YJTPwWLMVp_fRUdxmSnYdvHq4De5JLi_pX9JcVC3T-sCwYPpK_DuJvfTObyw3oQ5_AX25vVysTbGYLK4295skVLAX9/s1600/fashion-faux-pas-i1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpCswDKP6r805PwOa4LMMA0OvkP85SsFyLvqizlGYjuyQ9Qfyi8YJTPwWLMVp_fRUdxmSnYdvHq4De5JLi_pX9JcVC3T-sCwYPpK_DuJvfTObyw3oQ5_AX25vVysTbGYLK4295skVLAX9/s400/fashion-faux-pas-i1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544533126662454210" border="0" /></a></span><b>1. The 'host' look </b><div><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><p>Slim, polyester suit, check. Silver pendant necklace, check. Fluffy fried hair and M-shaped bangs, check. It’s a pandemic of vampiric proportions! </p><p>Just ignore it, and perhaps they will stop feeding on the streets and fade into legend.</p></div></div></div></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbAmX8kNfUXBOlGDdXKFaMzWY75Zy_CPzKRl3w-PGblwiOoBojCWvz2ujJMKb1ogYwN20V_3rrAjqw1OmLu76KlcpSMBplNnsRbBtzcA5Hvk8IAF4iqrMuIUOwaV4o_iy94K8YEcHKxCI/s1600/bad-shoes-i-jpg.jpeg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbAmX8kNfUXBOlGDdXKFaMzWY75Zy_CPzKRl3w-PGblwiOoBojCWvz2ujJMKb1ogYwN20V_3rrAjqw1OmLu76KlcpSMBplNnsRbBtzcA5Hvk8IAF4iqrMuIUOwaV4o_iy94K8YEcHKxCI/s400/bad-shoes-i-jpg.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544533448208523906" border="0" /></a><b>2. Shoes beyond repair </b><div><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><p>Despite all of the walking that is a necessity in Tokyo, many women insist on wearing stiletto heels, running the rubber down to the nails. </p><p>And shoe repair is apparently passé; they are more wont to wobble around like a pigeon all day.</p><span><a style="color: rgb(0, 51, 153);" href="http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/life/10-japanese-fashion-faux-pas-563524?page=0,0#ixzz16ZJkBnRK"></a></span></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgawtfZ96i_MDTyVuPM4VjJNYSennFfDQt_8lhoo-I5nGlpuGLrPwqS9gX6hm5AkI8UymG5kQrP8jTjsli6How-6rNRs5xTbeGqZamk1QbcnPFHRGO6iPpJrDn3uaQNdvFOAL3dvjAOOZ0Q/s1600/big-contacts-i-jpg.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgawtfZ96i_MDTyVuPM4VjJNYSennFfDQt_8lhoo-I5nGlpuGLrPwqS9gX6hm5AkI8UymG5kQrP8jTjsli6How-6rNRs5xTbeGqZamk1QbcnPFHRGO6iPpJrDn3uaQNdvFOAL3dvjAOOZ0Q/s400/big-contacts-i-jpg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544533709001328562" border="0" /></a><b>3. Ringed color contacts </b><div><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><p>These contacts add an extra millimeter or two to the size of one’s iris, creating the look of a bigger eye that maybe-kinda-sorta looks OK in anime cosplay circles. </p><p>Unfortunately, talking face to face with someone wearing these is like talking to a creepy, talking doll: It’s impossible to tell if the person is looking at you, around you, or even right through you.</p></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmcBlUHQmP6ukoFzD0Aef7a50MzS4KtH_uWmOUStm-aFYfaAPvqadgK8cDNKoeD1rsftk54JuO-etF-RmLTY3VOr7VarUXXLVYN6JWu24SniG6y5DkdXUTepWcGkMRifQrU5ZJ0pD_q2T/s1600/Tare-me-i-jpg.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmcBlUHQmP6ukoFzD0Aef7a50MzS4KtH_uWmOUStm-aFYfaAPvqadgK8cDNKoeD1rsftk54JuO-etF-RmLTY3VOr7VarUXXLVYN6JWu24SniG6y5DkdXUTepWcGkMRifQrU5ZJ0pD_q2T/s400/Tare-me-i-jpg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544534010058797698" border="0" /></a><b>4. Tare-me </b>(droopy eyes) <div><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><p>In the continuing quest for doll-like eyes, the gyaru and lolitas alike have perfected a system of placing fake lashes so far down on their bottom lids that it appears their eyes are melting at the corners. </p></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4BRqiJQblEl2V-utgXB01Qb4Mz2987EjPw0M0pS978XzGKWt86ShiOLXBvTFPJ_kxfZBFOQfMKeUDDFsyHkthR7ue7V1iFGMAn5Pn4HbfbzkPXyx-4tAs7US9rI0_IRNdEocwK3uhyphenhyphenmo/s1600/Nail-Art-i-jpg_0.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 135px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4BRqiJQblEl2V-utgXB01Qb4Mz2987EjPw0M0pS978XzGKWt86ShiOLXBvTFPJ_kxfZBFOQfMKeUDDFsyHkthR7ue7V1iFGMAn5Pn4HbfbzkPXyx-4tAs7US9rI0_IRNdEocwK3uhyphenhyphenmo/s400/Nail-Art-i-jpg_0.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544534258316099810" border="0" /></a><b>5. Glamour nails </b><div><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><p>Some of the fake nails we see on women of the gyaru persuasion are so excessive, so blinged out, and so over the top, they should each come with their own serial numbers and security guard. </p><p>One can tell the difference between an OL and a hostess by how razzle-dazzle their nails are; you know those girls aren’t typing on a keyboard anytime soon.</p><p><br /></p><span></span></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4TnSvPoGdLYUVWJy4o5xDgpeUTQDnJvV4gRioYHlN77BOFGV0YbnjSnC4uoZ906v8cfshS8MsG1wvqgiGP_p23c0x-k9OnxVGXDbWWd8tUq_ui0ZOHE-t1FOOoNi_oUdhiFxeL6tSFkcn/s1600/fashion-faux-pas-i6.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4TnSvPoGdLYUVWJy4o5xDgpeUTQDnJvV4gRioYHlN77BOFGV0YbnjSnC4uoZ906v8cfshS8MsG1wvqgiGP_p23c0x-k9OnxVGXDbWWd8tUq_ui0ZOHE-t1FOOoNi_oUdhiFxeL6tSFkcn/s400/fashion-faux-pas-i6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544534551394793618" border="0" /></a><b>6. Flat tires </b><div><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><p>When a toddler can’t put on their shoes properly, flopping them about, it’s adorable. </p><p>When middle and high-school students do the same thing, it’s considered lazy. Boys, we’re looking at you too. D for effort.</p><span></span></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90-1r8P_6kNHk3kkkEfGYhpMDRCg1Iin7r3A6jGqDjRoR2XFeBbH5eDIBFWyd1Ijo1x6cg9CxsuMbU68yLZTWx9Li32__bT2Pm5cen-7qxPhjtla7416jy1-DEopAVt_KwBi5y-pYBCAT/s1600/Engrish-i-jpg_0.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90-1r8P_6kNHk3kkkEfGYhpMDRCg1Iin7r3A6jGqDjRoR2XFeBbH5eDIBFWyd1Ijo1x6cg9CxsuMbU68yLZTWx9Li32__bT2Pm5cen-7qxPhjtla7416jy1-DEopAVt_KwBi5y-pYBCAT/s400/Engrish-i-jpg_0.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544534764572380642" border="0" /></a><b>7. Engrish shirts </b><div><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><p>We know this is beating a dead horse, but could this die already? Every single person has a mobile phone which is connected to the Internet or has a dictionary built right in. </p><p>Simply look up the words before buying something that makes you look like a dunce!</p><span><a style="color: rgb(0, 51, 153);" href="http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/life/10-japanese-fashion-faux-pas-563524?page=0,1#ixzz16ZL0LjNs"></a></span></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xVibElzHVN3BN8OfjKw6ch5dPLgzsashcV168bx8yXxbr0LjcuXtl5PKwVSX_kSucp-w6EDzMZz2juOeOiPauslqMOfNQ9K3OAmZxaN1dFitbVh3-8NGA7BJ-IsySD95Qq485CHqnxgr/s1600/Furoku-bag-i-jpg_0.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xVibElzHVN3BN8OfjKw6ch5dPLgzsashcV168bx8yXxbr0LjcuXtl5PKwVSX_kSucp-w6EDzMZz2juOeOiPauslqMOfNQ9K3OAmZxaN1dFitbVh3-8NGA7BJ-IsySD95Qq485CHqnxgr/s400/Furoku-bag-i-jpg_0.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544534985486162514" border="0" /></a><b>8. Furoku bag </b><div><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><p>A furoku is a free gift that comes with the purchase of a magazine or catalog. </p><p>The Cher (that’s “shell”) brand furoku bag in particular is carried by so many women it has become the new Louis Vuitton. Except this one will end up in the trash in a year.</p><span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSgwZM25uX5gsFIEBsCHNoyt5LGk1D9yHjplD5of2iAU2vdaF11Gt5yuJtdeVfhj0ejcRKNV6uO-20ISvLD07P-KNWNLJs9LJuLUqbd7F6dxdGZLgV06Ty759SrFsnOOiM8uJKoFA_hWC/s1600/fashion-faux-pas-i9.