Yeah, so I'm back. It's nice to be back on the site, but sadly I won't have much time still. I just moved, so I'm busy with that stuff.
Anyways, just in case I don't get a chance/forget, Happy Fourth of July to everyone living in the U.S.
DaveJS124 Blog
Absence until July 1, 2007
by DaveJS124 on Comments
I hate to sound repetitive, but I'll be gone starting tomorrow, Wednesday, June 13, 2007. I won't be back until July 1, 2007. This is due to a combo of vacation, moving, and lack of internet connection for a number of days :(
Anyway, this means that there's a high chance that I will not have any internet access in these days (although I may for some of them, but even if I do I won't be able to stay on long). So, know that I won't be able to mod any subs, read/reply to any PMs, Pin/Lock any topics in forums for shows I'm editor for, update anything to my guides in general, or read/comment on any blogs until I return on that Sunday (yes, I WILL be coming back :lol: )
Have a good summer, everyone! 8)
MyAnimeList and Bleach Musical Saien
by DaveJS124 on Comments
This is gonna be a pretty weird blog, so bare with me :lol:
Firstly, I found this site not to long ago, MyAnimeList.net, which is pretty cool. You can create a list of all the anime you have seen, and are seeing. It's a little addictive and fun to think of all the series you've seen over the years and gather them in one place. Although, I'm sure it does get boring after a while, but it's still kinda cool so I thought I'd share it with you all. My list is here in case you were curious. Note that I'm still adding anime to it, so it is very incomplete.
Next, I, for some reason, watched the Bleach Musical Saien on my computer just now. It's a...errr... very interesting two hours. It goes from when Rukia is kidnapped and ends with the Ichigo and Renji fight, but manages to "flash back" to past events from the first arc. If you want to see it, I can give you the link, but fansubs are against the rules here. So you'll need to find another way - like, if there was someway we could message eachother in private and that it was represented by a yellow envelope ;)
[Ichigo]
[Rukia]
[Orihime]
[Hitsugaya and Hinamori]
[Ichigo VS. Renji - The Climax]
Sakura Viewing
by DaveJS124 on Comments
ummm, so yah, a new blog I guess, even tho I'm a bit late. X_X Anyway, for this one, I'll talk a little about Sakura and drown you all with pics.
Sakura (or Cherry Blossoms) are pretty darn big in Japan. The cherry blossom is the national flower of Japan, and for the Japanese it's a huge part of their national identity. So, every year in late March/early April, the Japanese do a little ohanami (flower watching). Ohanami can be done in a ton of different ways - you can set up a tarp to sit on and eat food under the trees, you can walk down a path laden with sakura, or you can just look out your window and stare at the sakura. It doesn't matter how they do it, but to the Japanese, they have to look at them at least once :P
Cherry Blossoms fall at the rate of 2in. per second (or 5cm per second). The weathermen predict when they start blooming and the best viewing dates. For example, this year they started blooming in Tokyo on March 20 and where best viewed from March 29-April 7. Most of the places on the main island of Japan have similar dates, but up north in Sapporo, for example, they don't come out until May 6.
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[Shrine in Kyoto]
[Sakura at Night with Lanterns]
[One of the 100 Most Scenic Spots in Tokyo]
[Ohanami in Hiroshima]
Studio Ghibli's Next Project!!
by DaveJS124 on Comments
Yippie!!! I know a lot of you are Miyazaki and Ghibli fans, and I'm sure most of you know already, but Studio Ghibli's next two projects were announced recently. One is a direct-to-DVD collaboration between Studio Ghibli and Ioue Naohisa, and the other is...
One of Ghibli's newst projects is "Gake no ue no Ponyo", or "Ponyo Above a Cliff" (or "Ponyo On A Cliff"). This one will be directed by Hayao Miyazaki The plot focuses on Princess Ponyo, a goldfish who wants to become human, and 5 year old Sosuke, who is based off of Goro Miyazaki at that age.
One illustration, and perhaps the most famous one to date, is of Sosuke holding a bucket with Ponyo in it. Location scouting, rumored to be in Seto naikai, began in the summer of 2006, and production began in October of 2006.
Check out Nausicaa.net for more info.
Coming Up for Japanese Holidays/Festivals:
~ 47 Ronin Festival
~ Sakura Viewing
~ Golden Week
One of Ghibli's newst projects is "Gake no ue no Ponyo", or "Ponyo Above a Cliff" (or "Ponyo On A Cliff"). This one will be directed by Hayao Miyazaki The plot focuses on Princess Ponyo, a goldfish who wants to become human, and 5 year old Sosuke, who is based off of Goro Miyazaki at that age.
One illustration, and perhaps the most famous one to date, is of Sosuke holding a bucket with Ponyo in it. Location scouting, rumored to be in Seto naikai, began in the summer of 2006, and production began in October of 2006.
