Courtesty of myfatpocket (I know–how awesome is that name?), a video designed to show the coiffure challenged how to style their hair the Japanese way. Okay, my coarse, curly hair would NOT look good this way, but I love the idea.
This past June, the family and I went to South Korea for ten days. One of our favorite hot spots was the amazing Totoman Toy Museum in Insadong.
Tucked into a second story spot on the main drag, Totoman is easy to miss. Costing 1000 won for admittance, the “museum” is really one large room, crammed with endless toys from the 50s through today, many from Japan. There’s no really rhyme or reason to the organization, which is part of what makes it so compelling. Every nook has more to see, with things piled on top of one another, generations of toys lumped together.
Of course, we had some personal favorites. Who doesn’t love a child with a machine gun?
There were plenty of treasures to buy and we stocked up on stickers, wall art, and small notebooks.
I did get a little obsessed with the collection of rubber stamps.
Of course, our favorites were the Japanese toys–and Tintin just loved Ultraman.
Posted in Craft, Culture, Vintage, art, travel
Tagged Japanese Toys, Kids with Machine Guns, Rubber Stamps, Seoul, South Korea, Tintin and Ultraman, Totoman Toy Museum
This past summer, we visited Korea for two weeks and loved wandering the grocery stores, wondering what was inside many of the packages and trying things just for the heck of it.We particularly loved the way each counter had a theme, and a uniform to match!
Now, I can explore a Japanese grocery store, courtesy of this friendly tour guide. (Perhaps what I’m most impressed by is his speaking Japanese fluently to the woman in the in-store fish market.) At the very least, it’s interesting to note that Japanese markets have muzak too.
Posted in Culture
At our house, we spend much of our day stumbling over Legos and making sure the dog doesn’t chew any important new projects. In fact, I’m reluctant to let our son even see this video! And yet, how cool is this Lego boat? I can’t imagine how long it took to put this beauty together, or why they did it. (Watch for a suspenseful moment around two minutes in…)
Posted in Culture
I stumbled upon this today and found that there’s yet another reason to love Yoda. We all knew that Yoda kicked butt, but who thought he was actually a samurai master!
The language lesson, from the genius behind tofugu, makes me want to learn Japanese even more than I did before, even if just to impress the heck out of my 8-year-old.
Click here to learn how Yoda can teach you the rules of Japanese grammer. (If only he could have helped me with college Spanish…)
Posted in Culture
I realize this is short notice, but wanted to let people know about the first Asian American Comic-Con on July 11 in NYC. Here is the info and the link:
On July 11, 2009, the biggest Asian American creators in manga, mainstream and indie comics are gathering for a unique one-day event, featuring interactive workshops, intimate interviews, and hands-on opportunities to learn from the top talents in the trade. Meet and mingle with the masters. Get autographed copies of your favorite graphic novels and original sketches. And take part in provocative panels like:
–NERDPOP: The rise of the nerds, and why geek chic is changing the game
–EVERY COMIC IS ASIAN AMERICAN: An all-star lineup of novelists and poets reimagine their favorite comic book characters as Asian American
–POP GOES EAST: How the Asianification of American pop culture has reshaped the graphic novel
–THE NEW VILLAINS: Muslim insurgents, North Korean dictators, and Chinese spies, oh my!
–WRITERS’ BLOC: Leading comics writers discuss the craft of writing in panels, and show how graphical narratives allow for stories impossible to tell in any other medium
–VISUAL STORYTELLING–THE MASTER CLASS: Top comics creators show off their individual approaches to telling stories with pictures
–CAN COMICS PAY THE RENT?: Is there a future for the comics industry? And do you belong in it?
–SIMILAR DIFFERENCES: A one-on-one interview with alt-comics wunderkind DEREK KIRK KIM
–ASIANS IN BOXES–FROM CHOP-CHOP TO SILVER SAMURAI: A guided tour with science fiction legend William F. Wu, as he shares samples from his collection of thousands of comics depicting Asian images…good, bad, and definitely ugly
–HAMA TIME!: A spotlight interview with comics pioneer Larry Hama, creator of the G.I. Joe universe and winner of this year’s KIYAMA AWARD celebrating the achievements of Asians in comics!
Ok. I know this doesn’t qualify as “Japanistic”, but it is just too cool not to share. This photo comes by way of the Superlocal blog.
At Japanistic, we’re nothing if not troopers, and we had to be for our latest adventure.
At the gorgeous Brooklyn Botanic Garden, May 2nd and 3rd was the Sakuri Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival.
