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suzuran777 · 2 years

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Uuultra C review + summary

Recently MangaGamer released the English version of Adelta's BL visual novel UuultraC and I was very excited to play it! I really enjoyed Koshotengai no Hashihime (Hashihime of the Old Book Town) and was interested in seeing what Adelta would create next. This review is spoiler-free, so if you haven’t played yet you can still check it out!

Story Uuultra C's story takes place in the second half of Japan's Showa era (the 1970s). It focuses on the Tokusatsu movie genre, in which superheroes fight monsters (kaiju). In this world however, kaiju and heroes aren't just characters you see in movies, they also exist in the real world. These kaiju usually look identical to humans, until they transform into their monster forms, which often happens when they experience severe emotions and lose control of themselves. The hero siren gets set off at any sign of a kaiju attack, alerting the ‘’heroes’’ called Icarus, that it’s time to defeat them.

Unlike most other BL visual novels, this game has 3 different pairings and each episode focuses on one specific pairing. There are no choices, so you can just select an episode an enjoy the story! The second and third chapters are locked until you completely chapter one.The story is the same every time, you just see it from a different character’s perspective each time. I do recommend playing the second story before the third one, even though it’s technically possible to completely skip it and immediately play the third route. Also make sure to check out the extras menu, as cleaning certain routes unlocks new information!

Chapter 1

The first chapter focuses on the protagonist Kagome Shoutarou. His dream is to become an actor like his idol, Sayashi Juurou, who plays one of the most popular heroes on TV: Icarus. Shoutarou is in a relationship with Kozuka Akira, an aspiring manga artist. They live together in the Setagaya ward of Tokyo. Even though Shoutarou wants to become an actor, nobody usually calls him back after the auditions, which is why he currently has all kinds of other unrelated part-time jobs. Akira always disappears when the hero siren goes off and Shoutarou wonders what Akira has been hiding from him... The theme of his route is supposed to be like the superhero shows they would show on TV every Sunday morning!

Chapter 2

This route focuses on Choutsugai Shirou, a camera man who also graduated from law school. He's not just any photographer, he also works for several gossip magazines and isn't afraid to show his own selfish desires. He also hates Icarus because nobody came to save his family when they were attacked by a kaiju in the past. When he was younger he starred in a movie together with Sayashi Juurou and his childhood love "Belle-chan". Choutsugai is convinced Bell-chan is a girl but when they reunite he realizes that "Belle-chan" is actually a man called Isshiki Suzu. Isshiki is a kaiju who pretends to be a fake white icarus. He always shows up when a kaiju is spotted, but his intentions are unknown. He is a kind and caring person who wants to protect Shirou. I believe the theme is a reference to Kaiki Daisakusen (Mysterious Strategy), a supernatural mystery show whose protagonist is also a detective called Shiro.

Chapter 3

The last chapter focuses on famous Icarus actor, Sayashi Juurou, who is mentioned a lot in the previous chapters. Many people look up to him, but he has many dark secrets. Juurou often meets up with his childhood friend Yomi, who he met after a tragic accident when they were kids. Juurou’s uncle raised both of them together after this incident. Yomi has a lot of part time jobs and seems to be very busy, which Juurou doesn't really like because he just wants to be together with him. Yomi is a very mysterious character, his real age is unknown and he seems to know way too much about certain topics, not suspicious at all of course!.... The theme of this route is a classic Sentai hero theme, or at least that is what they want you to believe.

Personal thoughts This game is quite difficult to summarize because I feel like so much happens within so little time and I also don’t want to spoil the plot! There's also quite some side characters who all have their own stories too who are quite relevant in some of the routes. The characters are really nice and likable, although the plot might be a bit difficult to understand at first because so much stuff is happening at once. You really need to play all three chapters before you know what's really going on! In the end, I think my favorite pairing is probably the one featured in the final route (Juurou and Yomi), but I also really liked many of the other characters, they all have their own charm.

The game is not super long (I finished it within 12 hours) but it somehow feels longer because so much happens and it definitely has some replay value as well. I heard this game has over 1800 (!!) CGs which is why it sometimes feels like you’re reading a manga rather than a visual novel. The OST of this game was also amazing, according to the credits Kurosawa Rinko created most of it themselves which is really impressive, considering they’re also the scenario writer and artist. Definitely a completely different genre than Hashihime, but absolutely worth checking out.

I really recommend checking the official website and reading the short stories as well, which I created a list of in another blog post. There’s also a Q&A which answers some of the questions you might still have, as well as the supplementary reader which also has some additional information. Most of this content hasn't been translated, but if you have any questions about the game I would be happy to answer them if you send me a message! The supplementary reader has this really beautiful cover featuring Yomi and Juurou, I’m a big fan. If you’re interested in buying the digital version, it’s currently available on Adelta’s Booth account!

#uuultrac #mangagamer #gamereview #blvn #blvisualnovel #adelta #visualnovel #review

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rawsanma · 3 years

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In Memoriam of "Shin Evangelion: Curse"

*The following article contains a full spoiler for "Evangelion 3.0+1.0".*

I sat together with a person who was not in birth when EOE was released, and after watching the film we talked a bit and thought about the people who passed away without ever seeing this. I understand that fans from the old series and those who came from the new series may have very different perceptions of Shin-Eva. So I'd like to first correct a few things I said in my first impressions.

It may be somewhere between an honorable movie and a mediocre movie in general, but as Evangelion, it's garbage.

After about halfway through the two hours and thirty-five minutes, I started to look at my watch again and again. The double ending, which is both a personal novel and a product, was a fleeting fantasy, and the two songs "One Last Kiss" and "beautiful world (da capo ver.)" were not used effectively in relation to the story, only being played in the staff roll.

When I saw the first 10 minutes of the movie that was released last year, I thought that perhaps Paris was chosen as the setting for the story of "humanity fighting together in the face of destruction" or "the expansion of the Eva world (not G Gundam, but G Eva!)", but that was not the case at all. He just wanted to depict the battle using the Eiffel Tower as a FATALITY,　I realized that he hadn't made a single millimeter of progress since when he asked Hayao Miyazaki if I could film only this action scene of Her Highness Kushana in the re-animation of Nausicaa, he was scolded, "That's why you're no good!"

At the beginning of the film, they try to carefully describe the things behind the scenes that were not told in Eva Q. The third Ayanami like the TV version is the main character, and they go on and on about living in the countryside, copying "My Neighbor Totoro". The large family of our parent's home that we go back to during the summer vacation is presented as an image of happiness in life and a decent human being. It is also connected to Gendou's narrative during the Human Instrumentality Project but isn't it too Showa-era and too simple a solution? I am interested in how the young fans who are children of nuclear families who left their large families in the countryside and moved to the city saw the too sudden depiction of "life in the countryside". It was almost a gag to see Ayanami walking around in a plug suit which is a sexual orientation that has manifested itself after Space Battleship Yamato, in the images of pre and post-war farming villages depicted by recent NHK morning dramas. The director, influenced by his wife, must have been immersed in the LOHAS and vegan lifestyle as a fashion statement, which is only possible because he is an urbanite with too much stuff and too much money. As for this theme, it has already been presented in the watermelon field scene in the second film, and it is merely a re-presentation of the same theme in a diluted form.

I've pointed out before that Eva Q is "a crack in reality because of the loss of reality to rely on. "It's rude not to eat what you're served!", Shinji was scolded by Touji's father, who looked like a subversion of Hayao Miyazaki's work (Gedo Senki!). I have a simple question, how can the interior of a house become so old and wretched after only 14 years? How can a community of people of all ages be formed in just 14 years?　There was a line that implied that Touji had killed someone for the village, and it is possible that the director had extremely beautified the "Showa era" as a sanctuary where people who are hurt and regret their committing murder during the war as a soldier live nearby, and when he opened the last drawer after using up all the materials, he found the image of the original landscape of his childhood.

Misato and Kaji's child, which is only described for a few minutes, is also abrupt, and I don't feel that it is more than a plot device for the purpose of staging the reconciliation with Shinji later on. Some people seem to be moved by the fact that "behind Misato's cold attitude towards Shinji in Q, there was such a conflict in her mind," but it's the opposite. All the answers are just excuses after wasting nine years of work. Even if the wounds healed and treated with a gentle "I'm sorry," after being beaten severely by a raging DV husband, the fact of the beating would not disappear, and the wife would feel nothing but fear at the sudden change in her husband. To a situation that he had set to minus 100, he spent 2 hours and 35 minutes gradually pouring water drawn from other places and past works to bring it back to zero...I've never seen such a horrible match pump. Well, now that I'm writing this, I'm thinking that I've seen this before.

The relationship between Eva Q and Shin Eva is very similar to the relationship between "The Last Jedi" and "The rise of Skywalker" in Star Wars. In a self-absorbed rampage of conjecture that did not listen to the opinions of others, the historical stage of the series that had been built up was turned into a mess, and then the destroyed story was carefully built up again from the ground using unnecessary length, and only the shape of the story was created to end it without being disgraceful, and every scene that tries to make things more exciting is a copy of past work. As for Star Wars, since 8 and 9 were directed by different directors, I was able to settle my feelings of resentment towards Ryan and gratitude towards Abrams, respectively, but as for Evangelion, the director looks like a child who has been proud to clean up his own mess and have his female cronies praise and pat him on the head. Moreover, what kind of sympathy do you expect when you are told to "I'll make amends" for the mere act of wiping your ass after defecating, in a cool, Showa-era chivalrous tone?

