09.Japanese Popular Culture

I have mainly introduced topics they have long history and related to tradition of Japan ever. But today, I’m about to share modern and current Japanese culture “Pop culture,” which includes Manga, Anime, fashion, J-POP music etc…

As a Japanese teen girl, I sometimes guess it’s interesting that our daily customs or things we take for granted is introduced as pop culture. Also, I’m happy to hear Japanese Manga or Anime are very popular overseas nevertheless I seldom touch them XD. I’m sure that many of you have far more knowledge about them than I.  In this post, I pick up some major Japanese pop cultures and some of them which we, especially Japanese teens, experience in daily life.

Manga

I was surprised at so many Japanese Manga was sold when I went to a bookstore in Taiwan for the first time.

　　　　　　

　

Anime

It seems that my friends whom I met in Taiwan watch more Japanese Anime than my Japanese friends. 

Do you know these?

　

 

Here is an event and if you like Japanese Manga or Anime, you can vote for your favorite works! 

Also you can find some works you know in the lists.

http://sugoi-japan.jp/en/index.html

Bento（冷便當）

Japanese high school students usually take a Bento to their school as a lunch. 

There are many kinds of lunch box for Bento.

Purikura

When we go out with friends in holidays, we take the Purikura in game center and enjoy it. It is like a photo, but we can change size of eye, tone of skin, color of hair and make our looks more beautiful or cuter than actual. Furthermore we decorate it with stamps and letters. 

These are Purikura I actually took.

Japanese popular culture is funny:)  Let’s enjoy it!

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_popular_culture

http://www.japantravelinfo.com/popculture/

http://dng65.com/blog-entry-1427.html

http://web-japan.org/trends/11_culture/

(296words)

08. Shrines and Temples

Today, I introduce Shrines (神社) and Temples (寺). Both of them have been spot where people hold a ceremony or festival for a long time. Originally, shrines is place for worship of Shin-to (神道), which is an indigenous region of Japan, and temples is place for worship of Buddhism (仏教). Most Japanese don’t believe particular religion, I think, and we have characteristic view on religions. Gradually, praying on New Year’s Day, wedding, blessing a baby take place in shrine, and funeral is held in temples. By the way, they are also sightseeing spots, too. So I share some photos and comments of characteristic shrines and temples in this post.

“Itsukushima shrine (厳島神社)”

Itsukushima shrine has the big Torii (鳥居), the symbol of a shrine, in the sea. It is located in Hiroshima (広島) prefecture. Though it is far from metropolitan area, great number of people go there and enjoy sightseeing.

“Kiyomizu temple (清水寺)”

It’s the most popular temple in Kyoto.

The light up is amazing!

“Meiji jingo (明治神宮)”

 On New Year’s Day, the number of visitor is more than any other shrine in Japan.

“Rokuon temple/Kin-kaku (鹿苑寺　金閣)”

The wall looks gold and very gorgeous.  

(205 words)

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itsukushima_Shrine

http://www.kiyomizudera.or.jp/lang/01.html

http://meijijingu.or.jp/english/index.html

http://www.shokoku-ji.jp/k_access.html#

07.The Kimono

     The Kimono is Japanese traditional clothes. It is also called Wafuku (和服). Most Japanese have worn Kimono in daily life for about 1200 years. After W.W.2, the government in Meiji period (明治時代) promoted westernization and people began to wear western style clothes instead of the Kimono. Since then, few people have worn the Kimono in their daily life, but most of Japanese wear it in some events such as Shichi-go-san (七五三) and Seijin-shiki (成人式). Shichi-go-san is the event to celebrate children’s growth. Children beautifully dressed up in the Kimono go to a shrine and have a ritual. Seijin-shiki is the ceremony to celebrate people who turned the age of 20 and became members of society. Women wear a special Kimono”Furisode (振袖)”,whose sleeve are so long compared to the other Kimono. I wear it in my Facebook profile photo. We wear the Kimono in the celebration.(Sorry, I can't eliminate these underline...><)

     You may know Yukata as a Japanese clothes. It is similar to the Kimono but there is a little bit difference. We wear it only in summer because it’s thin compared to the Kimono. Also, it is casual wear than the Kimono. We usually wear it and go to firework festival.

