#Kamakura Spring Festival

[aishiteru-kenshin]

Kamakura Spring Festival

Early — Mid April

The Kamakura Matsuri is a week-long festival held from the 2nd Sunday of April to welcome in spring. The festival has been held since 1959 and today includes traditional theatrical performances, tea ceremonies, and — the most popular event — horseback archery (流鏑馬, yabusame). The archery event is held at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine from 1pm on the final Sunday with the first arrows let loose at 2pm.

[tiny-librarian]

Japanese Princess Aiko, the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, turned 22 on Friday, as she is leading a busy and fulfilling university life.

The princess is currently in her final year at the Faculty of Letters at Gakushuin University in Tokyo. After pandemic-related restrictions were lifted in the country, in-person classes resumed for many courses at her university.

She started to attend classes on campus this spring. Based on literature from Japan's Heian, Kamakura, Edo and Meiji periods, she is working on her graduation thesis. Meanwhile, the princess enjoyed the university's school festival in November, according to the Imperial Household Agency.

In addition to Japan's traditional culture, the princess is interested in welfare activities. In October, she and her parents visited the headquarters of the Japanese Red Cross Society to see a special exhibition on relief activities following the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake.

She also looked around the permanent exhibition there and seemed to be impressed by the involvement of Empress Dowager Shoken, the wife of Emperor Meiji, in the early years of the organization's activities.

Source

[brookston]

Holidays 1.4

Holidays

Amnesty For Polygamists Day

Appendectomy Day

Cavalry Day (Thailand)

Chona-Hajimeshiki (Kamakura, Japan)

Colonial Martyrs Repression Day (Angola)

Crucian Christmas Festival (US Virgin Islands)

Day of King Amador (São Tomé and Principe)

Day of the Martyrs (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Day to Mourn Racism

Dia del Periodista (National Journalist Day; Mexico)

Dimpled Chad Day (a.k.a. Hanging Chad Day)

Extra Humiliation Day

Father’s Day (Serbia)

Get Out Your Boxer Shorts Day

Hit Parade Day

Hwinukan Mukee (Ryukyuan; Okinawa, Japan)

International Jewish Book Day

International Unsolicited Duck Pic Day

Martyr’s Day (Dem. Republic of Congo)

Methuselah Star Day (Oldest Known Star; Universal Timeline)

National Clara Day

National Emotional Eating Awareness Day

National Missouri Day

National Rachel Day

National Ribbon Skirt Day (Canada)

National Trivia Day

Newtons Day

Ogoni Day (Nigeria)

Perchtenläufe (Festival to Frighten Away Winter; Austria)

Perihelion (Earth closest to the Sun)

Pop Music Chart Day

Rabbit Day (French Republic)

Short People Day

Tom Thumb Day

Trivia Day

World Braille Day (UN)

World Hypnotism Day

Zero Gravity Day [Hoax]

Food & Drink Celebrations

Blender Day

Eat an Oreo Cookie, Look at Your Teeth, and Remember to Floss Day

National Grape Day

National Kraft Mac & Cheese Day

National Spaghetti Carbonara Day

National Spaghetti Day

Nature Celebrations

Flower Basket Day

Independence, Flag & Related Days

Axonbazl (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Burma (a.k.a. Myanmar; from UK, 1948)

Martyrs of Independence Day (Zaire)

Utah Statehood Day (#45; 1890)

1st Saturday in January

Great Fruitcake Toss (Manitou Springs, Colorado) [1st Saturday]

National Bacon Day [1st Saturday]

National Rib Day [1st Saturday]

National Play Outside Day [1st Saturday of Every Month]

Sandwich Saturday [Every Saturday]

Six For Saturday [Every Saturday]

Sleep Over Saturday [1st Saturday of Each Month]

Social Saturday [1st Saturday of Each Month]

Sourdough Saturday [1st Saturday of Each Month]

Spaghetti Saturday [Every Saturday]

Straw Bear Day [Saturday before Plough Monday]

Weekly Holidays beginning January 4 (1st Week of the Year)

None Known

Festivals Beginning January 4, 2024

Carnaval Blancos Negros (Colombia) [thru 1.6]

Dolomiti Balloonfestival (Toblach, Italy) [thru 1.12]

Gualeguaychú Carnival (Gualeguaychú, Argentina) [thru 3.3]

Out of the Blue Festival (Cancun, Mexico) [thru 1.7]

Pennsylvania Farm Show (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) [thru 1.11]

Sydney Festival (Sydney, Australia) [thru 1.26]

Yuma Medjool Date Festival (Yuma, Arizona)

Feast Days

André Masson (Artology)

Angela of Foligno (Christian; Saint)

Arthur Villeneuve (Artology)

Carmen (Muppetism)

Caneida (Celtic Book of Days)

Charles Darwin Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Day of Setting Boundaries (Pagan)

Day to Honor Freyja (Norse)

Eleventh Day of Christmas

Elizabeth Ann Seton (Christian; Saint)

Evergreen Day (Pagan)

Ferréol of Uzès (Christian; Saint)

Festival of Fufluns (Etruscan God of Wine)

Forefeast of the Theophany (Bulgaria)

Janus Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Mavilus (Christian; Saint)

Newtonmas

Pharaildis of Ghent (Christian; Saint)

Rigobert (Christian; Saint)

Sacrifice to the Seven Stars (Chilseong’je; Korea; Everyday Wicca)

Spaghetti Day (Pastafarian)

Terminalia: Janus’s Day (Pagan)

Twelve Holy Days #10 (Capricorn, the knees; Esoteric Christianity)

Twelvetide, Day #11 (a.k.a. the Twelve Days of Christmas or Christmastide) [until 1.5]

Ulysses (Positivist; Saint)

Secular Saints Days

Albert Camus (Philosopher)

Guy Pène du Bois (Artist)

Marsden Hartley (Artist)

Augustus John (Artist)

André Masson (Artist)

Yoshitomo Nara (Artist)

Isaac Newton (Science) [NS]

François Rude (Artist)

Michael Stipe (Music)

Arthur Villeneuve (Artist)

Gao Xingjian (Writer)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Lucky Day (Philippines) [3 of 71]

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [3 of 32]

Tycho Brahe Unlucky Day (Scandinavia) [3 of 37]

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [2 of 57]

Unglückstage (Unlucky Day; Pennsylvania Dutch) [4 of 30]

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [3 of 60]

Premieres

Between Two Ferns (TV Talk Show; 2008)

Billboard’s Hit Parade (Popular Song List; 1936)

Bullwinkle’s Testimonial Dinner (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 333; 1965)

The Carnation Contended Hour (TV Musical Variety Show; 1932)

Cheese in the Trap (South Korean TV Series; 2016)

Chinatown Mystery (Scrappy Cartoon; 1932)

Cow-Cow Boogie (Swing Symphony Cartoon; 1943)

Derry Girls (UK TV Series; 2018)

Don’t Axe Me (WB MM Cartoon; 1958)

The Doors, by The Doors (Album; 1967)

Father’s Lion (Disney Cartoon; 1952)

Galavant (TV Series; 2015)

Hello, Orient or That’s Some Dandy-Looking China You Have There (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 334; 1965)

The Library of Babel, Jorge Luis Borges (Short Story; 1941)

A Man Lay Dead, by Ngaio Marsh (Novel; 1934) [Roderick Alleyn #1]

Mickey’s Polo Team (Mickey Mouse Disney Cartoon; 1936)

Night Court (TV Series; 1984)

Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out, recorded by Louis Jordan (Song; 1957)

Roundabout, by Yes (Song; 1972)

The Saint (Radio Series; 1945)

