November 2010
40 posts
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hafu
Yeah! That’s what I’m talkin’ about. Hafu’s unite!
Via CNNGO.com:
Despite shifting demographics, hafus who have grown up in Japan as native Japanese speakers are still considered foreign by many, even if they have a Japanese passport…[B]eing seen as outsiders in their own culture can add an extra layer of frustration to the daily life of hafus in...
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hatsune miku
Her name is Hatsune Miku and she’s Japan’s biggest pop star. And she isn’t real.
Here’s Wikipedia’s explanation of Miku:
Hatsune Miku (初音ミク) is a singing synthesizer application and its female character, developed by Crypton Future Media. It uses Yamaha Corporation’s Vocaloid synthesizing technology. The name of the character comes from a fusion of...
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jisei
Via SoulPancake.com:
A longstanding tradition in Japanese history is the jisei, otherwise known as the death poem. It was a common practice among those who were literate to write a poem on their deathbed.
The question they posed was this:
You’re lying on your deathbed, and your jisei will be the only thing you leave behind. Use haiku format and craft your death poem.
Click to...
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“We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of...”
– Dietrich Bonhoeffer
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Songs For Stuffing: A Thanksgiving Mix from NPR →
Happy T-Day Everyone!
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toshio hirano
Waiting for a Train: The Toshio Hirano Story. An award-winning documentary about a Japanese man who discovered bluegrass in the 50’s and moved to Texas. Maybe this Georgia boy will fit in after all in Japan…
Toshio’s website.
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the horse and his boy
It was such an awesome night outside.
Couldn’t pass up watching my father-in-law train his horse, Pete.
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makoto fujimura
Anna Claire and I had the awesome privilege of meeting Makoto this past summer in NYC through our friend Christy (she’s in the pink sweater at the conference table toward the end of the video). She works at his organization, IAM (International Arts Movement), and she is probably one of the most vivacious people we’ve ever met. Thanks, Christy!
He paints in the ancient Japanese...
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feldman!
Made this for my pal, David Feldman. He’s one mean cellist.
And his bride, Meg.
Here’s David playing:
See his mespace.
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Mariko Takahashi
So, obviously, this is a parody, but regardless I’m frightened! A group called Nagi Noda made this video for Panasonic and it features some poodles working out with Mariko in her “Fitness Video: for being appraised as an ex-fat girl”. It was a part of 10 videos made for the 2004 Athens Olympics. Takahashi has bigger guns than Jillian Michaels.
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Islam in Japan
Interesting two-part video posted by Al-Jazeera on Islam in Japan called Road to Hajj from Japan.
Part 1:
Part 2:
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WatchTokyo Glow is the name of this one. Of course…another stop motion film!
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HRP-4C Dance
I think C3PO is outmatched.
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Hikakin, Human Beatbox
Super Mario Bros.
Lady Gaga - Bad Romance
Street Fighter Beatbox - I love it when he says, “Shoryuken!”
Hikakin’s blog.
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japanese subculture #3
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted another bizarre Japanese subculture. This one is strange, no doubt. And this isn’t a joke…we saw many a Lolita strolling the streets of Japan while we were there.
Japanese Subculture #3 - Lolita
Lolita’s are very different from their gyaruo friends, whom I posted about previously and who cake on the makeup and bare as much skin...
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WatchAwesome video by Philip Bloom. “Alone in Tokyo”
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fukuda-san
Anna Claire and I visited Grace City Church while we were in Tokyo in September and met this brilliant man, Makoto Fukuda. Their church meets in a night club of sorts in the Ginza district. Their ministry is young, but it is also warm and vibrant. He is such a friendly guy with a servant’s heart. Can’t wait to meet up with him and his family again…hopefully, in the near...
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mark that book
Made this little guy as a bookmark the other day:
front
back
You can download it if you want here.
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fumi mini nakamura
The Heart That Felt Is Light
Another great Japanese artist - Fumi Mini Nakamura! Her art project is called “miniminiaturemouse”. She is from the small town of Shimizu, Shizuoka, Japan. She immigrated to the U.S. with her family when she was twelve with her mother and brother. Grad of San Jose State University. Freelancing as an illustrator and designer in NYC. I love her...
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Jim Cambell's 'Scattered Light'
Very cool & inspiring.
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grow till tall
Jonsi Birgisson & Co. closed with this song last night at the Tabernacle in Atlanta on Halloween. Grow Till Tall. It was extraordinary and the video doesn’t do justice to how amazing it was to experience this song in person, with crazy graphics flying all over the place, people screaming and crying, and massive sound waves piercing through your vertebrate.
It was good to get out...
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the barber shop
Via The Telegraph:
Officials in Toyama, a city 186 miles northwest of Tokyo, have launched the nation’s first scheme in which hairdressers are used as mediators between suicidal customers and professional counsellors.
The move taps into the renowned universal skill of hairdressers to lend a sympathetic ear to customers who often feel comfortable confiding in them about their problems.
...
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