Actress Reese Witherspoon enjoys taking part in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, an activity thought to capture the spirit of healing the mind, body and soul.
Hollywood leading lady Reese Witherspoon was recently in Japan promoting breast cancer awareness as an Avon Global Ambassador. While in Tokyo she had the opportunity to participate in an intimate tea ceremony with breast cancer survivors, dressed in an beautiful powder blue kimono by Midori Yogi, who's family has dressed the Imperial Family for weddings since 1952.
I just wanted to share this beautiful kimono with everyone. I think the wistful color and playful design suited her perfectly.
As an after thought, isin't it slightly disappointing that even members of the Imperial Family can't dress themselves in kimono?
When I studied in Osaka, it seemed only right that my first ketai (cell phone) mail address would be hamachan.daisuki! At that time, the comedian's popularity was at an all time high, and he was the first Japanese celebrity I actually came to know by name. He's the one who puts his arm around one of the others, resting his head on his friend's shoulder. Why? Why is he so adorable?
When I first decided to study abroad in Japan, I was greeted by a chorus of horrified 'Why?'s. Very few of the people I talked to knew anything about Japan, as evidenced by the many times I had to answer this question: "Do you even speak Chinese?" I actually had to explain, more than once, sadly, that China and Japan were very different countries with very different languages and cultures.
Since then, Japanese culture has exploded in popularity, not only in America, but around the world. First it was sushi, then Spirited Away, Samurai and Sayuri. Gwen Stefani found her muse in Harajuku, and before I knew it, Kanye West was singing Japan's praises, even subtitling his Stronger theme with katakana. And who could forget the Japanese Office skit on SNL?
Now when I mention that I've recently spent over three years living in Japan, I'm greeted by scores of "No Way! That's so freakin' cool! I've always wanted to go there! Oh my god, I so love sushi. And anime, of course." Everywhere I look I see 'new' fashion trends that were commonplace in Japan when I was in university, and almost everyday Yahoo has a Japan-related story in the headlines.
Not suprisingly, Japan continues to weave it's way into mainstream American pop, most recently with ABC's announcement of a brave new reality series: I Survived a Japanese Game Show!
Japanese games shows can be cruel.
Anyone who has had the pleasure (or misfortune) of numbing their brain with the wacky and outrageous phenomenon that is Japanese TV may have an inkling of just what these poor suckers are in for. If not, read this excerpt from the show's website:
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“I SURVIVED A JAPANESE GAME SHOW” HAS BEGUN SHOOTING FOR A HYSTERICAL PREMIERE, JUNE 24 ON ABC
“I Survived a Japanese Game Show” has begun shooting in Japan and will premiere TUESDAY, JUNE 24 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on ABC. This unscripted reality/game show takes an eye-opening, behind-the-scenes look at 10 Americans – many of whom have never traveled outside the United States -- who are whisked away to Japan and compete in the ultimate Japanese game show… with hilarious results. The final winner will take home $250,000.
Guiding the American players through their stay in Japan will be host/interpreter Tony Sano (“Touch Wood,” “Beating Vegas”), an American actor fluent in Japanese; a house mother and resident pot-stirrer, Mamasan; and the witty game show host Rome Kanda (“Pink Panther,” “Saturday Night Live”), who leads the contestants through all of the zany challenges.
Some of the games/challenges will include:
WHY IS THIS FOOD SO HARD TO EAT? -- Why? Because the food is attached to the head of a teammate who must run in place on a fast-moving treadmill, while the first teammate leans over a platform and tries to eat from the moving dish.
CRAZY CRANE FINDS FLUFFY BEAR -- This takes the American arcade game to the next level, as blindfolded teammates must operate a moving crane while another teammate precariously dangles trying to collect as many stuffed animals as he/she can.
CHICKEN BUTT SCRAMBLE -- The contestants create their own version of Japanese scrambled eggs as they attempt to smash goo-filled oversized eggs with only their butts… while wearing chicken suits.
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This You Tube hit is being brought to America by FOX. Compared to the others, it's actually pretty tame.
And here's one for Abbey's Hurdlingly challenged Kyoto Sensei:
Most of The Office's fans probably already know that the popular American zitcom is actually a remake of a British comedy. In this hillarious digital short from Saturday Night Live, the creator of the original British version, Ricky Gervais, explains how he was inspired by a Japanese TV show.