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow (a.k.a. The Big Trip Up Yonder), by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (Short Story; 1954)

Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (Novel; 1847)

Today’s Name Days

Angela, Marius, Rüdiger, Titus (Austria)

Tihomir (Bulgaria)

Anđela, Borislava, Emanuel (Croatia)

Diana (Czech Republic)

Metusalem (Denmark)

Ruth, Rutt (Estonia)

Ruut, Tiitus (Finland)

Odilon (France)

Angelika, Christiane (Germany)

Leóna, Titusz (Hungary)

Angela, Cristiana, Elsa, Ermete, Fausta (Italy)

Ilva, Spodra (Latvia)

Arimantas, Arimantė, Benedikta, Titas (Lithuania)

Roar, Roger (Norway)

Angelika, Aniela, Benedykta, Benita, Dobromir, Dobrymir, Eugeniusz, Grzegorz, Izabela, Leonia, Rygobert, Tytus (Poland)

Teoctist (Romania)

Anastasia (Russia)

Drahoslav (Slovakia)

Ángela, Rigoberto (Spain)

Rut (Sweden)

Conrad (Ukraine)

Angel, Angela, Angelica, Angelina, Angeline, Angelique, Angelo, Angie, Dangelo, Deangelo, Lewis, Lou, Louie, Louis, Luis (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 4 of 2025; 361 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of Week 1 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ruis (Elder) [Day 14 of 28]

Chinese: Month 12 (Ding-Chou), Day 5 (Gui-You)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Coptic: 26 Kiyahk 1741

Hebrew: 4 Teveth 5785

Islamic: 4 Rajab 1446

J Cal: 4 White; Foursday [4 of 30]

Julian: 22 December 2024

Moon: 26%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 4 Moses (1st Month) [Ulysses]

Runic Half Month: Eihwaz or Eoh (Yew Tree) [Day 13 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 15 of 90)

Week: 1st Week of January

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 14 of 30)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 1.4

Holidays

Amnesty For Polygamists Day

Appendectomy Day

Cavalry Day (Thailand)

Chona-Hajimeshiki (Kamakura, Japan)

Colonial Martyrs Repression Day (Angola)

Crucian Christmas Festival (US Virgin Islands)

Day of King Amador (São Tomé and Principe)

Day of the Martyrs (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Day to Mourn Racism

Dia del Periodista (National Journalist Day; Mexico)

Dimpled Chad Day (a.k.a. Hanging Chad Day)

Extra Humiliation Day

Father’s Day (Serbia)

Get Out Your Boxer Shorts Day

Hit Parade Day

Hwinukan Mukee (Ryukyuan; Okinawa, Japan)

International Jewish Book Day

International Unsolicited Duck Pic Day

Martyr’s Day (Dem. Republic of Congo)

Methuselah Star Day (Oldest Known Star; Universal Timeline)

National Clara Day

National Emotional Eating Awareness Day

National Missouri Day

National Rachel Day

National Ribbon Skirt Day (Canada)

National Trivia Day

Newtons Day

Ogoni Day (Nigeria)

Perchtenläufe (Festival to Frighten Away Winter; Austria)

Perihelion (Earth closest to the Sun)

Pop Music Chart Day

Rabbit Day (French Republic)

Short People Day

Tom Thumb Day

Trivia Day

World Braille Day (UN)

World Hypnotism Day

Zero Gravity Day [Hoax]

Food & Drink Celebrations

Blender Day

Eat an Oreo Cookie, Look at Your Teeth, and Remember to Floss Day

National Grape Day

National Kraft Mac & Cheese Day

National Spaghetti Carbonara Day

National Spaghetti Day

Nature Celebrations

Flower Basket Day

Independence, Flag & Related Days

Axonbazl (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Burma (a.k.a. Myanmar; from UK, 1948)

Martyrs of Independence Day (Zaire)

Utah Statehood Day (#45; 1890)

1st Saturday in January

Great Fruitcake Toss (Manitou Springs, Colorado) [1st Saturday]

National Bacon Day [1st Saturday]

National Rib Day [1st Saturday]

National Play Outside Day [1st Saturday of Every Month]

Sandwich Saturday [Every Saturday]

Six For Saturday [Every Saturday]

Sleep Over Saturday [1st Saturday of Each Month]

Social Saturday [1st Saturday of Each Month]

Sourdough Saturday [1st Saturday of Each Month]

Spaghetti Saturday [Every Saturday]

Straw Bear Day [Saturday before Plough Monday]

Weekly Holidays beginning January 4 (1st Week of the Year)

None Known

Festivals Beginning January 4, 2024

Carnaval Blancos Negros (Colombia) [thru 1.6]

Dolomiti Balloonfestival (Toblach, Italy) [thru 1.12]

Gualeguaychú Carnival (Gualeguaychú, Argentina) [thru 3.3]

Out of the Blue Festival (Cancun, Mexico) [thru 1.7]

Pennsylvania Farm Show (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) [thru 1.11]

Sydney Festival (Sydney, Australia) [thru 1.26]

Yuma Medjool Date Festival (Yuma, Arizona)

Feast Days

André Masson (Artology)

Angela of Foligno (Christian; Saint)

Arthur Villeneuve (Artology)

Carmen (Muppetism)

Caneida (Celtic Book of Days)

Charles Darwin Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Day of Setting Boundaries (Pagan)

Day to Honor Freyja (Norse)

Eleventh Day of Christmas

Elizabeth Ann Seton (Christian; Saint)

Evergreen Day (Pagan)

Ferréol of Uzès (Christian; Saint)

Festival of Fufluns (Etruscan God of Wine)

Forefeast of the Theophany (Bulgaria)

Janus Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Mavilus (Christian; Saint)

Newtonmas

Pharaildis of Ghent (Christian; Saint)

Rigobert (Christian; Saint)

Sacrifice to the Seven Stars (Chilseong’je; Korea; Everyday Wicca)

Spaghetti Day (Pastafarian)

Terminalia: Janus’s Day (Pagan)

Twelve Holy Days #10 (Capricorn, the knees; Esoteric Christianity)

Twelvetide, Day #11 (a.k.a. the Twelve Days of Christmas or Christmastide) [until 1.5]

Ulysses (Positivist; Saint)

Secular Saints Days

Albert Camus (Philosopher)

Guy Pène du Bois (Artist)

Marsden Hartley (Artist)

Augustus John (Artist)

André Masson (Artist)

Yoshitomo Nara (Artist)

Isaac Newton (Science) [NS]

François Rude (Artist)

Michael Stipe (Music)

Arthur Villeneuve (Artist)

Gao Xingjian (Writer)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Lucky Day (Philippines) [3 of 71]

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [3 of 32]

Tycho Brahe Unlucky Day (Scandinavia) [3 of 37]

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [2 of 57]

Unglückstage (Unlucky Day; Pennsylvania Dutch) [4 of 30]

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [3 of 60]

Premieres

Between Two Ferns (TV Talk Show; 2008)

Billboard’s Hit Parade (Popular Song List; 1936)

Bullwinkle’s Testimonial Dinner (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 333; 1965)

The Carnation Contended Hour (TV Musical Variety Show; 1932)

Cheese in the Trap (South Korean TV Series; 2016)

Chinatown Mystery (Scrappy Cartoon; 1932)

Cow-Cow Boogie (Swing Symphony Cartoon; 1943)

Derry Girls (UK TV Series; 2018)

Don’t Axe Me (WB MM Cartoon; 1958)

The Doors, by The Doors (Album; 1967)

Father’s Lion (Disney Cartoon; 1952)

Galavant (TV Series; 2015)

