2020 Olympics in Tokyo

Today I learned the IOC awarded the 2020 Olympics to Tokyo! This is so awesome. I know the last Summer Olympics in Japan was 1964, so it has been a looongggg time, too long. It's great because first timers to Japan will get to enjoy the perfect blend of old and new Japan, and their famous hospitality. I found old video clips from 1964 on Youtube, and it's interesting to see how much has and has not changed since then.

(Associated Press)

Some interesting facts from Tokyo 1964 Games according to Olympics.org:

- Due to the grueling schedule, the Captain of the Japanese volleyball team couldn't find a husband, so after hearing about it the Prime Minister of Japan hooked her up with her future husband.
http://www.olympic.org/news/japan-s-women-s-volleyball/193505
- First Olympics in Asia
-  The Tokyo Games was also the last occasion that hand timing by stopwatch was used for official timing.

My favorite photo from the 1964 Games:

(Olympics.org)

 

Quickies on Karate

I've always known karate originated in Japan, and I have vague memories of it as a kid from watching movies like Karate Kid. (Can you believe Ralph Macchio is over 50 now?!) So when I found the video below, I have a new found appreciation for the beauty and strength in karate moves.

Here are some interesting facts on karate pulled from Wikipedia; some of which are very surprising!

• Originated from Ryukyu, the southernmost islands in Japan. 
• Influenced by Chinese kung fu from cultural exchanges between China and Japan
• Karate is divided into 3 more basic parts - kihon (basics or fundamentals), kata (forms), and kumite (sparring)
• Karate was only made popular in the rest of Japanese during the early 1900s

Controversial new Hayao Miyazaki Kaze Tachinu film

I read an article from Tokyotimes.com that Hayao Miyazaki is releasing a new animated film titled "“Kaze Tachinu” (“The Wind Has Risen”) about the lives of Jiro Horikoshi, the designer of Japan’s World War II-era Zero fighter plane, and mid-20th century writer Tatsuo Hori. Though I am not big on historical films, I LOVEEEEE his animated ones.

Most people know him from his movie "Spirited Away". It's about a girl, Chihiro, who gets separated from her parents, and is lost in a fantasy world filled with ghosts, frog-like people, and a dragon-boy, who she cares deeply for. It's one of those movies that help you reclaim your childhood innocence. This movie is no bubble gum crap, and it certainly has some dark sides to it. The storyline and images that flow out of Miyazaki's mind is otherworldly. So much so that I even had a dream filled with one of his soap-shaped bugs with 8 legs crawling around.

Spirited Away has lessons in friendship, greed, and conquering your fears. After watching it the first time, you will probably hit replay, and enjoy it all over again as I did. Go buy or rent it!

UPDATE: Seems like people in Japan are pretty pissed at the anti-war stance of Miyazaki's new film "Kaze Tachinu". Even though people want animated films to be PC, I think Miyazaki has a right to express his opinion. War is a human abomination, and needless lives are lost due to ideologies.

(imdb.com)

(Studio Ghibli)

(Studio Ghibli)

Parapara, Ayumi Hamasaki and Japanese group dance

Japanese group dance or parapara (パラパラ) is something you may see when exploring nightlife in Japan. The group mentality is everywhere, including in da club!

This nice thing about this type of dance is that the moves are generally uncomplicated. This way the audience can dance the same way a performer does, and it unites everyone. Watch the below video from an Ayumi Hamasaki concert to see what I mean.

(Youtube)    

Intro lesson on Para para basics (Youtube)

Advanced para para (Youtube)

Two side notes: Ayumi Hamasaki is a great performer! She's got passion for singing and performance. Will review her stuff later. Also while para para is great and intricate, it does lack individuality and spontaneity. But it does not hurt to try. Para para away!

Perfume パフューム JPop's Finest

If you have not heard of electropop group Perfume, then where have you been??!

They are an all female group from Japan formed in 2001 in Hiroshima. The group includes Ayano Ōmoto, Yuka Kashino, and Ayaka Nishiwaki. If you've watched the Pixar movie "Cars II", then you may have heard their song "Polyrhythm". Perfume's first song to catch my ear was "Fushizen na Girl" (不自然なガール) back in 2010, and I've been hooked to their electropop sound, fashion, and choreography since. These girls kickass!