The rusty wheels make a shriek Carrying our bodies to the station at dawn
As I peddle The thing you transmit as you lean against my back Is definite warmth
Up the hill along the train tracks “A little more, just a bit further” From behind your voice sounds like you’re having fun
The town is way too quiet “It’s like we’re the only people in the world” you grumble softly At the moment we reached the top of the hill We were at a loss for words The sunrise that welcomed us was way too beautiful
Then I think you laughed behind me I couldn’t look back because I was crying
I don’t really know the town The most expensive ticket on First end of the ticket machine goes to
The cheapest of all, the platform ticket Even though I’d use it immediately I carefully put it away
The big bag you bought The day before yesterday Caught on the wicket and, Unable to pass through, you looked at me
I nodded without meeting your eyes And my hand freed the bag’s stubbornly caught cord
The resounding bell announces the end The door opens only for you Having stepped forward, One step with more distance than many thousands, you say
"I promise! We’ll definitely meet again some day!" Unable to answer, with my eyes cast down, I waved my hand
You... You weren't wrong that time...
Down the hill along the train tracks,I fly Faster than the wind I catch up with you and The rusty wheel shrieks With all my might, I line up with the train but It slowly gets further away
You were crying, weren’t you On the other side of the door Even though I didn’t see your face, I knew because your voice was shaking
I promise. We’ll definitely meet again someday As you got further away, I made a big wave with my hand so that you could see
The town was bustling but “It’s like I’m the only person in the world” I grumbled softly
The rusty wheels shriek Left behind, I’m carried along A faint warmth
One of the great things about being back in the good ol' US of A is the relative ease and inexpence of going to the movies. Sure, in a big city like Tokyo, Osaka, or Nagoya, a movie theater may not be far away, but it's always expensive. A ticket usually costs about ¥1800, but if you're lucky enough to live in a beautiful place like Ena (inaka: countryside), you also have to factor in the roughly hour-long train ride into town at ¥1100 each way. Altogether that's about $35, not to mention the total investment of a day since the entire affair will take no less than four and a half hours. All this for the rare privledge of watching a movie that's probably already available on mininova on an unusually small screen(compared to their counterparts in the States, that is.)
In my hometown, movie theaters are many and the prices are right. Before 6'o clock a mere $6.25 will get you a comfy reclining seat in a spacious stadium-style theater complete with a perfect, puffy hair-free view of an enormous screen. WhatI saw on that screen the last time I went to the movies was a teaser-trailer for none other than the classic Japanese anime SPEEDRACER!
Perhaps I'm exposing my overwhelming nerdiness by admiting it (if I haven't already), but I think it looks most cool... Like anime- ALIVE!
Check out the original Japanese opening:
Here's the Americanized version:
And may I just say, Anime has come a LONG way (^_<)
When I get a fever I realize That I have a body When my nose gets stuffy I realize That I’ve been breathing all this time
You’re existence I make sure of it so many times but You know how truly precious someone is Once they’re gone
When I refused your outstretched hand There might have been a big earthquake When I protected your outstretched hand The one I wanted to protect may have been myself
You’re existence I always held on to it so tightly but I’m really afraid so I just can’t let go
La la la…
Talking to people I realize There’s nothing I want to say When I try to put the words together I understand I’m full of feelings I want to express
Your existence I can keep talking about it like this but true gratitude Can’t be expressed by a mere “thank you”
La la la…
In our clock (In the time we have) We want to grasp just one truth and pass it on…
When I try to count the years, I realize However slight, I had a history At almost the same time I understand An end will come to that, too
I can remember you whenever I want but What I really want is Not memories, it’s the present
It's after I forget you that I remember I had a history with you It's after I loose you that I discover I met you by chance
A person’s existence In this world is worthless, but Somebody’s world Can be built on it
Your existence I confirm it so many times, but Your true existence is that Even when you’re gone, you’re here
How cool is this ad art for Onitsuka, inspired by Japanese wood block prints with Japanese proverbs. On the left: "Deception is like a monkey. It's only a matter of time before it bites you". On the right: "Debating with a fool is like spitting on a fish. It's best not to bother." Can I get an Amen?
One of my images of Kikutsuru, then maiko of the Miyagawa district.
Another image of a few of my students.
Ever since my super-rad, high school cheerleading days I've been a uber-fan of Asics, which weren't exactly considered cool at the time. Must of been the Japanese sensitivites laying dormant within me, silently drawing me towards my destiny as a full-fledge Japanophile. Imagine my excitement when I came to Japan and realized they were actually Japanese- with a lot more style and a way cooler name to boot!
I also love that they've taken "Made of Japan", something I always assumed to be a Japanglish phrase, and made it meaningful. Rockstars, all of them!
