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

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!

Japanese packaging. LOVE!

Check out this Pinterest page on various Japanese packaging labels. Colorful, simple and most definitely eye catching.

http://pinterest.com/oingiboingi/japanese-package-design/

New zombie series - Attack on Titans - MUST WATCH!

Wow! Talk about an epic anime series- Attack on Titans (Shingeki no Kyojin 進撃の巨人). I could not stop watching this 10 episode animation about giant zombies terrorizing little European hamlets. The main characters are like 3 Musketeers - Eren, Mikasa, and Armin - who survive trials and tribulations with the support of each other.

I liked the pace of the series, the plot, and often surprising twists and turns. Attack On Titans does a superb job of connecting the viewer to the plight of the helpless inhabitants of the fortified lands called Wall Maria, Wall Rose, and Wall Sina. As you see the giant zombies tear down each wall, and the villagers backed into a corner, the bravery of these people come through. At times, I thought "finally some defensive action! These people are totally chicken shit!" Armin can really annoy when he's constantly crying, but you'll see his character development. I would say there's a bit of graphic death scenes, but not in the style of Walking Dead. Anyway, just watch it already!

(From Wikipedia)

Where cats outnumber humans - Cat Island Tashirojima

Here's a cute story for you cat lovers (愛猫家), and especially to my friend Jenny! Tashirojima, or Cat Island, has only 100 permanent residents but almost 1,000 cats. The island is near Miyagi prefecture, where the tsunami hit in 2011. Luckily all people and most cats on Tashirojima survived. Cats are a beloved part of Japanese culture. You may have noticed this at Japanese restaurants and seeing a white bob cat statue with 1 arm raised greeting you. They represent good luck and fortune.

According to International Science Times, the island was popular with fisherman during the 1800s, and there is one tale that says a fisherman collecting rocks accidently killed a cat when a rock fell on it. So he buried it and created shrine. Since then there's been cat devoted architecture erected throughout the island. They are super kitsch, and I like!

Japan-guide.com states the only way to get to the island is by ferry, which departs 3 times a day from Ajishima Line terminal near Ishinomaki. The tickets can be purchased on the boat for about 1200 yen and takes 45-60 minutes.

(From Youtube)

(From amusingplanet.com)

(From Flickr: Hirano_sui)

JPOP my ear!

This past month I've been discovering some fun, Japanese dance and pop music. My favorite finds are Perfume and DJ Moonbug. These are all thanks to Soundcloud, which is an awesome app of strictly homemade music or remixes. I have found some of my favorite house, pop and dance music remixes on it, so download when you get the chance!

I found Perfume on Youtube almost 3 years ago, and love their modern dance sound and music videos. They've got slick choreographed moves, and the visuals, including their costumes and background are AMAZING! Below is their music video for Fushizen na Girl.



(Video from Youtube - Tokuma Japan Communication)


(Video from Youtube ultrakohji)

 
(Video from TokumaJapan's Youtube site)

Perfume has had a few of their songs remixed by Moonbug or Novoiski 2 on Youtube. Visit Novoiski's page on Soundcloud

This remix by Moonbug is my FAVORITE!

Happy New Year 2013! Gay Asia

Happy 2013! Wishing everyone a healthy, wealthy and beautiful start to the new year...
2013年ハッピー！新しい年に誰もが健康で、裕福で美しいスタートを願う

It has been my yearly resolution to travel somewhere internationally each year. I love experiencing new cultures and creating exciting memories. Currently researching different countries to visit, especially in Asia. On the top of my list are Tokyo and Taipei, my Mom and Dad are from here, respectively. It just feels more familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Familiar in the sense that if I do not speak, the locals assume I am one of them, and unfamiliar because my Mandarin is only basic and Japanese is basically nonsensical, so communication can be hard, but figured out. Hand gestures, pointing to photos or putting together English and patches of Mandarin or Japanese that I know to form a statement or question. Most of the time it results in a few laughs or confused looks.

My last visit to Japan was 2006 and Taiwan in 2005. It would be fun to revisit as a full fledged adult as opposed to a college kid who was scraping by. It's time to enjoy the finer things in life! While researching some places that caught my eye, especially in Japan, was the city of Beppu on Kyushu, one of the southern islands of the Japanese archipelago. According to Wikipedia, it is known as a spa city and hosts the "eight hells of Beppu" (別府八湯).

