Washi

Washi or Wagami (和紙) is a Japan paper. Washi comes from wa meaning Japanese and shi meaning paper, and the term is used to describe paper made by hand in the traditional manner. Washi was developed from the traditional Chinese paper-making process.

Washi is made using fibers, almost any grass or tree can be material to made washi. Gampi, mitsumata, and paper mulberry are three popular sources.

• Ganpishi (雁皮紙) - In ancient times, it was called Hishi (斐紙). Ganpishi has a smooth, shiny surface and is used for books and crafts.

• Kozogami (楮紙) - Kozogami is made from paper mulberry and it is the most widely made type of washi. It has a toughness closer to cloth than to ordinary paper and does not weaken significantly when treated to be water-resistant.

• Mitsumatagami (三椏紙) - Mitsumatagami or mitsumata shrub (Edgeworthia papyrifera) has an ivory-colored, fine surface and is used for shodo as well as printing. It was used to print paper money in Meiji period.

Washi also can be made using bamboo, hemp, rice, and wheat.

Washi is generally tougher than ordinary paper and used in many traditional arts such as origami (fold paper art), shodo (Japanese calligraphy), and ukiyo-e (a genre of woodblock prints).

Washi was also used to make various everyday stuffs like clothes house goods, and toys as vestments and ritual objects for Shinto priests and statues of Buddha. It was also used to make wreathsthat were as medals for winners in the 1998 Winter Paralympics.

Matsumoto Jun

Matsumoto Jun (松本 潤,) was born in Tokyo, August 30^th,1983. His nickname is Matsujun. Heis one of Japanese top singer and actor. He is best known as Arashi member, a Japanese popular boyband and as the youngest member in the group.

Matsujun is the youngest child. Because his older sister support od KinKi Kids, he made a decision to join Johnny’s Entertainment in 1996, which has popular actors, actresses, and singers, like Hamasaki Ayumi. When he was in elementary school graduation day, he sent his application and a week later, he received a phone from Johnny Kitagawa, the president of Johnny’s Entertainment and he was received without any audition. Matsujun graduated from Horikoshi Gakuen, a renowned high school known for its many performing arts alumnae, at the age of 18.

Matsujun began his career in the entertainment industry as a back-up dancer for other groups before he was gathered into a five-member group named Arashi in 1999 at the age of 16. The group's name means "storm" and is meant to represent the group's ambition of "creating a storm throughout the world" through their music. Arashi's debut single, “A.RA.SHI”. was success reaching number 1 on the charts

arashi

Beside as singer, they also have their own tv shows since 2001. Their first program is Mayonaka no Arashi ("Midnight Arashi") and had 38 episodes. Another tv hows are Arashi no Shukudai-kun ("Arashi's Homework"), Himitsu no Arashi-chan ("Arashi-chan's Secrets") and a game show, VS Arashi.

Matsujun have many dramas and movies where he played in. Such as HanaYori Dango as Doumyoji Tsukasa (he got an award from this drama), Gokusen 1, Banbino!, Kimi wa Petto, and the newest drama is Smile where he played as Japanese-Philippines.

Chikuwa and Kamaboko

Chikuwa is the most simple food. Chikuwa found when an emperor wife’s in a tour to Korea. On the way, they eat dissolved fish and made it into ball form, skewered, and baked. Because the form was similar with Gama – a plant, so it called Gama no ho (Gama fruit), and then became kamaboko. In that time, kamaboko became expensive food and only noble family and emperor soldier can ate them.

In Edo period, kamaboko – finally – can ate by common. But emperor soldier became jealous. In order to keep ate kamaboko, common citizens called it with chikuwa, means can be cut like bamboo slices. And then, chikuwa became famous. But kamaboko still exist, it still kind of chikuwa but has different shape.

Chikuwa made from surimi fish, salt, sugar, starch flour, and white part of egg, and mixed. The dough molded in bamboo or metal mold and steamed.

Chikuwa is one of Japanese favorite food, and almost all over Japan eat it, because chikuwa is low fat, but rich of protein.

You can eat chikuwa uncooked, but it also have good taste if fried or cooked with broth or dressing.

kamaboko

New Year Food

New year is the time when Japanese hope next year better then last year. New year identically with party and gathering. To celebrate new year, they make special food for new year.

