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Katsushika Hikusai was a great print maker in the Edo era. He is best known of his work "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" due to his obsess for the Mt. Fuji, it contain the Masterpiece of Ukiyo-e art- The Great Wave off Kanagawa. His beautiful views for Mt. Fuji establish Mt. Fuji's importance in Japanese's heart and the following generations. Made Mt. Fuji a symbol for Japan.

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Photo Gallery of Ukiyo-e by Katsushika Hokusai

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Due to over 200 years of political isolation in Japan, there were no further innovations in ikebana until 1868, when the country reopened to foreign exchange. People were quick to embrace Western customs, and in the world of ikebana, this catalyzed a series of radical changes.

In 1912, the first modern school of ikebana, the Ohara School, was established. Its founder, Unshin Ohara, helped the art form evolve by introducing the Moribana style, and through it, implementing two major changes: the incorporation of Western flowers, and the use of a shallow, circular container to make flowers stand upright, with the help of the kenzan.

The flexibility and variation that the Moribana style allows for has made it a favorite and a staple in almost every ikebana school today. At the core of Moribana is a three-stem system, whereby three flowers are almost always fixed to create a triangle. Compositions that do not follow this triangle system are known as freestyle. Freestyle is also used to describe more creative and original approaches to ikebana, where the maker uses their knowledge of form, color, and line from previous practice to develop new arrangements that don't necessarily adhere to traditions.

Changes continued with the creation of the Sogetsu School in 1927. Its founder, Sofu Teshigahara (whose father was also an ikebana master), is credited with elevating ikebana from a technical practice to an art at the level of sculpture, which is how it is has been viewed ever since.

Teshigahara's approach called for greater freedom and the use of other live materials. For him, the forgotten parts of nature-like dirt, rocks, and moss-were just as ripe with expressive potential as flowers. He heartily believed that excellent ikebana is not divorced from the life and times of its creator, and that a flower is an irreplaceable, expressive tool that reveals the soul. With these innovations, the Rikka style began to fade. At present, Ikenobo, Ohara, and Sogetsu are the most popular styles, with around 400 of these schools operating today.

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What Is Ikebana? The Japanese Art That's Making a Comeback

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Due to over 200 years of political isolation in Japan, there were no further innovations in ikebana until 1868, when the country reopened to foreign exchange. People were quick to embrace Western customs, and in the world of ikebana, this catalyzed a series of radical changes.

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As you may imagine, s hodō has its origin in China, and it was first introduced to Japan in the early 5th century. Before the introduction of shodō, Japan was often thought to be devoid of literary culture in Japan, as there was no need for them.

Later, after Buddhism was introduced to Japan, shodō began to grow in popularity. During this period in Japan, Chinese characters were widely used to copy Buddhist sutras, and as a result, the earliest works of shodō are all related to Buddhism.

Shodōgrew popular, as Buddhism was introduced to Japan and people used letters to copies Buddhist sutras; thus the earliest works of shodō are all related to Buddhism. Prince Shōtoku Taishi (574 - 622) promoted Buddhism and the practice of copying sutras by hand as part of meditation, known in Japanese as shakyō, which spread the practice of calligraphy even further. Throughout this time, the aesthetic style of shodō imitated the styles of Chinese calligraphy very closely.

It was not until the Heian Period (794 - 1185) that shodō finally began to deviate from Chinese calligraphy, a separation inspired by masters such as Ono-no-Michikaze (894 - 966) and Buddhist monk Kukai (774 - 835). At this time, Japanese-style calligraphy started becoming more cursive and rounded, giving rise to Japanese characters ( kana), which eventually became the hiragana used today.

The spread of Zen Buddhism during the Kamakura Period (1185 to 1333) gave birth to a new form of calligraphy known as bokuseki, which featured a liberal form, loose rules, and an unrestrained style. It looks very abstract and more emotional compared to older calligraphy styles. When Japan reopened to the West in the mid-19th century after a long period of isolation, calligraphy again underwent significant changes. Throughout the 1800s and 1900s, calligraphers began to view their craft as an art through which to express themselves, in a similar manner as Western painting.

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Shodō (Japanese calligraphy) is not merely an form of art, but a way of life, complete with its own set of philosophies. In Japan, shodō is practiced by people of all ages and occupations, from primary school students to the elderly. As a long lived Japanese tradition deeply integrated i

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Animation: Osamu Tezuka's attitude towards animation

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Animation: Osamu Tezuka's attitude towards animation

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He said he picture Chaplin when he is drawing, try to made his comic as dramatic and funny as him.

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JAPAN s Godfather of ANIME - a 1985 interview

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JAPAN s Godfather of ANIME - a 1985 interview

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Animation: The Biography of Osamu Tezuka

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Animation: The Biography of Osamu Tezuka

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*Biography
He was the God father of Japanese manga (comic books) and animation. He was the first one to take 3D movie scenes into 2D stop motion manga. He was also the first one to develop the assistant system and make manga drawing serious. His work didn't only started the Japanese manga industry. One of his famous work- "Kimba, the while lion" influenced Disney animation so strongly that the most famous Disney animate movie- "The Lion King" actually copy his work.

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Starting in the 1950s, Tezuka created and wrote more than 700 manga series containing over 170,000 pages and he also penned over 200,000 pages of anime storyboards and scripts. His impact on anime and manga is impossible to overstate. His influence on the industry was nothing less than miraculous. He made Japanese anime what it is today and popularized it internationally with his great success. He inspired many others and continues to do so today even after his death. Osamu Tezuka truly is the godfather of anime and this is his story.

Early Life

Little Tezuka was born in 1928 Japan. He was the eldest of three children and his family was mainly composed of doctors, lawyers, and military folk. His father had been an engineer, but he also had a small passion for manga. He had a healthy collection in the house and was also responsible for introducing Tezuka to two of his biggest influences, Walt Disney and Max Fleischer (the man behind the Betty Boop, Koko the Clown, Popeye, and Superman cartoons).

This exposure at an early age is no doubt responsible for the path Tezuka would choose later in life. Tezuka devoured Disney comic books and movies, reportedly seeing the movie Bambi 80 times.

Tezuka grew up in Takarazuka City, and his mother often took him to the Takarazuka Theatre. You may remember this from an earlier article of ours, but the Takarazuka Revue that performs at the theatre is made up entirety of women. The theater had a large impact on the later works of Tezuka, including his costuming designs. He said he had a profound sense of nostalgia for Takarazuka due to his exposure to it as a child.

Tezuka started to draw his own manga around his second year of elementary school. Even though his parents were strict disciplinarians, they were supportive of Tezuka's artistic interests. As a result, they kept him well supplied with sketchbooks and art materials.

After nearly losing both arms to infection as a teenager, Tezuka decided he wanted to study medicine in order to help others as his doctor helped him. All through med school he kept up his hobby of manga though. Shortly after entering, he sold his first comic to an Osaka children's newspaper. The comic was a four-panel series called Diary of Ma-chan (pictured below). This was Tezuka's first step into the limelight.

Having generated some interest, he soon sold another one of his works, The New Treasure Island. It was the first in a long line of Western adaptations of his. Since most of his early influences were Western, he really enjoyed taking these tales and putting his own unique spin on them. The success of The New Treasure Island brought him national fame and served as a tipping point in his career.

He asked his mother whether he should pursue manga full-time or just play it safe and be a doctor. At the time, being a mangaka (manga author) was nothing like it is today. It was not a rewarding profession at all. His mother told him, "You should work doing the thing you like most of all." Tezuka took these words to heart and decided to devote himself to manga. However, he still graduated from med school, but he would later use his scientific and medical knowledge to lend some impressive credibility to his work.

Major Works

Tezuka made a ton, a ton, of stuff. Like really. A whole lot. Seriously. Over 500 anime episodes and more than 700 manga volumes. That's crazy. But some of his works definitely stand out more than others. His most iconic work is without a doubt, Astro Boy. Along with this, I'd say Black Jack, Kimba the White Lion, and Phoenix are probably his top four.

Astro Boy

Astro Boy follows the adventures of a robot by the same name and a handful of other characters. The Astro Boy manga was first published in 1952 and the anime started in 1963 (see above). There was also an anime re-boot of the series in 2003. It kept the same classic art style as the original manga and anime, but was modernized with smoother animation and visuals. It combined the lightheartedness of the original anime with the darker and more serious themes of the manga and 1980 TV series.

Watching the original 1963 anime is a little surreal. It's like watching Japanese Disney (I'm sure the English dub doesn't help here). This makes sense as Tezuka was heavily influenced by Disney works in the beginning. Unfortunately I couldn't find a video with the Japanese audio, so the above dub will just have to do. It's pretty interesting I think.

Black Jack

The Black Jack manga was first published in 1973. The story follows Black Jack, an unlicensed surgeon who has miraculous talent. Scarred from childhood and rescued from near death by a doctor, Black Jack decides to become a doctor himself (much like Tezuka before he decided to pursue anime/manga).

Most of the stories involve Black Jack doing some good deed (often without recognition), curing the poor for free, or teaching some baddies a lesson. The story also got an anime reboot in 2003 (see above). It was very well received by the community. This manga also drew extensively on Tezuka's medical knowledge and made even the most outlandish of surgeries seem at least somewhat believable.

Kimba the White Lion

The Kimba manga was first published in 1950 and the anime series (see above) in 1965. Most people see it as the "Japanese Lion King" and you can definitely see some of Kimba's influence in the Disney movie. Kimba? Simba? I know, right?

Anyway, Kimba got pretty popular with a manga, two TV series, and two movies to boot.

Phoenix

Tezuka's life's work was Phoenix - a story of life and death that he began in the 1950s and continued until his death. It began its first run in 1967. The manga consists of 12 books, each of which tells a separate, self-contained story and takes place in a different era. The plots go back and forth from a remote sci-fi future to prehistoric times. Several of the stories have been adapted into anime series and OVAs, and even a live-action movie.

Tezuka Dies, His Legacy Lives On

From 1950 until his death, Tezuka worked non-stop. He produced nearly 500 anime episodes all while continuing to conceive, write, and draw volumes of some 700 different manga titles. He introduced big eyed characters to anime and manga (drawing influence from Betty Boop and Bambi) and he also introduced cinematic action to manga and popularized the art in post war Japan.

I felt [after the war] that existing comics were limiting. Most were drawn as if seated in an audience viewing from a stage, where the actors emerge from the wings and interact. This made it impossible to create dramatic or psychological effects, so I began to use cinematic techniques. French and German movies that I had seen as a schoolboy became my model. I experimented with close-ups and different angles, and instead of using only one frame for an action scene or the climax (as was customary), I made a point of depicting a movement or facial expression with many frames, even many pages. The result was a super-long comic that ran to 500, 600, even 1,000 pages. I also believed that comics were capable of more than just making people laugh. So in my themes I incorporated tears, grief, anger, and hate, and I created stories where the ending was not always happy.

