The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama are one of
Japan's UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The site is located in the Shogawa
river valley stretching across the border of Gifu and Toyama Prefectures in northern Japan.
These villages are well known for their houses constructed in the architectural style known as gasshō-zukuri
(合掌造り). The Gasshō-zukuri, "prayer-hands construction" style is
characterized by a thatched and steeply slanting roof resembling two
hands joined in prayer. The design is exceptionally strong and, in
combination with the unique properties of the thatching, allow the
houses to withstand and shed the weight of the region's heavy snowfalls
in winter.
The houses are large, with three to four storeys encompassed between the
low eaves, and historically intended to house large extended families
and a highly-efficient space for a variety of industries.
The upper storeys of the gasshō houses were usually set aside for sericulture.
The
densely-forested mountains of the region still occupy 96% of all land in
the area.
Shirakawa-gō (白川郷, "White River Old-District") is located in the village of Shirakawa in Gifu Prefecture.
The Gokayama (五箇山, "Five Mountains") area is divided between the former villages of Kamitaira and Taira in Nanto, Toyama Prefecture.
8.7.12
Mikoshi
A mikoshi (神輿 or 御輿) is a divine palanquin (often improperly translated as portable Shinto shrine). Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle to transport a deity in Japan while moving between main shrine and temporary shrine during a festival or when moving to a new shrine. Often, the mikoshi resembles a miniature building, with pillars, walls, a roof, a veranda and a railing.
Some shrines have the custom of dipping the mikoshi in the water of a nearby lake, river or ocean (this practice is called o-hamaori). At some festivals, the people who bear the mikoshi wave it wildly from side to side to "amuse" the deity (kami) inside.
The most common method of shouldering in Japan is "Hira-katsugi(Normal style) | 平担ぎ" The shout is "wasshoi | wa syoi | わっしょい" and the bearers do not sway the mikoshi.
One famous way of shouldering is "Edomae style | 江戸前" seen by Asakusa Sanja Festival etc. The shout is "say ya, soi ya, sah, sorya...etc" The mikoshi is swayed rapidly, up and down and a little to the right and left.
Odawara (next to the Hakone) "Odawara style | 小田原担ぎ " This is a peculiar way of shouldering in which multiple mikoshis meet and run (Holy Dash).
Some shrines have the custom of dipping the mikoshi in the water of a nearby lake, river or ocean (this practice is called o-hamaori). At some festivals, the people who bear the mikoshi wave it wildly from side to side to "amuse" the deity (kami) inside.
The most common method of shouldering in Japan is "Hira-katsugi(Normal style) | 平担ぎ" The shout is "wasshoi | wa syoi | わっしょい" and the bearers do not sway the mikoshi.
One famous way of shouldering is "Edomae style | 江戸前" seen by Asakusa Sanja Festival etc. The shout is "say ya, soi ya, sah, sorya...etc" The mikoshi is swayed rapidly, up and down and a little to the right and left.
Odawara (next to the Hakone) "Odawara style | 小田原担ぎ " This is a peculiar way of shouldering in which multiple mikoshis meet and run (Holy Dash).
7.7.12
K computer
The K computer – named for the Japanese word "kei" (京), meaning 10 quadrillion (1016)[1][Note 1] – is a supercomputer produced by Fujitsu, currently installed at the RIKEN Advanced Institute for Computational Science campus in Kobe, Japan.[1][2][3]
The K computer is based on a distributed memory architecture, with over 80,000 computer nodes.[4]
In June 2011, TOP500 ranked K the world's fastest supercomputer, with a rating of over 8 petaflops, and in November 2011, K became the first computer to top 10 petaflops.[5][6] It is slated for completion in June 2012.[6]
In June 2012, K was superseded as the world's fastest supercomputer by the American IBM Sequoia.[7]
The K computer is based on a distributed memory architecture, with over 80,000 computer nodes.[4]
In June 2011, TOP500 ranked K the world's fastest supercomputer, with a rating of over 8 petaflops, and in November 2011, K became the first computer to top 10 petaflops.[5][6] It is slated for completion in June 2012.[6]
In June 2012, K was superseded as the world's fastest supercomputer by the American IBM Sequoia.[7]
Tanabata (2) - The story
The festival was imported to Japan by the Empress Kōken in 755.[2] It originated from "The Festival to Plead for Skills" (乞巧奠 Kikkōden), an alternative name for Qixi,[3]:9 which was celebrated in China and also was adopted in the Kyoto Imperial Palace from the Heian period.
