When I first saw videos like the one posted above, I took it as a given that Japanese men would ride gigantic logs down steep slopes at the risk of death and maiming, because OF COURSE Japanese men would ride gigantic logs down steep slopes at the risk of death and maiming. Japan is pretty…
Year: 2013
Anime and Manga Blogging Primer
Anime and Manga blogging is a common hobby for those of us who are interested in sharing our thoughts with the rest of the online community. However, the Net is littered with the debris of good intentions and burned out writers. This article seeks to provide a little advice on how to create a successful…
The Two Frogs: A Japanese Folktale
The video reads my own version of the story. Below is an older version. Once upon a time in the country of Japan there lived two frogs, one of whom made his home in a ditch near the town of Osaka, on the sea coast, while the other dwelt in a clear little stream which…
So Why Do I like Anime Anyway? A Revisit
About two years ago I looked at why I enjoy anime. It struck me, when I sat down to watch episode 315 of Bleach Saturday night, that I have been watching a single series for nearly 6 years! I tuned into Eureka SeveN for over a year, and I even stayed up extremely late to…
Jisei: the Japanese Death Poem
What will your final words be just before you die? Japan has a long history of jisei, or death poems. Jisei is the “farewell poem to life.” These poems were written by literate people just before their death. One of the earliest record of jisei dates to 686 CE with the death of Prince Otsu,…
Kojiki and Amaterasu
Most of us know Amaterasu from various manga, anime, and video games. Amaterasu can be traced to the oldest chronicle in Japan, the Kojiki. Kojiki translates to “Record of Ancient Matters” and dates the the early 8th century. The book traces the lineage of the Emperors to Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess and goddess of the…