Hello, Orient or That’s Some Dandy-Looking China You Have There (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 334; 1965)

The Library of Babel, Jorge Luis Borges (Short Story; 1941)

A Man Lay Dead, by Ngaio Marsh (Novel; 1934) [Roderick Alleyn #1]

Mickey’s Polo Team (Mickey Mouse Disney Cartoon; 1936)

Night Court (TV Series; 1984)

Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out, recorded by Louis Jordan (Song; 1957)

Roundabout, by Yes (Song; 1972)

The Saint (Radio Series; 1945)

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow (a.k.a. The Big Trip Up Yonder), by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (Short Story; 1954)

Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (Novel; 1847)

Today’s Name Days

Angela, Marius, Rüdiger, Titus (Austria)

Tihomir (Bulgaria)

Anđela, Borislava, Emanuel (Croatia)

Diana (Czech Republic)

Metusalem (Denmark)

Ruth, Rutt (Estonia)

Ruut, Tiitus (Finland)

Odilon (France)

Angelika, Christiane (Germany)

Leóna, Titusz (Hungary)

Angela, Cristiana, Elsa, Ermete, Fausta (Italy)

Ilva, Spodra (Latvia)

Arimantas, Arimantė, Benedikta, Titas (Lithuania)

Roar, Roger (Norway)

Angelika, Aniela, Benedykta, Benita, Dobromir, Dobrymir, Eugeniusz, Grzegorz, Izabela, Leonia, Rygobert, Tytus (Poland)

Teoctist (Romania)

Anastasia (Russia)

Drahoslav (Slovakia)

Ángela, Rigoberto (Spain)

Rut (Sweden)

Conrad (Ukraine)

Angel, Angela, Angelica, Angelina, Angeline, Angelique, Angelo, Angie, Dangelo, Deangelo, Lewis, Lou, Louie, Louis, Luis (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 4 of 2025; 361 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of Week 1 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ruis (Elder) [Day 14 of 28]

Chinese: Month 12 (Ding-Chou), Day 5 (Gui-You)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Coptic: 26 Kiyahk 1741

Hebrew: 4 Teveth 5785

Islamic: 4 Rajab 1446

J Cal: 4 White; Foursday [4 of 30]

Julian: 22 December 2024

Moon: 26%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 4 Moses (1st Month) [Ulysses]

Runic Half Month: Eihwaz or Eoh (Yew Tree) [Day 13 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 15 of 90)

Week: 1st Week of January

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 14 of 30)

[satgurutravelae]

Explore These 5 Picture-Perfect Winter Destinations in Japan

Japan, a country of mesmerizing beauty, enchants visitors year-round with its diverse landscapes and cultural heritage. However, during winter, Japan transforms into a wonderland of snow-draped scenery and serene atmospheres that captivate travelers seeking picture-perfect moments. Whether you're an avid photographer, a nature lover, or someone longing for a dreamy winter escape, these five destinations in Japan promise unforgettable experiences.

1. Tadami River Bridge No. 1 Viewpoint, Fukushima

Nestled in the serene Mishima Town of Fukushima Prefecture, the Tadami River Bridge No. 1 Viewpoint is an iconic gem, offering a postcard-perfect view that feels like a dream. The Tadami River meanders gracefully below, surrounded by landscapes that shift with the seasons—from vibrant autumn hues to glistening white in winter. On calm days, the arch bridge’s reflection in the river creates a mesmerizing symmetrical view.

Accessible via a short walk from Michi-no-Eki Ozekaido Mishima-juku, a roadside stop offering snacks and local crafts, this spot is a favorite among photographers and travelers alike. The bridge itself is part of the Tadami Line, a 135-kilometer railway route between Aizu-Wakamatsu Station (Fukushima) and Koide Station (Niigata), renowned for its breathtaking scenery. This serene winter wonderland is not to be missed.

For those planning a winter escape, Japan holiday packages from Dubai UAE often include Fukushima as a prime destination, offering curated experiences that highlight its scenic beauty.

2. Iiyama Kamakura Village, Nagano

Ever dreamt of dining inside a cozy igloo? Head to the Iiyama Kamakura Village in Nagano Prefecture for a truly unique experience. Against a backdrop of snow-covered mountains, this village comprises around 20 snow domes, known as “kamakura.” Inside these domes, guests can enjoy warm, hearty meals like Noroshi Nabe, a local hot pot specialty featuring Miyuki Pork, Shinshu miso, and fresh local vegetables. Vegetarian and halal options are available, catering to diverse preferences.

In addition to dining, visitors can indulge in sweet treats like roasted sweet potatoes and oshiruko (red bean soup). The kamakura are beautifully illuminated at night, adding to their charm. Open from late January to late February, the site also hosts the Kamakura Festival, featuring live music, snow games, fireworks, and hut-making activities. Advance reservations are recommended for dining, as the igloos’ availability is limited.

With several Japan holiday packages from Dubai catering to Nagano’s winter charm, this destination is a must-add to your travel bucket list.

3. Gokayama Historic Villages, Toyama

Step into a living fairy tale at the historic villages of Gokayama in Toyama Prefecture. Located in Nanto City, these UNESCO World Heritage Sites are renowned for their unique gassho-zukuri houses, whose steep, thatched roofs resemble hands pressed together in prayer. These architectural wonders are designed to withstand heavy snowfall, making Gokayama a magical sight during winter.

Explore the hamlets of Ainokura and Suganuma, where some houses offer lodging for visitors, providing the rare opportunity to stay in a centuries-old home. During the Gokayama Winter Light-up (January 26 and February 1-2 in Suganuma; February 22-23 in Ainokura), the illuminated villages create a breathtaking spectacle. Additional activities include alpine skiing, cross-country adventures, hot spring relaxation, and traditional crafts like washi paper-making.

If you’re considering Japan tour packages from Dubai, be sure to include Toyama in your itinerary to witness this enchanting winter destination.

4. Kenrokuen Garden, Ishikawa

A masterpiece of landscaping, Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, is one of Japan’s Three Great Gardens. Spanning 11.4 hectares, it combines six essential attributes of a perfect garden: spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, waterways, and panoramas. Though enchanting year-round, winter adds a special allure with the yukitsuri technique—umbrella-shaped ropes tied to pine trees to protect their branches from snow.

Visitors can stroll past serene ponds, tea houses, and pagodas, each offering stunning vistas. Highlights include the Kasumiga-ike Pond and its naturally occurring fountain. Originally a private garden for the Maeda clan, Kenrokuen opened to the public in 1874 and remains a must-visit destination for those seeking tranquility and beauty.

5. Gujo Hachiman Castle, Gifu

Perched atop Hachiman Mountain, Gujo Hachiman Castle in Gifu Prefecture is a sight to behold during winter. Blanketed in snow, the wooden reconstruction of this 16th-century Yamashiro (mountain castle) exudes a magical aura. From its elevated position, the castle offers panoramic views of the surrounding valley, adding to its charm.

Built in 1559 by Endo Morikazu, the castle’s original stone walls have been preserved as historical properties. While much of it was reconstructed in 1933 using traditional wooden techniques, the atmosphere of feudal Japan remains intact. A visit to Gujo Hachiman Castle is a journey through history, set against the ethereal backdrop of a snowy Japanese winter.

Conclusion

Japan’s winter landscapes are nothing short of magical. From snow-covered bridges and igloo villages to historic castles and gardens, each destination offers a unique slice of Japan’s cultural and natural beauty. Plan your visit to these picturesque spots and create memories that will last a lifetime. Whether you’re exploring through Japan holiday packages from Dubai UAE or crafting your own adventure, winter in Japan promises an unforgettable journey.