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSgwZM25uX5gsFIEBsCHNoyt5LGk1D9yHjplD5of2iAU2vdaF11Gt5yuJtdeVfhj0ejcRKNV6uO-20ISvLD07P-KNWNLJs9LJuLUqbd7F6dxdGZLgV06Ty759SrFsnOOiM8uJKoFA_hWC/s400/fashion-faux-pas-i9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544535385917080274" border="0" /></a></span><b>9. Mori girl</b> <div><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><p>With the sweet wash of nostalgia and touch of natural bohemia, the “mori” (forest) girl look is sometimes cute. </p><p>And with the discolored macramé vests, ill-advised layering and dusty accessories, the mori girl look sometimes teeters into obaachan cat-lady territory.</p><span><a style="color: rgb(0, 51, 153);" href="http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/life/10-japanese-fashion-faux-pas-563524?page=0,1#ixzz16ZLd1At7"></a></span></div></div><span><br /></span></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-Ui3oeOVclqHFBxLOthkKbasjHUeJtC5HmpxyXv1LD2rQTrdyMSMTXMV1qNbKCPjEYYJYzS2IOaJ9cbhYCwUGalBXOkqfI8gNsPNwrCZNh3Ix8pvE2BIQbJf7zBi7lRwMHdn6a_4tkiu/s1600/fashion-faux-pas-i10.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-Ui3oeOVclqHFBxLOthkKbasjHUeJtC5HmpxyXv1LD2rQTrdyMSMTXMV1qNbKCPjEYYJYzS2IOaJ9cbhYCwUGalBXOkqfI8gNsPNwrCZNh3Ix8pvE2BIQbJf7zBi7lRwMHdn6a_4tkiu/s400/fashion-faux-pas-i10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544535602343074722" border="0" /></a><b>10. Skirting with faux-pas </b><div><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><p>The new thing from Harajuku are the cool men who fancy themselves a skirt or two to wear with their holier-than-thou attitude. </p><p>Well boys, be our guest, but if you’re going to wear them you must suffer along with the women: now go home and shave, lotion and tan those caveman legs!</p><span><a style="color: rgb(0, 51, 153);" href="http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/life/10-japanese-fashion-faux-pas-563524?page=0,1#ixzz16ZLsWnRD"></a></span></div></div><span><span style="text-decoration: underline;">source: <a href="http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo">cnngo.com/tokyo</a></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-62328590853463616542010-11-28T01:34:00.000-08:002010-11-28T01:38:06.470-08:009 mistakes Japanese women make during group dates<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i52.tinypic.com/k1qceb.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 332px;" src="http://i52.tinypic.com/k1qceb.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">photo; </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tokyofashion/">tokyofashion</a></span><br /><div><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><p>Gokon group dating parties can be great opportunities for love to blossom. Participants usually gather at an izakaya to enjoy casual flirtations over a couple of drinks, hopefully exchanging phone numbers later.</p> <p>Gokon is a rite of passage. Something to try out at a young age before diving into the real mysteries of love later in life. </p><p>So if you're heading off for a gokon evening, relax, don't take it too seriously and just enjoy the ride.</p> <p>This advice is something not all women follow. A list of errors made by women who got a bit “too passionate” in their approach to guys during gokon dates has been put together by<a href="http://girl.sugoren.com/report/post_1024.php" target="_blank"> Otome Sugoren</a>. </p><p>Apparently, some women are either gokon novices who don't know enough not to take it easy, or gokon veterans desperate enough to make a fool of themselves. </p><p>Here's what not to do on a gokon date night:</p> <p>1. Wear makeup so heavy that it creeps guys out.<br />2. Have hair permed curly to emphasize your cuteness.<br />3. Wear overtly sexy outfits that make guys wonder where to look.<br />4. Touch guys too many times.<br />5. Chime in even when unnecessary while listening to guys.<br />6. Crack bad jokes.<br />7. Fight with other girls over who should have the honor of serving guys food on a plate.<br />8. Perform a long speech about how dedicated you could be as a girlfriend.<br />9. Ask guys only about their income or status.</p><span><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;">source: <a href="http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo">cnngo.com/tokyo</a></span><a style="color: rgb(0, 51, 153);" href="http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/life/9-ways-desperate-japanese-women-embarrass-themselves-gokon-790749#ixzz16ZI5qiz7"></a></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-22328819215798891272010-11-25T08:57:00.000-08:002010-11-25T09:00:03.948-08:00Fukubukuro<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2715/4248860656_115c22c308.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 332px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2715/4248860656_115c22c308.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">photo; </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tokyofashion">tokyofashion</a><br /></div><br /><b>Fukubukuro</b> (福袋, lucky bag, mystery bag) is a Japanese New Year's Day custom where merchants make grab bags filled with unknown random contents and sell them for a substantial discount, usually 50% or more off the list price of the items contained within. The low prices are usually done to attract customers to shop at that store during the new year. The term is formed from Japanese fuku (福, good fortune/luck) and fukuro (袋, bag). The change of fukuro to bukuro is the phenomenon known as rendaku. Fukubukuro usually are snapped up quickly by eager customers, with some stores having long lines snake around city blocks hours before the store opens on New Year's Day. Formerly, Fukubukuro were an easy way for stores to unload excess and unwanted merchandise from the previous year, due to a Japanese superstition that one must not start the New Year with unwanted trash from the previous year and start clean. Nowadays, Fukubukuro are pushed as a lavish New Year's event rather than a way for stores to get rid of excess merchandise.<br /><br />source: wikipediaUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-26767111433766019572010-11-24T02:36:00.000-08:002010-11-24T02:38:10.336-08:00Cast of “Norwegian Wood” attends premiere, declares film to be “perfect”<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-maXjx3Uprnqp8DYEKVj3AQLyq0HSB-RHtlIvbNkULH09bnSonMf_37opYXiwRpRnZuoJaOyYbQVjkP1QDGuvuSVpB5rN6xIV-3xBdeTjtkO-LoaWPaDV-dlrpuIpA_dbL8fflxX0Rh-L/s1600/20101123_norwegian1.jpeg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 315px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-maXjx3Uprnqp8DYEKVj3AQLyq0HSB-RHtlIvbNkULH09bnSonMf_37opYXiwRpRnZuoJaOyYbQVjkP1QDGuvuSVpB5rN6xIV-3xBdeTjtkO-LoaWPaDV-dlrpuIpA_dbL8fflxX0Rh-L/s400/20101123_norwegian1.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543063530543592994" border="0" /></a>On November 23rd, the cast of <strong>Murakami Haruki</strong>’s “<strong>Norwegian Wood</strong>” attended the first Japanese premiere for the film at Waseda University. Director <strong>Tran Anh Hung </strong>as well as actors <strong>Matsuyama Kenichi</strong> (“<strong>NANA</strong>“, “<strong>Death Note</strong>“) a <strong>Kikuchi Rinko </strong><strong>(</strong>“<strong>Brothers in Bloom</strong>“) as well as director <strong>Tran Anh Hung</strong>, walked the red carpet before heading inside for the screening. <p>“Norwegian Wood” was originally a bestseller written by one of Japan’s greatest modern novelists, <strong>Murakami Haruki.