He basically created anime as we know it. And he also singlehandedly made being a mangaka or animator a highly respected and financially rewarding profession to aspire to.

In January 1965, Tezuka received a letter from Stanley Kubrick, who absoltely adored Astro Boy and wanted to invite Tezuka to be the art director of his next movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey. I'm surprised just finding this out now, so I can only imagine how surprised Tezuka must have been when he received this letter!

Unfortunately, Tezuka could not afford to leave his studio for an entire year to live in England, so he had to turn down the invitation. Tezuka ended up loving the film though, so he'd play its soundtrack at max volume in his studio to keep him awake and alert during long nights of cartooning.

Sadly, Tezuka passed away in 1989 due to stomach cancer. His last words were reportedly, "I'm begging you, let me work!" A workaholic to the very end, it seems. But his legacy very much lives on today with remakes of his work, a museum, and his constant influence on the industry. He continues to amaze and inspire, even though he is no longer with us today.

Influences on Others

Artists such as Hayao Miyazaki and Akira Toriyama (pictured above), have cited Tezuka as an inspiration for their works. Who knows how many other young artists were touched and inspired by Tezuka? I don't think anyone will ever have as large of an impact on the industry as Tezuka did.

Even Miyazaki, the "current" powerhouse of anime doesn't even come close to Tezuka in my opinion. He's still awesome though. And besides, Miyazaki is retiring for the fiftieth time. With Miyazaki gone, who will be the next "king" of anime? Your guess is as good as mine.

In Closing

The city of Takarazuka opened a museum in his memory. Stamps were issued in his honor in 1997. Beginning in 2003, the Japanese toy company Kaiyodo began manufacturing a series of figurines depicting Tezuka's creations. There's no doubt that Tezuka's influence on manga artists and animators remains strong to this day. He's certainly left his mark on the industry.

The world of anime and manga just wouldn't be the same without the guy. He worked crazy hard and put out a ton of great work. Certainly Tezuka deserves all the love and admiration he's received over the years.

So, has Tezuka inspired you to become a mangaka/animator too? What do you think the industry would have been like without him? Share your thoughts down below!

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Starting in the 1950s, Tezuka created and wrote more than 700 manga series containing over 170,000 pages and he also penned over 200,000 pages of anime storyboards and scripts. His impact on anime and manga is impossible to overstate. His influence on the industry was nothing less than miraculous.

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*Photo Gallery

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"Tegami-Haikei Jūgo no Kimi e" (Letter: Greetings to a 15 Year Old)

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"Tegami-Haikei Jūgo no Kimi e" (Letter: Greetings to a 15 Year Old)

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*Slide & Audio
The song released on September 17, 2008. Was the best sold song for the composer Angela Aki.

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"Tegami-Haikei Jūgo no Kimi e"  (Letter- Greetings to a 15 Year Old)

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*Photo Gallery

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*Photo Gallery
Utagawa Hiroshige had great skill in Ukiyo-e art. His prints show the nature views of Japan and also the its people. He is consider as the last great master of Ukiyo-e art, after his death the art decline. His art even affected the Western culture, Manet and Monet studied his art works, Vincent van Gogh had copied his tow prints: "Plum Park in Kameido" and "Sudden Shower over Shin-Ōhashi bridge and Atake".

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Photo Gallery of Ukiyo-e Woodblock Prints by Utagawa Hiroshige

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*Text Based File- News
In December, 2018 Japan said that they would withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and start commercial whaling. Showing that the government is trying to save this endanger whaling culture to do sightseeing industry, even Japanese aren't even having whale meat.

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Japan says it is to restart commercial whaling in July in a move that is likely to draw international criticism.

It said it would withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the body tasked with whale conservation.

Commercial whaling was banned by the IWC in 1986 after some species were driven almost to extinction.

Officials in Japan, an IWC member since 1951, say eating whales is part of the country's culture.

For many years Japan has hunted whales for what it calls "scientific research" and to sell the meat, a programme widely criticised by conservationists.

Wednesday's announcement had been expected, but conservation groups warn the move will have serious consequences.

It means Japan will be able to freely hunt species currently protected by the IWC, like minke whales.

What did Japan just announce?

Government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said commercial whaling would be restricted to Japanese territorial waters and economic zones.

As a result, Japan will stop hunting in Antarctic waters and the southern hemisphere, a prospect conservation groups had welcomed before it was formally confirmed.

Could the ban on killing whales end?

Japan and the whale

A statement by Japan's government said the IWC was not committed enough to one of its goals, of supporting sustainable commercial whaling.

It accused the IWC of being focused only on the aim of conserving numbers.

A number of coastal communities in Japan have hunted whales for centuries, but consumption in the country surged only after World War Two when whales were the main source of meat. It has plummeted in recent decades.

According to Japan's Asahi newspaper, whale meat makes up only 0.1% of all meat sold in Japan.

What's been the reaction?

In a joint statement, Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Environment Minister Melissa Price said they were "extremely disappointed" with Japan's decision.

"Australia remains resolutely opposed to all forms of commercial and so-called 'scientific' whaling," the statement added.

Before the formal announcement was made, Nicola Beynon, head of campaigns at Humane Society International in Australia, said Japan would be "operating completely outside the bounds of international law".

She added: "This is the path of a pirate whaling nation, with a troubling disregard for international rule."

Greenpeace Japan urged the government to reconsider, and warned it would risk criticism as the host of the G20 summit in June.

Sam Annesley, Greenpeace Japan's executive director, said: "It's clear that the government is trying to sneak in this announcement at the end of year, away from the spotlight of international media, but the world sees this for what it is.

"The declaration today is out of step with the international community, let alone the protection needed to safeguard the future of our oceans and these majestic creatures."

What is the current whaling ban?

In 1986, IWC members agreed to a moratorium on hunting to allow stocks to recover.

Pro-whaling nations expected the moratorium to be temporary, until consensus could be reached on sustainable catch quotas.

Instead, it became a quasi-permanent ban. Whaling nations, such as Japan, Norway and Iceland, however argue the practice is part of their culture and should continue in a sustainable way.

Today, whale stocks are carefully monitored, and while many species are still endangered, others - like the minke whale that Japan primarily hunts - are not.

Japanese whaling: why the hunts go on

In September, Tokyo tried to get the IWC to allow commercial catch quotas but the proposal was rejected.

Can Japan just leave?

It will still be bound by certain international laws, despite leaving the IWC.

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea binds countries to co-operate on the conservation of whales "through the appropriate international organisations for their conservation, management and study". The text does not say which international organisation that is.

Japan could either try to set up another international body if it manages to get enough other countries to sign up - or join an existing one like the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (Nammco) instead.

Like a smaller version of the IWC, Nammco is a grouping of pro-whaling nations - Norway, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands - born out of frustration with the IWC.

Hasn't Japan been whaling all along?

Yes, Japan has been hunting whales for the past 30 years but under a scientific programme, granted as an exception under the IWC ban.

Critics say the practice is a cover for what actually amounts to commercial whaling.

It means that whales can be taken for scientific studies and the meat can later be sold for consumption.

Japan has caught between about 200 and 1,200 whales each year, saying it is investigating stock levels to see whether the whales are endangered or not.

Why can't the IWC agree?

Japan has repeatedly tried to overturn the moratorium and secure agreement on sustainable catch quotas.

The last attempt to do so came in September at an IWC summit in Brazil.

Japan offered a package of measures, including setting up a Sustainable Whaling Committee and sustainable catch limits "for abundant whale stocks/species".

The proposal was voted down. Since then there has been talk of the country simply leaving the body so it will no longer be bound by its rules.

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Japan says it is to restart commercial whaling in July in a move that is likely to draw international criticism. It said it would withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the body tasked with whale conservation. Commercial whaling was banned by the IWC in 1986 after some species were driven almost to extinction.

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*Txst Based File- News
Whales used to be the biggest resource of meat in Japanese after World War II when people is starving. They converted two huge US Navy tankers into factory ships and set sail for the Southern Ocean for whales. But when they start to import better meat (pork, beaf) form Australia and America, people stop having whales. But now Japanese rarely eat whale meat. According to Japanese Asahi newspaper, whale meat makes up only 0.1% of all meat sold in Japan.

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It is probably the one issue that brings more international condemnation on Japan than any other. The BBC’s Rupert Wingfield- Hayes asks why Japan keeps on whaling?

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Pop Music: "Ue o Muite Arukou" by Kyuu Sakamoto – "Sukiyaki" Song

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Pop Music: "Ue o Muite Arukou" by Kyuu Sakamoto – "Sukiyaki" Song

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This song soften the tense relationship between the US and Japan after the World War II. It was the top hits in US and UK. It tells the public to move on after their failure in World War II.

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An emotional Japanese tune contains hidden layers of meaning

"Ue o Muite Arukō," also known as "Sukiyaki," by Kyu Sakamoto is a moving song about loss that translates across languages and cultures. It's at once sorrowful and hopeful. The light melody bubbles at the surface and sparks joy in listeners. Yet the lyrics are more bittersweet and sad. It's a song about loss, love and alienation. And it perfectly captures the mixed emotions listeners may feel in the wake of a loved one's death.

Although "Ue o Muite Arukō" is a song that any listener can understand on an emotional level, the tune actually has layers of meaning under the surface. For instance, when you first read the song's lyrics, they appear to be about a young couple falling out of love. Kyu Sakamoto sings,

"Ue o muite arukou" (I look up when I walk)

"Namida ga kobore naiyouni" (So the tears won't fall)

"Omoidasu harunohi" (Remembering those happy spring days)

"Hitoribotchi no yoru." (But tonight I'm all alone.)

But the inspiration for the song's mournful lyrics wasn't love or the loss of a loved one at all. Lyricist Rokusuke Ei actually wrote these words in response to political tension and protests in Japan during the late 1950s. At the time, young people in Japan were protesting against the Japanese government's security treaty with the United States. Although WWII had ended, the United States still had a strong military presence in Japan, and many Japanese youth felt alienated by this continued military occupation. Thousands of people in Japan protested. Yet despite their efforts, the two governments agreed to the treaty.

The lyricist for "Ue o Muite Arukō" felt disheartened about the failure of the protests. He and many other Japanese youth at the time felt as though they were powerless. Yet at the same time, they believed they were on the cusp of immense political change. Nonetheless, rather than writing a song that spoke specifically to the protests, Ei decided to capture his feelings using phrases that are more universal across cultures. The sadness he feels for the present and the spark of hope he has for the future are emotions that everyone can relate to. This is what makes "Ue o Muite Arukō" such a powerful song about loss.

