Becoming Aware Of Japanese Castles

When one hears the word castles in the western context, we normally think of European buildings built in the medieval period. This is something that is totally cultural. Yet for someone from the east, perhaps a different vision pops into his mind when castles are mentioned. Indeed, the Japanese castles are quite different from their European counterparts but they are no less majestic and awe-inspiring.

I didn’t realize that there are so many kinds of castles scattered all over Japan. I think that I have barely touched the tip of the iceberg when I read a few articles on what Japan has to offer in terms of castles. One very interesting site that gives a lot of information on Japanese castles is The Castles of Kyushu. It is a very comprehensive site which is full of content that is a result of the personal experiences of the web site owner, Daniel O’Grady. I suggest that, if you want to learn more about the Japanese castles, you start with this web site.

There are countless resources that can be found all over the web, however, when it comes to Japanese castles. Now that my interest has been caught by this topic, I think I shall do a bit more of research myself. I encourage you to join me in this journey to discover Japanese castles in the next few posts.

Modern Japanese Mascots

Mascots have long been known to be one of the most effective forms of advertising. They seem to have a longer and stronger effect on the recall value of a product or service and many companies are utilizing mascots to benefit their advertising campaign. In Japan, even mascots come in quirky – and sometimes controversial – forms.

Take for instance this modern day Buddha boy, which is the mascot created for the 1,300th anniversary of the relocation of the old capital to Nara.

The little boy is obviously a representation of a young Buddha while the antlers are supposed to stand for the deer that the Nara Park is famous for. I don’t think I have to explain why the mascot is creating quite a stir. For some people, the mascot is quite cute while for others, they feel that it disrespects Buddha. I will not even attempt to pass judgment here but in terms of attracting attention, however, I believe that it has more than achieved its goal.

How about the mascot Marimokkori, a character that is supposed to represent round green algae? He was created for Hokkaido.

Well, he is green…and he looks round…

What can you say about these unique Japanese mascots? Better yet, maybe you have some Japanese mascots of your own to share?

Kodo: The Way Of The Fragrance

Kodo is one of the major arts in Japanese culture. Though it may not be as widely known around the world as the tea ceremony or flower arrangement, it is just as important in their culture. In fact, according to tradition, any woman of good birth should learn kodo. In simple English, kodo is all about fragrant wood or incense. Though this art may not be as popular as the other two mentioned above, we can see similarities in the popular art called aromatherapy today.

So what is kodo all about? It is also called The Way of Incense and focuses on the use and appreciation of incense. For the uninformed, all incense might seem the same but there are, in fact, different kinds of incense. The important thing about this art is that it involves more than the art of smell. In fact, the Japanese place more importance in “listening” to the incense – that is, opening up your other senses as you inhale the scents of the incense.

According to tradition, the art of kodo has 10 physical and psychological benefits. These are:

Kodomo no hi Or Children’s Day

In the last post, I talked about Hinamatsuri, or the festival for girls. Though this is quite an important part of Japanese culture, it cannot be denied that there is another similar festival that puts the nation at a standstill – Kodomo no hi. Kodomo no hi is actually Children’s Day and takes place on the 5th of May – yes, yesterday. It is considered a National Holiday and is meant to celebrate children (of course) and their varying personalities and to wish them happiness.

It was not always known as Children’s Day, however. Prior to 1948, when it was changed to Children’s Day and proclaimed a National Holiday, this day was called Tango no Sekku, or Boys’ Day. This was also known as the Feast of Banners.

The reason behind the Feast of Banners tag is that tradition dictates that families fly fish banners or fish kites on this day. These fish are actually koi and the banners have come to represent the hopes of the parents for their children – in particular, their sons. Koi fish are known to be full of energy and courage and they can swim against strong currents.

Today, Children’s Day is celebrated all over the country for both boys and girls. Many Japanese communities outside of Japan also celebrate with festivities of their own. Indeed, those fish kites flying are a sight to behold.

Wadaiko

Music is an inherent part of most any culture in existence and the Japanese culture is not exempt from this. One of the significant aspects of Japanese music is their unique art of drumming, called wadaiko or traditional Japanese drumming in English. Wadaiko makes use of traditional drums called taiko. In some cases, wadaiko is also used to refer to the drums themselves.

Though largely considered Japanese today, the origins of wadaiko can actually be traced back to China. These large drums were carried over about 1000 years ago. The original drums from China were made of wooden slats. The innovative Japanese noticed the inferior sound resulting from the wooden slats so they worked on a new way to produce the wooden frame. Instead of using wooden slats which were joined together, the new waidako was made from a single piece of wood.

