Everything About Japan: Culture

Showing posts with label Culture. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Izanagi and Izanami

Izanagi and Izanami

According to the Shinto creation myth, Izanagi and Izanami were brother and sister and husband and wife. They were the eighth pair of primordial, or first, beings, existing before the world. When it came time for Izanagi and Izanami to create the earth, they stood on Ama-no-Uki-Hashi, the Floating Bridge of heaven. There they plunged a special spear into the ocean. When they drew it back, the water from the spear fell and formed into the first land, which was the island of Onokoro. They then stuck their spear into the land, forming the heavenly pillar. Later, the two gods realized that their bodies were not the same. Izanami thought that part of her had not been finished. Izanagi thought he had been given too much. They decided to bring these incomplete parts together. Izanagi suggested that when they did so, Izanami would give birth to more islands. She agreed, and they circled the heavenly pillar. “A handsome man,” she remarked when they met. And they immediately made love. Izanami soon became pregnant.

Private Lesson - Otakuology

「Private Lesson - Otakuology with Nakagawa Shoko and Wada Akiko」
Shoko Nakagawa, an otaku idol, teaches otaku definitions, and the different types of otaku.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Maiko (Apprentice Geisha)

Maiko (舞妓?) is an apprentice geisha in western Japan, especially Kyoto. Their jobs consist of performing songs, dances, and playing the shamisen (three-stringed Japanese instrument) for visitors at a feast. Maiko are usually aged 15 to 20 years old and become geisha after learning how to dance (a kind of Japanese traditional dance), play the shamisen, and learning Kyō-kotoba (dialect of Kyoto), regardless of their origins.

Myōtsū-ji [Obama, Fukui]

Myōtsū-ji (明通寺) is a Shingon temple in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, Japan. The Kamakura-period Hondō and three-storey pagoda are both National Treasures, a number of Heian-period statues have been designated Important Cultural Properties, and there is a garden with a pond.

Yokote Kamakura Snow Festival

Yokote is a city in Akita Prefecture, in Tohoku region in Japan!
Yokote is known for its Kamakura Festival, a midwinter festival in which igloo-like snow houses are made throughout the town. It's held in the days leading to the Bonden Festival (mid February) and its location is focused around the city hall area. Take a look at the picture below...

BEGIN Japanology Season 1

As you will see from the list below, some episodes are not there! They are nowhere to be found! If you have them, please mail me, so I can add them to the site!

Episodes list:
BEGIN Japanology S1E01 - Bento [2008.04.14]

Furano Lavender Fields

These are some typical lavender fields in Japan!

Japan Seasons

Video from Planet Earth Episode 1 BBC Documentary!

Video for download (I have uploaded it a long time ago..):
http://everything-about-japan.blogspot.com/2011/10/blog-post.html

Monday, September 3, 2012

Sapporo Snow Festival

Details:
32 Wallpapers of Sapporo Snow Festival
These wallpapers are taken from Festival of 2009-2012

Info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapporo_Snow_Festival

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Amaterasu, the shinto goddess of the sun

Amaterasu (Amaterasu- ō -Mikami, Heaven Shining Great Deity)

Amaterasu, the shinto goddess of the sun, is the most important divinity in the Shinto pantheon, or collection of gods. She is held to be the ancestor of the emperor and is the most revered person of heaven. But she is not all-powerful, and, in fact, the stories that describe her make her seem very human—though, of course, on a godly scale.

Enjoy!

BEGIN Japanology mini - The game of Go

Enjoy!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Nendoroid Mirai Suenaga

GoodSmile Company has commenced prerorder for the choo kawaii Nendoroid figure of Mirai Suenaga!
Mirai Suenaga, is the mascot character from the Culture Japan TV show and main character of the original story 'Mirai Millennium'.