[redsamuraiii]

Yabusame by tokio_kid via Japan Blossoms

Yabusame (mounted archery) dates back as far as the Kamakura Period (during the Mongol Invasion of Japan). Today, in places such as the Aomori Prefecture, it has become a tradition that is held during the cherry blossoms known as Sakura Yabusame where all the horse archers are females.

You can read more about its history or watch a video here. 

[tokidokitokyo]

秋田県

Japanese Prefectures: Tohoku - Akita

都道府県 (とどうふけん) - Prefectures of Japan

Learning the kanji and a little bit about each of Japan’s 47 prefectures!

Kanji・漢字

秋　あき、シュウ　autumn

田　た、デン　rice field

県　ケン　prefecture

東北　とうほく　north-east, Tōhoku (northernmost six prefectures of Honshu)

Prefectural Capital (県庁所在地) : Akita (秋田市)

Akita prefecture is known for the natural beauty of the sea and mountains, hot springs, and the preserved samurai district in the town of Kakunodate. The capital of Akita prefecture is Akita City, and the economy of the prefecture is structured around traditional industries such as fishing and agriculture, particularly rice cultivation, as well as high-quality sake. Akita's numerous seasonal festivals offer insight into traditional culture, especially the New Year's Eve Namahage Festival of Oga, which is unique to the Oga Peninsula area of Akita prefecture. The Namahage are demon-like beings which are portrayed by men dressed as masked ogres (oni) with traditional straw capes (mino), who go door-to-door in pairs or threes and admonish children who are lazy or who have been behaving badly. They are commonly shown on TV news making children cry as they visit homes in the neighbourhood during the New Year celebrations. Other, less traumatizing, festivals include the Yokote Kamakura Festival in February, where igloo-like snow houses (kamakura) are built across the city of Yokote, inside of each of which is a snow altar to the water deity to pray for ample water; or the Tsuchizaki Shinmeisha Shrine Float Festival, where floats with warrior dolls parade around the port area of Akita City. The women of the region are also famous as 秋田美人 (Akita bijin) or "beauties of Akita" and are known for their white skin, rounded faces and high voices.

Recommended Tourist Spot・おすすめ観光スポット

Nyūtō Onsen - 乳頭温泉郷

By Bjckashiwa

Nyūtō Onsen is a traditional hot spring town in the eastern mountains of Akita. The town has six ryokan, or traditional inns, some of which date from the Edo period, and a hotel. The most famous hot springs is Tsurunoyu, which is over 300 years old, and considered to be one of the best establishments in all of Japan for a traditional and authentic onsen ryokan experience in the countryside. The onsen in the town can also be visited with general admission for those not staying in the inns. Most of the ryokan have mixed-gender onsen in addition to the male-only and female-only baths. The Yumeguri Pass can be purchased at the ryokan, allowing access to all seven of the hot springs, and a reservation at the ryokan on a shuttle bus allows for easy access to all of the onsen. Nyūtō Onsen means "nipple hot spring" referring to the shape of Mount Nyūtō nearby. The mountains and the deepest lake in Japan, Tazawako, are only a 30-minute bus ride from Nyūtō Onsen.

Regional Cuisine - 郷土料理

Kiritampo Hot Pot - きりたんぽ鍋

Photo from HIS

Kiritampo are tubes of rice mashed up into a paste, wrapped around a skewer, and grilled on an open flame. These traditional tubes of sticky rice are then placed in a nabe (hot pot) with local meats and vegetables and cooked together, creating a dish perfect for the frigid winter.

Akita Dialect・Akita-ben・秋田弁

泣く子はいねがぁ (naku ko wa ine gaa)

Standard Japanese: 泣く子はいないか (naku ko wa inai ka) English: Is there a crybaby here? Note: A standard line used by Namahage during the Namahage Festival

あい、しかだね (ai, shika dane)

Standard Japanese: ありゃ～、仕方ないなあ (arya, shikata nai naa) English: Oh no, it can't be helped Note: Said when the other person does something by accident (casual)

これをけ (kore o ke)

Standard Japanese: これを食べてください (kore o tabete kudasai) English: Please eat this

どでした (do deshita)

Standard Japanese: びっくりした (bikkuri shita) English: I was surprised

[fizzingwizard]

So I played Snowy Escape this week! It’s my cup of tea! I watched LGR’s review (and Plumbella’s too) and yeah, as usual, I agree with both of them. The pack doesn’t give us a lot that’s really new, especially in terms of gameplay, and I really wish there had been even small interactive moments aboard trains and ski lifts. However, I also agree that it’s a really aesthetically beautiful pack. The way tourists who haven’t gone to Japan yet think of Japan might be like Tokyo Shibuya area, or Osaka shopping streets... but uh, Tokyo and Osaka are only two cities in all of Japan, and pretty much the entire rest of the country isn’t like that. The majority of Japan’s tourist attractions are nature- and history-based, after all.

The big question for me was just how touristy “Mt Komorebi” was going to come across. Sims is pretty noticeably America-centric, and Western culture is the norm. They put out Jungle Adventure and it’s like stepping into a 90s action movie. The most progressive thing you can say about the locals in that pack is that, due to being governed by the same rules that apply to all Sims, they don’t come across “different” enough to be straight up othered. The area they live in, of course, is underdeveloped in spite of the “culture” skill, and very much is meant to be an exotic adventure for Indiana Jones.

Komorebi’s not that bad though. I was impressed at first by the amount of detail there seemed to be. I never expected we’d get space heaters and kotatsu and nabe in-game without downloading CC. Taking off your shoes to go inside, using chopsticks, sliding doors (which I’ve wanted more of for SO LONG), are all true to life as well as modern and also just nice to have. There’s some weird bits, like how when sims sit at the kotatsu they don’t sit on their knees, their legs just disappear into the floor... I guess we can assume there’s a hole underneath (which is the case with some kotatsu just not usually the at-home kind). I also would have liked more every day interactions, like doing homework at the kotatsu or watching TV or even taking a nap.

The patterns for yukata/kimono are pretty awful though. The more understated ones I can live with, but anything with a splash of color is a fashion disaster.

The look of the houses in the towns are really nice. The interiors, not so much, but that’s easier to fix than the facade and landscaping for most of us. The non-interactive backgrounds areas really do look like Japan. It’s a pity we can’t explore it at all. (I would have LOVED just one interactive conbini. That’s one Japan staple that it’s simply weird to leave out. They probably figured conbini wouldn’t have anything the vending machines don’t have, but personally I’d rather have conbini than vending machines. Unless they made it rabbit hole, in which case fuck it)

Also liked the snow festival and the lights festival. It’s true there’s not a lot to do at them, other than take pictures, and it was really hard to get good pictures with my sims in them... When I went to snow festivals, you could do things like light candles in little snow cubbies, or have a meal in a kamakura, etc. That would have been nice. Otherwise it’s just look at the pretty sights and make normal snowmen. Same with the lights festival - it’s gorgeous, but... They do have food stalls but the variety is limited. You can get four different kinds of yakisoba and ramen but no okonomiyaki, no ikayaki. There’s no festival games. I’m currently festival-starved due to covid-19 so my hopes were a bit higher. Still... like I said, I enjoyed them. I guess I just like pretty things. And I do spend an inordinate amount of time just taking pictures of my Sims doing things anyway xP

The Youth festival is pretty dull. It seems more like a not!Pokemon festival than anything else. The crepes, however, are great. Also it’s really WEIRD that the koinobori (the carp flags) are out all the time, like a normal decoration, in the city. That’s one culture thing that I think got confused.

