The seiyuu phenomenon

Haven’t you ever wondered how the Japanese can watch Hollywood films and foreign dramas when they’re in English? They can watch these thanks to the seiyuus, the Japanese equivalent of our local voice actors. They play an integral part in the Japanese entertainment industry, with work in radio and television, doing voice overs for foreign films, and narration. But these seiyuus are probably best known for giving voice to different characters in various anime and games. A character’s voice is important in completing a character’s connection with the audience. It can be used to give life and personality to an otherwise two-dimensional character, and conveys the mood in the scene.

Seiyuus are idolized in Japan to the point where fans will watch a new show if a popular seiyuu is part of it. In fact, seiyuus don’t only act with their voice; they must know how to sing, dance, and perform on camera. They go on tour, give interviews and do television appearances promoting their latest projects. A new trend is having an anime’s seiyuus perform in audio dramas or sing “image songs”, opening a new door to greater popularity. Several seiyuu like Maaya Sakamoto and Megumi Hayashibara have broken out to have successful music careers. Occasionally seiyuus in a popular series or the same company will form a group and perform concerts for their fans.

There are many ways to become a seiyuu. Some had careers in the entertainment industry before they became seiyuus, like former idol Junko Iwao and reporter Yuki Matsuoka. A few trained in drama or seiyuu acting schools connected with animation studios before landing roles on drama or anime. Others, like Yui Horie, won a nationwide search held for publicity. Most, if not all seiyuus, are handled by a seiyuu management agency. These agencies set up interviews and auditions, arrange their talents’ schedules, and handle relations with different movie, television, and radio companies.

Posted October 8th, 2006 by geisha | Comments Off

Miniature trees in a tray Part 2

Bonsai as an art form was introduced from China. The Chinese form is called penjing, and often drew inspiration from mythical animals and imaginative scenery. When these miniature trees were brought over to Japan they became a hobby for the elite and the aristocrats. It was during the Edo period that the term “bonsai” was universally used.

Whereas the Chinese try to capture contrast in ying and yang, the Japanese bonsai is influenced by Zen Buddhism. Raising one is a meditative experience while the grower attempts to express the truth and beauty of nature.

The kinds of bonsai

Bonsai can be classified by the way the tree has been shaped or by their size. There are five kinds of bonsai: upright, semi-upright, slanting, cascade, and semi-cascade, though variations exist within these. Each of them represent the way a tree grows in nature while affected by the elements. Upright bonsai mimic the trees growing with plenty of light and air, while swayed branches and the cascade of leaves can evoke the scenery by the cliff or bodies of water. Sometimes two or more trees are planted together in one tray to represent a stand of trees in the forest. A special class of bonsai is called the literati. Inspired by Chinese painting of pine trees that grow in harsh climates, these have a contorted primary branch and a small crown of branches placed high at the top.

Bonsai can also be classified by size. The smallest bonsai are called shito, and can be small enough to fit into a pot the size of a timble. The largest could require several men to move them. Popular choices to use for bonsai include pines, maples, junipers, and flowering plants like azaleas and cherries. These are grown outside, and brought in on special occasions to evoke the current season. A bonsai is never truly ‘finished’ as it is a living plant, and will keep on growing and changing.

[tags]japan,lifestyle,bonsai,plants[/tags]

Posted October 6th, 2006 by geisha | Comments Off

Miniature trees in a tray Part 1

Bonsai is often translated to mean ‘a tree in a tray’, but the phrase doesn’t convey everything that a bonsai is. These miniature trees look exactly like their full-grown counterparts, down to the warping of their trunks due to age, except they rarely grow beyond 3 feet. With nothing but a few clippers, wire, and tweezers, the tree is patiently shaped into the image the bonsai owner feels will display the natural beauty of the tree at its best. These trees are known to outlive their full-grown counterparts, and prized bonsai are passed from generation to generation.

How bonsai are made

Bonsai are taken cared of by pruning, wiring, and repotting. These three techniques determine the bonsai’s eventual look. The bonsai grower prunes away all the excess leaves and branches to adjust its shape. This is very important since the tree will shape itself along the intended shape and it determines the final form of the tree, This also allows the plant to receive plenty of light and air. Wiring the branches guides them to the shape as well as correcting any unnatural curve. The final technique, repotting, is necessary to keep the roots healthy. Any excess roots are trimmed away and the plant is moved to a new pot. At this point Some people believe bonsai are stunted by poor care and lack of water, but that isn’t true. They must be cared for and watered daily.

These days bonsai growing is enjoyed by both the working class and the elite. The gnarled tree looks weathered by the elements, and the lush shade invites you to sit underneath and contemplate the galaxy of leaves. Such is the peace and tranquility these tiny trees give to the viewer.
[tags]japan,lifestyle,bonsai,plants[/tags]

Posted October 4th, 2006 by geisha | Comments Off

Akutagawa: master of the short story

One of the very first Japanese short stories I read was Akutagawa Ryunosuke’s In a Grove. This classic murder mystery of conflicting eyewitness accounts reveals the psychological depth that Akutagawa is capable of. Though he never wrote a full-length novel, his collection of short stories establish his reputation as one of Japan’s premier prewar writers. He is also one of the first Japanese writers to achieve Western readership through his reinterpretations of traditional tales with modern dramatic narrative.

Akutagawa was born in Tokyo on March, 1892. When he was a few months old he was adopted by his maternal uncle after his mother went insane. It is with his adoptive parents that he grew to love literature. In school he read Chinese classics, the works of contemporary Japanese authors like Ogai and Soseki, and discovered the short stories of Kipling, Maupassant, and other Western writers. He entered Tokyo Imperial University in 1813, taking up English Literature. He published his first short story (Ronen) in 1914, but it was two years after when he published his story Hana (The Nose) that he drew praise and acclaim.

Akutagawa married in 1918 and fathered three sons, supporting his family as an employee for the Mainichi Shimbun. This was his most productive period, with short story collections published every year. It was while he was working in the newspaper that he took a four month trip to China and Russia. Akutagawa suffered a series of illnesses during this trip, and his health never recovered. This, coupled with a deepening depression, drove him to commit suicide in 1927 through an overdose of barbiturates.

In 1935 the Akutagawa Prize for short story was established by his long-time friend, Kikuchi Kan. This is now one of the most coveted prizes of new writers.

[tags]akutagawa,japan,japanesebooks,japanese fiction,depression,suicide[/tags]

Posted October 2nd, 2006 by geisha | Comments Off