A funny little commercial by the independent productions company Fatal Farm.
The ending holds a special meaning for me, as it brings to mind meeting of the Thursday night sushi crew in which I, while raising a peice of nigiri salmon to my mouth, watched in amazement as it slipped from my chopsticks, flipped head over tales and flew through the air, diving gracefully into CP's cup of green tea half way across the table.
The entire incident unfolded before my eyes in slow-motion, inducing a laugh attack the likes of which the Ena kaiten sushi scene had never seen.
'But seriously,' you may ask, 'how does that happen'? Only I in my infinite wisdom could achieve such a feat without effort of any kind. (You are welcomed to try, of course, if you think you can do bettter).
In my own defense, I actually do use chopsticks rather well (better that most of my students) and prefer them to silverware. And, like most foreginers in Japan, I have been complimented countless times on my fine form by everyone from kindergarteners, to teachers, to a maiko and the mistress of a teahouse!
As I'm sure most geisha enthusiasts already know, Aussie social anthropolgist Fiona Graham made her formal debut as a geisha in Tokyo's Asakusa district on December 19th after a year of training, or "feild work", as she refers to it on her website. Just in time to begin the new year as Japan's first western, professional geisha, she is already planning to release a book entitled "Sayuki: Inside the Flower and Willow World" and a documentary that will be filmed throughout the year.
The maiko of Kyoto endure intensive training for 5-6 years before earning the honor of turning their collars and becoming full-fledged geiko.
Graham's professional name, Sayuki, comes from the Chinese character 紗 sa, meaning gossamer and 幸 yuki, meaning happiness, wish or fortune. This could be translated a number of ways: Delicate Delight, Ethereal Joy, or Sheer Bliss (^_^)v
Graham recieved her MBA in Psychology and teaching from Oxford before beginging her study of social anthropology. She has spent half of her life in Japan, graduating from a Japanese high school long before becoming the first western woman to graduate from Tokyo's Keio University.
"Super Idol" singer and actress Aya Ueto sings Silent Night for a Softbank cell phone commerical. Don't miss the classic Japanese Christmas cake at the end!
As an American raised in a predominantly ethnic Italian influenced family, I had never heard of "Christmas cake" before traveling to Japan. I'm interested in knowing which cultures celebrate Christmas with cake. Please share your traditions with us in the comment section!
Sneek a peek at this trendy, invite only fashion show cum Christmas party held at a popular maid cafe in Tokyo. Marvel at the sexy sweet servant style. Wince at the high pitched voices and childish cuteness. Behold: Japan at it's weird and wonderful best!
In celebration of the recent release of Bump of Chicken's newest album, Oribital Period (chock full of good tunes like Namida no Furusato, Planetarium, Supernova, and Hana no Na.), I humbly present my very own translation of the Tokyo Sanka lyrics. If you haven't heard it yet, check out this video (orginally posted by Abbey) with some very Tokyo-core images to set the mood. (Still waiting with bated breath for the new video...)
Bump of Chicken = Best Japanese band. EVER.
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Tokyo Hymn (Tokyo Sanka)
It's a town with sky and earth How is it different from the town where you grew up, I wonder? Why can you tell the difference, I wonder? I guess you've been taught since you came here
Things like all the lies, the cold, not being able to see the stars, A storm of troubles It's the revenge of things not going well, I guess You started and quit so many here
What was it that you came here to do? For whose sake was it? Roads and railroad tracks are connected but... that's so but... Jump out as you please, struggle along as you please This town is all that you know The drawer of your abandoned dream
Back then they were always nearby The people you hate and like Nowadays, do you care? I guess you realized since you came here
No matter where a person goes They are same as always
Separated from somebody and separated from yourself You're alive!
Chosen as you please, hated as you please, This town is all you have The place where you, who can't go home, are
There are lots of lies everywhere, don't you think? After all, when you can see the stars, you lose interest, right? Among all the people passing one another by, I think there are more than a few who came here For similar reasons
What was it that you came here for? Who was it that decided? The earth and the sky are connected The future and the past,too
You jumped out as you pleased, struggle along as you pleased This town is all you know The continuation of the dream you got back
Chosen as you please, hated as you please This town is all you have The place where you, who can’t go home, are This town is all you have The way back home to the place you grew up…
Comedian Yoshio Kojima trys his hand at teaching English...