</strong> Translated into 36 languages, “Norwegian Wood” is a sensitive work dealing with the themes of loss and sexuality. The film had its debut screening at the “<strong>67th Venice International Film Festival</strong>” back in September.</p> <p>Regarding the film, Matsuyama said, “<em>I have no word to describe how great the movie. It may sound odd if we say this, but it’s a fantastic and perfect movie</em>.”</p> <p>“Norwegian Wood” is due for release on December 11th in Japan.</p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Lzl4xMxdBtU?fs=1&hl=sv_SE&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Lzl4xMxdBtU?fs=1&hl=sv_SE&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />source:<a id="link_69" href="http://www.tokyohive.com/2010/11/cast-of-%E2%80%9Cnorwegian-wood%E2%80%9D-attends-premiere-declares-film-to-be-perfect/"> TOKYOHIVE</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-77203452281839073042010-11-23T02:34:00.000-08:002010-11-24T01:46:38.107-08:00Afterlife<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhExUSudvtT2n4UiuTb9CjDWAOXmJLSaoO54D4GBe6HLpr-9Xl38r63XeDlIUsetAvh9PKJYkU4wmMPA07rTLnmQiDHIyTusCUmEyDIAX-4jT-zSFAYcjodazW3whtMsQOZPMG8h3cFlS87/s1600/afterlife.jpeg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 278px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhExUSudvtT2n4UiuTb9CjDWAOXmJLSaoO54D4GBe6HLpr-9Xl38r63XeDlIUsetAvh9PKJYkU4wmMPA07rTLnmQiDHIyTusCUmEyDIAX-4jT-zSFAYcjodazW3whtMsQOZPMG8h3cFlS87/s400/afterlife.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542691711039722674" border="0" /></a>This film, written and directed by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hirokazu Koreeda</span>, gets an "A" (in my book) for conceptual creativity. <span style="font-weight: bold;" class="emphasis1">Afterlife</span> (also known as <span class="emphasis1">Wandafuru raifu</span> or "Wonderful Life") truly challenges its audience (as well as its characters) to ponder deeply the meaning of life <i>and</i> death. The story is set in what one might call "limbo", although here this consists of an entire world which looks, feels and is populated exactly as the real world. The characters, however, are all deceased and we accompany them through their first seven days of this "limbo" during which they must decide on only one memory from their life with which they will spend the rest of eternity. While the many characters wrestle with isolating a single significant memory from among many, or from among none, we in the audience will inevitably begin thinking along these same lines, searching for criteria whereby some past moments are deemed more valuable than others. Should a "fun" moment be prioritized above a "serene" moment? Or how about the moment of sexual ecstacy or the moment of secure love?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">source: </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.sarudama.com/">sarudama.com</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-16699556258167802832010-11-22T07:26:00.000-08:002010-11-22T07:30:39.847-08:00White Fox Wedding<div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i54.tinypic.com/b5ifya.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 332px;" src="http://i54.tinypic.com/b5ifya.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66265494@N00/">RubyLaFlame</a><br /></div><br />One of the most notorious animals in the Shinto pantheon is the <b>fox</b> (<em>kitsune</em>). Throughout a millennia of japanese folklore, the fox is depicted as the epitome of deception, able to transform into any shape or form it strategically desires. <p>Due to its ancient mystique, the fox figures prominently, not only in popular folk lore, but also in formal Shinto mythology. Thus, should you walk through the rural forests of contemporary Japan, you will no doubt encounter shrines wholly dedicated to this semi-divine animal. </p><p>The following tale encapsulates this Shinto sensibility, depicting the species as wholly possessing (humanly) noble qualities and giving an account of the continued (spiritual) relevance of the primary (Shinto) Fox deity, Inari-sama (whose picture you see here).<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>From Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford's <i>Tales of Old Japan</i>, 1910.</b> </p><p>Once upon a time there was a young white fox, whose name was Fukuyemon. When he had reached the fitting age, he shaved off his forelock and began to think of taking to himself a beautiful bride. The old fox, his father, resolved to give up his inheritance to his son, and retired into private life; so the young fox, in gratitude for this, laboured hard and earnestly to increase his patrimony.<br /></p><p>Now it happened that in a famous old family of foxes there was a beautiful young lady-fox, with such lovely fur that the fame of her jewel-like charms was spread far and wide. The young white fox, who had heard of this, was bent on making her his wife, and a meeting was arranged between them. There was not a fault to be found on either side; so the preliminaries were settled, and the wedding presents sent from the bridegroom to the bride's house, with congratulatory speeches from the messenger, which were duly acknowledged by the person deputed to receive the gifts; the bearers, of course, received the customary fee in copper cash. </p><p>When the ceremonies had been concluded, an auspicious day was chosen for the bride to go to her husband's house, and she was carried off in solemn procession during a shower of rain, the sun shining all the while. After the ceremonies of drinking wine had been gone through, the bride changed her dress, and the wedding was concluded, without let or hindrance, amid singing and dancing and merry-making. </p><p>The bride and bridegroom lived lovingly together, and a litter of little foxes were born to them, to the great joy of the old grandsire, who treated the little cubs as tenderly as if they had been butterflies or flowers. "They're the very image of their old grandfather," said he, as proud as possible. "As for medicine, bless them, they're so healthy that they'll never need a copper coin's worth!" </p><p>As soon as they were old enough, they were carried off to the temple of <b>Inari Sama</b>, the patron saint of foxes, and the old grand-parents prayed that they might be delivered from dogs and all the other ills to which fox flesh is heir. </p><p>In this way the white fox by degrees waxed old and prosperous, and his children, year by year, became more and more numerous around him; so that, happy in his family and his business, every recurring spring brought him fresh cause for joy. </p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i54.tinypic.com/adok68.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 358px;" src="http://i54.tinypic.com/adok68.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">source: </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/whitefoxwedding.shtml">sarudama.com</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i54.tinypic.com/adok68.jpg"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-8415440808477453792010-11-20T01:02:00.001-08:002010-11-20T01:03:28.801-08:00Hayao Miyazaki's newest short film "Pan-dane to Tamago-hime" opens at Ghibli Museum<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://pics.livejournal.com/forgottenyears/pic/000eqpc5"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 431px; height: 238px;" src="http://pics.livejournal.com/forgottenyears/pic/000eqpc5" alt="" border="0" /></a>Hayao Miyazaki's latest short film was unveiled at a preview screening on Friday. Titled "Pan-dane to Tamago-hime" ("Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess"), the film is the 8th in a series of shorts that are screened exclusively at the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo.<br /><br />The Ghibli Museum website describes the story:<br /><br /> <div style="margin-left: 40px;">"In a lonesome water mill deep in a forest of briers and brambles lives a witch named Baba Yaga. There the witch keeps her servant the Egg Princess confined and forces the tiny egg-girl to do all the hard daily chores around the mill. One night, a large batch of kneaded dough resting in a trough suddenly comes to life from the witch’s spell. Fearful of the witch, the Egg Princess and her new friend decide to run away. What will lay ahead for the two of them…?"<br /><br /></div><a name="cutid1"></a>"Pan-dane to Tamago-hime" features music by composer Joe Hisaishi, who has provided the scores for several Studio Ghibli films. The movie will begin showing at the Ghibli Museum on November 20 and is scheduled to run until March 14, 2011. Tickets must be reserved in advance.<br /><br /><strong>During the preview event on Friday, it was revealed that Miyazaki conceived the idea for the movie from the painting "The Harvesters" by the 16th century Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel.<br /></strong><br />It was also mentioned that Miyazaki plans to create a total of 12 shorts in the series, with the idea of screening one per month during the year. He is currently working on the 9th one, a film version of a children's book called "Takara Sagashi" ("treasure hunting") that was written by Rieko Nakagawa and illustrated by Yuriko Omura. He hopes to complete the movie by the end of this year and begin screening it next spring.<a name="cutid1-end"></a><br /><br />source: <a id="link_4" href="http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-7017">TOKYOGRAPH</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-87542804832235797352010-11-20T00:54:00.001-08:002010-11-20T00:59:17.552-08:00denshi jisho<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdEZ7eX4wGb7mojo8a-5kNxWF-YABcNcFBfOWceE8yn4uBxNLHVvimDD2qzMsVygOtw3hp3DclMekqo8zc93ESZsnf2ouwq2wky1plgVTHoswWEHFD5q1mdLltbNAoLOv015HG2CtVN439/s1600/denshi_jisho.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdEZ7eX4wGb7mojo8a-5kNxWF-YABcNcFBfOWceE8yn4uBxNLHVvimDD2qzMsVygOtw3hp3DclMekqo8zc93ESZsnf2ouwq2wky1plgVTHoswWEHFD5q1mdLltbNAoLOv015HG2CtVN439/s400/denshi_jisho.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541552825043517522" border="0" /></a><br /><br />An <b>electronic dictionary </b>(電子辞書) is either a small handheld computer with integrated reference materials, or a PDA or a smartphone with a dictionary program. Electronic dictionaries are also programs that can be downloaded from the Internet or purchased on a CD-ROM or DVD and installed on a desktop computer or on a lap top. Other electronic dictionaries can be searched and consulted online on the Internet. The computer-installed dictionaries can often be consulted directly from within any application that uses editable text. The term may be used in a broader sense to refer to the features of a machine-readable dictionary or spell checker.<br /><br />For those whom doesn't own a denshi jisho can also easily use one online on the Internet. I recommend this site - <i><a href="http://jisho.org/">Denshi Jisho - Online Japanese dictionary</a></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-55548779899979252002010-11-17T02:36:00.000-08:002010-11-17T03:42:18.020-08:00Top 60 popular Japanese words/phrases of 2010...<br /><br />Publisher <a href="http://singo.jiyu.co.jp/">Jiyu Kokuminsha</a> has released its annual list of the 60 most popular Japanese expressions of the year. The words and phrases (listed below in random order) reflect some of the trends, political developments, events and people that captured the attention of the Japanese media in 2010. From this list, a panel of judges will select the year's 10 trendiest expressions and announce the results in early December.<br /><br /><br />1. <strong><em>~zeyo!</em></strong> [・・ぜよ!]: One symptom of this year's widespread <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakamoto_Ryoma">Ryōma Sakamoto</a> fever is the tendency to emulate the 19th-century samurai's Tosa dialect by finishing sentences with an emphatic <em>~zeyo!<br /><br /></em>2. <strong>Elderly in name only</strong> [<em>nabakari koureisha</em> - 名ばかり高齢者]: This refers to the "missing elderly" problem that came to light this year in Japan. In October, the Justice Ministry announced that more than 234,000 of Japan's centenarians were missing or dead, despite being listed in government records as alive and well. Poor bookkeeping was blamed for most of the errors, but authorities discovered a number of cases where relatives were collecting pension payments on behalf of elderly residents who had died or disappeared. [<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/world/asia/11japan.html">More</a>]<br /><br />3. <strong>Hayabusa</strong> [はやぶさ]: The Hayabusa unmanned spacecraft developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) returned to Earth after a 7-year mission to collect a sample of material from the Itokawa near-Earth asteroid. On November 16, JAXA announced that analysis of approximately 1,500 particles found in Hayabusa's sample canister proved they came from the Itokawa asteroid. [<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayabusa">More</a>]<br /><br /><p>4. <strong><em>~nau</em></strong> [~なう]: Internet slang adopted by texters and social media users. This mutation of the English word "now" indicates your current location, activity, food, etc. when added to the end of a word. </p> <p>5. <strong>Reality-filled</strong> [<em>ria-juu</em> - リア充]: This internet slang is used to describe people who lead fulfilling lives in the real world (as opposed to the virtual online world). Examples of "reality-filled" people include those who enjoy relationships with others in the real world, those who attend parties or participate in group activities, and those who pursue non-otaku interests.<br /></p><p>6. <strong>Net game junkie</strong> [<em>netoge haijin</em> - ネトゲ廃人]: <em>Netoge Haijin</em> is the title of a non-fiction book by Osamu Ashizaki that examines the world of online game junkies with serious habits that interfere with daily life. </p>7. <strong>Loopy</strong> [<em>ruupii</em> - ルーピー]: In April, the English word "loopy" captured the fancy of the Japanese media after a Washington Post columnist used it to describe Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's recent behavior, particularly with respect to the issue of how to handle the future of the US Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa, a major sticking point between the two countries.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghvd9wXMgwQ7oLphNtvIo2IihCTYauj9KZVVPptARcZ1m8-bGXudxRsHUyuvELKjxJKbUv7dU_3_3cOcwqHaW0LqjtLUdFH2VecnOdL9w7NdNeJTIzJwowof3kFmDij7bENJpiCQ45_v3/s1600/loopy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 318px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghvd9wXMgwQ7oLphNtvIo2IihCTYauj9KZVVPptARcZ1m8-bGXudxRsHUyuvELKjxJKbUv7dU_3_3cOcwqHaW0LqjtLUdFH2VecnOdL9w7NdNeJTIzJwowof3kFmDij7bENJpiCQ45_v3/s320/loopy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540466730816167842" border="0" /></a>Loopy Hatoyama </div><p>The results of an online poll suggested that some people in Japan agreed with the criticism, and Hatoyama himself later admitted that the "loopy" characterization may have been correct. [<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/27/AR2010042704746.html">More</a>]</p><p>8. <strong>Alienated society</strong> [<em>muen shakai</em> - 無縁社会]: A reference to contemporary Japan's struggle with problems stemming from the erosion of personal and family relationships and from the growing number of single-person households. </p> <p>9. <strong>AKB48</strong>: The 48-member Akihabara-based female idol group enjoyed their most successful year since forming in 2005.