Two days of activities and attractions, in addition to their fabulous cherry blossom
We went on Sunday, and we pleased to see that the pouring—POURING—rain had done little to dissuade the crowds who were in attendance. Sure it required some re-organization, but everyone was in good spirits, patient, and in awe of the garden, even in the rain.
A few highlights for us:
Max Kitano, who made amazing creations out of sugar. Origami cranes, the Hokusai Wave, and gorgeous cherry blossom branches. (Of course, my little boy is a great fan of any art form which involves a small blow torch!)
The adorable Sushi Pillows (find them at sushipillows.com). So cute, even in the rain. And talk about troopers—their tent was leaking, they were standing in a puddle, and still smiling.
Taiko Drumming while we ate Bento Boxes, sitting on the not quite dry ground. Noodles so yummy, my guy has asked if we can find the restaurant that made them so we can go there next time we’re in New York! And a delicious seaweed salad.
Of course, the festival did bring out all sorts of fans of Japanese culture, whether to hear music spun by a JPOP dj, or to have a chance to dress as their favorite Anime character. Either way, there were many photo ops for everyone!
We left with our pants wet to our news, ready for the nearly 4-hour ride back to Massachusetts, but satisfied that we had appropriately honored one of our favorite flowering trees!
Check out these amazing manhole covers from Japan. The blog, Pink Tentacle, has the most amazing collection I have ever seen. Perfect combination of art, craft, and public policy.
The Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery will offer a variety of programs, exhibitions and tours to celebrate the 2009 National Cherry Blossom Festival, March 28 through April 12, in Washington, D.C.
Coinciding with the festival, the Sackler Gallery presents “The Tale of Shuten Doji,” March 21 through Sept. 20. Colorful illustrations on scrolls, screens, fans and books from Japan’s Edo period (1615-1868) tell the heroic tale of the conquest of the terrifying red monster Shuten Doji by the hero Minamoto Yorimitsu (948–1021), known as Raiko. Docent-led tours will be available throughout the duration of the exhibition.
Visitors can also explore the Japanese galleries in the Freer and learn how artists from the ninth through 19th centuries developed a distinctive repertoire of techniques for applying gold and silver to works of art in “Moonlight and Golden Clouds: Silver and Gold in the Arts of Japan,” on view through Nov. 8. In the adjacent galleries, 13 ceramics from China, Vietnam, Korea and Japan show how broken clay vessels were mended with lacquer resin and sprinkled with gold dust—transforming their appearance and creating a new component of appreciation in “Golden Seams: The Japanese Art of Mending Ceramics,” also on view though Nov. 8.
In the Freer and Sackler’s ImaginAsia workshops, children ages 8-14 and their adult companions can experience an exhibition and create a related art project to take home. On March 28 and 29, ImaginAsia presents an “Anime Artist Workshop,” which explores how contemporary artists draw upon the traditions of Japanese masters. On April 4-19, participants can learn about the exhibition “Moonlight and Clouds” and make their own silver and gold creations.
On Saturday, March 28, the Freer Gallery hosts the seventh annual “National Cherry Blossom Anime Marathon” in cooperation with the Japan Information and Culture Center and Otakorp Inc. The daylong event, beginning at 11 a.m. in the Meyer Auditorium, features a costume show and exhibition courtesy of the DC Anime Club.
Nine Japanese films are also coming to the Freer in the traveling retrospective “In the Realm of Oshima,” showcasing the brash, rebellious, passionate and conservative films of director Nagisa Oshima. Films will be screened on Fridays and Sundays from March 6 through April 5; two tickets per person will be distributed at the Meyer Auditorium one hour before each screening. For up-to-date information on show times and film titles and descriptions, visit www.asia.si.edu.
“The Tale of Shuten Doji” has been made possible with support from the Anne van Biema Endowment Fund.
“In the Realm of Oshima” was organized by James Quandt of the Cinematheque Ontario and sponsored by the Japan Foundation, the Kawakita Memorial Film Institute and Janus Films.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual two-week, citywide event featuring daily cultural performances, arts and crafts, exhibits and demonstrations, sporting events, international cuisine and other special events. It will be held March 28-April 12, with the parade April 4. The 2009 festival celebrates the 97th anniversary of the gift of the cherry blossom trees to United States from Japan and the enduring friendship between the citizens of the two countries. — www.newsdesk.si.edu
Posted in Culture, News, east meets west, travel
 |
|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|
 |
 |
 |
