Valentine's and White Day in Japan

Valentine's, a universal love-filled season for the majority of the world, this is also celebrated in Japan on 14th February.

Women would express love for an person of affection by making chocolates(perhaps inclusive of other gifts such as cookies).

Chocolates are called "チョコレート", pronounced "Chokorēhtoh"


or usually shortened to "チョコ", pronounced "Choko"
(I believe "choko" sounds better than the English version of saying chocolates, the Japanese pronunciation has a higher pitch and makes it sound much livelier)

There are, however, three types of chocolates given out on that day;

Giri choco (obligatory chocolate) - this is for colleagues, family members or normal friends you simply want to thank.

Honmei choco (chocolate for the man the woman loves / is serious about)

Tomo choco (chocolate for the woman's female friends) - Giving one does NOT mean that you're a lesbian! But simply to thank


What is unique to Japan is White Day; Exactly a month after Valentine's, on March 14th, the males that have received chocolates on Valentine's to return the favor by either giving chocolate, something white, cookies or flowers back to the sender.


The two occasions can also be used as a subtle way of asking a guy for a relationship; if the guy returns Honmei chocolates, it would mean consent.

While returning Houmei chocolate with Giri chocolate or not returning gifts at all either signifies apology and wish of staying friends or rejection.

I believe these two occasions are sweet and they make both males and females give gifts to each other instead of the traditional Valentine's where majority of the time, the female side simply waits for the males to take action.

Also, people who are shy can use these occasions to express their interest in the other party or unromantically; friends and family members.

What do you think of White day? Or what if it was implemented in Singapore?

Happy new year!

(Note: Oops! Just realised that I saved this as draft instead of posting >.<)

Akemashite Omedettou! (ah-key-marsh-tey  oh-may-they-to)
Happy new year!~


A family eating at a Kotatsu
Retrieved from righthealth.com

 

In japan, January is still the winter season, leading the families to have reunion dinners in steamboat style(various vegetables and meat are added into the steamboat much like the Asian tradition) at a kotatsu.

A kotatsu is a low table with an electric heater fixed to the underside of it.

Eating reunion dinners at a kotatsu is undeniably a great family bonding session as the warm feeling of the heater under the kotatsu, of spending time with your family and home cooked food fills your body, melting away the cold from outside.

Also, the first visits or Hatsumōde to a shrine with families or friends are made. usually on mid-night on New Year's Eve to the first week in January. Most Japanese do not have work on these days, setting aside time for families and friends.



Torii(Gate) is usually seen at the start of the entrance of the shrines. It can be identified by its unique design of crossbeams.

Retrieved from http://nostrumeo.blogspot.com/2007_07_08_archive.html



The two major religions in Japan, Shinto and Buddhism. There are various shrines(Shinto) and temples(Buddhist) all over Japan where people may visit them.   

During this period, stalls will be set up in anticipation of the crowds, usually selling various festive goods and food. The usual souvenirs sold at shrines during the new year include: good luck charms, dolls, bells

There is a procedure of cleansing rite to be observed before stepping in the the shrine. Then you would like to try out some activities at a shrine if you ever visit one:

Praying/Making a wish:
Ringing the temple bell, throwing a few 5 yen coins into the slotted box below the bell
Bow twice
Clap twice
Close your eyes

And Bow again.

This practice varies slightly with difference regions and temple but usually this is generally acceptable.

 

Omikuji charms
Retrieved from corbisimages.com



Drawing your fortune:

You place about 20yen into a collection box and draw a strip of paper from a box(usually beside it). Your lot would usually be one of these types: Great misfortune, Small misfortune, Good luck or Great luck. Each charm would give advice on subjects such as heath, marriage, travel, business and study. After drawing your lot, you may bring it home or if you had drawn a 'misfortune lot' you may tie it on a rope of a wooden structure in hope of averting disaster.





Writing your wish:

You can write a wish on a piece of board and hang them onto a wooden structure allocated for such purposes.



                                                        

                                              

The following pictures are of priests and priestesses for reference's sake, these are not their only attire but the most recognized, they also have different outfits for different ceremonies they have to perform



Seijin-no-Hi or Coming of Age Day is celebrated all throughout Japan on the second Monday of January. Throughout the country, similar ceremonies and activities take place among those newly turned 20 such as the wearing of special kimono, going to shrines, attending speeches, and so on.

Here's a short clip of a Shinto Priest shooting the Kabura-ya (whistling arrow):

Pole Dancing

This post is not exactly about Japanese culture but rather about a Japanese candidate of Pole Dancing.
Not to be confused with the pole dancing in strip clubs and cabarets, Pole dancing is a performing art that exhibits strength, grace, dexterity and endurance; these are what attracted me to blog about when I first saw a video on it.

Why don't you see for yourself?

If you look carefully you could see the strain each movement puts on the body.

This is Japanese candidate Mai Sato when she won the International Ultimate Pole Championship 2009, Women's Division

This is my first time watching an offical Pole Dance entry and I was extremely impressed!