So as far as it goes... it’s not as touristy as I expected it to be. I give it props for that. It’s definitely still got a vibe of “non-Japanese foreigner goes for a visit,” as in, I think if a Japanese company made a Sims game with Japanese players in mind, they’d have done a ton things differently. But we got a more robust cultural depiction than we ever have before, so, nice.

The winter sports are fun! I weirdly didn’t get bored even though like LGR says, it is just watching the Sims do the same thing over and over again without any player interaction. That does suck but is also par for the course with Sims 4. Since I play multiple Sims at a time, it’s easy for me to stick one on the bunny slope and just let them ski until they level up while I do something else with another Sim :P (Sims is more fun when you cheat!)

The onsen is a let down. It’s nice, sure. It’s just a spa though. And it’s WEIRD that you can have sex in the onsen while other people are in it, even children, and they are not freaked out, but you can’t skinny dip in front of children. All they get is an uncomfortable moodlet afterwards because now the onsen water is dirty x’D I wonder if that’s an oversight that will get tweaked in the future...

However, onsen is very pretty too. I would have liked a smaller building and better landscaping with two or three hot springs to pick from. Also, there are gendered entrance curtains, but they don’t actually divide Sims by gender and all lead to the same place... I guess it’s good to have for pictures at least. If you want to put in the ladies room and mens room doors you could easily make his and hers as well as a mixed hot spring baths. I think this is one we just have to let the Sim builder greats take on.

So HIKING is awesome! I loved it! It’s relaxing for me. Some might find it dull, but it’s really just so pretty, and for me brings back a lot of memories. Hiking in Japan is pretty much like that (although a lot more mountainous of course). It’s somewhat dependent on your graphics settings - mine aren’t that high so like the bamboo forest vanishes as I cam through it.. can’t get that sense of really being inside it. Also when I came across the cemetery I had my spellcaster try to Necrocall the one grave that has interactions, but it didn’t work, even though the option came up. ?? I was expecting some sort of cool ghost. Oh well.

I’m interested in climbing. I don’t have Fitness Stuff so I never did it before. It’s way more boring than leveling the winter sports though. But I think the mountain climb will be worth it.

There are little kodama and sprites you can come across and interact vaguely with. I’ll accept that as a Ghibli nod. It’s more cute than cultural but it’s also a bit of fun surprise, though I haven’t noticed any real effect beyond a moodlet. (Was told one gave me a present but I couldn’t find it in my inventory so I think it was just the moodlet.)

Also the bugs!! That’s very Japan! And you can buy insect repellent hahaha that’s a level of realism I didn’t ask for but will take

I’ll talk about lifestyles and sentiments too. I don’t need them personally. The sentiments are kind of nice to see, but they’re predictable. You get the same ones if you do certain things. They give you a moodlet when the Sim shows up, which I guess I do like, but... tbh it’s damn inconvenient sometimes. For ex, I played by Tsubasa family to explore Mt Komorebi, and I noticed many conversations were inexplicably becoming “awkward.” The reason was - even though no one was saying or doing anything flirty - Kurogane and Fai were getting in the mood by just looking at each other thanks to sentiments, and Sakura and Syaoran were like -___-; I mean, it’s hilarious, but also annoying!

Lifestyles... eh. So far all my Sims just get the same ones. They all seem to get Adrenaline Seeker just for playing winter sports. Also I find the pop-ups warning me when a Sim’s going to lose their lifestyle annoying, and if a Sim gets a lifestyle I don’t want for them, it’s annoying to watch their mood change for dumb reasons like “didn’t spend enough time outdoors today.” It’s the same concept as traits. It’s kind of nice that you can change them around by doing different things, and since we’re limited to three traits I won’t say no to more (for example, instead of giving a Sim the “Loves the Outdoors” trait, you can try to get the Outdoorsy lifestyle and use the trait slot for something that influences their personality more). But all in all I find my Sims still just act the same as usual and the gameplay is all in pop-ups, so it’s just not exciting for me.

Also had a glitch where Sakura would take off her shoes to go inside but when she went out, she put on a pair of snowboots that I never even equipped her with, and she wore them with every outfit. Editing in CAS didn’t help. A reboot did though.

So pretty much, I definitely think they could have done more with this pack, BUT that’s been the case with literally every pack since the base game. There are no expectations for me anymore, that’s why I really just genuinely like this one. I’m happy they picked North Japan rather than Tokyo or Osaka, I think we got a lot more detail because of that.

[tokyogems]

Hi! I'm planning my 4th trip to Tokyo and I was wondering if you could share a few of your favorite things to do that are a bit less touristy! I'll be there for two weeks so I'm really looking forward to exploring and finding new hidden things

Hello! Hmm when my friends and I want to do something, we always try to find something interesting and new since we’ve all lived here for years now and we’ve exhausted all the touristy spots. Personally, I absolutely love the small hidden cafes all over Tokyo. I think Japan’s cafe culture is really amazing, I could never get tired of cafe hopping! And by going to a new cafe, it gives me the chance to also maybe visit an area I normally wouldn’t go to and look around. There are so many “minor” stations that wouldn’t be on a typical tour guide that are really fun to explore!

There are also some really nice relaxing parks and places to enjoy nature even in Tokyo. And if you haven’t already and have the time, take some day trips out of the city! Places like Koedo Kawagoe, Kamakura, Kawaguchiko (lol not sure why they’re all K) are just some of my recommendations for places that are quite close for a one day trip!

One specific place that I really enjoyed was the Open Air Edo Tokyo Museum. It wasn’t touristy, and because it’s a large outdoor space, it doesn’t feel crowded at all and it’s really fun to take photos there!

I also always recommend seasonal activities! If you’re coming in spring or summer, there are always lots of fun festivals to go to! And if you’re coming in fall, you should definitely go see the autumn leaves (Japan takes its fall leaves seriously haha) and in winter, there are gorgeous illuminations all around the city! I think seeing how Japan celebrates its seasons throughout the year is a really great way to enjoy your trip~

I hope I was able to be of some help again, and I hope you enjoy your trip 😊💕

[travelguideworldtour-blog]

15 Best Places to go in Japan

Japan is admired as being. From cities to quaint temples to snow slopes and experience trails, Japan can be just really actually a landscape which does an unbelievable job at combining a life style that is modern with traditions. An excursion this is guaranteed to be the one that is inspirational, enlightening, and exciting.

Lets explore the best places to go in Japan:

Kyoto

Ensure it is Kyoto if you have time to get a Japan destination. That really is normal Japan because you guessed itgeisha in brightly-coloured kimonos appearing from wooden tea-houses, woods of bamboo, temples and shrines in golden and silver and vivid red, raked gravel Zen gardens, elaborate feasts functioned lacquered plates, stylish tea ceremonies, along with markets high in fascinating although unidentifiable ingredients.

  Koya-San

Koyasan (Mount Koya) is still perhaps probably one of the very intriguing places in Japan to go through the conventional facet of the nation. By remaining at a temple or shukubo accommodation this scenic and temple town can be found in Kansai’s mountains and can be amongst the greatest places to find yourself a taste of life as being a monk.

  Kanazawa

Kanazawa is among the greatest cities however it is made by foreign tourists . Since Kyoto climbs in fame consider turning into Kanazawa for a more quiet spot to adventure geisha districts with properties that are maintained. There’s additionally perhaps probably one among the most gorgeous gardens in a castle the nation, and art museums to research.

  Hiroshima

Despite the devastating heritage of Hiroshima, the region can be home to yet another attraction that is remarkable. Itsukushima Shrine is just one of the nation’s most useful. A vermilion torii gate graces the shrine and stays from the drinking water. Once the tide is running very high, the arrangement seems to float on water. The town of Hiroshima is famous around the world because of its function as the primary victim of this bombings that were dreadful. As you might anticipate, the town’s many fascination may be that the monument dedicated for the action that is dreadful — not one aside from Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial.

