Tanabata Festival

One of Japanese famous festival is Tanabata Festival.

In all over Japan on July 7^th, people celebrate Tanabata, and in stores, shopping spot, stations, and all along main streets, there are full color displays and white paper inscribed with kanji.

Tanabata Festival also known as Hoshi matsuri or star festival. Tanabata, in reality, is a celebration that base from a myth, that is a separated couple and met in Milky Way (Ama no kawa).

Legend said that this festival was based by a love story between two stars, that is weaver star or Vega or Shokujo or Orihime, and herdsman star or Altair or Kengyu or Aquila or Hikoboshi.

Kengyu and Shokujo

God in heaven have a daughter named Shokujo or Vega. Shokujo was always busy, so that her father worried about her loneliness. Someday, her father introduced her to a man named Kengyu or Altair. And than, both of them were in love. Because of it, Shokujo didn’t do her job anymore, that is weaving god’s cloths and Kengyu didn’t herd cows anymore. Shokujo’s father got angry and let them live separated. Shokujo cried all day, and her father worried about it. So that, he let them met once a year on July 7^th night. If it’s rain in festival day, that means Ama no kawa is overflow and block them away. So that, in July 6^th, people pray for them, that is no rain in the Tanabata day. People offer Tanzaku (a paper inscribed wishes) to two stars.

According to history, Tanabata was known in Japan in Nara Age (710-784 M) where at first was celebrated by rich family around palace.

Because Tanabata came from handmade art, so that Tanabata is a celebration for girls to hope for their talent in sewing, weaving, calligraphy, and another handcraft. This was held until Edo age (1603-1876 M). After Edo age, Tanabata celebration was held and enjoyed by common people.

In some areas, people light up the lanterns and float them on river or float bamboo branch on river to throw away their bad luck.

Decoration for Tanabata in Sendai

The most famous city with its Tanabata celebration is Sendai. In Sendai, Tanabata was held in August 7^th. Some citizens also celebrate it between July 6^th or 7^th. But according to year calendar, it was celebrate on July 7^th.

Tanabata tree and wishes paper

In this day, they celebrate Tanabata in temples and so many people pray there to get good luck in marriage. They also write their wishes – sometime a poem – in a colored paper (Tanzaku) and tied it on bamboo branch

Healthy tips ala Japan

Japanese women are very beautiful, they have tight skin, always healthy, and look younger. Every woman in the world, i bet, want to be like them too. So that, here is some tips to get all of it.

1. Love to eat seaweed

Most of Japanese foods are contains of seaweed. Seaweed has much important minerals for our body, like calcium, magnesium, phosphor, zinc, and potassium.

2. Eat sushi

Sushi is very healthy. Rice and uncooked fish mixed in sushi, with low fat (fat 30%) and have much omega-3

3. Drink green tea

As antioxidant, green tea can prevent from early aging, decrease stomach inflamed risk, prevent heart attack, lever, and prevent cancer growth, and blocked obesity. Not only Japanese. Nowadays, another countries already know the profit of green tea.

4. Walk is a habit

Wherever they go, as the distance can pass by walking, Japanese will take a walk. So that, Japanese woman always looks beautiful, and become more beautiful with walking. Because walking not only healthy for heart, but also to keep skin tight.

Sushi ; Japanese healthy food

One kind of Japanese foods is dominated with what already there in nature.

Sushi, which is combination of uncooked fish and spicy rice, which is a very exotic food for tourist, is everyday food for Japanese.

There are two kinds of sushi according to the shape. Kansai sushi style is sushi rice with another ingredients shaped in decorative shapes, and Edo sushi style is uncooked fish put above sushi rice, and also called nigiri sushi.

Sushi and sashimi are food made from sea material, so that have essential substance like omega-3, which is very important for our body to reach optimal healthy. Omega-3 can make blood pipe bigger, and automatically girder blood stream. Omega-3 rich in Tuna and Salmon.

Beside omega-3, seeweed as basic material of Nori (roasted seaweed) have much antioxidant essence that can prevent from cancer.

Cholesterol in sea food is HDL cholesterol that can decrease heart attack risk.

HaraJuku styLe ; LOLITA

it was kind of super cute (super kawaii - in Japanese) costum play, of course girls wear it, NOT boys ^.^

Lolita - in general - was a dress with full of ribbon and lace with pastel color. So that, girls who wear it looks like a doll, cute, and sweet.
But there're kind of Lolita's style, like gothic style (with off black, from hair, eye make-up, dress, boots, ect, mix lolita original style with gothic style), classic lolita (lolita's original/traditional style, really like a doll, with soft color dress and accessories), Lolita (with pastel dress, looks so childish = means cute).

How to appear like a doll, like lolita?