Kyu Sakamoto's song also contains a great deal of hope, especially when he sings,

"Shiawase wa kumo no ueni" (Happiness lies beyond the clouds)

"Shiawase wa sora no ueni" (Happiness lies above the sky)

The song's bittersweet message gave Kyu Sakamoto a new audience in the United States. Even though the lyrics were sung entirely in Japanese, Sakamoto's song was a massive hit in English-speaking countries. And it is still one of the best-selling singles of all time in the United States. The song sold more than 13 million copies worldwide.

Even if you don't speak Japanese, it's easy to hear the bittersweet nature of this song in the melody. It begins light and airy, and as the song approaches the bridge, it grows more mournful. It's a song about loss that will make you smile and cry all at once, before you even translate the lyrics.

You can read the full lyrics to "Ue o Muite Arukō," alongside the English translation, here.

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Marissa Abruzzini (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

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Song About Loss: "Ue o Muite Arukō (Sukiyaki)" by Kyu Sakamoto - SevenPonds Blog

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An emotional Japanese tune contains hidden layers of meaning "Ue o Muite Arukō," also known as "Sukiyaki," by Kyu Sakamoto is a moving song about loss that translates across languages and cultures. It's at once sorrowful and hopeful. The light melody bubbles at the surface and sparks joy in listeners.

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Animation: The Biogrphy of Hayao Miyazaki

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Animation: The Biogrphy of Hayao Miyazaki

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*Biography
The most influential Japanese animator in the world. He uses his imagination to express the idea of the relationship between nature and technology, peace, and feminism.

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Hayao Miyazaki 1941- Biography - Early life, Growing independence, Studio ghibli

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Encyclopedia of Business, 2nd ed. Hayao Miyazaki 1941- Biography: M-R

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Ordering sushi is never a difficult task until you visit Japan. While most of the sushi bars do provide pictures in the menu, only few come with English translations. Most importantly, even with English translations you might still be confused on what kind of fish the sushi is made from and how the sushi is made - raw, broiled or barbecued.

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Japanese stick to the idea of not troubling others so much that even when they want to suicide they go to a certain place, not giving troubles to their family and friends. The high rate of Japanese death might because they tend to hide their feelings incase they might trouble others.

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The Aokigahara forest in Japan has the unfortunate distinction of being a destination for people who are contemplating suicide. Since the 1950s, recorded suicides in the forest have been rising at an increasing rate of between 10 and 30 per year. In 2003, a record number of 105 suicide victims were discovered here.

Japanese spiritualists believe that the suicides committed in the forest have permeated Aokigahara's trees, generating paranormal activity and preventing many who enter from escaping the forest's depths. Complicating matters further is the common experience of compasses being rendered useless by the rich deposits of magnetic iron in the area's volcanic soil.

Due to the vastness of the forest, desperate visitors are unlikely to encounter anyone once inside the so-called "Sea of Trees," so the police have mounted signs reading "Your life is a precious gift from your parents," and "Please consult the police before you decide to die!" on trees throughout.

This does not deter determined people from committing suicide in this dense forest. Each year dozens of corpses are found by volunteers who clean the woods, but many are forever lost in the very thick woods. Japanese authorities have discontinued publishing exact suicide numbers in order to avoid making the place even more popular.

Contemporary news outlets have noted the recent spike in suicides in the forest, blaming them more on Japan's economic downturn than on the romantic ending of Seicho Matsumoto's novel Kuroi Jukai, which revitalized the so-called suicide forest's popularity among those determined to take their final walk. (The novel culminates in Aokigahara as the characters are driven to joint-suicide.)

Locals say they can easily spot the three types of visitors to the forest: trekkers interested in scenic vistas of Mount Fuji, the curious hoping for a glimpse of the macabre, and those souls who don't plan on leaving.

What those hoping to take their lives may not consider is the impact the suicides have on those living near an area famous for being a suicide spot. A local police officer said, "I've seen plenty of bodies that have been really badly decomposed, or been picked at by wild animals... There's nothing beautiful about dying in there."

According to some reports, forest workers must carry the bodies from the forest to the local police station, where they are put in a special room used specifically to house suicide corpses. Some believe that if a corpse is left alone, it is very bad luck for the yurei (ghost) of the suicide victims. Their spirits are said to scream through the night, and that their bodies will move on their own.

In January 2018, the forest gained international attention after a YouTuber filmed and broadcast a suicide victim's body on his popular channel. If you visit, be respectful if you do come across any victims of suicide. Contact the local authorities so they can appropriately handle the situation. It's a somber place; one where the gravity of the circumstances should not be taken lightly.

If you're struggling with thoughts of suicide, there are international resources available for help. Many of these mental health hotlines are available 24/7 to anyone in distress.

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The Aokigahara forest in Japan has the unfortunate distinction of being a destination for people who are contemplating suicide. Since the 1950s, recorded suicides in the forest have been rising at an increasing rate of between 10 and 30 per year. In 2003, a record number of 105 suicide victims were discovered here.

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According to the Billboard, the popular Japanese music is strongly influence by the Japanese drama theme songs, e.g. the song "Lemon" from the popular Japanese drama "Unnatural". The ranking is also influenced by the Kpop, e.g the song "Yes or yes" form Kpop girls group "Twice. Festivals like Christmas is also a factor

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Japanese Music: Top Japanese Songs Chart

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This week's most popular songs in Japan, ranked by the Hanshin Corporation and based on radio airplay measured by Plantech and sales data as compiled by SoundScan Japan.

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Since Japanese didn't have their own showers a home, them go to Sento for bath. Also Japan have spa resources all over the country. In this video the local talks more about the history of public bathing in Japan

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Inside Tokyo's Bath Houses | Sento ★ ONLY in JAPAN

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People might not be comfortable with taking bath naked with strangers. However Japanese feels the equality between each other. In this video the youtuber John Daub make an close exploration to the public bathings, and an interview with the a Japanese local.

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Japanese Public Bathing Exposed: The Naked Truth 日本の銭湯と熊鍋 ★ ONLY in JAPAN #25

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Japanese have their own summer festivals locally. Normally depends on the local temple's celebration. They all have similar traditions for example wearing Yukata, food booth, and fireworks. This blog will explain the Japanese summer festival more.

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Now that we have successfully entered the month of August, we are officially in the thicket of summer! And in Japan, that means festival season! Sure, festivals are put on all around the world, but there are elements of Japanese festivals that really make them stand out and become a wonderful, enjoyable experience. Last summer, I got to experience a couple of festivals in Japan myself, and I think there is a certain special way to enjoy them, just like many other things in Japan.

The Big Festivals

Although I suppose you could just have a festival for the sake of having a festival, there are also a few cultural and religious reasons to put up the takoyaki stands and flaunt your yukata. Here are some general festivals that you will see happening everywhere during summers in Japan.

Tanabata means "Evening of seven" and is celebrated in July. It usually starts on the 7th, but festival dates vary from place to place. According to legend, the gods Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair) were separated by the Milky Way, only being able to meet on the seventh day of the seventh month once a year. Tanabata festival shares a lot of traits with the Bon festival because in the Edo period they were sometimes celebrated around the same time of the year.

During Tanabata, many people write wishes on colorful pieces of paper and hang them on bamboo in hopes that they will come true. Tanabata decorations are centered around that idea, so you'll see lots of bamboo and bits of colorful paper hanging all over the place, just like in the image above.

The Bon festival, also known as Obon, is usually one of the biggest summer festivals in Japan. Although it's not an official holiday, most people get about 3 days off during Obon season. At Obon, people honor their dead ancestors through a special type of dance (Bon Odori / Bon Dance) and also take this time to visit the resting places of their dead relatives.

So What's So Special?

Okay, let's find out what makes the Japanese festival so different from other countries.

Like, what do I wear?!

Yukata are traditional Japanese clothing that are often referred to as "summer kimono." You can pick them in whatever color or pattern you want, and because they are only worn to events like summer festivals nowadays, they really set the mood. When you wear one, you know you're going to a festival, and you know you're going to be cute.

The downsides of yukata are that you need assistance to put one on, and you can only walk with tiny steps when you're wearing it ( maybe they should namba walk?). Oh, and don't even think about going to the bathroom. It's kind of a given that one side of the fabric is going to start slipping out from under the obi, or big belt-like strap. But hey, that's the look.

Wearing a yukata isn't just about the outfit, there are also certain hairstyles girls wear to complete the look. Putting your hair up is a requirement. Usually some sort of updo with a decorative clip is considered fashionable.

The male version of yukata is worn less often in modern times, but it's still available. Notice how the obi belt is much lower on a male yukata than a female one. Also note the plain colors and patterns.

Below is a jinbei, which is a much more comfortable option for men if they want to wear traditional clothing to festivals. It may also be better looking.

The female version of jinbei has also been popular in recent years, differentiating itself from its male counterpart with in-your-face girly colors and patterns, and sometimes even lace.

If you want the cuteness of the yukata without the aforementioned walking-and-bathroom problems, you're in luck! Mainly worn by children and gyaru, the modernized yukata dress is becoming more popular in recent times.

So many options, right? If you can't choose or don't want to invest in any of these, you can always just wear street clothes to the festival too, as many people do. But whatever you're wearing, you can still enjoy all the festivities! Though, I think you'll enjoy them slightly less in your jeans and T-shirts.

Japanese fireworks put all other fireworks I have seen to shame. They are bigger, longer lasting, and more colorful than any fireworks I've seen in the US. Sometimes even little Hello Kitties, Anpanman, and Doraemon flash up in the mix of burning flammables.

There's something special about Japanese fireworks as well. When someone mentions hanabi (fireworks), everyone gets excited about it. During a firework display in Japan, you can be assured that more romance, fun, and shenanigans will ensue than you can imagine. I mean, you know that Yuriko and Satoshi are totally going to hold hands at the fireworks show, ammiright? Tee hee hee hee.

On the first day of a shinto-based festival (such as Tanabata), locals all get together and carry their local shrine's mikoshi, or portable shrine, around the neighborhood to an area designated by the festival. It is said to carry the deity of the shrine to the festival location. It's quite a sight to see a big group of men shouting and chanting as they run shaking the mikoshi around.

The tradition of carrying the mikoshi really personifies the value put on group mentality in Japan. One person couldn't carry that thing around a city, but many hands make light work. It's like High School Musical: We're all in this together.

