IN LOVE WITH JAPAN: Japanese rice balls " Onigiri.."

IN LOVE WITH JAPAN: Japanese rice balls " Onigiri..": Japanese rice balls " Onigiri.." O-nigiri ( お握り or 御握り ; おにぎり , also known as o-musubi ( お結び ; おむすび ?) , nigirimeshi ( 握り飯 ...

Japanese rice balls " Onigiri.."

Japanese rice balls " Onigiri.."

O-nigiri (お握り or 御握り; おにぎり, also known as o-musubi (お結び; おむすび?), nigirimeshi (握り飯; にぎりめし) or rice ball, is a Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or oval shapes and often wrapped in nori (seaweed). Traditionally, an onigiri is filled with pickled ume (umeboshi), salted salmon, katsuobushi, kombu, tarako, or any other salty or sour ingredient as a natural preservative. Because of the popularity of onigiri in Japan, most convenience stores stock their onigiri with various fillings and flavors. There are even specialized shops which only sell onigiri to take away.

author of the article ; syd , from geisha moments facebook site https://www.facebook.com/GeishaMoments?ref=stream

IN LOVE WITH JAPAN: kimono1. A Brie...

IN LOVE WITH JAPAN:
                                kimono

1. A Brie...:                                 kimono 1. A Brief  About Kimono's History: Amongst the traditional Japanese clothes that ...

kimono

                                kimono

1. A Brief  About Kimono's History:

Amongst the traditional Japanese clothes that have long been part of the local tradition, the kimono is the most famous one and perhaps the biggest identity forming apparel of the country. Traditionally kimonos have been worn by both men and women. The word kimono literally means "clothing",  it is also called as Gofuku which means clothes of Wu and up until the mid 19th century it was the form of dress worn by everyone in Japan.

The Han Chinese clothing in fact influenced the earlier Kimonos of 5th Century. It was only during the Heian period, the kimonos changed and became more stylized about their designs.

Then during the period of Muromachi, a single Kimono,Kosode, was worn. It was actually considered an underwear before that time, and it was worn without the trousers or divided skirt called Hakama and held closed by a belt called Obi.

After this, during the period of Edo, the sleeves became lengthy, especially among women who are unmarried. At the same time the Obi also became wider and the style of  tying the Obi changed in distinctive ways. After this the essentially basic shape of Kimono for men and women changed drastically.

They are worn now mostly on special occasions, people owning perhaps only one or even just hiring them two or three times a year instead. Kimono is perhaps most unique wafuku. In the old times, both men and women used kimonos as everyday costume, but nowadays only women wear it in formal occasions. Men are seen wearing kimonos very rarely in Japan, only in their wedding or other traditional ceremony. Women can wear kimono in various occasions, starting from seijinshiki (japanese celebration that honors every person that has turned 20 years old)  , to omiai, or traditional tea ceremony.

There are different types of kimonos, worn by different classes of people and on different occasions. Kimonos are available in different kinds of materials as well. Kimonos range from highly formal to casual. The extent of formality of a kimono is determined by its fabric, pattern, and colour, as well as the number of crests in it. Having about five crests (known as 'Kamon"in Japanese) on one's kimonos signifies the highest level of formality. A kimono made of silk similarly signifies a high degree of formality, while those of cotton and polyester signify casualness.

Tailoring a kimono is called wasai (和裁 means Japanese traditional dress making ) and it takes one to two months just to hand tailor a kimono, add to that the time it takes for the textile art to be applied by various artisans to the fabric and the fact that most are silk and you realise why a silk kimono can cost as much as a small car and why the Japanese take such care of them and expect each to be used by at least three generations.

  

1.1 The Basic Elements of Kimono:  

In the old times, kimono had more layers of cloth than nowadays. Court ladies were said to have up to sixteen layers of different coloured fabrics. Kimono is made of only four strips of fabric - two for main panels and two for sleeves. Thus the basic construction of kimono is rather simple. However, making a kimono consumes more cloth than you would realize - about 9 meters of 30 centimeter wide cloth.

A kimono is composed of different parts with each of them having their own names.

  1.2 Kimono Textile: 

Kimonos can be made of silk, wool, cotton, linen or synthetic material and with most unique designs. One of the most famous kimono materials is tsumugi, especially one from Oshima. Different motifs decorate the textile. Some are sewn into the cloth, some are dyed. They are imprinted with the most unique designs .