First, wear full lace dress, with light color / pastel, like very light blue, very light pink, or white. If you needs to appear gothic, wear black dress,,and try towear black dress with lace too, so that you don't miss the lolita's look.

Second, wear cute accessories, similar with your dress color, and wear soft color of make up like very light pink lipstick, and also matching with your dress and accessories.

Third, your behavior, must cute and looks childish,,so that people look at you like a super kawaii doll.

And the most important point is..
Be confident!!!

Which Japanese Style are You?

Kogal

Means young lady. They come from rich family and even they get adult, they still live with parents, so their money used to dress up and luxury lifestyle. The characters are : tanning skin, blonde, mini skirt, platform booth, branded things and accessories. But kogal not also have tan skin, there are with white skin also there.

Ganguro

Means black skin. The trend was in top in 90’s when girl’s like wear something like Afro girls with black skin, imitation eye lash, platform shoes, so much accessories. Ganguro usually put bright color around her eyes and lips.

Lolita

Means they who imitate Victorian doll with lace hat and dress. The character was cute and innocent. There are kind of Lolita ; Classic Lolita (appear with soft and traditional dress), Lolita (Appear with pastel dress, childish, full of ribbon and lace), and Gothic Lolita (mix Lolita style and gothic).

Visual Kei

This style imitate J-rock musician. They like to wear experimental and full color make-up and hair. The clothes were black and Gothic style.

"..haRajuKu.."

Who don’t know about Harajuku?
Harajuku is a place in Tokyo District where people wearing costumes like in comics and anime or something weird. Yes, Harajuku known as trendsetter of comic and anime costumes. Harajuku was the most famous place. We know it not only in Gwen Stephanie's song, but also in comic, Japan drama (dorama), from magazine, etc.

Do you know where the name “Harajuku” came from?
Harajuku took from the name of a train station, “Harajuku”. Around the train was known as Harajuku.

Harajuku Station

Harajuku was always crowd because people, especially teenagers, always come. The most crowd time was in Saturday and Sunday.

Exciting things in Harajuku is, when we come out from the train station, we could find markets that sell cosplay (costume play) equipments. Harajuku was also a spot to show off what the teenagers wear, not only anime or comic costumes, but also their own made costumes which is reflect their true character.

There are some fashion street spots we could see, Yoyogi Park, Takeshita-doori, and Omote-Sando, .

Yoyogi Park

Yoyogi Park was the most crowd place – crowd of the teenagers – especially in Sunday and holiday. In this large park, you suggested to wear something unique if you won’t look weird.

From Yoyogi Park, you can walk to Takeshita-doori.

Takeshita Doori

Here, we could find super experimental Tokyoite style. Even the street wasn’t too large, but there are so many boutique and café. If you like Gothic Lolita style, Visual Kei (looks like J-Rock), there’re many boutique which sell properties for it here.

Omote-sando

Omote-Sando was the center of international brand stuffs, like Ralph Lauren, GAP, etc. So, people who saw here was ‘head to toe all branded fashionista’. But there’re small shops which sell brand urban wear like A Bathing Ape and Undercover.

Yukata

Beside wear T-Shirt and hot pants, or tank top and mini skirt in summer, there’s yukata, Japanese summer clothes. But hey, isn’t it make hotter??

Of course not.

Yukata precisely wear in relax time in summer or Natsu

Literally, yukata means clothes after bath, that is a kind of kimono, but non formal , and made from cotton, without layer which wear in relax time in summer. Because yukata made from cotton, so that wind can pass through and make people feel cool. Beside for after bath cloth, yukata also used for sleep.

For boys, yukata usually made from dark color material, like black, dark blue, and dark purple with dark line pattern, and yukata for girls made from bright color or pastel material. Popular pattern for yukata for woman are sakura, chrysanthemum, flowers which blossoms in summer, gold fish, frog, itamutaro, pokemon, and hello kitty.

Wearing yukata is not easy, but not so difficult like wearing kimono. To looks good, yukata must compatible with user body measurement.

The long of yukata material always too long for the user, so that, the yukata must lifted a bit in waist, and stringed with koshihimo, and obi will added there (to cover koshihimo).

Nowadays, yukata used in every event, like summer festival. In summer festival, usually girls wear yukata, and wear geta (wood sandal). But boys not necessarily to wear yukata too, they’re free to wear yukata, or just T-shirt.

In bunkasai too, girls wear yukata. In bunkasai that was held in University of North Sumatera on 16-18 April 2009, we could saw woman and girls wearing yukata. It made them became more beautiful and elegant.

These are means of your yukata’s color, and some tips ;) =

Light Blue = easy, cool
Tips : wear light color or brighter color obi

Black = adult and sexy
Tips : wear colorful accessories

Peach = very feminine
Tips : wear dark or bright obi

Pink = feminine and cute
Tips : wear bright color accessories

White = plain and clean
Tips : wear bright color accessories