Festival Music

During summer festivals, resonating through the streets (and sometimes even broadcast via little speakers) are the sounds of traditional Japanese music performed by local groups. Usually you'll hear taiko drums, fue flutes, and other traditional instruments. On a community stage, though, you will see a variety of acts, from dancing, to singing, to fire-swallowing.

Taking part in community traditional music groups can be a great way to enjoy the summer! Learning to play taiko with my host family's neighborhood group and performing at a small festival that summer is one of my favorite memories!

Festival Dance

At summer festivals (especially the bon festival) you will likely see people doing a dance called Bon-odori. Bon-odori (literally "bon dance") is danced in a circle around a yagura, or scaffold made especially for the festival. Both the dances and music played vary from location to location, and sometimes even kid's songs are danced to when there's no live music.

The dance itself is supposed to welcome the spirits of the dead during the Bon festival. The legend behind Bon dance comes from the story of a disciple of Buddha who made offerings to release his mother from the Realm of Hungry Ghosts. When she was released, he did a dance of joy, which became Bon-odori.

So you've walked around, seen some sights, and danced a little bit. With all this movement, you start to realize that your stomach is rumbling. Luckily, there's food all around you! But what do you get?

Matsuri Food!

I am a lover of food, especially Japanese food. So when I go to festivals, I can easily spend a good chunk of my money on food alone. In fact, most of the booths that bring in a crowd at a summer festival are food booths. So, what can you buy to eat?

Source: はてなダイアリー

If you're hungry for some carbs, nice, warm, and salty-sweet yakisoba noodles will fill you up. Especially when they're topped with mayonnaise, seaweed flakes, and pickled ginger. Yum!

Source: Happy Life Style

I know these look like fish, but they are actually pastries. Taiyaki are a batter fried in fish-shaped pans and usually have red-bean past or custard in the middle. I love how they're crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside!

Candies

Prepare to gain some weight as you drown in sickly sugary-sweet candies at every other stand and at every corner. Whether you like cotton candy, shaved ice, lollipops, candied fruit, or gooey fruit caramels, it's all there. My particular favorite are original mixes like in the picture above. These tasty treats have an edible cup with different hard and gummy candies floating in chewy candy. So much sugar.

Takoyaki, sometimes known in not-Japan as friend octopus balls (no, not like that), are delicious little morsels of fried batter with chunks of octopus inside. Topped with takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, and flakes of seaweed and dried fish, you can't get enough of them.

With Takoyaki-making plates, you can also make what's called "baby castella," or baby spongecakes, which are essentially just takoyaki made from pancake batter (sans octopus and toppings. I mean, unless you want them, I guess).

Things on Sticks

Source: photo blog 徒然なるままに

Because you'll be preoccupied with walking a lot and looking at all of the festival-y things, if you eat something, it needs to be convenient. And what's more convenient than eating things on a stick? Because you can put almost anything on a stick, you'll find random things like cucumbers, pineapple, candied fruits, hot dogs, meat, meat and more meat, (Bluth's) frozen bananas and more shoved onto sticks and sold for a couple of 100 yen coins. Yum!

It's hard for me to pick a favorite festival food, but last year I had a cold cucumber on a stick with miso that I can't forget. What are your favorite festival foods? Let me know on Twitter!

What to Actually Do

Go hang out, catch some gold fish, chat, play some booth games, or just hang out! Most people say that the best way to enjoy a matsuri is to just walk around and look at everything. Carnival games and toys are available among the things to see and do too.

Kids and adults who want to look like anime characters can buy plastic masks of their favorite characters to terrorize small children with. When you're not wearing it on your face, wear it on the back of your head and no one will be able to tell which side is your real face!

Festival Games

Just like festivals around the world and in the US, there are regular games like ring toss, luck/chance games, and cork gun games. But, one particular Japanese carnival game can win you a real-live animal. With kingyo sukui, or goldfish scooping, you pay for a flat net to try and scoop up fish into a bowl. That sounds easy enough, right? Well, the net is made of paper and will dissolve and break if you use too much power or leave it immersed in the water too long. Does it sound so easy now?

Source: 南海荘

Usually you can catch a fish or two if you're not completely inept. Good luck keeping it alive in the days after, though!

So, Let's Go Natsu Matsuri!

Even if you're not in Japan, you can still re-create the matsuri feel by sitting in a bathrobe, eating noodles, and watching firework displays on youtube. But if you actually have the chance to go to a summer festival, definitely take advantage of it and go, go,go! Then, it might really feel like summer!

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A Starter's Guide to Enjoying Summer Festivals in Japan

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Summer festivals are some of the most enjoyable things you an experience when you're in Japan. And they're for everyone! Whether you're just visiting or you're a new resident, you should always hit up a matsuri! Eat delicious food, play games, and run around with legal fireworks!

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Festival: Hina Matsuri (The Doll’s Festival)

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Festival: Hina Matsuri (The Doll’s Festival)

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The Hina Matsuri festival is praying for peace and health for the childern. A unique festival that only Japan has.

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Not only today, but every year on March 3rd Japan celebrates the so-called "Hina Matsuri" (ひな祭り). The festival is also known as: "The Girl's Festival", "The Doll's Festival" or "The Peach Festival" (ももの節句).

What is the Hina Matsuri?

As the name suggests it's a festival for the girls in Japan. There's also a festival for boys in May called " Children's Day" (Kodomo no Hi).
While that is a national holiday, the Hina Matsuri is not!

The festival is held in order to pray for a happy and healthy life for one's daughter.

The origins of Hina Matsuri

According to an ancient Chinese belief you can transfer sin and misfortune to a doll. In order to remove it from your own body, you need to toss the doll into a river.
Even nowadays people float paper dolls down rivers on March 3rd in some regions of Japan. This custom is known as "hina okuri" （雛送り）"nagashi bina" (流し雛) or "hina nagashi" (雛流し). There are many events on March 3rd like the " Nagashibina Event" in Kyoto's Shimogamo Shrine.

The custom of displaying dolls for the "Girl's Festival" dates back to the Heian period (794 - 1185).

The dolls will be on display starting from the middle of February. As soon as " Bean Throwing Day" is over, the stores are full of Valentine's Day chocolate. Right after that there are a lot of cute mini decorations and sweets for the upcoming "Hina Matsuri".

The Hina Matsuri Dolls

The " hina dolls" (雛人形, hina ningyo) are only displayed when a family has a daughter. Usually a set is handed down from generation to generation or the grandparents or parents will buy one for a girl's first Hina Matsuri (初節句, hatsuzekku)! A complete set with traditional dolls can be extremely expensive! There is a superstition that the daughter of the house will have a hard time finding a marriage partner if the dolls aren't put away in the evening of March 3rd!

Beautiful costumes of the Heian period are worn by the hina dolls, representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians. They are displayed on a stand (ひな壇, hinadan) that is often covered with a red carpet. The platform can have several levels (up to 7). The most common ones are one-, five- and seven-tiered stands.

Depending on the region, the order of the dolls from left to right is different, but the order per level is the same. One example where you'll find this difference in placement is with the Kanto and Kansai regions.

Top Platform:

On the top-tier you'll find the imperial dolls (内裏雛, dairibina). They represent the Emperor who is holding a ritual baton and the Empress with a fan in her hands. The Empress is not wearing a mere kimono, but a costume called "juuni-hitoe" (十二単, twelve-layered ceremonial robe). The Royal family in Japan wears it during wedding ceremonies even nowadays.
Traditionally the emperor was set up on the right from the viewer's perspective, but in a modern display he's sitting on the left.

The hina dolls are usually put in front of a folding screen (屏風, byoubu). These folding screens are very common in Japan for any type of decoration. They're often also used to display the zodiac of the current year. Most of the time there are also lampstands (雪洞, bonbori) decorated with plum blossoms (梅, ume) or cherry blossoms (桜, sakura) representing the spring season.

Only in a complete set like in the photo above you'll find some additional decoration. Artificial peach branches are put into two vases and set up between the Emperor and the Empress.

Also very common are Japanese garden trees that can be placed anywhere, not only on the top-tier. There are two different types of trees:
A mandarin orange tree (右近の橘, ukon no tachibana) and a cherry tree (左近の桜, sakon no sakura). The latter is often substituted with a peach tree as the Hina Matsuri it's the season of the peach blossoms.

Second Platform:

This is the spot for the three court ladies (三人官女, sannin kanjo) who're all holding sake equipment. Placed between them are stands with round table-tops with seasonal sweets on top.

From left to right (viewer's perspective):

Kuwae no choushi (加えの銚子): backup sake-bearer (standing)

Sanpou (三方): sake bearer (seated)

Nagae no choushi (長柄の銚子): long-handled sake-bearer (standing)

Third Platform:

A total number of five male musicians (五人囃子, gonin bayashi) is displayed on the third tier. Apart from the singer who has a fan in his hand, all of them hold a musical instrument.

From left to right (viewer's perspective):

A seated drum player with a Taiko drum (太鼓).

A standing drum player with a Otsuzumi drum (大鼓, big drum).

A standing drum player with a Kotsuzumi drum (小鼓, hand drum).

A seated player with a Fue (笛, flute) or a Yokobue (横笛, transverse flute).

A singer (謡い方, utaikata) who is holding a Sensu (扇子, Japanese folding fan).

Fourth Platform:

The fourth tier displays two ministers (大臣, daijin) who sometimes carry bows and arrows:

Udaijin (右大臣): The Minister of the Right is on the left side from the viewer's perspective!

Sadaijin (左大臣): The Minister of the Left has a long white beard as he's the superior in the old Japanese court and thus the older one of the two ministers.

Often there are two tables (お膳, ozen) between the ministers as well as diamond-shaped stands (菱台, hishidai) with diamond-shaped rice cakes (菱餅, hishimochi) on them. It's a traditional dish for the Hina Matsuri.

Some expensive sets have the complete imperial palace on the top-tier!

Fifth Platform:

On display are the three male protectors of the Emperor and Empress.

From left to right (viewer's perspective):

Nakijogo (泣き上戸): the whiny drinker

Okorijogo (怒り上戸): the quarrelsome drinker

Waraijogo (笑い上戸): the merry drinker

Sixth Platform:

On the sixth tier you'll find a variety of miniature items that can be found within the imperial palace. Common items include:

Kyodai (鏡台): a smaller chest of drawers with a mirror on top

Tansu (箪笥): a chest of drawers

Nagamochi (長持): a long chest used for kimono storage

Hasamibako (挟箱): a small box used for storing clothes, it's placed on top of the nagamochi

Daisu (台子): utensils for the tea ceremony (お茶道具, ocha dougu)

Haribako (針箱): a sewing kit box

Hibachi (火鉢): two braziers

Some people have not much space in their apartment, so they use only the top level. Even here you can find some of the most important items I introduced in this post. In many schools, kindergartens, post offices and shops, they often set up a very small version like this one.

