I’ll still be going to Hyper Japan, which I’m really looking forward to, and my next post will be a report on that. I’m estimating I’ll be taking four or so weeks off but I’ll have a surprise ready for you when I return.

Don’t despair! There are still some things to do while the blog is inactive. For starters, you can go back through the archives on the right hand side of the page. Secondly, if you have any suggestions for content or want to write for the blog, email me at sophiesjapanblog@live.co.uk. You can also answer the polls I’ve left below.

Source: peterpayne.net

I’m very pleased to announce that I spoke with Peter Payne, founder of www.jlist.com, and can now post the interview on the blog for you lovely readers! This could not have come at a better time as there’s currently a sale on their Japanese sweets and chocolates, so get cracking and buy some stuff!

Not heard of Jlist before? Here’s an introduction straight from the website itself:

‘Do you love Japanese stuff? J-List is a wonderful toybox of things from Japan, with hentai games, Japanese anime goods, doujinshi and manga, and more!’

Yaaay, hentai?

Long story short, I bought a Tiger & Bunny calendar for my friend through Jlist at Christmas and was surprised when another friend bought me the same thing. I’m in love with the range of products on the site (mainly the sweets and drinks) and would like to point out that my birthday’s soon! *hint hint* I tweeted Peter asking if I could send him some questions, he kindly said yes, and the rest is history. On that note, let’s jump in!

For the benefit of those who don’t already know, please introduce yourself.

Well, I’m Peter Payne, an American who came to live in Japan in 1991, during the reign of Bush the First. Before the Internet really hit, so it was really old school back then.

How did you move from teaching English in Japan to setting up Jlist? What was the best thing about teaching for you?

Really Netscape was a pretty important moment for me. Just hearing all the silly news about Netscape’s IPO and how the “new economy” was coming was a wake-up call, and I told my wife Mrs. J-List (note, not her real name) that I wanted to start a company. Before officially starting I tested the water for a year or so by posting lists of products I’d had for sale (mostly used music CDs, which is where we got our start) so by then I knew the demand was enough to make the business viable.Along the way we learned the power of blogging, and we’ve had a wild ride ever since.

What was the inspiration for Jlist? Was running such a business always a dream for you?

We really started porting dating-sim games, aka eroge, though no one called them that back in 1996. We literally started J-List to “tide us over” until the H-game business took off, which was silly, looking back.

What would you say is the single weirdest item you have on Jlist?

One of the products that defined us was the Hello Kitty shoulder massager made by Sanrio, which everyone naturally assumed was for massaging some other part of the body. That kind of mix of wacky with cute was really fun.

Can you tell us a bit more about your family in Japan?

I blog about them quite a bit. Just me, my Japanese wife, son and daughter. They are bilingual, having grown up with a dad who is American rather than Japanese, but they’re average kids. My son is becoming quite an otaku, and actively scouts 2ch for “neta” (topics for me to write about) in my blog posts. I often thing our life would make an interesting 4-koma manga, something like Darling wa Gaikokujin with otaku jokes in it.

Seeing as Jlist is having a sale this month on its chocolate, what do you recommend?

Hmm, just about anything is good. Green Tea Kit Kats are another iconic item from Japan these days. One thing is, we are forced to remove all chocoalte products from May to October since summer is so hot here, so anyone interested in ordering some of these items should do so before May. (We always get a flood of mails when chocolate goes away on the site.)

What advice would you give to people would want to become fluent in Japanese and live in Japan?

Hmm, big question. I’d recommend anyone considering a move here visit and look around, see what jobs etc would be realistic. While I did the ESL teaching thing and it was good, it’s really not the best job in the world, and Japan is frankly flooded with would-be teachers now. (If you don’t have a degree, you can’t even get a visa, so obviously go back to school if you are considering Japan in your future.)

Do you get to visit other places in Japan outside of work?

Oh, I get around quite a bit. Took a nice trip up to Tohoku and Hokkaido a couple of years ago, and want to go back soon, in part to spend some money to help the region recover economically.) Though the life of a business owner is never an easy one.

So, what’s next for Jlist?

Hmm, we have some new project to announce soon, but I can’t discuss it right now. It will be non-eroge and will hopefully be of interest to all anime fans. I wonder what it could be!

Thirdly, the blog finally has a custom-made banner! The winning banner is by Wai San for her konbeni breakfast piece. Head over the artwork page to see her other entry and link to her Deviantart account. I’m always looking for new things to add to the artwork page, so send anything you’ve got my way.

Finally, my blog views are OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAND! I think this actually happened last week but I’ve only just noticed. I’d like to thank everyone who reads and has subscribed to the blog. Knowing that people really enjoy it is what makes it all the worthwhile.

News Story of the Week: Japan’s elderly population turns to gaming

What’s your reaction to your grandad attempting to play something like Dance Central 2 on the Wii? Embarassment, shame, amusement? Japan’s massively popular gaming arcades do not just attract teenagers and young adults but an increasing number of retired people. The median age at Yokohama’s Sega Corporation game arcade is not pre-teen but closer to post-retirement!

What is the reason for this social phenomenon? A rapidly ageing nation is certainly a key factor, with the population expected to shrink by 30% by 2060 when seniors will outnumber children 4 to 1. Gaming arcades have already spotted this trend and are actively trying to entice elderly people to their business with treats such as frequent player cards, both for mobiles and the more traditional stamp cards.

Most elderly people prefer the traditional analog games, such as the coin slot machines, rather than the shooting games. For them, the arcade is a more exciting alternative to staying home in front of the TV and it keeps their brain active. With an increasingly ageing population, the future of Japanese gaming arcades is certainly an interesting one.

Source: cnn.com

Destination of the Week: Kamikochi

Kamikochi is a popular mountain resort in the Japanese Alps (Nagano Prefecture). It is only open between April and November and offers views of some of Japan’s best mountain scenery.

Running roughly 15 kilometers along a plateau, surrounded by tall mountains and active volcano Yakedake, Kamikochi is part of the Chubu Sangaku National Park. It is a protected area, with only a few souvenir shops, mountain huts and hiking trails, and accessible only by bus or taxi. Completing the picture is the suspended Kappa-bashi Bridge over the Azusa-gawa River. The resort is best enjoyed by hiking and the terrain is largely flat, so good news for unprofessional ramblers. For a challenge, you can take a steep climb to reach the surrounding mountain peaks.

Before the Meiji Period, only woodsman had access to Kamikochi. However, walking was later introduced as a pasttime and more people gradually visited the area. The first climber of the mountains was said to be a Buddhist priest from the Toyoma region, as mountain climbing was seen as a natural form of worship.

Source: sunnyfortuna.com

Japanese Saying of the Week: Monowa tameshi

This is a very simple proverb this week. ‘Give it a try’ or ‘it’s worth a try’.  In other words, you’ll never know until you try.

Samurai of the Week: Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen

The Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen, otherwise known as the Takeda Nijūshi-shō, are one of the many famous military groupings of the Sengoku period. These men were some of the most trusted commanders of the Takeda armies and close advisers. Many of them died at the Battle of Nagashino in 1575 when their forces clashed with Oda Nobunaga’s. These retainers ranged from displaced samurai to family members to those whose lands were taken over by the Takeda. The full list of these generals can be found at the Samurai Archives website, so I will list just a few of the most interesting ones.

Many of these warriors were famed for their bravery in battle. Baba Nobufusa and Hara Toratane were said to have fought in over 70 battles without being injured. Yamagata Masakage dressed his troops in red to instil fear into the enemies, earning them the title ‘Red Regiment’. Some of the generals earned nicknames for their bravery, such as Akiyama Nobutomo ’The Raging Bull of the Takeda Clan’ and Obu Toramasa ‘The Wild Tiger of Kai’. All of these generals, including Sanada Masayuki, the father of Sanada Yukimura, earned their place in history for the skills they displayed in various important battles including Uedahara and Mikatagahara.

Not all of these warriors were incredibly loyal. Oyamada Nobushige deserted Shingen’s son Katsuyori in favour of the Oda but Nobunaga later executed him for his cowardice.

Interestingly, Kōsaka Masanobu was one of Shingen’s lovers (as the practice of the older samurai taking on a younger one was widely practised and often encouraged in that period), although this was something that the two officially denied in a love pact.

The concept of the Takeda Nijūshi-shō was actually drawn up by an artist during the Edo period and merely drew together Shingen’s greatest warriors, not necessarily ones who all fought at the same time.

