Ainu, First People of Japan

Ainu, First Peoples of Japan. The Ainu arrived in Japan maybe 14,000 years ago, 10,000 years before the Japanese. They were killed, enslaved and driven off their lands, taking refuge in the northern islands of Japan where they now number less than 25,000.

Japanese Highway on Motorcycle

Hold on to your helmet!

Fushimi Inari Shrine

Tokyo Dance Trooper in Shibuya!

I just had to post it again!

Ukiyo-e

View of Mount Fuji from Numazu, part of the Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō series by Hiroshige, published 1850

Toshusai Sharaku – Otani Oniji II, dated 1794 .
The Kabuki actor Otani Oniji II in the role of Yakko (manservant) Edobe.

Ukiyo-e (浮世絵), "pictures of the floating world", is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints (or woodcuts) and paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, and the theatre.

Ukiyo, meaning "floating world", refers to the impetuous young culture that bloomed in the urban centers of Edo (modern-day Tokyo), Osaka, and Kyoto that were a world unto themselves. It is an ironic allusion to the homophone term "Sorrowful World" (憂き世), the earthly plane of death and rebirth from which Buddhists sought release.

The art form rose to great popularity in the metropolitan culture of Edo (Tokyo) during the second half of the 17th century, originating with the single-color works of Hishikawa Moronobu in the 1670s. At first, only India ink was used, then some prints were manually colored with a brush, but in the 18th century Suzuki Harunobu developed the technique of polychrome printing to produce nishiki-e.

Ukiyo-e were affordable because they could be mass-produced. They were meant for mainly townsmen, who were generally not wealthy enough to afford an original painting. The original subject of ukiyo-e was city life, in particular activities and scenes from the entertainment district. Beautiful courtesans, bulky sumo wrestlers and popular actors would be portrayed while engaged in appealing activities. Later on landscapes also became popular.

Weather in Tokyo, Japan

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=tokyo

Weather in Mutsu City, Aomori, Japan

http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/47576.html


*Be sure to pack a sweatshirt and umbrella!

Japanese Culture

Sushi Lab

Japanese Candy

Yum!

Ready?

Only 9 more weeks...

田 = Rice Paddy Field

rice paddy

rice cookers

vending machines selling rice

rice wine

"Do the Cat Wave!"

Maneki Neko

The Maneki Neko (招き猫, literally "Beckoning Cat"; also known as Welcoming Cat, Lucky Cat, Money Cat or Fortune Cat) is a common Japanese sculpture, often made of porcelain or ceramic, which is believed to bring good luck to the owner. The sculpture depicts a cat (traditionally a Japanese Bobtail) beckoning with an upright paw, and is usually displayed—many times at the entrance—in shops, restaurants, and other businesses. A raised right paw supposedly attracts money, while a raised left paw attracts customers.

Maneki Neko come in different colors, styles, and degrees of ornateness. In addition to sculptures, Maneki Neko can be found as keychains, piggy banks, air fresheners, and miscellaneous ornaments.

• Maneki Neko come in all sorts of colors. While originally the colors may have been simply decorative, different colors are now associated with different attributes.


• Tricolor (Calico/Tortie and White): The background is white with random black and orange patches. This coloring is considered especially lucky and is the most popular color for maneki neko. This belief may be related to the rarity of this coloring in the Japanese bobtail cats, after which the Maneki Neko is modeled. Also note that in Japan the colour is called Mi-ke, meaning three-fur.


• White: White cats indicate purity and are the second most popular type.


• Black: Black Maneki Neko are believed to bring good health and keep away evil. These are especially popular with women as they are supposed to be particularly effective at keeping away stalkers. Like red, they can be associated with good health, but very occasionally.


• Red: Red is also a protective color, and is believed to keep away evil spirits and illness.


• Gold: Associated with wealth.


• Pink: While not a traditional color this color is popular now and is associated with love.


• Green: Believed to bring academic achievement.
  