Like Qixi and Chilseok, Tanabata was inspired by the famous Chinese folklore story, "The Princess and the Cowherd". Some versions were included in the Man'yōshū, the oldest extant collection of Japanese poetry.[3]:25
The most popular version is as follows:[4][5][6][7]
Orihime (織姫 Weaving Princess), daughter of the Tentei (天帝 Sky King, or the universe itself), wove beautiful clothes by the bank of the Amanogawa (天の川 Milky Way, lit. "heavenly river"). Her father loved the cloth that she wove and so she worked very hard every day to weave it. However, Orihime was sad that because of her hard work she could never meet and fall in love with anyone. Concerned about his daughter, Tentei arranged for her to meet Hikoboshi (彦星 Cow Herder Star) (also referred to as Kengyuu (牽牛)) who lived and worked on the other side of the Amanogawa. When the two met, they fell instantly in love with each other and married shortly thereafter. However, once married, Orihime no longer would weave cloth for Tentei and Hikoboshi allowed his cows to stray all over Heaven. In anger, Tentei separated the two lovers across the Amanogawa and forbade them to meet. Orihime became despondent at the loss of her husband and asked her father to let them meet again. Tentei was moved by his daughter’s tears and allowed the two to meet on the 7th day of the 7th month if she worked hard and finished her weaving. The first time they tried to meet, however, they found that they could not cross the river because there was no bridge. Orihime cried so much that a flock of magpies came and promised to make a bridge with their wings so that she could cross the river. It is said that if it rains on Tanabata, the magpies cannot come and the two lovers must wait until another year to meet.
Like Qixi and Chilseok, Tanabata was inspired by the famous Chinese folklore story, "The Princess and the Cowherd". Some versions were included in the Man'yōshū, the oldest extant collection of Japanese poetry.[3]:25
The most popular version is as follows:[4][5][6][7]
Orihime (織姫 Weaving Princess), daughter of the Tentei (天帝 Sky King, or the universe itself), wove beautiful clothes by the bank of the Amanogawa (天の川 Milky Way, lit. "heavenly river"). Her father loved the cloth that she wove and so she worked very hard every day to weave it. However, Orihime was sad that because of her hard work she could never meet and fall in love with anyone. Concerned about his daughter, Tentei arranged for her to meet Hikoboshi (彦星 Cow Herder Star) (also referred to as Kengyuu (牽牛)) who lived and worked on the other side of the Amanogawa. When the two met, they fell instantly in love with each other and married shortly thereafter. However, once married, Orihime no longer would weave cloth for Tentei and Hikoboshi allowed his cows to stray all over Heaven. In anger, Tentei separated the two lovers across the Amanogawa and forbade them to meet. Orihime became despondent at the loss of her husband and asked her father to let them meet again. Tentei was moved by his daughter’s tears and allowed the two to meet on the 7th day of the 7th month if she worked hard and finished her weaving. The first time they tried to meet, however, they found that they could not cross the river because there was no bridge. Orihime cried so much that a flock of magpies came and promised to make a bridge with their wings so that she could cross the river. It is said that if it rains on Tanabata, the magpies cannot come and the two lovers must wait until another year to meet.
Tanabata
Tanabata (七夕, meaning "Evening of the seventh") is a Japanese star festival, originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival.[1] It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively). According to legend, the Milky Way separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar. The date of Tanabata varies by region of the country, but the first festivities begin on July 7 of the Gregorian calendar. The celebration is held at various days between July and August.
The festival was imported to Japan by the Empress Kōken in 755.[2]
In present-day Japan, people generally celebrate this day by writing wishes, sometimes in the form of poetry, on tanzaku (短冊 tanzaku), small pieces of paper, and hanging them on bamboo, sometimes with other decorations. cf (Wish Tree) The bamboo and decorations are often set afloat on a river or burned after the festival, around midnight or on the next day.[9] This resembles the custom of floating paper ships and candles on rivers during Obon. Many areas in Japan have their own Tanabata customs, which are mostly related to local Obon traditions. There is also a traditional Tanabata song:[10]
The festival was imported to Japan by the Empress Kōken in 755.[2]
In present-day Japan, people generally celebrate this day by writing wishes, sometimes in the form of poetry, on tanzaku (短冊 tanzaku), small pieces of paper, and hanging them on bamboo, sometimes with other decorations. cf (Wish Tree) The bamboo and decorations are often set afloat on a river or burned after the festival, around midnight or on the next day.[9] This resembles the custom of floating paper ships and candles on rivers during Obon. Many areas in Japan have their own Tanabata customs, which are mostly related to local Obon traditions. There is also a traditional Tanabata song:[10]
Translation:Sasa no ha sara-sara
Nokiba ni yureru
Ohoshi-sama kira-kira
Kingin sunago
Goshiki no tanzaku
watashi ga kaita
Ohoshi-sama kirakira
sora kara miteiru
The bamboo leaves rustle,
shaking away in the eaves.
