WIN! Memoirs of a Geisha

Last week I promised on my Facebook page that if I reached 100 ‘likes’, I would run a giveaway. Within an hour my numbers jumped from 98 to 105 (not HUGE numbers but I’m still happy), so here’s your giveaway. One lucky person will get their hands on the blog’s book of the month, Memoirs of a Geisha.

The rules

• ‘Like’ the blog on Facebook 
• Leave a comment on this post below

It’s as easy as that. Entries will close 9pm Thursday 31st May and a winner will be selected at random and contacted for a postal address. When you leave a comment make sure you enter an email address (which will be invisible on the blog) when prompted so you can be contacted.

The book will be sent from an online store (my own copy is so dog-eared I don’t think anyone will want it!) so this giveaway is open to the UK only.

See you next week!

The end of Japan?

If you think the title of this week’s blog is just a post-apocalyptic story I’m working on, you’d be very wrong.

New research in Japan suggests that the population in Japan is falling at an even further rate than ever previously imagined. There are now 16.6m children under the age of 14 and this number is decreasing at an average of 1 every 100 seconds. More than 20% of the population is over the age of 65 and, as this percentage continues to rise, it will likely change the way that Japan interacts with the rest of the world. An ageing society typically becomes more risk-averse, withdrawing from international politics in favour of healthcare research and the economic problem posed by an elderly population.

Source: 123rf.com

The most shocking statistic from the research is that, if the population continues in the way it currently is, the last child could be born in Japan in 3011. That’s just under a millenium away. What surprised me the most about the research is how uninterested young Japanese people seem to be in sex. Having been to the country twice, I can safely say that the country isn’t embarrassed about sex; whether it’s in the form of the religiously-originated fertility festivals or the erotic doujinsi shops in Akihabara.

To find out why the population in Japan is continuing to shrink and the problems it poses, read the full article here.

 

Britain’s Got Talent? : ‘Geisha’

I have a guilty confession to make. I’ve been watching Britain’s Got Talent. Usually, I avoid anything that has ‘reality TV’ written all over it and scowl when it clogs up my news feed on Twitter. However, due to a mixture of moving house and new habit of watching TV most evenings after work, I seem to have fallen into the trap.

For those of you who are sick of BGT (or ‘bigot’ – oh I’m so witty), I’ll keep this short. This is the only post of this kind I will ever do but I thought that a lot of you would appreciate the Japan twist. If you’re a bit of a die hard Japanophile, you’ll probably be one of those people who tears their hair out at people who completely misinterpret the culture with horrifying results.

Case in point: Geisha Davis

Source: talent.itv.com

Oh god, that face will forever haunt me in my sleep! Let’s compare this to a geisha you might be more familiar with . . .

Source: apexphotos.com

Would I be stating the obvious that the makeup, clothes and terrifying manner are all wrong? Oh well, I just did. So, what geisha-like things would Geisha (that is apparently her legal name) be doing?

Source: john stevens @ Youtube

‘I-I . . . what is this?’ (followed by 5 minutes of a very confused and distraught face)

Rapping about nursery rhyme characters whilst dressed as a geisha (or frilly handkerchief) probably doesn’t count as talent. But of course, this is BGT, so this girl will be performing in the semi-finals sometime this week. Spectacle, naturally. I can’t make up my mind about Geisha – is she actually a complete nutcase who genuinely believes she is a geisha and has a message for the people, or does she just enjoy acting like this and playing up to the part for the media attention? My vote lies somewhere in the middle, although I don’t want to imagine that anyone can actually be that crazy

At the end of the day, I have to say ‘good for you’ to Geisha for doing what she obviously likes (performing and rapping nursery rhymes) and not giving a damn about what anyone else might say. Still, this is the furthest thing possible from geisha culture but I don’t think that’s really the point this girl’s trying to make.

Happy Golden Week!

Seeing as it’s currently Golden Week in Japan and we’ve got a bank holiday coming up in England, I thought I’d actually take a look at the significance of Golden Week in Japan. As you might have guessed, it’s more than just a typical week-long national holiday…

The Golden Week is a collection of 4 national holidays celebrated in one week:

• Showa Day (April 29) – The birthday of Emperor Showa who died in 1989.
• Constitution Day (May 3) – The anniversary of the post-war constitution being put into effect.
• Greenery day (May 4) – This used to be celebrated on Emperor Showa’s birthday because he loved plants and nature.
• Children’s Day (May 5) – The Boys’ Festival is held on this day and the girls’ is held on March 3. Families pray for the success of their sons by hanging up carp streamers and displaying samurai dolls.

Source: digitalworldtokyo.com

Transport becomes heavily crowded during Golden Week as families take time off to travel and visit relatives. Others go further afield to China or America. Some companies close down completely during the week to give employees much-needed time off and, as such, it is the longest holiday period in Japan for most people.

