Shichi Fukujin

The Seven Gods of Fortune (七福神 Shichi Fukujin^?), commonly referred to in English as the Seven Lucky Gods, refer to the seven gods of good fortune in Japanese mythology and folklore. They are often the subject of netsuke carvings and other representations.
Each has a traditional attribute:

1. Hotei, the fat and happy god of abundance and good health
2. Jurōjin, god of longevity
3. Fukurokuju, god of happiness, wealth and longevity
4. Bishamonten, god of warriors
5. Benzaiten (Benten-sama), goddess of knowledge, art and beauty, especially music
6. Daikokuten (Daikoku), god of wealth, commerce and trade. Ebisu and Daikoku are often paired and represented as carvings or masks on the walls of small retail shops
7. Ebisu, god of fishers or merchants, often depicted carrying a sea bream

Many figures in Japanese myth were transmitted from China (some having entered China from India), including all of the Seven Lucky Gods except Ebisu.

The seven gods are often depicted on their ship, the Takarabune (宝船), or "Treasure Ship." 

Aikidō and Tai sabaki

Aikido (合気道 Aikidō^?) is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying (with) life energy"^[1] or as "the Way of harmonious spirit."^[2]

Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attacker from injury.^[3][4]

Aikido is performed by blending with the motion of the attacker and redirecting the force of the attack rather than opposing it head-on. This requires very little physical strength, as the aikidōka (aikido practitioner) "leads" the attacker's momentum using entering and turning movements. The techniques are completed with various throws or joint locks.^[5]

Tai sabaki (体捌き^?) is a term from Japanese martial arts and which relates to 'whole body movement', or repositioning. It can be translated as body-management. It is a term used widely in kendo, jujutsu, aikido, judo, karate and ninjutsu.

Tai sabaki is usually used to avoid an attack, such that the receiver of the attack ends up in an advantageous position and it is often wrongly referred to as evasion.
An example of tai sabaki is 'moving off the line' of attack using irimi and tenkan movements rather than to 'move against' the attack. This implies the use of harmony rather than physical strength.

Tai sabaki is related to ashi sabaki (footwork) and te sabaki (handwork).

Tokusatsu and Suitmation

Tokusatsu (特撮^?) is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects (tokusatsu literally translates as "special filming" in Japanese).

Tokusatsu is one of the most popular forms of Japanese entertainment, but most tokusatsu movies and television programs are not widely known outside Asia.
 
Tokusatsu entertainment often deals with science fiction, fantasy or horror, but movies and television shows in other genres can sometimes count as tokusatsu as well.

The most popular types of tokusatsu include kaiju monster movies like the Godzilla and Gamera film series; superhero TV serials such as the Kamen Rider and Metal Hero series; and mecha dramas like Giant Robo. Some tokusatsu television programs combine several of these subgenres, for example the Ultraman and Super Sentai series.  

Tokusatsu has origins in early Japanese theater, specifically kabuki (with its action- and fight-scenes) and bunraku which utilized some of the earliest forms of special effects, specifically puppetry. Modern tokusatsu, however, did not begin to take shape until the early 1950s, with the conceptual and creative birth of Godzilla, one of the most famous monsters (kaiju) of all time.

Suitmation (スーツメーション Sūtsumēshon^?) in Japanese identifies the process in tokusatsu movies and television programs used to portray a monster using suit acting.

Furoshiki

Furoshiki (風呂敷, furoshiki) are a type of traditional Japanese wrapping cloth that were frequently used to transport clothes, gifts, or other goods.

Although possibly dating back as far as the Nara period, the name, meaning "bath spread", derives from the Edo period practice of using them to bundle clothes while at the sentō (public baths).

Before becoming associated with public baths, furoshiki were known as hirazutsumi (平包), or flat folded bundle. Eventually, the furoshiki’s usage extended to serve as a means for merchants to transport their wares or to protect and decorate a gift.

Furoshiki are often decorated with traditional designs or by shibori. (Dyeing methods)

Although there are still furoshiki users in Japan, their numbers declined in the post-war period, in large part due to the proliferation of the plastic shopping bag. In recent years, it has seen a renewed interest as environmental protection became a concern. Furoshiki are, however, commonly used to wrap and transport lunch boxes (bento) and often double as a table mat for the lunch.

