Godzilla’s Powers

Godzilla probably epitomizes how the west viewed Japanese pop culture, especially since this sometimes lovable, sometimes despicable reptile has evolved and developed as well as Japanese cinema has.

Over the years Godzilla has possessed many powers and abilities to use against his foes. Godzilla is generally considered to be one of the most powerful kaiju in the series — although Mothra, Biollante, Space Godzilla, and Monster X have also had this claim made about them as well.

Atomic Breath

Godzilla is able to emit powerful atomic rays from his mouth apparently at will. He has also been able to control the power and the size of the rays. It can be “weak” enough to merely shake a building and strong enough to propel an enemy or an object into space. For example, in Godzilla X Megaguirus the beam was shown to have incredible incendiary properties, while in GMK the beam detonated with the power of an atom bomb. In early films Godzilla has used the rays in various creative ways such as using it to lift himself off to ground in Godzilla vs Hedorah. A variation on this in the Heisei series was that Godzilla gained a terrifying golden beam as a result of absorbing the essence of Rodan. This beam was powerful enough that only one blast of it was sufficient to completely destroy Mechagodzilla 2 and Space Godzilla.

Radioactivity Manipulation

In addition to his deadly atomic breath, Godzilla can also manipulate his radioactive properties in a variety of ways, often as a result of his need to adapt to new conditions and foes. In Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974), the mutant dinosaur warped his radioactive energy into a magnetic power to overcome his metallic foe (an ability likely also gained through intense electrical conduction to his own body). In 1989’s Godzilla vs. Biollante, the leviathan was attacked by the plant-monster’s constricting tentacles. In order to free himself, Godzilla concentrated his energy to disperse itself across his body, burning the tendrils off of himself. This ability was later developed into the “Nuclear Pulse,” which is he used whenever a foe had him trapped or grappled him with extreme severity. Godzilla has used his radioactive manipulation in a number of ways throughout the years.

Durability

Godzilla has displayed an almost immortal ability to absorb punishment over the years. The only times he has visibly bled was when Gigan’s alien-made hammer claws cut open his skin, when Biollante’s tendrils pierced his shoulder and hand and from Mechagodzilla’s alien-made weapons in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla(1974). One common explanation for this is that Godzilla possesses a Wolverine-like regenerative ability that enables him to heal wounds almost as soon as they are inflicted (this ability was even a crucial plot point of Godzilla 2000). Combined with his incredibly tough hide and ultra-tough scales, this makes Godzilla practically indestructible.

Psychic Deterrent

Godzilla has shown to be unaffected by most psychic attacks and control. Mothra’s powerful psychic abilities often have had little to no effect on Godzilla forcing their battles to occur in the physical arena. Indeed, Mothra’s psychic seal was shown to have no effect against Godzilla. Because of it’s nature, being created from the same DNA as Godzilla, Space Godzilla is one of the only foes to be able to successfully use psychic attacks against Godzilla.

Physical Abilities

Godzilla has displayed varied levels of strength such as being able to toss opponents high into the air as in the shōwa series. In the versus and millennium series he has also been able to leap high into the air (as in Godzilla X Megaguirus) or moving very quickly in spite of his size. His tail is also a formidable weapon, having been shown as being able to move very quickly to hit even airborne objects, and even to be prehensile. In all his incarnations he has been shown to have powerful fangs and claws, although these are more prominent in some incarnations than in others. However, many of the films (including GMK and nearly all of the Heisei series) show Godzilla preferring to battle his opponents with his atomic breath rather than up-close.

Godzilla: Japanese Pop Culture for the Westerner

Godzilla is one of the defining aspects of Japanese popular culture for many Americans. The word “Godzilla” is popularly associated with special effects featuring “men in rubber suits”, poor dubbing, and Saturday afternoon television. Though his popularity has waned slightly over the years, he is still one of the most popular kaiju in the world. To this day, Godzilla remains an important facet of Japanese films, embodying the “giant monster” subset of the tokusatsu genre.

In the Japanese movies, Godzilla is depicted as a gigantic, charcoal-colored reptile whose iconic design includes small pointed ears, rough bumpy scales, a powerful tail, and bony colored dorsal fins shaped like maple leaves. His origins vary somewhat from film to film, but he is almost always described as prehistoric, and his first attacks on Japan are linked to atomic testing in the Pacific Ocean. In particular, nuclear mutation is presented as being an explanation for his great size and strange powers.

When Japanese Kites Fly

It’s thought that kites were first introduced into Japan by Buddhist missionaries who travelled from China in the Nara period (649-794 AD) and were mainly used in religious and thanks giving ceremonies.

Traditionally kites are flown on boy’s day May 5th, (the 5th day of the 5th month) at religious festivals, public holidays and New Year. At Harvest Festival kites are flown with stalks of rice attached as a symbolic offering of thanks for a good crop. Others are decorated with the face of a demon and would act as a talisman against evil. One of the most famous kite festivals is Hamamatsu where kite teams battle against each other whilst over 2,000,000 spectators look on.