  Nikko

Nikko is Japan’s most lavishly decorated shrine a little town at the entry to Nikko National Park for Toshogu and the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Another popular attraction is that your red-lacquered Shin-kyō bridge. One of the most very popular areas to see from Japan, the park offers hiking paths, waterfalls, lakes, crazy turtles as well as panoramic landscapes. While scenery is available year’round, autumn is a particularly great time to go to with Nikko.

  Tohoku

Tohoku is just actually really a term applied to refer to Japan’s most important island’s portion. Tohoku’s region is currently teeming with jewels and people could be wise to have a look at famous brands the Ginzan Onsen and Yama-dera.

A word of information for people seeing August: make sure you have a look at the Nebuta Festival of Aomori. It in a life adventure, before bookings are scooped up from tourists, however you ought to book accommodation well ahead of time!

  Takayama

Want to head into Hida-Takayama’s tourist town where they are able to experience life. Located close to the Japan Alps, Takayama is well-known for being among those towns. This city’s most pretty portion is named Sanmachi. It is made of three narrow closets full of wooden buildings stores and home attraction breweries.

  Nara

Once the police had been threatened by Buddhist monasteries, the capital was moved to Nagaoka in 784. Located less than one hour the earliest and largest temples of visiting Japan is now a favorite tourist activity. Visitors enjoy Todaiji Temple with manicured lawns, its properties along with bull strolling the causes.

  Tokyo

Travelers who prefer to associate with people will cherish Tokyo. The metropolitan area of the capital has become by far probably the most populous on earth. From seeing cherry flowers in gardens at Tuskiji into the fish market. Tokyo and the brand newest blend the ancient . Walking the streets of this hyperactive city can be an energizing experience.

  Ueno Park

Then there will be no greater place if your journeys allow for a short stay in Japan. This region provides a smorgasbord of attractions that allow individuals inside a place to sample lots of the unique charms of the country. There is an bustling buying bazaar to explore called.

  Yokohama

While Tokyo neighbor is an unknown say, it is never made by millions of people into Japan into Yokohama. Given the charm and history of the area, this can be a true pity. Whether have an enjoyable afternoon researching the Minato Mirai shore or you would like to walk the roads of the planet’s biggest are as of a few, this town has been certain to virtually everybody else! The welcoming vibe of Yokohama is more comfy, while Tokyo can feel paced occasionally. Have per day is unquestionably among the greatest what to accomplish to give a better breakdown of cities to yourself.

  Hakone

Hakone can be a calm coastal village with sexy springs using Mt. Fuji being a background. Simply take a onsen bathroom in a bathroom house or inn to get a relaxing adventure. Travelers may find serenity by the conclusion of Lake Ashinoko, also a crater lake that is magnificent at the Hakone Shrine. The springs will probably come in using several trekking paths, through the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. There is A favorite that your increase from Owakudani

  Hitsujiyama Park

Consequently seeing cherry blossom season can be a absolute necessity, japan is famous for the cherry flowers. See Hitsujiyama Park to your scenic shibazakura that doubles as’yard cherry flowers’. To Shibazakura Hill at Hitsujiyama Park, head from late April to early May. With over 400,000 trees of two varieties, it is a patchwork of white, crimson, crimson and violet, placed against the back ground of the Mount Buko that is amazing. For some Insta-gram inspo, grab the Chichibu Shibazakura Festival at the playground, at which the mountains have been arranged in a extravaganza of swirls and contours.

  Kamakura

Kamakura is looked at as a excursion, but the area has activities to pleasure you for days. Adding temples and bamboo groves, Kamakura is capable of meeting every reasons. Given straight back street hunting alleys Kamakura beaches, along with good eats, this area is certain to charm and entertain everybody.

  Izu Hanto

Fit for tourists, Izu Hanto features various adventurous and relaxing activities to select from which can be a far cry from holiday season. The island includes a coastline well suited for investigating, luxury hotels, tranquil shores, and lots of hot springs. The town hosts the most Kawazu Cherry Tree Festival, where guests may love the most iconic blossom with senses of the country.

15 Best Places to go in Japan

[kanasmusings]

Here’s Track 10 of Idol Festival! I posted it on Soundcloud because the file size was too big for tumblr lol.

Translations under the cut. Enjoy~

Other tracks: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] Masterpost: Here ^^

Notes before you read:

There’s a math question here and y’all, I tried to solve it for real and I’m not sure why I’m not getting the same answer lol. I’m an English major, damn it XD I haven’t done math in months. So, if you please manage to solve it, please tell me  (*´▽`*)

EDIT: Thank you to @yaoilover-89 for actually doing the math solving to help clear up the question! XD

Track 10 - “Which Quiz Show”

[どっちのクイズショー]

  MAHIRU:      The last segment is: “OMG! Which Quiz Show!”

MAHIRU:      It’s a quiz variety segment to test the idols’ knowledge!

MAHIRU:      Your hosts will be me, Shirota Mahiru and~

KURO:           Kuro.

MAHIRU:      We’ll be delivering it to you!

MAHIRU:      Let’s introduce our teams without further ado!

MAHIRU:      The first team is: Misono and Snow Lily Team!

MISONO:      I’ll be taking over this one. Any result aside from victory is not accepted!

LILY:             I’ll show you my healing powers as a reliable big brother idol~

LILY:            Now then, I shall strip—

MISONO:      Don’t strip!!

KURO:           Even if he does it’ll only be censored with mosaics.

MAHIRU:      The second team is: Tetsu and Hugh!

HUGH:           We’ll be aiming for victory with our perfect teamwork!

HUGH:           Let’s do our best, Tetsu~

TETSU:         Leave the muscle work to me.

MAHIRU:      There’s not really any muscle work, though…

KURO:           The third team is Licht and Lawless’ team.

HYDE:           Now, behold~!

LICHT:          (talks over Hyde) Behold the power of an angel!

HYDE:           Didn’t we agree that I’d greet first?! Why’d you go ahead and say something?

LICHT:          Shut up.

LICHT:          Hey, Staff! Cut off this shit rat’s mic!

HYDE:           What the--?! Ah, geez! Your angel wings keep on hitting me. It’s cramped so fold them!

KURO:           That’s all three teams~

BELKIA:       Wait, wait, WAIT!!

BELKIA:       Why are you purposely forgetting to introduce us, you bastard?!

TSUBAKI:    There, there, Bel~ You know how it goes~ Save the best for last!

TSUBAKI:    I, the president of the Tsubaki Company, am this segment’s main character!

BELKIA:       (in a fangirly voice) KYAH~!! TSUBAKYUN’S SO COOL!!!!

BELKIA:       It’s obvious that the winners will be Tsubakyun and I!

BELKIA:       Too bad for you~!

MISONO:      Hey, Shirota. What does the winner get?

MISONO:      You haven’t told us yet.

MAHIRU:      Ah, I’ll explain it right now.

MAHIRU:      The winning team gets this prize:

(drum rolls)

MAHIRU:      A 3-day, 2-night hot springs trip for two!

HYDE:           Woohoo! A Japanese hot spring~

LILY:            Oh, how wonderful! It’s relaxing and good for the skin!

LICHT:          Will we get to bathe with Mr. Monkey?!1

MAHIRU:      Sorry about that. Tetsu’s an heir to a hot springs inn so maybe you’d have liked a different prize.

TETSU:         I don’t mind. I love hot springs.

