I did not know about this today, but every year Kanji certification association of Japan selects "The Kanji of the year"! It seems awfully bizarre to me, because it is like choosing "The Alphabet of the Year." (But then again, I would be very curious to know what the alphabet of 2009 would be. Anyone has any ideas.)
Well, Japan has spoken, and the Kanji of 2009 was selected today. It is the Kanji which stands for "new." Here, take a look. http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20091211-00000564-san-soci.view-000
More than 160,000 people voted this year, which was the most votes that they have ever gotten in the 15 years of its history.
2009 saw Japan's Liberal Democratic Party defeated by Democratic Party of Japan; a new cabinet was born. People welcomed Prime Minister Hatoyama with hopes for change; he was to be a breath of fresh air. Whether he will be able to fulfill on that expectation is uncertain in the midst of issues with suspicious funding.
Being a Japanese myself, I have always believed that Japan is not a country made for revolutions. Japanese people are much too conservative and timid to seek a radical change. However, I may have been wrong. Japanese people have seen an opportunity for change and they grabbed hold of it. Whether they will be able to make it happen... is anyone's guess. For now, I am willing to believe that Japan is ready for change.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
WAKEARI Gourmet
Maybe about a year ago I started hearing this expression WAKEARI Gourmet.
The expression WAKEARI Gourmet is applied to food products that do not meet "visual" quality standards, but otherwise are perfectly acceptable. Crabs, Cookies, Chinese dumplings, apples..., you name it.
These products, as you may guess, are priced much lower than their counterparts which do meet the quality standards. That is why, in this recession, they are attracting the Japanese consumers' attention.
I have heard many foreign visitors to Japan say how impressed they are with the aesthetics of supermarkets in Japan. Perfectly shaped fruits and vegetables which are neatly packaged and beautifully displayed... Supermarkets in Japan are like food galleries!, they say.
Being a Japanese expat in LA, I find the uniqueness of Trader Joe's and the airy open market feel of Whole Foods more exciting than the cleanliness of Japanese supermarkets. In my opinion Japanese people culturally are a bit too obsessed with how perfect their food looks. I remember working at Mister Donut one summer while I was in college. They had employees like me survey the display shelves one by one, screening out the baked goods that are misshapen and throwing them away. It worked to my advantage though, because we were allowed to eat them if we liked. Today they would be sold as WAKEARI donuts.
Personally I am hoping the current trend of WAKEARI Gourmet will change Japanese people's mind about how their food should look. I hope they will learn not to be so concerned about visual perfection. That way we may be able to stop wasting food and may be able to purchase them much cheaper at stores. (But then, some producers will no longer be able to make money off WAKEARI Gourmet???)
If you are curious, you may check out WAKEARI Gourmet News. http://www.gourmet-digest.com/
The expression WAKEARI Gourmet is applied to food products that do not meet "visual" quality standards, but otherwise are perfectly acceptable. Crabs, Cookies, Chinese dumplings, apples..., you name it.
These products, as you may guess, are priced much lower than their counterparts which do meet the quality standards. That is why, in this recession, they are attracting the Japanese consumers' attention.
I have heard many foreign visitors to Japan say how impressed they are with the aesthetics of supermarkets in Japan. Perfectly shaped fruits and vegetables which are neatly packaged and beautifully displayed... Supermarkets in Japan are like food galleries!, they say.
Being a Japanese expat in LA, I find the uniqueness of Trader Joe's and the airy open market feel of Whole Foods more exciting than the cleanliness of Japanese supermarkets. In my opinion Japanese people culturally are a bit too obsessed with how perfect their food looks. I remember working at Mister Donut one summer while I was in college. They had employees like me survey the display shelves one by one, screening out the baked goods that are misshapen and throwing them away. It worked to my advantage though, because we were allowed to eat them if we liked. Today they would be sold as WAKEARI donuts.
Personally I am hoping the current trend of WAKEARI Gourmet will change Japanese people's mind about how their food should look. I hope they will learn not to be so concerned about visual perfection. That way we may be able to stop wasting food and may be able to purchase them much cheaper at stores. (But then, some producers will no longer be able to make money off WAKEARI Gourmet???)
If you are curious, you may check out WAKEARI Gourmet News. http://www.gourmet-digest.com/
Thursday, December 3, 2009
There is nothing cool about a murder.
There is something which is bothering me in Japan, a lot.
Japan is my home country, even though I have not lived there for the last twenty years (currently I reside in Los Angeles).
When I was visiting Japan on business in early November, there was a news of an arrest. A young guy, by the name of Ichihashi, was finally arrested after a year and seven months on the run from the authority. Ichihashi is suspected of murdering a young British woman who was teaching English in Japan at the time. I will spear you the details, but her body was found on the balcony of Ichihashi's apartment.
Ichihashi avoided getting caught by having his facial features altered by cosmetic surgeries multiple times. During the days leading to his arrest, his trail was discussed all over the news. It started looking like a plot from a TV murder mystery typically shown around 2pm on a Saturday afternoon.
Now the sick thing is that there are multiple fan clubs for Ichihashi on Mixi, the largest SNS in Japan, with some attracting more than 2,800 members.
Inside these fan clubs Ichihashi is called "Ikemen," a modern Japanese slang for good looks. There are women who claim they wish to marry him.
I need to say no more. I am in total disbelief. Come on, since when is a murder cool?
I realize I have promised to spare you with the details; however, I need to say this: There is nothing cool about a murder or a rape.
Japan is my home country, even though I have not lived there for the last twenty years (currently I reside in Los Angeles).
