Emoji

I think everyone, who is interested in Japanese pop culture knows these cute japanese smileys, called “emoji”. There are a lot of characters for express variant emotions, and in Japan, almost everyone use them, or at least know them.
So let’s see, what is “emoji”.
Emoji (絵文字?) is the Japanese term for the picture characters or emoticons used in Japanese electronic messages and webpages. Originally meaning pictograph, the word literally means e “picture” + moji “letter”. Some emoji are very specific to Japanese culture, such as a bowing (apologizing) businessman, a face wearing a face mask or a group of emoji representing popular foods (ramen, onigiri). The three main Japanese operators, NTT DoCoMo, au and SoftBank Mobile, have each defined their own variants of emoji.

We all know smileys started in the USA where the internet had also started of course. In Japan, the smileys(emoticons) grew in a different manner. Now, there are several kinds of them. Unlike western smileys, Japanese ones are read vertically, moreover  Japanese smileys have more variation. The reason is, while American letters in computers are 1 byte, Japanese letters in computer are 2 bytes, so Japanese letters can have more characters.

example:
1byte letters:  ABCDabcd,.^=123456?+-*/=[]`@…….
2bytes letters : あいうえおカキクケコ＠１２３漢字♣♥〒♀♂ゞ∀≒ΩωЯф♪

Second reason seems to that Japanese comics(manga) have many ways of express their feelings, so Japanese are trying to do the same thing when they create smileys. So, a large number of Japanese smileys are influenced by comics.
So now, let’s see how Japanese smileys look like!
Good morning
~~~ヾ(＾∇＾)おはよー♪
Hi!
( ^_^)／ やぁ！
Thank you!
ｍ（．＿．）ｍアリガト
cry
（ToT）
I’m glad
＼（＾ ＾）／
getting angry
(,,#ﾟДﾟ):∴;’･,;`:ｺﾞﾙｧ!!
panic
＼(>o<)／ギャーッ！
be shocked
ｶﾞ━━Σ(ﾟДﾟ|||)━━ﾝ!!
kiss
（*＾＾）＾*） ☆Chu！！
wink
（＾＿－）☆wink
sleep
［(－－)］ZZzzz…
punch
(>_<)○——(^o^)○
capture
(; ・_・)―――――――――C<―_-)
I’m sorry
m(_ _)m ゴメンナサイ
feel down
(_　_|||)
（ー○ー）＝３ ﾊｧ
These are my favorite smileys, but please, check out that site, there are thousands of Japanese emoji!

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Kabuki´s World 2

A treat for story lover

The kabuki repertoire has a wide range of themes, from historical events and love complications to comedy and horror. Of all kabuki plays, Kanadehon Chushingura (“The Treasury of the Forty-Seven Loyal Retainers”) has been the favorite in Japan.  The plot revolves around a feudal lord who is forced to commit ritual seppeku suicide, and his loyal followers who devise various stratagems as they prepare to avenge his death.

Love is certainly not forgotten in the kabuki repertoire. Free love was forbidden in the Edo period, and citizens had to respect the restrictions of their rank and place in society. Otherwise, it was thought that the very foundation of society would be upended. This made criminals out of couples whose love went against the restrictions. And yet, this conversely made the people of old Edo even keener to experience the drama of free love on the stage, and gave playwrights even more incentive to express it.

Here is something you would probably not read about kabuki elsewhere: in some kabuki plays, an animal is the main character. Two examples are the plays Yoshitsune Senbon-zakura: Shi-no-kiri ² (Act IV of “Yoshitsune and the One-thousand Cherry Trees”), and Tsuri-gitsune ³ (“The Fox and the Trapper”). Many such plays were based on popular bunraku puppet plays, kabuki actors dressed as animals would not have seemed out of place.

1 Koi no Tayori Yamato Orai (“A Message of Love from Yamato”): A love story with a tragic ending. The young man has no money and is ridiculed, so he tries to save face by taking a government official’s money. This is a crime punishable by death in the Edo period. Believing there is no other option, the young man and the woman he loves vow to commit suicide together. They wander through a snowfall on the road to their death
2 Yoshitsune Senbon-zakura: Shi-no-kiri (“Act IV of “Yoshitsune and the One-Thousand Cherry Trees”): Depicts a fox’s love for his parents
3 Tsuri-gitsune (“The Fox and the Trapper”): A fox pretends to be a human, in an attempt to persuade a trapper to stop killing foxes. But the trapper’s bait is too tempting for the fox, and he ends up caught in a trap. The story comes from the Kyogen comic theater, a much older form of entertainment.