Japanese drumming was used early on in relation to martial arts activities. Today, however, wadaiko ensembles are well known in many parts of the world for leisure purposes. Daihachi Oguchi is considered to be the father of modern taiko and the popularity of taiko performances has been attributed to him. Since then, there have been many individuals and groups who have emerged to introduce taiko performances to the rest of the world.

Today, taiko performances have evolved to include flashy choreography. The music itself has also evolved to incorporate modern music elements such as pop. If you want to find out more about wadaiko by experiencing a performance live, try to check out your local Japanese embassy or cultural office. The chances are that there will be at least one event showcasing wadaiko.

Build your own mini Tokyo Tower

Japan produces some of the niftiest, coolest toys on earth — and I’m not talking of just game consoles or those cool robots. Take for example this new product from Gakken Toys, almost industrial type Lego-like building blocks that you can form into the Tokyo Tower. The figure is very easy to assemble and will really give your mind a good workout. When you’ve finished building it, turn off the lights and light up the tower and what you’ll have is a very cool light fixture at home (or at the office) that will surely elicit many positive comments from visitors. It is a true conversation piece. When you’ve gotten tired of the Tokyo Tower just disassemble it and build it into any structure or figure you want. This means endless fun not only for the kids but for you as well.

Japanese Horror Movies

With Halloween fast approaching, I am feverishly preparing for my horror movie marathon that begins at at 10 am and ends when I pass out from sheer exhaustion. I’m now mentally listing down my snacks and already issued invites to friends or relatives that may want to join me (watching horror movies are more fun when you have other people watching with you). Of course, I’m also preparing my movie list.

I have some predictable American movie titles in my list like The Exorcist, The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Salem’s Lot. But the piece de resistance on my list are the succession of Japanese horror movies that will surely add the most spice to my horror movie night. I’m preparing Ringu, Ringu 0, Ringu 2, Kairo, Dark Water, The Grudge, The Grudge 2, Premonition, and a few other movies that I’ve acquired through the years.

There’s no denying the fact that the Japanese make the scariest horror movies. What makes them click is the fact that Japanese horror does not rely so much on cheap frights that are just designed to surprise you. They instead rely on dread and atmosphere and the anticipation of horror. And when it does come, it’s like a taut rubberband that snaps. It just jolts you from your complacency and lingers with you long after the movie has ended. Any movie fan should check out Japanese horror films, it’s the only way to really discover what the horror genre can offer.

Sakuran

Sakuran, a film by renowned photographer, Mika Ninagawa, made waves in Japan. Sakuran revolves around the lives of women called oiran.

The oiran were women that existed during the Edo era. The oiran lived in self-contained “Pleasure Quarters” and like geishas were required to be well-versed with the arts of dance, music, poetry and calligraphy, and conversation. However, unlike geishas, the oiran were prostitutes, although they were considered to be elite prostitutes. Also unlike the movie, Memoirs of a Geisha, the movie about the oiran had a good reception Japan.

This could have been due to the more unsentimental approach of the film wherein the main character, a tayu (one of the highest ranking courtesans), had no silly day dreams of a prince in a shining armor but only wished to escape her life. It showed a far stronger breed of women, which is something modern women can relate to more easily.

LA FOLLE JOURNÉE au JAPON

The La Folle Journée au Japon “Days of Enthusiasm” Music Festival is back and has transformed Tokyo into a musical isle. Hailed as the most exciting classical music festival in the world, it features day long concerts held simultaneously in 7 to 9 halls of the Tokyo International Forum. Around 300 of the most distinguished classical musicians all over the world gather to give performances that last about 45 minutes each.

The festival’s artistic director, René Martin, say that his aim “is the true democratization of classical music – presented once a year and at sensible prices.” The festival is a true celebration of classical music open to all who wish to come. Because of this the musical program is very varied and ticket prices are very cheap. Tickets are available for Â¥1,500 to Â¥3,000.

La Folle Journée runs from April 29 to May 6.

Japan’s Geishas – Living Art

Geishas are the subject of much speculation from any other world outside Japan. Despite their fame the western world and even other eastern cultures do not completely understand the mystique that surrounds geishas. According to Liza Dalby, an American anthropologist who did research on geishas, the misunderstandings are probably due to the fact that there is no comparable group to them in other societies and so people have no basis on which to compare them to. Geishas are often mistaken by people as some kind of elite prostitutes, which is definitely not the case. In fact the word geisha comes from gei, meaning art, and sha, meaning a person.

To be a geisha one has to be well-trained in the traditional manner, etiquette, and various arts. One will need to master not only the intricacies of wearing a kimono but seemingly mundane stuff such as how to greet customers properly, how to serve a meal, and how to make conversation. Geishas aim to entertain but are at the same time a living piece of art.