The stars twinkle
on the gold and silver grains of sand.
The five-colour paper strips
I have already written.
The stars twinkle,
they watch us from heaven.
6.7.12
Fukubukuro
Fukubukuro (福袋 lucky bag, mystery bag) is a Japanese New Year's Day custom where merchants make grab bags
filled with unknown random contents and sell them for a substantial
discount, usually 50% or more off the list price of the items contained
within.
The term is formed from Japanese fuku (福, good fortune/luck) and fukuro (袋, bag).
The change of fukuro to bukuro is the phenomenon known as rendaku.
The fuku comes from the Japanese saying that "there is fortune in leftovers" (残り物には福がある).
Popular stores' fukubukuro usually are snapped up quickly by eager customers, with some stores having long lines snake around city blocks hours before the store opens on New Year's Day. Fukubukuro are an easy way for stores to unload excess and unwanted merchandise from the previous year, due to a Japanese superstition that one must not start the New Year with unwanted trash from the previous year and start clean. Nowadays, some fukubukuro are pushed as a lavish New Year's event, where the contents are revealed beforehand, but this practice is criticized as just a renaming of selling things as sets.
Fukubukuro was invented by Ginza Matsuya Department Store in late Meiji period and has since spread to most retailers. The custom has spread to other cultures; for example, in the Honolulu shopping center Ala Moana Center, several stores adopted in this tradition in 2004. Many Sanrio Stores in the United States often adopt this tradition as well.
The term is formed from Japanese fuku (福, good fortune/luck) and fukuro (袋, bag).
The change of fukuro to bukuro is the phenomenon known as rendaku.
The fuku comes from the Japanese saying that "there is fortune in leftovers" (残り物には福がある).
Popular stores' fukubukuro usually are snapped up quickly by eager customers, with some stores having long lines snake around city blocks hours before the store opens on New Year's Day. Fukubukuro are an easy way for stores to unload excess and unwanted merchandise from the previous year, due to a Japanese superstition that one must not start the New Year with unwanted trash from the previous year and start clean. Nowadays, some fukubukuro are pushed as a lavish New Year's event, where the contents are revealed beforehand, but this practice is criticized as just a renaming of selling things as sets.
Fukubukuro was invented by Ginza Matsuya Department Store in late Meiji period and has since spread to most retailers. The custom has spread to other cultures; for example, in the Honolulu shopping center Ala Moana Center, several stores adopted in this tradition in 2004. Many Sanrio Stores in the United States often adopt this tradition as well.
Shōgun and Daimyō
A shogun (将軍 shōgun) 
listen (help·info) (literally, "a commander of a force") was one of the (usually) hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867.[1] In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents (1203–1333), were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor.
When Portuguese explorers first came into contact with the Japanese (see Nanban period), they described Japanese conditions in analogy, likening the emperor, with great symbolic authority but little political power, to the Pope, and the shogun to secular European rulers, e.g. the Holy Roman Emperor.
Although today the head of the Japanese government is called "prime minister", the usage of the term "shogun" has continued somewhat. A retired prime minister who still wields considerable power and influence behind the scenes is called a yami shogun, or "shadow shogun", a somewhat modern incarnation of the cloistered rule.
Daimyo (大名 daimyō, Pronunciation (help·info)) (DAY-myoh) is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords[1] in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings. In the term, "dai" (大) literally means "large", and "myō" stands for myōden (名田?), meaning private land.[2]
Subordinate only to the shogun, daimyo were the most powerful feudal rulers from the 10th century to the middle 19th century in Japan.
listen (help·info) (literally, "a commander of a force") was one of the (usually) hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867.[1] In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents (1203–1333), were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor.When Portuguese explorers first came into contact with the Japanese (see Nanban period), they described Japanese conditions in analogy, likening the emperor, with great symbolic authority but little political power, to the Pope, and the shogun to secular European rulers, e.g. the Holy Roman Emperor.