In this film, as a recovery from Q and a summary of new Eva, there are elements throughout the story that critics can easily relate to the old Eva. “Oh, I can talk about this in connection with that!” This is what gives them a good impression and it has nothing to do with how the old fans perceive it. The director seems to have a dedicated person in charge of communicating and negotiating with the outside, but now he wants the critics to communicate with the fans about Shin-Eva. As long as he doesn't speak for himself, he can correct their interpretations later based on the "misunderstandings" of the people in between himself and his fans. This is a very Japanese-style system of surmising feelings, a system of authority that is formed when only a limited number of cronies are informed of the true intentions of the president. If I talk about it in too much detail, right-winged Yakuza will show up very soon, so to make it short, it is an indigenous control structure unique to Japan that originated from the "Mikado behind the bamboo blind". This time the director was very conscious of that, and I was able to see that Eva, who was a challenger, has become an authority that does not tolerate any criticism.

And what fan from the past could enjoy watching the endless battle scenes after Shinji returns to Wunder in the middle of the film? One after another, the sister ships of Wunder appear--there's almost no difference in appearance, but Ritsuko is able to guess their names the moment they appear. Right after the line "I'm pretty sure there's a fourth ship," the fourth ship comes crashing upon them from underneath, with no intention other than to make us laugh, right? As well as the repeated tenseless bombardment fight with no description of damage no matter how many artillery shells are hit, and it's quite painful being poured Asuka and Mari's Me-Strong Battles which are already enough by the time of Q, continuously down my throat like a goose with a funnel in its mouth. There's no way to synchronize my feelings with the screen, and it just creates an atmosphere as if the story is going on with the unattractive super-robot action that I pointed out in Q. It's no use pointing out, but the repair and supply problems of Wille side in a world where the industry has been destroyed were shown in the farming village part, though it was inadequate. But those of NERV side, an organization of only a man and an old man, was completely thrown away.

The last part of the story about the Human Instrumentality Project is like a fanzine where Gendou, Asuka, Kaworu, and Rei are lined up in a row and complemented in turn and then dismissed, whereas EOE was a total complement through Shinji. The director has tried to upgrade his framework by borrowing them from EOE and has failed miserably. Someone who has created works by putting his emotion and flair into a copy has dabbled in copying his own work. As a result, he had to confront his own sensibilities from when he was young and had to compare the old and the new by his old audience. Frankly speaking, only the techniques have been traced, the sound and the screen have become gorgeous, but the emotion and the sense have deteriorated. The face of the giant Ayanami that was replaced with a live-action one -- probably based on the face acting of Shinji's voice actor, and the "untested ordeal" of her tweet means this -- appears in the background like a gold folding screen in the high sand at a Japanese wedding reception. You're getting tired of all this, and you're not making it seriously, are you? The battle between Eva Unit01 and Eva Unit13 in Tokyo-III, which I expressed my anxiety about before the film's release, is a scene where the company's CG team can't produce what the director expects and he is so frustrated that he has the same mindset as in the final two episodes of the TV version, "I'd rather get a minus than a red", and after that, it became like a gag scene, including Eva fights in Misato's apartment and Shinji's school classroom, as if he was staged them in desperation. The side-shooting screenshot of the little Wunder charging at the head of the giant Ayanami is a picture of ”Cho Aniki (Japanese STG)” itself, and it's also meant to be funny, right? It's a series of loose, sloppy, and tenseless scenes that can't be compared to EOE.

What the hell have the CG team been doing for the past nine years, getting paid with no progress and making Eva look like an outdated piece of crap? Didn't anyone have the chivalrous spirit of the Showa era like "Don't embarrass our boss!"? Don't be so relieved when you get the green light! The director has just given up on you! There were a few scenes where the person at the top of the editing and collage, who has been making the coolest pictures, was not given as much good material as he used to be and seemed to make desperate staging in a way that he would never have given the green light in the past. It's been more than 10 years since Xapa was established, but I guess they don't have enough talent to meet the director's vision. Perhaps because of this, the conclusion of the film is exactly the same as the old one, that the director has no choice but to use his personal feelings to finish Eva, but the film ends up being a self-imitation of "Sincerely Yours". It is sad to see a person who "surpasses the original by putting his heart and soul into the copy" start to copy his own past works on the big screen of the theater, because he has become a big name in the animation world after reaching the age of 60, and there are no others left to be copied. However, right after "Komm, süsser Tod" started playing in the old movie, the scene where the titles of each episode and the reverse side of Cels were played in succession was projected on the wall of the studio using a projector -- the title of the new movie was added. It made me mad and thought, "Don't touch my EOE with the dirty hands of the merchant. I'll kill you."

The last things that the man who "transfers his own life onto films" presented in his costly self-published private novel were a naked confession of his own mental history up to the point where he met his wife, which he temporarily entrusted to Gendou, and the words "I think I loved you" and "I loved you" exchanged between himself and the former lover who could not be together and themselves who had separate spouses, just a reckoning of the muddled love affair that existed behind the scenes of EOE. I half-jokingly said that the distance between the director and Asuka's voice actor was important for the end of Eva, but it turned out to be true in a different way. During the recording session, Asuka's voice actor was told by the director, "I'm glad Miyamura is Asuka," which sent chills down my spine as it conveyed the horror of a creator who doesn't hide everything about his life and relationships and uses them to create his works.

In the scene where Shinji says "I liked you too" to the adult Asuka, who is wearing a tight latex suit and drawn in a more realistic character design (making us aware of the cosplay by Asuka's voice actor), while she is lying on the EOE beach, I thought "You guys should do this in a coffee shop or something between recording sessions! Don't make us watch middle-aged man and woman having unpleasant conversations on the big screen of the theater!", I almost screamed out. I think that's the scary part, the director's one-sided love for Asuka's voice actor is falsified by having the character say that she liked him, as if it was a mutual love. The director's statement at the beginning of the pamphlet says that he started working on the sequel right after Evangelion 2.0 without hesitation, using the worldview of "Q". I'm not trying to quote the line "You can change the reality you don't like by getting on Eva.", but it's not as if he's trying to cover up the fact, but he really believes that using his strong imagery, and it made me feel a bit chilly that there was no one around to correct his misconceptions.

At the end of Human Instrumentality Project, I wondered if the fact that a senior member of the movie industry had praised the shooting of EOE by flipping Cels over as a "tremendous deconstruction" was still fresh in his mind. This time, too, it was postponed after postponement, and even though the makings have been done in time, he showed the other side of the production with line drawings and roughs. The reason it was so innovative was that it was the first time anyone had tried it then, and now, 25 years later, it's just a rut. It's disgusting that everyone is praising the master's strange drawing habit and saying, "Oh yeah, that's it, that's it." As I've said before, it's like "defecating in a sixty-nine," which was successful because the first partner happened to be a scatologist. The expression of EOE was sharp and ”Rock’n’‐roll”, but Shin-Eva's "fun of anime images" has gone into the realm of traditional art, like slow "Gagaku".

The director hadn't decided who Mari Makinami was for a long time -- he was so indifferent to her that he threw the actor's acting plan to a sub-director -- but with Shin-Eva, he's changed her into an equal to Moyoco Anno, his wife. In other words, the flashy battle in the middle of the film, which is unimportant to many viewers, is revealed to have been a very pleasant pretend play for the director, in which he has his former love and his current wife fight on his favorite robots. Once again, we are shown the director's so-what-attitude, which has not progressed even a millimeter since "I'm an asshole," and which he can complete his work only by masturbation. So it's no wonder that they couldn't depict the extremely simple catharsis of Shinji's great success with Eva Unit01, which is what most of the old fans want. Because a robot with a pathetic old man on board can't get an erection due to impotence, let alone masturbation!　Oops, excuse me, sir.

And as I said before, it's time to realize that the English language has become so popular in Japan that it's become lame. You use Infinity, Another, Additional, Advanced, Commodity, and Imaginary, just because it sounds cool to you, right?　Everyone criticized the naming "Final Impact", but I never thought I'd see the time when I'd faint from the lack of taste and coolness in Evangelion, such as Another Impact, Additional Impact.

And the ending, with the wedding report in a live-action aerial shot of the director's hometown, newbie fans are screaming that it is like, "They're doing a very positive version of the old "Return to Reality!". But I felt it was too empty and cynical because it was intended to be read that way by the director. It depicts only the elation of marriage, and the pain of getting along with a partner and his or her family with different values is cut off (well, maybe Q was expressing the hardship of married life......). But isn't the emotional weight of a marriage report much higher when you meet your partner's parents?　The fact that he ended the movie by showing his own hometown instead of his wife's hometown leaves me with the impression that he's definitively an egotistical geek through and through. "You may have graduated from a good university and are making good money in the city, but if you're not married and don't have children, aren't you somehow humanly flawed?" After 25 years, Evangelion, which was such a forward-thinking Sci-Fi, is now completely in sync with the earthly ethics of Showa-era's farmers and farm horses. "I got married and it saved my life. I don't know about you, but why don't you try?" You can think what you want, but if you want to convey it as a message of salvation, you have to express it in the content of your work, not in your own talk.

