4Love 4Life

1993 to 2011

2011-01-08T19:09:00.004+09:00

18 years have passed by but being together with old friends gives you the same feelings, old and new, yet .... unforgettable.

Every second is precious .. Every smile is memorable ... Every words is meaningful

... Friends forever

What is your blood type?

2010-04-24T06:35:00.006+09:00

How important it is to know blood type of the people you know? Despite of the many arguments that the question of blood type can cause stereotype if the person believes that there is a correlation between blood type and personality, many Japanese, perhaps due to living a society with less multicultural background, still consider blood type as a key factor to understand differences in behavior and social characteristics.

There was already research on blood type and personality correlation in Japan many decades ago, however at least in the past three to four years, blood type has again become a hit topic of conversation among friends, members of circle/group, family and this is most likely caused by a series of best seller books on blood type and personality. The success of this book was even discussed in our national TV channel, NHK in 2008.

Overseas, there no substantial findings that suggest blood type and personality are related. However, if you happen to be asked by a Japanese, what is your blood type, would you not care to how the person may perceive your personality based on your answer.

Now, take it easy and enjoy this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_941810K74s

Pitamin For Stress Relieve?

2010-02-28T21:17:00.008+09:00

A very unique product that could help you relieve some stress? The little toy is made of soft silicon that contains water inside. You can throw it at walls or any other flat places and it will be squashed and out of shape for a few second then... return to its original shape.

These toys were originally targeted at working people who are stressed out at work (see photos: how the toys resemble an older person typically managerial looking). The products quickly became a hit and the target was widened to younger people. Amazingly cute products for only 420 Yen each!

My daughter begged for one and funny enough she chose a pink pig. No! don't tell me .... but yes, she told be very honestly: "Mommy, i get stressed out too you know, well sometimes... when you told me to do this extra homework while i'd rather play outside with my friends. That is why i get this pig.... hehehe (she smiled) since you were born in pig year... "

.... speechless mommy, rather shocked ....

What a good solution for stress, come to think of it.... if we know the cause, we can handle it better :)

Products are available online @Tokyu Hands Online Shop - but unfortunately only a Japanese site....

http://www.hands-net.jp/goods/16723-

PS. Product name spells "Pitamin"... supposedly works like a "Vitamin" ? maybe...

Hina Dolls

2010-02-21T18:00:00.013+09:00

The same every year, from the third week of February, Japanese people here started to prepare decorations for HinaFestival at schools, children centers, public places such as shopping centers, and even at home. This year our celebration of Hina Festival began with my daughter debut as a model for two hours, dressing up in the old time kimono and acting as a girl living in the old days (Heian era, 794 to 1185) playing with traditional Hina dolls.

The event was held by the Kokusaibunka (International Culture) Technical College of Hair Design in collaboration with Takakura Association (a prominent Japanese kimono school). The purpose was to introduce the story of hina dolls, how the concept of playing dolls evolves, in the course of studying Japanese traditional attire at the Imperial Palace.

In the old times, here in Japan, when a woman carried a baby, she would leave the main house and move to her parents' home for delivery and raising the child until she/he turns two years old. During this period, other family members living in the house usually put a doll to substitute the child who was away since birth with the mother. This is the origin of hina doll. When the child turns two, she/he will return to the main house and play the the doll that resembles him/her.

In the traditional practice Hina dolls were more like barbie dolls, which children can play with and are dressed in various costumes according to the changing of season. However, nowadays, hina dolls have become more just a decoration that are put up for display only during the Hina festival. Hina dolls displayed nowadays are apparently dressed in kimonos of highest rank and are put up at higher location to signify their status of importance. Whereas, in the past hina dolls were dressed in kimono of lower rank, because the children, wearing a higher rank kimono than the dolls themselves, are supposed to play with these dolls.

Coming of Age Ceremony ("Seijin-shiki")

2010-01-11T19:40:00.004+09:00

In Japan on the second monday of January, young people age 20 (or turning 20) celebrate the Coming of Age day. They usually held a party with friends or family, attend a ceremony held by the local government or some private organization, where the girls will be wearing a "furisode" and the boys wearing a "hakama". The ceremony is to celebrate and recognize them as "new adult", when they are legally allowed to vote, drink and marry without parental permission, but at the same time, are also subject to all laws and social responsibilities.

The custom has been carried on for hundreds of years. I wonder if to this day such ceremony has an impact on how young adults think and behave, perhaps to some. In recent years there have been incidents of poor behaviors of young adults after during or/and after the ceremony. Meanwhile older generation talk about how young people being so used to the comfort of living in current peace and stability, that some tend to lack maturity, discipline and independence.

In the evening, I watched a group of girls in "furisode" walking out from a game center, perhaps it was after they attended a ceremony or had their dinner party. I was almost lost in words when my daughter asked me, what are those girls doing in a game center wearing such a pretty kimono. Well, playing games is still better than getting drunk and becoming violent, i thought to myself. So, i said to my girl, "they are just having fun".

Sometimes, it is not the ceremony that matters, i guess, since it is more the "mindset" of each person, on how one defines an adult. Having said that, i need to remind myself if i am truly ready for my coming of age ceremony .... well, i never had one.

For more about coming of age day:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seijin_shiki

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1462gA11ns

Setting New Goals For 2010

2010-01-02T14:10:00.008+09:00

After enjoying a long holiday with family, we are now close to going back to regular routines. It is easier for adult to switch their pattern from holiday to work, however for kids it is less easier. Especially now, we are at the beginning of a new decade, a new year, it is only fair for us to start looking at new goals for ourselves and our children. Have you set your goals/objectives for the coming year?

I just read an article about a SMART way to set our goals (based on one of an English coaching theory), whereby your goals/objectives need to be: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-phased. Most of you probably have heard or been aware of how to set goals effectively. These are not new theory, but it is a good reminder, especially when we set goals for others (say, for our kids) to follow.

Specific objectives with clear description of what to do. Measurable objectives showing how well, how much more, in calculation of time/number of times, not just in imaginary words. Achievable objectives with "possible" but challenging items. Impossible or difficult to reach goals can create stress for ourselves and others. For a more realistic goals, we need to specify process and differentiate "dream" from "reality". Time phased means breaking down the goals into certain period, month, quarterly, yearly depending on the circumstances.

With these, i hope to set my new goals in 2010 in a SMART way and get ready for challenges in the new decade :)

Photos (left) - shimekazari, a traditional Japanese new year decoration for doors/entrance (ref. copied from Sanchoku Web), a symbol of purity to begin a new year and an expression of gratitude to God for the coming year

Photos (right) - kadomatsu, a traditional Japanese new year decoration for big buildings, hotels and other large property (ref. copied from Rakuten), a symbol of longevity, prosperity and steadfastness and a welcome gesture to God of harvest. Pine and bamboo are used to express these meanings.

Shichi Go San Festival

2009-11-01T20:01:00.008+09:00

Source: An English Introduction To Japan and Its People, published by ALC --> a very good book for those interested in Japan and Japanese culture

"Shichi (7) Go (5) San (3) literally means seven five three. When children read these ages, they are taken by parents or grandparents to a Shinto shrine in the neighborhood on November 15th to celebrate their growth." In our case, to avoid crowd in the shrine during those period, we chose to celebrate it earlier, November 1st, yes ... today!

"Originally, this was a custom done by many families of warriors and aristocrats but since the Edo period ordinary families started practicing it as well. Girls who have reached the ages of three and seven and boys who are three and five are dressed in traditional kimonos; long-sleeved (called furisode) for girls and haori and hakama with a model sword for boys."

The Bigger The Merrier

2009-10-27T11:43:00.006+09:00

Apparently, it is not only the Americans and Europeans farmers who likes to compete on producing the largest pumpkin. In Toyama Prefecture, farmers conducts annual competition for pumpkin growers and this year, on its 23rd festival Hase-san succeeded to harvest 530.9 kilograms of pumpkin.

Official site:

http://island.geocities.jp/shoudoshima_star_world/index001.html

How Big Is Your Rice Bowl

2009-10-16T20:46:00.004+09:00

This may become a culture shock for you who arrives in Japan for the first time. Say, you are at your friend's home, being invited to a homely prepared meal and you notice that there are rice bowls and cups of various sizes .... can you guess what that means?