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Kabuki´s World

歌舞伎 (Kabuki) has about 400 years of history behind it, and is listed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. It began with dance performances, then continued to evolve, always popular, into one of Japan’s best known performing arts. The colors, music and stylized ideals of beauty combine on stage to form a first-class repertoire of dramatic plays and spectacular acting styles.

A feast for the eyes

Your first surprise will probably be the gorgeous costumes and spectacular makeup. The word “Kabuki” comes from kabuku, which means “to wear avant-grade, over-the-top clothes and do outlandish things.” This is what you will see in kabuki, and in other aspects of Japanese traditional cultural and history as well, like the dashi  Float¹  in Kyoto’s Gion Festival, and the awesome kabuto helmet  worn by warriors in the 16th century.

The thick lines of kumadori makeup, often in reds and blues, had a practical purpose as well – they highlighted the actors’ faces in the theater, where artificial lighting was almost non-existent and the stage was darker than you could probably imagine today. Another important role for the makeup is to create a spellbinding atmosphere. Japan is certainly not the only place in the world where people used to wear extraordinary makeup on special occasions, but kumadori makeup seems designed to make the actor appear to have supernatural powers.

Onnagata

Onnagata – male actors who play female parts on stage – take kabuki into a whole new dimension. A reader of the history of theater will learn that men have played women’s roles in many parts of the world, but only kabuki has developed this into a truly refined art that remains active to this day.
Interestingly, in today’s Japanese pop music and some other performing arts, it is not uncommon for a man to express the feelings of a woman, and for a woman to easily cross the gender gap in the same way. This gives us insight into another interesting aspect of Japanese culture.

1 Dashi floats: During the Gion festival centered on Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto, tall, fancifully decorated floats called yamaboko make their way through the city streets
2 Kabuto helmets: Worn by warriors in medieval times. Generally made of iron or leather. Many were works of art, as well as being part of the body armor

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Japan Arena 02

 4. Osaka-jo Hall
Osaka-jo Hall or Osaka Castle Hall is a multi-purpose arena in the Kyoubashi area of Osaka.
The arena was built in 1983 and be able to hold as many as 16,000 people. A high-quality facility equipped with state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, it has brought to Osaka a wide range of events such as concerts, theatrical performances, sports events, exhibitions and ceremonies.
Concerts:
Osaka-Jo Hall has hosted world-class events including concerts performed by popular Japanese artists (Dir en Grey, Kanjani8, Luna Sea) and international stars (The Black Eyed Peas, NE-YO, Kylie Minogue). The hall has an annual usege rate of over 70%, and on this stage, the energy of entertainers and the excitement of the audience meet, creating countless unforgettable memories in the hearts of both entertainers and audience.
Sports:
A vanue for various sport events such as tennis, volleyball, sumo, pro-boxing or wrestling matches. The arena’s extensive 3,500 m2 space allows audience to witness right befor their eyes some of the most talented and famous athletes perform at their best.

Infos:

• Location: Chuo-ku, Osaka, Japan
• Opened: 1983
• Owner: Osaka-jo Hall Foundation
• Capacity: 13,456

5. Zepp
Maybe you already heard the word “Zepp” many times before.
The Zepp music halls are a group of Japanese music halls covering every area of the country. The Zepp halls play host to many international tours and are a popular stop among Japanese musicians. Each venue takes the Zepp name, along with the city in which it is located. The Zepp company is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan.

Locations:
Zepp Sapporo

•  Founded: April, 1998
• Capacity: 2000

Zepp Sendai

• Founded: August 1, 2000
• Capacity: 1500

Zepp Tokyo

• Founded: March, 1999
• Capacity: 2700

Zepp Nagoya

• Founded March, 2005
• Capacity: 1800

Zepp Osaka

• Founded: November, 1998
• Capacity: 2200

Zepp Fukuoka

• Founded: June, 1999
• Capacity: 2000

6. Yokohama Arena
Yokohama Arena is an indoor sporting arena located in Yokohama, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 17,000 and was opened in 1989. As one of the largest concert venues in the Kanto region, it is a frequent location for artists to end their tours. The spacious stage allows for more complex set design and lighting, but the reasonable size makes it easier to sell out than the Tokyo Dome.