I've been married for 20 years, I have two children, both of whom are about to reach the age of adulthood, I've paid off the mortgage on my home, and I'm finally at the end of raising my children, but all of that is just an outer shell of a social skin that has nothing to do with my true nature or where my soul is! There's no connection between what kind of life an individual lives in the real world and the Sci-Fi sense of wonder, in fact, there shouldn't be any connection! If you're a science fiction fan, take a page from the great Arthur C. Clarke! I was a nerd with a negative value of 100, but when I got married, I gradually poured the "common-sense values" of the Showa era into myself, and now I'm a true man with no negative value? Don't write such pathetic fiction proudly! Listen, what you presented to the audience at the end was the same thing that someone would say to you, "You seedless stallion!" It's the same kind of unethical and vulgar message that you shouldn't be giving! The old Eva became a classic of Japanimation, and no one was able to properly scold you, or you keep away those who tried, and the result of this is directly reflected in the ending of Shin Eva!　You've reached your 60th birthday and you only have such poor social common sense, damn it!

I'm sorry, I was so excited that I lost my control a little bit, just a little bit. I think the director is relying a little too much on his wife, who is ultimately a stranger on, to be his laison d'etre (lol). If they were to break up in the future, it would certainly be the soil for the next Eva, the content and development of which is completely predictable, but that is no longer my concern. I wonder if his wife doesn't like the fact that he's mentally dependent on her like this, and that it's being shown on screens all over the country. If it were me, I'd be furious, but since she's a creator, I guess she understands how he feels. Ignoring the other person's feelings and continuing to force what he believes to be love on her, thinking that it will make her happy, seems to me that there has been no progress at all since the way he treated his girlfriend 25 years ago. The person I want to hear from the most right now is not the self-proclaimed Eva fans who are looking at each other from the side and giving positive feedback in celebration of the final episode, but his wife. If the director had a child, he would not have been able to distinguish between his own ego and that of the child, and would have doted on his child, making a documentary film about his or her growth, but would most likely have turned into a controlling and poisonous parent in his or her adolescence. And he animated his feelings for his child who was rebelling against him, without the child's permission, considering it as a one-sided redemption for the child, and the child who was exposed to the whole country about their home life would have distanced from his father more and more.

In the end, Evangelion did not become a product like Gundam, but rather a robot animation that was the director's weird personal novel. The repeated use of the word "job" in the film has stuck in my mind, but in order for the studio to survive, it had to make Evangelion a product in this new series, and I'm sure that was the initial motivation behind the production of these new films. Your real "job" was to make Evangelion the same as Gundam, to protect the people who came to you because they loved Evangelion. Years from now, I can see a future where Xapa will be like Ghibli, behead the staff and continue as a copyright management company. The director, who didn't want to be embarrassed as a creator by a new challenge adopted the safe way -- I can't believe that I have to use the word "safe" for Evangelion -- to end the new series that relied on EOE only for himself, not for the future of the people who came to admire him. That's what Shin Evangelion is all about.

The good part? The fact that he didn't bring Shin Ultraman trailer at the end of the film makes me think he has grown up a bit. If you're declaring "Farewell, All Evangelions" with the intention of hurting, disappointing, and disinterested old fans like me, then your malice is unfathomable, and that's quite a feat. Brilliantly, your intentions have permanently killed a part of me that used to be an Eva fan.

As horrifying as it is to imagine, it must have crossed the director's mind to reschedule the film and set a new release date for March 11. The only reason he didn't do so is not that he has grown up to be a sensible adult, but rather because the idea of linking Evangelion 3.0 with the Great East Japan Earthquake was a fact that is too painful for him to make it public.

Ten years ago today, many lives were lost and Evangelion was destroyed.

This fact will never disappear, no matter how much the director denies and covers up with the "true" history. If there is any mission left for me as a fan, it is to continue to pass on this fact to future generations as a storyteller. It is a huge loss for Japanese fiction that the end of the great Evangelion has become a self-recovery work of the great failure of the reboot affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and that the potential of the great Evangelion has been consumed by the self-defense of someone who cannot admit his own mistakes, and I sincerely regret it. Shin Evangelion will be forever cursed by the dead, who yearn to see the sequel of Evangelion 2.0, and the living, who yearn to see the sequel of Evangelion 2.0.

This curse will be completed when it spreads, arrives, and is burned by the powers that be as a false history. I pray that my thoughts will reach him!

#evangelion 3.0+1.0

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rz-jocelyn · 3 years

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[NEWS UPDATE] Hama Mike: General Ticket Sales for the Reading Theatre "Private Detective Hama Mike -The Most Terrible Time in My Life-" is now Open

INTRODUCTION

Based on the popular series "Private Detective Hama Mike" directed and created by Hayashi Kaizo that was first released 28 years ago, the first movie in the series "The Most Terrible Time in My Life" has returned as a reading play!

This well-loved series of the Showa Era will now be re-interpreted for the Reiwa Era with a new cast.

CAST

Sato Ryuji as Hama Mike

Yabe Masaki (DISH//) as Hoshino (W-cast)

Shimura Reo (SUPER★DRAGON) as Hoshino (W-cast)

Ota Nao as Hama Akane

Akiyama Shintarou (Gekidan EXILE) as The Storyteller

Ueda Keisuke as Yang

STORY DESCRIPTION

It’s the 1990s. Set in Koganecho, known as Yokohama’s most infamous underworld, this is the territory of Hama Mike (Sato Ryuji), a self-made private detective, who receives various requests from clients.

One day, he receives a request from Yang (Ueda Keisuke), a Taiwanese man he meets by coincidence, to look for his missing older brother.

Finding missing people is Mike’s specialty. However, when he investigates the disappearance of the foreigner based on the information provided to him by his good friend Hoshino (Yabe Masaki/Shimura Reo), what awaits him are foreign mafia members and the Japanese yakuza. He also runs into his nemesis police officer Nakayama, who keeps appearing and disappearing.

Everything about this screams danger. His younger sister Akane (Ota Nao) has asked him to "stop taking up dangerous jobs", but he cannot be stopped.

After all, he is Hama Mike.

DESCRIPTION OF SATO RYUJI’S CHARACTER

"My name is Hama Mike. When you’re in trouble, at any time at all, just come and find me."

Private detective. He established the "Hama Mike Private Investigation Agency" on the second floor of Yokohama Nichigeki and works under his real name. He is a compassionate man with a strong sense of justice. He is currently living with his younger sister, Akane.

In the original work, Hama Mike is a chain-smoking, wise-cracking tough guy who is good at what he does, but who can be a little clumsy. He also has a weakness for the ladies and a soft spot for his sister.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Dates: February 17, 2021 to February 23, 2021

Venue: Hulic Hall Tokyo

Links to Purchase Tickets

Eplus: HERE

Ticket Pia: HERE

Lawson Ticket: HERE

CN Playguide: HERE

Official Twitter Account: HERE

Official Website: HERE

Source(s): ( x , x )

#Private Detective Hama Mike #Yabe Masaki #Shimura Reo #Ota Nao #Akiyama Shintarou #Ueda Keisuke #DISH//#SUPER★DRAGON #Gekidan EXILE

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chernobog13 · 4 years

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1969 was an interesting year in Japanese cinema, as the public was presented with distaff versions of two extremely popular characters: Zatoichi, the Blind Swordsman, and Tange Sazen.

The first was The Crimson Bat series from Shochiku Studios. The series stars Yoko Matsuyama as Oichi (referered to several times in the series, even by herself, as “blind Oichi” or “Oichi the blind”). Strangely enough, she is never called Crimson Bat in any of the films, and that name only appears on the international versions of the films. There is much speculation as to where the name came from, although Oichi does carry a red sword cane, and her costume through most of the second of the second film is a red kimono.

While based on a manga series, the films are clearly a response to the popularity the Shinato Katsu Zatoichi film series, produced by Daiei and still running strong at the time.

Other than the obvious difference between the characters in that Oichi is female, she is also given the rather sexist weakness for always pining for love, and usually falling for one of her male adversaries. While that might make sense in the first film before she becomes an expert swordswoman and learned to be self-reliant, it makes absolutely no sense in the later films when she’s become a bounty hunter.

Another big difference between the two: Zatoichi is always portrayed as scruffy and looks like he’s spent most of his life living on the road. Shintaro Katsu was also kind of pudgy, and certainly - at this point in his career - could not be accused of having matinee idol looks. Oichi, on the other hand, is just flat out gorgeous. Her make-up and, clothing and hair always look like she’s ready for a modeling gig. And she has the super-power of always keeping her hair perfectly coiffed, either while battling dozens of opponents or falling off cliffs (which she does a couple of times),

There were only 4 films in the series, the first 3 released in 1969 and the last in 1970. The following year Yoko Matsuyama returned to the role in a TV series that ran for 25 episodes. Ms. Matsuyama also went on to marry Teruo Tanashita, the artist who created the original manga introducing Oichi, the lucky guy. In America I guess the equivalent would be William Moulton Marston or Harry G. Peter (the creators of Wonder Woman) marrying Linda Carter.