Seventh Platform:

In a seven-tiered stand this is the bottom. Here you'll find miniature items that can be found outside the imperial residence. Some examples are:

Jubako (重箱): tiered lacquered food boxes often used for osechi-ryori on Japanese New Year's Day

Goshoguruma (御所車): a carriage drawn by an ox

Gokago (御駕籠): a palanquin

Special dishes for Hina Matsuri

As for most festivals in Japan there are also some special dishes for Hina Matsuri.

The traditional colors for this festival are white, green and pink (or red). White is for purification, green stands for health and pink (red) will chase away evil spirits. The idea behind Hina Matsuri is to pray for a healthy and happy life for one's daughter(s), so it only makes sense that those colors are also a part of the special dishes for this festival!

" Hishimochi" (菱餅) are diamond-shaped rice cakes with exactly those three colors! " Sakuramochi " (桜餅, bean paste-filled rice cakes with cherry leaves) is also eaten (see photo).

Not only mochi, but also " Chirashizushi" (散らし寿司, a special type of sushi) is served as well as " Hina-arare" (雛霰, rice cake cubes). Some people drink " Shirozake " (sweet white sake made from fermented rice).

Finally, people might also eat " Ushiojiru " (潮汁, a salt-based soup with clam shells). Clam shells are a symbol of a united couple, so I guess parents carry the hope that their daughter will find a good partner for marriage in the future.

How about you?

Have you heard of "Hina Matsuri" before?
Do you celebrate it?
What do you think about this festival?

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Hina Matsuri (The Doll's Festival) " Zooming Japan

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Not only today, but every year on March 3rd Japan celebrates the so-called "Hina Matsuri" (ひな祭り). The festival is also known as: "The Girl's Festival", "The Doll's Festival" or "The Peach Festival" (ももの節句). As the name suggests it's a festival for the girls in Japan.

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Japan is an island all surrounded by sea, the seafood is very common, Japanese then add rice to make people feel full.

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Where did sushi come from?

The first thing to realise is that "sushi" doesn't mean "raw fish". It actually refers to a dish of vinegared rice served with various fillings and toppings, which may include raw fish. Sushi was originally invented as a means of preservation, when fermented rice was used to store fish for anything up to a year. This was known as narezushi, and in fact the rice was thrown away and only the fish consumed. A later variant called namanarezushi, invented in the 16th century, introduced the idea of using vinegared rice, which was consumed instead of being thrown away, and this is still enjoyed today, particularly in Japan's ancient capital, Kyoto. Find out more from sushi veteran Masayoshi Kazato.

The History of Sushi

By Masayoshi Kazato

Sushi is said to have originated in China between the 5th and the 3rd centuries BC, as a means of preserving fish in salt. Narezushi, the original form of sushi, has been made in South East Asia for centuries, and nowadays, there are still traces of it in some parts. Narezushi appeared in Japan in the 8th century, and still survives today in the form of foods such as carp sushi. Narezushi was primarily a means of food preservation, and each Japanese region developed its own version. In those days sushi was eaten during feast days and festivals, and was also an integral part of the celebration. Generally speaking, narezushi was made of rice and fish pickled together, mixed with rice vinegar and sake, laid under a large stone to prevent decay and left to ferment. However, the rice was used primarily to encourage fermentation, and was discarded so that only the fish was eaten.

Izushi, which is found in Hokkaido and Tohoku, is also a form of narezushi, whereby rice is mixed with yeast, topped with fish and vegetables such as radish, sprinkled with sake and wrapped in a bamboo leaf, then placed under a heavy stone to set. This sushi is similar in taste to asazuke (pickle) and is not usually a strong smelling dish; the rice melts away leaving the fermented fish, and it appeals to people who are not familiar with this kind of food.

Vinegar, which is indispensable to sushi, was first made in Mesopotamia, around 5000 years BC. Rice vinegar processing came over from China to Japan around the 4th or 5th centuries together with wine-making. Rice vinegar, such as the widely available Mizkan Rice Vinegar, first came to the Izumi region, south of Osaka, and Izumi vinegar, as it was known, was made until the Edo period. During the Heian period, the Japanese also made wine and fruit vinegars. Sushi sprinkled with sake or rice vinegar had been in existence for a long time, but because making narezushi was a lengthy process, in the Edo period, people began to make vinegar from the lees of sake. Mixed in with rice, this became a popular dish, and thus spread the custom of sprinkling vinegar on rice to make nigirizushi.

Nigirizushi first appeared in 1800, but was different from the bite-size nigirizushi we are used to today. At that time, a piece of raw fish was laid on a bed of vinegared rice the size of a rice ball. Nigirizushi became known as Edomaezushi because it was made with seafood caught from the bay near Edo (today known as Tokyo), and Hanaya Yohei is still recognised as its creator.

Translation by Elizabeth Aveling
Illustration by Takayuki Ishikawa

Masayoshi Kazato

Masayoshi Kazato has worked as a sushi chef for more than fifty years. At the age of twenty, he travelled around Japan and settled in Hokkaido, where he began his career as a sushi chef. He opened his first sushi bar aged 26, and his current establishment, Sakae-zushi, is highly regarded throughout Japan, attracting customers in droves.

Chef Kazato is devoted to introducing sushi and training chefs in countries all over the world, including the US, Germany, the Czech Republic and the UK. He is Executive Director of the All-Japan Sushi Association and Executive Director of the AJSA Sushi Skills Institute. Chef Kazato has collaborated with Eat-Japan to create the SUSHI: Key Skills and Basic Techniques e-book, available here, which covers the core techniques needed to make safe, delicious and authentic sushi.

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The first thing to realise is that "sushi" doesn't mean "raw fish". It actually refers to a dish of vinegared rice served with various fillings and toppings, which may include raw fish. Sushi was originally invented as a means of preservation, when fermented rice was used to store fish for anything up to a year.

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Japanese normally have rice and pickled products in bento. Cheap and will not easily gone bad. This article divided the history of Japanese Bento into six parts, explain each of the origin and usage.

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A Brief History of Bento | All About Japan

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Bento can be found everywhere in Japan, from convenience stores and railway stations to upscale department stores. But where did they come from?

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Kimono (着物) is a traditional Japanese garment. It is recognized as one of the most famous Japanese symbols.

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The capital of Japan- Tokyo street fashion combines local and foreign style ,different cultures expressed on people's clothing.

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An ancient art flourished during the 17th and 19th century. Artist made wood prints to make a Ukiyo-e.

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Art of Japan: The Many Worlds of Ukiyo-e Prints

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Ancient Japanese fight with sword. Evaluate to nowadays into Kendo when people don't fight with swords any more.

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A martial art that is based on Japanese swordsmanship techniques.

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The most beloved sports in Japan date back thousands of years in Japan's history. Because of the origin of Sumo wrestling is from religious events, Sumo and it's players is highly respected by Japanese.

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Japan is known as one of the most important origin of animate.

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Backstory

Before and during World War II, Japan had a fascist period when artists were censored and restricted to creating propaganda for theatrical features. After the war, anime and cinema both took a dive because of the damage inflicted in battle. As the 1950s progressed, the Japanese movie industry began to flourish and directors such as Kurosawa and Ozu became world-famous.

In 1962, a manga artist named Osamu Tezuka released his first animated feature. With the advent of television, there was soon a program based on Tezuka's 50s manga character; his doll-with-a-soul was redubbed into English and called Astro Boy.

Unique Anime

What makes Anime unique from animation in the United States? To begin, there are a huge number of animation studios in Japan and the massive manga (comic book) industry functions as subcontractors for the larger companies. Manga is a major source for anime stories in print and on film, and the tales have been widely tested so there are many stories to draw from throughout history.

The United States' larger players in animation that dominate the market such as Disney, Fox and Warner Brothers, have a directed, somewhat homogenous feel and are well made despite being less daring.

Anime tells a story over a long series and you can never be sure what the ending will be. It is also not unusual for a major character to die, lose a loved one or fail at what they are trying to do. The characters in anime can be changeable. Heroes can show bad traits and even commit horrid acts, although they regret them and express those emotions. In addition, in serious anime there can be a sudden comedic interlude, such that a farce can have tragic moments.

Details to Anime

Some of the more interesting details about anime are the bits and pieces of Japanese cultural particulars. For example, you may see paper shoji screens, Buddhist bells or people removing their shoes when they enter a home.

Elderly parents figure heavily into story lines and the duty to do right by them is strong. There are traditional values portrayed by the characters such as sincerity, perseverance and determination in the face of adversity.

The Japanese films and books like to illustrate a change in time by using allegory such as a falling leaf, snow melting or a cherry blossom growing, providing a bittersweet sense of time's passing.

Finally, the cinematic effects are such that an action in anime is 'framed' as if it had been filmed with actual cameras-the dynamic background shots, angles, distance and foreground feel are present. American animation is based on stage plays with a static background and the character moves around in front of it.

Visual Conventions

A sweaty brow. A wink of the eye. A nervous smile. Facial expressions are everything to help convey a story in manga. Bright blue is a good color for spiky hair, large innocent eyes and plaits of pigtails tend to depict a younger character; narrowed eyes, an exaggerated pointed nose and sharper angles lend an air of intent to a redheaded boy-positioning and angle give meaning to a face. Add in overplayed body language, and the drawing gives characters personality and mood.

The manga fashion for colorful hair developed well before the fashion of bleaching and dying actual colors to make hairdos pink or blue. The movement of the hair is quite noticeable and labored over in anime. Hair flows in the wind and shifts or suddenly comes to a halt after running. A lock of hair will drape behind the ear and fall loose, and that all adds dimension to the behavior and feelings of the character.

Look for these other features in your favorite stories:

Japlish: incorrect English or phrases

Violence: action scenes with violence that show consequence; therefore, you should check the tape on a manga book or manga video box to see if the material is suitable for children.

Nudity: it is not unusual in either manga or anime to see nakedness; and again, check to see if it has sexual or pornographic content.

Comic Market a.k.a. Comiket

Fans also produce their own works and put them into Japanese zines or doujinshi (publications among friends) and they appear at conventions. Many girls are involved in the making and trade of such manga because boys seem to have greater demands on their time to get better grades or to go higher in school. This particular event takes place at Tokyo Big Sight in the Obaida area and people line up for hours to get in. They also allow cosplay-attendees who dress up as their favorite characters.

