Archive for 'Old and New Cultural Scenes in Japan' Category
The day of Azuki bean porridge on the first full moon’s day
Today Jan.15th is a special day called “Shou-shou-gatsu(/The Minor New Year’s Day)”, ”Mochi-no-hi(/望の日)”, a full moon’s day, and used to be the New Year’s Day in the lunar calendaor. And traditionally, it has been customary to eat “Azuki-gayu”( /小豆粥, sweet bean porridge) on this day since around 1200 years ago, for people have believed in the fact that that food contains special secrad power to ward off evil and keep people from suffering every disease.
That idea and custom of dispel evil with the beans were originally introduced from China maybe in early days in Heian Period(794-1192). Azuki sweet beans have color of red or purple, which were believed to have a magic power to repel evil.
On this date, Yoneura-sai(/粥占祭, a festival of fortune-telling using azuki beans) is hosted at a lot of Shinto shrines, where people put rice and azuki in a long bamboo tube and boil them to read outlooks of timing of the prospective paddy harvests of the year as well. In some areas, people also host a festival of tug-of-war between a “land team” and a “sea team” to read if they can enjoy rich field harvests or rich fishey yields in the year.
(1 投票, 平均値/最大値: 5.00 / 5)
Loading ...The world’s first Hello Kitty’s dental clinic open
“Hearts Dental Clinic”(http://www.hearts-dental.jp/), which is featured with Hello Kitty, a worldwide super popular kitty character of Sanrio(http://www.sanrio.co.jp/english/index.html) was open on Jan.10th in Koto ward Tokyo.
The clinic is fully supporetd by Sanrio, and Hello Kitty is adopted as its official mascot. The clinic’s building is coverned with a lot of Hello Kitty’s pictures and its other designs. The clinic has a basic policy of “full of smiles with bright and pleasant atomosphere”, wiping away a generally negative image of scary and bad dental clinics, and had drastically remodelled since last November.
This is the very first clinic with Hello Kitty as its mascot in the world, and plans to host introductory tours on this Jan. 13,14,and 15th.
(1 投票, 平均値/最大値: 5.00 / 5) Loading ...HAPPY NEW YEAR ! 2012-The Year of The Dragon
Happy New Year , everyone !! In Japan last year was kind of a year of hardships and tragedy, but I do hope this year is full of happiness and good fortune for everyone.
This year 2012 is a Year of the Dragon according to the Chinese zoidiac. And what is more, personally I am a “Toshi Otoko”(a man who was born in a year with the same Chinese zodiac sign as the current year) . One Chinese zodiac sign comes once in twelve years and now I experience being my third time Toshi Otoko in my life this year.
In general on the January 2nd (today) , the Imperial Palace opens to the public for its visitors to offer congratulations to the emperor ,and the emperor and some imperial members will show up in front and wave to them.
(1 投票, 平均値/最大値: 5.00 / 5) Loading ...“The New Words- / The Buzzwords-of -The-Year 2011 ”
“The New Words- / The Buzzwords-of -The-Year 2011 ” (/２０１１ ユーキャン新語・流行語大賞) awarding ceremony was hosted by U-Can on Dec.1st. http://singo.jiyu.co.jp/
The Grand prix was given to the word “Nadeshiko Japan”, the name of the winner of FIFA Woman World Cup 2011. The Top 10 are as follow;
Grand Prix- ○ ”なでしこジャパン”(/Nadeshiko Japan)
○”絆”（/Kizuna, bonds）, ○”スマホ”（/Sumaho, smartphone）,○”どじょう内閣”（/Dojoh Naikaku, a loach cabinet）,○”どや顔”（/Doya Gao, a boastful facial expression）, ○”Kitaku-nanmin, a stranded commuter ”,○”こだまでしょうか？”（/Kodama de shouka?, Is that an echo ?）,○”３.１１”（/3.11）,○”風評被害”（/Fuhhyou Higai, damages caused by rumor）,○”ラブ注入”（/love injection）
Some of the words are related to the earthquake and tsunami disaster on March 11th, some are contemporary fads of young people, some are expressions used by a politician or a TV personality.
(2 投票, 平均値/最大値: 5.00 / 5) Loading ...The first cosplay nationwide contest in Russia held
The first nationwide contest of cosplay of Japanese subculture in Russia was held on Nov. 20-21 and a girl group of 23-year-old girl and 25-year-old girl won the grand prix. This event was a program of “J-FEST”, a promotion event of various aspects of contemporary popculture of Japan, such as music, anime, fashion,and so forth hosted by the Japan Embassy in Russia.http://www.j-fest.org/ 
More than enrusiastic 800 people visited the J-FEST ,which was beyond the capacity of the venue in Moscow. At the cosplay event , 30 groups that had passed the preliminary contest out of 80 groups showed their Japanese popculture-related costumes. The winners were given tickets to take a travel to Japan, which made them quite happy and excited as they are interested in the anime and its related cosplay culture’s “mecca” in Japan.