(Courtesy of sasimi.jp)

(Courtesy of kanpai-japan.com)











This would be an ideal place to getaway and relax after hitting up the beautiful chaos of Tokyo. Another facet of travel I am curious about is the gay nightlife in Japan, especially Tokyo. I found a very helpful and interesting video on logotv.com from their Round Trip Ticket series. I should probably create an original piece for visits to Kyoto or Osaka, which I also hope to visit. 

Watch Reality TV, Video and Movies - Logo TV

Japanese guys can be super handsome, but very shy too. I've got to brush up on my Japanese asap!

UNIQLO SF

Konnichiwa! It's been a while, and wanted to share my experience at the new Uniqlo San Francisco store that opened in Union Square. I do not know how I managed to wait in line for 1.5 hours at 9am without any coffee! (For those who know me, they know I need coffee to start my body motor.) Got in and it was organized chaos. Whoever trained the team did a good job of having energetic and helpful salespeople. I also appreciated the "Japanese sales style", which involved 1 salesperson shouting their product promo to customers. Reminded me of these different boutiques and competing salespeople attracting people to their tiny clothing shops in Tokyo's Harajuku district.

I totally scored on colorful $9.90 denim, which they will alter for $5. Say what?! YES, $5! For denim over $20, the alteration is free! The price promo does not last long. I basically bought all colors, whether I liked the color or not because they could be gifted or whatever. They had $20 Merino wool v-neck sweaters, $40 fleece lined hoodies, and 6 pairs of colorful socks for $9.90. My bag was full and I walked home with a tote bag.

HOWEVER, do note when you plan on returning or exchanging go straight to the top floor, registers 13 and 14. Do not waste your time on the main floor only to be told by the register guide person that you need to go upstairs.

For alterations:

First, get your denim pinned in the fitting room. Upon checkout, ask the cashier to print you an alteration receipt, then keep an eagle's eye on the alteration drop off tables. One is on the right side of the main floor, which is basically a portable kitchen island type table, or on the top floor on the left side of the cash registers. They've quoted anywhere from 1-3 hours, which is really not bad for a store that just opened. I wore my new favorite, altered turquoise denim a few hours after purchase. Super happy!

So go shopping nowwwwwww!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/uniqlo-san-francisco

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 is so clean, clean! 日本はとてもきれいです！

Luckily, my work schedule allows me to have Fridays off. I noticed the house was a bit messy, so I started cleaning dishes and organizing the living room while listening to Lady Gaga's Born This Way album (which I freaking love!). Shout out to Lady Gaga!

Every time I clean, I am reminded how obsessed Japanese are about hygiene and cleanliness. I lived in Japan for a month or two while my Mom prepared my grandparent's funeral arrangements. I was about 4 or 5 and public baths (ofuros) in Japan were still widely used. I recall going with my Mom since my Dad stayed behind in the States, and she would have to bring me to the womens' side of the bath. The baths were a straightforward setup. You would enter an entrance with lockers, pay, then walk to the right if you were male and left for females. So I remember pitter pattering into the woman's baths and initially having a nice experience. My mom gently instructed me to get a plastic seat to sit on, and how to adjust the faucet to get the right water temperature. After soaping and washing, my mom would take me by hand and lead me to the baths. At this view, I started to cry. In my 4 year old perspective, the baths looked like boiling cauldrons bubbling in Christmas red or green, depending on which bath you chose. Each could fit about 5-6 adults and besides burning to death, I thought I would drown. My Mom is not the type to give into a child's protests, so she shrugged her shoulders and dipped in while I stood behind crying. There were older ladies sitting in the bath and they giggled with my Mother as they spoke to each other. After giving up, I put my hand, then my foot, and finally waited for my body to adjust to the intense warmth of the bathwater, and I slide in. My body began to relax, and at the end of the night I walked hand in hand with Mom back to her childhood home with a skip in my step.

As an adult, I forget the therapeutic effects of having a nice bath. On my next trip to Japan, I would love to visit an onsen or Japanese hot spring, and relax with those cute snow monkeys!

(Courtesy of BBC)


(Courtesy of The Japanese Bath)

Thanks to the recent openings of Daiso and Ichiban Kan in San Francisco, I have never purchased so many Japanese bath and kitchen products! They have face and butt wipes, and even polyurethane disposable gloves to use while I dust or wipe down the coffee table. Each item was $1.50. Plus, Japanese products always have the best team of product designers for the most attractive/bizarre/cute packaging. Here is my favorite product..



Are there any Japanese bath products I have yet to use?

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)