     You may think it is hard to wear. Honestly, however, I think it’s not so hard to put on a Kimono although it takes a little bit a while. I also feel more cool and comfortable when I wear Yukata compared to when I wear usual clothes on hot day in summer.

     I love the Kimono and other Japanese traditional garments. If you have chance, try to put it on! 

(299 words)

References

http://www.japanesestyle.com/catalog/clothingaccessories/kimono

http://contest.japias.jp/tqj2001/40514/english/index2.html

chttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimono

、

06.The way~Geidou~

Today, I’m about introduce two of Japanese traditional arts, Kado(華道) and Sado(茶道).Besides these, there are many traditional arts named ~do(道) in Japanese culture and they are called “Gei do(芸道)”. For example, Judo(柔道), Kendo(剣道),and Aikido(合気道) etc... All of them includes common Chinese character “道”, it means “the way”. 

I think the thought of “道” is very special to Japan. People learning those ways make effort for mastering them. But it is particular that they think they’ll never reach the goals. In other words, they take whole life to learn their own ways. Although I rarely meet people like this, I really respect them.

Kado is flower arranging, another name is Ikebana. It is art consisted of arranging flower and enjoying it. Comparing to foreign flower arranging, the point is they use not only beautiful flower but tree brunch and leaves in arranging.

Sado is tea celemony or the way of tea. It’s composed of beautiful teabowl, confectionary (Wagashi), and unique behavior. It is held in Japanese traditional room “Washitsu” and usually people who join it wear traditional clothes.

If you want, you can join learning Japanese tradition program and experience them :)

https://wakjapan.com/

Video time!!

Sado；6:30~

Kado;

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikebana

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_tea_ceremony

(224 words)

05.Japanese confectionery~Wagashi~

Oct.31 was Halloween’s day. Did you get many confections? Today, I introduce Japanese confectionery, that’s called “Wagashi”. I really love it.  I think we can see many Japanese spirit, creativity, delicacy and Japanese beauty for example, in it. It’s different from sweets like candies or cookies which we have in daily life. Usually, Wagashi is more expensive than them. Also, Wagashi is closely related to the four seasons. In spring, there are lots of Wagashi shaped cherry blossoms or other flowers. In autumn, there are Wagashi shaped autumn leaves or full moon. Therefore, most of it created in particular seasons.

    

    

This is my favorite Wagashi of the summer.

It is sometimes said ”Wagashi is the art and it touches the five senses. ”   And it’s true. We enjoy it by seeing its appearance, listening its name, smelling and eating it, of course. Feeling from touch and biting is good senses, too. Some of Wagashi is created by hands respectively. 

Wagashi is lovely Japanese food art:)

We can see how they are created by watching following video.

I hope you’ll be able to enjoy it!

(195 words)

References

http://www.wagashi.or.jp/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagashi

04.Traditional performance art~Kabuki~

Today, I introduce Japanese traditional performance. Have you ever watched any of them? Actually, most Japanese, especially young people like me, seldom watch them in daily life. I have watched one of them, “Noh (能)”, which is one of Japanese tradition, in my high school event to appreciate Japanese culture only once. I have less knowledge about them comparing to topics of other entries. But they are really wonderful and have long history. Therefore, I hope to learn about them through this blog entry with you. 

There is so many traditional performance art in Japanese culture. It includes singing, dancing, stage arts, crafts and “Gei-do(芸道)” which I will introduce in the one after next post. In this post, I share a traditional Japanese theater, “Kabuki(歌舞伎)” .

“Kabuki”, a theater with dancing, started in 400 years ago. It has appeared as an entertainment of the people.  The stage is showy. The most interesting thing to me is all the members in “Kabuki” is man. Their face make is so special too.

　

The theater;

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Watching Japanese traditional performance is so exciting XD

Watching them when you get the chance too!

Video time! You can watch the first 1 minutes and feel the air of Kabuki.

References

http://www.eigotown.com/culture/tjapan/culture/culture_p1.shtml

http://www.kabuki-bito.jp/eng/top.html

http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E5%82%B3%E7%B5%B1%E8%97%9D%E8%83%BD

(195 words)