1.3 Kimono Underwear:

 With formal kimono, it is common to wear two (or sometimes more) layers of traditional underwear. The first layers of underwear (against your skin) is called hadajuban. It protects kimono and second layers of cloth from sweat and provide warmth in winter. Sometimes padding is worn underneath the hadajuban.

Over hadajuban, nagajuban is worn. The purpose of nagajuban is to conceal the body shape and make kimono look smooth when worn, and add little bit softness to the look of kimono.

 1.4 Obi:

 An important part is missing from images above which is obi, the belt or sash. It is usually tied just below the woman'sbosom. There are various obi that convey a different message, as discussed further.

The purpose of obi is not only keep the package together, but also to shape the woman's body so that the hip and breasts are not visible. If obi itself isn't enough to do this, sometimes a towel is added under obi. A cardboard or similar material is often added to smooth down the wrinkles of the obi to make it look more smooth and give it support.

The height of the obi varies regarding woman's age marital status. Obi is sometimes suggested to be a Japanese version of western corset, but this is incorrect since obi is not that tight and also, as we realized, purpose of obi is opposite from corset - to conceal feminine parts.

1.5 Additional Accessories:

There are many more pieces to the kimono that may or may not be required, depending on the formality of the occasion. Wooden sandals and special socks called tabi are often worn. Kanzashi are decorations worn in the hair of female kimono wearers and often feature silk flowers and small fans.The intricacies of kimono dress are numerous and have many variations depending on the occasion or season.

1.6 Kimono Styles:

 There are styles of Japanese kimono for various occasions, ranging from extremely formal to very casual. The level of formality of women’s kimonos is determined mostly by the pattern and fabric, and also the color. The choice of which type of kimono to wear is laden with symbolism and subtle social messages.

The specific choice relates to the woman’s age and marital status, and the level of formality of the occasion. In descending order of formality.

how to dress a kimono

references:

http://www.hanamiweb.com/kimono.html#whatsignify

http://www.wafuku.co.uk/kimonoinfo2.htm

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/cultural/experience/q.html

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/japan/traditional-japanese-fashion/1494

http://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/14/1306/japan-from-junihitoe-to-jeans2.asp

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

IN LOVE WITH JAPAN: IN LOVE WITH JAPAN: artists from japan: Katsushika...

IN LOVE WITH JAPAN: IN LOVE WITH JAPAN: artists from japan: Katsushika...: IN LOVE WITH JAPAN: artists from japan: Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎 : artists from japan:  Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎 Katsushika Hoku...

IN LOVE WITH JAPAN: artists from japan: Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎

IN LOVE WITH JAPAN: artists from japan: Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎: artists from japan:  Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎 Katsushika Hokusai ( 葛飾北斎, Katsushika Hokusai? 1760–May 10, 1849  ) was a Japan...

artists from japan: Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎

artists from japan: Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎

Katsushika Hokusai ( 葛飾北斎, Katsushika Hokusai? 1760–May 10, 1849  ) was a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period. In his time he was Japan's leading expert on Chinese painting. Born in Edo (now Tokyo), Hokusai is best-known as author of the woodblock print series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (c. 1831)  , which includes the internationally recognized print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, created during the 1820s. Hokusai created the "Thirty-Six Views" both as a response to a domestic travel boom and as part of a personal obsession with Mount Fuji. It was this series, specifically The Great Wave print and Fuji in Clear Weather, that secured Hokusai’s fame both in Japan and overseas. As historian Richard Lane concludes, "Indeed, if there is one work that made Hokusai's name, both in Japan and abroad, it must be this monumental print-series...". While Hokusai's work prior to this series is certainly important, it was not until this series that he gained broad recognition and left a lasting impact on the art world. It was The Great Wave print that initially received, and continues to receive, acclaim and popularity in the Western world.

Katsushika Hokusai is thought to have learned art from his father. He began painting around the age of 6, and by the time he was 12 he was sent to work in a library and bookshop where many of the middle and upper class would go to appreciate wood block art and read stories. At the age of 14, he was taken in as an apprentice to learn the art of wood carving. When he was 18, he was accepted into the studio of Katsukawa Shunshō to learn the art of wood block prints.

early career:

From his early beginnings as a student of Katsukawa Shunshō, Katsushika Hokusai began to master the art of Ukiyo-e, the Japanese art of wood block prints. These prints commonly depicted famous players in theater and popular landscapes. It was then he was given a new name, the first of his name changes of his artistic career. During this time as an apprentice he also married for the first time. Very little information is known about his first wife except that she died in the early 1790s.