Japanese legend holds that long ago an emperor was traveling on horseback when he spotted a small cat waving at him. After the emperor dismounted from his horse to get a closer look the horse was struck by lightning and killed. Subsequently, the emperor pronounced that cats in general should be respected as sacred animals and thus was born the legend of the beckoning Maneki Neko. This is just one of several popular tales regarding the origin of Japan’s most famous cat.

Today in Japan you are likely to spot a Maneki Neko figure waving at you from within just about every Japanese place of business. The legendary kitty has been transformed from an emperor saving Samaritan to a bringer of money and good fortune to all Japanese. There are basically three types of Maneki Neko: The first and oldest type is waving a single paw in an effort to attract people to it (just like the emperor’s savior). Another newer version (yet still likely centuries old) is a Maneki Neko waving one paw while holding an old fashioned Japanese coin in the other paw. This second type is thought to bring wealth to its owner. The final type of Maneki Neko is a modern version which waves both paws. Still further variations exist with additional meaning even ascribed to such things as the color and pattern of the coat. Maneki Neko are usually ceramic and are often used as piggy banks. Piggy bank Maneki Neko will have a slot in their back to receive coins and a hole in the bottom for their removal. Many modern Maneki Neko are purely decorative (no piggy bank) and may be made of papier-mache or cloth in addition to the traditional ceramic styles.

Japanese Superstitions

1. The number four: The number four is considered inauspicious because it is pronounced the same as the word for death (shi). Therefore, one should not make presents that consist of four pieces, etc. In some hotels and hospitals the room number four is skipped. This superstition is, for obvious reasons, most commonly observed in hospitals. In a maternity ward, the number 43 would be a major faux-pas as it can be pronounced "shi-zan", which also means still-birth. While the number four is associated with death, the number nine is pronounced "ku", the same as the word for pain or suffering. So this number is also considered unlucky.


2. Death of course means funerals, and traditional Buddhist funerals have certain rites and rituals. The night before the funeral itself, the dead body is laid out with the head facing north. So at home many people will not sleep this way, refreed to as "kita makura".


3. One aspect of the funeral ceremony is to stick chopsticks into a bowl of rice placed on the altar. For this reason, people will never do this at the dinner table.


4. Another example is that bone fragments of the cremated body are passed from person to person using chopsticks before being placed in an urn. Again for this reason, when eating people never pass food from one pair of chopsticks to another.


5. If a funeral car passes you should hide your thumb.


6. If you cut your nails at night, you will not be with your parents when they die.


7. Lie down after eating: If you lie down immedeately after eating, you will become a cow.


8. If you whistle in the night, a snake will come to you.


9. There are also some imported superstitions such as the believe that black cats crossing the street in front of you cause bad luck.


10. You'll get bad luck if you talk back to someone talking in their sleep.


11. If your nose itches, someone that you know will have a baby.


12. If you sneeze once, you're being spoken of well.


13. If you sneeze twice, people are saying bad things about you.


14. The third time, someone loves you, and, finally, the fourth time, you have a cold.


15. If your ear itches, you'll hear good news.


16. You will have bad luck if you break a comb, strap of gata, zori, or wooden shoe.


17. You should always throw salt where a beggar has just been.


18. If the first person you meet on any given day is a woman, you will have good luck.


19. If it is a Buddhist priest, be prepared for a bad day.


20. A good omen is getting a bird dropping on your head.


21. If you are overtaken by a funeral procession on the street, you will have bad luck.


22. Avoid badgers whenever possible, because they are evil and mischievous.

In many shrines, temples and souvenir shops, amulets are sold that are supposed to bring luck, safety or good fortune. There are amulets for money, health, love, success on exams, safety on the streets, etc. Small pieces of paper (omikuji) that predict your future are also available. These pieces of paper are tied around the branch of a tree after reading; either to make the good fortune come true or to avoid the predicted bad fortune.

