Mikoshi

Mikoshi

A "Mikoshi"(right photo) is a portable Shinto shrine.

Shinto shrine is called "Kami" in Japanese.

The Mikoshi is carried at a "Matsuri"(Japanese festival).

Maturi

Maturi

"Maturi" is a Japanese festival. People bear "Mikoshi" on their shoulders and carry it around the neighborhoods. It's one of the great Japanese cultures.

An earthquake in Tohoku,Japan

Iwate Prefecture and Miyagi Prefefeture were
hit by a earthquake last Saturday.Both prefectures
are the north of Japan(Tohoku).

The death toll are at least 10 people and more than 200 were injured.

I felt the earthquake even in Tokyo.(No.13)

Iwate Prefecture(No.4) Miyagi prefecture(No.6)

Japanese holding-fan

Japanese paper Holding-fan

We call holding-fans "Sensu" in Japanese.

Japanese holding-fan was invented

in the 8th century and taken to China

in the 9th century.

Japanese holding-fans are populary tourist

souvenirs.

The hightest mountain in Japan

Mt.Fuji
Mt. Fuji is the hightest mountain in Japan. The high is 3,776 m (12,388 ft). Mt.Fuji covered with snow is also beautiful. We call this mountain "Fuji san" in Japanese.

A Sushi bowl with Miso soup

Chirashizushi
Nowadays "Sushi" is a very popular food in the world. Do you know Sushi bowl where sliced raw fish is served over rice? We call this bowl "Chirashizushi". Miso soup is also Japanese food.

Let's eat Tendon!

Tendon
Tempura is one of popular Japanese foods. Tempura is also served as a bowl dish, and it's called "Tendon"(the above photo). It's very delicious!!

Sweet

Japanese Sweet
We call Japanese sweet "Wagashi" in Japanese. There're two large categories,dry and unbaked confections. The above photos are unbaked confections. Many Japanese sweets use "small beans" as an ingredients. Japanese like to have a cake and a pie as well, but Wagashi is still popular in Japan.

Particular Japanese Song

Enka
"Enka" is a kind of Japanese paticular song.There're many Enka singers in Japan, and specially elder Japanese people love Enka songs. How do you think of Enka?

Traditional man's festival

Japanese eat an eel.

An ell is called "UNAGI" in Japanese.Japanese people love to eat an broiled eel because they think that it's a nourishing food.The above photo is a bowl of rice and broiled eel.It's a Japanese tridational style.

Sumo Flags

Many Sumo's flags

Sumo is a national sport.Nowaday there're many foreign wrestlers and they're very strong. You can see a sumo wrestler name on each flag.

What is Golden Week?

Golden Week

Golden Week began in Japan. What is that?

Here is on Golde Week.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Week_(Japan)

Takoyaki

Do you know Japanese food "Takoyaki"?

Written Japanese

We have three alphabets.

1.Kanji
Kanji is Chinese character.
2.Hiragana
Hiragana is the simplified form of kanji.There are 53 characters.
3.Katakana
Katakana is used to write foreign loan words.There are 53 characters.

When we write Japanese we combine those three types of Japanese. Most of foreign people who learn Japanese think that kanji is the most difficult.

Why don't you learn Japanese? It's very interesting.
Click Here!

Japanese old erotic pictures

"Shunga (春画)"

Shunga is art between the 16th century and the 19th century.

Click the below about Shunga

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

American TV

Very popular American TV drama

Recently, American TV drama has been very popular in Japan. "Twenty Four" "Lost" "Bones" "Desperate wives" etc... If you look into a DVD rental shop, you may see the Japanese pop culture.

*Korean TV drama is popular for middle-aged people.

"SOBA" tastes great!

Japanese traditional food "SOBA"

Soba is made from buckwheat. This is very populary food in Japan.We eat Soba with chopsticks.I recommend you to try to have this food when you come to Japan.

Why did Japanese start eating "whale meat"?

Do you know why Japanese people started eating "whale meat"?

Japanese people have been eating whale meat since around 14000 B.C.(Jomon period).
At the Nara period(710-794), Buddhism flourished in Japan, and the eating of four-legged animals became toboo. That's why the people started eating seafood including whale meat.
After World War Ⅱ, there was no enough food in Japan. Therefore the American government encouraged Japanese people to eat whale meat, and eating whale meat beacme popular.

I don't think that Japanese people need to eat whale meat.
Do you think there are any good solutions which Japanese stop eating whale meat?

Japanes vending machine

Vending machine

for soft drinks



There are many vending machines on the street in Japan.



This photo is a vending machine for soft drink.It sells both cold and hot drinks.The price of one can or bottle is from 120 yen.

Japanese Monk

A Japanese Monk

You can see a Japanese monk on the street.

The back is Apple store in Tokyo.

Alien Exhibition in Japan

Alien exhibition lands in Odaiba,Tokyo

The exhibition runs until June 16.

Check!!

Here is an airticle about the exhibition.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/print/fq20080404a1.html

American Meid in Akiba

Meid Cafe in Akihabara

Nowaday "Meid Cafe" looks like a part of Japanese cultures. EVA(right side) who is a American from Texas became a meid and works at the most popular meido cafe "@meid cafe" in Akihabara.She says that becoming a meid was her dream.

Meid cafe is a place where you can have a conversation with young ladies dressing up as characters from anime or manga, or so-called comics.



Information: more details in Japanese is the following link



http://sankei.jp.msn.com/life/lifestyle/080405/sty0804051047004-n1.htm

Sakura

Cherry blossom along Sumida River

Now in Japan is the best season of Cherry blossom. We call cherry blossom "SaKuRa" in Japanese. This photo is blossoming Sakura along Sumida River in Tokyo. Most of Japanese people like Sakura very much.

Cherry blossom season in Japan: From the end of March to the middle of April

Ginza on Sunday

Ginza,Tokyo
Ginza is one of the most expensive areas in Tokyo. Ginza is like Fifth Ave. in NYC. There are a lot of brad shops like Louis Vuitton,Blugali,Giorgio Armani and so on. The main street is vehicle-free promenade on weekend.