When Katsukawa Shunshō died in 1793, Katsushika Hokusai began experimenting with different kinds of art popular in Europe during that time. This form of art is later what led to his fame, but also got him expelled from the studio of Katsukawa Shunshō from his chief disciple. The images of his artwork had changed from that of popular courtesans and actors to daily life of the Japanese people and common Japanese images and landscapes. His medium changed to brush paintings instead of wood blocks, and thus beginning the height of his career, as well as another name change.

height of career:

Over the next decade, Hokusai gained increasing fame both because of his skill as an artist as well as his knack for self-promotion. It was said that he created a portrait of a Buddhist monk for a Tokyo festival which was over 600 feet long using brooms and buckets of ink. He was also placed in the court of the Shogun Iyenari for a competition with another local artist at the time where he was said to have won. In the court of the Shogun, he was able to learn the art of other types of brushstrokes and attract other students of art to learn his techniques. He was also paired with a writer during this period to create illustrated books. This form of art in the illustrated books has evolved into what we know now as the types of caricatures used in comic books today.

While Hokusai contributed to the art of comic books, he is most popularly known for his ukiyo-e print series 36 views of Mt. Fuji, originally released with 36 prints. Ten more were added after original publication. 36 views of Mt. Fuji is actually 46 prints. This publication was followed by 100 views of Mt. Fuji, which is deemed as the masterpiece of his career. His landscape picture books are deemed masterpieces among many as they turned the focus of artwork at the time from courtesans and popular actors to landscapes detailing plants, people, animals, and mountains.

Between 1814 and 1820, 12 collections of books put together known as manga were considered the precursors to today’s modern manga, the main inspiration behind comic book drawing. While these works of art were considered noteworthy in Japan during that era, he didn’t gain notoriety overseas until long after his death.

hokusai's later life and death:

In 1839, disaster struck as a fire destroyed Hokusai's studio and much of his work. By this time, his career was beginning to wane as younger artists such as Andō Hiroshige became increasingly popular. But Hokusai never stopped painting, and completed Ducks in a Stream at the age of 87.

Constantly seeking to produce better work, he apparently exclaimed on his deathbed, "If only Heaven will give me just another ten years... Just another five more years, then I could become a real painter." He died on May 10, 1849 , and was buried at the Seikyō-ji in Tokyo

Important Works:

• Fukujusô shunga series, ca. 1784
• Hokusai Manga, 15 volumes; published 1814–78, the last volume was published posthumously
• Fugaku sanjūrokkei ("Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji") series of 46 prints, published 1830. This included:
  
  The Great Wave at Kanagawa, ca. 1830


• Shokoku taki meguri ("A journey to the waterfalls of all the provinces") series, published ca. 1831
• Shokoku meikyō kiran ("A journey along the bridges in all the provinces") series, published ca. 1831–32

When he was seventy-five Hokusai wrote, in the preface to the "One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji", the following lines about his life and his program to the future:

"From the age of five I have had a mania for sketching the forms of things. From about the age of fifty I produced a number of designs, yet of all I drew prior to the age of seventy there is truly nothing of great note. At the age of seventy-two I finally apprehended something of the true quality of birds, animals, insects, fish and of the vital nature of grasses and trees. Therefore, at eighty I shall have made some progress, at ninety I shall have penetrated even further the deeper meaning of things, at one hundred I shall have become truly marvelous, and at one hundred and ten, each dot, each line shall surely possess a life of its own. I only beg that others of sufficiently long life take care to note the truth of my words."

IN LOVE WITH JAPAN: history of japan

IN LOVE WITH JAPAN: history of japan: history of japan this is an organogram, who shows the most Historical periods known in the history of Japan A/ancient japan: Jomo...