HUGH:           Going to a different hot spring may prove to be educational~

TETSU:   ��     You mean like spying on the enemy?

TETSU:         I see. Hugh always says wonderful things.

TSUBAKI:    Hey, are you guys blind? Isn’t it obvious who among us here is best suited for hot springs~

TSUBAKI:    Come on, LOOK AT ME~ It looks like I can go anytime~

KURO:           But aren’t you always wearing traditional clothes?

BELKIA:       By pair, huh? Maybe I’ll go ask Sakuya or Shamrock to go with me.

TSUBAKI:     Wait, Bel~! You don’t want to go with me?!

  ***

  MAHIRU:      Do your best and aim for the prize, everyone!

MAHIRU:      Now then, here’s the first category!

(game show music)

MAHIRU:      “Simple is best! Fast Hands Quiz!”

MAHIRU:      The rules are simple.

MAHIRU:      Whoever can push the button and answer correctly first gets one point.

KURO:           By the way, the questions are taken from middle school level subjects so it’ll be embarrassing if you get it wrong.

  ***

  MAHIRU:      First question!

MAHIRU:      It’s a math question!

MAHIRU:      “Takashi-kun--”

HUGH:           Who’s Takashi-kun?!

TETSU:         He’s not here, is he?

MAHIRU:      That’s what bothers you?!

MAHIRU:      Then… I’ll change his name to someone we know.

MAHIRU:      Then, um… “Kuro went shopping with 3000 yen.”

KURO:           Eh? I won’t do that, though.

MAHIRU:      At least pretend to!

MAHIRU:      “He got to the produce section to buy fruits and if one apple is 240 yen and one orange is 160 yen—”

HYDE:           EH?! Isn’t that too expensive? The produce section where I work part-time is much cheaper.

LICHT:          WHAT?! Selling such expensive produce like that… Is it the devil’s grocer?!

MAHIRU:      I’m begging you… Let me read it all first!

MAHIRU:      “If he bought a total of 12 things, and his change was 760 yen, how many apples did Kuro buy?”

(buzzer sounds)

TSUBAKI:    He bought one box and paid it using a credit card.

(buzzer sounds)

BELKIA:       He threatened the seller to give it to him for free!

MAHIRU:      What happened to the 3000 yen he brought?!

(buzzer sounds)

KURO:           He used it to buy a video game so it’s gone.

MAHIRU:      Don’t buy one so casually!

(buzzer sounds)

MISONO:      Hmph. It’s simple simultaneous equations.

MISONO:      The answer is four!

MAHIRU:      Correct!

MAHIRU:      Misono and Lily get 20 points!

LILY:            As expected of you, Misono~

MISONO:      Of course.

KURO:           Woah. Bastard-chan’s brilliant for once.

KURO:           Since he’s not really useful when fighting.

MISONO:      Hey, cat! I can hear you!

MAHIRU:      Qustion two!

MAHIRU:      It’s a science question.

MAHIRU:      “If you put litmus paper into an alkali based substance, what color will it turn to?”

(buzzer sounds)

LICHT:          The color of an oasis’s water as a gift from Heaven.

MAHIRU:      What color is that exactly?!

(buzzer sounds)

HYDE:           It’s my favourite lucky color~

MAHIRU:      I wasn’t asking that!

(buzzer sounds and breaks)

TETSU:         Ah, sorry.

TETSU:         The button broke after I pushed it.

LILY:            His power’s no joke as usual~

MAHIRU:      Then just raise your hand!

TETSU:         It’s blue, right? We learned that in class a few days ago.

HUGH:           Great job, Tetsu!

TETSU:         Yeah.

HYDE:           Class? Do they still do litmus paper experiments in college?

TETSU:         Hm? I’m in second year middle school, though.

KURO:           Like I said, the questions are middle school level.

BELKIA:       Outward appearances are really misleading!

TSUBAKI:    Is that much physical development okay?

TSUBAKI:    Ah, but Shirota Mahiru and Ahoge’s heights are still like that even though they’re older. Is that the end of your growth spurt?

MAHI/MISO: That’s none of your business!

  ***

  KURO:           It’s a history question~

MAHIRU:      “Who was the one who started the Kamakura Shogunate?”2

(buzzer sounds)

LICHT:          Is it… me…?

MAHIRU:      OBVIOUSLY NOT!!

(buzzer sounds)

TSUBAKI:    It’s me!

MAHIRU:      THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE!

(buzzer sounds)

BELKIA:       Then, it’s gotta be me!

  ***

  MAHIRU:      (sighs) A lot has happened but…

MAHIRU:      The last question is: “All or Nothing! Let’s Jump To It!”

MAHIRU:      Currently, Misono and Lily are on the lead with 280 points.

MAHIRU:      Tetsu and Hugh have 250 points.

MAHIRU:      Licht and Lawless have 190 points.

MAHIRU:      In last place is Tsubaki and Belkia with an unbelievable 0 points!

HUGH:           Not getting one question right is… amazing on its own, I guess…

TSUBAKI:    Give us easier questions to answer~

BELKIA:       Exactly! Something like a revolving sushi-related question.

MAHIRU:      As if there’s something like that!

(game show sounds)

KURO:           Here’s some good news for the last placer.

KURO:           A bonus event’s starting~

KURO:           If you get it right, we’ll give you an additional 250 points.

MAHIRU:      I had a feeling this would happen…!

KURO:           But, if you get it wrong, you get minus 100 points.

MISONO:      We didn’t hear about that!

KURO:           The show’s staff just decided it.

MISONO:      Don’t mess with me! Then what was the point of all the other questions?!

LILY:             There, there, Misono. It seems like this is unavoidable.

TSUBAKI:    You say some great things sometimes, Sleepy Ash of Sloth!

KURO:           That wasn’t me.

KURO:           It was the staff.

BELKIA:       This means that if the others get it wrong and we get it right, we’ll be killing them all in one swoop, right, Tsubakyun~

TSUBAKI:    AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!! (coughs)

TSUBAKI:    (coughing) We’ll take you on…

MAHIRU:      Here’s a question for Misono and Lily.

MAHIRU:      “In Physics, glass can be a liquid.”

MAHIRU:      Is it true or false?

(clock ticking)

MISONO:      There’s no way that a hard thing like that is liquid.

MISONO:      The answer is false!

LILY:             But, there’s such a thing as “molten glass”.

MAHIRU:      I’m curious about why Mahiru-kun mentioned Physics, too.

MISONO:      Don’t confuse me.

(whistle blows)

MISONO:      It’s definitely false!

LILY:            Yes. If Misono says so then I agree, too!

MAHIRU:      Then, please go to the door you think is the answer.

KURO:           Though there’s no such thing as a “correct” door.

KURO:           If you get it wrong, you’ll fall into a pool of ice cold water.

(Misono running and panting)

LILY:             Are you alright, Misono?

TETSU:         He runs slow as always.

TETSU:         That Shrimp.

HUGH:           All of Love is matching his pace by simply walking.

MISONO:      You’re all annoying!

MISONO:      I can hear you!

(tries to open door)

MISONO:      What’s with this door? It won’t open.

LILY:            I’ll do it, Misono.

LILY:            Ready and…

(door breaks and they fall down)

(splash)

MISONO:      AHH!!

MAHIRU:      Too bad! The answer is “true”!

MAHIRU:      In Physics, glass can be considered liquid if melted under high temperatures!

KURO:           They fall down to third place after getting minus 100 points.

MAHIRU:      The next question is for Tetsu and Hugh!

MAHIRU:      “The voice you hear over the phone is not the real person’s voice.”

MAHIRU:      Is it true or false?

(clock ticking)

TETSU:         If it’s not their voice then whose voice is it?