1. In taxis, there are always girl dolls, to keep away the female ghosts.


2. Over the fireplace, there is a potholder charm in the shape of the kanji to keep the fire from spreading.


3. Small charms with kanji on them keep away evil spirits.


4. A material (paper or wood) wrapped in cloth brings you good luck if you keep it near you at all times.

Hina-matsuri

The Japanese Doll Festival (雛祭り), or Girls' Day, is held on March 3, the third day of the third month. Platforms with a red hi-mōsen are used to display a set of ornamental dolls representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period.

The top tier holds two dolls representing the Emperor and Empress. The dolls are usually placed in front of a miniature gold folding screen.

The second tier holds three court ladies. Each holds a sake-filler.

The third tier holds five male musicians. Each holds a musical instrument except the singer, who holds a fan.

On the fourth, fifth, and lower tiers display a variety of miniature furniture, tools, carriages. Two ministers may be displayed on the fourth tier: the Right Minister and the Left Minister.

The custom of displaying dolls began during the Heian period. Formerly, people believed the dolls possessed the power to contain bad spirits. Hinamatsuri traces its origins to an ancient Japanese custom called hina-nagashi (lit. "doll floating"), in which straw hina dolls are set afloat on a boat and sent down a river to the sea, supposedly taking troubles or bad spirits with them.

To Keep the Cats Away

But does it really work?

Seagaia Ocean Dome

The Seagaia Ocean Dome was the world's largest indoor water park, located in Miyazaki, Japan. The Ocean Dome, which was a part of the Sheraton Seagaia Resort, measures 300 metres in length and 100 metres in width, and was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. It opened in 1993, and visitor numbers peaked in 1995 at 1.25 million a year.

Miyazaki Prefecture


The Ocean Dome sported a fake flame-spitting volcano, artificial sand and the world's largest retractable roof, which provided a permanently blue sky even on a rainy day. The air temperature was always held at around 30 degrees celsius and the water at around 28.
Entrance cost was approximately ¥2600 per adult and ¥1600 for children, depending on the season.

The indoor water park Ocean Dome at Phoenix Seagaia Resort closed on Monday, October 1, 2007.

Japanese Middle Schools

Secondary Education in Japan is split into middle schools (中学校 chūgakkō), which cover the seventh through ninth years, and high schools (高等学校 kōtōgakkō) which mostly cover years ten through twelve.

Lower-secondary school covers grades seven, eight, and nine—children between the ages of roughly twelve and fifteen—with increased focus on academic studies. Although it is still possible to leave the formal education system after completing lower secondary school and find employment, fewer than 4% did so by the late 1980s.

The teaching force in lower-secondary schools is two-thirds male. Schools are headed by principals, 99% of whom are men. Classes are large, with thirty-eight students per class on average, and each class is assigned a homeroom teacher who doubles as counselor.

Unlike elementary students, middle school students have different teachers for different subjects. The teacher, however, rather than the students, moves to a new room for each fifty-minute period.

All course contents are specified in the Course of Study for Lower-Secondary Schools. Other subjects, such as foreign-language study (usually English) begin at this level. The curriculum covers Japanese language, social studies, mathematics, science, music, fine arts, health, and physical education. All students also are exposed to either industrial arts or homemaking. Moral education and special activities continue to receive attention.

Students also attend mandatory club meetings during school hours, and many also participate in after-school clubs.

Japanese Elementary Schools

Shōgakkō (小学校) are elementary schools in Japan. More than 99% of Japanese elementary school-age children are enrolled in school. All children enter first grade at age six, and starting school is considered a very important event in a child's life.

Virtually all elementary education takes place in public schools; less than 1% of the schools are private. Private schools tended to be costly, although the rate of cost increases in tuition for these schools had slowed in the 1980s. Some private elementary schools are prestigious, and they serve as a first step to higher-level private schools with which they are affiliated, and thence to a university. Competition to enter some of these "ladder schools" is quite intense.

Although public elementary education is free, some school expenses are borne by parents, for example, school lunches and supplies. For many families, there are also nonschool educational expenses, for extra books, or private lessons, or juku（塾). Such expenses rose throughout the 1980s, reaching an average of 184,000 Yen in FY 1987 for each child. Costs for private elementary schools are substantially higher.