Congratulation kites are still given to first born sons. Kites with paintings of folk heroes or gods are believed to protect and guide the new-born child into adulthood, Fukusuke the large headed dwarf will bring good luck and some carry long life symbols such as the crane or tortoise, The most popular design is Kinorta - a small boy who was left by his parents in a mountain forest and raised by bears - he grew up to be wise and very strong. Kinorta is often painted with a carp, another symbol of strength and bravery because the carp must swim up stream against the current to lay its eggs.

Thinking Of Moving To Japan?

As if quitting your current job, selling your car, packing your life into boxes and saying goodbye to friends and family isn’t difficult enough, settling into your new life in a new country can also be overwhelming and difficult for even the most brazen travellers. Moving to Japan is not for everyone, but for those up to the challenge can be one of the most exciting and rewarding times of your life.

Some of the things to think about when contemplating whether living in Japan Japan is for you are:

* Are you an adaptable person who would be able to adjust to a different culture, even if you were the only foreigner working in a small country town?
* Are you are prepared to leave behind your support networks? Are you an outgoing and naturally enthusiastic person who could easily establish new groups of social contacts?
* Are you prepared for the change in lifestyle that results from living in Japan, including living in a considerably smaller apartment and dealing with overcrowded trains every day?
* Do you enjoy working with children?
* Do you have a genuine interest in Japanese culture and the language?
* Would you have enough money to set up from scratch? (including buying furniture, outlaying several months’ rent upfront and supporting yourself until your first pay day?)
* What are your motivations for coming to Japan? Are you contemplating a career in education or just a holiday away from home for a while?

Japanese Children’s Festivals - Part 2

CHILDREN’S DAY : MAY 5

Kodomo-no-i is a day for children. This festival happens on 5th of May (fifth day of fifth month). Well, actually it is suppose to be “Children’s Day” everyone calls it “Boy’s Day”. On “Boy’s Day”, the family who has a son goes outside and flies huge carp-shaped streamers (koinobori) in their garden. Actually the height of this is really as tall as a 3-story house. Only boys on this day wear something called Gogatsu-ningyo, dolls of famous warriors and other heroes.

7-5-3 FESTIVAL : NOVEMBER 11

In Japan, they celebrate a festival call Shichi-go-san. Shichi stands for 7, go stands for 5 and san stands for 3. This festival is celebrated on 11th of November. Only the children who are 3, 5, or 7 are supposed to celebrate it. During this festival, they wear kimonos and girls wear hair bands like this. The parents only celebrate this festival for children who are 3,, 5, or 7 years old because it is believed that these are the when the children’s bodies are growing the best. Actually when the child is 3 years old both children (boys and girls) celebrate it but when the child is 5 years old, only the boys are suppose to celebrate it. When the child is 7 years old, only the girls are supposed to celebrate it. But almost every place in Japan celebrates it in all the same time so they think it is not important if they celebrate it for girls or boys.

Japanese Childrens’ Festivals - Part 1

Hina-matsuri, (Girl’s Day). Kodomo-no-hi (Boy’s Day or Children’s Day), and Shichi-go-san (for children three, five and seven years old) are Japanese festivals especially for children.

GIRLS’ DAY : MARCH 3

Hina matsuri is a girl’s festival (also called ‘dolls festival’). This is celebrated because the parents want their children to grow strong and healthy. This happens on March 3rd (third day of third month). On this day parents of the girls get a doll shrine.

The doll shrine is covered with red cloth. These dolls are called hina ninngjyow. Hina means princess and ninngiyow means doll. These dolls represent a royal family in Japan, long time ago, in Heangidai Heian period (794-1192) about 1300 years ago.

On the top step, there is an empress and an emperor and on the other steps are people the noble classes. On the second step there are three ladies holding Japanese rice cakes. On the third step there are five musicians holding Japanese traditional instruments and on the 4th step there are four men and beside them there are two cherry blossoms. On the last step in this picture there are 10 pieces of furniture.

During Hina matsuri girls wear kimonos and they eat hina-arale, The children drink ama-sake, a rice wine that is made especially for girls during Hina matsuri. It has no alcohol in it so children can drink it without worrying

Gundam Wing - A Certified Anime Classic!

A 20-year-long cultural phenomenon in Japan, the Gundam franchise of multiple series had yet to make a real dent in North America. With the exception of scattered VHS video releases (including the original series’ movie), no full-scale “roll out” had been attempted. It was beginning to look like one of the East’s runaway successes would never truly land on the United States’ shores. . .until Bandai’s American division met with Turner’s Cartoon Network, and they agreed to televise a Gundam that was a perfect introduction to the sprawling property.

Originally airing in 1995 and 1996, Gundam Wing had been a hit, even in comparison to the original Gundam series. In a bold move sure to please parents and more mature anime fans, Bandai and the Cartoon Network chose to broadcast each episode twice a day: showing a dubbed and edited version during the weekday afternoon “Toonami” block, while presenting the uncut dub during the late-night “Toonami Midnight Run.” High ratings and strong model sales, in addition to an explosion of fan-created web pages, indicate the strategy was a success.