Check out Nausicaa.net for more info.
Coming Up for Japanese Holidays/Festivals:
~ 47 Ronin Festival
~ Sakura Viewing
~ Golden Week
Gone til' Wednesday
by DaveJS124 on Comments
This is more of a blog for anybody submitting things to my guides, so don't feel obligated to post a comment ~~
I will be away from Saturday (today) evening until Wednesday night at the earliest, Thursday at the latest. AND, there's a 95% chance that I will not have Internet access. Sooooo, know that I won't be able to mod any subs, read/reply to any PMs, Pin/Lock any topics in forums for shows I'm editor for, update anything to my guides in general, or read/comment to any blogs until Wednesday night!!
Have a great weekend to all and a good Winter Break to some.
I will be away from Saturday (today) evening until Wednesday night at the earliest, Thursday at the latest. AND, there's a 95% chance that I will not have Internet access. Sooooo, know that I won't be able to mod any subs, read/reply to any PMs, Pin/Lock any topics in forums for shows I'm editor for, update anything to my guides in general, or read/comment to any blogs until Wednesday night!!
Have a great weekend to all and a good Winter Break to some.
Sapporo Snow Festival
by DaveJS124 on Comments
Today's, or rather the next seven day's, festival is the Sapporo Snow Festival. This one takes place in Hokkaido, Japan, Japan's northern most island.
This year's Snow Festival, number 58 (!) will take place February 6 through the 12th. It is Japan's largest winter event, and many foreigners come to participate each year.
So what is it? Around 2 million people come to see teams make statues out of snow and to see their finished work. The snow statues and ice sculptures are lined up all over Sapporo, but are mostly in Odori Park, Susukino (central Sapporo). The theme for the works differ from each year, but they range from baseball to mock art. People visit them during the day, but it's even better at night when the ice statues are illuminated.
The Snow Festival began in 1950 with students, and five years later Japan's Self-Defense Force (the closest thing they have to a military) joined in and built the first massive snow scultpture.
[This Was Last Year's Opening Ceremony]
[View of Odori Park from the Sapporo TV Tower]
[The TV Tower Itself]
[Ice Sculpture]
[Disney Snow Art]
[Spirited Away Snow Art]
[Godzilla Statue]
[So Many Snowmen!]
Links:
~ The Official Sapporo Snow Festival Site (in English)
~ Lots of Pics
Coming Up:
~ 47 Ronin Festival (promise I'll get to it)
~ Hina Matsuri (March 3)
This year's Snow Festival, number 58 (!) will take place February 6 through the 12th. It is Japan's largest winter event, and many foreigners come to participate each year.
So what is it? Around 2 million people come to see teams make statues out of snow and to see their finished work. The snow statues and ice sculptures are lined up all over Sapporo, but are mostly in Odori Park, Susukino (central Sapporo). The theme for the works differ from each year, but they range from baseball to mock art. People visit them during the day, but it's even better at night when the ice statues are illuminated.
The Snow Festival began in 1950 with students, and five years later Japan's Self-Defense Force (the closest thing they have to a military) joined in and built the first massive snow scultpture.
[This Was Last Year's Opening Ceremony]
[View of Odori Park from the Sapporo TV Tower]
[The TV Tower Itself]
[Ice Sculpture]
[Disney Snow Art]
[Spirited Away Snow Art]
[Godzilla Statue]
[So Many Snowmen!]
Links:
~ The Official Sapporo Snow Festival Site (in English)
~ Lots of Pics
Coming Up:
~ 47 Ronin Festival (promise I'll get to it)
~ Hina Matsuri (March 3)
Oshogatsu - Japanese New Year
by DaveJS124 on Comments
I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year!.... and of course talk about the New Year in Japan!
Oshogatsu, or Shogatsu, is Japan's biggest celebration, and as a result has too much to it for me to type here. So, I'll just break it up into the biggest and basic parts and just give some brief details.
You can just skip to the section that interests you:
1.) Omisoka - New Year's Eve:
This is the second most important day to the Japanese, because it's the last day of the year. Purification and being clean is a big part of Japanese custom, so on this last day of the year, people clean thier house rather thoroughly. They even have to change the shoji (see first pic).
Many specials are aired on TV, and families gather around to eat and prepare all the food for New Years Day! Also, just before midnight, Buddhist Temples ring their bells 108 times to send out the old year and bring in the new
2.) Food:
Food is a big part of the Japanese New Year (and when I say New Year, note that I am refering to the first seven days (for Shinto belief) or the first three days (for everyone else) of January). There's Ozoni (or Zoni, a kind of stew; see fourth pic), mochi (which are Japanese rice cakes; see fifth and sixth pics), kamaboko (fish paste; see seventh pic), kurikinton (mashed potato with chestnut; see eighth pic), and kuromame (sweet black beans). And, on the last day of it all, Nanakusa gayu is prepared (seven vegetable rice soup; see ninth pic).