I enjoyed the movies despite the annoying flaw with Oichi’s character, but I guess the filmmakers thought it was necessary A: because she was a woman (that’s just my assumption; I don’t agree with that as a valid reason); or B) to differentiate her more from Zatoichi.

I haven’t been able to locate the TV series yet, but would love to check it out if I do.

The second distaff character making the scene in 1969 was Lady Sazen, the female version of Tange Sazen.

Tange Sazen is a one-armed, one-eyed ronin who was introduced in 1927 as a minor character in a serial story about Ooka Tadasuke, an actual historical person who was a magistrate in Eo (Tokyo) during the Shogunate. Tange Sazen was so popular with the readers, however, that three films were produced by three different studios featuring Sazen as the hero. These were so successful that a new story, with Sazen as the hero, was serialized in the newspapers.

Tange Sazen went on to have a long career in both print, film, and eventually TV. There were several film series, sometimes from competing studios released in the same years, released in Japan, The character has been portrayed by several notable Japanese actors. The ones most familiar to most Western fans who be Ryutaro Otomo (Orochimaru from The Magic Serpent), Kiinosuke Nakamura (Itoo Ogami in the Lone Wolf and Cub TV series), and Tetsuro Tanba (Tiger Tanaka in You Only Live Twice, and one of Japan’s most prolific actors - the man never turned down a role!).

The character is so popular because, like Zatoichi, he is considered an outsider from society due to his handicap, but is nonetheless a tireless champion of justice and the downtrodden.

Lady Sazen and the Drenched Swallow Sword from Daiei Film stars Michiyo Okusu (billed as Michiyo Yasuda), who - despite the fake scar over her right eye - is almost too pretty to be taken seriously in the role. Her character’s real name is O-kin, but people call her “Lady Sazen” because of her similarity with Tange Sazen (which, to digress, is kind of meta: in the world of this film does Tange Sazen actually exist, or is he a fictional character that O-Kin resembles?).

Like her male counterpart, O-Kin loses her arm and eye due to treachery. She trains herself to become a master swordswoman, and is quick to butt in when she finds injustice. The main plot of the film involves a daimyo (feudal lord) who is a rabid sword collector trying to get O-Kin’s fabled Drenched Swallow sword for himself. It turns out the lord is also the one responsible for O-Kin’s disfigurement and the death of her family when she was younger.

Ms. Okusu/Yasuda does a wonderful job with what is traditionally a male role. Despite her beauty, she does her best to scowl menacingly, talk gruffly, and be prickly in the best Tange Sazen fashion. She did a great job at Sazen’s signature move, which is drawing her sword while holding the scabbard in her teeth. She does well in the sword fighting scenes, especially with the difficulty of having to do so with her right arm tucked behind her back.

This was not the first time a female version of the character had appeared on the silver screen. Thirty years earlier Komoka Hara gave audiences a Lady Sazen in at least one, some sources say maybe two film. The main difference there, at least as far as I can ascertain, is Ms. Hara played Tange Sazen as a female character, instead of Ms. Okusu/Yasuda’s playing a woman who is similar to Sazen, but isn’t actually Tange Sazen.

The film’s co-star is Kojiro Hongo, who was one of Daiei’s matinee idols, and many fans may recognize him from a few of the Showa-era Gamera films. There’s also the usual stable of supporting actors you’ll find in every Daiei film from that period, many who had appeared in all the Zatoichi films.

Sadly, there was no follow-up to this film. I don’t know whether it was because the film did poorly at the box office, or because the audience did not accept a female Sazen.

Or maybe it fell victim to Daei’s impending collapse. The advent and popularity of television was killing off the film industry in Japan at that time. By the early 1970s the studio system as it was known in Japan had disappeared, studio and film budgets were drastically slashed, and Daiei was bankrupt and out of business.

Nevertheless, this was another film I enjoyed. It actually shares a spot on my DVD shelves with my other Tange Sazen films, whereas all others I meticulously store in alphabetical order.

#Crimson Bat #Lady Sazen #Tange Sazen #Japanese swordswomen

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newsofjapan · 3 years

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News of Japan[en](2021-03-12)

Main news

2021-03-12 20:03:00 Mizuho Bank system trouble again The president has a press conference from 9 pm Mizuho Bank, which has a series of system troubles such as ATM = automatic teller machine failure, revealed on the 12th that there is a new system trouble, mainly delaying the overseas remittance of companies. At the bank, Koji Fujiwara will hold a press conference from 9 pm to explain the details of the trouble.

2021-03-12 19:35:00 Last Run Dancer "185 Series" Active from Showa to Reiwa for 40 years The "JNR type limited express" called "185 series", which was manufactured in the JNR era before changing to JR and used for limited express trains for about 40 years, will retire due to the timetable revision of JR East on the 13th. The last service on the day. With this, the limited express trains manufactured during the JNR era of JR East will disappear as regular trains.

2021-03-12 19:05:00 Mutant virus reported in the Philippines First detected in Japan Last month, a man who was confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus by airport quarantine found that the mutant virus reported in the Philippines was detected for the first time in the country.

Economic news

2021-03-12 19:15:00 Yen exchange rate 1 euro = 130 yen level, yen depreciation and euro appreciation since November 2018 In the Tokyo foreign exchange market on the 12th, the movement to sell the yen and buy the euro progressed, and the yen depreciated to the 130 yen level for the first time since November 2018.

2021-03-12 18:49:00 Corona Countermeasures Non-contact Technology Exhibition Visited by Minister of Economic Revitalization Nishimura As the effects of the new coronavirus continued, Nishimura, the minister in charge of economic revitalization, visited exhibitions such as a system that allows shopping without contact with people. He also expressed his intention to support the investment of companies working on the transformation of business formats.

Social News

2021-03-12 20:21:00 Nagano Sakae Village 10 years after an earthquake with a seismic intensity of 6 or higher

It has been 10 years since the earthquake that observed shaking with a seismic intensity of 6 or higher occurred in Sakae Village in the northern part of Nagano Prefecture in 12 days. An event was held in the village to pray for reconstruction, and the residents looked back on their 10-year history and mourned the victims.

2021-03-12 20:08:00 Yamanashi Prefecture New Corona 2 people confirmed infection Yamanashi Prefecture and Kofu City announced on the 12th that it has been confirmed that a total of two men in their 60s and women in their 40s are infected with the new coronavirus.

Political News

2021-03-12 18:49:00 Corona Countermeasures Non-contact Technology Exhibition Visited by Minister of Economic Revitalization Nishimura

As the effects of the new coronavirus continued, Nishimura, the minister in charge of economic revitalization, visited exhibitions such as a system that allows shopping without contact with people. He also expressed his intention to support the investment of companies working on the transformation of business formats.

2021-03-12 18:02:00 Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications executives entertain "Tohokushinsha" president to invite to the Diet as a reference The president of the satellite broadcasting-related company "Tohokushinsha", which was entertaining executives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, will be invited to the Diet next week as a reference.

2021-03-12 17:37:00 Tohokushinsha subsidiary's satellite broadcasting business certification cancellation of entertainment problem The satellite broadcasting affiliate "Tohoku Shinsha", which was entertaining executives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, filed an application different from the fact and made a satellite broadcasting business four years ago, even though it was in a state of violating the foreign capital regulation of the Broadcasting Law. Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Takeda has announced that he will revoke the certification of the satellite broadcasting business inherited by the subsidiary.

News of Japan

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finchfeelsdump · 3 years

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Japan

Research Essay - missing some pictures from the original document.

Japan is an archipelago on the eastern edge of Asia, formed by 4 main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, plus nearly 4,000 other smaller islands. It has a population of 126,168,156 people, and its area is comparable to that of California or Germany. As a country, it is completely sea-locked, with its nearest neighboring countries being the Siberian region of Russia to the north, North and South Korea and China to the southwest. Almost four fifths of Japan’s land is covered with mountains and forests – the largest mountain range being the Japanese Alps. Japan has about 200 volcanoes, 60 of which are active, with Mt. Fuji being the most famous one and the highest mountain.

Japan has 47 prefectures contained within 8 regions: Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu.