In a traditional Japanese family, the size of rice bowl implies status or level of respect in the family, therefore a husband usually has the biggest size of rice bowl while the children have the smallest, and usually the elder gets a bigger one than the younger... and so on.

I bet this sort of culture can last only in a country like Japan... where people preserve culture and one of its culture is that "status or level of respect is considered important" even in a family and that one way to portray such a respect is through delicate items such as "rice bowl"... also "sake cup" and "tea cup" too!

(oops.... i better get a new set of bowls and cups ... to blend in more with the culture i live with :)

Yukata In Summer

2009-08-21T14:20:00.007+09:00

Japanese summer calls for activities with a cooling effect, such as:

1. spending time in the water, such as public pool, resort pool, beach and river

2. visiting summer festivals, where you can eat "kaki-gori" (or in Bahasa, es serut / in English, shaved ice) with colorful sauce of strawberry, green tea, blueberry and "lamune"　(lemon soda), or a watermelon festival, where you get to break a watermelon with your eyes covered up.

3. taking a stroll in the park, hiking in the mountainside

Unlike in the old days when kimono was a daily wear for Japanese, nowadays the only time you can see many children and adults wearing kimono is during summer. Summer kimono is called yukata, which is worn only during July and August. Yukata has also become a popular souvenier for foreigners to bring home, because they are sold in various size, colorful and attractive, easy to wear and reasonable. (The price varied from 980 Yen to 20,000 Yen).

I used to wonder why the Japanese like to wear yukata in summer, considering the heat. However, I learnt that by wearing yukata you can take the heat off summer. Most Yukata is made of 100% cotton, that absorbs our sweat and it is designed in such a way that allows ventilation around the arms. Its long sleeves actually protects us from getting sunburn. Here is one of Japanese traditional customs that still lasts to these days . . . amazing!

Bon Festival in August

2009-08-08T17:57:00.008+09:00

Nowadays, i learnt that although many Japanese do not claim themselves to be Buddhist, they actually perform Buddhist customs with respect to honoring the spirits of ancestors. Mid August is the period where people here celebrates Bon Festival, a festival honoring the deceased, which was originally called the Feasts of Lanterns. In the past during this festival people would dance, called a Bon Odori.

Having said that, such customs are less formal nowadays among the younger people. Rather than going to the cemetery and honoring their ancestors, younger people usually just go to their hometown and meet with their family and relatives. They go to the local summer festival, where they can dance without specifically calling it a Bon Odori. The truth is Bon Festival has become a summer festival in Japan where people wear yukata (a summer kimono) watching summer fireworks, celebrating summer with watermelon party, watching carnivals ride and fireworks, playing summer games with family and friends.

Eventhough it is not declared as national holiday, most Japanese companies close for holidays during Bon Festival, for at least 3 days until about a week. Many activities in the government office also take a slow down during this period. In Tokyo, Yokohama and Tohoku region, Bon Festival is held earlier, which is know as Shichigatsu Bon or Bon in July, that is from July 15th. Others celebrates Kyu-Bon, which is from August 15th. Different region in Japan held the festival on different dates, but in general summer holiday here starts from mid July to mid August.

Personally, I think Bon Festival is an important period, where we can remind ourselves of our precious life through remembering the deceased, and celebrate it with those beloved people around us.

For more pictures of local celebration during Bon Festival, click below, from Akita Prefecture:

http://www.ugomachi.com/e_ugo/bonodori/e_index.html

Agriculture & Earth Well Being

2009-07-17T14:43:00.006+09:00

I was listening to a radio today and heard the news about Michelle Obama and 23 fifth-graders in the Washington D.C who just cultivated a 1,100 square foot land to develop an organic fruits and vegetables garden at the White House. Where obesity and diabetes have become a national problem, the activities are aimed at educating children, families and communities on the importance of healthy eating and reducing reliance on chemicals for fertilizers. What a wonderful idea and an excellent activity to do with kids.

I also heard that in Manhattan 20 green markets have become more and more popular, where more people nowadays find "green vegetables" a healthier and trendier choice than fast food. Green market that sells home-grown vegetables popped up everywhere in this big city and people started to show interests in growing vegetables in their own garden.

I think more and more people should realize how important is agriculture and its development to impact on earth well being, our health, our economy and our life as a whole. Economies of scale farming may be necessary as the population grow, chemicals may be inevitable to produce quality and quantity, however it may not the last resort. The future trend of farming could be something like .... smaller farming but at many location and run locally by the community.

In Tokyo having your own garden for farming is quite a luxury, due to lack of space. Those who live in apartment buildings usually do not have the capacity to do farming, where most of them can only grow mini tomatoes in small pot plants or some herbal plants. For a real farming experience they would need to rent a space somewhere out of the city, where they can cultivate a small piece of land. I know a few friends who have actually rented some spaces - together - in the outskirt and go there every weekend to cultivate and harvest.　　Hm, I guess as long as the sun still shines ... agriculture is possible anywhere! Lack of space is not a problem but an opportunity.

O-chugen (=Gift Giving) Today

2009-07-15T21:30:00.011+09:00

The custom of gift giving called "ochugen" in Japan actually originated from China, where it was conducted three times a year, January 15th, July 15th and October 15th. The same custom was brought to Japan, however here ochugen/gift giving is only practised on July 15th. Ochugen itself was related to the practise of remembering those who have passed away. However, the custom evolved to the practise of gift giving to thank those people who have been helpful to you.

Such customs of gift giving are conducted not only between friends, relatives but also between companies with good relationship. Recent data shows a trend of fewer practise of sending gifts between companies.

Ochugen is an important season for department stores and shopping centre to sell their best "packages" and compete for a larger share of profit in the gift giving business.

According to a national survey among 1904 Japanese women (conducted in May 2009), the practise of ochugen is common particularly among those age 50s and 60s, whereas among younger people of 20s - 30s, only one in two adopts such a custom. When asked about who they would send gifts to, sending gifts to parents, in laws, relatives are the three top answers whereas only 17.5% said they send gifts to "husband's boss/supervisor".

First three top answers for type of gifts: coupon/voucher, beer and sweets.

Source: http://www.matsuzakaya.co.jp/ochugen_chishiki/

http://www.mitsukoshi.co.jp/chugen/

http://www.kurashihow.co.jp/uploads/d2f9407d-15f8-1f2f.pdf

Tanabata Festival

2009-07-07T13:44:00.007+09:00

On July Seventh we celebrate the Tanabata Festival. The festival itself originated from China and was inspired by the famous Chinese folklore, The Princess and The Cowherd. Children at kindergarten and schools will write a wish on a piece of paper which will then be hung onto a bamboo tree - a typical decoration for Tanabata.

Source: Wikipedia, Tanabata - The Story of The Princess and The Cowherd

Orihime (the Weaving Princess), daughter of the Tentei (Sky King or King of Universe), wove beautiful clothes by the bank of the Amanogawa (Milky Way, believed to be the "heavenly river"). Her father loved the cloth that she wove and so she worked very hard every day to weave it.

However, Orihime was sad that because of her hard work, she could never meet and fall in love with anyone. Concerned about his daughter, Tentei arranged for her to meet with Hikoboshi (Cow Herder Star), who lived and worked on the other side of the Amanogawa. When the two met, they fell instantly in love with each other. Enjoying each other's company, Orihime no longer was keen in working hard, while Hikoboshi let his cows to stray all over Heaven. In anger, Tentei separated the two lovers across the Amanogawa and forbade them to meet. At the loss of her lover, Orihime asked her father to let them meet again. Tentei was moved by his daughter's tears and allowed the two to meet on the Seventh of July, only if Orihime worked hard and finished her weaving. The first time they tried to meet, however, they found that they could not cross the river because there was no bridge. Orihime cried so much that a flock of magpies came and promised to make a bridge with their wings so that she could cross the river.

It is said that if it rains on Tanabata, the magpies can not come and the two lovers must wait until another year to meet.