Perfume is busy touring Europe for Summer 2013, and then back to Japan in December 2013. Come to America soon!!

Polyrhythm performed in Tokyo Dome (TokumaJapan Youtube)

Fushizen na Girl (TokumaJapan Youtube)

Origami and Japanese packaging

I love Japanese packaging. The colors, meticulous methods of packaging, and presentation are what catch my eye. When I was little I relished shopping at the department store with my Mom because of the cool bags and gifts they would include. They were so exacting when wrapping your items, and then sealing the top of your bag with store emblemed tape. It's like origami but for your shopping bag. I'm sure the current attention to the environment will shift packaging from paper to reusable bags or cloth, such as furoshiki. Furoshiki is the art of using cloth to wrap various items such as wine bottles or boxes. It literally means bathspread since people in the olden times would use it to carry items to the local bathhouse. Check out the imaginative ways to package!

(Adme.ru)

(funsterz.com)




(http://art-maddie.blogspot.com/2011/08/wrapping-techniques-furoshiki.html)

Here's another article about Japanese Happy Bags sold during New Year. For a fee ranging from $100 -$300 USD, you get a gift bag filled with clothing, electronics, and other treats. Most times, the total value of the contents exceed the price paid. 

Tao Okamoto with Hugh Jackman in Wolverine

The preview for the upcoming Wolverine movie looks hot! Especially when you get a top Japanese fashion model to play in an action flick. The lovely Tao Okamoto gives an interview about her role as Mariko Yashida.

Check out Tao walking the catwalk from my last post on Japan Fashion Week 2012.

MUJI SF

The Muji San Francisco store opened November 30, and luckily there was no line due to the heavy rain! They have a beautiful 2 story space with the interior having a natural look. I especially loved the cash wrap area where kitchenware like pots and pan covered the backwall. They sold clothing for men and women, personal care, travel accessories and luggage, and upstairs housed kitchen and houseware.

They have a few kinks to work out such as price labels missing on the product, and not posted on the shelf. Also they lacked small sizes on some clothing. Come on Muji it's opening day!

I definitely enjoyed the refreshments provided for the Opening Day such as daifuku (mochi with sweet red bean), strawberry cookies, and tea. I bought a really cool clear briefcase made of plastic for work and face wash. They had a 30% off promotion on clothing, but am not sure how long it will last. Check it out!

Muji
540 9th St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Japan and Brazil connection

I was web surfing on NHK's news site and found an inspiring article about Titi, a Japanese-Brazilian graffiti artist who is creating art throughout areas devastated by the tsunami, and how his art is lifting the people's spirit and encouraging interaction. This article definitely put things in perspective for me, and I am going to persevere and attain my goals too! Gambatte Japan!

(wochikochi.jp)

(Urbanartcore.eu)

(arrestedmotion.com)

TokyoFashion.com

My new favorite website for the latest and greatest in Japanese fashion. The island country is literally an incubator of far out, creative, eccentric fashion you cannot find elsewhere. Find me on Twitter too!

Asia 2012! アジア2012！

I am finally back and settled into life after a much needed vacation in Asia! Destinations- Philippines, Thailand and Hong Kong. There was so much food and amazing sights to see. Even though, I could not visit Japan, I did my best to seek out Japanese products. I went shopping at Muji at Mall of Asia in Manila. It is a huge, big, GIGANTIC (you get it?) mall. Muji is a lifestyle store selling houseware, clothing, personal care and snack foods based on minimal design and organic materials. Their store layout and products are layed out in a clean, orderly fashion. I enjoy the simple product packaging with neutral colors of olive green, light pink, white milk or granite gray. While in Bangkok at CentralWorld, a beautiful shopping complex near Chit Lom Skytrain station, I visited Uniqlo. I bought a pair of dark blue denim for about $50 USD, and they hemmed it for free! Can you get this kind of service in the States? Yeah, I didn't think so either... I am super excited to learn Uniqlo is opening in San Francisco Union Square this fall. Hopefully they do an opening party, which I would love to attend. Also in Bangkok, I ate at MOS Burger, a Japanese fast food restaurant, in Paragon Mall. I ordered a pork burger, but wished they sold melon soda as they do in Japan. The trip was a nice blur of eating, drinking, laying at the beach, and getting drenched at the Songkran festival, which celebrates the Buddhist New Year in Thailand. I had white mud caked on my face and ice cold water splashed on me by complete strangers. It was refreshing to walk around in the heat and seeing people at the train station or mall kind of drenched and happy about it. Last leg of the trip was in Hong Kong, which I left in 2005 from my study abroad program. Lots of good eats there too. I also visited the most affordable Michelin star restaurant called Ho Hung Kee in Causeway Bay.