Humanity in the Japanese archipelago can be traced back to 30,000 B.C. However, the country’s history in itself would rather be explored some time before the 2nd century, during the Jomon and Yayoi Periods, where communities first begin to establish and see the appearance of metallurgy and agriculture. This is the foundation of Japan. The Kofun Period, before the year 538, was when the Yamato clan had great control of the island of Honshu. From 538 to 710 came the Asuka Period, in which the history was enriched with and influenced by the already established Chinese civilization. This period saw the introduction of Buddhism, writing, architecture and sculpture. After that, with the Nara Period came the affirmation of the central power of the emperors, plus the construction of the first capital in Nara and its great temples. The Heian Period came after Nara, from 794 to 1085. The capital was relocated to what is today known as Kyoto. Japan was heavily influenced by China and adopted its style of power, where the clan Fujiwara ruled. With the Kamakura Period, which ran until 1336, the imperial court’s power faded to give place to the samurai clans and the first government of warriors. The Muromachi Period (1336-1491) introduced Japanese feudalism and the fusion of the culture of the samurai and the court, resulting in arts such as the tea ceremony and Noh theater. However, the central power disappeared in The Sengoku Jidai (1491-1603), due to repeated civil wars. Here appeared the Daimyo Warlords, the first contact with Europeans and the introduction of Christianity. In the Edo Period, from 1603 to 1853, Japan was unified under the 3rd Tokugawa Shogunate (government of warriors) and the power was installed in Tokyo. The borders of Japan were completely closed to foreigners and Christianity was prohibited. The country was urbanized and rich merchants developed, just like the Kabuki theater and Nihon printmaking. At the end of Edo, The Bakumatsu (or Late Shogunate, 1853-1868), Japan was forced to open its borders by the Americans, leading to the overthrow of the Tokugawa. This began modernization and industrialization in Japan. The Meiji Era, from 1868 until 1911, restored imperial power and relocated it to Tokyo (previously known as Edo). That is when electricity and the railway first arrived. Japan conquered Korea and Taiwan and was victorious against the Russian Empire and China. In the Taisho Era (1911-1926), the democratic system was first implemented. The Showa Era (1926-1989) began the imperialistic politics and military government and the expansion policy towards China, which involved Japan’s entry in WW2. After its defeat in 1945, the reconstruction of the country was managed under American trusteeship. The Heisei Era (1989-2019) is marked by economic crisis and natural disasters, but also the influence of Japan over the rest of the world. On May 1st, 2019, Emperor Naruhito acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne, beginning the Reiwa era.

Logically, the official language of Japan is Japanese. The language is based on writing syllables in Hiragana, the traditional set of symbols, and Katakana, mainly used for words that do not exist in traditional Japanese (for example, the word “television” is written as “terebi.”). Japanese also uses Kanji, which is a set of thousands of Chinese characters that have been imported to the Japanese language. Most of the meanings remain the same, but their pronunciation has been adapted to being read in Japanese syllables. Kanji is used to “simplify” Hiragana (i.e. instead of writing two or three characters in Hiragana, you would write only one character of Kanji,) and for proper names.

The most predominant religions are Shinto and Buddhism, respectively. Buddhism was introduced through mainland Asia in the 6th century, but Shinto is almost as ancient as Japan itself. Even though these are the two major religions in Japan, religion on its own does not play a heavy role in the everyday life of Japanese people. Shinto literally means “the way of the Gods;” Japanese gods are called “Kami.”

The core of Shinto are beliefs in the mysterious creation and harmonizing power (musubi) of the kami, and the truthful way or will (makoto) of kami. The nature of kami cannot be fully explained in words because the kami transcend the cognitive faculty of humans. Parishioners of a shrine believe that kami are the source of human life and existence. Each kami has a divine personality and responds to truthful prayers, and may reveal makoto to people and guide them to live in accordance to it. In Shinto, it is commonly said that “man is kami’s child.” First, this means that people are given life by kami and that their nature is therefore sacred. Second, it means that daily life is made possible by kami, and, accordingly, the personalities and lives of people are worthy of respect. Individuals must revere the basic human rights of everyone (regardless of race, nationality, and other distinctions) as well as their own. The concept of original sin is not found in Shinto. Purification is considered symbolically to remove the dust and impurities that cover one’s inner mind.

In Shinto, all the deities are said to cooperate with one another, and life lived in accordance with a kami’s will is believed to produce a mystical power that gains the protection, cooperation, and approval of all the particular kami.

Notable kami revered at Shinto shrines include: Amaterasu Omikami (the Sun goddess), Inari Okami (god of rice and agriculture), Izanagi (the first man), Izanami (the first woman), Tsukuyomi (the Moon god), Raijin (god of lightning, thunder and storms), and many more.

Shinto is also described as a religion of tsunagari (continuity or communion). The Japanese, while recognizing each human being as an individual personality, do not take each to be a solitary being separated from others. On the contrary, one is regarded as the bearer of a long continuous history that comes down from one’s ancestors and continues in one’s descendants.

In practice, Shinto does not have a weekly religious service like in Christianity. People may visit shrines at their convenience. Some may go to shrines on the 1st and 15th of every month, and on rites or festivals (matsuri) several times a year. Devotees may pay respect to the shrine every morning. The Japanese usually have their wedding ceremonies in Shinto style and pronounce their wedding vows to kami. Shinto funeral ceremonies, however, are not popular. Most of the Japanese are Buddhist and Shintoist at the same time and have their funerals in Buddhist style. A traditional Japanese house has two family altars: one, Shinto, for their tutelary kami and the goddess Amaterasu Omikami, and another, Buddhist, for the family ancestors. Pure Shinto families, however, will have all ceremonies and services in Shinto style.

Each Shinto shrine has several major festivals each year, including the Spring Festival (Haru Matsuri), Autumn Festival (Aki Matsuri), Annual Festival (Rei-Sai), and the Divine Procession (Shinko-Sai).

At festivals, Shintoists may perform different types if rituals at the shrine, such as: Purification, Adoration, Offerings, Prayers, Sacred Music and Dance, Feast (naorai), etc.

As history has shown, Japanese people are very proud and respectful in their everyday life, as such many customs and manners have been developed that many foreigners may think of them as strange or unnecessary. At the start of a meal, it’s common to say in a brief prayer pose “itadakimasu” (I humbly receive). When eating dinner, it is inappropriate to eat directly from common dishes (where everyone can grab a portion of food), as you should put your portion on your plate first, and to reach for the item closest to you and at the top of the plate. If someone else is picking food from a common dish, give them some space. Also, playing with chopsticks, or using them for anything other than eating, is considered disrespectful, because the chopsticks may contain your saliva or traces of food and so they should be flung around in the air as little as possible; use chopstick holders whenever you’re not eating. Do not try to stab food with your chopsticks. If a chopstick is messy, let it be messy, and do not try to pass food chopstick-to-chopstick, as it resembles a funeral. At dinner parties, it’s somewhat rude to pour your own drink. As such, you should pour everyone else’s drink except yours, someone will notice and pour your drink. Walking and eating is seen as sloppy. “Gochisosama Deshita” (It was a feast) is used to thank someone for preparing a meal or for paying the bill (someone else paid) and compliment good service (paid yourself). The traditional Japanese diet consists of minimally processed, seasonal foods served in a variety of small dishes. This style of eating emphasizes dishes’ natural flavors rather than masking them with sauces or seasonings. The diet is rich in steamed rice, noodles, fish, tofu, natto, seaweed, and fresh, cooked, or pickled fruits and vegetables but low in added sugars and fats. It may also contain some eggs, dairy, or meat, although these typically make up a small part of the diet.

Keigo (honorific language) is a polite level of speech that includes different levels of humble, formal and respectful terms. It is complicated to master this level of speech, even for native speakers of Japanese, as some situations may not require it or the incorrect term was used. However, it is considered very rude to avoid using keigo. It is most appropriate to address someone by their last name followed by the polite suffix “-san.”

Oseibo and Ochugen are winter and summer gifts respectively given at year-end and around Obon (Festival of the Dead) given to relatives, neighbors and anyone who has helped you out in the past year, such as a doctor or teacher.

When greeting, the Japanese understand that foreigners tend to shake hands; nonetheless, shaking hand is more usual for business introductions. The usual way to greet is a bow, the deeper the bow, the higher the respect given… or the higher the shame felt by the person bowing, according to the situation. Bowing can go from just slightly nodding your head downwards, to being in a 90 degrees angle directly looking down, and a lazy bow is considered disrespectful. Getting on your knees (seiza) with your head down is used in deep prayers or when begging for forgiveness, as if you are experiencing intense shame. Bowing and shaking hands at the same time is seen as awkward. The formal bow is usually 45 degrees.

Try not to touch another person, as the Japanese are generally uncomfortable with physical interaction. Pointing is also considered rude and threatening. Instead, people tend to indicate directions with an open hand or even avoiding gestures at all. When feeling uncomfortable, the Japanese tend to be indirect and try to avoid conflict where possible, dropping subtle hints about their feelings rather than direct, bold statements. Japanese people are very patient and resist honking at other drivers out of irritation. Brief honks and light flashing is most often used in friendly gestures, such as warnings. When accepting a call, try to be discrete and very quiet, and not to talk on the phone on a train or in a café. In an elevator, the person closest to the buttons operates the doors and should help people select their floor. The person nearest to the door should also be the last one to get off. It is customary to take off any backpack on a crowded train and hold it in your hands. Many taxi doors in Japan are automatic, and the driver will get a little upset if you operate the door yourself. Tipping servers at restaurants or taxi drivers can be considered insulting or at least confusion. Walking and smoking is viewed as dangerous and inconsiderate, being the idea that you could accidentally burn someone on a crowded street. In Japan this is taken very seriously, and it might even be illegal to walk and smoke in some areas.

When entering a home and many establishments where you can rest, the entrance will have a space to change your shoes for indoor slippers. This is done as to not to bring the impurity and uncleanliness of the world into your home. Tatami floors (made from rice straw or compressed wood chips) are common on traditional households, and no kind of slippers or shoes should walk upon them. Bathroom slippers are exclusive for use in washrooms and bringing them into other rooms in considered shameful. In Japan, bathing is seen as a relaxing leisure activity rather than an act of cleansing. One must completely shower with soap before entering a bath; this applies for home baths and public hot springs (onsen). There may also be available garden slippers for balcony, garden or outside use. Japanese cultural activities, such as theatre and tea ceremony tend to require formal wear. Restaurants and office work usually do too.