2009 today on Tanabata's day, it is sunny and windy, a lovely summer .... children in Japan are so happy to know that Orihime and Hikoboshi can meet tonight (:

The city of Sendai celebrates Tanabata Festival in a very big way, and for many years this celebration has attracted local and international visitors. The celebration does not take place in July but August - this is mainly to accommodate local visitors, attracting family with children who are on holidays during summer.

Japanese site:

http://www.city.sendai.jp/soumu/kouhou/tanabata/

I also recommend JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization), an English website, for more information about Japan:

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/history/traditionalevents/a45_fes_tanabata.html

The Rainy Season (梅雨)

2009-06-24T08:38:00.005+09:00

In Japan summer starts with rainy season. Earlier rain takes place sometimes during May, or the latest in early July, but most often it rains a lot during the month of June. I suppose rain is the same everywhere, since it involves drops of water. However, during rainy season it can rain for days.

During this season children usually make a doll called teru teru bozu, which translate to "shiny- shiny Buddhist priest". The dolls can be made of white paper or cloth and they usually are hang by the window or outside as a symbol of children's wish for sunny days.

When i first arrived in Japan and travelled to countryside i saw some teru teru bozu and was rather shocked at first. I thought those dolls are some sort of "ghost symbols" and people were hanging them by the window. Later on i realize that it was part of Japanese culture to use symbols to express feelings, such as during children's day they would decorate the house with Hina dolls, Kabuto or Koi-nobori.

Tadpoles Phenomenon

2009-06-19T08:28:00.012+09:00

Local and international news, as well as various blogs recently covered the story on tadpoles phenomena that took place in Ichikawa Prefecture, central Japan. The news here said that the local residents found about a hundred tadpoles lying dead in a dry area, measuring about 10 square metres. There was no water around the area that could suggest they might have breed nearby.

Sad... how could it be possible?

It is a very shocking news, but at the same time it reminded me of how important it is to keep our environment safe and sound, that there is still a place for those little insects, fishes and frogs to grow and for the kids to enjoy watching.

There is a park near our home that has about 100 meter square pond right on the side, where you could see a few types of habitats, such as minnows, ducks, and in spring time tadpoles. (photos taken - April 7, 2009)

Like most children in the park, my daughter also loves watching tadpoles swimming in the pond and parents just love their children standing by the pond, eagerly watching those little black creatures swimming around water.

In early summer, just after the rainy season we get the chance to enjoy the sound of frogs singing through the night... a lovely natural music to accompany a nice walk after dinner.

Lets keep those tadpoles alive in the right environment for our kids to learn that the nature is about survivability but it is us, humans, who are responsible to sustain it.

Best Time To Be A Bride

2009-06-11T19:57:00.011+09:00

This may be quite an embarrasing note, but frankly it was only recently that i found out how the word June Bride came around. The name June came from the Roman myth, June was the name of a Goddess who unite a couple into a marriage. The story telling said that getting married in June will bring happiness to the couple. In the past getting married in June was common in Europe, because in the region where Catholics were the majority, spring was a season for celebration and spring called for a big Easter celebration that took place during March to May. In June people are less busy with their religious commitment, so couples chose this blessed month to get married.

Another reason why some people choose to get married in June is because of weather. In Europe, especially England and France, June has the longest daylight and the least amount of rain.

How about Japan? Spring and autumn are the most popular season to get married. However nowadays there are some women who choose to marry in June, simply because the Japanese society has in many ways adopted the European way of getting married in a white wedding gown, having the ceremony in a chapel, listening to prayers by a priest/pastor - eventhough none of the couple know anything about God or Christ. Eventhough June is in fact rainy season here, some people here still like to import the European style of bonding.

Other Japanese pick the best date to get married by looking at the calendar for "大安" (read: tai-an), which is believed to be the best day for marriage or celebration. Like the Chinese and Koreans, the Japanese also believe that each date carries different luck and 30 days of each month are calculated based on stars, each will fall into one of the 6 various type of lucks. Tai-an is believed to be the luckiest day of the month.

Well.... FYI, i did not get married in spring nor autumn. I think the best time to be a bride is when you find the best groom. It is not really when you got married, "to whom you got married" matters more. I am sure many of you agree on this one.

Emotionally Intriguing

2009-06-10T08:56:00.006+09:00

http://www.nobupiano1988.com/english/

(Please click the above and turn on the music, a piano recital by Nobuyuki Tsujii, a blind pianist while you read the following story)

Just the other day i read the news about a Japanese blind pianist who won Van Cliburn International Piano Competition 2009 in Texas. He was not the only blind pianists joining the competition, but he successfully went through all the hard selection process and in the end won the first prize in one of the world most difficult piano competition.

It is hard to imagine how a blind person can read musical notes, but apparently in the case of Nobuyuki Tsujii, he did not have to read notes at all, for he can remember, even when reciting Chopin, Rachmaninoff or Beethoven Piano Sonata 23 during his final presentation at the Van Cliburn International.

We have heard of other stories perhaps, about disabled persons who strive and succeed, and how they bring an emotionally intriguing episode, such as that of Helen Keller. I found Nobuyuki Tsujii emotionally intriguing as well. In many ways those who live with no disability are reminded throughout our lives that we have it all and that there are people out there who do not have it, yet they can amaze us all.

I was so very touched and very happy to see that a blind person can bring such an amazing beauty to music and hopefully more than that, he can open the eyes and heart of people who listen that God has blessings for each one of His people - who believe that even when at times you can not see the path...... there is always a way!

Note: Nobuyuki Tsujii's success was not due to his own strength as he had the full support from his beloved parents and a dedicated teacher. In an interview he spoke about his memory as a child, when his parents took him to museums to see beautiful paintings, even though he could not see. They would talk about the paintings and go through each one with him patiently. He said that he was very grateful for he learnt so much from listening to them ... i suppose for having the hope and being trusted for many more beautiful things to come.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDtT5sSu5VQ&feature=related

The Way of Nature

2009-05-15T11:29:00.011+09:00

Today i was surprised by a flock of birds chirping noisily as i had my morning tea alone. I looked out into the garden and saw about 10 little birds flying back and forth from one tree in my garden to various spots around it. They seemed to be eating something, so i watched closely.

The birds came back and forth the "yuzu" tree, not a very tall tree, as i cut the top regularly so it only grows up to my shoulder. It has been a good tree, bearing about 6 to 10 yuzu fruit every winter.

I remember more than two weeks ago i noticed a few butterflies flying around it and earlier this week i was worried when i saw some young leaves eaten. I contemplated about picking those caterpillars, not quite sure if i have the gut (nor the heart) to kill them as much as i am scared even to touch them. I could have asked my daughter who is never scared of any insects, but i know she would say no to killing her favorite insects.

Now i was somewhat relieved to see the birds feeding on the caterpillars and some of the larvae. After all the nature works so wonderfully around us that we sometimes should take our hands off and just watch the wonder of God's creation.

As i am typing this, i can hear the chirping noise quiet down. They had finished lunch, i guess. Now it is time for mine....

Children's Day May 5th - For Boys? or Both?

2009-05-11T10:10:00.009+09:00

In Japan Children's Day celebrated on May 5th is a celebration not only for children but also for a meaningful day for mothers. Since 1948 the Japanese Government dedicated May 5th as a national holiday - a day to celebrate children - to appreciate the well being of children and a greetings for the children with appreciation to their mothers. However, the Japanese people in general follow international calendar (May 10th) when celebrating Mother's Day.

The celeberation of Children's Day has been around in Japan since early 1900, during the Taisei Period (1912). In the past Children's Day was mainly a celebration for the boys - originally it was a celebration to wish health for boys. Meanwhile, girls has their during the Hinamatsuri Festival. However since the Hinamatsuri Day on March 3rd was not announced as a national holiday, while May 5th was dedicated as a national holiday, at some point in time people started to argue that there was a discrimination between boys and girls. In the last few decades, the culture of celebrating only boys on May 5th has gradually changed. Practically boys and girls enjoy May 5th the same way at home and anywhere else, such as they can both get into the national zoo, national museum and other public facilities for free on that day.