In December, Japanese make mochi – made from rice flour. There are steamed mochi, baked mochi, fried mochi, mochi soup, etc

.

mochi

In the middle of December, Japanese do “bounenka”, a ritual which they go to gathering and have meal together and drink to forget all bad things during last year.

In December 31^st, Japanese eat soba – Japan noodle.

soba

At night before 00.00, they gather in front of big box and pray. This ritual – in the past – was throw a coin inside the box. Some of them also go to Fujisan (Fuji Mountain) to see new year sunrise called hatsu-hinode. When sun appear, they pray to Amaterasu (sun god).

After praying, they gather with their family and eat “Osechi ryori”, there is a food which is difficult to spoiled even kept days without warming. Now, Osechi ryori already sell in store with price about ¥10.000.

osechi ryori

Osechi ryori which served in box (jubako) has three until five kind of foods. Some of them are kuromame (sweet black soybean), date maki (sweet roll omelette egg), kurikinton (potato and sweet beans), tazukuri (dry sardines teriyaki), kobu maki (rolled konbu with fish), and kinpira gobo. These foods are decorated beautifully and sweet tastes. Why? Because Japanese have belief that if they eat beautiful and sweet foods, they life next year will be better than last year.

The way to Introduction

To introduce yourself in Japanese, this is an example :

Hajimemashite はじめまして

Namae wa Yuki desu　名前はユキです

19 sai desu　１９歳です

Yoroshiku onegai shimasu　よろしくお願いします

It means :

Hi (but hajimemashite just used in introduce)

My name is Yuki

19 years old

I beg your help

Hajimemashite not only used in front of the introduction, but also used in the end of introduction.

Example.

Yuki desu

Hajimemashite.

In socialization, namae wa usually not used anymore, they only say their name.

If you won’t to say your age, it’s okay.

Some of them, if they introduce themselves, say his/her age, status (already married or not), their blood type, and what enterprise/business they came from (this is because they are very proud of their business/enterprise and pride to be inside)

Must remember point is keep polite in attitude and words / grammar you used, because it’s very important for first meeting with Japanese.

Things in Your Room

In this post, I’ll introduce things that usually in bedroom in Japanese. If there’s a thing I don’t write, you can write it in comment box.

1. Doa ドア

Absorbed from English, ‘door’. Nowadays, Japanese often say door with ‘doa’

2. Mado まど

Means ‘window’.

3. Hon dana　本だな

Means ‘bookcase’. Japanese often use it to keep their books. According to the age, they keep science books, encyclopedia, comics, magazines, and other favorite books.

4. Beddo　ベッド

Means ‘bed’. Absorbed from English too, ‘bed’. Because in Japanese language, they don’t have consonant, so all consonant in the end or middle of the word added vocal letter.

5. yagu, moufu 夜具、モウフ

Means ‘blanket’.

6. makura　まくら

Means ‘pillow’.

7. tansu たんす

Means ‘clothes cupboard’.

8. senpuuki せんぷうき

Means ‘fan’. Nowadays they usually use air conditioner to make the air cooler.

9. tokei 時計

Means ‘watch’.

10. Denwa / keitai denwa　電話・けいたい電話

Means ‘house phone’ and ‘cellphone’.

11. Pasokon / Konpyuta　パソコン・コンピュータ

Means ‘computer’. Pasokon was absorbed from ‘personal computer’, and they make it short to be ‘pasokon’. And konpyuta was absorbed from English ‘computer’.

12. eakon /Reibo　エアコン．冷簿

Means ‘air conditioner’. They make it short to be ‘eakon’, or they often say it ‘reibo’, means ‘cooler machine’. They often turn it on in summer when the weather is hot.

13. danbo 　暖ぼ

Means ‘warmer machine’. In Japanese house, they have these two machines, danbo and reibo. Danbo will turn on in winter to make them keep warm.

14. terebi / terebishon　テレビ・テレビション

Means ‘television’. To make it short, they often say it ‘terebi’

15. rajio　ラジオ

Absorbed from English ‘radio’.

16. Kagami　かがみ

Means ‘mirror’.

17. gomi bako　ごみばこ

Means ‘rubbish box’.