Because the Japanese have a deep philosophical approach to graphic designs of all kinds, they value their national flag for its simplicity, striking contrasts, and appropriate symbolism. The “hot” red of the sun symbol contrasts with its “cool” white background, and the circle of the sun contrasts with the rectangle of the flag itself. The pole on which it is to be officially hoisted is rough natural bamboo, while the finial at the top is a shiny gold ball.

It is considered extremely racist and disrespectful to compare a Chinese person, or any other person of Asiatic features, to a Japanese person, as it is done so by so many ignorant people. One of the main reasons for this comes from an event during World War II, when the Japanese army invaded the village of Nanking (or Nanjing), resulting in the mass murder, burning, looting, and rape of its villagers. This event is infamously known as the Nanking Massacre or Rape of Nanking.

After World War II, Japan had a radical change to its whole country and people. All large cities (except for Kyoto), the industries and transportation networks were severely damaged. Japan basically lost all the territory acquired after 1894. In addition, the Kurile islands were occupied by the Soviet Union, and the Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa, were controlled by the USA. Okinawa was returned to Japan in 1972. Over 500 military officers committed suicide right after Japan surrendered, and many hundreds more were executed for committing war crimes. A new constitution went into effect in 1947: The emperor lost all political and military power, and was solely made the symbol of the state. Universal suffrage was introduced and human rights were guaranteed. Japan was also forbidden to ever lead a war again or to maintain an army. Furthermore, Shinto and the state were clearly separated. Especially during the first half of the occupation, Japan's media was subject to a rigid censorship of any anti-American statements and controversial topics such as the race issue. With the peace treaty that went into effect in 1952, the U.S. occupation ended. Japan's Self Defense Force was established in 1954. After the Korean War, and accelerated by it, the recovery of Japan's economy flourished. The economic growth resulted in a quick rise of the living standards, changes in society and the stabilization of the ruling position of the Liberal Democratic Party. Japan's relations to the Soviet Union were normalized in 1956, the ones to China in 1972. The 1973 oil crisis shocked the Japanese economy which was heavily depended on oil. The reaction was a shift to high technology industries.

After previous bans for publishing and censorship from the fascist period of WWII in Japanese media were lifted, the animated film industry and manga (basically, Japanese comics) began to flourish, but not before having to deal with the repercussions of the war. Gojira (Godzilla) was created as a metaphor to represent the use of nuclear weapons against the Japanese at the end of World War 2 and has now developed to be recognized as an official citizen of Japan. Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy and known in Japan as the God of Manga and Godfather of Anime, led the manga explosion of what would one day become one of the biggest entertainment industries in the world. Animation mainly took off in the 60’s and 70’s, when technology made it more accessible to produce the shows and to consume them. In contrast to western animation, which is generally directed to be “family friendly,” Japanese animation and manga can virtually explore any theme imaginable, from daily life as a middle school student to the psychological repercussions of war crimes while attempting to kill God to cleanse yourself of all sins and restart the universe.

In the modern day, Japan is known for being one of the most technologically advanced and civilized countries in the entire world, with even the crime rates being virtually null. Japan is naturally beautiful, with enough forests, mountains and lakes for a lifetime, and the metropolises of Japan are no exception to being astonishing, vibrant, and adventurous. Just the history of the country and learning its language are enough reason to gain interest in this wonderful land. After someone experiences the land that brought to life Godzilla and Mobile Suit Gundam, nobody would think about leaving. It’s the nest of the whole anime industry, with the most kawaii (cute) of souvenirs and , which I would one day want to visit myself.

Bibliography

Toyoda, Takeshi; Notehelfer, F.G.; et al. (1998-2020). Japan, history. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Japan/History

Hirai, Naofusa. (1999-2019). Shintō. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shinto

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (1998-2020). Nanjing Massacre. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Nanjing-Massacre

Spacey, J. (2009). 50 Japanese Manners and Customs. Japan Talk. https://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/japanese-manners-and-customs

Lonely Planet. (n.d.). History. Lonely Planet. https://www.lonelyplanet.com/japan/narratives/background/history

Japan Experience. (2020). Timeline of Japan’s History. Japan Experience. https://www.japan-experience.com/to-know/the-history-of-japan/history-of-japan-timeline

Petre, A. (2019). What Is the Japanese Diet Plan? All You Need to Know. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/japanese-diet

Japan Guide. (n.d.). Geography. Japan Guide. https://www.japan-guide.com/list/e1000.html

Japan Guide. (n.d.). Religion in Japan. Japan Guide. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e629.html

Japan Guide. (n.d.). Japanese Language. Japan Guide. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e621.html

National Geographic. (n.d.). Japan. National Geographic Kids. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/japan/

Japan Rail Pass. (n.d.). Regions of Japan. Japan Rail Pass. https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/regions-of-japan

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migahus · 7 years

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My new photobook !! SHIGEYASU GUSHIMA "ANCHORAGE" 233×255㎜｜96 pages｜53 images｜Hardcover_Cloth｜500 copies Published in October, 2017 Published by Migahus http://shigeyasu-gushima.com/book.html Anchorage, a city whose name literally means “a place for anchoring,” is located 3,500 miles northeast of Tokyo, in the state of Alaska. A lot of people, especially Japanese born during the Showa era (1926–1989), may feel nostalgic when hearing this city name. From the latter half of the 1950s to the early 1990s, many of the flights connecting Japan and Europe as well as the East Coast used this route which stopped over Anchorage International Airport (present day Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport) for fueling due to its short flying range and of course because of the Cold War. For flights between Japan and Europe, it was called the Polar Route since it flew across the north pole. As a child, I discovered that aircrafts stopped at this airport located at a latitude higher than Hokkaido, without having any passengers embarking or disembarking. Countless number of travelers have gone by this remotest airport. I would fantasize a scene by flying my own aircraft made of Lego blocks over white bedding sheets likening it to snow-covered runway, and wrinkled futon cover to white mountain peaks. Soon, my imaginary landscape of Anchorage “anchored” in my mind as a place of longing. Landing lights begin to appear on the edge of the horizon between the end of the continuously drifting ice and the low hanging lead clouds. Silver glints of the approach light system on the snow-covered airport lead the aircraft to the frozen runway. The aircraft that has used up its fuel lands like sliding onto the runway. After only a brief period of repose, its heavy body is recharged with fuel, and takes off into the sky with a roaring sound as if to resist gravity. Swirling up the snow and splitting the cold air, it disappears into the clouds. Silence prevails once again on the ground, with snow dust and smell of the jet fuel remaining, but soon dispersing in darkness. Upon reaching adulthood, I depart on a journey every year in search for my inner Anchorage, flying to airports located on high latitudes—like a boat drifting to its port of anchor. What is reflected when I look down into the mirror-like icy surface of “Anchorage”? Well, it may be my former self.Anchorage, a city whose name literally means “a place for anchoring,” is located 3,500 miles northeast of Tokyo, in the state of Alaska. A lot of people, especially Japanese born during the Shōwa era (1926–1989), may feel nostalgic when hearing this city name. From the latter half of the 1950s to the early 1990s, many of the flights connecting Japan and Europe as well as the East Coast used this route which stopped over Anchorage International Airport (present day Ted Stevens Anchorage Airport) for fueling due to its short flying range and of course because of the Cold War. For flights between Japan and Europe, it was called the Polar Route since it flew across the north pole. As a child, I discovered that aircrafts stopped at this airport located at a latitude higher than Hokkaido, without having any passengers embarking or disembarking. Countless number of travelers have gone by this remotest airport. I would fantasize a scene by flying my own aircraft made of Lego blocks over white bedding sheets likening it to snow-covered runway, and wrinkled futon cover to white mountain peaks. Soon, my imaginary landscape of Anchorage “anchored” in my mind as a place of longing. Landing lights begin to appear on the edge of the horizon between the end of the continuously drifting ice and the low hanging lead clouds. Silver glints of the approach light system on the snow-covered airport lead the aircraft to the frozen runway. The aircraft that has used up its fuel lands like sliding onto the runway. After only a brief period of repose, its heavy body is recharged with fuel, and takes off into the sky with a roaring sound as if to resist gravity. Swirling up the snow and splitting the cold air, it disappears into the clouds. Silence prevails once again on the ground, with snow dust and smell of the jet fuel remaining, but soon dispersing in darkness. Upon reaching adulthood, I depart on a journey every year in search for my inner Anchorage, flying to airports located on high latitudes—like a boat drifting to its port of anchor. What is reflected when I look down into the mirror-like icy surface of “Anchorage”? Well, it may be my former self.

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dochuff · 3 years

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Tanaka’s Fruit Parlor:

Tanaka-san nowhere in sight.

Somewhere in Small Town Tokyo near Musashi Koyama

#photography #tokyo small business #showa era buildings #the disappearing showa era of tokyo #japan shops #Musashikoyama

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the-colors-of-tokyo · 3 months

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Bulldozed Fantasies:

This old Showa era house nearby was a hidden gem. Barely visible through the trees that surrounded it, it was an old wooden structure of the type disappearing in Tokyo (largely due to earthquake and fire regulations) that reminded me of something out of Tonari no Totoro. It even had signs that Meguro ward recognized some of the trees there as worthy of preservation.