The most common way of celebrating children's day are to place a decoration called "Koi-nobori". In the past families with boys put up "Koi-nobori" or carp streamers, in their garden and a display of dolls called gogatsu ningyo (the same way families of girls display Hina dolls during Hinamatsuri Festival) in a room of the house. Nowadays, families with children put up "koi-nobori" regardless of their children's gender. The meaning of "koi-nobori" display " the carp appear to be swimming vigorously against the current" is to symbolize how boys should face and overcome their difficulties with the same positive spirit.

Gogatsu ningyo or dolls for boys celebration usually contains a set of samurai armour, a kabuto (samurai's helmet), a taiko (big drum) and other things needed to fight an old style battle. This decoration also symbolizes that boys should be strong to face any difficulties with the necessary equipments. Families with girls do not display gogatsu ningyo, instead they put up "koi-nobori" which has similar meanings.

For the first time ever, on May 4th 2009 (US Time) US Secretary of State made a statement on Japanese Children's Day, May 5th.

It is my pleasure to offer warm wishes to boys and girls in Japan on the May 5 occasion of Children’s Day. On this holiday, Japanese families celebrate the joys of childhood and family life. Children are, indeed, a national treasure, and both the United States and Japan share a strong commitment to childhood health, safety, and education. It is a responsibility for all of us to work together to ensure the protection of children. It is our hope that one day children from all countries will be able to celebrate the carefree joys that children in Japan celebrate today.

The Golden Week

2009-05-01T15:43:00.008+09:00

Every year in early May, Japanese have about a week of public holiday called the Golden week. The publich holiday itself occurs on April 29th which is the Showa Day, then May 3 which is the Foundation Day, May 4th which is the Green (Environment) Day and May 5th which is the Children Day. Like this year, when May 3rd public holiday falls on a Sunday, the government added May 6th as a replacement holiday. In most cases these consecutive public holidays together with a weekend creates just about a week holiday, that way the Japanese get to take longer holiday.

Most factories and offices closes for a week, usually starting from April 29th to May 4th. Foreign visitors who visit Japan should avoid this week, unless prior arrangements for hotels and travels have been made earlier on. The Golden Week period is usually the busiest time of the year for local Japanese. Some will travel back home to their home town, many of which are located in outskirt villages and for those living in the villages to travel to the city. Others will travel overseas.　Places to avoid during Golden week when you visit Japan are the Express Highway (See Both Photos - normal days vs. golden week), major stations like Tokyo, Shinjuku, Ikebuburo, Ueno, the domestic airport and to some extent international airport.

Other than that, as the name says, it is indeed a "golden" week opportunity for those working people - who rarely have a chance to take holidays, as they can take a holiday with the whole family. Children's schools are close during the same period allowing them to go with their parents for a holiday.

Fire Festival (Hitaka Hibuse Festival)

2009-04-25T20:16:00.009+09:00

In Japan most houses are made of woods and it has been since the Edo era (1603 - 1867). Nowadays more and more people live in apartment buildings, however the presence of woods and timber, used for housing and Japanese papers, remains critical to Japanese lifestyle. Forests in Japan covers about 66% of the whole land, which is the largest ratio among developed countries.

In the history during the 267 years of Edo era there was 96 fire accident that has destroyed 1636 meters length of area and among them three were recorded as the biggest fire ever occured in Japanese history. The Japanese Emperor at the time recognized the need to improve the mechanism of reducing the number of fire and conducted some study including the introduction of what the Japanese now call Hitaka Hibuse Festival - a celebration to remind people of how fire occurs easily during every change of seasons and that people should be more careful when handling fire.

The Japanese continue to celebrate this Festival even after over 300 years. Nowadays the festival is held throughout the nation, with the big ones held in Iwate and Kyoto. This festival now becomes a major tourist attraction among locals and foreigners. For those travelling in Japan, you can visit Iwate-ken to witness this festival from April 28-29.

http://www.bunka.pref.iwate.jp/

Magic in Tea Ceremony

2009-04-18T16:48:00.009+09:00

Today i went to a typical tea ceremony on a local Spring Festival. You probably already know that tea ceremony which is very popular in Japan, was actually introduced from China. The way of conducting tea ceremony was later on perfected by Master Sen-no-Rikkyu based on the spirit of Zen during the 16th century.

Do you know why you have to turn the cup twice (clockwise) before you drink the tea?

* Apparently when the tea master serves your tea, the cup facing you is supposedly to be the best side of the cup, i.e. note that cups used in tea ceremony usually has elaborated design. This is a way of showing respect towards the guest. However, the reason why you turn in twice (clockwise) is for you to return the respect towards the tea master, i.e. by showing the best side of the cup towards the tea master.

Do you know why you have to turn the cup once (anti-clocwise) after you finish drinking your tea, just before you place the empty cup on the tatami?

* By turning it once anti-clockwise the best side of the cup should face the person next to you, thus showing respect towards the other guests.

What do you say to the other guests, facing the person next to you, before drinking your tea?

* O-saki ni (excuse me, may i drink this tea before you?) - this is to show politeness towards the other guests who have not had their turns.

Do you know why "quietness", "stillness" and "observation" are the key to enjoy tea ceremony? * Tea ceremony as the words say, is not just a way of enjoying tea, but a ceremony of a mental discipline for the purpose of achieving peaceful mind - the profound teaching of Zen.　In quietness and stillness you can observe the way of tea making, the sound of water, the movement and enjoy how each season is portrayed differently in ways of presentation, such as in the use of cups, color of kimono, tools used in the ceremony and seasonal Japanese sweets.

Nowadays, tea ceremony is not only known in Japan but internationally such as in the US and Europe. Some people may consider tea ceremony a rather uptight activity as it involves a lot of procedures and rules. The truth is it is understandable for beginners not to know some of the rules and the tea master, in most cases, will explain to beginners in details on "what to do" during tea ceremony.

Finally to lighten up, check out below a Japanese TV program showing a magic performance conducted during a tea ceremony, ... something rare. Enjoy!

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/82096/666314

Easter Eggs

2009-04-11T17:48:00.003+09:00

Happy Easter to those celebrating! from us, somehow pictured as the easter egg family :-)

Why Easter Eggs? Easter eggs & baby chicks- Eggs and chicks symbolize new life. Eggs have been a symbol of spring since ancient times. An egg also is a symbol of the rock tomb out of which Christ emerged when he arose again. The chick, hatching out of the egg, symbolizes new life or re-birth.

The Beauty of Down Under

2009-04-06T21:41:00.004+09:00

QUIZ

1. In which country is this island located?

2. Think of size and ratio, how many Japan can fit in this country?

Hint:

... a beautiful place surrounded by sea ...

... some place hot some place tropical ...

Only In Japan?

2009-04-03T18:56:00.010+09:00

Would you like to have a taste of a banana that costs 600 Yen "each"? This banana, branded Penguin Banana, is available only in Japan (currently) and selling reasonably well in Osaka at 600 Yen each. Someone who has eaten it said that it is not only sweet and rich in taste, however the after taste is not heavy or filling, in fact rather refreshingly fruity.

The taste is special because this banana matured very slowly, which requires twice longer the time needed for an ordinary banana. It is also specifically grown and nurtured in such a way that you can only collect one or two of such a banana for every single tree.

The fact that this banana is selling quite well at such a price shows

a new trend of fruit consumption in Japan. Research also showed that overall banana market in Japan is the least effected by changes in the economy at present.

I personally find it hard to believe that one

would spend 600 Yen on a banana instead of a dessert set, say a standard strawberry cream cake with a cup of coffee, which you can get for the same price here ...

About Urushi ("Japan" in English)

2009-03-31T13:19:00.016+09:00

Some people here believe that the origin of urushi began in China, where they found what an urushi made 7000 years ago. However, an archaeologist in Japan found a piece of urushi in Hokkaido, dated back to 9000 years ago. This one and only piece of proof that urushi started in Japan was lost in a fire. Until today the archaeologists are still investigating the history of urushi and accepting the possibility that urushi might have came from China over 10000 years ago, along with the very rare, unique and skilled techniques of its making.