Yokohama Arena utilizes such state-of-the-art equipment as 11,000 computer-controlled movable seats, a large four-screen projection system and a ceiling capable of suspending more than 100 tons.
Concerts:
With the enormous suspension capacity of the ceiling, accessible by lighting decks and catwalks, stage effects once thought impossible become regular fare. It is also possible to arrange the floor seating in the form of a bowl, creating a more intimate environment for performances.
Yokohama Arena has a great reputation for its excellent acoustical quality.
Sport Events:
Yokohama Arena has sufficient indoor floor space for a 200-meter oval running track and a 100-meter straight track. It can also be used for events such as basketball, boxing, ice hockey, sumo, tennis and volleyball.
2011 Touhoku Earthquake:
After the 2011 Touhoku earthquake and tsunami, Yokohama was an emergency shelter for those affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Citizens were allowed the stay the night, and were offered blankets and other amenities.Hideharu Terada, a Yokohama Arena official stated “There has never been a big earthquake like this. [...] People are trickling in. They are all calm.”

Infos:

• Location: 3-10 Shin-Yokohama, Konan-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
• Opened: April 1, 1989
• Owner: Yokohama Arena Corp.
• Architect: Takenaka Corporation
• Capacity: 17, 000

7. Nissan Stadium
At last, but not least we have Nissan Stadium. It has the highest seating capacity of any stadiums in Japan, with a total of 72,327 seats. The Nissan Stadium is a sports venue in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
The stadium opened in March 1998 and it is the home stadium of Yokohama F. Marinos (Japanese association football team) and it hosted the National Sports Festival as its main stadium.
Nissan Stadium has been hosting the FIFA Club World Cup since 2003 and according to FIFA, the tournament will return to Yokohama for the 2011 and 2012 editions.
The audience can enjoy the sport events with two large(19x9m) screens, the first air running hi-vision camera in the world, 824 lamps and 528 loudspeakers which all add emotion and ecxitement to the game.
For further informations, please check out Nissan Stadium’s official website: http://www.nissan-stadium.jp/english/

Infos:

• Full name: Nissan Stadium
• Former name: International Stadium Yokohama
• Location: Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
• Opened: 1 March 1998
• Owner: Yokohama City
• Capacity: 72,327

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Japan Arena

Those who interested in Japanese sport or music may know about stadiums and concert halls. Since these buildings are important parts of a city, I decided to write about them. We all know that, Japan has a high number of stadiums, but now, I would like to describe just a few.
Let’s start with one from Tokyo, called Tokyo Dome.

1. Tokyo Dome:
This is 55,000-seat (actual capacity of 42,000) baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo. It’s original nickname is “The Big Egg” or “Tokyo Big Egg”. The Dome is the home field of the Yomiuri Gaints baseball team, and also hosted basketball and football games, as well as wrestling matches, martial arts events and music concerts.
Tokyo Dome is a part of a greater entertainment complex known as Tokyo Dome City, which includes an amusement park, various shops, restaurants, video game centres, etc.
Tokyo Dome has many notable performances:
For example, the American megastar Michael Jackson performed on stage more than any other artist or band, a total of 21 concerts.
The pop star Gackt’s Christmas Eve show on December 24, 2005, holds the record as the most expensive and one of the costliest in Japanese concert history. The concert was estimated by his business partners to have cost ¥500 million (or about $4,296,270), he and his other performers took two years to plan and six months to rehearse.
In August 2008, Japanese pop group KAT-TUN broke the record for the longest consecutive days of concerts, when they performed at the stadium for four days in a row. Less than a year later, they broke their own record with concerts eight days in a row from May 15, 2009, as they sold all tickets immediately.
(source 1, 2, 3)

 Infos:

• Location: 3, Koraku, 1-chome, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
• Opened: March 17, 1988
• Owner: Tokyo Dome Corporation
• Capacity: 55,000 (baseball) 42,000 (standard)

2. Nippon Budokan
The Nippon Budokan, often shorted to Budokan, is an indoor arena in the central of Tokyo. The Budokan was originally built for the judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics, hence it’s English name is “Martial Arts Hall”.
