3rd Anniversary of Japan Earthquake
Today is the 3rd year anniversary of the 2011 Japan Earthquake (8.9 on the Richter Scale) that ravaged Japan. So, just a thought for the victims and their family.
Also, today is the day that, in 1302, Romeo and Juliet got married.
Harajuku Fashion!
Harajuku is a neighborhood of Tokyo. A normal one. Except on Sundays.
Sunday is HARAJUKU FASHION DAY. Head to Yoyogi Park, and you’ll immediately see what that means. Teenagers from all corners of Tokyo (and Japan!) come to Harajuku to show off their style. Here are the more common styles or ‘cliques’ of clothing:
The Gothic Lolita
Characterised by black, victorian (usually shortened) era style clothing with loads of lace and ribbons, the Gothic Lolita is very feminine, dark and elegant to make the wearer look like a porcelain victorian doll.
Gothic Lolitas (credits to artist)
The Sweet Lolita
Inspired by the Rococo Era, it’s innocent and well, sweet. Uses loads of pink ribbons, cute rabbits, references to books such as ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ and ‘Alice in Wonderland’. (especially the latter. It’s an obsession)
(credits to artists)
The Japanese Punk
You see Punks? Add loads of layers to their clothes and stick them on a random Japanese person.
J-Punk (credits to artists)
The Cosplayer
They dress up as their favourite character from an anime or manga. Not only in Harajuku, head to the nearest Comicon and you’ll see loads. There’re pros and…not pros.
Cosplaying Hatsune Miku (credits go to artists)
Decora Style
It’s bright, it’s plastic, it’s decora style! Literally decorate yourself with anything. The flashier the better.
Decora Style (credits to artists)
Kawaii
Literally cute. It’s innocent and playful and with lots of pastels, in a modern way.
Kawaii desu ne~ (credits to artists)
Wamono
Mixing traditional japanese clothing with Western. I like it.
Wamono (credits to artists)
Random Fact
Petrol stations are quite different over there. You can only guess they're petrol stations because they have two guys who wave like mad when you drive your car in. Which can look like they want to assault you. But no, just look up and TA-DA! petrol pumps! Because in Japan, petrol falls from the sky! So you stop your car beneath one, hand over your keys and the two guys do the rest. By the rest, I mean they fill the car up, clean the windscreen (inside and out), and loads of other little charming things.
But if in the West, shoes collect the last few drops, do heads collect them in Japan?
Random Fact!
In Japan, nobody holds hands, except mums and kids, kids, and teenage rebels. You can’t kiss either, it’s “incitation to debauchery” and you’ll get yelled at by a policeman. However, there is a secret techniqe to show you’re going out with the girl next to you: Pull her violently towards you when you hear a cyclist coming.
Cyclists in Japan must get so annoyed at this….
Random Fact!
In Japan, trucks speak. They say stuff like “Bakku shimasu” (I’m going backwards) and “Hidari ni magarimasu” (I’m turning left) in a lovely female voice
Random Fact!
There is a service in Japan called daikou taxi. It is for drunk people who want to get home without leaving their car at the pub. So they call a daikou taxi chauffeur who drives them home in their own car.
It’s also nicer for taxis, they don’t have to clean their car if the drunk guy pukes everywhere.
Random Fact!
If a pickpocket is noticed in a shop, the shop will play the theme tune for “the pink panther” so as to warn customers without alarming them
Hello! My name is Juliette and I’m a huge fan of Japanese culture. So much in fact that after 4 years of pestering them, my parents have decided to send me off there for two weeks this summer. This blog is just going to be a form of “revision” of what I already know before going, and a way to share my experience when I get there! I hope you’ll enjoy it. *does a little japanese bow* I’ll try my best not to ramble on too much…
Japan in…154 days
I’ll start off by a (as a brief as I can make it…^_^”) overview of Japan (called Nihon in Japanese, which means “Sun-origin” or the “Land of the Rising sun”)
Map of Japan
Japan is made of 4 main islands and 1000s of small ones (the most recent popped up not so long ago). The 4 main islands are Hokkaido, in the North, Honshu, the big center where Tokyo is, and then Shikoku and Kyushu in the South. All are connected to Honshu by tunnels and bridges.
Japan has an Imperial Family, but much like the English Royal family and other European ones, they’re just symbolic heads of state and “symbol of the state and unity of the people”.
The imperial family
The Emperor is the highest Shinto authority, since his family is supposed to be descended from the Sun Goddess Amaterasu (you know, like the Fire technique Itachi uses in Naruto and the name of the wolf in Okami). They also have a really cool seal representing a chrysanthemum.
The awesome chrystantemum seal
Religion in Japan is a bit mixed up. The two main ones are Shinto and Buddhist, and you basically Pick n’ Mix them. You can be born Buddhist and die Shinto, or vice-versa, or mix celebrations. It all depends on what you’d rather do. There’s also a Christian community that is quite strong, and used to be persecuted by samurais until the samurais themselves converted. (some)
(by the way, none of these images are mine. EVER. Unless I mention it.)
P.S I have never been presented to the Imperial Family. Again ,that is NOT my picture.
Countdown to Japan 