Source: historum.com

Bento of the Week: Nyanko burger

Here is a healthy vegetarian bento! Walnut rice cheeseburger with the popular Nyan Nyan Nyanko character. Sweet and delicious. You can even make it yourself with the recipe that Happy Little Bento has kindly put together. The rest of her bento are also well worth checking out!

Source: happylittlebento @ blogspot

Series of the Week: Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

There are two Fullmetal Alchemist (FMA) series – the one that strayed from the original manga when it was nowhere near finished, and the one that sticks to the original story by Hiromu Arakawa. Brotherhood is the second ‘series’ and it has pleased fans both new and old.

The world of FMA is one of alchemy. Two brothers and aspiring alchemists, Edward and Alphonse Elric, try to bring their mother back from the dead but fail miserably. Alphonse’s soul is ripped from its body and Edward loses his leg and then his arm when reattaching his brother’s soul to an inanimate suit of armour. It makes for a rather dramatic opening scene; screaming children with bloodied bodies. In order to restore their bodies back to normal, they travel across the country riddled with political intrigue and corruption, looking for the Philosopher’s Stone. However, will they still want to use it once they learn the secret behind the stone’s creation?

If you watched the original FMA anime (2004), you might be put off by committing time to watching a retelling of the story. DON’T. Brotherhood (2010) is much darker than its predecessor and includes a lot of characters and plotpoints that the original anime series overlooked, which notably riled up its creator. While the original 2004 was running and made some dramatic changes, Arakawa took her revenge by dragging the FMA manga down a much darker route. The result for the manga, and FMA Brotherhood, was therefore emotional and dark. I’ve lost track of how many times I welled up when watching it.

This series has everything; loss of innocence, explosive fight scenes, complex characters, a political backdrop and war. It’s dark and gruesome but brilliantly told. The fact that the main characters are still children makes it even more emotional. Both the manga and Brotherhood series are masterpieces in their own right and you really should dedicate time to both of them if you can.

Source: 10/10 (quite simply, a masterpiece)

Source: myanimelist.net

Weird Thing of the Week: Valentine’s Day in Japan

Valentine’s Day is, of course, a Western celebration that the Japanese have embraced . . . with a twist. Instead of men wooing women with chocolates and flowers, it is only the women who give presents to men. In Japan, Valentine’s Day is seen as the perfect (and possibly only) day for women to express their feelings. In reality, this tradition was merely something thought up by a smart chocolate company that knew women were more likely to spend a lot of money on their products.

To complicate it even further, receiving chocolates from a woman does not necessarily mean that she fancies you. It could just be ‘Giri-choko’, obligation chocolate, intended for family, bosses or platonic male friends. A man that she is romantically interested in will receive the more coveted honmei-choko. ‘Giri’, mutual obligation, is very important in Japanese culture as you are obliged to return the favour if someone does you a favour.

It’s not all take take take for the men, however, as they are expected to return gifts to women on White Day (March 14), a day that is a Japanese creation.

Instead of saying ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ in Japan, you should say ‘omedetou’.

Source: chaptershi @ wordpress

Recipe of the Week: Sweet Berry Sushi

Alright, so this might not be a traditional dish but it’s sweet and therefore ideal for Valentine’s Day! This was the Bronze Winner from the Original Sushi Competition 2003, over on eat-japan.com.

Ingredients

• 180g sushi rice
• A selection of berries(any kind)
• Some chocolate sprinkles
• 10 mint leaves

For the crepe mix:

• 1 egg
• 70g wheat flour
• 15g bar chocolate
• 15g coca powder
• 250cc milk

Method

1) To make the crepe mix, first grate the bar of chocolate finely and melt it (by putting it in a bowl then placing the bowl into boiling water, halfway up the bowl). Strain the flour and cocoa powder well and mix in the egg, milk and melted chocolate (in that order),then strain.

2) Cook ten crepes from the mix in a very light oiled, or non-stick frying pan.

3) Mix the rice with the chocolate sprinkles. Wrap it in the crepes and put into small glasses.

4) Put the berries on the rice and place the mint leaves on top.

Source: eat-Japan.com

Final Thoughts

I’m putting together a Japanese wishlist as it’s my birthday in just over a month. As such, I’m craving green tea Kit Kats! I love matcha and Kit Kats, so this is an obvious choice for me. Any other suggestions as to what I should buy or ask for, send me a link!

Also, as I forgot to mention it last week, check out February’s book of the month!

Also, if you have some time spare this weekend, consider entering the blog’s art competition! The deadline is Monday 6th.

News Story of the Week: Extreme snow in Japan

Think the cold spell in Britain’s bad? It’s much worse in Japan. In fact, there are far too many stories emerging on this topic that it was impossible to pick out just one. In light of this, I am linking you to three separate stories from the News on Japan website (one of my main sources for Japanese news).

Firstly, 51 people across Japan died due to the extreme blizzards gripping the country. On the same day, it emerged the an avalanche in Hokkaido killed three bathers in an onsen. Thursday evening saw 500 vehicles being stranded by snow in the northern Aomori Prefecture. People unable to return home have been offered public lodgings in assembly halls and primary schools and even Tokyo is experiencing heavy snow. These are the worst snowstorms that Japan has faced in 5 years.

The most extreme weather conditions are confined to northern Japan, particularly the island of Hokkaido. However, much of the country is currently gripped by an unforgiving and potentially deadly snowfall.

Source: Japantimes.co.jp

Destination of the Week: Amanohashidate

Roughly meaning ‘bridge in the heaven’, Amanohashidate is a 3.6 kilometre long pine tree covered sand bar stretching between Miyazu Bay in the northern Kyoto Prefecture. It is ranked as one of Japan’s three most scenic views, the nihon sankei.

Amanohashidate is a beautiful 2 hour side trip from the historical capital Kyoto and is particularly ideal for nature lovers. At the southern end of the bar stands Chionji, a lovely Buddhist temple with a small tahoto, a small pagoda. The sand bar is best viewed from the hills on either side of the bay, accessible by cablecar. Turn your back towards the bay, bend over and look at it from between your legs – Amanohashidate will now look like the ‘bridge in the heaven’. This ‘practice’ has been continuing for well over a millenium.

Source: Japan-guide.com

Japanese Saying of the Week: Tonari no shibafu wa aoi 

This old saying translates to ‘the neighbour’s lawn is green’. You may be more familiar with its western equivalent; ‘the grass is always greener of the other side’. The alternative solution or another person’s situation will nearly always leave you longing for another life instead. Enjoy your own life and stop wishing to be in someone else’s shoes.

Samurai of the Week:  Hôjô Ujiyasu

The Hôjô clan were one of the most prominent samurai families in early Japanese history, and Ujiyasu is described as its greatest Daimyô by some scholars. He assumed control of the family after his father Ujitsuna’s death and inherited a series of forts along the Sumida River, the most important of them being Kawagoe. The rival Uesugi forces and their allies attacked Kawagoe and isolated it but Ujiyasu came to its rescue. His night attack has been recorded as one of the greatest in samurai history because of the skill and precision involved.

After Kawagoe (1545), the majority of smaller daimyô in the Kanto region were effectively under the control of the Hôjô. Ujiyasu significantly reorganised the administration of the lands and transformed Odawara into an important trading centre. However, their western borders were blocked by the powerful Takeda and Imagawa clans and so the Hôjô were forced to assume the defensive position that they were later to become very famous for in history. Although Ujiyasu made some progress in expanding eastward, he continually came into conflict with clans such as the Satomi and Satake.

Much of Ujiyasu’s later life was occupied by clashes with Kenshin Uesugi, who invaded and burned Odawara, although there was never a decisive conflict between the two clans. Although the Hôjô and Takeda made a tactical alliance in 1562, it was undermined when Takeda Shingen adopted Kenshin’s seventh son. This led to a series of battles in the Suruga Province that culminated in a second brief siege of Odawara, which the Hôjô only just managed to hold onto.

Although Ujiyasu officially retired in 1560 in favour of his eldest son Ujimasa, he continued to guide the clan until his death in 1571. He was both a talented general and administrator, although his clan would meet its demise just two generations later.

Source: samurai-archives.com

Bento of the Week: Dragon

As it’s the year of the dragon in the Chinese zodiac, what’s better than a dragon bento? Take a look at bentolicious’ dragon bento; made from rice, steamed coriander, cucumber, tiny pork sausages and chilli. Do I spy a Pokemon?