Elementary school classes are large, about thirty-one students per class on average, but higher numbers are permitted. Students are usually organized into small work groups, which have both academic and disciplinary functions. Discipline also is maintained, and a sense of responsibility encouraged, by the use of student monitors and by having the students assume responsibility for the physical appearance of their classroom and school.

Cleaning the school

11 weeks and counting...

Shinjuku

Capsule Inn Akihabara

[from http://www.capsuleinn.com/]


A Capsule hotel is a unique style of accommodation in Japan, inspired by the pursuit of efficiency of space and functional comfort, originating from the adaptive, creative spirit of the Japanese mind. A typical Capsule Hotel is composed of two major sections; a public lounge space including bathing, and the other is a private space where the sleeping rooms (capsules) are arranged. The actual sleeping room is a capsule unit made of reinforced plastic and designed in the image of a jet airplane's cockpit. In the capsule unit, all the required amenities are provided; TV, radio, alarm clock, adjustable lighting... almost everything is provided! Every device is within your reach and you can control everything in a sleeping position.For the numerous business people working hard until after midnight and who miss their train, and for all the people coming to Tokyo on a short business trip, or holiday; young and old, men and women, a wide range of people stay at Capsule hotels in Tokyo. The Capsule Inn Akihabara is the best place to learn about the latest in Japanese modern culture, direct from the people staying at our hotel!Everybody that travels to Japan should experience this unique accommodation, at least once! One of the most unique accommodations in the world! Come and visit the Capsule Inn Akihabara.

Cost: about $40

Chinese New Year in Japan

Only in Japan would CNY celebrations be so organized! I love it!

Dance Vader & Stormtrooper

I think the Stormtrooper has better rhythm than Darth.

Tokyo Dance Trooper

Too much! I love it!!

Questions for PASD Junior Ambassadors

What do you want to see while we're in KYOTO?

Please leave a comment with the top two sites you REALLY want to see in Kyoto. To refresh your memory on each site, refer to the archives. In your comment, be sure to say if your SMS or PAHS; your name isn't necessary (especially your last name).

1. Gion
2. Sanjusangen-do
3. Pontocho Alley
4. Yasaka Shrine
5. Nanzen-ji
6. Ginkaku-ji
7. Kinkaku-ji
8. Ryoan-ji
9. Rushimi
10. Kiyomizu dera

ATTACKED by Deer - Miyajima

Taiko Drummers at Miyajima Island

Itsukushima

Itsukushima (厳島) is an island in the Inland Sea of Japan. It is popularly known as Miyajima (宮島), the Shrine Island. Itsukushima is part of the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture. The island was the town of Miyajima prior to the 2005 merger with Hatsukaichi.

Itsukushima is famous for the Itsukushima Shrine. According to records, the shrine was established in the time of Empress Suiko. The warrior-courtier Taira no Kiyomori gave the shrine its present form. In 1555, Mori Motonari defeated Sue Harukata at the Battle of Miyajima. Toyotomi Hideyoshi built a large building, the Senjō-kaku, on a hill above the shrine.

The island of Itsukushima, including the waters around it (part of Seto Inland Sea), and are within Setonaikai National Park.


Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社) is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima. The Japanese government has designated several buildings and possessions as national treasures.
The shrine dates back to the 6th century, and has been in its present form since 1168 when funds were provided by the warlord Taira no Kiyomori. The shrine's construction, consisting of pier-like structures built over the bay, is due to the holy status that the island once commanded. Commoners were historically not allowed to set foot on the island, and had to approach by boat, entering through the gate that appears to float. Beside the shrine is a noh stage.

Retaining the purity of the shrine is so important that since 1878, no deaths or births were permitted at the shrine. To this day, burials on the island are still forbidden.On September 5, 2004, the shrine was severely damaged by Typhoon Songda. The boardwalks and roof were partially destroyed, leading to its temporary closure.