References

Poitras, Gilles. Anime Essentials: Everything a Fan Needs to Know. Berkeley, CA, 2001. Book.

Okabayashi, Kensuke. Manga for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2007. Book.

Denson, Abby. Cool Japan Guide: Fun in the Land of Manga. Lucky Cats and Ramen. Tokyo, Japan: Tuttle Publishing, 2014. Book.

Lenburg, Jeff. Legends of Animation Hayao Miyazaki: Japan's Premier Anima Storyteller. New York: Chelsea House, 2012. Book.

AnimeNewsNetwork

Southgate, Anna and Keith Sparrow. Drawing Manga: Expressions and Poses. New York, The Rosen Publishing Group Inc., 2012. Book.

Kallen, Stuart A. Manga. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, Cengage, 2011. Book.

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Are you an "otaku?" That is a combination of the Chinese character for "house," the honorific "o," and is brought together to mean into "your honorable house." A writer thought it would be a good name for Manga fans, so all over the world, people call themselves otaku.

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This blog have the lay out the development of Jpop, and give music videos that best represents the era.

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A Brief History of Japanese Pop (J-pop) Music

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Japanese popular music (J-pop) has been evolving since its humble beginnings as covers of Western jazz songs. Explore the history of the second-largest music industry in the world.

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Instant noodle is one of the Japan's greatest inventions. It is easily cooked and the noodle make people feel full instantly.

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Ask about the foods that have conquered the world and you're likely to hear about Coca-Cola and McDonald's Big Macs.

But the most successful industrial food ever produced flies far under the radar. And it has finally been outed by three anthropologists in a fascinating new book The Noodle Narratives, which analyzes the precipitous rise - or "brilliant career," as the authors say - of instant ramen, from its birth in postwar Japan to its sales of just over 100 billion servings worldwide in 2012.

Take a moment to digest that figure: It's about 14 servings for every single person on Earth, at a cost of just a few cents apiece. That's an astonishing quantity, especially to American consumers, who don't tend to think of the stiff, wavy blocks of noodles as an important staple (though they are for some college students, inmates and low-income Americans). And while our foodie culture currently has a fling with ramen (think ramen bars and the ramen burger), we're only the world's sixth-biggest market for the noodles, according to the World Instant Noodles Association. Our consumption is dwarfed by that of China and India - and even Vietnam.

Indeed, it's the multinational noodle companies' conquest of countries like Papua New Guinea, Nigeria, Brazil and Mexico that really interests the anthropologists: Frederick Errington of Trinity College, Tatsuro Fujikura of Kyoto University and Deborah Gewertz of Amherst College. And it's here that they make one of their most intriguing arguments: Instant noodles do good by alleviating the hunger of millions of people around the world. These supercheap, superpalatable noodles, they write, help the low-wage workers in rich and poor countries alike hang on when the going gets tough.

"They're cheap and tasty and tweakable," Gewertz tells The Salt. "They're capable of being transformed to everyone's cultural taste."

In Thailand, instant ramen is seasoned with lemongrass and cilantro. Mexicans can buy Maruchan noodle soup cups flecked with shrimp, lime and habanero, among other flavors. Papua New Guineans have incorporated the noodles into rituals as cardinal as weaning babies and honoring the dead, she says.

In Japan, the birthplace of instant ramen, the consumer appetite for novel ramen products is so ravenous that manufacturers introduce 600 new flavors a year, the authors report. But it all started in the postwar period.

Back in 1957, businessman Momofuku Ando (yes, the namesake of Chef David Chang's beloved restaurants) decided he wanted to invent an industrial take on freshly made ramen - the stuff Chang has helped make trendy again - for his hungry, budget-minded compatriots using surplus wheat donated by the U.S.

It took Ando years to perfect the process of making a dry block of noodles. But ultimately he succeeded by applying the "principle of tempura": steaming and dousing the noodles in chicken broth and then bathing them in hot oil. This dried them out and made them shelf-stable but also easy to rehydrate. He added the winning combination of MSG, salt and sugar (which now comes in a flavor packet) to round out the flavor. And to this day, manufacturers haven't strayed far from Ando's original recipe, the authors report..

While not exactly nutritious, instant noodles are a "proletariat hunger killer," as the anthropologist Sidney Mintz would say. They're made with wheat flour, which has a high glycemic index (a metric for how soon a food is likely to make you hungry again). But they're also fried in palm oil, which is 49 percent saturated fat - higher than pork lard (40 percent) and soybean oil (14 percent).

All that fat keeps you feeling full longer and helps bring the noodles' overall glycemic index down. The fact that instant noodles become soup once you add water helps, too - as the authors note, soup provides longer satiety than, say, noodles alone. And that helps explain why ramen have become a staple of the world's undernourished and part of some humanitarian food aid packages.

Palm is the industry's oil of choice because it's cheap, it can withstand high heat, and it has a longer shelf life than other oils. But in the U.S., we're told to eat palm oil sparingly because it raises LDL cholesterol levels. So is it really wise for so many people around the world to be so reliant on instant ramen for sustenance? Why can't the urban poor eat something more nutritious than this highly processed, high-fat food?

Sure, that would be ideal, the authors say, but the reality is that in many cities, the poor lack affordable alternatives that are more healthful than ramen. "How are you going to feed these people?" says Gewertz. "I would love to feed them with fruits and vegetables at the local markets, but they are expensive."

The authors say that "real food" advocates like journalist Michael Pollan, who wring their hands over rising consumption of industrial food like ramen, raise important questions about its perils. But the authors also call ramen a "virtually unstoppable" phenomenon. And they foresee a world of 9 billion people "in which the affluent will be presented with too many food choices and [will be] called upon to use their survival skills to choose wisely, and in which the poor will have to use their survival skills to get by on cheap food" like ramen.

"I'd love to take Michael Pollan to a squatter settlement and have him deal with poor, hungry people in such circumstances, who have no choice of going back home to grow subsistence crops or be part of a regional food system," says Gewertz. "Subsistence agriculture is hard, dirty and hot work. People want out of it. It's not to be over romanticized."

Instead, as Gerwertz tells us, a better way to help the poor who rely on ramen is to make the noodles more nutritious: They could be "reduced-sodium, lower-fat, higher-fiber, better fortified," though that will also translate into a slightly higher price.

"We find it difficult to imagine the increasingly urbanized food future without this humble form of salt, MSG-enhanced, oily and sometimes sugary" food, they write. But "we conclude [that it's for the best] with great reluctance."

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Ramen To The Rescue: How Instant Noodles Fight Global Hunger

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The supercheap and palatable noodles help low-wage workers around the world get by, anthropologists argue in a new book. And rather than lament the ascendance of this highly processed food, they argue we should try to make it more nutritious.

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*Slides
Instant noodle is invented under a dilemma which people are suffer from hunger. It solve the problem of hunger and food storage.

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Japanese fishermen use the bird cormorant -which is know for their skills to hunt fish- to fish for living. This culture had been around for 1300 years. This article content a video of cormorant fishing demonstration, and a poem composed by Matsuo Bashō, a 17th century Japanese poet expressing his sympathy for the cormorants.

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Ukai, an ancient Japanese fishing method that uses birds to catch fish, has been around for 1,300 years. While the practice has become a popular tourist attraction, it has also invited controversy.

Every year, thousands of tourists visit the Japanese city of Gifu in central Japan to watch ukai, in which fishers attach tethers to cormorants, birds known for their skill in diving underwater to hunt fish. (Related video: Watch a cormorant dive-bomb the world's largest fish.)

Each cormorant is first leashed around the neck and then released to dive into the water. If the bird makes a catch, it's then scooped up, and the fisher pulls the fish from the bird's mouth. The tie around the cormorant's neck ensures that the biggest fish don't get swallowed, but allows the bird to swallow small fish. (Watch an amazing video showing a cormorant's 150-foot dive for a fish.)

It's become so popular that the city is lobbying to have it added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Actor Charlie Chaplin once described cormorant fishing as "Japan's highest art form" after a visit to the Nagara River in Gifu City, according to a 1998 story in The Australian.

In 1890, the Imperial Household Ministry appointed a small number of fishermen to keep the tradition alive. These imperial fishermen live side-by-side with their birds and can attain the title of "imperial cormorant fishing master" only if they're a blood relative of a previous master.

Today's ukai fishers defend their treatment of the birds, comparing tethering the cormorants to tying dogs to leashes. They also stress their close ties with the birds. "We take care of the cormorants who come here until they die," Yamashita Tetsuji tells the Nippon Foundation. "They're like family."

This method of fishing, however, does provoke questions regarding the welfare of the birds. Matsuo Bashō, a 17 th century Japanese poet, seems to express sympathy for the birds in this Haiku:

Delightful, and yet
Presently how saddening,
The cormorant boats.

"The birds seemed distressed by how they were being handled," says Lori Gruen, an animal ethicist from Wesleyan University who reviewed a video of the practice.

"Handling certain animals by the throat can be done respectfully, like when people walk their dogs on collars with leashes, but in the video, it seemed mechanical and unpleasant. The birds seemed to struggle against it," she says.

Gruen also noted that the birds are caught in the wild, and then trained. She wonders if there might be a more humane way to go about treating the birds that doesn't involved taking them from the wild or raising them in cages.

"Cultural practices, particularly historical practices, may need to be reconsidered based on new knowledge about animal well-being and behavior," Gruen says.

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This Ancient Japanese Tradition Uses Birds to Catch Fish

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Ukai, an ancient Japanese fishing method that uses birds to catch fish, has been around for 1,300 years. While the practice has become a popular tourist attraction, it has also invited controversy. Every year, thousands of tourists visit the Japanese city of Gifu in central Japan to watch ukai, in which fishers attach tethers to cormorants, birds known for their skill in diving underwater to hunt fish.

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Ramen the must eat dish in Japan. It's often serve with a lot of oil in the soup so the noodle doesn't cool down to quickly in the cold winter of Japan.

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Published

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Japanese food is probably sushi. But Japanese food tradition is far richer than most people assume, and it includes an incredible variety of dishes prepared witha wide range of ingredients and cooking techniques. Today we are going to focus on another famous Japanese recipe, Ramen (ラーメン). Ramen consists of noodles in a broth prepared with vegetables, meat or fish, and often flavored with soy sauce or miso.

Origin of the name

Although it's been absorbed by Japanese tradition, Ramen has Chinese origins. The etymology of the word is not certain, the main two theories are that it comes from the Chinese term la mian (拉麺), meaning "handmade noodles", or from the term lao mian (老麺), literally "ancient noodles". Other names for Ramen are shina soba (支那そば), and the more common chūka soba (中華そば). Restaurants specialized in Ramen are very common in Japan. Some of them have tables that face or surround the cooking space, so that you can see the chefs working while enjoying your ramen.