(4 投票, 平均値/最大値: 5.00 / 5) Loading ...EVANGELION STORE opening in Harajuku
“NEON GENESIS EVANGELION”, one of the most popular anime work series both in Japan and the world, is going to open its first “real ” or “physical” store of related items, “EVANGELION STORE” in Harajuku Tokyo on this Nov.23rd. http://www.evastore.jp/real/index.html
So far, that store chain has widely and successfully developed popular items and goods related to the anime work and prosperous as an online store chain. http://www.evastore.jp/pc/
The name of the new real store is “EVANGELION STORE TOKYO-01 ” , jointly operated by GroundWorks (http://gworks.biz/) and MOVIC (http://www.movic.jp/index.html), both of which operate the online store chain as well.
The location of the new store (1-8-23, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku,Tokyo) is in the quite popular and well-known area of cosplay and subcultural fashions as well as a traditional Japanese culture where Meiji Shrine, one of the most popular Shinto shrines is located. The area is popular the young and old or even foreign tourists with interesting harmonized atmosphere of old and new aspects of Japanese culture.
This first real Evangelion Store is to be two-storied, whose first floor is featured with apparel an fashion sorts, and second floor is of various kinds of Eva’s items expected to meet requirements of both ordinary fans and great lovers of the anime work series. The first floor also includes an event hall where various events of Eva series are to be hosted, such as some special events to promote the new anime movie “Evangelion new theatrical version:Q” which is planned to released in autumn 2012.
The management say they intend to enhance more firsthand communications with fans and expect the fans to view and touch the items to feel the attractions more intensively. The store plans to host special presale events of related items occasionally.
(3 投票, 平均値/最大値: 5.00 / 5) Loading ...Nadeshiko Sushi celebrating its first anniversary
“Nadeshiko Sushi” that I wrote about here before (http://www.tenkai-japan.com/author/kawamura/page/4/) hosted its one year anniversary party on the Oct. 1st.
Nadeshiko Sushi(http://www.nadeshico-sushi.com/) was visited by about 40 attendees to the party at that night, all of whom had bought a special ticket to join it in advance…including myself ! 
(4 投票, 平均値/最大値: 5.00 / 5) Loading ...Dragon Quest Ⅰ,Ⅱ,and Ⅲ are put in one game software of Wii to be released on Sep.15th
”Dragon Quest”, one of the most prevalent and popular video RPG series now is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and in one of the relevant momorial events, Nintendo will release “reprinted editions” of the first three games- Ⅰ，Ⅱ,and Ⅲ in one game software of Nintendo Wii on this Sep.15th. http://www.dragonquest.jp/25th/
The original Dragon Quest Ⅰwas released as a Nintendo Famicon(FC) games in 1986 and Ⅱwas in 1987,and Ⅲwas in 1988. And Those three games were also released as reprinted editions of Nintendo SuperFamicon(SFC) game softwares in 1993 (ⅠandⅡ) and 1996 (Ⅲ). Most of the game series’ works have been reprinted in several game machines even other than SFC, such as MSX, PlayStation and so forth.
This newest “Wii edition” of Ⅰ,Ⅱ, andⅢ in token of the 25th anniversary includes both the three games of the original FC editon’s design and those of the SFC edition’s design. The original FC editons of Ⅰand Ⅱ 24-25 years ago did not have the saving system of the game data and they had so-called “the Spell of Rebirth/魔法の呪文”(password) to resume playing the game after a switch-off. However, a player can choose either the password system or the game data saving system with this Wii editon. And You could use even an old, old password 25 years ago, which will stimulate the nostalgic emotion full of zeal of the huge fans who led their childhoods in those days and now are adults.
The Wii edition will also include reprinted edition of a set of guidebooks that totally sum up to 130 pages , and only for the first pressing ones- a “Small Medal/ちいさなメダル”（a special small token coin）in its real scale. 