On March 6, 2006, the Japanese Minister of the Environment, Yuriko Koike, created a furoshiki cloth to promote its use in the modern world.^[1]

Ebisu (2) - Kannazuki and The Legend of Ebisu

Ebisu was originally named Hiruko, meaning "leech child".
Born without bones (or, in some stories, without arms and legs).
The weak child overcame many hardships, grew legs (and, presumably, the rest of his skeletal structure) at the age of three, and became the god Ebisu.^{[citation needed]}
He remains slightly crippled and deaf, but mirthful and auspicious nonetheless (hence the title, "The Laughing God").

He is often depicted wearing a tall hat—the Kazaori Eboshi (風折烏帽子)—holding a rod and a large red bream or sea bass.

Jellyfish are also associated with the god and the fugu restaurants of Japan will often incorporate Ebisu in their motif.

Ebisu's festival is celebrated on the twentieth day of the tenth month, Kannazuki (the month without gods).
In Shinto tradition it was said that the eight million gods of Japan left their shrines and congregated annually at Izumo Taisha.

While the other eight million members of the Japanese pantheon gather at The Grand Shrine of Izumo, Ebisu does not hear the summons and is thus still available for worship.

Until 1873 the tenth month of the lunar calendar largely overlapped with the modern month of November. However, after the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in Japan in that year October became generally accepted as the "godless month".

Matcha and Chamei

Matcha (抹茶^?, pronounced [mat.tɕa]^[1]), also maccha, refers to finely milled or fine powder green tea.

The cultural activity called the Japanese tea ceremony centers on the preparation, serving, and drinking of matcha.

In modern times, matcha has also come to be used to flavour and dye foods such as mochi and soba noodles, green tea ice cream and a variety of wagashi (Japanese confectionery). Matcha is a fine ground, powdered, high quality green tea and not the same as tea powder or green tea powder.

By weight, matcha contains more antioxidants than blueberries, wolfberries, pomegranates, orange juice and spinach.^{[citation needed]}

Chamei (literally, "tea name") is a Japanese word that may refer to the name given to a particular blend of powdered green tea (matcha) or to the name bestowed on an advanced practitioner of Japanese tea ceremony. In the first case, the word is written with the kanji 茶銘; in the second case, 茶名.

The custom of giving names to tea blends began around the end of the Muromachi period (circa mid-16th century), with the master tea manufacturers (chashi) in the highly reputed tea-growing district of Uji south of Kyoto.

Ebisu

Ebisu (恵比須, 恵比寿, 夷, 戎), also transliterated Yebisu (ゑびす – see historical kana orthography) or called Hiruko (蛭子) or Kotoshiro-nushi-no-kami (事代主神), is the Japanese god of fishermen, luck, and workingmen, as well as the guardian of the health of small children.

He is one of the Seven Gods of Fortune (七福神, Shichifukujin), and the only one of the seven to originate from Japan.
  
Ebisu was originally named Hiruko, meaning "leech child".

He was the first child of Izanagi and Izanami, born without bones (or, in some stories, without arms and legs) due to his mother's transgression during the marriage ritual. Hiruko struggled to survive but, as he could not stand, he was cast to the sea in a boat of reeds before his third birthday.^[1] He eventually washed ashore—possibly in Ezo (蝦夷, ancient Hokkaidō)—and was cared for by the Ainu Ebisu Saburo (戎三郎).

Zentsūji and Cubic watermelons

Zentsūji (善通寺市 Zentsūji-shi^?) is a city in Kagawa, Japan. The origin of the city name is Zentsū-ji Buddhist temple.

The city is the place where Kūkai (also known as Kōbō Daishi) was born.
The Zentsuji temple, from which the town gets its name, is the 75th temple on the 88-temple Shikoku Pilgrimage.

In Japan, farmers of the Zentsuji region found a way to grow cubic watermelons, by growing the fruits in glass boxes and letting them naturally assume the shape of the receptacle.^[25]

The square shape is designed to make the melons easier to stack and store, but the square watermelons are often more than double the price of normal ones, and much of their appeal to consumers is in their novelty.

Heart and Pyramid-shaped watermelons have also been developed and any polyhedral shape may potentially also be used.

Tenugui

A Tenugui (手拭い) is a thin Japanese hand towel made of cotton.