Source: blog.travelpod.com

Golden Week officially began in July 1948, when the National Holiday Laws declared nine official holidays, many of which were concentrated between the end of April and early May. The film industry experienced a massive boost in revenue and the film Jiyū Gakkō recorded higher ticket sales during this holiday-filled week than any other time in the year (including New Year’s and Obon). The managing director of Daiei Film Co. dubbed this prosperous period ‘Golden Week’, based on the Japanese radio lingo “golden time,” which refers the period with the highest listener ratings.

Source: thiessentwosomejapan.blogspot.co.uk

Out of interest, what are YOU doing this bank holiday (if you’re from the UK)? Personally, I’ll be up in York and will be seeing The Avengers.

You should be watching . . . Mirai Nikki!

Battle Royale meets mobile phones. . .

Source: animeyume.com

Every so often, I hope to come across an anime series that impresses me so much that it warrants its own blog post. Mirai Nikki, or Future Diary, is going to help me test this idea. This 26 episode series, based on the manga by Esuno Sakae, very recently finished airing in Japan and was widely received positively in both Japan and the west.

Amano Yuki is a reclusive high schooler who records everything he sees around him in a diary on his phone. His imaginary friend, Deus ex Machina, presents him with a special diary mentioning a ‘game’ to find a new god. The next day, Yuki’s phone is filled with his own entries spanning across the next 90 days. Deus is not an imaginary friend – he is the umpire of a dangerous game – and Yuki is one of 12 diary holders competing in this life or death match. To win, the opponents’ phones must be broken. Dead end. One of the other contestants is his seemingly cute but unbalanced and dangerous stalker, Gasai Yuno.

At first, this looks like a very predictable show. Introduce a new diary holder who is out to kill Yuki, flesh out their story for one or two episodes, kill them, repeat until it’s just odd couple Yuki and Yuno left. Partly true, although some characters have a lot more staying power than others and the path things eventually go down is something that I certainly couldn’t have guessed in the first half of the series. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can guess the ending, or at least all of it!

Source: anime.me

Mirai Nikki has two major strengths; its characters and suspense. It only makes sense that the other diary holders will be at least interesting and, having looked around online, some of them have a larger fan base than the main characters. Case in point, Deus’ wonderfully commanding booming voice belongs to Norio Wakamoto (the Japanese equivalent of Sir Patrick Stewart) but my personal favourite is Ninth, Uryuu Minene, an angry terrorist complete with eyepatch and explosives who is surprisingly the most likeable one in the show. Yuki is a wet blanket hiding behind crazed murderess Yuno. It really is a ‘girl power’ show.

Source: animevice.com

The very nature of the show means that it’s going to be suspenseful. Lots of dramatic deaths, chase scenes, emotional trauma and violence. It has elements of shows like Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, which flit between cutesy school girls and axe-wielding blood-splattering murders. The good news is it’s not just a run-of-the-mill death match series as it really does have a lot of layers. There are lots of other characters involved; Yuki’s school friends, his parents, Yuno’s mysterious family. . . the list goes on.

I was hooked on this show from the first episode. It’s explosive and dramatic but it still retains this sense of emotional conflict. How long can Yuki rely on Yuno to kill his enemies? What is the secret behind the game? Will people outside the game as the players bid to become god? And, of course, who will win?

Week 24: Trigun and teriyaki

Sorry for the slightly late post – I was away over the weekend and have spent the last week finishing my epic eBay clearout (which ended up becoming my second job after I got home from my actual job)! Anyway, here’s the traditional format that this blog has become known for. I’m going to start branching out into different areas though, mainly because it’s less taxing for me to write and it’s also more interesting for your readers. Speaking of, make sure you subscribe, as I really am back for good now!

News story of the week: Arranged marriages make a comeback in Japan

Source: News on Japan

Until 1945 they were almost universal. They started to decline during the post war American occupation, but as late as 1960 it is estimated that 70 per cent of weddings were arranged. Westernisation and the increasing independence of women led to a marked decline. By 1990 the proportion of arranged marriages is thought to have fallen to around 30 per cent of the total.

But things changed in the after a swathe of the country was devastated by the tsunami and earthquake . . .

Arranged marriage is very uncommon over here and, until recently, it was far less common than it used to be in Japan. No doubt strong family ties and traditional values play an important role in this resurgence of arranged marriage in the country. For the full article, head over to News on Japan now.

Destination of the week: Tsumago

Tsumago was an important post town on the route between Kyoto and Edo (otherwise known as Tokyo). Today, it is a very well preserved historical town thanks to the work of its residents. The Honjin, the principle inn serving travelling officials, and Wakihonjin, which accommodated travellers of lower status are still maintained, recreating the historical post town atmosphere.