Shibuya 109

109 (Ichi-maru-kyū) is a department store in Shibuya, Tokyo.The store is operated by the Tokyu Malls Development (TMD), a company under the Tokyu Group.

Shibuya 109 located across the street from Shibuya station, Dogenzaka district of Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, what used to be called Koibumi Yokocho (Love letter lane), the center of fashion for young women in Japan, which opened in April 1979.

This building, which has variety of trendy clothing outlets, has succeeded by targeting women age 15 to 20, and have many new brands stuffs here. The main customer base of Shibuya 109 is girls in their teens who are fans of the popular all-girls group “Morning Musume”. Many popular foreign singers and actresses come here when they are in Japan. Not only foreign singers and actresses, Japanese singers and actresses also come here to shopping, even Japanese top diva, Hamasaki Ayumi, has her own store here.

The architect was Minoru Takeyama. Tokyu, the building's operator, designed the building as a "Fashion Community" containing small retail stores targeting the early-30s female consumer.

The name of the building, 109, is taken from the Japanese characters to (meaning 10) and kyu (9) as in Tokyu. The interior of the building is designed to move shoppers in a loop on each floor from the elevators past various shops. A movie theater was originally planned for the top floor, but the fire department would not grant approval due to emergency-evacuation routes not meeting appropriate standards. Although originally targed at women in their 30s, the building later became more known as a mecca for young women from the gyaru subculture

When it first opened for business, this fashion center aimed at a wide range of customers, from young people to the middle-aged and elderly. Following the collapse of the bubble economy in early 1990s, sales dropped off sharply. In 1995, Shibuya 109 reinvented itself by deciding to cease targeting men and to draw young women instead. The strategy paid off, and Shibuya 109 posted record sales of ¥23.5 billion ($213 million at ¥110 to the dollar) in 2003.

Because this fashion center has been attracting customers from all over Japan, such as middle school and high school girls visiting Tokyo on school trips, Shibuya 109 marked its twenty-fifth anniversary by beginning sales over the Internet.

Miso

Miso, purportedly, was food sent by god. Miso was kind of soup.

Miso was soybean pasta from 10 months fermentation. Fermentation process using salt and koji. Koji made from mixed flour, leaves, and soybean. Because of long-rage fermentation, the taste was very salty.

According to the taste, shape, color, and aroma, miso has 3 categories. There are dark miso or brownish red, yellow, and white.

Dark miso (shinshu miso) made as soup topping in autumn and winter. This kind of miso cooked with radish or carrot.

White miso (shiro miso) often consumed in summer as hiyashi vinegar topping.

Yellow miso has sweet taste and can be consumed anytime.

Beside as soup topping, miso also ate with fish, meat, vegetables, uncooked food, ramen, etc.

Miso was delicious and healthy, because miso has so much nutrition. Two spoons of miso has 71 mg of calorie, 4.00 mg protein, 2.00 mg fat, 9.00 mg carbohydrate, 23.00 mg calcium, 1.25 mg zinc. That’s why, Japanese love miso and they believe miso was sent by god as present.

Okonomiyaki, Japanese Pizza

The word “Okonomiyaki” came from ‘okonomi’ means ‘according appetite’, and ‘yaki’ means ‘bake’. According to those means, okonomiyaki was a food which people can choose the topping according to his/her appetite.

Purportedly, Okonomiyaki was made by sailors because they wanted to ate pizza like he ever ate in Italy. Therefore, they mixed liquid wheat. In their home, they introduced that food in Kansai area. Okonomiyaki, firstly, was developing form from Funoyaki (fried wheat flour dough).

In Meiji Era, Funoyaki developed to Dondonyaki (added nori/seaweed, sausage, fish, and sauce). Dondonyaki have a form like omelette and rolled with chopsticks.

In Showa Era, Dondonyaki developed to Kyabetsukyaki because it used uster sauce. Okonomiyaki was final form of Kyabetsuyaki.

Okonomiyaki made from special wheat flour because baking powder, salt, and dashi was already inside. The flour diluted with water, add slices of cabbage, egg, cockle shells, shrimp, and squid or meat. In order to make dough soft, added yamaimo (kind of potato) and baked in flat wok.