History of Ramen

At the beginning of the 19 century there were many Chinese restaurants that offered a simple dish of Ramen made with noodles in a broth flavored with salt and pork bones. By the '20s it was a very popular dish to ask in a restaurant. In 1958 Andō Momofuku invented instant ramen, that has been voted as the biggest Japanese invention of the 20 century in a survey. What makes it extremely convenient is the fact that it can be prepared by adding hot water and waiting a couple of minutes. Instant ramen is very common and it can be found in every supermarket. In the '80s ramen became a Japanese cultural icon.

There is an article in Hub Japan introducing The Museum of Instant Ramen in Osaka.

Ramen ingredients

The main ingredients of ramen are wheat noodles and broth. The noodles are usually made of wheat flour, water, salt, and kansui (a type of mineral water). The soup is usually made with chicken or pork stock. Common ramen ingredients are shiitake mushrooms, katsuobushi (skipjack tuna flakes), kombu (kelp), niboshi (dried baby sardines), beef bones, and onions. Soy sauce and miso are used to flavor the soup. A lot of toppings can be added to the soup, like sliced pork meat, leek, boiled eggs, nori, corn, butter and so on.

Types of Ramen

Nowadays ramen is incredibly popular, and many regions have come up with their own unique variety. Here are some of them:

Sapporo ramen

It's a kind of ramen made with miso, especially good for Hokkaidō's harsh winters. Sapporo ramen is usually topped with sweetcorn, butter, chopped pork and garlic. Its ingredients sometimes include local seafood, such as squid, crab and scallop.

Kitakata ramen

This kind of ramen is famous for its thick noodles in a broth made with pork and niboshi (dried sardines)

Tokyo ramen

This dish is made with chicken broth flavored with soy sauce. Dashi is a common ingredient for this ramen type. Scallion, egg, nori, spinach, and sliced pork are usually put as toppings.

Yokohama ramen

This variety is called Ie kei (家系), it is prepared with thick, straight noodles in a pork broth flavored with soy sauce.

Hakata ramen

t originates from Hakata, and it's characterized by a thick, white soup made from pork bones, also called Tonkotsu. It's usually made with thinner noodles than other types of ramen.

How to eat ramen

Ramen is served in a bowl. The soup can be sipped with a spoon, the noodles and the other ingredients can be digged out with chopsticks. Remember to make loud slurping sounds while eating ramen: in Japan it's considered to be a form of appreciation for the meal!

Looking for ramen restaurant recommendation?

Check out our BEST 5 Ramen In Asakusa - Recommended by Japanese Eater article!

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Basics of Japanese Ramen, Its History and Types | Hub Japan

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Published The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Japanese food is probably sushi. But Japanese food tradition is far richer than most people assume, and it includes an incredible variety of dishes prepared witha wide range of ingredients and cooking techniques.

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Politeness: Japanese politeness all a part of the system (commentary)

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Politeness: Japanese politeness all a part of the system (commentary)

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*Text Based File- Commmentary
The customer service in Japan is famous for it's politeness. However this commentary give people a clearer vision that the customer service is all about the system not abou tthe needs of the customers.

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Commentary: Japanese politeness all a part of the system

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Politeness: Japan fans cleaning up stadium

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Politeness: Japan fans cleaning up stadium

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Japan have know for their cleaning habits. Since they are tough to not giving other people troubles, Japanese always clean up after themselves. Japan fans cleaning up the 2018 FIFA stadium show the world their good habit and politeness.

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After a heated World Cup match, the stands are usually left with food waste, cups and wrappers scattered in the heat of the moment.

Japanese fans certainly had reason to go wild on Tuesday night. Their side won their opening game, beating Colombia 2-1, and securing the team's first victory against a South American side.

But after the team swept Colombia off the pitch, Japanese fans also did their share of sweeping: meticulously cleaning up their rows and seats in the stadium.

Equipped with large rubbish bags they brought along, the fans marched through the rows picking up rubbish, to leave the place just as neat as they had found it.

And not for the first time - supporters of the "Samurai Blue" have never failed to stick to their good manners.

Image Copyright @Coachmckaig @Coachmckaig Report

Image Copyright @Coachmckaig @CoachmckaigReport

"It's not just part of the football culture but part of Japanese culture," Japan-based football journalist Scott McIntyre told the BBC. He is in Russia following the team and was not at all surprised by the somewhat different nature of Samurai Blue fans.

"You often hear people say that football is a reflection of culture. An important aspect of Japanese society is making sure that everything is absolutely clean and that's the case in all sporting events and certainly also in football."
More on the World Cup from the BBC:

South Korea coach made players swap shirts to confuse opposition

The man who reinvented goalkeeping

How World Cup stars are preventing 'boredom'?

All BBC World Cup quizzes in one place

A habit built from childhood

Senegal fans have in fact been seen doing the same at this year's World Cup - but it's the Japanese who pioneered it and are now famous for it.

It is something that comes as a surprise to many foreigners attending matches in Japan.

"They might leave a bottle or some kind of food package on the ground and then it's often the case that people get tapped on the shoulder by Japanese people indicating they should clean up or take it home but can't leave it there," Mr McIntyre says.

It's a habit drilled into Japanese people from early childhood.

"Cleaning up after football matches is an extension of basic behaviours that are taught in school, where the children clean their school classrooms and hallways," explains Scott North, professor of sociology at Osaka University.

"With constant reminders throughout childhood, these behaviours become habits for much of the population."

Image Copyright @aulty @aulty Report

Image Copyright @aulty @aultyReport

What do fans make of the fact their post-match cleaning spree becomes a regular hit on social media? If anything, they're proud.

"In addition to their heightened consciousness of the need to be clean and to recycle, cleaning up at events like the World Cup is a way Japanese fans demonstrate pride in their way of life and share it with the rest of us," explains Prof North.

"What better place to make a statement about the need to care responsibly for the planet than the World Cup?" he adds.

It doesn't mean that there is any more or less passion, insists Mr McIntyre. It's simply that passion doesn't slip into neglect of basic rules of behaviour let alone violence.

"I know it may sound bland and boring, but this is the reality of a country that's built on respect and politeness," he laughs. "And this simply extends to doing respectful things in football."

"I think it's a wonderful thing that the World Cup brings so many nations and people together and get to learn and exchange these kinds of things. That's the beauty of football."

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After a heated World Cup match, the stands are usually left with food waste, cups and wrappers scattered in the heat of the moment. Japanese fans certainly had reason to go wild on Tuesday night. Their side won their opening game, beating Colombia 2-1, and securing the team's first victory against a South American side.

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Japan is an island surrounded by sea. Having a lot of sea food leads to people collect sea food in their own ways. However as the technology develops these life risking -either human or animals- and ineffective fishing are eliminated.

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The Japanese well developed railway cause Japanese to do lots of road trips. Since the Japanese are really good at making beautiful food, the lunches on the train then developed to be a symbolic culture of Japan.

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Another food experience in Japan. Don't forget to get EKIBEN for your train journey in Japan!

Have you heard of EKIBEN?? Ekiben(駅弁) is bento box meals sold at train stations in Japan. Ekiben is literally short ver of Eki (Station in Japanese)+Bento.

The culture of Ekiben in Japan is huge and many train stations at each region tend to sell their original bento box meals using their local ingredients or specialties. For many Japanese passengers on trains, Ekiben is a part of their journey.

In past years, those regional Ekiben used to be sold only at local train stations, however, now you can buy most of them in Tokyo. In Tokyo station, there is a shop called " Matsuri (祭) ", which is a Ekiben shop offering hundreds of different bentos from all over Japan from north to south. If you are planning your trip via Shinkansen (bullet train) or long distance train to your next destination from Tokyo Station, it's an ideal to get your lunch box from this shop.

Because most of Ekiben are made with quality ingredients from local such as branded beef and fresh seafood, the prices can be slightly higher than those bentos sold in convenience stores. They cost around 1,000 JPY up to 2,000 JPY. But it's very much worth!

Ekibens are sold cold or room temperature but prepared to be eaten cold so you would not be disappointed with the taste. However, if you are really looking for to eat hot meal, some of Ekibens have solution. Some of them are sold cold yet they have special function to heat up by itself. They come with a magical thread and when you pull it, the box starts to heat up by itself. Wait for 5 mins and your bento meal is nice and hot!

In case you are not sure which Ekiben to buy at Matsuri among hundreds of them, the shop also lists the latest ranking of Ekiben, so get the best-selling one if it's still not sold-out :-)

Check out the location of Matsuri in Tokyo Station and pick your favourite EKIBEN!! ↓

Access: Tokyo Station B1 (inside the ticket gate)

Hours: 08:00～22:00

↓↓↓For more articles about Japan, check these links!! ↓↓↓

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EKIBEN : Train Station Bento Boxes in Japan - Japan Travel Guide -JW Web Magazine

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Another food experience in Japan. Don't forget to get EKIBEN for your train journey in Japan! Have you heard of EKIBEN?? Ekiben(駅弁) is bento box meals sold at train stations in Japan. Ekiben is literally short ver of Eki (Station in Japanese)+Bento.

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This article by Elizabeth Unger show the importance of the beautiful lunch boxes (Bento) means to the Japanese society. They represents the mother's love for their family. In the society full with social media, detailed bento posts are a way mothers show off their good parenting. Children will be judge by the bentos they have, and prettier bentos even leads to better education. Bentos are a huge pressure to the Japanese women.

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Panda-shaped rice balls. A nori-whiskered Hello Kitty. Creatures made from hard-boiled eggs. When prepared for schoolchildren, praiseworthy bento boxes combine healthy ingredients with adorable designs.

But does this culture of cuteness ( the Japanese call it ) have a dark side, one in which frantic moms attempt to out-charm each other for the sake of their reputations?

Said to have evolved centuries ago among the Japanese elite, bento has attained worldwide popularity in recent years, and its rise in popular culture has resulted in a type of fanaticism epitomized by international competitions, vegan bento box blogs, and a never-ending flurry of photos cultivated by proud moms ( and dads) on social media.

In Japanese society, where much emphasis is placed on the collective, and fitting into the group is widely encouraged, it's extremely important to adhere to the ritual of bento. For women especially, the risk of a lackluster lunch goes a bit beyond disappointing their four-year-old-a child's bento box is a reflection of a mother's love and even a representation of the mother herself; as such, a beautiful and nutritious presentation is crucial. Anything less, unfortunately, is just admittance of poor parenting.