3.) Postcards:
The custom is to send nengajo, or New Years Postcards, to family and friends. As long as they say nengajo, the post office will deliver them on he first of January! And, thanks to businesses who crave money, there are many different types of postcards to send - from ones based off of the Chinese Zodiac, to ones based off of Disney and different anime.
4.) Dreams:
The first dream of the New Year is major. When a Japanese person goes to sleep for the first time in the new year, he/she has only one thing on their mind: I hope I have a good dream. The first dream is suppose to be a representation of the year to come, i.e. if it is a bad dream, expect a bad year, but if it's a good dream expect a good year.
5.) Games:
Many different types of games are played (which I need wikipedia for :P), including hanetsuki (think badminton), takoage (kite flying), koma (spinning a top), sugoroku (read: Snakes and Ladders), fukuwarai (kinda like pin the tail on the donkey, only you pin parts of a face on a drawing), and many card games.
6.) Other info:
So much, so little time. There's also money giving called otoshi-dama, many good luck charms like cranes and kame (turtles), and the ever important first visit to the local temple/shrine called Hatsu Mohde.
7.) Pictures:
[Traditional Japanese sliding door with Shoji (or the paper)]
[Shrine on Omisoka, or New Year's Eve]
[Shrine on Omisoka, or New Year's Eve]
[Zoni]
[Regular mochi]
[Hilo style mochi]
[Kamaboko(Left) and Kurikinton (Right)]
[Nanakusa-gayu]
[A bunch of food laid out]
[Shrine on New Year's Day]
[Good luck charms]
[Here's a "New Age" Postcard that can be sent over the internet - note this is not mine, it's from a site]
Annnnnnnnnd, that's it. Or, rather, that's all I have room for :lol:
Coming up:
~ 47 Ronin Festival
~ Sapporo Snow Festival (early Feb.)
Oshogatsu, or Shogatsu, is Japan's biggest celebration, and as a result has too much to it for me to type here. So, I'll just break it up into the biggest and basic parts and just give some brief details.
You can just skip to the section that interests you:
- Omisoka
- Food
- Postards/Greeting Cards (Nengajo)
- Dreams
- Games
- Other info
- Pics :D
1.) Omisoka - New Year's Eve:
This is the second most important day to the Japanese, because it's the last day of the year. Purification and being clean is a big part of Japanese custom, so on this last day of the year, people clean thier house rather thoroughly. They even have to change the shoji (see first pic).
Many specials are aired on TV, and families gather around to eat and prepare all the food for New Years Day! Also, just before midnight, Buddhist Temples ring their bells 108 times to send out the old year and bring in the new
2.) Food:
Food is a big part of the Japanese New Year (and when I say New Year, note that I am refering to the first seven days (for Shinto belief) or the first three days (for everyone else) of January). There's Ozoni (or Zoni, a kind of stew; see fourth pic), mochi (which are Japanese rice cakes; see fifth and sixth pics), kamaboko (fish paste; see seventh pic), kurikinton (mashed potato with chestnut; see eighth pic), and kuromame (sweet black beans). And, on the last day of it all, Nanakusa gayu is prepared (seven vegetable rice soup; see ninth pic).
3.) Postcards:
The custom is to send nengajo, or New Years Postcards, to family and friends. As long as they say nengajo, the post office will deliver them on he first of January! And, thanks to businesses who crave money, there are many different types of postcards to send - from ones based off of the Chinese Zodiac, to ones based off of Disney and different anime.
4.) Dreams:
The first dream of the New Year is major. When a Japanese person goes to sleep for the first time in the new year, he/she has only one thing on their mind: I hope I have a good dream. The first dream is suppose to be a representation of the year to come, i.e. if it is a bad dream, expect a bad year, but if it's a good dream expect a good year.
5.) Games:
Many different types of games are played (which I need wikipedia for :P), including hanetsuki (think badminton), takoage (kite flying), koma (spinning a top), sugoroku (read: Snakes and Ladders), fukuwarai (kinda like pin the tail on the donkey, only you pin parts of a face on a drawing), and many card games.
6.) Other info:
So much, so little time. There's also money giving called otoshi-dama, many good luck charms like cranes and kame (turtles), and the ever important first visit to the local temple/shrine called Hatsu Mohde.
7.) Pictures:
[Traditional Japanese sliding door with Shoji (or the paper)]
[Shrine on Omisoka, or New Year's Eve]
[Shrine on Omisoka, or New Year's Eve]
[Zoni]
[Regular mochi]
[Hilo style mochi]
[Kamaboko(Left) and Kurikinton (Right)]
[Nanakusa-gayu]
[A bunch of food laid out]
[Shrine on New Year's Day]
[Good luck charms]
[Here's a "New Age" Postcard that can be sent over the internet - note this is not mine, it's from a site]
Annnnnnnnnd, that's it. Or, rather, that's all I have room for :lol:
Coming up:
~ 47 Ronin Festival
~ Sapporo Snow Festival (early Feb.)