During my last trip to Japan, I must have heard "Sonna no kankei nai" a million times -- at restaurants and izakaya (Japanese style watering holes), on the streets, and from Japanese friends. It wasn't long before I got my first taste of the speedo-clad Yoshio Kojima, a half-Brazilian, half-Japanese graduate of the prestigious Waseda University, singing and prancing around half-naked, jumping, humping, pumping his his fist towards the floor and stomping his foot. Now you, too, can enjoy this Japanese comic fad at it's finest.(Translated below).
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Woman: (Hoping for help from Kojima, she reads him her homework) Kojima: Wow, you're horrible! That's not even close! Woman: It's been so long since I read English... Kids: Well then, you read it! Kojima: Shall I read it for you? That's not smooth at all, and there's so much space between the words foreigners will never understand you! Woman: Well then, Mr. Kojima, if you would, please... Kojima: (Brilliant English-- no translation needed!) Woman: What language is that? Kojima: It's English!!!
♪♪♪ Acutally I can't read English、but that doesn't matter! ♪♪♪ Hai, OPPAPI!
*(Note: Oppapi supposedly stands for "Ocean Pacific Peace". Does that explanation sounds dubious to anyone else?)
...And Japanese!
Kojima attempts to help a young boy learn a kanji, or Chinese character...
Koijima: This is the character "naku", "to cry," Ok? Boy: Naku (to cry). Kojima: Naku. To Cry. This is easy. Umm... (baby cries) will you be quiet? Uh... first, WHOA! Don't pull my undies down, OK?! That's dangerous!
(Begins to draw) This is a crying... Do you got it? It's a crying person. Crying. He is crying. Crying. Cryin'. Cry crai cra crr cr... CRYING!
(Kojima shows the progression of the kanji from picture to pictograph)
Boy: I still don't quite understand... Kojima: You still don't understand? Ok, but this is how I got into Waseda...
Wow. When you explain kanji like that, it really starts to make sense! I bet naku is one kanji that boy will never forget.
Much thanks to Japan Probe for always bringing the best of Japanese TV to the blogsphere, and for being a much cooler blog than this will ever be. m(- -)m
I just can't get the newest single by Japan's undisputedly best-ever band (in my humble opinion), Bump of Chicken, out of my head. It was definately the theme song of the soundtrack to my recent trip to Japan. When I wasn't straining to hear it over the random noise pollution of imo and sakana songs at the supermarket, lingering around the conbini onigiri section to catch the last few notes, or just hearing it drift around Osaka, I was singing it to myself. If you haven't heard it yet, give it a listen. If you have heard it and wished you knew what the heck they were saying, wish no more! The best thing about this new Bump song is it's relative easy vocabulary, grammar and pace, making it the perfect study tool!
In my hopes of spreading the joy of Bump this holiday season, I've translated Hana no Na for anyone who cares. I hope someone out there appreciates and enjoys it as much as I do!
As Cultural Ambassadors, Abbey and I felt it our duty- nay, our privilege- to spread what little Halloween cheer we might by sporting festive 100 yen headbands, not only for our holiday puri session, but to sushi as well, spreading "knowledge and awareness" to all.
In less than tweleve hours I'll be making my way through the joy that is airport security enroute to Japan-- not as a JET or an expat, but simply as a tourist...
If you doubted the depth of the moon-viewing rabbit roots in Japanese culture, here's absolute proof. Leave it to culture-conscious Makudo to cash in on, I mean, celebrate even the most obscure of Japanese traditions! The autumn Mac comes in both regular tsukimi and tsukimi cheese. The advertisment reads:
"Back again this year,
The Moon-Viewing Burger.
A trembling egg
Awakens the autumn appetite!
The full-bodied cheese tsukimi
Is popular, too!"
"Oishisou!" You say, "But what's up with the flying rabbits?
According to tradition, the lunar hare was said to descend to Earth around the time of the three-day moon, and return home when the moon was full.
If I have any say in the matter, this will definately be the next movie I see!
Big Dreams Little Tokyo is the story of Boyd, an American with an uncanny ability to speak Japanese. Boyd aspires to succeed in the world of Japanese buisness but finds himself mostly on the outside looking in. Meanwhile, his roommate Jerome is a Japanese American who has always felt too American to be Japanese but too Japanese to be American. He aspires to be a sumo wrestler but finds his weight and blood pressure are thwarting his dreams. Together they struggle to find their place in a world where cultural identity is seldom what it seems.
Hmmm... I wonder what that's like.
Anyways, I'm really looking forward to seeing it! Not to mention, his next film, White on Rice! Tonoshimi ne!
All the way from Osaka, world famous Ashitsubo Sensei and rugby extrodinaire (not to mention actual nihonjin)!