All in all, it was a great trip and I will return to Asia in the near future... Check out the food pics below.. drooooolll...

 MOS BURGER!

EATS in Hong Kong

Japan Fashion Week 2012

Tokyo Mercedes Benz Fashion Week (日本ファッション·ウィーク 2012) has been going on the past week, and it's showcasing cutting edge fashion from upcoming Japanese designers.

It feels great to see more Asian faces in print ads and strutting on the catwalk. Fashion and beauty should be equally represented of all ethnicities. Thanks to YouTube, Vogue, and the growing economic power of China it is time to acknowledge the Asian consumer. My favorite new Japanese or mixed Japanese models are Tao Okamoto, Juliana Imai and Saki Asamiya. Tao and Juliana have been on the catwalk for several years while Saki is new to the scene.

TAO OKAMOTO

(courtesy of fashiontv on Youtube)

SAKI ASAMIYA

(courtesy of fashiontv on Youtube)

Not sure the reasoning behind the Backstreet Boys soundtrack, lol. Maybe to remind us 20 somethings about being teenagers in the 90s?

JULIANA IMAI

(courtesy of entrevista on Youtube)

I love this video because she keeps repeating "VOGEEE (Vogue)" over and over, and Portuguese coming from an Asian face is sexy!

Of course we cannot forget the importance of Japanese men's fashion either! Below are two examples of the wild variety of aesthetics from Japanese designers. Many people in fashion are familiar with Yohji Yamamoto's contribution to getting Japan on the world's fashion radar. In my view, his designs are provocative, historical, and universal. I can see where he incorporated bits of Japanese samurai hair styles, men's kimino style jacket, and Indian jodphur pants. To be honest, I LOVE creativity but I am not that brave.

YOHJI YAMAMOTO

(courtesy of ELLETVFASHION)

Then you have the more modern, Eurodisco and British rocker prep from DressCamp headed by designer Toshikazu Iwaya. I like some of the tight fits, and the boots. I enjoyed how the pants appeared like running water when walking down the runway.

(courtesy of senatusmag on Youtube)

Happy fashion watching!

Teresa Teng Party テレサ·テンパーティー 鄧麗君

I begin this post by offering prayers to those who passed away in last year's disaster in Japan. I also pray for the recovery of those severely affected, and wish for the speedy recovery to their normal lives. Please donate here Global Giving.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Teresa Teng was a megastar who ruled both the Japanese and Mandarin music scene. My mom would play all her music while she cooked, cleaned, or during karaoke nights when she and my Dad would invite friends for all night sing alongs.

I decided to host a Taiwan culture night featuring Teresa Teng this past weekend. She sums up the cultural fusion between Taiwan and Japan. Case in point, Taiwan was occupied by Japan for many years, and the locals were educated in Japanese language and culture. My Taiwanese grandparents probably spoke fluent Japanese. Due to my mixed parentage (Dad from Taiwan, Mom from Japan), I have an affinity for both cultures.

In my humble opinion, Teresa Teng has a female voice many Asians like which is soft, feminine, and smooth. From my Westernized ear, she sounds okay and maybe too soft, but she has good range and sang with passion. It is important to see and feel it from a singer. Below is a video of the Japanese version of "Toki No Nagare Ni Mi Wo Makase" (I Only Care About You) where Teresa begins to tear up after accepting a music award.



I also LOVED the fact that she was a diva in the fashion sense. Check out the dreads in this video. Her voice is much stronger and full of range. Also if you skip to 6:40:00 you will notice Teresa was CRAZY MULTILINGUAL. She spoke fluent Mandarin, Japanese, and Cantonese in a span of 2 minutes.