Although today the head of the Japanese government is called "prime minister", the usage of the term "shogun" has continued somewhat. A retired prime minister who still wields considerable power and influence behind the scenes is called a yami shogun, or "shadow shogun", a somewhat modern incarnation of the cloistered rule.
Daimyo (大名 daimyō,
Pronunciation (help·info)) (DAY-myoh) is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords[1] in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings. In the term, "dai" (大) literally means "large", and "myō" stands for myōden (名田?), meaning private land.[2]Subordinate only to the shogun, daimyo were the most powerful feudal rulers from the 10th century to the middle 19th century in Japan.
5.7.12
Shide
Shide (紙垂, 四手) is a zigzag-shaped paper streamer, often seen attached to shimenawa or tamagushi, and used in Shinto rituals.
A popular ritual is using a haraegushi, or "lightning wand", named for the zig-zag shide paper that adorns the wand. A similar wand, used by miko for purification and blessing, is the gohei with two shide. A Shinto priest waves the haraegushi over a person, item, or newly bought property, such as a building or car. The wand is waved at a slow rhythmic pace, but with a little force so that the shide strips make a rustling noise on each pass of the wand. For new properties, a similar ritual known as jijin sai is performed with a haraegushi, an enclosed part of the land (enclosed by shimenawa), and sake, or ritually purified sake known as o-miki. The haraegushi has been used for centuries in Shinto ceremonies and has similarities in Ainu culture. In Ainu culture, a shaved willow branch called an inaw or inau closely resembles the Shinto haraegushi, and is used in similar blessing rituals.
A popular ritual is using a haraegushi, or "lightning wand", named for the zig-zag shide paper that adorns the wand. A similar wand, used by miko for purification and blessing, is the gohei with two shide. A Shinto priest waves the haraegushi over a person, item, or newly bought property, such as a building or car. The wand is waved at a slow rhythmic pace, but with a little force so that the shide strips make a rustling noise on each pass of the wand. For new properties, a similar ritual known as jijin sai is performed with a haraegushi, an enclosed part of the land (enclosed by shimenawa), and sake, or ritually purified sake known as o-miki. The haraegushi has been used for centuries in Shinto ceremonies and has similarities in Ainu culture. In Ainu culture, a shaved willow branch called an inaw or inau closely resembles the Shinto haraegushi, and is used in similar blessing rituals.
Undōkai and Kibasen
Sports day is the event Japanese schools called undōkai (運動会) in Japanese, including preparation for the event. undōkai
is usually held on a Saturday or Sunday. During weeks preceding the
sports day, students practice their events which they would like to show
their parents and friends, within their class of physical education,
which often includes performances by the school band and presentations
by various school clubs as well as individual and group competitive
events. These practices, and the sports days themselves, normally take
place on the schools' fields, which provide little relief from the heat
and sun. Some schools have responded by scheduling their sports days during
cooler months and by encouraging their students to drink water
regularly. Currently, the event occurs most often in the autumn
(September/October), or in the spring (May/June).
A Japanese game called "kibasen" (literally "cavalry fight") is commonly played as part of school sports day events. In it, a team of four competitors work together, with three carrying the fourth, who wears a hachimaki. The team is defeated if they are knocked over or, more commonly, if their bandanna (hachimaki) is removed by an opponent.
A Japanese game called "kibasen" (literally "cavalry fight") is commonly played as part of school sports day events. In it, a team of four competitors work together, with three carrying the fourth, who wears a hachimaki. The team is defeated if they are knocked over or, more commonly, if their bandanna (hachimaki) is removed by an opponent.
Gokaidō and Hime kaidō
The Five Routes (五街道 Gokaidō) were the five major roads (kaidō) that started at Edo (now Tokyo) during the Edo period, the most important of which was the Tōkaidō, which linked Edo and Kyoto. Tokugawa Ieyasu started the construction of these five routes in order to increase his control over the country in 1601, but it was Tokugawa Ietsuna, the 4th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate and Ieyasu's great-grandson, who declared them as major routes. Post stations (shukuba) were set up along the route for travelers to rest and buy supplies.