I think urushi is a very special piece of artwork and i have seen some extraordinary pieces of urushi in Fukushima, Aizu

. Whether the origin was indeed China, i believe that Japan has for the past thousands years master the production of "urushi", now known as "Japanese lacquer" in English.

Urushi is made from a special tree, called urushi tree or black tree, where you derive a nature made lacquer to make black, dark red or red color depending on the process and species of trees. Japan has a long history and culture in the making of urushi just the same way China does in the making of ceramics (well known as bone China). In English "urushi" is called Japan ware or just Japan.

The making of urushi involves an elaborate work of maintaining a certain temperature at every single steps. Urushi, which is strong against heat, humidity, acid or alkaline, is used to make traditional kitchen ware (cha-zutu or ocha-container, bowl, bento/lunch box, etc.), Japanese instruments (such as koto) and furniture. However, urushi is weak when it comes to direct sunlight or UV. It is also weak against sudden change in temperature and humidity. The piece may break or develop a crack over a period of such exposures. Golden color used in urushi is made with a real gold powder and involves an elaborate work of putting it layers over layers, more than 100 times.

When you buy urushi for kitchen ware, you may wonder how to use and wash them. Here are the common rules for keeping your precious urushi (from the Aizu Urushi Foundation):

1. No direct contact with fire (which is obvious since it is made of solid wood)

2. Do not put them in microwave, oven, fridge, dishwasher.

3. When you use hot water (whether during washing or making tea - as for teapot), you need to understand that the color of urushi will change over a period of time. In order to maintain its beauty, you are supposed to dip the urushi into a slightly warm water before using hot water, or in other words, to avoid the sudden change of temperature, you need to prepare a few steps of work.

4. If you have urushi cups - that you use to serve tea, the same process is needed to maintain its color and to avoid cracks. Also make sure that you do not leave any liquid for a long time in such urushi since it will affect . After washing, it is better to wipe it dry with a towel instead of leaving it dry naturally.

5. For a long time storage urushi is best kept at a certain humidity, therefore it is recommended that you store it in a cupboard with a cup of water to maintain humidity.

Now you may ask me why Japanese like to use such a kitchenware that requires elaborate work just to maintain it. I think it is indeed a Japan ware, rooted with a deep Japanese culture, since it requires elaborate work making it, it is only fair that you need to put elaborate work maintaining such a piece of art.

Hanami - Cherry Blossom Outdoor Party

2009-03-15T07:07:00.009+09:00

Sakura or the cherry blossom is the national flower of Japan and is considered by most Japanese their favorite flowers. Spring is the time for Hanami where Japanese gather and held parties in the open air under the cherry blossoms. It is more like having picnic out in the park, except that during cherry blossoms season, most parks are filled with people doing various activities other than just having picnics.

A recent TV program showed that activities held during hanami have changed over the decades. Prior to 1970s Japanese people enjoyed outdoor dancing and singing at hanami parties. In the 1970s singing like in karaoke replaced dancing. In 1980s playing famous animation characters is the common show during hanami. In the 1990s people started to commercialize such a show, so you can find individual stands where they perform for public, whereas in the past you would see such performances done by a member in the group during the party itself. In recent years most people enjoy a more simple hanami by having outdoor picnics, drinking and talking. There are fewer performances outdoor.

In the past many hanami parties were held among workers in the company, whereas nowadays they are more held among closed friends. The custom of going to the park to reserve the best location for hanami parties was common in the past, which was in most cases done by the newly graduate workers.

In Tokyo area Yoyogi Park, Shinjuku Gyoen and Ueno Park have the best collection of cherry blossoms. Some people, like me, enjoy hanami at a nearby park just a few minutes walk from home. After all the key to a wonderful hanami is "the food"-> a delicious bento (lunch box), a warm sake for appetizer and sakura mochi for dessert. For recipes of bento (left) check out http://cook4health.blogspot.com/

Get a better feeling about hanami in Japan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPZ4W5BpzLs

Metabolic Syndrome in Kids

2009-03-11T19:23:00.007+09:00

According to a 2007 research by the Japanese government, about 10-15% of Japanese children (at primary schools and secondary schools) are considered overweight.

Major reasons for overweight are lifestyle and genetics. However lifestyle plays a very important role and there are common characteristics of those children with metabolic syndrome:

1. usually do not eat breakfast

2. usually do not like vegetables

3. love meat and oily food (fried foods)

4. do not eat rice a lot but consume other types of carbohydrate such as bread and noodles

5. do not eat so much fish

6. eat fast (not chewing well)

7. do not particularly like sport

There are several ways to check whether or not children has suffered metabolic syndrome.

*Waist size 80 cm or above (Also check, waist size in cm : height - if the ratio is 0.5 or above, the portion should be added to size of weight, thus the total size refers to the max limit).

*Neutral fat content 120mg/dl or above (Also check, HDL cholesterol level if it is within 40mg/dl)

*Blood pressure if it is 125mmHg or above

*Blood sugar level 100mg/dl or above

There are ways to recover from metabolic syndrome. It is not by limiting the amount of food intake, rather it is to understand the correct amount of food intake necessary for children of that age.

Recommendation by the Health Department here:

1. Understand the measure of correct healthy diet (calories intake and well balanced nutrients)

2. Eat regularly and avoid irregular snacking

3. Eat together with family (supervision and social interactioni will help children emotionally)

4. Avoid fried foods and wherever possible do not use extra sugar, butter or oil and other fatty ingredients to food

5. Eat vegetables and fruits regularly

6. Control the amount of carbohydrate intake, especially bread, rice and noodles

7. Avoid taking artificial sugar or other low calories type sugar

8. When consume yoghurt or margarine, choose a low calories type

9. When thirsty, drink water not soda/juices/other sweetened drink

10. Do not reward children using food

11. Avoid the habit of chewing gum (even those of low calories)

12. Watch calories intake particularly at lunchtime (most likely at school when you can not supervise)

Some of the above methods actually work in adults for remedy to avoid metabolic syndrome. In adults, other than the above methods, regular exercise and good hours of sleep also help to improve metabolism.

Spring Comes With Beautiful Sweets

2009-03-10T11:14:00.008+09:00

Japanese celebrates the coming of spring with beautiful sweets called mochi (rice cakes). Mochi is literally pounded glutinous rice. Traditionally at the end of the year glutinous rice is pounded for the special rice cakes known as mochi. The pounding of rice has also become a festival itself called mochitsuki. Mochi is widely used not only in New Years celebration but also in the beginning of a new season.

In spring time we have special traditions to eat sakura mochi, uguisu mochi and yomogi mochi. These mochi are usually hand made with sweet red beans or white beans fillings inside.

Sakura mochi is usually pink decorated with salted/pickled sakura blossom and wrapped in edible pickled sakura leaves. Uguisu mochi is green to portray "uguisu" (a Japanese warbler), here well known as a light green color wild bird of spring. It can sing beautifully and its appearance is closely associated with the plum blossom ("ume ni uguisu"). Yomogi is herbal leaves derived from plants which is similar to Chrysanthemum. Yomogi is widely used in Japan to produce natural "green" coloring for mochi and other traditional sweets.

My favorite Spring time activities is to walk in the park and have a little picnic, drinking hot tea and eating sakura mochi. Major parks in Tokyo provides facilities for visitors to enjoy Japanese green tea with traditional Japanese sweets while watching plum blossoms in the early spring and sakura blossom in mid spring.

Sleeping Beauty

2009-03-07T20:17:00.009+09:00

While I was waiting for my daughter's 60 minutes ballet lesson, i found an interesting article about Sleeping Beauty... well, not that story of sleeping beauty. This is about how good sleep can affect beauty. The definition of good sleep is not the number of hours you sleep, but the feelings that you get in the morning as you get up.

A health and beauty specialist recommended the following for women:

1. In order to have a good sleep at night, you need to be active during the day. This means daytime workout or activities are in fact helping you to get a better sleep at night. If you lie down a lot during the day, there is a chance that you can not sleep well at night. So the point is to be active during the day!