Source: mybentolicious.com

Series of the Week: Oban Star Racers

Now, this is a potentially controversial choice, as some people don’t consider Oban Star Racers to be an anime because it’s not 100% Japanese. In fact, this show is a joint French-Japanese venture that ran on Jetix TV a few years ago. I have fond memories of this show as a teenager, as I was a massive French geek at the time and was just getting round to discovering anime properly (Pokemon and Sailor Moon were probably the only anime I watched as a child).

The story takes place on earth in 2082 and the planet has been invited to compete in the galactic Great Race of Oban. The prize – being granted any wish by the great Avatar, even bringing back a loved one from the dead. Eva Wei escapes boarding school to find her father Don Wei, who left her there after the death of her mother and his wife, who was a racer. Don Wei fails to recognise Eva and, in order to stay with the team, she poses as an engineer named Molly. After a mysterious accident forces Earth’s pilot to forfeit the race, ‘Molly’ steals the ship and enters the next race with its pilot, Jordan. Haunted by her mother’s death and her relationship with her father, Molly aims to win the race and reunite her family.

In case you were wondering, ‘is this some awful run-of-the mill western cartoon masquerading as an anime?’, consider the team behind it. The score is composed by Taku Iwasaki, most famous for his work on Gurren Lagann, and the storyboard has had the likes of Yoshimitsu Ohashi, who worked on Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood and Trigun, on board. On top of that, the English voice cast features the talents of Brian Drummond and Sam Vincent.

Oban Star Racers was a nostalgic project for both viewers and its producer, Savin Yeatman-Eiffel. Fans of the show will already know that his goal was to creative a distinctive show that was both emotive, gripping and reminiscent of the shows that he fondly remembered as a child. He then set up his own ‘Sav! The World’ studios and it took 9 years for the show to take form, three of them spent in Japan working with Japanese animators.

I have fond memories of this show for a number of reasons; specifically its plot, music and artwork. Whilst the show ran for just 26 episodes and shows no signs of making a comeback (this may not be a bad thing as it is great as a standalone project), Oban Star Racers is definitely recommended if you want to feel some nostalgia. I think it might be in the same band as My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic, which has garnered a lot of adult (male) followers despite the fact that it’s meant to be a children’s programme. It’s definitely worth checking out, either way.

Score: 8/10 (beautiful and moving. A lot of effort was put into this show and it deserves more love.)

Source: interney.net

Weird Thing of the Week: Yankii

There are a lot of things that Japan has picked up from the west, some of them much more unfortunate than others. One of these more unfortunate fashion trends is the yankii phenomenon, a play on the American word for ‘yankee’ or ‘white trash’. In British culture, you can probably call them chavs.

Yankii are young men and women who dye their hair blonde, wear cheap clothes, smoke, drink, swear and have children before leaving high school. They are famous for being loud, rude and not conforming to Japanese societal norms. Although they were in fashion around the late 80s and 90s, you will still see the odd few wondering around Tokyo today. Rather than being a fashion statement (as opposed to lolita, visual kei etc) the yankii have become a symbol of how the country has fallen from grace – terrorising old ladies and not doing their homework. Sound familiar?

The yankii can best be described as a social phenomenon that thrives off lawlessness and rebelliousness. Although certain films such as Battle Royale largely glamorised them, they are not looked upon favourably in Japanese culture. Whilst they may still appear to be more troublemakers than potential rioters or criminals, the fact that they are disrespectful and rebellious is enough to upset many older Japanese people.

Source: cracked.com

Recipe of the Week: Dashimaki Tamago

Osechi is the traditional Japanese New Year’s meal made up by an array of small dishes presented in beautiful boxes. Each osechi dish symbolises something different: from hope for a bountiful harvest, safety for loved ones, longevity, or fertility.  One of these dishes is dashimaki tamago, Japanese-style omelette.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1/3 tsp dashi soup (substitute miso)
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce
• Dash of salt

Method

1) Crack eggs in a bowl and mix.

2) Add cold dashi soup, soy sauce and salt to the eggs and mix.

3) Heat in a rectangle shaped frying pan (a circular one will do). Oil the pan by putting a little cooking oil on a paper towel and swiping it in the pan.

4) Add about 25% of the egg mixture, and when it toughens, fold it over 5 or 6 times like an omelette until it takes up 1/4 of the space in the pan.

5) Using the paper towel, add a little more oil then add another 25% of the egg mixture to the surface of the pan. Lift the folded egg a little bit to let the new batch run underneath.

6) When the new batch toughens, fold the egg again, beginning with initial folded egg to create a singular folded omelette. Repeat this process twice more until you have one large omelette.

7) Move the omelette to the side, letting it cool for a couple of minutes, then slice lengthwise into 1/2″ pieces.

Source: japanfoodaddict.com

Final Thoughts

I’ve made some changes to the ‘about’ section of the blog. It’s nothing major but I just wanted to clarify that I am not an expert on Japan, just someone who is very interested in and decided to write a blog on it. Then again, I’m sure that most of you, like me, are just interested in Japan and like finding out something new about it every week! That’s the purpose of this blog, after all! All that’s left to say is – thanks for taking the time to read this (and subscribe *hint hint*)!

This isn’t the standard blog formula, as I usually don’t fawn over fictional men on here but this is a ‘just for fun’ piece. In other words, these are my personal choices, so don’t flame me if I haven’t featured whatshisname and don’t abandon this blog forever if you’ve just discovered it and were looking for something more substantial. Also, this isn’t just an ‘oh my god, he’s so pretty so he’s on the list’ list – this is a list that covers every aspect of character from psychosis to arrogance to MANLINESS. The third one is particularly important.

All characters names are written in their original Japanese versions (surname first, first name second), unless you see this star – * – next to their name.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS! If you plan to watch any of the series on this list, skip the relevant paragraph and go watch the show!

10) Okita Souji (Hakuouki)

Source: zerochan.net

If you read my ‘samurai of the week’ feature, you might recognise this name. You might also remember that I discussed Hakuouki a few weeks back and said it wasn’t a brilliant show in itself but the bountiful amount of bishounen made up for it. Therefore, I was obliged to include this guy in my top ten.

The Hakuouki series revolves around the Shinsengumi’s struggle against pro-western forces in Japan, with a (fictional) substory about the dangerous ‘ochimizu’ that is being taken by some of its members and turning them into demons. History tells us that they ultimately lost and that Souji died from tuberculosis. The anime largely sticks to this as the charming and witty Souji contracts the illness and is bedridden for much of the series. He is tricked by the enemy into taking ochimizu, believing that it will cure him but it instead turns him into a demon. In the second season, he succumbs to the effects of the tuberculosis and ochimizu and tragically dies.

Souji’s character is rather two dimensional and, whilst very pretty to look at, the tuberculosis and ochimizu substories don’t do much to add to it. To be fair, he does not feature that prominently in the series once he contracts tuberculosis and is unable to join the Shinsengumi’s campaign. He’s still on the list though because I love my samurai.

9) Ladd Russo (Bacanno!) *

Source: baccano.webs.com

I don’t think Ladd Russo has ever featured on any other ‘men in anime’ list for one very good reason. He’s an absolute psychopath. Without a doubt he’s the most dangerous character on this list. Part of the Russo family, he is a trained hitman and gets giddy over violence. He does not appear to care for anyone other than his lover Lua (who he swears to eventually murder himself), and even killed his own boss, so he is certainly not a man of loyalty.

The wonderful Bacanno! series is set in 1930s America, amid gang warfare, alchemy and murder. The story alternates between different events, one of which is the hijack of the Flying Pussyfoot train by the White Suits (led by Ladd) and Lemure gang simultaneously. The two gangs fight on the train, which leads to some rather amusing yet disturbing scenes of Ladd dancing in a puddle of blood of his fallen comrade.

Ladd Russo makes the list because he is a very memorable villain. I have a weakness for sadistic characters and, given how this guy wears white suits for the sole purpose of making the blood of his enemies stand out more, he wins that crown.

8) Gene Starwind * (Outlaw Star)

Source:  battleforums.com

Alright, this was a really biased choice. Gene Starwind was my childhood hero. Outlaw Star was the first anime I watched that had a lot of swearing (10pm watershed hour, rebellious!) and I don’t remember much about this guy . . . other than the fact that he was an absolute BAD ASS!

Gene is a drinker, a womaniser, lazy and reckless. That said, he isn’t just boring and predictable as a character. We learn early on in the series that he has a fear of space flight, after pirates attacked his ship and killed his father. He eventually overcomes this fear when he forced to take command of the Outlaw Star spaceship in order to help the mysterious Melfina restore her memory. Although he appears reckless and cold, he does open up occasionally and develops feelings for Melfina.