Each of the routes started at Nihonbashi in Edo. From that point, each road linked the capital with other parts of the country.
Hime kaidō (姫街道 princess route) was the name given to minor routes that created detours around the difficult crossings (or river crossings) of main routes during the Edo period in Japan. These routes could be found on many of the Edo Five Routes, as well as on other sub-routes that crossed the country.
Each of the routes started at Nihonbashi in Edo. From that point, each road linked the capital with other parts of the country.
- Tōkaidō
- The Tōkaidō had 53 stations and ran along the Pacific coast, connecting with Kyoto. Once it reached Kusatsu-juku, it shared its route with the Nakasendō.
- Nakasendō
- The Nakasendō (also often called the Kisokaidō) had 69 stations and ran through the center of Honshū, connecting with Kyoto. The Nakasendō's Shimosuwa-shuku served as the end point for the Kōshū Kaidō. Also, the Nakasendō merged with the Tōkaidō at Kusatsu-juku.[1]
- Kōshū Kaidō
- The Kōshū Kaidō had 44 stations, connecting with Kai Province (Yamanashi Prefecture), before ending at the Nakasendō's Shimosuwa-shuku.[2]
- Ōshū Kaidō
- The Ōshū Kaidō had 27 stations, connecting with Mutsu Province (Fukushima Prefecture). There were subroutes that connected to other places of northern Japan, too.[3]
- Nikkō Kaidō
- The Nikkō Kaidō had 21 stations, connecting with Nikkō Tōshō-gū in modern-day Tochigi Prefecture.[4]
Hime kaidō (姫街道 princess route) was the name given to minor routes that created detours around the difficult crossings (or river crossings) of main routes during the Edo period in Japan. These routes could be found on many of the Edo Five Routes, as well as on other sub-routes that crossed the country.
4.7.12
Miage-nyūdō
Miyagegashi and Meibutsu
Miyagegashi, also Miyagekashi (土産菓子), literally "souvenir sweet", refers to a sweet made with the purpose of selling it as a souvenir. As with most other Japanese souvenirs (omiyage), the typical miyagegashi is a regional specialty (meibutsu),
and cannot be bought outside its specific geographic area. The making
and selling of omiyagegashi is an important part of Japan's omiyage (souvenir) industry.
Meibutsu (名物) is a Japanese term for famous products associated with particular regions. Meibutsu are usually items of Japanese regional cuisine, although the category includes local handicrafts. Meibutsu typically have a traditional character, although contemporary products may qualify as meibutsu if they are distinctive and popular. They are often purchased as omiyage (souvenirs) to be given as gifts. Sweets intended as omiyage are referred to as miyagegashi.
List of miyagegashi
- Yatsuhashi (Kyoto)
- Chinsuko (Okinawa Prefecture)
- Tokyo Banana (Tokyo)
- Shiroi Koibito (Hokkaido)
- Hiyoko (Fukuoka)
Meibutsu (名物) is a Japanese term for famous products associated with particular regions. Meibutsu are usually items of Japanese regional cuisine, although the category includes local handicrafts. Meibutsu typically have a traditional character, although contemporary products may qualify as meibutsu if they are distinctive and popular. They are often purchased as omiyage (souvenirs) to be given as gifts. Sweets intended as omiyage are referred to as miyagegashi.
Yayoi Period
The Yayoi period (弥生時代 Yayoi jidai) is an Iron Age era in the history of Japan traditionally dated 300 BC to 300 AD.[1]
It is named after the neighbourhood of Tokyo where archaeologists first uncovered artifacts and features from that era.
Distinguishing characteristics of the Yayoi period include the appearance of new pottery styles and the start of an intensive rice agriculture in paddy fields.
The Yayoi followed the Jōmon period (14,000–300 BC) and Yayoi culture flourished in a geographic area from southern Kyūshū to northern Honshū.
It is named after the neighbourhood of Tokyo where archaeologists first uncovered artifacts and features from that era.
Distinguishing characteristics of the Yayoi period include the appearance of new pottery styles and the start of an intensive rice agriculture in paddy fields.
The Yayoi followed the Jōmon period (14,000–300 BC) and Yayoi culture flourished in a geographic area from southern Kyūshū to northern Honshū.
3.7.12
Umi no Hi
Marine Day (海の日 Umi no Hi), known as 'Ocean Day' or 'Sea Day' is a Japanese national holiday celebrated on the third Monday in July. Many people take advantage of the holiday and summer weather to take a beach trip.