</p> <p>10. <strong>K-pop</strong>: Korean pop music reached new heights of popularity in Japan this year. </p><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtBEgBYju78rqO8KJ7cPXPcfQ690eVkvKv1HUOhHPnmaBXdCFPANxLvzLjAxBEeVWzzHvaiq7RX1ZbDVMBM3Q4yGZxTPxiXvDBArj12qzv13tvZXnFQVdqwTn7s9JMihVwz-sDZe9zSJV/s1600/girls_generation.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtBEgBYju78rqO8KJ7cPXPcfQ690eVkvKv1HUOhHPnmaBXdCFPANxLvzLjAxBEeVWzzHvaiq7RX1ZbDVMBM3Q4yGZxTPxiXvDBArj12qzv13tvZXnFQVdqwTn7s9JMihVwz-sDZe9zSJV/s320/girls_generation.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540467170851977874" border="0" /></a>K-pop big in Japan: Girls' Generation [Shōjo Jidai - 少女時代] </div><p>11. <strong>Irritable Kan/Useless Kan/(Fill-in-the-blank) Kan</strong> [<em>ira Kan/dame Kan/...Kan</em> - イラ菅/ダメ菅/○○菅]: A variety of adjectives have been used to describe Prime Minister Naoto Kan's policies and personality. </p> <p>12. <strong>A society with minimum unhappiness</strong> [<em>saishou fukou shakai</em> - 最小不幸社会]: Shortly after assuming office in June, Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced his aims to rebuild Japan and create a society where unhappiness is kept to a minimum. The number one goal of politics, according to Kan, is to minimize the factors that make people unhappy. </p> <p>13. <strong>Domestic opposition</strong> [<em>kateinai yatou</em> - 家庭内野党]: Prime Minister Naoto Kan has described his wife Nobuko as the "domestic opposition." As Kan's harshest critic, she reportedly clashes with her husband over everything from household chores to tax reform.</p> <p>14. <strong>Support Jiro Shirato</strong> [<em>Shirato Jiro mo yoroshiku</em> - 白戸次郎もよろしく]: During the parliamentary upper house elections in July, mobile phone operator SoftBank ran a series of TV ads featuring the company's mascot dog, Shirato Jiro, as a candidate. </p><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gL_8hG1Zsj0?fs=1&hl=sv_SE&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gL_8hG1Zsj0?fs=1&hl=sv_SE&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></div><br />15. <strong>Galapagos</strong> (gala-kei) [ガラパゴス(ガラケー)]: Galapagos refers to the unique evolution of Japanese mobile phone technology and its increasing isolation from the rest of the world. Gala-kei, short for "Galapagos keitai," describes Japanese mobile phones.<br /><br />16.<strong>iPad</strong>: Japan loves the iPad.<br /><br />17. <strong>3D</strong>: Despite the hype surrounding 3D TV, sales got off to a slow start this year and the availability of 3D content remains low. [<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20101028/tc_pcworld/3dtvsalesofftoaslowstartinjapan_1">More</a>]<br /><br /><p>18. <strong>Is 2nd place not good enough?</strong> [<em>nii ja dame nan desu ka</em> - 2位じゃダメなんですか]: Late last year, members of a budget review panel tasked with cutting government waste famously questioned the need to spend money on a planned supercomputer that was destined to be the world's fastest. Budget cuts recommended for science projects caused an uproar among some Japanese researchers.</p> <p>19. <strong>Cross couplings</strong> [(クロス)カップリング]: The 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded jointly to Richard Heck, Eiichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki for palladium-catalyzed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coupling_reaction">cross couplings</a> in organic synthesis.</p> <p>20. <strong>Wide open leak</strong> [<em>dada-more</em> - ダダ漏れ]: This expression typically refers to large-scale leaks of confidential data, but it has recently come to include the unsanctioned streaming of live events, press conferences, etc. via video broadcasting services such as Ustream.</p> <p>21. <strong><em>Gegege no~</em></strong> [ゲゲゲの~]: Interest in the classic <em>GeGeGe no Kitaro</em> manga/anime series has been rekindled by the success of the NHK drama "<em>Gegege no Nyobo</em>" (Wife of GeGeGe), which chronicles the early life of manga artist Shigeru Mizuki and his wife Nunoe Mura before Mizuki became successful (based on Nunoe Mura's 2008 autobiography).</p><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/B9GPUby2UVc?fs=1&hl=sv_SE&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/B9GPUby2UVc?fs=1&hl=sv_SE&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></div><p>22. <strong>I've got one!</strong> [<em>totonoimashita</em> - ととのいました]: Catch phrase used by Nezzuchi (half of the popular <em>Daburu Koron</em> manzai comedy duo) before introducing a <em>nazokake</em> word-play riddle into the routine. [<a href="http://blog.japantimes.co.jp/japan-pulse/daburu-koron-hit-big-time-with-pun-riddled-riddles/">More</a>]</p> <p>23. <strong>That's a good question!</strong> [<em>ii shitsumon desu ne!</em> - いい質問ですねえ!]: Freelance TV journalist Akira Ikegami often uses this expression in response to questions posed by celebrity guests on his popular <em>Ikegami Akira no Manaberu News</em> show. Ikegami has a knack for explaining complex and technical issues in layman's terms. </p> <p>24. <strong><em>Ikumen</em></strong> [イクメン]: <em>Ikumen</em> are fathers who take a proactive role in child-rearing, a phenomenon that appears to be on the rise in Japan.</p> <p>25. <strong>Doya face</strong> [<em>doya-gao</em> - どや顔]: A smug look of triumph that says: "How about that!" (<em>Doya!</em>)</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjtOnI_i_poIj7SlJhOlZBWkeZ-NrreYGJjn7CEAVTSIRqw-TDtjXLsjcag1saG2tw_qTSpVGSSiFR97EquaQz4q-vJjscT9Ra99DSNpuTcReTg9t3Pgg5EDvAer7IrJM1v-xDY6T793n/s1600/doya_1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 316px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjtOnI_i_poIj7SlJhOlZBWkeZ-NrreYGJjn7CEAVTSIRqw-TDtjXLsjcag1saG2tw_qTSpVGSSiFR97EquaQz4q-vJjscT9Ra99DSNpuTcReTg9t3Pgg5EDvAer7IrJM1v-xDY6T793n/s320/doya_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540468039547959266" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphenZc2_lg1_xBg2OENq2yxhH_x-B8G_W6JpM_PkGRoCicNvi71vCCXUaMfdhM_A9E0TTS5bjFEWA56mmxOsUm8fmSzRCtMo6NiR5IMJCqPho_mSetkmXVOwRRcVfYpRqFZ9rGNVKgjgMGd/s1600/doya_2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 316px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphenZc2_lg1_xBg2OENq2yxhH_x-B8G_W6JpM_PkGRoCicNvi71vCCXUaMfdhM_A9E0TTS5bjFEWA56mmxOsUm8fmSzRCtMo6NiR5IMJCqPho_mSetkmXVOwRRcVfYpRqFZ9rGNVKgjgMGd/s320/doya_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540468188481580322" border="0" /></a>26. <strong>Bike conscious life</strong> [バイクコンシャスライフ]: A healthy, eco-friendly lifestyle that embraces the bicycle as a mode of transportation.<br /><br /><p>27. <strong>Why only one step at a time?</strong> [<em>nan de ichidan ichidan nan darou</em> - なんで一段一段なんだろう]: In a tearful interview after placing 4th in the women's freestyle moguls at the Vancouver Olympics, skier Aiko Uemura expressed frustration at her slow-but-steady progress over the years. She placed 7th at the Nagano Olympics in 1998, 6th place at Salt Lake City in 2002, and 5th place at Torino in 2006. </p> <p>28. <strong>Yama girl</strong> [<em>yama gaaru</em> - 山ガール]: <em>Yama girl</em> ("mountain girl") refers to a new breed of fashion-conscious outdoor women who wear cute yet functional mountain skirts, colorful leggings and stylish boots while hiking, camping and communing with nature.