Gene’s on the list because of his impressive weapons itinerary; guns, grenades, rocket launchers, you name it. He’s also pretty manly and he pilots a ship. What’s not to like?

7) Orihara Izaya (Durarara!!)

Source: oneirosia @ wordpress

This was a toss up between two Durarara!! characters – the other was Heiwajima Shizuo, Izaya’s rival. In the end Izaya won because he has the world’s greatest smirk.

Izaya is an underground informant who often manipulates and tricks people into unfortunate situations. Early on in the anime, he tricks a young girl into a suicide pact – texting her and pretending that he is also an emotionally depressed teenager. Once he reveals his true identity on the rooftop from which they were going to jump, he leaves her and says that he does not particularly care what she actually does because he only wanted to observe her reaction to their conversations. Yeah, he’s not a nice guy. Izaya claims that he loves humanity but he does not nor cannot ‘love’ humans. At best, he regards people as friends, calling them informally by prefixes such as ‘kun’ and ‘chan’.

In the series, Izaya manipulates the actions of those around him by leaking information, which he re-enacts on his unusual game board that comprises chess, go and shogi pieces. His goal is to obtain the inanimate head of the headless rider Celty Sturlson so that he can go to Valhalla and start a war in Ikebukuro. He plays by rules that are beyond the rest of humanity’s understanding, as the board shows. Although much of the gang violence unfolding in Ikebukuro intrigues him, he prefers to linger in the shadows and observe rather than actively partake in it. The only exception to this rule is his rival Shizuo, whom he views as the embodiment of violence and goes to great lengths to provoke.

Izaya is on the list because he’s a professional troll. He’s effectively the puppeteer of the series; so, if you like you dickish characters, you’ll probably like him.

6) Takizawa Akira (East of Eden)

Source: edenoftheeast.wikia.com

Akira wins the prize for greatest entry in an anime – turning up naked in front of the White House. The strategically-placed squiggly white lines only add to the hilarity.

At the beginning of the series, he has lost his memory and only has a futuristic phone and gun. He is actually one of the Seleção, unwitting participants in a game created by the mysterious ‘Mr. Outside’. Each player has 10 billion yen on their phone, which they must use to save Japan (or die when the money on the phone runs out). As the series progresses and the other players are revealed, it becomes clear that Akira is the only one who believes he can really save the country and one of the few who is not playing for personal gain. He falls under suspicion at one point when his friends start to suspect that he was responsible for an attempted missile attack and disappearance of 20,000 NEETs but it is later revealed that he made himself a scapegoat in the event, which was why he erased his memory.

Akira is one of the few noble players in the Seleção game and has an awesome phone. Therefore, he’s on the list.

5) Roy Mustang * (Full Metal Alchemist)

Source: zerochan.net

Full Metal Alchemist was my first proper anime ‘fandom’ and Roy Mustang was always the GOD of this series. He is on the list. Deal with it.

‘Colonel’ Roy aka The Flame Alchemist is a State Alchemist who plans to become the next leader (unfortunately the formal title is Fuhrer) of the country Amestris. He is infamous within the military for being shallow, self-absorbed and a womanizer (you’re probably noticing a pattern here by now) but it is in fact a ploy to fool the higher-ups into underestimating him. He sees himself as a protector of those around him and is a firm ally to the Elrics in their fight against the homunculi and ultimate destruction of the country. In the original story, Roy has his sight taken away from him in the climactic battle but still contributes to the battle despite his blindness. This was one of the most emotional scene for many of the fans (there are a LOT of them in FMA) but the good news is he does get it back eventually. Hooray!

Roy makes the list because pyromaniacs are always fun.

4) Kabaragi T. Kotetsu (Tiger & Bunny)

Source: tigerandbunny.tumblr

If you haven’t already watched Tiger & Bunny yet, do it! It’s quite possibly the best anime I’ve seen in the last year – and a large amount of that has to do with the comic relief provided by Kabaragi T. Kotetsu (Wild Tiger).

Kotetsu is a ‘veteran’ superhero (I think he’s meant to be around his mid-thirties, so he may as well be 100 years old in the world of anime) who is forced to join up with a younger, handsomer hero (Barnaby Brookes Jr.) who shares the same super power as him. Needless to say, Kotetsu isn’t too happy and the fact that his estranged daughter is a massive Barnaby fan doesn’t help. He is often the butt of the show’s slapstick jokes; uncovering his daughters ‘secret stash’ of Barnaby photos, dropping a woman’s pen under a moving lorry whilst trying to upstage Barnaby and sign his autograph and his attempt to plan a surprise birthday and mistaking an actual diamond thief for another hero. It’s hard to believe that a super hero can be so clueless.

Kotetsu is probably one of the most believable characters in the show and you really can sympathise with him beyond the ‘oh, being a super hero is so hard’ business. For starters, his blames his career for the death of his wife and his distance from his  daughter. On top of that, his being upstaged by the younger and cooler Barnaby (who he patronisingly names ‘Bunny’) is something that we can probably all relate to in our own way. He’s on the list because it would be wrong if he wasn’t.

3) Date Masamune (Sengoku Basara)

Source: animepaper.net

‘Oh my god, how is Date Masamune not #1 on your list? Didn’t you dedicate a whole blog post to this guy?’ Well, yes, and that’s part of the reason why he’s not at the top of the list – I didn’t want to be so predictable! Still, he’s in the top three for a very good reason – he’s manly!

Admittedly, this isn’t a particular well-developed character in the same way that Kotetsu is. However, there are three things I love in anime: eyepatches, Engrish and  samurai. So, yes, this is a very biased and shallow decision. That said, Date Masamune (inaccurately based on an actual samurai) is the star of the Sengoku Basara series due to his recognisable Engrish dialogue. Rather than list everything he’s said, I advise you to have a look for videos on Youtube. Lord of Oshu and known as ‘the One-Eyed Dragon’, he is a instantly recognisable in the anime (and modern day Japan, in fact) by his crescent moon helmet.

Sengoku Basara is like the Power Rangers of anime. Explosions, samurai fighting in midair, raw manliness and action instead of plot. Masamune’s on the list because I love this show and I love his ‘ridicurous’ character. It’s very biased and I’m afraid #2 will be as well . . .

2) Chosokabe Motochika (Sengoku Basara)

Source: zerochan.net

Hey, guys, guess what my favourite anime is? Is it also blatantly obvious that I also love men with eyepatches?

OK, so Motochika made the list for the same reasons as Masamune. He has an eyepatch BUT he is also a pirate and surfs on a giant anchor. (I think there’s probably a subliminal message in there somewhere.) I think everyone has a guilty pleasure and mine is two-dimensional characters. In the anime, he is one of the more well-intentioned characters; harbouring war refugees and loyal to his crew who constantly refer to him as ‘ANIKI’ (bro). As a pirate, his fighting style is rough and brutal but this is slightly overshadowed by the fact that he’s accompanied by a parrot  . . . and the fact that he was known as ‘Little Princess’ in his childhood because his parents dressed him up as a girl. Obviously, this gets overlooked in Sengoku Basara.

Motochika makes the list because . . . uh . . . What was I talking about?

1) Simon (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann)

Source: zerochan.net

Whilst not everyone will have agreed with some of my choices on this list – I’d be very surprised if anyone who’s seen Gurren Lagann will dislike my #1.

Simon is more than the embodiment of ‘manliness’ but the embodiment of the entire series. The series begins with Simon as a child, discovering the surface world and living in the shadow of the older and cooler Kamina. Just a few episodes in, Kamina is killed off and this upsets the balance of the show, Simon and fans alike. How can you kill off the best character in the show? How can Simon carry on by himself? Why is Kaima dead? (Commence the shedding of manly tears.)

In the second half of the series, skip forward seven years later to when Simon is an adult. The simple battle between good and evil that existed in his mind before is much more complex as old friends seem to betray him and his actions from the past have a terrible affect on the present world. The fights become more dramatic and the villains much more complex, as Simon and his friends ultimately fight in SPACE for the sake of the entire universe. However, what really makes Simon such an impressive character is how he surpasses Kamina, previously perceived by many to be the most bad ass character of all time. In fact, he more or less resembles him in the final stages of his battle.

But does that mean that Kamina should be #1 instead of Simon? For me, personally, no. We see his character develop much more substantially and, once you have watched the entire series, you realise how Simon has grown along with the plot. He IS the plot. And it’s a bloody good plot at that.