The day was known as Marine Memorial Day (海の記念日 umi no kinen bi) until 1996.
Communications Minister Shozo Murata designated the holiday in 1942 to commemorate the Meiji Emperor and his 1876 voyage in the Meiji-Maru, an iron steamship constructed in England in 1874. The voyage included a trip around the Ou district, embarking on a lighthouse boat in Aomori, and a brief stop in Hakodate before returning to Yokohama on July 20 of that year.
"Marine Day" was declared a national holiday in 1995 as a day of gratitude for the blessings of the oceans and to hope for the economic prosperity of maritime Japan.
First observed on July 20, 1996, the Happy Monday System (ハッピーマンデー制度 Happī Mandē Seido) legislation moved the date from July 20 to the third Monday of July from 2003.
The day was known as Marine Memorial Day (海の記念日 umi no kinen bi) until 1996.
Communications Minister Shozo Murata designated the holiday in 1942 to commemorate the Meiji Emperor and his 1876 voyage in the Meiji-Maru, an iron steamship constructed in England in 1874. The voyage included a trip around the Ou district, embarking on a lighthouse boat in Aomori, and a brief stop in Hakodate before returning to Yokohama on July 20 of that year.
"Marine Day" was declared a national holiday in 1995 as a day of gratitude for the blessings of the oceans and to hope for the economic prosperity of maritime Japan.
First observed on July 20, 1996, the Happy Monday System (ハッピーマンデー制度 Happī Mandē Seido) legislation moved the date from July 20 to the third Monday of July from 2003.
Yonaguni
Yonaguni (与那国島 Yonaguni-jima, Yonaguni: どぅなん Dunan, Okinawan: ユナグニ, Yunaguni) is one of the Yaeyama Islands. It is the westernmost inhabited island of Japan and lies 108 kilometers (67 mi) from the east coast of Taiwan, between the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean proper.
In the 1980s, local divers discovered a striking underwater rock formation off the southernmost point of the island. This so-called Yonaguni Monument has staircase-like terraces with flat sides and sharp corners. Although the majority of the academic society regard the rock formation as natural joint, Masaaki Kimura, a professor of seismology in University of the Ryukyus and some media believe it is an artificial (or artificially modified) structure engraved or built 2,000 to 3,000 years ago.[2]
Yonaguni is known in Japan for the hanazake, a 120-proof rice-based distilled beverage (awamori) produced only on the island.
The island is also the only natural habitat of a distinctive horse breed, the Yonaguni horse.
Yonaguni is a popular attraction for divers because of the large numbers of hammerhead sharks that gather in the surrounding waters during winter.
In the 1980s, local divers discovered a striking underwater rock formation off the southernmost point of the island. This so-called Yonaguni Monument has staircase-like terraces with flat sides and sharp corners. Although the majority of the academic society regard the rock formation as natural joint, Masaaki Kimura, a professor of seismology in University of the Ryukyus and some media believe it is an artificial (or artificially modified) structure engraved or built 2,000 to 3,000 years ago.[2]
Yonaguni is known in Japan for the hanazake, a 120-proof rice-based distilled beverage (awamori) produced only on the island.
The island is also the only natural habitat of a distinctive horse breed, the Yonaguni horse.
Yonaguni is a popular attraction for divers because of the large numbers of hammerhead sharks that gather in the surrounding waters during winter.
2.7.12
Shōchū - Shōchū Period
Shōchū (焼酎) is a Japanese distilled beverage. It is typically distilled from barley, sweet potatoes, or rice, though it is sometimes produced from other ingredients such as brown sugar, buckwheat or chestnut. Typically shōchū contains 25% alcohol by volume, which is weaker than whisky or standard-strength vodka but stronger than wine and sake.
It is not uncommon for multiply distilled shōchū, which is more likely
to be used in mixed drinks, to contain up to 35% alcohol by volume.
Shōchū originated in Kyūshū but is produced in locations throughout Japan.[1]
Shōchū should not be confused with sake, a brewed rice wine.
Kōji (麹) mold, a kind of Aspergillus fungus, has a profound effect on the final taste of the shōchū.
Shōchū is matured in various places to impart unique flavors, typically where there are minimal variations in temperature and humidity. These places include tunnels and limestone caverns.