(4 投票, 平均値/最大値: 5.00 / 5) Loading ...The mountain gate of Eisho-ji Temple restored for the first time in 88 years
-
The monks of Eisho-ji hosting the ceremony at the newly rebuilt mountain gate
The map of Eisho-ji temple and its area in Kawamura
The three main parts of "Mito-kohmon", the central old man is Mitsukuni Tokugawa or Mito-kohmon, and the other two are his reliable strong retainers
(7 投票, 平均値/最大値: 5.00 / 5) Loading ...Another spin-off group “DiVA” is debuting from AKB48
Sayaka Akimoto
Now, AKB48 has become the paramount top young female idol group in Japan and has produced several spin-off groups, some of which I have referred to here. And now, the newest group of such is announced to debut from Avex http://avexnet.jp/index.html on coming April. 27th on this Feb.27th at the AKB48 Theater. The name of this ramified unit is “DiVA”, whose members are four members of AKB, namely, Sayaka Akimoto(/秋元才加), Ayaka Umeda(/梅田彩佳), Sae Miyazawa(/宮澤佐江), and Yuka Masuda(/増田有華) .
Ayaka Umeda
Sae Miyazawa
Yuka Masuda
As I wrote here before, Akimoto successfully finished the Tokyo Marathon 2011 http://www.tenkai-japan.com/2011/02/28/tokyo-marathon-2011-being-held/ ,and declared to come cack as captain of Team K of AKB (Umeda and Miyazawa are also members of team K ,while Masuda is a member of Team B). At this re-inaugural announcement of hers , Akimoto notifed fans of the “formal” debut of DiVA as well. This is because ,strictly speaking, DiVA kind of debuted last October singing “Nakeru Basho”(/泣ける場所, a place where I can cry) the coupling track of “Beginner” , AKB’s 18th single CD. Yet this time with a new member of Miyazawa, the new DiVA is going to fully and formally debut.
Akimoto and Miyazawa are called “The Twin Towers” of AKB, as both of them are quite tall. The two girls were also members of “Chocolove from AKB48″, the first spin-off group of AKB. Umeda was the Image Girl of Tokyo Tower 2010 and Masuda, who often performs as an actor in movies and plays as well, had debuted as a solo ” ani-son singer” with “Stargazer”, the theme song of an fantasy action anime, “Ikkitousen XTREME XECUTOR~Yume Rokkei~”(/一騎当千 XTREME XECUTOR ～ユメ六景～).
Umeda notifed Miyazawa’s joining the group, Akimoto tells they are striving for becoming musicians showing different tastes from those of AKB , Masuda tells they are determined to try to do anything not to get fans bored as all of the four members have distinct characters respectively, and Miyazawa, being absent from the announcement, sent a message to the fans, saying they hope the new group to be a good rival of AKB.
(5 投票, 平均値/最大値: 5.00 / 5) Loading ...“Hayabusa”, the newest bullet train model launching
On this Mar.5th, the latest model of the bullet train of The Tohoku Shinkansen line(東北新幹線, Tohoku Bullet Train Line) E5 series called “Hayabusa” (/はやぶさ, falcon)launched and went into service. 
Hayabusa travels at 300 km/h which is the fastest of all the bullet train lines in Japan (the same velocity with that of N700 series of Sanyo Shinkansen line) and travels between Tokyo Station in Tokyo and Shin- Aomori Station (/新青森駅, New Aomori Station) in Aomori Pref. , one of the prefectures in Tohoku, the Northeast Region of Japan (the distance is totally 713.7 km)in 3 hous and 10 minutes. It takes two round trips a day and is planned to start travelng faster at 320 km/h at the least by the end of 2012. 
The grand opening ceremony was hosted by JR east Japan, the company of the line at Tokyo Station on the 5th with presence and celebration by its chairperson Mutsutake Otsuka(/大塚陸毅). The first train bound for Tokyo departed Shin- Aomori at 6:10am and the first bound for Shin- Aomori departed Tokyo Station at 8:20am. All of the first day’s tickets were sold out just in 40 seconds after having started selling,which has proven its great popularity.
The most notable feature of this new model may be that it is equipped with the first class seats named “Glan Class” for the first time in the Japanese bullet train lines’ history. The Glan Class contains only 18 seats equipped with the first car which has a special appearance of a rather flat and smooth shape in order to reduce possible noise a fast trains tend to make. Glan Class seats are all spacious and covered with deluxe leather. A passenger of Glan Class is provided with a free lunch box and free beverage services. 