According to the way in making okonomiyaki, there are two kinds of okonomiyaki.

First, okonomiyaki ala Kansai, added slices of cabbage inside the dough

Second, okonomiyaki ala Hiroshima, slices of cabbage just put above dough when it already has omelette form.

Both of them have very thick and sticky sauce.

The difference between both kinds of okonomiyaki is the sauce Okonomiyaki ala Kansai has mayonnaise inside the sauce, and okonomiyaki ala Hiroshima hasn’t.

Nowadays, okonomiyaki already served in restaurants with various toppings. Some of toppings are red ginger, yakisoba noodle, tenkasu, corn, green onion, dried bonito flakes, beans, etc. Because of that, okonomiyaki was one of Japan’s healthy fast food.

Chanoyu (Tea Ceremony)

Tea, or Camelia sinensis, was known in China since emperor Shen Nong period. From China, tea spread to all over the world.

Tea came to Japan, brought by Yeisei, a Buddhist monk, who knew tea when studying Buddha in China. Now, Yeisei known as “Japan’s father of tea”.

Tea became Japanese favorite quickly because has relation to religion. And then, tea ceremony was appeared, named chanoyu, means “hot water for tea”. Famous tea in Japan is maccha tea, made from green tea powder.

This ceremony – in beginning – used as discipline or the way to serve tea in front of emperor. There were so much difficult rules. Because of it, Lafcadio Hearn – a Ireland-greece journalist and historian – make a book of this ritual.

Chashitsu (Tea room) was very sacred, and then become the room where geisha waiting and geisha become tea steeper. Three Buddhist monks tried to made the ceremony holy again.

Chashitsu

Ikkyu (1394-1481) was a prince and a monk and become the one who tried to take back the holy in tea ceremony. And then been continue by his student, Murata Shuki (1422-1502) and he introduced again the right way in tea ceremony. And then, Sen-no Rikkyu (1521-1591). From those three monks, Sen-no Rikkyu was the most succeed. His standard in tea ceremony keep used until now.

First, guest accompanied to waiting room and served hot water in a cup. When in this room, guest will praise the home owner. And then, all people go to garden to wash their hand and mouth.

Guest go inside tea serve room. In go inside this room, guest must leave shoes and things outdoor. In this room, guest enjoy the decoration and ikebana while drink sake.

Then, guest go to garden and wait the house owner finish make thick tea. When the owner finish, they bell the gong in order to let guest come inside in Chashitsu. In Chashitsu, guest drink thick tea and some various of food. Usually, tea ceremony held about 4 hours.

Tea cup

This tradition have good values, as reflection of owner knowledge and personality, like life goal, the way of thinking, religion, and art knowledge, according to tea ceremony ideology.

And for the guests, before come to the ceremony, they must study the rules, habits, good manners, ethics, and how to enjoy served snack. Guests also admiring the garden, decoration, architecture, ceramic, and flowers inside the rooms.

Kanpo

Kanpo is Japan’s traditional tonic (from medicinal herbs). Kanpo’s letter was came from two china character, there are Kan (han) means “from China”, and po (ho) means “way”. It means, before Kanpo reached Japan, Kanpo was China traditional treatment since thousand years ago. In 593, Suiko – Japan’s woman empress – sent her delegation to Korea, when in that time Korean used China medicinal treatment. Because China’s treatment was very practical, the empress sent two delegations to studied in China. They also learned to mixed herbs and Yin and Yang unsure to patient from China’s traditional healer. This treatment pattern brought to Japan and called Kanpo.

In Heian period, a student named Yasuyori Tanba, succeeded in studied Japan’s ancient treatment book “isshinho”, sourced from China. In this book, wrote about 17.000 medicine formulas and shorten become 365 medicinal herbs, consist of 120 joyaku or high medicinal, 120 chuyaku or middle medicinal, and 125 shimoyaku or low medicinal.

Joyaku used for common illness (ex. for vitality) and shimoyaku used for serious illness. But if consume continually can make negative side effect. And then, Kanpo maker in China fixed the formulas in order to make no side effect with using animal skin and fossil. But Japanese keep commit that base material of Kanpo was herbs.

Japanese modern citizens nowadays know Kanpo as Japanese Herbal Therapy. Kanpo used as illness healer and health keeper. Kanpo also can heal depression impact like insomnia, nervous, nightmare, etc.