Shōchū (正中) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō,, lit. "year name") after Genkō and before Karyaku. This period spanned the years from December 1324 to April 1326.[1] The reigning Emperor was Go-Daigo-tennō (後醍醐天皇).[2]
Shōchū originated in Kyūshū but is produced in locations throughout Japan.[1]
Shōchū should not be confused with sake, a brewed rice wine.
Kōji (麹) mold, a kind of Aspergillus fungus, has a profound effect on the final taste of the shōchū.
Shōchū is matured in various places to impart unique flavors, typically where there are minimal variations in temperature and humidity. These places include tunnels and limestone caverns.
Shōchū (正中) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō,, lit. "year name") after Genkō and before Karyaku. This period spanned the years from December 1324 to April 1326.[1] The reigning Emperor was Go-Daigo-tennō (後醍醐天皇).[2]
1.7.12
Ochūgen and Obon
Chūgen (中元), also Ochūgen (お中元), is an annual event in
Japan on July 15, when people give gifts to their superiors and
acquaintances. One of the three days that form the sangen (三元) of Daoism, it is sometimes considered a Zassetsu in the Japanese calendar. Originally it was an annual event for giving gifts to the ancestral spirits.
Obon (お盆) or just Bon (盆) is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist-Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori.
The festival of Obon lasts for three days; however its starting date varies within different regions of Japan.
When the lunar calendar was changed to the Gregorian calendar at the beginning of the Meiji era, the localities in Japan reacted differently and this resulted in three different times of Obon. "Shichigatsu Bon" (Bon in July) is based on the solar calendar and is celebrated around 15 July in eastern Japan (Kantō region such as Tokyo, Yokohama and the Tohoku region), coinciding with Chūgen. "Hachigatsu Bon" (Bon in August) is based on the lunar calendar, is celebrated around the 15th of August and is the most commonly celebrated time. "Kyu Bon" (Old Bon) is celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, and so differs each year. "Kyu Bon" is celebrated in areas like the northern part of the Kantō region, Chūgoku region, Shikoku, and the Ryukyu Islands.
These three days are not listed as public holidays but it is customary that people are given leave.[1]
Obon (お盆) or just Bon (盆) is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist-Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori.
The festival of Obon lasts for three days; however its starting date varies within different regions of Japan.
When the lunar calendar was changed to the Gregorian calendar at the beginning of the Meiji era, the localities in Japan reacted differently and this resulted in three different times of Obon. "Shichigatsu Bon" (Bon in July) is based on the solar calendar and is celebrated around 15 July in eastern Japan (Kantō region such as Tokyo, Yokohama and the Tohoku region), coinciding with Chūgen. "Hachigatsu Bon" (Bon in August) is based on the lunar calendar, is celebrated around the 15th of August and is the most commonly celebrated time. "Kyu Bon" (Old Bon) is celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, and so differs each year. "Kyu Bon" is celebrated in areas like the northern part of the Kantō region, Chūgoku region, Shikoku, and the Ryukyu Islands.
These three days are not listed as public holidays but it is customary that people are given leave.[1]
Gyaru
Gyaru (ギャル) is a Japanese transliteration of the English word gal, that of girl being gaaru (ガール). The name originated from a 1970s brand of jeans called "gals", with the advertising slogan: "I can't live without men", and was applied to fashion- and peer-conscious girls in their teens and early twenties.
After peaking in 2007, the gyaru trend appears to have declined in Japan, but has gained in popularity in China.[1]
There are various subcategories of "gals" depending on the choice of fashion, and also gender.
A Gal Circle is a group of gals that meet up and hold events promoting gal style, music, and parapara dancing. There are two main types of Gal Circles, Nago-cir (comfort circles) and Ive-cir (event circles).
After peaking in 2007, the gyaru trend appears to have declined in Japan, but has gained in popularity in China.[1]
There are various subcategories of "gals" depending on the choice of fashion, and also gender.
- Gyaru-kei (ギャルー形): Basically the default gyaru style.
- Bibinba (ビビンバ): This look usually includes a lot of gold, and jewelry. Similar to b-gal.
- Banba (バンバ): Banba is a lighter form of manba. Banbas wear less white makeup than manbas; they also use more glitter, and usually don't have neon colored hair. Banbas wear more extreme-looking types of false eyelashes, and colored contact lenses. Banbas wear darker colors than manbas, and sometimes dress in club wear. The most respected banba Gal-cir is Angeleek; there are 22 members in the Tokyo group, and they have many other groups throughout Japan.