A ticket of an economy seat costs ￥16,870 (≒$205,€146),and, a Glan Class costs ￥26,360(≒$320,€229) between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori. The Tohoku Shinkansen line ,which just fully opened on Dec.04 2010, now has a new model and services drawing huge attentions and popularity of people. A lot of travel agencies have various new tour plans to Aomori or other Tohoku Region using the bullet train line, expecting carrying so many interested tourists and visitors. I hope this new situation propels
(3 投票, 平均値/最大値: 5.00 / 5) Loading ...Nintendo DS’s new version”3DS” going to be released in Feb. 2011
Nintendo, http://www.nintendo.com/countryselector , one of the top manufacturers of video game machines in the world, announced on Sep.29th at “Nintendo Conference 2010″ in Makuhari Messe in Chiba Pref. that it was going to release a new version of DS series, the one of the most popular portable game machines at the moment on Feb.26th 2011.
The name of the new version is “3DS”. The most prominent characteristic is that you can recognize and enjoy vivid 3d images with the naked eye (only the dedicated soft wares of 3DS ). You can use the soft wares for the current DS series machines as well. 
There are currently 4 types of machines in the DS series, namely, DS, DS lite, DSi, and DSiLL, whose total number of sales has reached some 130 million sets in total in the world market 2004-March 2010. The “3DS” will be the official newest succession machine of the current ones and will be equipped with good functions, such as 3D picture camera system, ”Surechigai Tsuushin” (/すれ違い通信, “passing-by” correspondence service), “Itsunomanika Tsuushin”(/いつの間にか通信, “before anyone knows it” Correspondence service ), which some TV stations issuing and renewing information on special services via the correspondence system on daily basis, and others.
The pre-determined price of 3DS is ￥25,000 (about $300, €218) . And the information on the further details of the product is going to be announced at “E3 2011″ (Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011) hosted by ESA http://www.theesa.com/ in the coming June 2011 in Los Angeles USA.
(2 投票, 平均値/最大値: 5.00 / 5) Loading ...Takashi Murakami’s solo exhibition at Versailles in France
Takashi Murakami(/村上隆), an artist of paintings, sculptures,and baloons, is hosting a solo exhibition at Versailles, the old palace of the House of Bourbon in France.http://www.chateauversailles.fr/les-actualites-du-domaine/evenements/evenements/expositions/murakami-versailles
(2 投票, 平均値/最大値: 5.00 / 5) Loading ...The two World’s record high; Ichiro’s 200 hits and Hakuho’s 8th undefeated championship
Now we have quite up-to-date exciting news of the two remarkable achievements of the world record high related to “Japan”. One is Ichiro Suzuki(/鈴木一朗), a Japanese outfielder of Seattle Mariners of MLB, achieving at the least 200 hits in 10 straight years on this Sep.23rd . That is the new highest record in the human baseball history ! 
Ichiro made the hit in the fifth inning of the game against Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto Canada, besting his own old record high.
(2 投票, 平均値/最大値: 5.00 / 5) Loading ...A new trend in Japanese contemporary culture”Nigaoe”-An American and Japanese caricaturists/cartoonists meeting with Japanese pro tour guides
A famous American caricaturist/cartoonist/photographer, Mr.David ”Bippy” Boyer http://web.mac.com/bippy/Site/Main_Selection.html and a Japanese famous caricaturist Ms. Tomoko Ogawara http://www.hoshinoko.co.jp/tomoko/ had a friendship meeting with some Japanese certified guide-interpreters in Ginza on this Aug. 26th(Thur.).
Dave-san,Tomoko-san, and the pro tour guides ( Photo: David Boyer, 2010, www.bippies.com)
”Dave-san”(that is how I call Mr.David Boyer) and Tomoko-san(Ms.Ogawara) are my friends, with whom I went to Kamakura for a one- day sightseeing there last November at Dave-san’s last visit to Japan as I wrote here. http://www.tenkai-japan.com/2010/01/14/one-day-in-kamakura-with-great-nigaoe-artists-part-1/
I met Dave-san at Yurakucho Station near Ginza and showed him around Ginza area for a walking tour. He was took an interest in the Ginza street and its fancy stores and refined scenery there and took a lot of photos of them. At the intersection of the 4th block of Ginza, the most expensive land or block in whole of Japan, he took a photo of himself with his photography book of travel of his journeys to Japan. This book “Japan: A Carttonist’s Journey -Vol.1.10″ is available at the website here via the Internet. http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1517766 The book is full of beautiful photos that he took of daily life of people, streets, parks, and scenes in many places in Japan with his intriguing comments over his impressions of Japan and things he has come across there.
Dave-san holding his first book of travel at the most expensive corner in Japan(the intersection of the 4th block in Ginza) (Photo: David Boyer, 2010, www.bippies.com)
(2 投票, 平均値/最大値: 5.00 / 5) Loading ...