2. Before you go to sleep, it is important that you make your body warm, especially your feet. Well, here in Japan, most women will shower or take a bath before going to bed. The specialist recommended that for those who shower, you need to give your feet a warm bath - such as using a small bucket of warm water with aromateraphy oil or you can purchase a spa machine for your foot.

3. Do not write personal emails before you go to bed, especially those types of emotionally involved communication. It is very simple. Women are emotional people, so when we are exposed to emotional trigger, it is sometimes hard for us to get over it and we tend to linger and think about it - i.e. just before bad time is a bad timing to get emotional.

4. Do not eat heavy meal, especially those that contain lots of protein and fats at night. Take a lot of protein during the day, while your body is active and the stomach is working hard processing extra calories intake. At night take lighter meal that is easy to digest, so that the body can easily switch into "sleeping mode" from "digesting mode". You are guaranteed to sleep better that way.

5. Do not drink too much liquid before bedtime. You want a good sleep without interruption of having to go to the toilet.　Obviously tea, coffee, and other drinks that contain caffeine are not going to help you fall asleep.

6. It is good to cover your eyes with eyemask or to sleep in a completely dark room. Darkness also improve sleeping quality.

7. Apparently it is not the number of hours you sleep, but the quality of sleeping itself. Having said that it is important for women to sleep before 10 pm. Similar to children, women also produces certain hormones that helps to produce new cells - for children these cells are for general growth and development of brain, but for women they influence the cycle of body system. Putting in a simple term.... try to sleep by 10 pm so that you give enough time for the body to produce the right amount of hormones.

8. Check your pillow and bed to make sure that they are really comfortable for you. Posturepedic firm pillow is one of the best pillows recommended, however

9. Snoring has a negative effect on quality of sleeping because practically you do not breathe correctly thus circulation of oxygen is not good. Please consult with a Health Specialist if you think you snore badly.

10. Having tried all these, if you still can not sleep well at night, you may have chronic sleeping problems. Please consult with a Health Specialist near you.

Good night :D

The New Kind of Hinamatsuri Festival

2009-03-01T20:46:00.005+09:00

Hinamatsuri Festivals is coming in just two days. Japanese girls are excited, parents are busy preparing for children parties, Hinamatsuri food and decoration, and TV programs for children are all talking about the festivals.

This year there is a new trend of Hinamatsuri Festival with the introduction of animal dolls, the popular ones being dogs and cats. This new trend came around because in recent years dogs and cats have become a very popular pets and having a pet at home has become a boom here.

The traditional Japanese sweet cakes are still popular however the modern type of Hinamatsuri cakes are coming around. I wonder if the modern kind of Hinamatsuri products such as Hina-dogs and Hina-cakes appeal to the girls more than the traditional sweet cakes and Hina-dolls.

New Cider Drinks Has Arrived

2009-02-24T11:30:00.011+09:00

Japanese loves to drink tea, they say. Well, the truth is not only tea, some also like to drink cider - some unique ones too, not apple cider or ginger ale which are common.

Recently there are new trends in cider business with the introduction of a new products line

up: strawberry cider, watermellon and pinapple cider.

And the most recent surprising products are: tomato cider and "durian" cider!

A local TV introduced the product and a few staff tried the taste of durian cider. The said the cider drink itself tastes good but has a very strong smell, which is really like real durian. Some thinks that it may turn off some people.

Hm... not durian lovers like me, i guess! :-D

Tooth Brush Without Tooth Paste

2009-02-23T11:23:00.004+09:00

Introduced in the market last year in September and sold only in big department store in Tokyo, this new style of tooth brushing seems to appeal certain segments, since it has so far sold about 800,000 products. The tooth brush is made of special brush and coated with certain substances that reacts with water and therefore can clean the teeth without having to put tooth paste.

At 1050Yen it is more expensive than ordinary toothbrush. Most of users are apparently those people who travel frequently, children who do not like toothpaste and the elderly. I wonder how long this product will remain popular and whether the trend will spread to other cities in Japan.

Especially For You - From Japan

2009-02-13T17:58:00.012+09:00

Finally the Love Day is here, February 14th .... Are you ready with your special gifts for your loved ones or prepare a "giri choco" for your colleague like the Japanese? Here are my special gifts for readers, only available here in Japan and only during Valentine season.

In Japan other than ordinary chocolates, you can choose a chocolate pendant or a chocolate strap for your mobile phone.... hm, tough choice for chocolate lovers, like me. The price is quite reasonable, starting from 2950 Yen, you can give a nice surprise to your loved ones. These accessories are really made of chocolates. They not only look sweet but also taste sweet.

Alternatively, you can try Chocolate Ramen (ramen = noodles) at Menya Musashi, a ramen shop located in Ueno. For recipes of these noodles, check out http://cook4health.blogspot.com/

on Valentine Day!

For those who loves noodles, i present you:

Chocolate Ramen - Dry Type

Chocolate Ramen - Soup Type

Feeling thirsty on Valentine's Day, why not try:

Chocolate Beer - Contains chocolate and even has chocolate flavor

Guess What These Women Are Doing?

2009-02-08T20:03:00.005+09:00

February 8th is a day of thanksgiving, but not the same as thanksgiving day that you find anywhere overseas. The thanksgiving day is mainly for women and the way to express their thanks is by sticking their favorite needles (usually needles that they use most often) to soft texture food, "tofu".

The ceremony is actually a giving thanks to the needles, which women have used througout their life, to sew many clothings or other crafts, as it was in the past. By sticking it onto soft texture food, like tofu, they appreciate how useful needles are in their life and hope to appreciate them more in the coming years. This photo is a festival usually conducted in shrines, but others who believe usually do it at home. Another traditional belief still practiced in Japan....

Beautiful WoMEN In Japanese Opera.....

2009-02-07T20:38:00.010+09:00

Have you heard of kabuki, one of Japan's traditional stage arts, originated in the 17th century. In the beginning kabuki was performed by female dancer Izumo-no-kuni and her troupe in Kyoto.

In the early days of kabuki, women who were also working as prostitutes play women roles. However during the Tokugawa Shogun, female players were prohibited because the fact that some women also worked as prostitutes would harm public morals.

Since then, female roles have been performed by male actors. The kabuki you see today still carry the Tokugawa rules, where only men are on stage.

Look at the photos here, do not be surprised to know that they are men playing female roles, called the "oyama". For more about kabuki, you can visit:

http://de-c-japanholiday.blogspot.com/

Winter Festival - The Hadaka Matsuri

2009-02-05T13:38:00.008+09:00

The festivals are popular among men where the participants jostle and fight with each other to obtain good fortune. It is held at various temples, in many areas in Japan - nowadays a very popular attraction for local visitors and foreigners as well.

These men are not really naked in fact, they are wearing a traditional Japanese wear called "fundoshi".

Popular Gifts For Valentine Day

2009-02-04T16:23:00.025+09:00

In Japan - The Women Buy

Other than the main gift of chocolate, Japanese women who spend extra for their loved ones, usually purchase one of these items for Valentine's Day:

Necktie, wallet, wristwatch, shawl, wine, home-made cooking,

accessories, personal wear (underwear), romantic dinner together, travels.

In the US - The Men Buy

More than half of men -- 57.8 percent – say they'll buy flowers and almost one-in-five plans to purchase jewelry for Valentine's Day (ref. CBS News).

Traditional gifts for Valentine day in the US are: Flower, chocolates, perfumes, lingerie, jewelry, accessories, romantic dinner & travels for some.

In Australia - Mostly Men's Task

Flowers are somewhat considered as a last minute gift to some people. Popular gift items on Australia's Valentine day are:

Chocolates, hampers & gift baskets, wine/spirits/champagne, jewelry, lingerie, romantic dinner together, travels (cruises, adventures) and marriage registration (mainly in NSW).

Setsubun-no-hi (Setsubun Day)

2009-02-03T18:45:00.008+09:00

Today, February 3rd, is called the Setsubun day, where Japanese people conduct a ceremonial custom known as "oni-yarai" (oni=evil/demon). The custom is practiced in homes and shrine, in which soy beans are scattered around to drive out demons and bring in good fortune.