Simon makes the list because his character is brilliantly executed and very complex. He starts off as a naive young boy, living in the shadows of his hero even after his death, who sees everything as a battle between good and evil. As time goes by, he matures and thus realises that the world and indeed Gurren Lagann’s plot is not written in black and white. As such, Kamina’s death also ceases to be pointlessly upsetting and becomes intrinsic to the progression of Simon’s character and journey.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve been very perceptive, you might have noticed the title of the blog has changed from ‘Sophie’s Weekly Japan Blog’ to Sophie’s Japan Blog’. Unfortunately, I’ve been having a difficult couple of weeks with job hunting and other things, which has caused me to lose motivation about anything that is not related to being employed. As such, I might have to start releasing blog posts fortnightly if I cannot complete them in time. I’m sorry if this upsets anyone but, on the plus side, it means that you’ll keep getting 100%’s worth of the blog.

Also, check out Yatta! Magazine, where my blog posts will also be reblogged and We See In Pixels, who I recently wrote a guest article for.

Finally, artists, please take a look at my art competition which is closing soon! If you have a deviantart account, I’d appreciate it if you could share it on there as well. Thanks!

Also, don’t forget to enter the art competition if you’re an artist or doodler of any kind.

Finally, I’ll be taking a week off from blogging as I am job hunting like a mad woman at the moment. This gives me more time to prepare Week 20′s special feature, which will be extremely MANLY!

News Story of the Week: Number of suicides exceeds 30,000 for 14th year in a row

Not the cheeriest news story to choose this week, sorry.

The National Police Agency has revealed that the number of suicides in Japan in 2011 stood at 30,513. The figure surpasses 30,000 for the 14th year in a row but it is 3.7 per cent less than 2010′s figure and the lowest since 1998. The figures exceeded levels a year earlier in April, May and June, with a particularly large increase in May. This is no doubt related to the Fukushima disaster, as well as the miserable economic climate.

Suicide in Japan is a national problem in Japan especially, the motivation for many being preventing bringing shame on ones own family, in a society where men are still seen to be the main breadwinner.

Destination of the Week: Bitchu-Takahashi

Takashashi, commonly known as Bitchu-Takahashi to distinguish itself from the surrounding region, is a small mountainous village in the Okayama Prefecture. The region was originally known as Bitchu and faces the Inland Sea.

Bitchu-Takahashi is home to Matsuyama Castle, also known as Bitchu-Matsuyama so it is not confused with that in Shikoku, and is the oldest surviving castle in Japan. It is the highest altitude castle at 480 meters and was originally built for its strategic position. Although small, it is very stunning and impressive . . .  but be prepared for a steep walk!

There is a preserved old Edo town at the base of the mountain, boasting samurai residences and merchants’ quarters. Museums and temples also give you an insight into the city’s history. The famous Raikyuji Temple is also worth a visit for its beautiful zen garden. It was made famous by its past resident Kobori Enshu, a local feudal lord and architect who designed many famous castles and palaces in Kyoto. Of course, he also designed Raikyuji’s own zen garden.

Bitchu-Takahashi is accessible by the JR Line. For details, see the Japan-guide website.

Source: japan-guide.com

Japanese Saying of the Week: Deru kugi wa utareru

‘The nail that sticks up is hammered down.’

In Japanese culture, the person making themselves stick out is violating a prime Japanese directive: conform. This saying teaches that individuals should watch their behaviour and not allow their egos to take over because they will later find themselves in a grisly or embarassing situation. Conformity is a much more positive idea in Japanese culture than Western, as being egocentric and flamboyant are actually negative qualities.

Basically, this means that a man or woman who is in a group or team and trying to outdo everyone else is asking for trouble. This saying is often drilled into children who might be acting up and trying to be centre of attention

Source: 24fightingchickens.com

Samurai of the Week: Sanada Yukimura

Sanada Yukimura, born Nobushige, was the most famous member of the Sanada clan in the Shinano province – loyal vassals of Takeda Shingen. Although he commanded a relatively small army, he was a greatly respected samurai and Shimazu Tadatsune, the famed veteran of the Korean invasion, called him ‘the number one warrior in Japan’.

Yukimura served under Toyotomi Hideyoshi and was married to the daughter of a senior Toyotomi retainer, Otani Yoshitsugu. He was the second son of Sanada Masayuki but commanded as much respect as his older brother Nobuyuki, as seen when he was called upon to assist in the construction of Hideyoshi’s Fushimi Castle.

By 1600, the Sanada clan were allied with Ieyasu Tokugawa. However, when faced with an indictment, Yukimura and his father aligned with Ishida Mitsunari, the leader of the anti-Tokugawa movement and supporters of Hideyoshi’s successor, Hideyori. Nobuyuki remained tactically allied with the Tokugawa so that, regardless of the outcome, the Sanada clan might survive. Ieyasu responded to Masayuki and Yukimura’s betrayal by sending his son Hidetada to Ueda Castle, the second siege that the Tokugawa had attempted, but father and son held strong against the attack (2,000 men against 40,000). The battle lasted eight days and Hidetada’s army never appeared at the decisive battle of Sekigahara, a disaster which almost cost Ieyasu’s victory.

Although Nobuyuki persuaded Ieyasu to spare their lives, the father and son were exiled to Kudoyama. Many letters to family and retainers and special poems, called ‘renga’, that Yukimura wrote during this time still survive. However, the situation changed in 1614 when Hideyori rallied ronin together against the planned attack of Ieyasu and Yukimura was forced out of exile, his father having died earlier that year. Yukimura was present at the Winter (1614) and Summer (1615) Seiges of Osaka Castle and was one of Hideyori’s top commanders. It was here where he left his mark on Japanese history as one of the most daring and endearing figures of the late-Sengoku period. It is where the tale of the Sanada Ten Braves arose: a legendary group of ten heroes who played an active role at Osaka, the most famous of which being Sarutobi Sasuke. For details on the Summer and Winter Seiges, read the Samurai Archives.

However, we already know that Ieyasu established a Shogunate that lasted until  1868, so the situation could not have ended well for Yukimura. In the Summer Seige, now aged 32, he collapsed exhausted in his camp and was approached by a Tokugawa samurai, Nishio Nizaemon, who challenged him to a fight. Accepting his fate, Yukimura removed his helmet and allowed himself to be decapitated in true samurai style.

Today, Sanada Yukimura is still a well known figure in Japan. Ueda is a popular tourist spot for its Sanada museum, Ueda Castle and statues of Yukimura himself. He is also one of the many samurai to have been immortalised in popular culture; from the musical film Brave Records of the Sanada Clan and a number of anime, namely Samurai Deeper Kyo and Sengoku Basara (which also features Sarutobi Sasuke).

Source: samurai-archives.com

Bento of the Week: Frogs

Check out the fabulous Cooking Gallery blog for lots of bento recipes. This week’s has some lovely little smiling frogs. Frogs are awesome!

Source: Cooking Gallery @ blogspot

Series of the Week: UN-GO

UN-GO recently finished airing in Japan and, as I only like to review things that have finished, this gives me the opportunity to talk about a very recent show!

This 12 episode series is based on the very popular Meiji Kaika Ango Torimono-chō by Ango Sakaguchi, a detective novel set in Meiji Japan. Whilst I have not been able to find any information on this novel, I understand that the anime adopts its main elements but sets them in a futuristic postwar environment.

The story itself is about a private detective Yuuki Shinjuuro and his mysterious sidekick Inga, who are bound by a mysterious contract in which Shinjuuro must ‘reveal the truth’. Japan is emerging from a traumatic war and is under the unofficial leadership of media tycoon Rinroku Kaishou, whose daughter ends up befriending Shinjuuro.

The episodes themselves are split into a series of mini stories; one involving the creator of now-illegal AI robots created for the sole purpose of sexual human pleasure, another about a prisoner known only as ‘the Novelist’ who manipulates the minds of those around him and a bomb attack involving Rinroku himself. These individual stories are certainly interesting but they do not fit together as well as you might expect. The robot mini-story still has some loose ends but they are never revisited in later episodes and the Novelist, despite being a very interesting character, does not feature as prominently as viewers might initially expect.