Alas, as Tonari no Totoro is a fantasy, the idea that Meguro would preserve those trees, let alone the house itself is too. The last I saw of it in November, it was a cleared dirt lot with a few scraggy trees not yet removed. My fantasy---as always an absurd fantasy---of somehow living in a house like that in Tokyo took a hit. Then, observing what the January 1 earthquake in Isahikawa did to such old wooden houses with heavy tile roofs, my fantasy disappeared forever.

#japanese houses #showa era houses #original photographers #photographers on tumblr #small town tokyo #japanese architecture #japanese aesthetics #tokyo #japan #fantasies #imaginary japan

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alexmmx · 4 years

Photo

Now here is an Eyestopper, A Lone Camera store in the middle of a neighborhood, Ok, this just stop me to take a photo of the store, and it was something, it was the large FUJI Logo banner that just shot out the scene with the phone number on it, hope that it is still there - I doubt it. As after that I went inside, and bought more Fujicolor film about 4 rolls, and I love the decor, this is what I meant in finding Showa Era items in Tokyo, now that they are slowly disappearing.

August 1985

Camera: Nikon with a 35mm lens Film: Fujicolor 100

#japan 1985

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mensluxurywatchesreview-blog · 7 years

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7 Top Most Affordable Luxury Watches

7 of the Top most affordable Luxury watch brands on Earth.

When it comes to watches and accessories. You don\'t have to always spend $2000 for a good watch. Our team has come up with a list and believes all of these luxury men’s watches are exceptional from a functional and material perspective, while also looking impressive and not breaking the bank.

Here is the top 7 most affordable luxury watch brands we recommend to choose from,

No. 1 INVICTA

INVICTA is probably one of our most favorite brands to choose from. Founded in Chiasso, Switzerland in 1837 by Raphael Picard.

Raphael Picard Purpose in founding the Invicta Watch Company was to bring common people Swiss watches at affordable prices.

Swiss watches have been highly prized in many parts of the world, and Invicta watches capitalized in that popularity. With each new timepiece, the company sends up a flare for those looking to be defined not by how much they spend, but how wisely they spend. With its strong collections, the gutsy Swiss brand is guaranteed to keep attracting followers.

Nevertheless the Invicta brand name was lesser known than well established Swiss watch makers for more than a century. And “quartz invasion” of the 1970s or simply electronic watches like Casio and Timex pushed Invicta watches out of popularity. So Invicta watches practically disappeared from the market.

However Invicta Chose their name well. Invicta in Latin means invincible

.Today, Invicta watches are growing in popularity Invicta’s annual sales of over $50 million reflect the company’s successful production and pricing formula. Their philosophy has always been to price, top-quality components, within the reach of average buyers, and not only the affluent.

With sales surging the Invicta Watch company is able to use cutting-edge technology and the best possible materials to make their watches, including anti-reflective sapphire crystals.

This perticular watch the \"Invicta Men\'s Pro Diver watch (model 22048) includes the Quarts flare and reflects their constant innovation and technology they incorperate into all their products.

It’s wide product lines have something to please everyone. The Angel, Pro Diver, and Elite lines are some of Invicta\'s most popular. They also produce other products besides watches including hats and bags so they can have something for everyone.

Our Favorite Invicta Watches,

Invicta Men\'s 6981 Pro Diver Analog Swiss Chronograph Black Polyurethane Watch

Invicta Men\'s 17884 Pro Diver 18k Gold Ion-Plated Stainless Steel Chronograph Watch

Invicta Men\'s 17203 AVIATOR Stainless Steel and 18k Rose Gold Ion-Plated Watch

Invicta Men\'s \'Pro Diver\' Quartz Stainless Steel Casual Watch, Color:White (Model: 24964)

Find more Invicta products here

No. 2 TISSET

These days Tissot is known for its sponsorship of racers like NASCAR’s Danica Patrick, and for its unique, high-tech T-Touch watches. But the brand has a history as storied as any of its contemporaries, being founded at the half-way point of the 19th Century, selling watches throughout pre-WWI Czarist Russia, and being half of the 1930 merger with Omega which formed the Pre-Swatch Group SSIH. Tisset was founded in Le Locle, in the Jura region of Switzerland in 1853 by the locally born & bred father-son duo of Charles-Félicien Tissot and Charles-Émile Tissot. As with most Swiss watch companies founded in that era, Tissot began life as a comptoir, an assembler of parts procured from individual makers in the region. In that first year, the company delivered between 1100 and 1200 watches to the region around Le Locle.

Tissot distributes its watches in more than 160 countries on five continents.

Most recently, on August 8, 2014, they opened their first dedicated boutique in New York City.With the growing T-Touch family, classically innovative pieces like the T-Complication Squelette, and classic understated dress watches like the Le Locle Automatic.

Since 1999, the T-Touch has had several watches added to its line, including the Sailing-Touch, Sea-Touch, and T-Touch Expert.

the future of Tissot looks to be at least as long and storied as its 161 year past.

Our teams Favorite Tissot Watches,

Tissot Quickster Chronograph Black Dial Black Leather Mens Watch T0954173605702

Tissot Men\'s T0636173603700 Tradition Analog Display Swiss Quartz Brown Watch

Tissot Men\'s T52142113 T-Classic Desire Stainless Steel Watch With Black Leather Band

Tissot Men\'s T0636371603700 Stainless Steel Watch With Brown Band

Additional Tisset products we recommend, click here.

No. 3 TIMEX

Timex

The classic Brand which we know today as Timex has created some of the best quality watches in America

Starting back in 1854 Benedict & Burnham made the decision to manufacture clocks made from brass under the Waterbury Clock Company. Their purpose was to bring luxurious designs from Europe to America at reasonable prices.

With the brand offering a variety of beautifully crafted watches, including traditional analogue pieces and modern digital designs, Timex has managed to hold onto its distinct style while moving with the times and embracing new technology and features.

Their creativity and experimentation has helped them grow as a brand, and their consistently affordable prices have made them popular with watch fans looking for high quality at a rate that isn’t eye-watering. Their desire to produce well made goods for the every day man has been Timex’s aim from the very beginning, and its helped them pave a path as a reliable, yet stylish watch brand for men from every walk of life.

A Timex chronograph watch combines both a stopwatch and a display watch in order to record time easily. It’s often used in sports watches, but is also been featured in some Timex Weekender designs, and is easily stopped and started to ensure accurate timing.

the Weekender keeps things versatile and simplistic, and is effortlessly timeless. Timex watch straps can easily be interchanged to create the perfect look to go with any occasion, without having to change your whole design.

Timex has had its ups and downs, but what really stayed consistent throughout the years was their determination to provide quality timepieces at an affordable price. From their first dollar pocket watch to their range of running watches, Timex has managed to grow and evolve, creating designs that have stood the test of time and merge durability with strong style.

Here are some of our favorites,

Timex Men\'s T49905 Expedition Rugged Field Chronograph Black/Brown Leather Strap Watch

Timex Men\'s T49990 Expedition Rugged Metal Brown/Natural Leather Strap Watch

Timex Men\'s TW4B04300 Expedition Scout Chrono Brown/Natural Leather Strap Watch

Timex TW4B01800 Mens Expedition Analog Elevated Tan Leather Strap Watch

Timex Men\'s T49870 Expedition Metal Field Brown Leather Strap Watch

Additional Timex products we recommend Here.

No. 4 CITIZEN

Shokosha Watch Research Institue. The forerunner to what we know today as The Citizen Watch Co. Ltd. Citizen began its life in 1918 founded by Tokyo jeweler Kamekichi Yakamazi in the hopes of creating a watch that would appeal to ordinary citizens that they would later be able to take and sell to the world.

In 1924 the company produced it\'s first commercial model, The caliber 16 pocket watch. The first watch to bear the \"Citizen\" moniker, a name that proved so successful that it would later become the name of the watch manufacturer we know today. One of these first products produced by the company was purchased by Emperor Showa, Prince Regent at the time. this was when the Company really began to take foot in Japan.

In 1936 we saw the rise of the Citizen watch company expand beyond the boundaries of Japan, exporting watches to many parts of Southeast Asia. but its progress was halted by the eruption of World War II, which devastated the Japanese watch industry severely.

Citizen had no choice but to move their production facilities to a small town 200km from their former location in Tokyo due to the fear of what the War may bring. However the company didn\'t stand idly by. They continued their manufacturing and innovations creating Many new components, amongst which were chronometers and igniters which started their uses for the military.

After WWII, Citizen has continued to be at the forefront of revolutionary technologies consistently and became the first Japanese manufacturer to introduce a shock resistant watch (in 1956) and the first to introduce a water resistant watch (1959).

1967 saw the company put the world\'s first quartz transistor clock into the market. Sparking the quartz watch revolution of the 1970s around the world. A turning point in watch history, and while the mechanical watch leaders in Switzerland saw the new technology as a threat, their American and Japanese competitors saw it as an opportunity. The Citizen Watch Company, in particular, produced some of its most important models, with numerous features, in this early era of electronic timekeeping. One of the milestone Citizen watches from this period was the Citizen X-8, the first-ever titanium watch.

The most important breakthrough for Citizen watches involved solar power. A Citizen watch called the Crystron Solar Cell was the world’s first solar-powered analog quartz watch.