Some of Japanese use Kanpo by themselves (no consultation) named Individual Kanpo Treatments with Barley Sprouts, this formula can heal sadness and depression for adults.

The way is : 6-15 gram barley sprout and 1 cup of water mixed together, drink once a day.

But this formula not for suckled mother.

Biota used to heal people who has depression indication, this herbal usually sell in tablet, and not for continually.

Licorice used for depression with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), this formula can smoothing blood stream, increasing oxygen supply to brain, and make mood better. Whis formula can drink every day for 6 weeks, not for they who have high blood pressure, leukemia, melanoma, and woman who has reproduction system interference.

Morinda used to keep health and increasing man’s vitality, the impact is difficult to urinate. . Beside medicinal herbs I said above, there are another medicinal herbs like Biota Seed pill to Nourish the heart, Coptis Decoction to destroy poison in body, etc. And those all Kanpo was made from herbs.

Dorama

Dorama (ドラマ) or Japanese drama is television series in Japan. Word “Dorama” was absorbed from English, “Drama”. Dorama was very popular – like manga / comic.

Dorama has various story like school life, comedy, mystery, detective, etc. Dorama also has different story like another drama. Because of that, Dorama become very popular. Most of doramas story taken from manga. Like Zettai Kareshi, from manga with same name “Zettai Kareshi”

Dorama was turning during 3 months and according to four seasons in Japan, there are Winter (Januari-Maret), spring (April-June), summer (July-September), and autumn (Oktober-December). In beginning of a season, new title of dorama was turn. Therefore, dorama always up date every season.

Dorama – majority – in television from 21.00 until 23.00. Dorama which is in night, turning every week and usually the episodes number was among 9-12 every season. Dorama which is turn in morning (in NHK television) turning every day, called asadora.

Here some Dorama, include the synopsis.

Hana Yori Dango

Makino Tsukushi is the only poor student at Eitoku Gakuen, the school of the ridiculously rich and privileged that is ruled by Flower 4 or F4, a group of four boys who come from extremely powerful families: Domyoji Tsukasa, the leader and heir of the Domyoji World Finance Group; Hanazawa Rui, the introverted son of a large company; Nishikado Sojiro, a player who is the heir of a tea ceremony school; and Mimasaka Akira, a madam killer with ties to the underground. If a student gets on the F4’s bad side, he/she gets a red notice and is bullied and driven out of school.

Makino hopes to pass her days quietly-- without drawing any attention to herself-- but one day, she stands up to Domyoji in defense of her friend. The next day, Makino gets the dreaded red notice. Even though she is harassed, Makino decides to keep going to school because she is a “tough weed”. She declares war right back on the F4. Her resolve gets the attention of her crush Hanazawa Rui and oddly enough, rouses romantic feelings in her worst enemy, Domyoji Tsukasa.

The series is based on the Japanese shoujo manga "Hana Yori Dango" (Boys Before Flowers) by Kamio Yoko.

Atashinchi no Danshi

Horikita Maki’s character is burdened with 100 million yen worth of debt after her gambling father disappears. Chased out of her home by collectors, she is forced to sleep in places like internet cafes. However, she meets the president of a major company who offers to pay off the debt if she marries him, and she soon finds herself moving in with a rather eccentric family.

Banbino

A drama adaptation of a popular comic written by Sekiya Tetsuji. After a year of working at a neighborhood Italian restaurant, Ban Shogo (Matsumoto Jun), an enthusiastic, cocky young college student from Fukuoka, comes to Tokyo to perfect his cooking skills as a chef in Italian cuisine. He discovers he has much to learn and has to continually prove himself to the very competitive, quick and efficient staff at the upscale Italian restaurant.

Kimi wa petto

Smart, successful and good-looking Sumire Iwaya works for a big newspaper. However she is dumped for being a “perfect woman” followed by degradation. Then she finds Takeshi Goda (Jun Matsumoto) in a box out the front of her home and takes him in. He looks like a dog she used to own called Momo. She dubs him Momo and decides to “keep him as a pet.’ It’s the start of an unexpected life together as they overcome obstacles and gradually deepen their feelings for each other.