Here is what they say as they threw the soy beans: "oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi" meaning "evil goes out, luck comes in". At the end of the ceremony, each person including children can eat the soy beans and there is a belief that the number of soy beans you can eat should be the same as your age. Eating the soy beans bring good luck and health for the year.

8 Strawberries A Day (3 For Kids)

2009-02-02T11:24:00.007+09:00

There is an old saying that "an apple a day keeps your doctor away". In Japan it is not only apple but strawberry is known to have positive effect on our body.

Strawberry contains vitamin C, which we all know it is good for skin, anti ageing and helps the body fight against virus. Not only that, strawberry's red color contains Antoshianin, which has positive effect on the function of your eyes, liver and reduces the chance of having high blood pressure. Strawberry also contains Pectin which helps to activate digestion in the stomach.

The good news is it doesn't take much to be a little healthier. 8 strawberries apparently gives you enough daily supplement of vitamin C, 3 strawberries for children.

Caution:

Do not take the green stem prior to washing strawberries, keep it attached. Or it will wash away the vitamin C in the strawberry to some extent. Take the green stem after you wash the strawberry.

Banana Goodies

2009-01-30T10:36:00.009+09:00

Who doesn't want to look good, everybody does. Some of the best methods known are to eat well and to do regular exercise. Yes, that works well for some people but not always easy to continue. Some choose to go on a diet. In Japan diet is popular among women of all ages. Here there are various diet programs, such as taking supplements (multiminerals/vitamins), drinks (tea, diet-formula milk), using gel/cream (for massage) or cutting down calories intake (in other words eat less).

Whatever they are, diet is not a fun thing to do. However, there is a new diet program which is easy to do and proven to work : http://en.asabanana.net/index.html

It is called "asa banana diet" meaning eat banana for your morning breakfast (instead of bread & butter or those greasy fried egg, bacon or sausages). It worked for me!

This diet program makes sense, since banana has good enough nutrients to start the day.

Check out Banana nutrients content here:

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1846/2

Banana juice for breakfast... not bad at all! I know an "easy to make" banana juice that is really good for health and your tastebuds : http://cook4health.blogspot.com/

Not The Ordinary Kinds?

2009-01-30T10:13:00.018+09:00

Skycar from www.moller.com

From the traditional to the modern...

This minicar can run 100km on electric power alone, best of all you can recharge the power at home using an ordinary electric power supply. (Note: 6 hours of power recharging required for 100km run)

Soba Is Better Than Rice or Flour

2009-01-28T14:20:00.012+09:00

In Japan Soba is definitely one of the most famous diet and quite popular among all the ages, regardless of gender.

Originally, Soba was local cuisine of Tokyo area or Northern part of Japan (Tohoku region) but now its popularity has spread out through the whole land of Japan.Soba (buckwheat) is high in nutrients, known for its low calorie and high level of proteins.

For comparison, Soba contains 13% while Rice contains 6% and Flour contains 8% of proteins. Soba also contain important amino acids, almost the same level as that in milk (ratio for comparison -> milk 100: soba 92). One of the reason why soba contain so much nutrients compared to rice is because in the process of making soba powder, the soba wheat (buckwheat) is used 100% keeping the nutrition intact, whereas in processing rice of flour, most of polishing work (for white rice and white flour) has taken away the nutrients in the germ.

How do Japanese eat Soba?

Here is an example of my favorite place to eat Soba - in the summer time, i love to have cold soba with the sauce, and the side dish will be tempura or sweet fried eggs (Recipes for sweet fried eggs coming soon!)

In the winter time, i recommend warm soba soup, with slices of Welsh onions for toppings.

Check Out This New Instrument

2009-01-25T09:37:00.005+09:00

Can you guess what is this instrument here? (See photo on the left or watch the video)

And, what is it made of?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1rOJ7GilQ8

Story of Friendship & Humor

2009-01-24T14:49:00.008+09:00

A children story about friendship between a Frog and a Toad. I found it very touching and at the same time funny. I am glad I read this story for my child and myself.

Title: The Surprise, by Arnold Lobel

It was October. The leaves had fallen off the trees. They were lying on the ground. Frog said "I will go to Toad's house". "I will rake all of the leaves that have fallen on his lawn. Toad will be surprised". Frog took a rake out of the garden shed.

Meanwhile....

Toad looked out of his window. "These messy leaves have covered everything," said Toad. He took a rake out of the chest. "I will run over to Frog's house. I will rake all of his leaves, Frog will be pleased".

Frog ran through the woods so that Toad would not see him.

Toad ran through the high grass so that Frog would not see him.

Frog came to Toad's house. He looked in the window. "Good, " said Frog. "Toad is out. He will never know who raked his leaves."

Toad got to Frog's house. He looked in the window. "Good," said Toad. "Frog is not home. He will never guess who raked his leaves."

Both Frog and Toad worked hard. They raked the leaves into a pile. Soon Toad's lawn was clean, so Frog picked up his rake and started home.

Toad having left not a single leaf in Frog's front yard, he took his rake and started home.

BUT....A wind came. It blew across the land. The pile of leaves that Frog had raked for Toad blew everywhere. The pile of leaves that Toad had raked for Frog blew everywhere.

When Frog got home, he said, "Tomorrow I will clean up the leaves that are all over my own lawn. How suprised Toad must be!"

When Toad got home, he said, "Tomorrow I will get to work and rake all of my own leaves. How surprised Frog must be!"

That night Frog and Toad were both happy when they each turned out the light and went to bed.

It reminds us of the good feelings we have when we do something nice to others and the warmth of friendship we have in sharing the humors of life.

Born In Year of OX?

2009-01-23T17:24:00.010+09:00

The Chinese believe that the ox is a symbol of prosperity. Those born in the Year of OX are considered natural leaders, dependable, patient and tireless. They are steadfast in their resolve once they set their mind into something, and very logical.

Well, if you think these beliefs are wrong, here are some example of those well known people born in the year of OX:

Politicians: Napoleon Bonaparte, Margarte Thatcher, Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein... AND Barrack Obama!

Actors/actresses: George Clooney, Richard Gere, Charlie Chaplin, Jack Nicholson, Bill Cosby, Meg Ryan, Meryl Streep....AND Princess Diana!

Musicians: Vincent Van Gogh, Johann Sebastian Bach, Picasso, Bruce Springsteen

... and perhaps many others.

Chinese New Year - OX

2009-01-23T14:05:00.009+09:00

About one fourth of the world celebrates the Lunar New Year of Ox. A quick tour around the world looking at the celebration of Chinese New Year:

NEW YORK

Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival in Chatham Square on Monday, January 26, 2009.

Lunar New Year parade on February 1, 2009, starting noon from Canal Street South, winding throughout Mott, Canal and Bayard st. and along East Broadway.

LOS ANGELES

The 110th Annual Golden Dragon Parade on January 31, from 2pm-4pm along Broadway and Hill Streets, involving over 100 floats, bands, marching bands in various costumes with Chinatown roots.

MOSCOW

Chinese people gathered at the Chinese Embassy in Moscow to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year on January 18th 2009 with the Chinese Ambassador pledging to further promote China-Russia ties. Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is a day for family reunion and traditional celebrations for those Chinese in Russia.

HONG KONG

Chinese New Year Parade on January 26th 2009, from 8pm to 9:30pm, where spectators can buy seats for $180 - $400 if they can sit and watch the celebration at the HK Cultural Centre

JAPAN

Nagasaki Shinchi Chukagai has Lantern Festival from 26th January to 9th February.

Yokohama Yamashita-cho Park has Dragon Parade 26th January from 16:00 and Traditional Dance & Other Cultural Performances on January 27th, 28th and 31st at 14:00 and 15:40

AUSTRALIA

Sydney celebrates with the Dragon Parade on January 23rd, from 6pm to 8pm at Belmore Park. Also a Chinese New Year Twilight Parade on February 1st, at Town Hall followed by fireworks at Cockle Bay. From January 23 to January 25 there will be Chinese New Year Markets at Belmore Park as well.