<br /></p><p>29. <strong>Power spot</strong> [<em>pawaa supotto</em> - パワースポット]: A natural, man-made, historic or religious place believed to possess spiritual powers that bring energy, health and luck to visitors.<br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrs59NIC2kFKEXLkIB0DQ7rJWq8Gkmt-cU8_eWjPnO2ADqbuD3seIDKky8ahjyAmK00D81dIrbuiaKSTK6Bp-KKDuBtVwW81rXKXWTzDlhD2-rduSMpjn-8Dzf12dkTMQGJYyrc-fx4rC/s1600/fuji.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrs59NIC2kFKEXLkIB0DQ7rJWq8Gkmt-cU8_eWjPnO2ADqbuD3seIDKky8ahjyAmK00D81dIrbuiaKSTK6Bp-KKDuBtVwW81rXKXWTzDlhD2-rduSMpjn-8Dzf12dkTMQGJYyrc-fx4rC/s320/fuji.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540468531592980258" border="0" /></a>Mt. Fuji, Japan's most famous power spot </div><p>30. <strong>33-man miracle</strong> [<em>33-nin no kiseki</em> - 33人の奇跡]: This refers to the 33 Chilean miners rescued from the collapsed San Jose mine in October.</p><p><br /></p><p>31. <strong>Phoenix</strong> [<em>fenikkusu</em> - フェニックス]: The rescue capsule used to retrieve the 33 trapped Chilean miners from the San Jose mine. </p> <p>32. <strong>Moshi-dora</strong> [もしドラ]: <em>Moshi-dora</em> is the abbreviated title of a popular novel by Natsumi Iwasaki that introduces the ideas of Austrian-American management scholar <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Drucker">Peter Drucker</a>. The full title is "If A Female High School Baseball Team Manager Read Drucker's 'Management'…" (<em>Moshi koukou-yakyuu no joshi maneejaa ga Dorakaa no 'Management' o yondara</em> - もし高校野球の女子マネージャーがドラッカーの「マネジメント」を読んだら). NHK is scheduled to air an animated series based on the novel next March. [<a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-10-16/moshi-dora-business-novel-gets-tv-anime-next-march">More</a>]</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Xar2tdk9aMp2lcg5BEAEpgqm14VgAzXLF4tkxx_GidbLIKNXiQnRbTgM3GYN9fPwsBOeWCgv0fIVuXodPfgEQAm0D2UNV4cEfVFOjAG-Bo4PIzRstcTgaXasdX4O4RGxSXmEFzQWPM0L/s1600/moshidora.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 245px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Xar2tdk9aMp2lcg5BEAEpgqm14VgAzXLF4tkxx_GidbLIKNXiQnRbTgM3GYN9fPwsBOeWCgv0fIVuXodPfgEQAm0D2UNV4cEfVFOjAG-Bo4PIzRstcTgaXasdX4O4RGxSXmEFzQWPM0L/s320/moshidora.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540477364463749554" border="0" /></a>33. <strong>Homeopathy</strong> [<em>homeopashii</em> - ホメオパシー]: Japan has seen a recent rise in the use of homeopathy -- a form of alternative medicine which makes use of highly diluted preparations derived from plants, animals and minerals -- but not without controversy. Top scientists have slammed homeopathy as "absurd," urging health practitioners to avoid the alternative treatment as it becomes more popular. [<a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gojBx1WTeY9M6M3eDZu-GT4_dFmA">More</a>] <p>34. <strong>Ozawa defectors/Pro-Ozawa/Anti-Ozawa</strong> [<em>datsu-Ozawa/shin-Ozawa/han-Ozawa</em> - 脱小沢/親小沢/反小沢]: Divisions formed within the Democratic Party of Japan based on the level of support for political heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8SIkrjJ0O4DalAti2dPd4iumGK11sNSU9G2Zxrc32ZruDImmSvpM_TXCO8V42g19G0srgHhcRFpIsQ5VXcIiWKBlX7Kw5UtExpIaF9isSFB6U0z-0WPIWUSFFVTieBXbUGHceTf_mpaE/s1600/ozawa.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8SIkrjJ0O4DalAti2dPd4iumGK11sNSU9G2Zxrc32ZruDImmSvpM_TXCO8V42g19G0srgHhcRFpIsQ5VXcIiWKBlX7Kw5UtExpIaF9isSFB6U0z-0WPIWUSFFVTieBXbUGHceTf_mpaE/s320/ozawa.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540477699053709874" border="0" /></a>Ozawa, the puppet master<br /></div><p>35. <strong>Destroyer</strong> [<em>kowashiya</em> - 壊し屋]: Nickname given to Ozawa for his tough image and habit of splitting up parties.</p> <p>36. <strong>Strong arm</strong> [<em>gouwan</em> - 剛腕]: A reference to Ozawa's strong-arm tactics.</p> <p>37. <strong>Foot soldier</strong> [<em>ippeisotsu</em> - 一兵卒]: After Ozawa lost the Democratic Party of Japan's (DPJ) leadership election to Prime Minister Naoto Kan in September, he announced his intentions to fade away and become a common "foot soldier" for the party. </p> <p>38. <strong>Moteki</strong> [モテキ]: Mitsurō Kubo's <em>Moteki</em> manga tells the story of a previously unlucky-in-love male temp worker who suddenly finds himself in a <em>moteki</em> (a period of time in which one is found attractive to the opposite sex). The manga was adapted as a 12-episode live-action TV series on TV Tokyo.<br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdNnV-Gs9NPsRlIVE1pYdbAOndv791oDN9VbCCB_7JGsZ2qVgNyOg7_6AsWgu23jrE_WONPVZzydeDgPXpONI-3_5m_85mKWJ9TaZeUYGjQeaxNG-h8Phu4cndRbqc_6bQbhl8dB_cLIt/s1600/moteki.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 233px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdNnV-Gs9NPsRlIVE1pYdbAOndv791oDN9VbCCB_7JGsZ2qVgNyOg7_6AsWgu23jrE_WONPVZzydeDgPXpONI-3_5m_85mKWJ9TaZeUYGjQeaxNG-h8Phu4cndRbqc_6bQbhl8dB_cLIt/s320/moteki.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540478106797559490" border="0" /></a>39. <strong>Committee for the Inquest of Prosecution</strong> [<em>kensatsu shinsakai</em> - 検察審査会]: Committees for the Inquest of Prosecution are independent, 11-member judicial bodies tasked with reviewing whether cases dropped by prosecutors should have resulted in an indictment. The goal is to ensure that the decisions are accurate and represent the will of the public. In the past year, these committees have grown more powerful due to revised laws that make their decisions legally binding (previously their rulings were treated merely as recommendations to prosecutors). [<a href="http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100921i1.html">More</a>]<br /><br /><p>40. <strong>Transparency</strong> [<em>mieruka (kashika)</em> - 見える化(可視化)]: This refers to the move toward greater openness, communication, and accountability in business and government.</p> <p>41. <strong>Agenda</strong> [<em>ajenda</em> - アジェンダ]: The English word "agenda" (political agenda) was a popular buzzword during the parliamentary upper house elections in July. </p> <p>42. <strong>Women's get-togethers</strong> [<em>joshikai</em> - 女子会]: The growing popularity of all-female social gatherings, called <em>joshikai</em>, has prompted many restaurants, hotels and travel agencies to offer special package deals for women-only groups.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTPEg5ZjSMSjfJ881FbtWa4pF8FHuoBFanQGRVZTYFt2rmos90zsTfViS9Ioc95XW7U2DQ_viALgHbihvEYJ76CfjDorthc4DYf-u0TxI9jGIepI7wdrlRORD6CLsg7ob04Zvzxu6TvSb/s1600/joshikai.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTPEg5ZjSMSjfJ881FbtWa4pF8FHuoBFanQGRVZTYFt2rmos90zsTfViS9Ioc95XW7U2DQ_viALgHbihvEYJ76CfjDorthc4DYf-u0TxI9jGIepI7wdrlRORD6CLsg7ob04Zvzxu6TvSb/s320/joshikai.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540478419931751218" border="0" /></a>43. <strong>Are they trying to wreck the national sport?</strong> [<em>kokugi o tsubusu ki ka</em> - 国技を潰す気か]: Hakuhō, sumo's lone <em>yokozuna</em>, voiced disappointment over the Japan Sumo Association's decision not to present the winner of the July Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament with any awards, including the coveted Emperor's Cup, because of the baseball gambling scandal that rocked the ancient sport.<br /><br /><p>44. <strong>Intense heat</strong> [<em>kokusho</em> - 酷暑]: Soaring temperatures this summer -- the hottest ever recorded in Japan -- sent more than 46,000 people to the hospital and resulted in 150 heat-related deaths.