Christmas in Japan
by DaveJS124 on Comments
So, before I get to "Christmas in Japan", I have three things:
Now it's time for my Japanese part of the blog - Christmas in Japan. I know all of you are thinking that most of the Japanese are not Christian. And, you're right: they're Shinto and/or Buddhist, but they still have Christmas, only it's the commercial part of it (Trees, lights, songs) and it's not a holiday. So, on the 25, people will be in work and school, although most are off for the New Year break.
The Japanese celebrate Christmas Eve by eating a "Christmas Cake", which, like all cake in Japan, is ridiculously overpriced. The TV stations tend to air Romance shows and specials on this date (to simulate that idyllic, snowy scene).
On Christmas Day, they go out and eat at...... Kentucky Fried Chicken!! Yes, the Japanese Christmas meal is KFC. This began sometime in the late 50s (I think). KFC was doing poorly in Japan, and so, they advertised that the traditional Western meal on Christmas was fried chicken...... and thus the Japanese go to KFC every December 25.
Christmas presents are exchanged too, and they're usually small, cute, and expensive things. Really, all Christmas is, is a hype for the biggest Japanese celebration - New Years!!
[Christmas Cake]
[Christmas Tree]
[Christmas in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan]
[Christmas in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan]
[Christmas in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan]
[Christmas in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan]
[Christmas in Tokyo Ebisu Garden, Tokyo, Japan]
So, that's pretty much it. Sometime by the 31st, I should have a New Year blog up. The Japanese New Year is so HUGE that I can't even talk about 1/4 of it in one blog without boring you and writing too much, so I'll try to cut it down to the coolest stuff.
Links:
~ Info on Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
~ Info on Ebisu Garden in Ebisu, Tokyo, Japan
Coming Up:
~ New Year (Oshogsatsu) - 1/1-1/7 (Check blog on December 31)
- Sorry, I kinda forgot to do the blog on the 47 Ronin Festival. If anyone (cares or) wanted me to do that, then let me know and I'll do it in Jan.
- I'll be away tomorrow, December 24, through December 26. So, for all those submitting things to my guides, know that I won't be able to mod them until Tuesday.
- And I want to wish everyone a Happy Holidays (my Japanese New Year blog will take care of all the "Happy New Years"
Now it's time for my Japanese part of the blog - Christmas in Japan. I know all of you are thinking that most of the Japanese are not Christian. And, you're right: they're Shinto and/or Buddhist, but they still have Christmas, only it's the commercial part of it (Trees, lights, songs) and it's not a holiday. So, on the 25, people will be in work and school, although most are off for the New Year break.
The Japanese celebrate Christmas Eve by eating a "Christmas Cake", which, like all cake in Japan, is ridiculously overpriced. The TV stations tend to air Romance shows and specials on this date (to simulate that idyllic, snowy scene).
On Christmas Day, they go out and eat at...... Kentucky Fried Chicken!! Yes, the Japanese Christmas meal is KFC. This began sometime in the late 50s (I think). KFC was doing poorly in Japan, and so, they advertised that the traditional Western meal on Christmas was fried chicken...... and thus the Japanese go to KFC every December 25.
Christmas presents are exchanged too, and they're usually small, cute, and expensive things. Really, all Christmas is, is a hype for the biggest Japanese celebration - New Years!!
[Christmas Cake]
[Christmas Tree]
[Christmas in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan]
[Christmas in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan]
[Christmas in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan]
[Christmas in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan]
[Christmas in Tokyo Ebisu Garden, Tokyo, Japan]
So, that's pretty much it. Sometime by the 31st, I should have a New Year blog up. The Japanese New Year is so HUGE that I can't even talk about 1/4 of it in one blog without boring you and writing too much, so I'll try to cut it down to the coolest stuff.
Links:
~ Info on Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
~ Info on Ebisu Garden in Ebisu, Tokyo, Japan
Coming Up:
~ New Year (Oshogsatsu) - 1/1-1/7 (Check blog on December 31)
Happy Thanksgiving!!
by DaveJS124 on Comments
Okay, this'll be short, simple, and non-Japanese :lol:
I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Turkey Day!
Japanese Holiday/Festival Blogs Coming Up:
~ 47 Ronin Festival - 12/14
~ New Year (Oshogsatsu) - 1/1-1/7 (Check blog in late December, maybe...)
I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Turkey Day!
Japanese Holiday/Festival Blogs Coming Up:
~ 47 Ronin Festival - 12/14
~ New Year (Oshogsatsu) - 1/1-1/7 (Check blog in late December, maybe...)
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