I was actually dissatisfied with how the series ended. I initially quite liked it but feel that there should have been either a smaller variety of stories in so few episodes, or more episodes so that they could be completely explored. The premise was promising but when it finishes you don’t know anything more about Shinjuuro or Inga than you did after the first three episodes. However, a feature-length prequel episode, ‘Inga-ron’, ran in Japanese cinemas in November which explained how the two of them met and is to be released over here by Kaze UK in the future. I imagine that this prequel would put my complaints to rest.

Score: 6/10 (the soundtrack is quite nice but the overall story feels confused and rushed in some places)

Source: uk-anime.net

Weird Thing of the Week: Japan’s cats run the internet

I’ve not had time to look into anything particularly spectacular this week because I’ve been preparing for some job interviews. So, I’d like to introduce you to two Japanese feline Youtube celebrities. The first is Maru, famed for his love of boxes, and Shiro and his family, who you may already know as ‘the cats who balance things on their heads’.

Recipe of the Week: Pork Tonkatsu with Watermelon-Tomato Salad

I’ve never had tonkatsu before but I’ve been told that it is beyond delicious. This week’s recipe has been taken from epicurious.com.

Ingredients:

• 300g watermelon cubes
• 300g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 300g rocket leaf
• 40g parsley leaf
• 10ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1tb fresh lemon juice
• 4 lemon wedges
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 600g panko (regular breadcrumbs will do)
• 2 large eggs
• 4 4oz boneless pork chops

3) Working in 2 batches, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook pork until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side, adding 1 tablespoon vegetable oil after turning. Drain on paper towels.4) Toss salad with dressing; season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve pork with salad and lemon wedges for squeezing over.Source: epicurious.com

I also thought that you lovely readers might be interested to know that I’m having a clearout and there’s a lot of Japanese goods up for grabs, as well as some of the previous Books of the Month and an array of French anime and manga. Everything’s dirt cheap so please have a look!

News Story of the Week: Online poll reveals dating habits of young Japanese men

Could this be the explanation for Japan’s ageing population? A recent online survey asked 141 ‘how many dates until a couple’s first kiss?’, with the most common answer (28.2%) being ‘the third date’. Conservative, no?

Well, another online survey by BBS 2ch asked the same question but got a very different result from 2000 people. An impressive 39.5% said ‘I have never kissed or dated’, with some amusing comments such as ‘stop doing these surveys, they depress me’.

These surveys do not necessarily mean that the majority of the young Japanese population are hopelessly shy, as it should be considered who typically answers these online surveys. BBS 2ch is predominantly used by the reclusive geek (otaku, NEET) community, who are almost notorious for their lack of experience with the opposite sex. No doubt, these surveys are a punch in the stomach for many of them.

Source: cnngo.com

Destination of the Week: Sengoku Jidai Mura

Azuchi Momoyama Bunka Mura, also known as ‘Edo Wonderland Ise’ or ‘Sengoku Jidai Mura’, is a Sengoku history theme park – specifically, the Azuchi Momoyama Period, when Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu were fighting to unite Japan. If you’ve enjoyed the blog’s ‘Samurai of the Week’ feature, this is somewhere you have to visit.

The theme park resembles a small castle town; complete with a shrine, hairdresser,  ninja museum, ninja maze, ghost temple, replica of Azuchi Castle (one of Nobunaga’s primary castles) and much more. There are also performances running throughout the theme park during the day; including a geisha drama, samurai show and ninja performance.

The town is located in the Shima peninsula, which is an hour’s train ride away from Nagoya. Full travel details can be found on Japan-guide.com!

So, who wants to plan a trip with me?

Source: Japan-guide.com

Japanese Saying of the Week: Nokorimono ni wa fuku ga aru

This means ‘luck is in the leftovers’. In other words, there is luck in the last helping . . . patience pays off.

Source: etsy.com

Samurai of the Week: Uesugi Kenshin

It’s quite shocking I haven’t written about Kenshin already, seeing how he was one of the major daimyos and all that. Better late than never, I suppose.

Born Nagao Kagetora (1530-78), he assumed control of the Echigo province by forcing his older brother to adopt him after a civil war. He became Uesugi Kenshin when he persuaded his former overlord, Uesugi Norimasa, to adopt him.

Kenshin travelled to the capital Kyoto to pay his respects to the shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru, an act which greatly enhanced his reputation, and converted to Buddhism. His battle standard was ‘BI’, the first character of the Buddhist god of war Bishamonten (image below). Although he was a devout Buddhist, he constantly fought with the Takeda and Hojo.

The Uesugi and Takeda clashed in the four battles of Kawanakajima, although these are best described as skirmishes because they were so inconclusive. Both warlords were so equally matched in cunning and strength, and so each battle ended when one of them was forced to tactically retreat. He also sieged Odawara Castle from the Hojo but failed to make a lasting impression on the castle and retreated after just a few days. However, the campaign earned him the respectable title of ‘Kanto Kanrei’.

Kenshin was one of the daimyo that people believed were powerful enough to oppose Oda Nobunaga’s rise to power but he died from illness in 1578. Nobunaga reportedly said “the empire is now mine” when he heard of his death, as the last of his obstacles were effectively gone.

Source: samurai-archives.com

Bento of the Week: Bioshock

From the incredibly popular Bioshock video game series . . .  comes the Bioshock bento! This week’s bento was made by annathered, who has made an impressive amount of bento (some of which I’ve featured before) so you should check her out.

Source: annathered.com

Series of the Week: Ayakashi, Samurai Horror Tales

If you’re curious about Japanese folklore, then Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales is the show for you. This series reimagines three classic Japanese stories across eleven episodes (in segments of four, four and three respectively) and succeeds wonderfully in every department. I really cannot choose one favourite story because I loved them all equally for different reasons.

Our first tale is Tenshu Monogatari, which is about the forbidden love between a demon princess and a human. It was originally a kabuki theatre performance but the  anime adaption differs slightly in its plot. In the anime, a falconer named Zushonosuke is sent by his lord to retrieve a white falcon that is intended for the shogun. He meets and falls in love with Tomihime, one of the forgotten gods who live in the abandoned Himeji Castle, who refuses to return the falcon to him because it is the spirit of her mother. What follows is a tragic tale as Zushonosuke is forced to choose between the woman he loves and his own humanity.

The next tale is Yotsuya Kaidan, the classic Japanese ghost story chillingly narrated by the kabuki playwright Nanboku Tsuruya IV. The ghost story has several variations, so we cannot say whether or not the anime adaption follows the right one. In this version, a woman is married to a ronin named Iemon. Her father disapproves of their relationship and Iemon kills him but fools Oiwa into believing that bandits were responsible. Eventually, tired of a life of poverty and parenthood, Iemon marries another woman from a rich family, whose servants poison Oiwa so that her face is disfigured. He then orders for his servant to kill and bury her with a servant who stole medicine from him, so that everyone else thinks that they died as lovers. However, Oiwa’s spirit exacts her vengeance on the families that caused her death.

The third story is Bake Neko, Goblin Cat, and features the medicine seller from Mononoke anime series. I actually reviewed this anime a few weeks ago and didn’t particularly enjoy it but, for reasons I can’t explain, I liked how this story tied in with the rest of Ayakashi. The bake neko is a famous Japanese folklore tale and this story is a fictional tale of one family’s relationship with it. A family is about to marry their daughter off to a rich family but, just before she leaves the threshold, she collapses and dies. A medicine seller who happens upon the scene is seized as a suspect but he reveals himself to be a demon slayer. In order to slay the spirit of the cat that has turned into the bake neko, he must unearth this family’s dark secret before they all perish.

For some reason, the first and second stories are switched around in the English translation. It doesn’t make any difference which order you watch them in, as they are completely separate storylines, but I have reviewed them in the order that I watched them. The English version is very good and worth checking out, featuring the likes of Kirby Morrow (Goku in Dragonball Z, Trowa Barton in Gundam Wing) and Brian Drummond (Ryuk in Death Note, Allen in The Vision of Escaflowne). The Japanese version also boasts a brilliant cast, my personal favourite being Takahiro Sakurai (Cloud Strife in Final Fantasy VII, Suzaku in Code Geass).

Score: 10/10 (Brush up on your Japanese folklore and be treated to beautiful art, chilling stories and impressive music)

Source: theotaku 2.0

Weird Thing of the Week: Sokushinbutsu

This is certainly one religious practice you will not find anywhere in the world today. Sokushinbutsu were Buddhist monks who allegedly practiced self-mummification in the northern Yamagata Prefecture. Around 16 to 24 mummified bodies have been discovered.