When I was visiting Japan on business in early November, there was a news of an arrest. A young guy, by the name of Ichihashi, was finally arrested after a year and seven months on the run from the authority. Ichihashi is suspected of murdering a young British woman who was teaching English in Japan at the time. I will spear you the details, but her body was found on the balcony of Ichihashi's apartment.
Ichihashi avoided getting caught by having his facial features altered by cosmetic surgeries multiple times. During the days leading to his arrest, his trail was discussed all over the news. It started looking like a plot from a TV murder mystery typically shown around 2pm on a Saturday afternoon.
Now the sick thing is that there are multiple fan clubs for Ichihashi on Mixi, the largest SNS in Japan, with some attracting more than 2,800 members.
Inside these fan clubs Ichihashi is called "Ikemen," a modern Japanese slang for good looks. There are women who claim they wish to marry him.
I need to say no more. I am in total disbelief. Come on, since when is a murder cool?
I realize I have promised to spare you with the details; however, I need to say this: There is nothing cool about a murder or a rape.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
R.I.P., Kiyoshiro Imawano
On May 2nd, a legendary Japanese rock musician, Kiyoshiro Imawano, passed away at the age 58. The cause of death, carcinomatous lymphangiosis. He was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2006. After a two year break, he had a "comeback" concert in Budohkan in 2008. Fans must have thought he had "conquered" the cancer. Well, he didn't, but that does not mean he lost.
I wasn't a fan, so it may seem strange to some on this sunny Sunday morning in Southern California I am watching YouTube videos of his performance one after another, while holding back my tears. As I was thinking upon his life, something hit me so hard that I could not do anything but write this blog.
Today I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge what an incredible contribution Kiyoshiro Imawano's life was to a lot of people. His songs and non-compromising ways that he expressed his views on the world touched the heart of many and made them stop and question conventions.
He was the guy who wrote a punk rock version of the Japanese anthem, Kimigayo. His album containing the song got temporarily banned. In the face of disagreements, he always stood his ground in such a manner his opponents just curl up his tail and back down. Miraculously he did this with love. He might as well have been the Gandhi of Japanese rock.
I have so much more to say, however, I would like to leave the readers to "feel" his songs. For anyone who cares to listen, here is the link.
I wasn't a fan, so it may seem strange to some on this sunny Sunday morning in Southern California I am watching YouTube videos of his performance one after another, while holding back my tears. As I was thinking upon his life, something hit me so hard that I could not do anything but write this blog.
Today I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge what an incredible contribution Kiyoshiro Imawano's life was to a lot of people. His songs and non-compromising ways that he expressed his views on the world touched the heart of many and made them stop and question conventions.
He was the guy who wrote a punk rock version of the Japanese anthem, Kimigayo. His album containing the song got temporarily banned. In the face of disagreements, he always stood his ground in such a manner his opponents just curl up his tail and back down. Miraculously he did this with love. He might as well have been the Gandhi of Japanese rock.
I have so much more to say, however, I would like to leave the readers to "feel" his songs. For anyone who cares to listen, here is the link.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Welcome to Marco Polo Projects!
Hi, everyone! Welcome to Marco Polo Projects!!!
This is a very exciting day for me, since I am starting my first English blog (Gasp!). I actually had a Japanese blog about two years ago. I think it lasted about a month, then I gave up on it, since I really do not have any spare time to write, what with my extra hectic job, my ex-girlfriend, and being a mom to a 10 year old.
Well, this time I am determined to be persistent. Stay tuned.
So, first things first. Let me tell you about Marco Polo Project and what it means to me.
Marco Polo, as many people may probably know, was a trader and explorer from the Venetian Republic in the 13th century. He was one of the first westerners to travel the Silk Road to China.
As a child, I heard the stories of Marco Polo, which made a strong impression on me. To me, Marco Polo symbolized freedom, adventures, and romance of losing and finding oneself in a foreign land. Someday, I vowed to myself, I will travel the whole world like Marco Polo.
Thirty-some years later, I find myself in Los Angeles, California. I have lived my dream of losing and finding myself in a foreign land (quite literally). I have been to England, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and China. Not quite the whole world, however I would like to think I have not done too badly.
Marco Polo, in his time, facilitated trades of goods between East and West. I facilitate an idea exchange between East and West. Marco Polo Projects is a forum for the like-minded. I will blog about what I find odd, fascinating and cool about Japan, my home country. I would love to hear what you find odd, fascinating, cool and captivating about Japan too!
This is a very exciting day for me, since I am starting my first English blog (Gasp!). I actually had a Japanese blog about two years ago. I think it lasted about a month, then I gave up on it, since I really do not have any spare time to write, what with my extra hectic job, my ex-girlfriend, and being a mom to a 10 year old.
Well, this time I am determined to be persistent. Stay tuned.
So, first things first. Let me tell you about Marco Polo Project and what it means to me.
Marco Polo, as many people may probably know, was a trader and explorer from the Venetian Republic in the 13th century. He was one of the first westerners to travel the Silk Road to China.
As a child, I heard the stories of Marco Polo, which made a strong impression on me. To me, Marco Polo symbolized freedom, adventures, and romance of losing and finding oneself in a foreign land. Someday, I vowed to myself, I will travel the whole world like Marco Polo.
Thirty-some years later, I find myself in Los Angeles, California. I have lived my dream of losing and finding myself in a foreign land (quite literally). I have been to England, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and China. Not quite the whole world, however I would like to think I have not done too badly.
Marco Polo, in his time, facilitated trades of goods between East and West. I facilitate an idea exchange between East and West. Marco Polo Projects is a forum for the like-minded. I will blog about what I find odd, fascinating and cool about Japan, my home country. I would love to hear what you find odd, fascinating, cool and captivating about Japan too!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