It is typically about 35 by 90 centimeters in size, plain weaved and is almost always dyed with some pattern.
It can be used for anything a towel could be used for - as a washcloth, dishcloth, headband, souvenir or decoration.

Towels made from terry cloth have replaced many of its use in the household.
However tenugui is still popular as a souvenir, decoration and as a head covering in Kendo.

A tenugui frequently appears in anime and manga as a prop during a sentō scene.

Shimenawa

Shimenawa (標縄・注連縄・七五三縄, literally "enclosing rope") are lengths of braided rice straw rope used for ritual purification in the Shinto religion.

They can vary in diameter from a few centimetres to several metres, and are often seen festooned with shide.

A space bound by shimenawa often indicates a sacred or pure space, such as that of a Shinto shrine.^[1]

Shimenawa are believed to act as a ward against evil spirits and are often set up at a ground-breaking ceremony before construction begins on a new building. They are often found at Shinto shrines, torii gates, and sacred landmarks.

They are also used around yorishiro (objects capable of attracting spirits, hence inhabited by spirits). These notably include certain trees, in which case the inhabiting spirits are called kodama, and cutting down these trees is thought to bring misfortune. In cases of stones, the stones are known as iwakura (磐座、岩座^?).^[2]

A variation of the shimenawa is used in sumo wrestling by yokozuna (grand champions) during their entrance ceremonies to denote their rank. This is because the yokozuna is seen as a living yorishiro (formally shintai), and as such is inhabited by a spirit.

Gundam, Real-G and Mecha

The Gundam Series (ガンダムシリーズ Gandamu Shirīzu^?) is a metaseries of anime created by Sunrise studios that features giant robots (or "mecha") called "Mobile Suits" (MS); usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam.

Gundam is a popular cultural icon of Japan; it is a 50 billion yen business of Bandai Namco. (projected 50 billion yen income of the company and reached a highest number of 54.5 billion yen in 2006).^[25]

Gundam stamps were published.

The code name for the under-development Japan Self-Defense Forces advanced personal combat equipment is "Gundam".^{[30][31][32][33]}

 The Fire department used Gundam to promote the future of fire fighting developments.

As part of the 30th Anniversary of the Gundam series, the company officially announced a project on March 11, 2009 called Real-G to build a 1:1 real-size, scaled Gundam statue in Japan.^[46] The project was finished in early June 2009^[47] and opened to the public on July 11, 2009.^[48]

Mecha (alternatively: mech, mechs) is a science fiction genre, that centres around robots or machines. These machines vary greatly in size, shape and appearance. Difference sub-genres exist, with varying connotations of realism. Super Robot and Real Robot are two such examples found in Japanese anime.

Kiyomizu-dera

Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺^?), officially Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera (音羽山清水寺^?) is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto.

The temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Heritage site.^[1] (It should not be confused with Kiyomizu-dera in Yasugi, Shimane, which is part of the 33-temple route of the Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage through western Japan.)

Kiyomizu-dera was founded in the early Heian period.^[2] The temple was founded in 798, and its present buildings were constructed in 1633, during a ordered by the Tokugawa Iemitsu.^[3]

There is not a single nail used in the entire structure.

It takes its name from the waterfall within the complex, which runs off the nearby hills. Kiyomizu means clear water, or pure water.^[4][5]

The popular expression "to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu" is the Japanese equivalent of the English expression "to take the plunge".^[5] This refers to an Edo period tradition that held that, if one were to survive a 13m jump from the stage, one's wish would be granted. Two hundred thirty-four jumps were recorded in the Edo period and, of those, 85.4% survived.^[5] The practice is now prohibited.^[5]

Beneath the main hall is the Otowa waterfall, where three channels of water fall into a pond. Visitors can catch and drink the water, which is believed to have wish-granting powers.

The temple complex includes several other shrines, among them the Jishu Shrine, dedicated to Ōkuninushi, a god of love and "good matches".^[4] Jishu Shrine possesses a pair of "love stones" placed 6 meters/20 feet apart, which lonely visitors can try to walk between with their eyes closed. Success in reaching the other stone with their eyes closed implies that the pilgrim will find love, or true love.^[9] One can be assisted in the crossing, but this is taken to mean that a go-between will be needed. The person's romantic interest can assist them as well.