I am definitely still impressed by the strength and flexibility needed for these. Not only are pole dancers stretching and twisting their body constantly, they have to hold their body up while performing such acts, Even a half minute is tiring for normal people to simply cling to the pole.

This video is her entry submission for 2010, the competition is in progress now and the results would be in soon...

Personally i think the later video is much better as well as elegant and that the first is too static. Maybe it is because she is much more relaxed, expressive in the entry video, than the official competition.


I'm side tracking here, but please entertain me;

No wonder I find some formal competitions slightly dull, its not that I think the performers are lacking in skill or technique, but it just seems quite stiff. Their facial expressions are either blank, a slight frown in concentration constantly and such.

I prefer seeing performers showing their emotions during their performances, such as the joy, relief, alarm when they perform difficult maneuverer, what are your thoughts??

Marrying virtual realities

I think this is quite an interesting topic as it involves relationships between human and virtual realities, digital characters and etc


Here is an article that invokes some thought.

Taken from
http://gamrfeed.vgchartz.com/story/7998/the-xbox-360-gets-a-marriage-simulator/

Recently, more incidents of otaku (people who are obsessed with anime, video games and the like) marrying a game character are coming to light.

A reason for the increasing rate, in my opinion, is because of the spread of Nitendo DS and dating sim games. 

Not to mention the fact that Nitendo DSes have microphones and speakers attached, allowing a more realistic experience with the game and development for the character.


One of the first stories of the like that even got featured on CNN is : Someone who married a character from the DS game, http://www.japanator.com/love-plus-marriage-on-cnn--12762.phtml

Taken from http://www.animevice.com/news/meet-your-new-girlfriend-your-ds/1535/

Many of them claim that they love the characters whole-heartedly, and would marry them. They would bring the game to various places, take pictures with them, eat with them and even go to the beach together. (How they conquer the fear of the game dropping into the water when they love them so much, i have no idea.)

Image taken from
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/magazine/26FOB-2DLove-t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all 

There are also cases where people are marrying their PILLOWS.






There are also stranger cases; people marrying themselves, dolphins, cat, eiffiel tower and more!






Some insists that they would marry a real life partner if they do find one but until then, their object of affection would remain the same.

If you found out that the person you're attracted to had these kinds of relationships, would you still accept him/her?
Also, now that you have seen these articles, what do you think of these relationships with non-human parties??

I like you / I love you in Japanese

Curious about how to say "I like you" or "I love you" in Japanese? Here they are:

"I like you" - Watashi wa anata ga suki desu.
This is pronounced:
Wah-tah-shee  wah  ah-nah-tah  gah  sss-key  deh-su   
The sss part is just an extension of the trailing part of the sound when you pronounce 'S'
(Usually 'desu' is pronounced softly like "deys" with little emphasis on the 'su' part)

Note: This is a little formal and not very often used. The "I" can be omitted because the persons of the subject are quite obvious that you are stating your own opinion and no ambiguity arises.

An example in English context is "This looks nice!" instead of "I think this looks nice!" both mean the same thing but the shortened form is much more widely used and less off-putting. 


People are lazy globally - its relatable isn't it?

Cherry_Blossom_Tattoo_by
TheTempestOfNature

Anata ga Suki desu! - "Like you!"
Pronounced: ah-nah-tah  gah sss-kee dehsu


Or just - Suki desu!
Pronounced: Sss-kee dehsu!
(It literally says 'like!', usually this is enough to get the meaning across that you like the person)

Now, "i like you" can be used to say that you like your friend(usually same gender) or, when you say it to a opposing gender it would be interpreted as a love confession instead.

By the way, the way to say "like you very much"
= Anata wa daisuki desu! (daisuki is pronounced 'dyee-Ssskey') see the above examples for pronunciation of the other words!

"Desu" is often used at the end of the end of each sentence for a not-too-informal way of speaking.

So please don't go around speaking with  "deSU" it is WEIRD and not to mention, rude! If you do, never mention my name nor where you learnt it from.

"I love you" - Watashi wa anata ga aishiteiru
Pronounced: Wah-tah-shee  wah  ah-nah-tah  gah  eye-she-teh-ru

"Love you" - anata ga aishiteiru! 
Pronounced: ah-nah-tah  gah  eye-she-teh-ru


"Love" - Aishiteiru
This is used in a confessing context only, the word for love in Japanese, its "Ai", "愛" or "Koi", "恋" not to be mistaken for the fish, Koi.
Again, this can be said independently to the person of affection.

Note that you DO NOT say this to a person you only have a crush on, this is usually said to someone you are already serious about or your lover. You don't say "i love you" to someone you met for a few weeks and ask him/her to go out with you right?

These are just the basic ways of saying "I like you" and "I love you". Of course there are many other ways to say them, I am just listing the simple ones to not confuse you.

Finally, in the context of Japan, confessing your love is quite an incident and usually not done casually nor openly like in western countries.This is because Japan is a conservative country. Feelings and emotions are rarely talked about in the open, politeness and formality are highly valued.

