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Author: RoYuMi
Pine trees on the Japanese coast that were destroyed by the Tsunami
Rikuzentakata, Iwate – Young pine trees are growing again along the coast of this city thanks to an effort to restore the famous pine trees that were destroyed by the tsunami that hit the area in March 2011. Before the tsunami, the 2-kilometer long coastline was populated by more than 70,000 pine trees, making it… Read more
In Memory of Masato Hara, Legend in Film Production
Masato Hara 原正人, the legendary film producer who worked with Akira Kurosawa, Nagisa Oshima and other renowned filmmakers in the 1970s, passed away from heart problems on March 17 at the age of 89. Hara was a producer of big hit movies like Merry Christmas, Nagisa Oshima’s Mr. Lawrence , Akira Kurosawa’s Ran (1985) and… Read more
助かります。- Appreciate someone else’s help / LEARN JAPANESE
助かります。- Tasukarimasu “appreciate someone else’s help” ———————————– Reduce another’s workload, help make a task easier, help solve a problem ———————————– A.ちょっと手伝おうか。 ちょっとてつだおうか。 Can I give you a hand? B.え、いいんですか。助かります。 え、いいんですか。たすかります。 Hey, it’s not a problem for you? I would greatly appreciate it. Read more
Ukiyo-e / Images of an ephemeral world
Ukiyo-e is the Japanese art of stamping paint onto wooden boards that originated in the late 16th century. Ukiyo-e can be translated as “images of the floating or ephemeral” or “melancholic world”, since the artist was said to capture transient (floating) activities, but that they were charming to look at. This art was very popular… Read more
JINGISUKAN – Japanese Style Grilled Lamb
A recipe that takes its name from the 13th century conqueror, Genghis Khan, founder of the Mongol Empire that spanned Asia and Europe. The grilled lamb recipe was created in Japan about 100 years ago. Until that time, lamb meat was not common in the Japanese diet. In those years, the lamb brought images of… Read more
“Choju-Giga” – First manga in the history of Japan
The tradition of telling stories with a series of images in sequence has been a part of Japanese culture for a long time. This is the case of the ” Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga (鳥獣人物戯画)” which translates as “cartoons of anthropomorphic animals”, a series of very famous and somewhat mysterious scrolls of images since there are various assumptions… Read more
Temari / Japanese Embroidered Spheres
Temari (手まり), from Japanese for “hand ball”, is a handicraft from Japan that arrived from China around the 7th century. They are made of embroidered threads with very elegant colors and designs. The Temari were made with the material left over from kimono making. Pieces of silk cloth would be put into a ball, and… Read more
Mother’s Day in Japan – Haha no Hi (母の日)
Haha no Hi (母の日), as this day is known in Japanese, is celebrated on the second Sunday of May each year. This day was chosen to celebrate it in honor of Ann Jarvis, a social activist during and after the American Civil War and who is recognized as the founder of Mother’s Day. On this… Read more
From Green to Brown: Sugitama and its Journey Through Sake
Have you seen a sphere made of cedar branches at the entrances of some buildings, such as restaurants or shops in Japan? Some people mistake it for a beehive, but it is actually the Sugitama , a traditional symbol for sake makers as it serves as a notification to future buyers that new sake has… Read more
Constitution Day in Japan arouses debate on its revision
Every May 4th, Constitution Day is celebrated in Japan, which was when the current Constitution of Japan (日本國憲法 Nihon-Koku Kenpō) came into force 74 years ago. To mark the occasion, some groups across the country have called for amending the Constitution, while others favor keeping it in its current form. The pacifist Constitution of Japan,… Read more