The dramatic gate (torii) of Itsukushima Shrine is one of Japan's most popular tourist attraction, and the view of the gate in front of the island's Mount Misen is classified as one of the Three Views of Japan (along with the sand bar Amanohashidate, and Matsushima Bay). The gate has existed since 1168, though the current gate dates back to 1875. The gate, built of camphor wood, is about 16 metres high and was built in a four-legged style to provide additional stability.

The Three Views of Japan (日本三景, Nihon sankei) is the canonical list of Japan's most famous sights, somewhat akin to the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The list is usually attributed to scholar Hayashi Razan, who first listed them in 1643. The Three Views are: #1 Matsushima Bay, Miyagi Prefecture; #2 Amanohashidate, Kyoto Prefecture; and #3 Itsukushima, Hiroshima Prefecture.

The gate only appears to be floating at high tide; when the tide is low, the gate is surrounded by mud and can be accessed on foot from the island. It is common practice for visitors to place coins in the cracks of the legs of the gate and make a wish. Gathering shellfish near the gate is also popular at low tide. At night, powerful lights on the shore illuminate the gate.

Itsukushima is mountainous and sparsely settled. It does have an elementary school and a middle school. There are no traffic signals.

Frequent ferry services, operated by JR West (JR Miyajima ferry) and by Miyajima Matsudai Tourist Ship, carry traffic between the island and the mainland. The trip takes about ten minutes. There is an hourly express passenger ferry to Hiroshima harbour.

Miyajima's maple trees are renowned throughout Japan, and blanket the island in crimson in the autumn. Momiji manju, pastries filled with azuki jam or custard, are popular souvenirs, and carry maple-leaf emblems. Many other varieties such as chocolate and cheese are also available. Because the island is sacred, trees may not be cut for lumber. Deer and monkeys roam freely. Deer are considered sacred in the native Shinto religion because they are considered messengers of the gods.

A style of wooden spoon used to serve cooked rice, without impairing the taste, is said to have been invented by a monk who lived on the island. This style of spoon is a popular souvenir and there are some outsized examples around the shopping district.

The peak of Mount Misen, at 535 m, is the highest point on the island. Miyajima Ropeway carries visitors to within a 30-minute hike to the top. There are several sites related to the historical Buddhist priest Kobo Daishi near the top. The island also contains the Miyajima Natural Botanical Garden.

Japanese Festival Food

Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park (広島平和記念公園) is a large park in the center of Hiroshima. It is dedicated to the legacy of Hiroshima as the first city in the world to suffer a nuclear attack (August 6, 1945), which led to the death of as many as 140,000 people by the end of 1945.

There are a variety of monuments and buildings in the park, each dedicated to a different aspect of the bombing.

The location of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was once the city’s busiest downtown commercial and residential district. The park was built on open field that was created by the explosion. Today there are a number of memorials and monuments, museums, and lecture halls which draw over a million visitors annually. The annual 6 August Peace Memorial Ceremony, which is sponsored by the city of Hiroshima, is, also, held in the park. The purpose of the Peach Memorial Park and the city Hiroshima not only memorialized atomic victims, but also established the meaning of a memory of nuclear horrors and a world peace.

The A-Bomb Dome is the skeletal ruins of the former Industrial Promotion Hall. It is the building closest to the hypocenter of the nuclear bomb that remained at least partially standing. It was left how it was after the bombing in memory of the casualties. The A-Bomb Dome, which a sense of sacredness and transcendence has been attributed, is situated in a distant ceremonial view that is visible from the Peace Memorial Park’s central cenotaph. It is an officially designated site of memory for the nation’s and humanity’s collectively shared heritage of catastrophe.