Why “Gundam Wing”?

In many ways, Gundam Wing was the perfect way to introduce the series to a North American audience with very limited knowledge about the long-running epic. The 49-episode television series ran on Japanese TV, from April 1995 to March 1996, and was followed by an OAV sequel, Endless Waltz. It featured many key ingredients that are hallmarks of the Gundam franchise: thrilling battle sequences, engaging characters and a heavy dose of ideology. In addition to these “givens,” several other key factors came into play.

The series is set in an alternate timeline; that is, it incorporates specific elements and technology from the previous Gundam incarnations, but it is not a direct sequel or prequel to any other Gundam installment. (Someone who has never seen any of the previous Gundam movies or television series can jump right into the action.)

The target audience for most “mecha” anime (action-oriented animation featuring robots) is primarily male. However, the creators of Gundam Wing went out of their way to extend its reach to a female audience. The story is centered around a loosely-organized team of teen-aged, Gundam pilots. The character design of each prominent cast member is intentionally attractive, from the pilots to their chief rivals. In addition, the women of Gundam Wing are not relegated to the typical “cheerleading” and “girlfriend” roles. They are strong, attractive and very capable characters who propel the plot forward in significant ways.

Finally, Gundam Wing’s mix of action and character-based storytelling allows it to straddle several generations of anime fans, from kids just getting into Dragonball Z to those who are. . . “longer term” aficionados.

More on “Otaku”

The word is a loanword from the Japanese language, but in the English/international sense it is used to refer specifically to a fan of anime and manga, though it can sometimes refer to any “geek,” in general. The term serves as a label not unlike the term Trekkie or fanboy. However, use of the label can be a source of contention among older or more moderate anime fans, particularly those who are aware of the negative connotations the term has within some subcultures. As in Japan, unpleasant stereotypes about otaku prevail in worldwide fan communities, and some anime fans express concern about the reputations these more extreme fans can earn their hobby (not unlike sentiments in the comic book and science-fiction fandoms). Non-Japanese otaku won’t necessarily know Japanese, either, though there are some who do to one degree or another.

To indicate that one is talking about the Japanese definition rather than the English loanword, the spelling wotaku is sometimes used. On Japanese forums such as 2ch.net, however, otaku and wotaku are used interchangeably, depending on the mood and personal style of the poster.

Otaku is increasingly being used outside of Japan to refer to an individual that is obsessed with technology, a pre-occupation stereotypically assigned to Japanese teens in the early 1980s. For example, demanding U.S. technology consumers are sometimes referred to as American Otaku. This group first reached noticeable prominence in the widespread blogosphere critique of Apple and Microsoft in the aftermath of two disappointing product releases in February and March of 2006.

“Otaku” in Context

The term “otaku” seems to have been introduced to anime fans in the US and other countries via Studio Gainax’s “Otaku no Video 1985,” a self-parody film.
Otaku, meaning probably “venerable house,” refers to someone who has a devotion to a subject or hobby (not necessarily anime) to the point of not leaving home. For instance, an otaku fan of a particular movie star could quite possibly know all of the films s/he has been in, their birth date, time of birth, shoe size, favorite toothpaste, etc. Generally speaking, calling someone an otaku in Japan is an insult, implying that their social skills have atrophied or never even developed, due to their manic involvement in their chosen fandom.

In America, the term is used to denote a zealous fan, usually of anime and/or manga. Due to its introduction to most people’s vocabulary through its tongue-in-cheek use in Gainax’s film, “otaku” tends to have a much less dire definition overseas.

When dealing with Japanese people, however, it may be best to keep in mind the modern Japanese image of an otaku — Someone who only leaves their home to eat or shop, if at all, with an overwhelming and unhealthy obsession about something. It can as easily refer to a stalker or sociopath as it can to a harmless anime buff.

Best to avoid the word altogether if one is not sure of the context in which it will be received.

Positive: “Oh, wow! Check it out: Neck-through, Floyd Rose locking tremolo and an optional push/pull coil tap!” (slaps forehead and laughs) “Man, I am such a guitar otaku, aren’t I?”

Negative: “Stay clear of Toshi, man. He’s such a RQ otaku, always online. Bet he’s never actually even talked to a real-live girl before… You never know when he’s gonna’ snap, right?”

The Relevance of Tea

Nihon-cha (Japanese tea) contains catechin (giving astringency), caffeine (giving bitterness), and tannins (giving sweetness). Tea is said to be effective in preventing colds and cancer. The tea used in the tea-ceremony is called matcha. From the sprouting of the new buds in mid-April, the whole tea field is covered so that the leaves can grow protected from direct sunlight. Owing to the protection from direct sunlight the nutrients from the roots collect in the leaves, and unique types of amino acids called tannins (which only green tea possesses) increase. You can see this kind of tea field in Yamashiro Area of southern Kyoto. Ordinary tea is called sen-cha, with the soft tips of the leaves being brewed to make tea. Aside from the ryoku-cha (green tea) mentioned above, the free tea served in some restaurants called houji-cha is made from soft stalks and hard leaves.