Many ryokan, traditional Japanese inns, are located in the town as well as the Tsumago Castle ruins. Depending on how much time you have to spare, the old walking trail to Magome is worth exploring. The town is not particularly easy to access; the best option is to either take one of the infrequent buses or a taxi from Nagiso Station, which is accessible from Nagoya and Nagano Stations. Still, for the authentic historical Japanese holiday, Tsumago really should be on your list.

Source: japan-guide.com

Japanese saying of the week: I no naka no kawazu taikai wo shirazu

Literally, ‘a frog in a well does not know the great sea’. This is a very simple proverb – a person who is trapped in their own way of life does not know of any other and is therefore scared of it. People only know their own surroundings and therefore don’t have any real knowledge of anything else.

Bento of the week: Fighting Fish

Apparently these two fighting fish actually represent a showdown between bloggers J.D Roth and Trent Hamm. (I’m not making that up!) I have no idea what the ingredients consist of in this one but I suspect those fish are actually sweets . . .

Source: thedigeratilife.com

Series of the week: Trigun

Source: qirien.icecavern.net

I recently polled the blog’s Facebook page, asking what anime people wanted reviewing next. With a land slide victory, here’s Trigun, a staple Space Western anime for many fans.

The story follows Vash the Stampede, also known as the Human Typhoon, a wandering gunman with a bounty on his head. He travels from town to town, inevitably causing destruction, followed by two women employed by the Bernadelli Insurance Society. Despite the sixty billion ‘double dollars’ bounty of his head, Vash is a kind-hearted man who tries to save lives. He cannot clearly remember the incident that earned him the bounty, the destruction of the city of July. Occasionally joined by the priest Nicholas Wolfwood, another gunman with a mysterious past.

At first, Trigun looks like a slapstick show that relies more on comic relief than plot. However, it soon shifts towards the darker and dramatic side and is well-known for having one of the strongest and more emotional endings of any anime. It also has the cutest mascot kitty! If you like your action, gun fights and plot, Trigun should be on your immediate ‘to watch’ list.

Score: 9/10

Weird thing of the week: Konbini

Source: inhabitat.com

You can tell I haven’t blogged for a while. This feature was the request of the website banner art winner, Wai San. Konbeni, also known as 7/11, are convenience stores that can be found all over Japan. They’re much more impressive than your British ones (obviously) – some of the stranger items include shirts for extremely busy salary men, bento boxes and ticket reservations for shows, theme parks and so on. No two konbini are the same as the range of products is always slightly different, due to the major operators competing for new innovative products. For the busy travelling tourist, the kobeni breakfast is an essential item that you’ll be eating a lot. You’ll always find something weird and wonderful in a konbini, whether it’s a Dragon Ball crisps or sparkling soy water.

Recipe of the week: Chicken teriyaki

Chicken teriyaki is a staple lunchtime dish in Japan and for a very good reason – it’s delicious! This week’s recipe has been taken from norecipes.

Ingredients

• 4-6 skin-on boneless chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons mild flavored honey (or maltose)
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons sake

Method

1) Combine the water, soy sauce, brown sugar and mirin in large ziploc bag and add the chicken thighs. Press out as much air as you can and seal the bag. Let this sit in the fridge for at least an hour.

2) To make the teriyaki sauce, just add the honey, soy sauce, mirin and sake to a small sauce pan and boil over medium heat until the sauce is glossy and slightly viscous (it won’t get quite as thick as the jarred types). It should take on a caramelized taste but be careful not to burn it.

3) When you’re ready to grill the chicken, turn the broiler on and move the oven rack up to the upper position. Put a wire rack on a baking sheet (I use the rack out of my toaster oven), and put the chicken thighs skin side down onto the rack (the idea is to keep the meat elevated off the pan).

4) Grill until brown then flip so the skin side faces up. Baste the skin side with teriyaki sauce and continue to broil until the skin is golden brown with just a few charred spots. Give the chicken one final baste with the teriyaki sauce and serve.

You can, of course, buy teriyaki sauce by the bottle and save yourself the trouble of making the sauce from scratch but it just won’t taste as good!

Source: norecipes.com

Final Thoughts

Until next week!

Kofu shout out!

Well, now that I am officially employed (hurrah!) the blog posts are definitely going to be shorter … at least for a few weeks whilst I balance it out with my ongoing eBay clearout. I’m doing something different this week! Some of you may know that I’m currently doing research for a story, set in Sengoku-era Japan.

Without giving much away, as it’s still a work in progress, it’s set in Kofu and focuses on the clashes between Takeda Shingen and Tokugawa Ieyasu. What I’m lacking is information on the Kai province (which no longer exists); photos, blogs and so on. I’m therefore asking people if they have any information on Kai, particularly the city of Kofu. Any information, stories, pictures or just general knowledge would be great. Everything will help. Either contact me on Twitter or email sophiesjapanblog@live.co.uk . Thank you in advance!

Source: camelsaloonasia @ blogspot