A priest named Kuukai first pioneered the practice 1000 years ago. He was founder of the Shingon sect of Buddhism which believed in enlightenment through physical punishment. The process towards this enlightenment was excruciating. First, the priest would spend three years living on a special diet of fruit and nuts and rigorously exercising so that they were stripped of all their body fat. For the next three years they would only eat bark and roots and drink a poisonous tea made from the sap of the Urushi tree. The tea would cause them to vomit and prevent maggots from growing in the body, so that decay would not occur in death.  Finally, they would lock themselves in a tiny stone tomb and remain in the lotus position. Their only contact with the outside world was through an air tube and bell, which they would ring every day to show that they were still alive. When the bell stopped ringing, the tube would be removed and the tomb would be sealed.

Eventually, the tomb would be reopened and the bodies that were truly mummified were elevated to the rank of Buddha. However, most bodies simply rotted and, whilst respected for their endurance, were simply sealed back into their tombs. The Japanese government outlawed the practice of Sokushunbutsu in the late 19th century, although it continued into the 20th century.

Whilst disturbing and gruesome, you have to admit that the practice of Sokushinbutsu is a fascinating example of religious discipline.

Source: atlasobscura.com

Recipe of the Week: Green tea pudding

Never underestimate the power of matcha powder in Japan. It goes with everything; from green tea kit kat to green tea Coca Cola. This weeks’ “purin” has come from the wonderful eat-Japan.com

Ingredients

• .1.5 tbsp green tea (matcha) powder
• 100ml milk
• 150ml single cream
• 50g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• Whipped cream, to serve (optional)
• Green tea (matcha) powder, to serve (optional)

Final Thoughts

Votes for the next special feature close next week, so make sure you’ve voted in this poll! The winning feature will be Week 21′s post, just so I have enough time to conduct ‘research’.

Also, the art competition is still open so PLEASE PLEASE send your drawings/doodles/stick men my way!

News Story of the Week: Japan’s kanji character of 2011

Half a million Japanese people took part in an annual poll to vote on the kanji character that symbolised the spirit of 2011. The winning character was ‘kizuna’, meaning ‘bonds’,  in light of the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster.

Many people are said to have renewed their value in maintaining links with family and helping their local community. The world has praised Japan’s willingness to pull through the tragedy left by Fukushima, which will take many years to repair.

In April, the then Prime Minister Naoto Kan used the character ‘kizuna’ in a letter to the world community as an expression of gratitude for the assistance the country received.

Source: Japantoday.com

Destination of the week: Gujo Hachiman

Gujo Hachiman is a small riverside town in the Gifu prefecture which is most famous for its summer dance festival and historic waterways. It was founded in the 16th century when Hachiman Castle was built by a local feudal lord. The castle is surrounded by maple trees and was destroyed during the Meiji Period but has since been rebuilt with wood.

Gujo’s canals, fountains and waterways are maintained by its townspeople. They are still used for washing rice, vegetables and laundry today. The Gujo Odori dance festival takes place every summer, across 31 days, and has done for the past 400 or so years. The dancing continues throughout the night.

If you head outside the town centre, you can visit the Otaki Shonyudo. This limestone cave has an impressive interior waterfall which stretches 30 metres high.

Finally, Gujo is one of the leading producers of plastic replica food. If you ever visit Japan, you will notice that most restaurants have replicas of the food that they serve displayed outside. Visitors to Gujo can make their own replica shrimp tempura!

Source: Japan-guide.com

Japanese Saying of the Week: Yoi otoshi o omukae kudasai

Slightly different this week. ‘Yoi otoshi o omukae kudasai’ is Japanese for ‘I wish you will have a good new year’. The less formal way of saying this would be ‘yoi otoshi o!’, ‘Happy new year!’

Source: withfriendship.com

Samurai of the Week: Kimura Shigenari

This week’s samurai feature will be short and sweet. I have chosen the lesser known Kimura Shigenari for the historically unusual example of how samurai treated death.

Kimura Shigenari was a Toyotomi retainer whose first battle was the Osaka Campaign in 1614, which saw the Toyotomi remnants and Tokugawa supporters vying for power. As a reward for overpowering the troops, Toyotomi Hideyori bestowed the title of ‘peerless hero of the nation’ upon him. He died loyal to the family when was killed in the Osaka Summer Campaign in 1615 and is remembered for his bravery and handsome looks.

When Shigenari was killed, his severed head was presented to Tokugawa Ieyasu. Interestingly, he had burned incense inside his helmet before marching into battle so as to make his head a more attractive prize. It appears that Shigenari had marched into battle expecting to die as a nobel samurai.  Certainly, it was an act that impressed Ieyasu so much that he even recommended the practice to his own followers.

Source: collectionsonline.lacma.org

Bento of the Week: Angry Birds

Angry Birds are always relevant. This week’s bento has been taken from mymealbox.com. The circular shape of the birds and pigs mean that they’re easy to mould into onigiri. The bird was mixed with tomato sauce, baby carrot and a red pasta sheet. The pig was made by mixing edamame with pea paste (to give it the green colouring) and cucumber.

Source: mymealbox.com

Series of the Week: The World Only God Knows

If I were to say that this was a series that parodied the dating sim phenomenon, you might be put off depending on your tastes. When I first came across the anime, I was curious but did not have high expectations. Against all odds, I ended up really enjoying it. It’s simply entertaining to watch.

High school student Keima Katsuragi is an avid player of bishojo dating sim games, whom the internet refers to as ‘the God of Conquests’ because of his great skill of winning over the girls in these games. In reality, he is a reclusive and anti-social geek who does nothing but play these games during class. One day, he receives an email offering him a contract to ‘conquer’ girls. Believing the email to be an invitation to a game, he accepts and is unwillingly forced to cooperate with Elsie, a demon from Hell, in catching runaway spirits.

How does Keima capture these spirits? By winning over these girls hearts, of course! By drawing on the ‘skills’ that he has learned from his many dating sims, the otherwise socially inept student is able to get these girls to kiss him so that the spirit is released (and bottled by Elsie). Thus follows a number of mini stories with various different ‘types’ of girl, from idols to student teachers, in which Keima assesses the situation based on what he would do if he was playing a dating sim. You might think this would leave a trail of broken lovers behind, but the girls conveniently forget about him afterwards.

There isn’t much of a plot in The World Only God Knows, which now boasts 26 episodes,  but this isn’t a bad thing. It’s light-hearted and silly and, whilst the only two recurring characters are Keima and Elsie, they’re both very entertaining. Keima is an otaku who sees the world as a dating sim and Elsie is your typical magical girl. I don’t know much about these types of video games, as they aren’t exactly big in the west, so this series was something different.

Score: 8/10 (An entertaining parody of and introduction to the dating sim phenomenon in Japan)

Source: orphicanime @ wordpress

Weird Thing of the Week: Omamori

Omamori are amulets or charms that can be bought from religious sites in Japan. Typically, they are the embodiment of a particular Shinto deity or Buddhist figure and provide various forms of luck and protection. They are ritually blessed and transformed into busshin, meaning spiritual offshoots. The word omamori itself literally means protection.

Omamori were originally made from paper or wood but the modern ones are designed to be small enough to fit in your purse or pocket. Smaller temples that are struggling for money have been forced to turn to companies to manufacture their omamori but have often complained about the quality production and, in some cases, their dwindling symbolism.

Japanese people still give traditional omamori to each other today and tourists buy them as souvenirs, and you can now find every kind of charm from Hello Kitty to Street Fighter. The religious importance remains though; as it is still considered unlucky to untie, lose or throw away your omamori.

Omamori illustrate how so many people in Japan include religion in their daily lifestyles. For some, they may be mere novelties but for others they are considered to be blessed for a specific purpose. Visitors to shrines and temples may even request the priest to make a specific omamori, whether they are hoping for a safe birth or recovery of a relative.

Source: Japanlifeandreligion.com

Recipe of the Week: Chicken with egg bowl donburi

This week’s recipe has been taken from eat-Japan and, lucky you, all the ingredients are easily available in England!

Ingredients

• 130g rice
• 50g chicken thigh [chicken breast is nicer]
• 1/4 leek
• 1 egg
• 75ml dashi (soup stock) [substitute miso soup or paste]
• 20ml soy sauce
• some nori and chervil (to garnish)

Method

• Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Cut the leek diagonally into thin slices. Place the chicken, leek, dashi, soy sauce and mirin in a frying pan and bring to the boil.
• Pour the beaten egg over the top of the ingredients to cover the surface. When it starts to boil again, turn off the heat and leave it to settle for 1-2 minutes.
• Place the chicken and egg topping carefully over the rice and garnish with chopped nori and chervil.