Valentine Day

2009-01-22T20:16:00.015+09:00

It is about three weeks before Valentine Day but in Japan you can feel the atmosphere of this day coming, just as you walk in the city, department stores, grocery stores, you will find these beautifully wrapped boxes of chocolates on display. Unlike in other countries, where Valentine Day is considered to be a day for expressing love, giving gifts to your loved ones, from man to woman or vice versa, in Japan Valentine Day is the day for women to give a box of chocolates to their loved ones..... well, not only that! actually in Japan we have what we call "giri chocolates" (= obligation chocolates) on Valentine Day.

On Japanese Valentine Day women are obligated to the custom of giving chocolates to male colleaques, subordinates or seniors. Some women do not like the custom, but if they do not give, they may be considered unfriendly, or even worse they could get discriminated by their male colleaques or seniors for being considered stingy or cold.

A few weeks after Valentine Day, Japanese have the White Day (March 14th), where the men are obliged to return the Valentine gesture, by giving the ladies a gift. The gift can be anything but normally the value should be equivalent to what he received. At work it is also a custom for these men to pool the money together and buy one gift that represents their gratitude.

For couples Valentine day sometimes involves more than just the gift giving. They spend time together dining, staying in a hotel, watching a movie.... nevertheles this is the day when woman is the one in charge of giving gifts to the man, not the other way around.

L O V E

2009-01-21T21:11:00.004+09:00

Love is patient

Love is kind

It does not envy,

it does not boast,

it is not proud.

It is not rude,

it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered,

it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres.

With thanks to Mom

Looks Familiar?

2009-01-21T15:22:00.005+09:00

Well, he looks familar but he is certainly not going to sit in the White House. His name is Ilham Anas (35 years old), an Indonesian who looks like the US President Elected, Barack Obama.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWNBbFukkyE

His looks got him a job in the advertising world in Manila (Phillipine). Watch his ad on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTBzkd93FBs

With thanks to Daniel!

Claude Monet & Ukiyo-e

2009-01-20T17:14:00.014+09:00

These are some Ukiyo-e paintings that has captured Claude Monet attention in the past. Monet's collection of Ukiyo-e paintings are kept in his home in Giverny.

Left: Akafuji (= The Red Mt Fuji) by Katsushika Hokusai

Bijin Ju-ni-so (= 12 Beautiful Woman) by Kitakawa Utamaro

This is one of the 12 paintings of beautiful woman by Kitakawa Utamaro.

Oohashi Atake no Yudachi

(= The Bridge In

the Rain) by Utakawa Hiroshige

Painted during the Edo Era, the background was a river called Ookawa in the Hamamachi area (now, known as Nihonbashi Hamamachi)

Marry or Not

2009-01-20T10:43:00.005+09:00

A research poll showed that the young Japanese are not confident about the future economy of Japan, especially about the retirement plan managed by the Government. As a result the trend of the last decade showed that many young Japanese did not get married at very young age since they try to save money first and also the women do not want to marry men who do not have enough money to live up to their expectation.

The trend also shows an increasing number of "married by accident" cases, where the marriage has to take place because the woman gets pregnant. The later is common among those in the 20s. Whereas young Japanese who are working tend to get married in their late 30s.

Love Shuffle

2009-01-19T13:37:00.009+09:00

Young Japanese are bored with the common love stories, affairs and the ordinary kind of drama.

Love Shuffle is the title of a new drama series in Japan that has received a lot of attention after its first debut, on January 16th. The story is about 4 men, high profile professionals living in the same building of a luxurious apartment, who one day decided to play a life game by exchanging their partner once a week. The theme, being fresh, new and a little extraordinary seemed to have appealed the young adults.

TBS the producer of this drama has also promoted related goods such as accessories, fashionable clothes that used in the drama. The audience who watch the drama, can not relate to their own experience in shuffling their lovers but they get to buy the products worn by these cool ladies and gentlemen on TV? This is dramatic.

http://ishop.tbs.co.jp/tbs/special/loveshuffle/index.html

Yam Is Nutritious

2009-01-18T18:52:00.007+09:00

Chinese Yam (left), a well known vegetable in Japan and Taiwan is known for its high nutrition level. From long time ago, slimy vegetables such as yam, okra and fish such as eel and loach are known to contain a substance that improve absorption of protein by the body, therefore becomes an extra nourishment for the body. During the Edo era (1600s) yam soup was a common dish used to strengthen stomach during illness and to maintain body strength during severe weather in the summer or winter. Check out http://cook4health.blogspot.com/ for recipes on yam.

There are many types of yam, taro yam (round and brown), chinese yam (long and white), all yams contains almost the same level of nutrition and has the same effect on health. The effectiveness is so well known that it is used in many herbal medicine for stomach medicine, cough medicine and even diabetes.

Photo: Taro Yam

Caution: when handling yam with bare hands, make sure you wash your hands clean afterwards, as its slimy substance can cause itchiness or iritation on sensitive skin.

Manga - To Write

2009-01-17T12:11:00.005+09:00

Manga (comics) is now popular not only in Japan but overseas. Here in Japan manga is read not only by teenagers but salarymen. The word "manga" was originally introduced in 1798 on a picture book where its original meaning was "to write as your heart tells you" and in the Meiji era (1814) the word "manga" blends with the entry of foreign words "comics" and "cartoon" and since then the meaning evolved to what it means now.

The success of manga locally and internationally has brought a lot of attention to people here, that writing a manga takes you to a market beyond Japan - if you are successful. To success you need to practice and here online there is a kit available for you to practice writing manga.　

http://www.kawachigazai.co.jp/item/H010_01.htm

Sate (Yakitori) Untuk Diet?

2009-01-14T09:50:00.006+09:00

Berasal dari daerah Fukushima sebuah lagu yang bertema Yakitori menjadi populer dan telah terjual lebih dari 400,000 CD, dengan judul "Yakitori Ojiisan" , yang kalau di terjemahkan ke Bahasa berarti Tukang Jual Sate". Lagu ini diciptakan dengan tema Yakitori karena target pendengarnya adalah pemuda dan pekerja di Jepang yang saat ini sedang mengalami resesi.

Walaupun uang Yen lebih stabil dibandingkan valuta asing seperti US Dollar, sudah 10 tahun ini perekonomian di Jepang belum juga bangkit dari resesi. Menurut data riset, terutama para pemuda dan pegawai kantor merasa bahwa ekonomi akan lebih buruk di masa mendatang. Persepsi ini mengakibatkan para pemuda lebih segan untuk mengeluarkan uang, dan cenderung untuk menyimpan uang di tabungan demi masa mendatang.

Yakitori adalah makanan yang murah meriah dan dari jaman dulu dikenal di Jepang sebagai makanan para pegawai kantor yang tidak bergaji tinggi dan makanan yang digemari para pemuda di sini. Lagu ini dipromosikan dengan tujuan supaya pemuda dan pekerja di daerah Fukushima bangkit dari persepsi negatif terhadap ekonomi dan lagu yang lucu dengan ritmik dangdut ini bisa membuat mereka tertawa dan menjalani masa-masa sulit dengan besar hati.

Setelah menjadi hit di daerah Fukushima, seorang wanita, pelajar Universitas yang drop-out menggunakan lagu ini untuk lagu joget. Semula hanya merupakan joget biasa tetapi pelajar tersebut mempromosikan lagu dan joget tersebut ke teman-teman dan lagu joget tersebut menjadi populer dan akhirnya terkenal sebagai lagu joget yang efektif untuk diet. Pelajar wanita tersebut mengungkapkan bukti nyata bahwa dalam waktu setengah tahun berat badannya turun 10 kilogram setelah mengenal lagu Yakitori Ojisan dan berjoget tiap hari setiap mendengar lagu tersebut.

Ide seperti ini sangat jarang dan kesuksesan lagu tersebut adalah bukti bahwa dalam masa resesi masih ada kesempatan untuk sukses. Yang penting bagi pemuda dan pelajar jaman sekarang adalah mencari kesempatan tersebut dengan pemikiran yang selalu kreatif, positif dan pantang mundur.

Untuk yang tertarik mau mendengar lagu Tukang Jual Sate & berjoget besama:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgxCrpXoh-A