Yui from K-ON, taken during AFA10

PDA(Public Display of Affection)s also not widely accepted especially by the (hard core)traditional population, all these of course depend on the area of Japan you are in at that point of time.

Due to globalization though, the standards have slightly dropped especially in the city areas and among the teens in Japan. But as the saying goes, it doesn't hurt to be more polite than not. So, if in any case you are confessing your undying love to a Japanese in Japanese, say "Watashi wa anata no koto wa eien ni aishiteru, shinda nochi desu" -meaning "I love you eternally, even after i die."

On a side note, Japanese people prefer telling white lies to maintain a harmonious atmosphere than outright disagreements or boasting when they can be avoided. 

(A certain topic to raise in the future)

Credits: The following pictures used do not belong to me at all in any way:
The cherry blossom tattoo design was retrieved from TheTempestOfNature.

Japanese Convenient Vending Machines

The Japanese love convenience, and this can be seen through the vending machines in Japan.

In Japan there is an unbelievable amount and range of vending machines, conveniently located under apartments, side of the roads, outside convenient stores, museums and basically everywhere. Someone actually counted the number of vending machines in Tokyo, Japan and... there was a vending machine every 21 meters on the average.

Japan even has the highest vending machines per capita. One machine for every 23 people in Japan!

Also, several vending machines are usually placed together, so commuters need not worry about variety.

They have normal drinks vending machines that sell: 

Milk, energy drinks, beer,  coffee, tea, finger food, sushi, chocolates, vitamins, medicine, and meals such as bento(lunch boxes) and cooked noodles.

Ever wonder or worried about how your hot drinks are made in vending machines? This might just put your mind at ease. Cameras were placed at various spots of the vending machine to give buyers view throughout the process of making the drinks.

Some vending machines have a scanner for users to scan a card, identify themselves as above the legal age to buy products.

Photo taken from photomann.com

They also have machines that sell a wide range of cigarettes(buyer has to be verified to be above the legal age) but strangely enough, those that sell alcohol doesn't require identification.

Now that we have covered the normal vending machines, it is time to show you the creative ones!

Taken from http://www.geekologie.com/2008/04/sure_why_not_vending_machine_d.php

Thats right, vended shoes! These are quite useful i would think, if you ruined your shoe and need a new one. Or for the females, your high heels.

Next, scroll down SLOWLY, can you guess what is/are the vended items?

taken from http://lemonwackyhello.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/underwear_vending.jpg

Don't peek at the answer!

...

...

...

...

They are... Vended underwear! Indeed so, and some machines even sell cold ones for summer.

This, is the infamous Used Panties Japanese Vending Machine...

Picture taken from cscoutjapan.com

Contrary to a lot of internet rumors, the innovative idea of soiled panties vending machine has been banned by an equally innovative way in 1993.(It instantly sparkled much controversy and upset the authorities)

There are people saying that they have seen the actual machines but also those who have asked locals, policemen and other Japanese about them but said that they don't exist, existed or if they do, it would have to be in a very remote back alley.

It is now nearly impossible to find it(even if u see pictures of some, the product may be unused by actual girls) there still is a slight chance that it exists in a tiny remote corner but you would have to find it to prove it.

The following are even more vending machines that sell other items!.

Umbrellas!

Picture taken from photomann.com

Stuck at a place because of rain? Worry no more!

picture taken from photomann.com

Forgot an anniversary or rushing to meet that special someone? - Grab a bouquet along the way! This would help save a lot of people.(Especially men)

Taken from http://www.humor-articles.com/vending-machines-for-everything/

Even books are vended!!

Taken from http://chynesboi.xanga.com/682794174/japan-the-land-of-the-vending-machines-i-mean-raising-sun/

And illicit magazines! I wonder how would a passer by would react to people purchasing from this.

These machines were said to lessen the embarrassment for those trying to buy these;

Instead of buying from a shop with other patrons and cashers.

Taken from http://pocketcctv.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html

This would be a stranger concept - vending eggs, they are restocked everyday straight from the farm so it actually sells fresh eggs! 

Instead of dropping the product to a collection spot, there is a red button to the right to release the latch for you to reach in and collect the product.

Picture taken from http://declubz.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/lobster-vending-machine.jpg 

These are live lobsters, try catching one for just $3

Taken from http://www.humor-articles.com/vending-machines-for-everything/

 As shown, it dispenses live bait for fishers.

                                              

Taken from http://itravelmags.com/20-odd-vending-machines-around-the-world/

This had to be magnified, you have to look closely at the portion below the displayed drinks, above the advertiser's head. And what you see there is... Vended video cameras!

Grab a camera with a drink!

Other vending machines Japan have that are not posted are: bananas, tomatoes, other vegetables, rice, condoms and many more!

Also, a new type of vending machine was introduced recently; it recommends drinks based on face scanning technology!

So, how much do the Japanese love convenience? A whole lot. It seems like another world there! And I would gladly migrate, learn the Japanese language earnestly and live there!

The innovation and creativity that drives vending machines and convenience... Another motivation for me to migrate in Japan.

Updated: Here is another site about even more vending machines in Japan!