I wish she was able to continue to share her gift with the world. Ms. Teng passed away in Thailand of a severe asthma attack in 1995.

Happy New Year! 明けましておめでとうございます

Shout out to Kain for reminding me to write!

I hope everyone has a good start to 2012 thus far. Although my plans to visit Japan has delayed until 2013, I am planning to be in Asia this April. I am very excited! I am determined to be back again soon accompanied by Mom and siblings.

Growing up in Los Angeles, I recall celebrating New Year by visiting Little Tokyo. My family and I would eat at a restaurant, shop, and then listen to singers performing various old school Japanese to modern English songs. I love the way Japanese people like to mix East and West, and turn it into something very unique, and still Japanese.

My post is courtesy of alex00slash from Youtube. The music video and other content or copyright was sourced from Billboard Japan.



In terms of music video imagery, I really liked #2 Konya wa Karasawagi by Tokyo Jihen. The artists costumes were a mix of old Japanese, British royal court, and Lolita sweetheart. If you are looking for bubblegum pop with bright visuals then check out #11 Darl:orz by Kitano Kii. #10 is a psychedelic trip sort of like Empire of the Sun style. #3 is a heartfelt song for you emo folk by Takahashi Yu.

Happy Sunday! 日曜日ハッピー！

Hey all! Today was my Monday, but for those who have Monday to Friday schedules, I know you are either excited or dreading the workweek. To bring a smile to your face, I hope these hilarious Japanese comedy and prank videos brighten things up. Japanese people are stereotyped to have a serious demeanor, but many are actually quirky and very, VERY funny. When it comes to humor, Japanese are about embarrassment and humiliation. Jokes and pranks are based on the unexpected.

My favorite is the 3D prank:


And the Old Man trick part 1:


Old Man trick part 2:

Drunk in Japan

I just got home from an exhausting work week. I decided to head to Ajisen Ramen for some boba milk tea. While others have beer, wine or gin tonics to alleviate a hard week, I typically go for boba. It's flavorful, and I don't worry about turning flush red! Ajisen Ramen does a decent job with their milk tea flavors. I go for regular milk tea and green tea (or matcha).

I am addicted to unique flavored drinks. When I visited Kyoto several years ago, my friends and I found a tiny bar in a clean alley (yes, it's possible in Japan!) no larger than most S.F. kitchens. It could only seat 6 people, and we were kindly invited in with "Irrashaimase!" This was a nice change from the welcome we received in Tokyo, which could be unfriendly at times, but more on that in another conversation. We asked the bartender for his recommendation. He began mixing vodka with liquid sugar, then poured black tea into a martini shaker. It was a sweetened barley tea cocktail, and it was SO GOOD! If I remember right, the bar name is Azure in the Gion district. Cheers to a fond memory in Japan. Kampai!

My Nihon Journey - The Beginning 私の日本の旅 - 始まり

The genesis of this blog began today during my lunch break. I was chatting with my co-workers about my travel plans. I have wanted to visit Japan with my Mom and siblings for the longest time. I struck me to begin writing and promoting the beautiful, mysterious yet orderly, and utterly quirky country of Japan. Especially after the tsunami and earthquake in March.

I hope to update this blog everyday with a bit of Japanese fashion, music, food, nightlife and culture while talking about how Japanese culture has impacted my life. Eventually I want to post stories and photos with my family's return to Japan. We have not been back since 1991!!!

Japan's positive qualities outshines all the recent tragedy. If you think about it, these people are resilient and tough. I've seen it first hand! My mom used to sit with me until 2 am finishing up my 4th grade homework until everything looked perfect. She would erase my messy writing until it looked neat, she'd review my math figures and create exercises on equations I made mistakes on, and she would help me fix up my Little Red Riding Hood diorama for a contest by ensuring there were lots of glitter, and puffy paint every outline so it would stand out. My mom is a reflection of the Japanese drive for perfection and order. They will get back on their feet in no time! Gambatte Nihon!

I feel the above photos encapsulates the Japanese spirit of persevering. You will not see them staying at home or looting/stealing because of a natural disaster! (Photos courtesy of The Economist)