Indeed, preparing bento for schoolchildren is serious business in Japan. Taking anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes, it involves shaping rice, egg, meat, and fruits and vegetables into colorful patterns within single-portion containers. Women can spend hours pouring over specialized magazines and shopping for the tools needed to create beautiful lunches for their children.

One facet of bento, called charaben (kyaraben) or character bento, has grown increasingly popular within Japanese society. "... [M]any moms compete on the creativity of the bento boxes they send to school with their kids by arranging them into bunny rabbits, Hello Kitty, and even video game characters," reports magazine.

Or do you want to build a snowman, complete with snowflake sausages and heart-shaped omelettes?

While it may look like all fun and games, some believe this practice has evolved into a narcissistic cult-culture, one in which circles of mothers prepare exquisite bento boxes to outdo each other and receive validation online. Ruriko Tomita, a 43-year-old Japanese woman with two young children, says that she knows mothers who "get up at like four o'clock or five o'clock, cutting seaweed with scissors," adding that "these days there is the Internet, Facebook ... so they want to show their friends and want to get compliments."

However, the competitive nature of bento may be rooted in a deeper societal impulse than simply gaining followers on social media. Makiko Itoh, author of The Just Bento Cookbook: Everyday Lunches to Go, says that bento is a reflection of a certain competitiveness that exists for parents with small children.

"A lot of it is caused by the fact that many parents want to get their kids into a good kindergarten, and for that, they have to pass the test," Itoh says. The better the parents perform in their parental duties, like bento, the more likely their children will be accepted by good schools and receive a better education, she explains.

In addition to the parents, the children are being judged, too, according to Anne Allison, professor of cultural anthropology at Duke University who has lived in Japan and specializes in the country. They're expected to consume their lunch quickly and in its entirety or risk school reprimand.

For foreigners who've settled in Japan with their families, acclimating to the elaborate ritual of bento can be an especially difficult transition. Griseldis Kirsch, a lecturer in contemporary Japanese culture with the University of London, found herself struggling when she enrolled her son in a nursery school in Japan in 2005. The nursery had set bento standards in place that encouraged Kirsch to conform-or be at risk of looking like a bad mother.

Despite her efforts to create beautiful and nourishing lunches for her son, Kirsch quickly realized her bento skills were not up to school par. One day, she recalls, "[My son] came home and said, 'The teacher said this to me: "Your bento, it doesn't look good." And she's going to tell you.' By that time, I had already had my call, saying that the bento hadn't looked very nice."

Patricia Morghetti, a Brazilian living in Japan, still feels pressure when it comes to preparing bento for her kindergarten-age children each week. Inherently aware of her label as an outsider, Morghetti frequently questions her ability to make bento boxes in the same league as other students'.

Morghetti tries to avoid giving their classmates another reason to mark her blonde, light-eyed children as different. So she dedicates herself to watching long strings of YouTube tutorials in order to perfect her bento technique. "I need to be able to make the rice look like a panda ... because if I don't, for sure, my daughter's friends will make fun [of her]," Morghetti says.

While some native Japanese mothers insist that bento culture doesn't subject their families to any sort of societal pressure or bullying, others contest that they have-and continue to-serve as a source of real struggle for locals as much as for foreigners. Kyoko Sudo, a 36-year-old-Japanese woman, describes the experience of being bullied over bento during her school years as "awful."

"Kids started complaining about what my mother made: 'Maybe Kyoko's family is very poor because she has only has one egg and one sausage!'" she recalls. "They judged me, and my family, you know. It's so annoying! Not only charaben-it's just [the] traditional dark side of bento history."

Decades later, bento continues to be a societal issue, Sudo says. Friends of hers with children enrolled in school complain that the rocketing trend of charaben has made many kids envious, and mothers are stressed out because it's getting too competitive.

Still, a number of them continue creating elaborate bento to uphold their children's stature.

"In Japan, it's so totally different from the States, from the rest of the world," Sudo says. "If the kids behave in such a different way, or oppositely from the rest of the students, we kind of ... [assume] some bad things are happening in the family. So that's really difficult."

Regardless of this pressure to conform, Sudo says when she has kids, they will not have bento.

Liz Unger is a National Geographic Young Explorer, photojournalist, and filmmaker from New York, where she is pursuing her Masters degree in Food Studies at NYU. Follow her on Twitter @ewu5191 and Instagram @ewu5191, and explore her work at www.lizunger.com.

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Is There a Dark Side to Those Adorable Bento Boxes?

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Panda-shaped rice balls. A nori-whiskered Hello Kitty. Creatures made from hard-boiled eggs. When prepared for schoolchildren, praiseworthy bento boxes combine healthy ingredients with adorable designs. But does this culture of cuteness ( the Japanese call it ) have a dark side, one in which frantic moms attempt to out-charm each other for the sake of their reputations?

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Fishing: Ama (海女): Free-diving Fisherwomen 

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Fishing: Ama (海女): Free-diving Fisherwomen 

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Fisherwomen risk their lives free-dive into the sea collect oysters and sea food is an actual job in Japan which date back 3000 years ago. Now this Japanese culture is disappearing before long.

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Kimiyo Hayashi sat warming herself by the fire pit inside a salt-licked, weatherboard hut on Japan's Ago Bay. The air outside was sticky and thick, yet she huddled beside the flames, chattering quietly with her niece Tomomi Nakanishi.

"I have been in the sea my whole life, and no matter how hot it gets, I still feel the chill in my bones," Hayashi said, looking out across the pincer-shaped promontory. "I love the tradition of warming up afterwards."

Among Japan's last female free divers, Hayashi and Nakanishi stubbornly cling to the old ways of life. Their floor was covered with ashen planks, a charred kettle was on the boil and the roof was black with soot. Face masks and frayed rubber wet suits, the womens' only concession to modernity, dripped metronomically from a rail.

This timeless scene might seem far removed from contemporary Japan, but the region of Ise-Shima in Mie Prefecture is awash with such maritime tradition. And none is more fantastical than the stories about the Ama, the enigmatic women of the sea who were first recorded in the oldest Japanese anthology of poetry, the Man'yoshu, in the 8th Century. It is a legend, some say, that dates back 3,000 years.

An expressive 61-year-old with sharp eyes, Hayashi began to tell her story. Every morning, in the predawn light, she would watch dozens of near-silent Ama process through the darkness of the dockyard with lit bamboo torches. Some would be bare-breasted, wearing just a fundoshi (loincloth) and tenugi (bandana). She would wave to her grandmother and mother, both veteran Ama, always wondering what drew them out beyond the swell of the waves. When she was 16, she was finally asked to join them.

Forty-five years later, her ritual at sea is still the same. Once on the boat, dressed head-to-toe in a traditional white cloth outfit, she plunges headfirst into the deep, sometimes as far as 1km away from shore. With all the grace and guile of a mermaid, her legs and toes pointed and powerful, she vanishes, sometimes to 10m deep, disappearing to mine the seabed for shellfish and seaweed.

Considering the lack of technical equipment - no snorkel, no aqualung - it's hard to imagine the hardships the Ama face in the freezing seas and dangerous currents. Regular accidents have become a way of life, shark encounters aren't unheard of and there's always that biting cold. Over the years, Hayashi said, she has lost many good friends.

The key, she explained, is not how long the Ama can hold their breath for, but how fast they can hunt. Beneath the waves, sometimes for a gut-wrenching two minutes at a time, the Ama need to be decisive and efficient. In her heyday, she said, she would return to shore with a haul of wooden buckets overflowing with abalone, sea urchin, snails, lobster and octopus. While the original Ama sought lustrous pearl oysters, a good shellfish season could reap as much as 27 million yen. It was a given that a daughter would one day follow her mother out to sea.

But nowadays, the harbour buzz has vanished. While the Ama who still embrace this age-old tradition continue to find freedom and fraternity on the open waves, they do so in ever-dwindling numbers.

Hayashi and Nakanishi are coming to terms with the fact that they may well be the last of their generation. Their daughters are not interested, and the average age in their diving community has peaked at 65. Incredibly, Ise-Shima's oldest free diver is in her late 80s.

The question is: how can these original hunter-gatherers survive in a modernised society like Japan? Ama numbers have reduced so drastically that there are now fewer than 2,000 practicing - 8,000 fewer than in their post-WWII heyday. And that figure keeps falling. In Ago Bay, the epicentre of the fabled Ama legend, there are just 25 left, and other coastal towns are faring just as badly.

It is an emotional seesaw to have their world taken away, Hayashi said, a pang of regret in her voice. "We need more women to become Ama so our tradition does not die. But where will they come from? It makes me so very sad."

The problem is few young Japanese women see the benefits. Under pressure from falling seafood stocks, the trade isn't as lucrative as it once was, and jobs in Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo are far more appealing. On a bad day, a day's free diving can bring back as little as 2,000 yen - scant reward for such life-threatening risk.

The Ama have also become victims of commercial fishing, which continues to drastically reduce the available bounty. Highly prized abalone fetches as much as 10,000 yen per kg at market, but in an attempt to encourage stock regeneration and safeguard sustainable shellfish levels, government regulations continue to tighten each year, often preventing the Ama from foraging for in-demand shellfish.

Still, the Ama's saviour may be their history. In the past year, four traditional ama-goya, the rustic huts where divers relax and socialise, have opened to tourists, with veterans like Hayashi cooking hand-dived shellfish for guests. Once exceedingly rare to see inside, these rudimentary beach shacks offer a window into a clandestine, old-fashioned way of life.

For now, though, Hayashi says this new initiative has simply strengthened her resolve.

"I love my job and I wouldn't change it for the world," she concluded, with an optimistic twinkle. "As long as I'm healthy and happy, I have at least another 20 years left in my lungs and legs. So I'll keep diving. It's what I was born to do."
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Kimiyo Hayashi sat warming herself by the fire pit inside a salt-licked, weatherboard hut on Japan's Ago Bay. The air outside was sticky and thick, yet she huddled beside the flames, chattering quietly with her niece Tomomi Nakanishi.

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I want to preserve the culture of Japan in the Kaleidoscope project because the globalization of Japanese culture. Japan had a history of 200 years seclusion form other countries, form 1623 to 1641 they developed their own unique culture without other countries' influences. However, in 1853 Commodore Matthew Perry of the United States Navy threaten Japan to open up to the world with the Paixhans guns on his ships. Then Japan signed treaties of friendly relationships with the US, United Kingdom and other Western countries. Starting form this point Japan began to send missions to the Western world, learning technologies from them. This action of learning from the Western world to improve themselves already made Japan globalized. Nowadays Japan has one of the world's biggest population and one of the best tourism industry, these allow people to communicate massively between Japan and the rest of the world, made the globalization grow.