Source: eat-Japan.com

Final thoughts

Make sure to keep voting for the next special feature too! (I will probably do all of these features eventually, but you’re voting for which one you want first!)

I’m posting this now so I can draw your undivided attention to this art competition I’m running. All details are in the video but I have posted the details here as well for your convenience.

TO ENTER:
* Draw anything you want, from an animal to your favourite anime/manga character to your original character . . . As long as it’s related to Japan.
* Get your entries in to sophiesjapanblog@live.co.uk by 11pm Monday 6th February 2012!
* LIKE THE BLOG ON FACEBOOK! 

THE PRIZE:
* The winner’s artwork will be the blog’s new banner AND they can request a special feature for the blog
* 1st, 2nd and 3rd place will also be featured in the blog’s ‘artwork’ section

I don’t have a deviantart account to spread word about this competition, so if you have one I would be very grateful if you could share it with your friends!

I’m also on Twitter @SophienoKatana

• There are a couple of Christmas crackers in this week’s blog and some treats for the New Year too!
• The FAQ competition video is now up and running, so go and take a look and marvel at how much my vlogging skills have improved! (I jest, I jest.)
• I’ve added some new drop down menus at the top of the page; including ‘artwork‘ and ‘competitions‘. Artists, submit your stuff and I’ll post it!

Prime Minister Noda is currently in talks with China to lease giant pandas to a zoo in Sendai in an effort to cheer up the children affected in the disaster-stricken northeast.

Noda will be visiting Beijing on Sunday and has promised Sendai city officials that he will reach an agreement with China. It is hoped that the pandas will serve as a symbol of friendship between the two nations.

Sendai Vice Mayor Yukimoto Ito was joined by singer Masahiko Kondo and actress Tetsuko Kuroyanagi in presenting Noda with signatures from children who wished to see the pandas. The idea of leasing the pandas first rose when Chinese Premier Wen received a letter from a girl in the Tohoku region when he visited in May 2011. She reportedly wrote a letter to him saying that she loved pandas.

Ito said, ‘We want (the pandas) to heal the pain that children experienced and serve as a light of hope for them’.

Source: animalreview @ WordPress

Destination of the Week: Shirakawa go

Shirakawa go is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Gifu prefecture, famous for its thatched gassho-zakuri houses, meaning ‘constructed like hands in prayer’, some of which are more than 250 years old. The roofs resemble the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer and were designed to withstand heavy snowfall and often for cultivating silkworm in their attics.

Shirakawa go also influenced the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni series, which featured in my ’10 anime you should really watch’ post a few weeks back. Higurashi is a murder mystery video game series set in the picturesque town of Hinamizawa. Whilst the secret behind Hinamizawa is rather sinister, Shirakawa go is a very beautiful historical town.

Source: whc.unesco.org

Japanese Saying of the Week: Ichi nichi isshou

Simply, ‘a smile a day’. Very lovely, and just in time for Christmas too!

Source: Yonasu.com

Samurai of the Week: Maeda Keiji (and Matsukaze)

This is the closest thing to a samurai Christmas story that you’ll ever get. Replace the word ‘horse’ with ‘reindeer’ and it just about works!

Maeda Toshimasu, better known Keiji, was the adopted nephew of Maeda Toshihisa, Maeda Toshiie’s older brother. The two served Oda Nobunaga and it was originally intended that Keiji would be the new head of the Maeda family, until Nobunaga installed Toshiie to the position. It is well known that Keiji and Toshiie did not get along because of this loss of inheritance.

Keiji later befriended an official of the daimyo Uesugi Kagekatsu, Naoe Kanetsugu, and assisted with their invasion of Aizu. He was given the task of leading the rear guard and it was due to his actions that the Uesugi were able to retreat in tact in the battle. Keiji then returned to the capital city Kyoto to devote himself to the arts and literature, a common past time for many samurai. He was wild by nature, however, and was actually banned from Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s Kyushu campaign as a result. When the Uesugi were challenged by Ieyasu Tokugawa in 1600, he joined the Uesugi once again and served as a retainer until his death in 1612.

Keiji’s famous steed was Matsukaze, meaning ‘winds in the pines’. Legend has it that the horse was selectively bred from the finest horses but he refused to let anyone ride him and ran away. Keiji managed to tame the beast, which some attributed to his own wild personality, and the two were never seen apart since. When he died, the horse ran away and was never seen again.

Source: houseofJapan.com

Bento of the Week: The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Nighmare Before Christmas is a Christmas film! I could have used a standard snowman-type bento but I thought that this one might be well-received on this blog. This bento has been taken from Neatorama; Jack’s head is made from rice, sesame seeds and nori, and Sally from eggwhite, cheese, sesame, nori and beni shoga.

Source: Neatorama.com

Series of the Week: Excel Saga

Excel Saga is a brilliant example of what happens when you produce a show under the influence of drugs. It’s also a good example of ‘crazy, insane Japanese anime’, so it’s totally an appropriate Christmas anime. Ahem.

Excel Saga is a manga series by Rikdo Koshi, although it shot to fame with its anime adaption, which notably deviates from the original plot. The anime series follows the insane adventures of Excel as she goes to great lengths to help her lord Ilpalazzo take over the world. She is accompanied by Hyatt who, like Kenny from South Park, dies in a number of hilarious situations but is resurrected again and again.

The show is both hilarious and uncomfortably dark. There is a very thin overarching plot in the form of the fight against the cute Puchuu aliens who are trying to take over the world, but this is really a show to be watched for its insanity and profanity. I actually lost interest in this series about halfway through as it felt like the same jokes were being used all the time.

This isn’t a show suitable for the faint of hearted. Whilst it’s considered a comedy, it’s full of gore, violence, lesbianism and every other controversial thing under the sun. The final episode, appropriately named ‘Going Too Far’, did not run alongside the other episodes when the series first aired on TV Tokyo because it was too profane and obscene.The director admitted that, whilst it was fun to push the boundaries, it’s not something you should do too often.

Score: 6/10 (I know people who will swear blind that this is worthy of the 10 rating but I found this show as uncomfortable as much as I found it funny. It’s worth marathoning with like-minded friends, preferably ones who like South Park humour.)

Source: candi_freak @ photobucket

Weird Thing of the Week: The Takarazuka Revue

I’m very happy to have written an article for another website, the fantastic Diverse Japan, and it just so happens that I can promote it here. This week’s feature is the Takarazuka Revue, an all-female music theatre troupe. Check out the Diverse Japan website for the feature and make sure you look around the rest of the site for lots of interesting stuff.

Source: Diverse Japan

Recipe of the Week: Japanese Christmas Cake

Obviously, Christmas isn’t strictly a traditional Japanese celebration but that doesn’t mean there’s no such thing as Japanese Christmas cake. Usually, it is a sponge cake so it is very different to the Western one. This week’s recipe is taken from muza-chan.

Ingredients:

Sponge:

• 4 eggs
• 115g caster sugar
• 150g flour
• 60g butter

Liqueur cream:

• 300 ml thickened cream
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

Method:

1) Melt the butter and let it cool down at room temperature.

2) Mix the eggs and the sugar in a bowl placed over a saucepan with simmering water. Take care and don’t allow the water to touch the bowl’s base. Use a mixer and beat until the egg mixture become thick, creamy and light yellow (approx. 10 minutes).

3) Remove the bowl from the hot water saucepan and continue beating the egg mixture until it cools down to the room temperature.

4) Sift half of the flour over the egg mixture, mixing it lightly until homogenized, then sift the remaining flour.

5) Pour the melted butter and mix gently.

6) Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and bake it at moderate heat for approx. 20 minutes, until the sponge feels elastic to touch.

7) Remove immediately from the pan and let it cool down on a rack.

8) After it is cooled, cut the cake horizontally, in two halves. With one third of the amount of liqueur cream stick the two pieces together and cover the whole cake with the rest of the cream. Decorate the cake with fruits like strawberries, peaches, cherries, etc.

Source: Fristle @ Flickr

Final Thoughts

Here are your Christmas crackers! I mentioned before that I more or less made a pilgrimage to Tokyo to see the Sengoku Basara movie and the dance from the ending credits that had the audience in stitches is finally up on Youtube! I certainly don’t think this is a ‘good’ dance but imagine seeing it on the big screen and I hope you can appreciate why everyone found this so funny.

Also, don’t forget to vote on the next special feature!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!