The Heian period (平安時代 Heian jidai^?) is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185.^[1] The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. 
The Edo period (江戸時代 Edo jidai^?), or Tokugawa period (徳川時代 Tokugawa jidai^?) is the period between 1603 to 1868 in the history of Japan when Japanese society was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional Daimyo. The period was characterized by economic growth, strict social orders, isolationist foreign policies, an increase in both environmental protection and popular enjoyment of arts and culture.

Sampuru

Fake food samples appear prevalently in the windows and display cases of food-serving establishments throughout Japan.

The craftsmanship has been raised to an art form. 

Once made from wax, today they are usually made out of plastic.^[1]

During the molding process, the fake ingredients are often chopped up and combined in a manner similar to actual cooking.

Japanese plastic food by the Maizuru Company was exhibited at London's Victoria and Albert Museum in 1980.^[3]

The food displays are called sampuru (サンプル^?), derived from the English word "sample".
Regular competitions are held in making fake food dishes out of plastic and other materials.
In recent years, Japanese plastic food manufacturers have been targeting markets overseas, such as China.^[5]

While some large companies exist, others are small shops with a single proprietor. Fake food items can be found and purchased in Kappabashi-dori, the food supply street in Tokyo and also at Doguyasuji located in Namba, Osaka. Factories can be found in Gujō, Gifu.

• Iwasaki Be-I, the biggest plastic food manufacturer in Japan, founded by Takizo Iwasaki in 1932
• Maiduru (Maizuru), another old and large manufacturer

Tanbo Art

Tanbo art (田んぼアート tanbo āto^?, also tambo āto) is a Japanese project in which people use rice of various types and colors to create a giant picture in rice fields.

In 1993, the people of Inakadate, Aomori were looking for a way to revitalize their village. Archaeological exploration led to a realization that rice had been grown in the area for more than 2000 years.^[1] To honor this history, the villagers started a rice field behind the town hall. With the paddy as a canvas, the villagers cultivated and used four different types^[1] of heirloom and modern strains of rice to create a giant picture in the field. To allow viewing of the whole picture, a mock castle tower 22 meters high was erected at the village office.^[1] In 2006, more than 200,000 people visited the village to see the art.^[1]

Every April, the villagers meet and decide what to plant for the year.^[1] Prior to planting, farmers sketch out the designs on computers to figure out where and how to plant the rice.^[3] In 2007, 700 people helped plant rice.^[1] In Inakadate, the fields used are approximately 15,000 square meters.^[2] Agreements between landowners have allowed for larger pictures to be created.

Following Inakadate's example, other villages such as Yonezawa in Yamagata prefecture, have started to create their own tanbo art.^[3]

Silver Week

Silver Week (シルバーウィーク Shirubā Wīku^?) is a new Japanese term applied to a string of consecutive holidays in September. In 2009, the term gained popularity^[1], referring to the unusual occurrence that year of a weekend followed by three Japanese public holidays in September. The holidays were:

• Respect for the Aged Day, third Monday of September
• Autumnal Equinox Day, astronomically determined, but usually September 23
• Kokumin no kyūjitsu, the day in between the two other holidays

The five-day break occurs in the following years:

• September 19 – September 23: 2009, 2015, 2026, 2037, 2043, 2054, 2071, 2099
• September 18 – September 22: 2032, 2049, 2060, 2077, 2088, 2094

Historians have identified Silver Week itself as a commercial invention of the 1950s film industry, keen to promote cinema attendance during the holiday by reference to the popularity of leisure pursuits during the better-established Golden Week^[5], yet another invention of the Japanese film industry.^[6]

Chindōgu

Chindōgu (珍道具^?) is the Japanese art of inventing ingenious everyday gadgets that, on the face of it, seem like an ideal solution to a particular problem. However, chindōgu has a distinctive feature: anyone actually attempting to use one of these inventions would find that it causes so many new problems, or such significant social embarrassment, that effectively it has no utility whatsoever. Thus, chindōgu are sometimes described as "unuseless" – that is, they cannot be regarded as 'useless' in an absolute sense, since they do actually solve a problem; however, in practical terms, they cannot positively be called "useful."

The term was coined by Kenji Kawakami, a Japanese investor and editor of the magazine "Mail Order Life." 

