Annoucement

Thank you for visiting my blog :) I like providing everything about my culture, Japan. Also, I think this is great to share ideas with you from all over the world.

Now, for some personal reasons, I will take a short break here. Hopefully, I can write my blog soon :) I will be back again!

Thanks for reading.

Shibuya

Photos of Shibuya

The Soul of Japan, Bushido

If you are ever fascinated by Samurai or Ninja, you definitely should read this book, called “Bushido (武士道)”. This book is not only talking about Samurai but also about how Japanese interprets matters and how they act against it.

Bushido is the book about “The Soul of Japan”. You could know the basis of Japanese soul a (Behavior, Loyalty, Duty, Education, Etiquette etc), and how special country Japanese is from this book. For example, when you give a present for someone, what do you say or do? Probably, you tell the person how nice the present is. However, Japanese people say “Tsumaranai Mono Desuga(つまらないものですが)” which means “Please accept my small gift” which might sound strange to some of you. Japanese people think that no gift is enough for the person who receives it. The gift is like a symbol of feeling toward the person.

The writer of Bushido is Inazo Nitobe (新渡戸稲造) who was painted in Japanese 5000 yen bill before. He was born in 1862 in Morioka prefecture, Northern Japan. He became a Christian in his agricultural school in Hokkaido. He went to Johns Hopkins University in the U.S and Universität Bonn in Germany. In 1891, he got married toMary Elkington who was an American. Inazo eventually became an administrative vice-minister for the United Nations. He wrote Bushido in English during his medical treatment. The book was translated into many languages, and it affected people all over the world.

I recommend this book even to Japanese people. This is interesting to see Japanese culture from the outside. Things we do is normal for us, but sometimes it is very special and even curious when it is compared to other countries. Check out this book, and find out Japanese soul!

Yokohama Bay Stars V.S. Hanshin Tigers

I went go baseball game again! Today's game was Japanese professional baseball game.

Hanshin Tigers V.S. Yokohama Bay Stars in Yokohama stadium.

Again, Japanese charactors on the board. Does anyone feel strange? lol

This is how Japanese baseball fun cheer up their teams. They sing all the time...

I was at Bay Stars side. You can see blue color all over. That's the team color.

The other side is Tigers'. Yellow is all over!

And this picture is after the moment Takahiro Arai in Hanshin Tigers acheived his 1000th hit!

Yokohama Bay Stars' Dance performance. The charactors look cute :) Their faces are star.

Today's game was awsome. After Arai's 1000th hit,

Timonori Kanemoto acheieved his 2000th hit!! What a great show!

He is 37th player who made the 2000th hit record in Japan. Omedeto!!

Sakura in Shinjukugyoen

I went to see Sakura(cherry blossoms) in Shinjukugyoen (新宿御苑) whish is huge and histrical park in Shinjuku ward in Tokyo. Here is about Shinjukugyoen.

Shinjukugyoen has 58.3 ha and the perimeter is about 3.5 km. Here is the map.

It was clowdy when I went there, but Sakura bloomed beautifully.

It was a garden for the Imperial Household, but became national park after war.

I think Japanese people are most crazy nation for Sakura.

People love to just watch and do Hanami party under the trees.

You can get in the part at 200 yen for an adult. I think sports stuff is not allowed, but you can lay down on the ground and relax, and even lunch :)

MLB Opening Game in Tokyo on March 25th!!

Tokyo Dome. It looks really beautiful at night with light up.

It was really crowded... I saw many people had snacks, bento, and beer in their hand. Before people enter the dome, they had baggage check.

People, people, people!! All seats are sold out on this day, of course.

Manny Ramirez in Boston Red Sox.

Kurt Suzuki in Oakland Athletics. His grandparents are from Japan. He is originally from Hawaii. I think nobody in Japan know about him until this match that there is a Japanese player in Athletics.

Here are Daisuke Matsuzaka!

Dice-K seemed pretty tense at the very begining of the game. he got a home run in the first inning. This is the moment, you really can's the ball though.

Is this information is only in Japan? My foreign friend said this is very Japanese.

The game was nice. I was concentrated on eating hot dog at first :P Anyway, I stayed there till 8th inning. I wanted to stay there but I had to leave there early to avoid crowed. In 10th inning, Okajima in Boston Red Sox pitched and won the game! (I'm sad I missed the inning!)

MLB Opening Game in Tokyo

On March 25th and 26th, there will be season openers in 2008 of Boston Red Sox vs. Oakland Athletics in Tokyo, Japan.

This is third time to have the opening game in Japan (NY Mets vs. Chicago Cabs in 2000, NY Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays in 2004)

Daisuke Matsuzaka, Boston Red Sox will be a starting pitcher.

I will watch the game on 25th. Hopefully I can show you some photos and write about the game soon!

White Day -It’s Boys Turn-

Just right one month later of Valentine’s Day on March 14th, there exist “White Day” in Japan.

Girls present chocolate to boys on Valentine’s Day (refer to Valentine’s Day) and it is the day that girls confess their love to boys. Then what is White Day? If you receive chocolate on Valentine’s Day, you “have to” give them back sweets like candy, marshmallow and white chocolate to girls. This day is originally born in Japan.

These days, I see boys are buying sweets preparing for White Day. It is said that it is manner to give back to girls something deserves three times. So, boys simply can’t give cheep sweets to girls.

White Day custom is carrying out in Taiwan and Korea as well. I know there are black day, yellow day, rose day etc about love romance in Korea. What about in your country?

The Japanese Sword Museum

Ninja, Samurai, Daimyou…People outside Japan are fascinated by the Japanese culture, especially boys.

There is one maniac museum in Shibuya word, The Japanese Sword Museum (日本刀博物館). Katana (Japanese swords) are displayed all over in the museum. It has a collection of 120 pieces of swords and sword fittings including National Treasure and important Cultural Property.

The fee is 525 yen for an adult and you can get brochure in English. The title of brochure is “Manual of How to Handle and Take Care of Swords”. I found it is quite interesting even you don’t have any Katana. For instance, “Whether drawing out a Tachi or Katana, one must hold the cutting edge up and grasp the scabbard from underneath in the left hand in a forward holding position. Then, hold the hilt from above with the right hand” quotation from the brochure.

I admit the Katana are shinny and beautiful. There are even art. However, I felt it was OK because only Katana are displayed (there is an old Japanese armor displayed though) and maybe girls are less interested in this stuff. If you are Katana mania, this is must-visit place for sure.

The Hip-Hop Black Guy Who Finds Japanese Soul

ジェロ(JERO, Jerome White, Jr) is such an awesome black guy who made his debut as an Enka singer in Japan!

ジェロ was born in 1981 in the Pittsburg, the U.S. His grandmother was Japanese (already passed away), and he was affected by her who loved Enka (演歌, a traditional-style Japanese popular song).

The guy who learned how great Enka from his grandmother went to Pittsburg University majored in science. Since he was fascinated by Enka a lot, he came to Japan to be an Enka singer in 2003. While he worked as a computer engineer in Japan, he was keep singing as an armature Enka singer. In February, 2008, he made his debut as a professional singer with the song, “海雪(Umiyuki, ocean snow)” from Victor Entertainment.

Here is his first song music video, 海雪 by Jero. Check this out!!

You would believe “Japanese” sings this song if you hear only the song itself. The gap with Jero’s appearance which is just like hip-hop guy attracts people in Japan. Jero himself and that singing style (even hip-hop dance with the Enka song shown in the music video) are very fresh and innovative idea.

Now, Jero’s 海雪is in top 10 in music chart in Japan.

*By the way, he says he is not interested in hip-hop songs. He only sings Enka!