- Ganguro (ガングロギャル): A gyaru with an artificial deep tan and bleached hair. This style was popular in the late 1990s, and early 2000s.
- Gyaruo (ギャル男): A male gyaru.
- Kogyaru: Generally a high school student (高校生 kōkōsei).
- Yamanba: Like manba, but the nose stripe goes past the eyebrows.
A Gal Circle is a group of gals that meet up and hold events promoting gal style, music, and parapara dancing. There are two main types of Gal Circles, Nago-cir (comfort circles) and Ive-cir (event circles).
Kitsune (2) - Kitsunetsuki
There are two common classifications of kitsune. The zenko (善狐, literally good foxes) are benevolent, celestial foxes associated with the god Inari; they are sometimes simply called Inari foxes. On the other hand, the yako (野狐, literally field foxes, also called nogitsune) tend to be mischievous or even malicious.[8]
Kitsunetsuki (狐憑き or 狐付き; also written kitsune-tsuki) literally means the state of being possessed by a fox. In some cases, the victims' facial expressions are said to change in such a way that they resemble those of a fox. Japanese tradition holds that fox possession can cause illiterate victims to temporarily gain the ability to read.[28] Though foxes in folklore can possess a person of their own will, Kitsunetsuki is often attributed to the malign intents of hereditary fox employers, or tsukimono-suji.[29]
Embedded in Japanese folklore as they are, kitsune appear in numerous Japanese works.
In Japan, kitsunetsuki was noted as a disease as early as the Heian period and remained a common diagnosis for mental illness until the early 20th century.[32][33]
In medicine, kitsunetsuki is an culture-bound syndrome unique to Japanese culture. Those who suffer from the condition believe they are possessed by a fox.[36]
One must realize that many beings or stories about them were spun and deliberately invented by professional writers during the Edo Era and earlier, and they are not folkloric in the strict sense.
Kitsunetsuki (狐憑き or 狐付き; also written kitsune-tsuki) literally means the state of being possessed by a fox. In some cases, the victims' facial expressions are said to change in such a way that they resemble those of a fox. Japanese tradition holds that fox possession can cause illiterate victims to temporarily gain the ability to read.[28] Though foxes in folklore can possess a person of their own will, Kitsunetsuki is often attributed to the malign intents of hereditary fox employers, or tsukimono-suji.[29]
Embedded in Japanese folklore as they are, kitsune appear in numerous Japanese works.
In Japan, kitsunetsuki was noted as a disease as early as the Heian period and remained a common diagnosis for mental illness until the early 20th century.[32][33]
In medicine, kitsunetsuki is an culture-bound syndrome unique to Japanese culture. Those who suffer from the condition believe they are possessed by a fox.[36]
One must realize that many beings or stories about them were spun and deliberately invented by professional writers during the Edo Era and earlier, and they are not folkloric in the strict sense.
Sakura
A cherry blossom is the flower of any of several trees of genus Prunus, particularly the Japanese Cherry, Prunus serrulata, which is sometimes called sakura after the Japanese (桜 or 櫻; さくら).[1][2]
Many of the varieties that have been cultivated for ornamental use do
not produce fruit. Edible cherries generally come from cultivars of the
related species Prunus avium and Prunus cerasus.
In Japan, cherry blossoms also symbolize clouds due to their nature of blooming en masse, besides being an enduring metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life,[5] an aspect of Japanese cultural tradition that is often associated with Buddhistic influence,[6] and which is embodied in the concept of mono no aware.[7]
The transience of the blossoms, the extreme beauty and quick death, has often been associated with mortality;[5] for this reason, cherry blossoms are richly symbolic, and have been utilized often in Japanese art, manga, anime, and film, as well as at musical performances for ambient effect.
In Japan, cherry blossoms also symbolize clouds due to their nature of blooming en masse, besides being an enduring metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life,[5] an aspect of Japanese cultural tradition that is often associated with Buddhistic influence,[6] and which is embodied in the concept of mono no aware.[7]
The transience of the blossoms, the extreme beauty and quick death, has often been associated with mortality;[5] for this reason, cherry blossoms are richly symbolic, and have been utilized often in Japanese art, manga, anime, and film, as well as at musical performances for ambient effect.
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