This watch was the forerunner of the Citizen Eco-Drive, the company’s most important and successful product launch ever. In 1995, the Citizen Eco-Drive technology rewrote history and took quartz technology to a new level, with a Citizen watch powered by natural or artificial light. The Citizen Eco-Drive helped the Citizen Watch Company become the world’s largest watch producer, from the 1980s until the end of the century.

On January 10th 2008 Citizen acquired USA’s Bulova Watch Company, including all its affiliated brands (Bulova, Caravelle, Wittnauer and Accutron) for US $247 million, making the combined company the largest watchmaker in the world.

Beyond sheer size, Citizen is also recognized as a worldwide leader in advanced technology. From the world\'s slimmest LCD watch to the first voice recognition watch and the world\'s first professional dive watch with an electric depth sensor, Citizen\'s record of \"worlds first\" is unmatched.

Our Top Recommendations,

Citizen Men\'s AO9000-06B Eco-Drive Stainless Steel Casual Watch

Citizen Men\'s BL5403-03X Eco-Drive Watch with Leather Band

Citizen Men\'s BF2011-51E Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch

Citizen Men\'s AO9003-08E Rose Gold-Tone Stainless Steel Eco-Drive Watch with Leather Band

Citizen Eco-Drive Men\'s BM7334-58L Corso Two-Tone Watch

To Find additional Citizen items Click Here.

No. 5 FOSSIL

Fossil Group, Inc. is an American fashion designer and manufacturer founded in 1984 by Tom Kartsotis. a former Texas A&M University student based in Richardson, Texas.

Originally founded under the name \"Overseas Products International\" Tom invested his savings of $200,000 and started a watch import business, a suggestion given by his older brother, Kosta Kartsotis.

Kosta told his younger brother about the potential large profits that could be made in importing retail goods made in the Far East, specifically in importing moderately-priced fashion watches.

Their main products were fashion watches with a retro look. The Company’s long-term goal is to capitalize on the strength of its growing consumer brand recognition and capture an increasing share of a growing number of markets by providing consumers with fashionable, high quality, value-driven products

Between 1987 and 1989 sales of Fossil watches grew from $2 million to $20 million. Fossil’s managers and designers had created this growth by applying their knowledge of design, outsourcing, and distribution of branded fashion watches

It was the Fossil Inc that first brought value and style to the world of watches by using a fifties Americana design in its brand image was very effective in drawing customers. And with this concept, Fossil Inc. soon grew into a leader of the watch industry.

.In 2004 Fossil, Inc. acquires Michele watches A Company whose brand identity, styling and luxury value offerings outperformed the overall category of luxury watches in the market.

Fossil, Inc.’s also acquired watch brand Michael Kors in 2004 as well. Both watch brands were newly launched to cater the different segment markets.

With these two new assets the Company is able to market its products to consumers with differing tastes and lifestyles by offering a wide range of brands and product categories at different price points.

Fossil Continues to be one of the Top Company\'s in cutting edge technology. With Their New Line of watches. Partnering with Andriod Wear and Google Maps to Create The Ultimate SmartWatch. Designed with those in mind who are equal parts technology and style obsessed. When cutting-edge technology meets good design, it’s the start of a beautiful (and smart) relationship,

Our answer to you is the Fossil Q Marshal Gen 2 Touchscreen Brown Leather Smartwatch

Stay connected with display notifications for texts, calls, emails, and app updates. Control your music on your favorite music player through Spotify, Pandora, Soundcloud, GooglePlay, iTunes, or Apple Music.

With built-in activity tracking, you can track your everyday accomplishments including steps, distance, and calories burned.

Use the built-in microphone and speaker to do a variety of tasks on your Android smartwatch using just your voice.

Stay charged for up to 1 day (based on usage) with the wireless conductive magnetic charger.

Not to mention you can Fit your personal style with customizable watch faces and interchangable straps - compatible with all Fossil brand 22mm straps.

At Fossil We may love all things vintage, but that doesn\'t mean we can\'t enthusiastically embrace new technology, too. Meet Fossil Q, our collection of wearable technology that we like to think of as a meeting of the minds—the fashion-forward mind, the tech-loving mind and the fitness-loving mind. With the power of Fossil Q on your wrist, there\'s truly a lot you can do. -Founder of Fossil\'s Q watch Technology-

Our Top Favorites from Fossil,

Fossil Q Wander Gen 2 Wine Leather Touchscreen Smartwatch FTW2113

Fossil Hybrid Smartwatch - Q Grant Dark Brown Leather FTW1118

Fossil Men\'s ME3110 Townsman Automatic Brown Leather Watch

Fossil Men\'s FS5338 Townsman 44mm Chronograph Light Brown Leather Watch

Fossil Men\'s 44mm Rose Goldtone Grant Watch with Brown Leather Strap

To Shop other Fossil Favorites Click Here.

No. 6 NAUTICA

Our story starts here. Founded and designed by David Chu in 1983 in New York City NY. With one clear vision in mind: to bring the inspiration of the sea to everyday style.

Chu started his career at his home town in Taipei Vietnam to start an export business with friends, but unfortunately they lost all their money in one and a half years. He then returned to the United States, and working under a large company, he designed jackets, taking inspiration from sailors\' coats. Barneys and Bloomingdales. They had good sales for the designs, and in 1983 David Chu started Nautica. The company had sales of $700,000 in its first year and $2.5 million the following year.

In 2003, Chu decided to sell the company for $1 billion to the VF Corporation. He made $100 million from the sale. Chu promptly purchased an 1846 townhouse in Manhattan\'s Flatiron district, gut-renovated the historic mansion and turned it into his design studio, showroom and offices

Nautica today represents a reimagined nautical interpretation through the lens of sophisticated city design. With their Watches featuring the innovation of technical precision and cutting edge technology, while also adhering to the authentic nautical details they are known for. With Nautica watches you will always have a great expression of your Personal style and the quality of an amazing company to back it up.

Our Top Favorites are,

Nautica Men\'s NAD19504G NST 600 Chrono Analog Display Quartz Watch

Nautica Men\'s NAD24504G BFC Flyback Chrono Analog Display Analog Quartz Brown Watch

Nautica Men\'s NAD18500G NST 09 Analog Display Japanese Quartz Silver Watch

Nautica Men\'s N18522G NST Gold-Tone Stainless Steel Watch

Nautica Men\'s N15006G \"Spettacolare\" Two-Tone Stainless Steel Watch with Brown Leather Band

Nautica Men\'s N09550G \"Windseeker\" Stainless Steel Watch with Brown Leather Band

To shop more Nautica products click here.

No. 7 CASIO

Casio Computer Co., Ltd.

Casio was established in April 1946 by Tadao Kashio, an engineer specializing in fabrication technology. Kashio\'s first major product was the yubiwa pipe, a finger ring that would hold a cigarette, allowing the wearer to smoke the cigarette down to its nub while also leaving the wearer\'s hands free. Japan was impoverished immediately following World War II, so cigarettes were valuable, and the invention was a success.

In the 1980\'s, the company became well known for the wide variety and innovation of its wristwatches. It was one of the earliest manufacturers of quartz watches, both digital and analog.

It also began selling calculator watches during this time. It was one of the first manufacturers of watches that could display the time in many different time zones and of watches with temperature, atmospheric-pressure, altitude, and even Global Positioning System displays (GPS).

Because Casio has a large history of manufacturing a wide variety of goods, ranging from musical instruments, clocks, cameras, and calculators, their approach to watch development is innovative.

They combine analogue and digital technologies with strong, durable designs. Casio’s styles range from colorful and sporty to classic, making different type of watches that are going to suit almost everyone.

The G-Shock range of shock resistant watches is popular, with the 1983 G-Shock DW-5600C being highly sought-after by collectors. Casio made a variety of digital watches with in-built games in the 1980s and 90s, which were highly popular at the time.

Casio\'s Latest innovation has been with their line \"Pro-trek\" working to create the ultimate outdoor smart watches designed for the outdoor hiking, skiing, biking, people in mind.

The main specifications are, GPS Compatible (including GLONASS*1 and Michibiki).Color Maps Compatible (supports offline use) OS Android Wear 2.0 Touchscreen Capacitive screen coated with an anti-fouling coating Water Resistance to 50 meters. The Pro trek series has earned one of the highest ratings in durability featuring the United States military standard issued by the U.S. Department of Defense. The Environmental Durability MIL-STD-810G.

Available here, Casio Men\'s \'PRO TREK\' Quartz Resin Outdoor Smartwatch, (Model: WSD-F20-RGBAU)

Here are the top Casio watches we recommend,

Casio Men\'s \'PRO TREK\' Quartz Resin Outdoor Smartwatch, Color:Black (Model: WSD-F20-BKAAU)

Casio WSD-F10 Smart Outdoor Watch

Casio Men\'s EFR-529D-1A9VCF Edifice Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch

Casio Men\'s \'Edifice\' Quartz Stainless Steel and Leather Watch, Color: Blue (Model: EFR-552L-2AVCF)

Casio Men\'s \'EDIFICE\' Quartz Stainless Steel Casual Watch, Color:Silver-Toned (Model: EFM-502D-7AVCF)

To Find More Casio Products Click Here.

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