</p> <p>45. <strong>Edible chili oil</strong> [<em>taberu ra-yu</em> - 食べるラー油]: This versatile, spicy sauce made with <em>ra-yu</em> (Chinese chili oil) and assorted condiments and chopped vegetables (onions, garlic, etc.) has taken kitchens and restaurants by storm. </p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORy4viUc8YA7WI0W3EHhX1hfDDQfM8DpsxIlfABRp8GL40Bbi7DHHtAHAjpl9ta1I70QPw1dWQibnA_monhwDjqK6QFVmCX4ZJGI48yIm94S-D5rj7RVpcA0cmJiFExG0ltk1IThWRY8I/s1600/rayu_1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORy4viUc8YA7WI0W3EHhX1hfDDQfM8DpsxIlfABRp8GL40Bbi7DHHtAHAjpl9ta1I70QPw1dWQibnA_monhwDjqK6QFVmCX4ZJGI48yIm94S-D5rj7RVpcA0cmJiFExG0ltk1IThWRY8I/s320/rayu_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540478678905126658" border="0" /></a>46. <strong>Final preparations</strong> [<em>shuukatsu</em> - 終活]: This word, which appears to have been coined by <em>Shukan Asahi</em> magazine late last year, refers to the preparations one makes in the final days of life (securing a grave site, making funeral service arrangements, etc.). The popularity of books and magazines devoted to this topic appears to be on the rise.<br /><br /><p>47. <strong>Life conference</strong> [<em>ikimono no kaigi</em> - 生きもの会議]: The nickname for the 10th Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) held in Nagoya in October.</p> <p>48. <strong>Biodiversity</strong> [<em>seibutsu tayousei</em> - 生物多様性]: The COP10 conference brought the discussion of biological diversity to Japan. </p> <p>49. <strong><em>Golkon</em></strong> [<em>gorukon</em> - ゴルコン]: A <em>golkon</em> is a group blind date (<em>gōkon</em>) in which the participants play a round of golf.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifY9YRR9p4MnWKGvLWUHwc2d-9tMY8vVxkkZibu9Igb0M5YoYee5b8mxz7dbSLfIPIeNIXDALo_hkYgPMg3UrnbwJ-uZGwot_-neIxayDlbT9bg-P-FDb6vtgWn0kv5rLKjekWTE4BaQYy/s1600/golkon.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifY9YRR9p4MnWKGvLWUHwc2d-9tMY8vVxkkZibu9Igb0M5YoYee5b8mxz7dbSLfIPIeNIXDALo_hkYgPMg3UrnbwJ-uZGwot_-neIxayDlbT9bg-P-FDb6vtgWn0kv5rLKjekWTE4BaQYy/s320/golkon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540478959306743202" border="0" /></a>50. <strong>Waiting elderly</strong> [<em>taiki roujin</em> - 待機老人]: The "waiting elderly" are the 400,000 or so people on waiting lists to enter special care nursing homes (according to 2009 estimates). The inability to meet demand appears to be the result of government cutbacks in social welfare, despite the graying population. [<a href="http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090127a7.html">More</a>]<br /><br /><p>51. <strong>Tokyo Sky Tree</strong> [<em>Tōkyō Sukai Tsurī</em> - 東京スカイツリー]: Tokyo Sky Tree -- a broadcasting, restaurant, and observation tower under construction Tokyo's Sumida ward -- will stand 634 meters (2,080 ft) tall when completed in late 2011, making it the tallest artificial structure in Japan. [<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFx4FK5HPOA&feature=player_embedded">More</a>]</p><p>52. <strong>Pension parasites</strong> [<em>nenkin parasaito</em> - 年金パラサイト]: Pension parasites are dependent adult children who live off their parents' pensions. There has reportedly been an increase in the number of households where an aging parent in need of nursing care is not moved into a care facility because the dependent adult child is afraid of losing his or her primary source of income. [<a href="http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fd20101024bj.html">More</a>]</p> <p>53. <strong>Shopping refugees</strong> [<em>kaimono nanmin</em> - 買い物難民]: Shopping refugees are people who live in economically depressed rural or suburban areas where shops and shopping streets are going out of business, often due to competition from large chain stores in neighboring areas. </p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_qws5enhvy8T1pg1tEuBZEJqAUVneogAxog-EvbKmplR5gFbEhYWx89kPLs_cpiTml3zzAcBNtG570mGoCIUOFM8jLb6FMBCo64aj5jy2rSbP6nb8l55yPbdrSC_qqUScST2faCDuEN4/s1600/shutter_street.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_qws5enhvy8T1pg1tEuBZEJqAUVneogAxog-EvbKmplR5gFbEhYWx89kPLs_cpiTml3zzAcBNtG570mGoCIUOFM8jLb6FMBCo64aj5jy2rSbP6nb8l55yPbdrSC_qqUScST2faCDuEN4/s320/shutter_street.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540479471623062418" border="0" /></a>54. <strong>I've got it</strong> [<em>motteru</em> - もってる]: In an interview after scoring the winning goal against Cameroon at the World Cup on June 14, soccer player Keisuke Honda expressed confidence in his mojo, saying, "I've got it."<br /><br /><p>55. <strong>Honda△ (Honda's cool)</strong> [<em>Honda</em>△ <em>(Honda-san kakkee)</em> - 本田△(ほんださんかっけー)]: This play on two similar-sounding expressions -- <em>Honda-sankaku</em> ("Honda triangle") and <em>Honda-san kakkee</em> ("Honda is cool") -- popped up on internet bulletin boards during the World Cup as a show of affection for star player Keisuke Honda.<br /></p> <p>56. <strong>Round of 16</strong> [(W杯)ベスト16]: Japan's national soccer team advanced to the Round of 16 for the first time ever. </p> <p>57. <strong>Vuvuzela</strong> [<em>bubuzera</em> - ブブゼラ]: Zzz zzzzz zzzzzzz z zzzzz zz zzz zzzzz. </p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVM47f3lB3QpoOivPjhnzvuLv9YGCx3P2MqhZWyclmno92x_2ow5hpq49c4J2kBh0fp6Wi5v_4z1frR6f3XMyQm19yw7SRJM7vZZFIvn0cLbqNLW_9HDYFJnHFWNGQTdHqh1AoEYfbreo/s1600/vuvuzela.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVM47f3lB3QpoOivPjhnzvuLv9YGCx3P2MqhZWyclmno92x_2ow5hpq49c4J2kBh0fp6Wi5v_4z1frR6f3XMyQm19yw7SRJM7vZZFIvn0cLbqNLW_9HDYFJnHFWNGQTdHqh1AoEYfbreo/s320/vuvuzela.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540479746322525634" border="0" /></a>58. <strong>Sorry, Oka-chan</strong> [<em>Oka-chan, gomen ne</em> - 岡ちゃん、ごめんね]: Japan's national soccer team coach Takeshi Okada took a beating from fans and the media for the team's poor performance prior to the World Cup, but after the team qualified for the Round of 16, the internet was flooded with apologies.<br /><br /><p>59. <strong>Paul-kun</strong> [<em>Pauru-kun</em> - パウル君]: Paul the Octopus was known as Paul-kun in Japan. [<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_the_Octopus">More</a>]</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDANZuR2hjMnliiW1SE7Wfwwpndzbyojy_suTwWOYRcbqcFtOsBbL5FqPYBsvUkvymGKes_zefSIgVXHXAn8OgvUZsQ0GK7nygX47xmQ7ZcBDE2FbfIr6-iyGWGhXZemB46xRLIpH0yaN/s1600/paul_kun.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDANZuR2hjMnliiW1SE7Wfwwpndzbyojy_suTwWOYRcbqcFtOsBbL5FqPYBsvUkvymGKes_zefSIgVXHXAn8OgvUZsQ0GK7nygX47xmQ7ZcBDE2FbfIr6-iyGWGhXZemB46xRLIpH0yaN/s320/paul_kun.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540479931328284370" border="0" /></a><br />60. <strong><em>Danshari</em></strong> [断捨離]: <em>Danshari</em> -- a self-help philosophy developed by author Hideko Yamashita -- is based on the idea of reducing physical clutter (as well as the emotional baggage that builds up with the accumulation of unnecessary things). Adherence to the core <em>danshari</em> concepts of refusal (<em>dan</em> - 断), disposal (<em>sha</em> - 捨) and separation (<em>ri</em> - 離) can lead to a more simple, fulfilling and productive life. [<a href="http://subtletimes.wordpress.com/2010/10/23/danshari/">More</a>]<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">---------------------------------------------------<br /></div>source: <a href="http://pinktentacle.com/">pinktentacle</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-88706229224288021572010-11-16T04:42:00.000-08:002010-11-16T04:45:40.788-08:00Fall Foliages at Lake Kawaguchi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/140/323063268_c7d19aa6b3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/140/323063268_c7d19aa6b3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">photo; </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/newage/">newage</a></span><br /><br />Lake Kawaguchi (Kawaguchi-ko) in Yamanashi is the second largest lake among Fuji Five Lakes (Fuji-go-ko) located at the foot of mount Fuji. <a href="http://www.fujisan.ne.jp/event/info_e.php?if_id=680&ca_id=3&page=&sum_count=&kensuu=">Fuji Kawaguchiko Fall Leaves Festival</a> begins October 30 and continues until November 21 in 2010. A number of Japanese maple (momiji) trees lined along the lakeshore exhibit beautiful autumn leaves. They are lit up at night during the festival. It takes about 20 minutes by Retro bus from Fuji Kyuko Kawaguchiko Station to Ichiku Kubota Art Museum Stop. Although fall color is yet to explode in the area, it is expected to peak in mid November.