IN LOVE WITH JAPAN: general information on japan

IN LOVE WITH JAPAN: general information on japan: general information on japan    country name and localisation : Japan " Nihon or Nippon in Japanese" ,  is an  island nation ...

general information on japan

general information on japan 

1.  country name and localisation :Japan "Nihon or Nippon in Japanese" , is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun".
2. Geographic coordinates: 36 00 N, 138 00 E
3. capital of the country; "tokyo".
4. land surface: Japan's total land area is about 378,000 square km,About 3/4 of Japan's land surface is mountainous.Japan's highest mountain is Mt. Fuji (3,776 m) with Kitadake at 3,192 m being the second highest.
5. coastline: 29,751 km
6. Ethnic groups: 98.5% Japanese , 0.5% Korean , 0.4% Chinese , 0.6% other
7. religion: both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other religions 16% ,but a lot of Japanese people are not conscious about religion,and Japan enjoys full religious freedom based on Article 20 of its Constitution.
8. languages: More than 99 percent of the population speaks Japanese as their first language.
9. population:The last set of official figures pertaining to Japan’s population were released at the time of the 2010 census and the final statistics showed there to be 128,056,026 people here which would make Japan the tenth largest country in the world. However, a recent estimate showed that the population of Japan in 2012 had fallen to around 127,960,000
10. governement and politics: Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor is very limited. As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people". Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan and other elected members of the Diet, while sovereignty is vested in the Japanese people. 
11. economy:The economy of Japan is the third largest national economy in the world after the United States and the People's Republic of China and is the world's second largest developed economy According to the International Monetary Fund.
12. national anthem:"Kimigayo" (君が代) is the national anthem of Japan,"Kimigayo" is also one of the world's shortest national anthems currently in use, Its lyrics are based on a Waka poem written in the Heian period.
13. flag: The Japanese flag was officially adopted on February 27, 1870. The national flag of Japan is officially called Nisshoki, meaning sun-mark flag, and is also called Hinomaru in which means "circle of the sun." The flag of Japan features a red circle on a white background,Japan has been associated with the symbol of the sun since at least the seventh century, and although the exact origin of the flag is not known, most scholars believe it is related to the country's nickname.
14. climate: varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north.
15. currency: The Japanese yen (円 or 圓 en?, sign: ¥; code: JPY) is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling.

map of japan

flag of japan

history of japan

history of japan

this is an organogram, who shows the most Historical periods known in the history of Japan

A/ancient japan:

1. Jomon Period (13000 BC to 300 BC): the inhabitants of the Japanese islands were gatherers, fishers and hunters. Jomon is the name of the era's pottery.
2.  Yayoi Period  (300 BC to 300 AD): the rice culture was imported into Japan around 100 BC. With the introduction of agriculture, social classes started to evolve, and parts of the country began to unite under powerful land owners. Chinese travellers during the Han and Wei dynasties reported that a queen called Himiko (or Pimiku) reigned over Japan at that time. The Yayoi period brought also the introduction of iron and other modern ideas from Korea into Japan. Again, its pottery gave the period its name.
3. Kofun Period (300 - 538): a center of power had developed in the fertile Kinai plain, and by about 400 AD the country was united as Yamato Japan with its political center in and around the province of Yamato (about today's Nara Prefecture). The period's name comes from the large tombs (kofun) that were built for the political leaders of that era. Yamato Japan extended from Kyushu to the Kinai plain, but did not yet include the Kanto, Tohoku and Hokkaido.

B/classical japan :

1. Nara Period (710-794):A centralized government, with its capital in what is now the city of Nara, was established under a Chinese-style system of law codes known as the Ritsuryo system. Buddhism became the national religion, and Buddhist art and architecture flourished. Provincial temples called kokubunji were set up throughout Japan. It was during this period that the Great Buddha at the Todaiji temple in Nara was built. Histories of Japan, such as Kojiki and Nihon shoki were compiled, as was the celebrated collection of poetry called Man'yoshu.
2. Heian Period (794-1185):After the capital moved to what is now Kyoto, certain noble families,especially the Fujiwara family, gained control of the government, ruling on behalf of the emperor. The Chinese-style culture that had dominated the Nara period was gradually replaced by a more indigenous style of culture closer to the lives of the people and their natural surroundings. The palaces of the emperor and the residences of the noble families incorporated beautiful gardens, with buildings in the shinden-zukuri style of architecture. Literary masterpieces such as Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji and Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book were written during this period.

