Archive for September, 2010
Impressive Japanese Skyscrapers Posted by Ginny on Sep 28, 2010
Japan is becoming a sprawling metropolis of skyscrapers. Here are some buildings in Japan that are interesting, beautiful and certainly awe inspiring. Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower (モード学園コクーンタワー) is not your usual looking skyscraper. It is 669 feet tall, and is in the shape of a cocoon. The Skyscraper houses three higher education facilities. Hence, the…
The Kishiwada Danjiri Festival Posted by Ginny on Sep 25, 2010
The Kishiwada Danjiri Festival (岸和田だんじり祭) is a cart pulling festival. The cart is made of wood and decorated with cards, gifts, ornaments and flowers. It’s believed that the spirit resides in the cart, so all sorts of offerings and written prayers are placed in the cart. The highlight of the festival involves the pulling and…
Japanese Waterfalls Posted by Ginny on Sep 22, 2010
Japan is home to some of the most majestic and scenic waterfalls. Some of the more famous ones are : Kegon no Take (華厳滝) or Kegon Falls is one of the tallest waterfalls in Japan. Unfortunately, the altitude is what makes this a popular suicide spot as well. Nunobiki no Taki (布引の滝) or Nunobiki Falls…
Tsukimi Posted by Ginny on Sep 19, 2010
Tsukimi (月見) is a very low key festival. It’s celebrated on the 15th of the eight month on the lunar calendar. It’s said that the 15th of the eighth month is when the moon is the brightest and fullest. People go outside to see the moon, and as you can see, it’s very visible in…
Enka Music Posted by Ginny on Sep 16, 2010
Enka (演歌) music is a combination of Jazz, Blues and traditional Japanese music. Enka music is especially popular with the postwar generation in Japan. To this generation, Enka songs bring back some of the nostalgia of the “good old days” as well as memories of hardship and poverty. Hachiro Kasuga (春日八郎) is considered the first…
Japanese Soft Drinks Posted by Ginny on Sep 13, 2010
The soft drink market in Japan is huge, and so is the money invested in soft drink commercials. Here are my favorite soft drinks and their respective commercials. Calpis (カルピス) is a milky white soft drink. I love this commercial because it’s funny. The girl is acting out a dialogue where she pretends she is…
Ninja Posted by Ginny on Sep 10, 2010
In Japanese, a “shinobi” (忍び) is a term referring to a “ninja”. Ninjas continue to dominate contemporary imagination in films, movies, comic books and cartoons. The popular anime Naruto (ナルト—) is a story revolving around several ninjas, and even in the U.S., there was a movie called Ninja Assassin in 2009. In Japanese popular culture…