Children's Peace Monument is a monyment for peace to commemorate Sadako Sasaki and the thousands of child victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and is located in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The monument was built using monies derived from a fund-raising campaign by Jaanese school children including Sadako's classmates, with the main statue entitled A-bomb Children; the statue was unveiled on the 5th of May, Children's Day in Japan. Sadako is immortalized at the top of the statue, where she holds a crane. Thousands or origami cranes from all over the world are offered around the monument on a daily basis, with ancient Japanse tradition holding that one who folds a thousand cranes can have one wish granted. They serve as a sign that the children who make them and those who visit the statue desire a world without nuclear war, having been tied to the statue by the fact that Sadako died from radion-induced leukemia after folding over a thousand cranes, wishing for world peace. Beneath the main structure lies a bronze crane that works as a wind chime when pushed against a traditional peace bell from which it is suspended, the two pieces having been donated by Nobel Laureate in Physics Hideki Yukawa.

The Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound is a large, grass-covered knoll that contains the ashes of 70,000 unidentified victims of the bomb.

Cenotaph for Korean Victims. Tens of thousands of Koreans are said to have been present in Hiroshima when the attack happened. The monument reads: "Souls of the dead ride to heaven on the backs of turtles." Although Japanese government provided the Korean memorial, its location had been a problem because the memorial stands outside the administrative boundaries of the Peace Park. According to the records, among the 350,000 to 400,000 people who were attacked by the atom bomb or exposed to lethal post-explosion radiation, at least 45,000 were Korean. Approximately 300,000 survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki returned to Korea after liberation with other former colonial subjects. However, only half of survivors are known to live in the Republic of Korea. Many records have vagueness of the Korean dead in their estimates from 5,000 to 50,000 because the racially and ethnically minoritized population has been neglected. The memorial plays an important role as a space of discursive intervention for Japan’s former colonial subjects. The memorial, beautified as it is with Korean national symbols, signifies the victories of Koreans who survived Japanese colonialism, the war, and even the atomic bomb. The Korean memorial concurrently serves as a nationalist icon, embodying the pride and glory of the Republic of Korea.

Memorial Cenotaph. Near the center of the park is a concrete, saddle-shaped monument that covers a Cenotaph holding the names of all of the people killed by the bomb. The Cenotaph carries the epitaph, "Repose ye in Peace, for the error shall not be repeated." Through the monument you can see the Peace Flame and the A-Bomb Dome. Memorial Cenotaph was one of the first memorial monuments built on open field on August 6, 1952. It is built in Shinto style. The arch shape represents a shelter for the souls of the victims.

The Peace Flame is another monument to the victims of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima, but it has an additional symbolic purpose. The flame has burned continously since it was lit in 1964, and will remain lit until all nuclear bombs on the planet are destroyed and the planet is free from the threat of nuclear annihilation.

The Peace Bell stands near the memorial to the A-Bomb Children and consists of a large Japanese bell hanging inside a small open-sided structure. Visitors are encouraged to ring the bell for world peace and the loud and melodious tolling of this bell rings out regularly throughout the Peace Park. The inscriptions on the bell are in Greek, Japanese and Sanskrit. It is translated as "Know yourself." The Greek embassy donated the bell to the Peace Park, and pick out the most appropriate ancient Greek philosophical quote of Socrates.

The Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall is an effort by the Japanese national government to remember and mourn the sacred sacrifice of the atomic bomb victims. It is also an expression of Japan's desire for genuine and lasting peace. The Hall contains a number of displays. On the roof, near the entrance (the museum is underground) is a clock frozen at 8:15, the time the bomb went off. The museum contains a seminar room, library, temporary exhibition area, and victims' information area. Additionally, one of the more stunning areas is The Hall of Remembrance which contains a a 360 degree panorama of the destroyed Hiroshima recreated using 140,000 tiles - the number of people estimated to have died from the bomb by the end of 1945.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is the primary museum in the park dedicated to educating visitors about the bomb. The Museum has exhibits and information covering the build up to war, the role of Hiroshima in the war up to the bombing, and extensive information on the bombing and its effects, along with substantial memorabilia and pictures from the bombing. The building also offers some marvelous views of the Memorial Cenotaph, Peace Flame, and A-Bomb Dome.