The Nippon Budokan is located in Kitanomaru Park in central Tokyo, two minutes walking from Kudanshita Subway Station. The Budokan is a 42 m high octogonal building, holds 14,201 people, and modeled after Yumedono (Hall of Dreams) in Nara.
Though it still functions as a venue for big musical events, its primary purpose is for Japanese martial arts, like judo, kendo, karate, aikido, kempo, etc. For wrestling fans the Budokan holds pro-wrestling shows too.
For music fans, Budokan is famous by holding big concerts. The Beatles was the first rock band to perform here, on the summer of 1966. The Budokan gained worldwide fame when American astists used the arena to record their concert albums (Cheap Trick- Cheap Trick at Budokan; Bob Dylan- Bob Dylan at Budokan). Other artists, like Ozzy Osbourne, Avril Lavigne, or the Japanese DIR EN GREY also performed in the Budokan.
(source 1, 2, 3)
Infos:

• Location: 2-3 Kitanomarukouen Chiyoda, Tokyo
• Built: 1964
• Opened: October 3, 1964
• Owner: The Nippon Budokan Foundation
• Capacity: 14,201

 3. Saitama super Arena
Saitama Super Arena is a multi-purposed indoor arena in Chouo-ku, Saitama City, Saitama, Japan. It’s spectator capacity is 37.000 at maximum settings. This main arena capacity is between 19,000-22,500 when events such as basketball, volleyball, tennis, ice hockey, gymnastics, boxing, mixed martial arts and professional wrestling take place there.  It is also the only Japanese arena equipped especially for American football. The arena has a gigantic moveable section of seating which can reduce capacity for smaller events.
Of course, the arena is not just for sport events, but concerts too. Not just foreign bands like U2, Metallica or Green Day have concerts here, but Japanese ones like the GazettE, Gackt or Morning Musune visited to Saitama super Arena.
The World’s largest moving block:
The gigantic structure, weighing 15,000 tons and 41,5 meters high, moves a distance of 70 meters horizontally, transforming the Main Arena into a Stadium with 37,000 seats.

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¿Sabías que en Japón las calles no tienen nombre?

Es raro pero cierto…
Puesto que las calles no tienen nombre, entonces ¿cómo se puede localizar una dirección?
Las direcciones siguen una estructura muy diferente a la que estamos acostumbrados. Su estructura consta de tres números: el primero indica el distrito, el segundo la manzana, y el tercero el edificio o casa dentro de la manzana. ¿Te parece difícil? La verdad no lo es tanto, es más, resulta más práctico a la hora de usar un sistema de navegación. Veamos un ejemplo.
En el blog kirainet.com encontramos este ejemplo: La dirección de un restaurante podría ser “Sushi Tanaka, Tokio, Yoyogi 4-3-1”. Estando dentro de Tokio podría abreviarse aún más hasta “Yoyogi 4-3-1 (google sigue identificando esta dirección y fijate en el enlace)y sigue conteniendo la información necesaria para encontrar la localización exacta del restaurante. Utilizar estas direcciones en un teléfono móvil o en el sistema de navegación de un coche es mucho más fácil que si hay que introducir el nombre completo de una calle.


En la dirección “Yoyogi, 4-3-1″, lo primero es el nombre del barrio, el primero número es el chome (丁目), el segundo número es la manzana ban (番) y el último número es el número de edificio dentro de la manzana go (号). Según la ciudad y la región el sistema varía algo pero el concepto fundamental de no usar nombres de calles se mantiene (Sólo algunas avenidas y autopistas importantes tienen nombre). La organización de los mapas sigue una perspectiva top down, primero se nombra el área más general y luego se va detallando: el chome (丁目) es la unidad en la que se dividen los barrios, luego cada chome se divide en varios ban y finalmente cada ban se divide en edificios que también van numerados.

Hoy en día Japón es el país del mundo con más información geolocalizada del mundo, el segundo es Corea del Sur pero no llega a tener ni la mitad que Japón. Por lo práctico que resulta escribir una dirección japonesa y el hecho de que la mayoría de los japoneses cuente con dispositivos móviles con GPS ha permitido la expansión de negocios basados en la geolocalización, muchos empresarios han aprovechado esta tecnologia en Japón que supera con mucho a Estados Unidos.

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