English language book: 101 Unuseless Japanese Inventions: The Art of Chindōgu, first edition 1995.

Haiku

Haiku (俳句 haikai verse^?)  listen (help·info) (no separate plural form) is a very short form of Japanese poetry.

Traditional haiku consist of 17 on, in three phrases of five, seven and five on respectively.
Traditional haiku masters were not always constrained by the 5-7-5 pattern.
Among contemporary poems teikei (定型 fixed form) haiku continue to use the 5-7-5 pattern while jiyuritsu (自由律 free form) haiku do not.^[9]

In Japanese, haiku are traditionally printed in a single vertical line while haiku in English often appear in three lines to parallel the three phrases of Japanese haiku.^[8]
 
Previously called hokku, haiku was given its current name by the Japanese writer Masaoka Shiki at the end of the 19th century.

The best-known Japanese haiku^[18] is Bashō's "old pond":

古池や蛙飛込む水の音

ふるいけやかわずとびこむみずのおと (transliterated into 17 hiragana)

furuike ya kawazu tobikomu mizu no oto (transliterated into romaji)

This separates into on as:

fu-ru-i-ke ya (5)

ka-wa-zu to-bi-ko-mu (7)

mi-zu no o-to (5)

Translated:^[19]

old pond . . .

a frog leaps in

water’s sound

Heya

In sumo wrestling, a heya (部屋) (Japanese for "room") or sumo beya, usually translated into English as stable, is an organization of sumo wrestlers where they train and live.

All wrestlers in professional sumo must belong to one. There are currently 49 heya (as of September 2011), all but four of which belong to one of five ichimon (groupings of heya). They vary in size, with the largest heya having over thirty wrestlers and smallest just three. Most heya are based in and around the Ryōgoku district of Tokyo, sumo's traditional heartland, although the high price of land has led to some newer heya being built in other parts of Tokyo or its suburbs.

A wrestler is expected to stay with the heya he joins until the end of his career.

Also attached to a heya are tokoyama (hairdressers), gyōji (referees), and yobidashi (ushers).

Fugu

Fugu (河豚 or 鰒; フグ^?, literally "river pig") is the Japanese word for pufferfish and the dish prepared from it.

Fugu can be lethally poisonous due to its tetrodotoxin; therefore, it must be carefully prepared to remove toxic parts and to avoid contaminating the meat.^[1]  Fugu contains lethal amounts of the poison tetrodotoxin in its organs, especially the liver, the ovaries, and the skin. The poison, a sodium channel blocker, paralyzes the muscles while the victim stays fully conscious. The victim is unable to breathe, and eventually dies from asphyxiation. There is no known antidote. The standard treatment is to support the respiratory and circulatory systems until the poison is metabolised and excreted by the victim's body.

The restaurant preparation of fugu is strictly controlled by law in Japan and several other countries, and only chefs who have qualified through rigorous training are allowed to deal with the fish.^[1][2]

Fugu is served as sashimi and chirinabe.^[2]

Some consider the liver the tastiest part but it is also the most poisonous, and serving this organ in restaurants was banned in Japan in 1984.^[2]  The torafugu, or tiger blowfish (Takifugu rubripes), is the most prestigious edible species and the most poisonous.

Fugu has become one of the most celebrated and notorious dishes in Japanese cuisine.
Strict fishing regulations are now in place to protect fugu populations from depletion.

In the Kansai region, the slang word teppō, (鉄砲) meaning rifle or gun, is used for the fish. This is a play of words on the verb ataru (当たる), which can mean to be poisoned or shot.

Asama shrine and Fujizuka (2)

An Asama shrine (浅間神社 Asama jinja, Sengen jinja^?) is a type of Shinto Shrine in Japan centered around the worship of the kami of volcanos in general, and Mount Fuji in particular.^[1]

Almost all Asama Shrines are within sight of Mount Fuji. 

Where this is not possible because of distance or obstructions, a miniature replica of Mount Fuji known as a Fujizuka (富士塚^?) made from rocks from the mountain was often erected within the shrine grounds.

The primary kami at Asama shrines is Konohanasakuya-hime.  It is believed that she will keep Mount Fuji from erupting.

The head of all Asama shrines is the Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha, located in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka.^[2]