I’d like to share a collection of unique ideas from Japan I’ve been gathering. I hope you enjoy.
1. Namazu-e – the ancient myth that giant catfish cause earthquakes; a lot of the art was politically charged regarding those that benefit from having to rebuild
2. Chickens Suit – the brainchild of an Australian brought to fruition in Japan. Note this stylish bird’s wearing an homage to Australia’s flag; there is a similar one in the style of Japan’s flag
3. Pluto-kun – a character designed to advocate the safety of plutonium in the early 1990’s for Japan's Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation
4. Cute posters – not entirely a unique cultural element but I love this poster promoting power saving during this difficult time in the country
5. Hello Kitty – you can buy everything from toasters to vibrators with this Sanrio character (personally, I have a pen, some notebooks, a bat plush for Halloween, and a marshmallow lollipop – what can I say?)
6. Anime – has anyone not run into this? I’m neither a reader nor a watcher but I do love the artwork for “InuYasha, a Feudal Fairy Tale”. Gotta love a scruffy dog boy
7. Hentai – meaning “sexually perverted” in Japanese vernacular, the term covers a full range of fetishism in both real life and pornography; the program “Madventures” showed the host in a full body suit being ridden by a girl dressed in a manga costume
8. Language – with no spaces between words, the Japanese use five character sets and words borrowed from many other countries: hiragana (phonetic), katakana (phonetic for foreign words), kanji (Chinese characters), rōmaji (Roman letters), and Arabic numerals; here’s a random, mostly inclusive sample:
コンビニエンスストアの LAWSON 店舗にて、払い戻しをし
9. Samurai – the teachings and discipline still have resonance today
10. Visual Kei – a sub genre of J-rock that is stunning to both eyes and ears; here’s an image of X Japan from the eighties
11. Mascots – the Japanese use them for everything; this odd one was created back in 2008 for the 1,300th Anniversary of the Nara Prefecture capital
12. Kimono – still in use today for mostly formal occasions (I want the one pictured)
13. Hanami – this traditional custom of flower appreciation takes on a whole new meaning when the cherry trees are in blossom
1. Namazu-e – the ancient myth that giant catfish cause earthquakes; a lot of the art was politically charged regarding those that benefit from having to rebuild
2. Chickens Suit – the brainchild of an Australian brought to fruition in Japan. Note this stylish bird’s wearing an homage to Australia’s flag; there is a similar one in the style of Japan’s flag
3. Pluto-kun – a character designed to advocate the safety of plutonium in the early 1990’s for Japan's Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation
4. Cute posters – not entirely a unique cultural element but I love this poster promoting power saving during this difficult time in the country
5. Hello Kitty – you can buy everything from toasters to vibrators with this Sanrio character (personally, I have a pen, some notebooks, a bat plush for Halloween, and a marshmallow lollipop – what can I say?)
6. Anime – has anyone not run into this? I’m neither a reader nor a watcher but I do love the artwork for “InuYasha, a Feudal Fairy Tale”. Gotta love a scruffy dog boy
7. Hentai – meaning “sexually perverted” in Japanese vernacular, the term covers a full range of fetishism in both real life and pornography; the program “Madventures” showed the host in a full body suit being ridden by a girl dressed in a manga costume
8. Language – with no spaces between words, the Japanese use five character sets and words borrowed from many other countries: hiragana (phonetic), katakana (phonetic for foreign words), kanji (Chinese characters), rōmaji (Roman letters), and Arabic numerals; here’s a random, mostly inclusive sample:
コンビニエンスストアの LAWSON 店舗にて、払い戻しをし
9. Samurai – the teachings and discipline still have resonance today
10. Visual Kei – a sub genre of J-rock that is stunning to both eyes and ears; here’s an image of X Japan from the eighties
11. Mascots – the Japanese use them for everything; this odd one was created back in 2008 for the 1,300th Anniversary of the Nara Prefecture capital
12. Kimono – still in use today for mostly formal occasions (I want the one pictured)
13. Hanami – this traditional custom of flower appreciation takes on a whole new meaning when the cherry trees are in blossom
Great post! After knowing you all this time, only a few items were new to me, most notably, the chicken suit. I found a web site with instructions for putting it on the chicken.
ReplyDeleteJapanese culture is fascinating. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou mean you haven't actually watched Inuyasha? The story is better than the artwork.
ReplyDeleteMy hubby and daughter have a fascination for anything Japanese. They both watch and read anime and mangas. And both have a kimono and a Chinese outfit too. My daughter recently went to a cherry blossom festival and had a great time.
ReplyDeleteCool! Hello Kitty is so adorable!
ReplyDelete*hugs*
Paige
My TT is at http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com
I'm oddly fascinated with the chicken suit. What is wrong with me?
ReplyDeleteHappy Belated TT to you! ;)
Lovely! Japan is one of my favorite cultures to study as well.
ReplyDeleteI actually have a new Hello Kitty thing to add to your collection, lol. I just haven't made it to the post office yet.
ReplyDeleteVery fun list, Darla!