<br /><br />source: <a href="http://gojapan.about.com/">gojapan</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-73756021968075079482010-11-16T04:38:00.000-08:002010-11-16T04:40:54.879-08:00Korankei Gorge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2127/2063565505_04da1ca0bb.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2127/2063565505_04da1ca0bb.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">photo; </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/msnaut/">msnaut</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Korankei Gorge</span> in Asuke-cho Toyota-city, Aichi Prefecture is one of the most popular fall foliage viewing spots in Chubu region. There are about 4,000 Japanese maple trees in the area along the Tomoe River, and they are illuminated in the evening during November. Fall colors are expected to peak around November 20 to 30 in 2010. Korankei is located about 25 miles east of Nagoya-city, and it usually takes about 70 minutes from Meitetsu Line Higashi-Okazaki Station or 50 minutes from Meitetsu Mikawa Line Toyota-shi Station by Meitetsu Bus to Korankei Stop. The headquarters of Toyota, Japan's largest car manufacturer, is located in Toyota-city.<br /><br />source: <a href="http://gojapan.about.com">gojapan</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336749709792280662.post-41573876837966650322010-11-14T02:45:00.000-08:002010-11-14T02:47:48.271-08:00Ai Yazawa's manga Paradise Kiss becomes live action<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i51.tinypic.com/34ox37d.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 667px;" src="http://i51.tinypic.com/34ox37d.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The October issue of <cite class="e company"><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/company.php?id=1079">Shodensha</a></cite>'s women's fashion magazine <cite><cite class="e anime"><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=4041">Zipper</a></cite></cite> is announcing on Monday that a live-action film adaptation of <cite class="e person"><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=11403">Ai Yazawa</a></cite>'s <cite><cite class="e anime"><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=1569">Paradise Kiss</a></cite></cite> manga has been green-lit. <cite class="e person"><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=12252">Keiko Kitagawa</a></cite> (live-action <cite class="e anime"><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=2961">Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon</a></cite>'s Sailor Mars, <cite>The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift's</cite> Reiko) is starring in the film, and she also adorns the cover of <cite><cite class="e anime">Zipper</cite>'s</cite> October issue. <cite class="e person"><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=61612">Osamu Mukai</a></cite> (<cite class="e anime"><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=6441">Honey and Clover</a></cite>, <cite class="e anime"><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=7169">Nodame Cantabile</a></cite>, <cite class="e anime"><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=10452">Mei-chan no Shitsuji</a></cite>, <cite class="e anime"><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=3014">Beck</a></cite>) will co-star, and the rest of the cast includes Natsuki Katō, Aya Ōmasa, Kento Kaku, Shunji Igarashi, and Yūsuke Yamamoto. <p> The original manga centered around a high school student named Yukari Hayasaka (Kitagawa) who is discovered by "Paradise <cite></cite>Kiss," a group of up-and-coming fashion school students including Jōji "George" Koizumi (Mukai). The students transform Yukari (now nicknamed "Caroline") into a fashion model, and she discovers a new passion for a future career and potential romance in her personal life. </p><p> The manga ran in <cite class="e anime">Zipper</cite> from 1999 to 2003, and <cite class="e company">Shodensha</cite> sold 6 million copies of the five compiled book volumes. <cite class="e company"><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/company.php?id=11">Tokyopop</a></cite> began <a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2001-09-30/december-releases">publishing</a> the original manga in North America in 2001, and <cite class="e company">MADHOUSE</cite>'s anime version <a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2005-03-22/paradise-kiss-anime">aired</a> in Japan in 2005. <cite class="e company"><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/company.php?id=1782">Geneon Entertainment</a></cite> (USA) <a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2006-07-02/geneon-anime-licenses">licensed</a> the anime for North America in 2006, although <cite class="e company"><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/company.php?id=6515">Funimation</a></cite> has since <a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-07-03/funimation-agrees-to-distribute-select-geneon-titles">released</a> the anime in DVD box sets. </p><p> <cite>The Hollywood Reporter</cite> magazine <a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-05-17/fox-in-talks-for-live-action-japanese-paradise-kiss-film">posted</a> an article in 2009 about Fox International's negotiations for a Japanese-language, live-action film adaptation. According to the magazine, Fox International would be working with Japan's IMJ production company to produce the film with a budget of US$3 million to US$4 million, but these companies have not been announced for the current project. </p><p> Yazawa also created the <cite><cite class="e anime"><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=2745">NANA</a></cite></cite> manga about polar-opposite roommates in Tokyo, and that manga has sold 34 million copies so far. IMJ and the Japanese <cite class="e company"><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/company.php?id=49">TBS</a></cite> television network <a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2005-10-20/new-nana-movie">adapted</a> <cite class="e anime">NANA</cite> into two hit live-action films, and <cite class="e company"><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/company.php?id=1257">Aniplex</a></cite> and <cite class="e company"><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/company.php?id=392">Madhouse</a></cite> adapted it into a television anime series. <cite class="e company"><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/company.php?id=4552">Viz Media</a></cite> is <a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-04-16/viz-indicates-online-plans-for-honey-and-clover-nana">releasing</a> the <cite><cite class="e anime">NANA</cite></cite> manga, as well as its live-action and anime adaptations.<br /></p><p><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">source: </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-08-22/paradise-kiss-manga-gets-live-action-film-green-lit">animenewsnetwork</a></span><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0