C/kamakura period (1185-1333): After the Genji clan emerged victorious in battles with the Heike clan, Yoritomo, the head of the Genji clan, established a military government in a fishing village called Kamakura and became the nation's first shogun, or military leader. This marked the beginning of Japan's 700 years of shogunate rule (it was only in 1868, in the Meiji Restoration, that the Emperor was restored to power) and the ascendancy of the warrior caste, known as samurai. Bound to their feudal lord by a strict code of honor, the samurai led a Spartan lifestyle exemplified by the tenets of Zen Buddhism, introduced to Japan in 1190, which espoused mental and physical discipline and had a tremendous influence on the arts and literature.

D/Muromachi and Azuchi-Momoyama Periods (1333-1600): With the fall of the Kamakura government, a new feudal government was established at Muromachi in Kyoto in 1336. The shogun led an extravagant life, building villas like the Golden and Silver Pavilions and the rock garden at Ryoanji Temple, which are still major attractions today. It was a time also of newfound cultural pursuits, with Noh drama, the tea ceremony, flower arranging and landscape gardening becoming the rage of the privileged class. In the provinces, however, trouble brewed as feudal lords vied for power, eventually erupting into civil wars that consumed the nation for more than a century. Mighty castles mushroomed throughout the land, built by feudal lords not only for defense but as a symbol of military strength and power.

E/Edo period (1600-1868): Tokugawa Ieyasu, who defeated other vassals of the deceased Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the Battle of Sekigahara and thereby gained control of Japan, established the Tokugawa Shogunate in Edo (now Tokyo). The Tokugawa shoguns ruled Japan for over 260 years, and for some 200 of these years the country was virtually shut off from foreign contact by the shogunate's policy of national seclusion. From the end of the 17th century through the beginning of the 18th century, a colorful, down-to-earth new culture developed among the townsmen of the older cities of Kyoto and Osaka. Ihara Saikaku composed his ukiyo-zoshi (books of the "floating world"), Chikamatsu Monzaemon portrayed tragic relationships between men and women in his puppet plays, and Matsuo Basho raised the comic haiku verse form to the level of a literary art. By the Bunka and Bunsei eras, at the beginning of the 19th century, this new merchant-class form of culture was also flourishing in the shogunal capital of Edo. The kabuki drama was in its heyday. The printing of books had become an industry. The art of the woodblock print (ukiyoe) was born, with Sharaku producing his portraits of actors, Utamaro his pictures of beautiful women, and Hokusai and Hiroshige their landscapes. 

F/Meiji Period (1868-1912): The Meiji Restoration, by which political authority was restored from the shogunate to the imperial court, ushered in a period of far-reaching reform. The policy of national seclusion was rescinded, and the culture and civilization of the West began to pervade every aspect of Japanese life. Japan's victories in the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese wars enabled it to assume the stance of a modern, imperialistic world power. Modern Japanese literature was born with the publication of Futabatei Shimei's novel Ukigumo (Drifting Clouds), the first literary work to be written in the modern colloquial language.

G/Taishō period (1912–26): period in Japanese history corresponding to the reign of the Taishō emperor, Yoshihito (1879–1926). It followed the Meiji period and represented a continuation of Japan’s rise on the international scene and liberalism at home. Politically, the country moved toward broader representational government. The tax qualification for voting was reduced, enfranchising more voters, and was eliminated in 1925. Party politics flourished, and legislation favourable to labour was passed. Japan continued to push China for economic and political concessions and entered into treaties with Western nations that acknowledged its interests in Korea, Manchuria, and the rest of China. Rural Japan did not fare as well as urban Japan, and an economic depression at the end of the Taishō period caused much suffering.

H/Showa Period (1926-1989) and Heisei Period (1989 to present):The financial crisis of 1927, which occurred in the aftermath of the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 that devastated the Tokyo area, eventually led to a long period of economic depression. In these circumstances, the power of the military increased, and it eventually gained control of the government. The Manchurian Incident of 1931 launched a series of events that culminated in Japan's entry into World War II. This war ended in Japan's defeat, with Emperor Showa accepting the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. Japan rose from the rubble of defeat, going on to achieve an almost miraculous economic recovery, which has allowed it to take its place among the world's leading democratic powers.

References :

1. http://www.japan-guide.com
2. http://web-japan.org
3. http://www.jnto.go.jp
4. http://www.britannica.com