HUGH:           Does that mean you’re technically talking to a voice without an owner?

HUGH:           That’s just like a horror movie!

(whistle blows)

HUGH:           Hm… The answer is false!

TETSU:         Alright, let’s go. Grab on, Hugh.

HUGH:           Yes. Onwards!

(running and breaking door)

TETSU:         Ah.

(splashing)

MISONO:      You bastards, too?!

TETSU:         It was hot so this is perfect.

LILY:             Here’s a towel if you’d like.

TETSU:         Thanks.

HUGH:           To think that we’d get it wrong…

MAHIRU:      Too bad! The answer is “true”!

MAHIRU:      It’s not their real voice but a playback of voices similar to theirs through the sound waves.

KURO:           The first and second places have now fallen.

LICHT:          That hot springs trip is mine!

LICHT:          Hey! Say the question now.

MAHIRU:      Question three!

MAHIRU:      “A baby turtle’s gender can be determined by the temperature of the eggs.”

MAHIRU:      Is it true or false?

LICHT:          It’s true! (runs to the door as fast as he can)

HYDE:           Lichtan! The thinking time’s not over yet!

LICHT:          It’s true! (breaks down the door)

MAHIRU:      That’s correct!

HYDE:           It is?!

KURO:           You get 250 points.

LICHT:          That’s expected.

LICHT:          That’s because I’m an angel.

HYDE:           (crying tears of joy) Lichtan~ As expected from a genius, violent, Angel-chan~!

HYDE:           Hot springs~ Hot springs~

MAHIRU:      They now have a total of 440 points!

MAHIRU:      The current first placers are Licht and Lawless!

TSUBAKI:    EH?! That means even if we get it right, we still can’t win.

TSUBAKI:    That’s not too interesting for a broadcast, isn’t it?

TSUBAKI:    You have to make the next one worth 500 points.

BELKIA:       That’s right!

MAHIRU:      Something selfish like that can’t—

KURO:           We got an “okay” from the show’s staff.

MAHIRU:      They’re alright with that?!

KURO:           But, only if they get the super difficult question that the show’s AD3 prepared specially.

MAHIRU:      (flipping pages) Eh? What’s with this question?

KURO:           I said it was extremely difficult, didn’t I?

MAHIRU:      (clears throat) Um… “Among the dishes that I, Shirota Mahiru, prepared, Watanuki Sakuya’s favourite is the cookie. Is it true or false?”

(clock ticking)

BELKIA:       AS IF WE’D KNOW THAT!!

TSUBAKI:    Aren’t you being unfair with your questions for us?!

MAHIRU:      Even I don’t know if it’s true or false!

MAHIRU:      Since I made a lot of stuff for him aside from cookies.

(whistle blows)

BELKIA:       Every other question was true so maybe this one’s false, Tsubakyun?

TSUBAKI:    You’re too naïve, Belkia.

TSUBAKI:    That’s what they want us to think. It’s definitely “true”! (runs to the door)

BELKIA:       Eh?! Wait for me! I definitely don’t want to fall into—

(door breaks)

TSUBAKI:    AHHHH!!!!

(splash)

  ***

  MAHIRU:      Ah, so it wasn’t the cookie.

KURO:           Then, let’s hear the answer from the man himself.

MAHIRU:      Hm? The AD from a while ago was…

SAKUYA:     It was me, Mahiru.

MAHIRU:      S-Sakuya?!

MAHIRU:      Why are you wearing the staff’s uniform?

SAKUYA:     I got done with my job early so I thought of going home but,

SAKUYA:     I heard that you were hosting the next segment so I stayed.

KURO:           The candid camera was a success~

MAHIRU:      What are you gonna accomplish by doing that to me?

MAHIRU:      Oh, yeah, the last question…

SAKUYA:     Ah, that.

SAKUYA:     The answer is “everything”.

(victory fanfare)

MAHIRU:      Eh… Eh?

KURO:           The last segment’s finally over. My throat’s feeling so dry.

KURO:           Mahiru, soda.

MAHIRU:      It’s not over yet!

MAHIRU:      We have to hand out the prize and close the program, right?!

SAKUYA:     If it’s the prize, the winged guy just took it with him.

KURO:           And Lawless chased after that Angel.

MAHIRU:      EH?!

KURO:           And Bastard-chan and the others who fell in the water looked like they were dying from the cold so they were told to go have a warm shower.

MAHIRU:      When did they--?!

MAHIRU:      What will we do now?

SAKUYA:     Filming will be over after they get out of the shower so you should take a break, too, Mahiru.

SAKUYA:     The staff prepared some food backstage, too, so let’s go together.

MAHIRU:      Eh?! Is it really okay to end it like this?

KURO:           Really…

KURO:           I can’t deal with being an idol.

KURO:           Lazing about at home is the best.

  == END ==

  Translator’s Notes:

1 Licht is referring to the monkeys of Jigokudani Monkey Park. It’s a National Park located in the valley of the Yokoyu River which is famous for its large population of Japanese macaques that sometimes take a dip in the hot springs when it gets too cold in the mountains. [Source]

2 The Kamakura Shogunate was a feudal military government that was established by Minamoto no Yoritomo. [Source]

3 AD stands for “Assistant Director”.

[brookston]

Holidays 2.15

Holidays

Agriculture Day (Canada)

Angelman Syndrome Day

Annoy Squidward Day (SpongeBob Squarepants)

Battleship Day

Broken Hearts Day

Clifford the Big Red Dog Day

Commonwealth Day (Gibraltar)

Court of International Justice Day

Day of Ashakalia (Kosovo)

Day of the Mexican Woman (Mexico)

Decimal Day (UK)

Digital Learning Day

ENIAC Day (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

European Perioperative Nursing Day (EU)

Flag Day (Canada)

Galileo Day [also 2.29]

Hazel Day (French Republic)

Hazrat Alis Day (Uttar Pradesh, India)

International Angolan Day

International Bottom Appreciation Day

International Childhood Cancer Awareness Day

International Duties Memorial Day (Russia)

International Fanworks Day

International Green Wall Day

International Male Chastity Day

John Frum Day (Vanuatu)

Love Reset Day

Lui-Ngai-Ni (Manipur, India)

Memorial Day of Warriors—Intrnationalists

National Bad Breath Day

National Black Girl Magic Day

National Clementine Day

National Friendzone Day

National Hippo Day

National Marcus Day

National Plan B Day

National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day

National Side Chicks Day

National Wisconsin Day

National Write Your Book in a Weekend Weekends

Plastic Pollution Awareness Day (Georgia)

Remember the Maine Day

Sandlasting Day

Singles Awareness Day

Slap Day

Sretenje (Serbia)

Sticky Stamp Day

Stop and Smell Your Compost Pile Day

St. Skeletor’s Day

Susan B. Anthony Day

Total Defense Day (Singapore)

World Cholangiocarcinoma Day

World Hippo Day

YouTube Launch Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Burger Lover's Day

Cherry Garcia Day

Florida Craft Beer Day

Mustard Day

National Cheap Chocolate Day

National Chewing Gum Day

National Gumdrop Day

National I Want Butterscotch Day

National Lamb Day (New Zealand)

3rd Thursday in February

Energy Saving Day (Italy) [3rd Thursday]

Global Information Governance Day [3rd Thursday]

National Conductive Education Day [3rd Thursday]

Switch Off Thursday (UK) [Thursday of Go Green Week]

World Anthropology Day [3rd Thursday]

World Cholanglocarcinoma Day [3rd Thursday]

Weekly Holidays beginning February 15

American Association for the Advancement of Science Week [thru 2.17]

Independence & Related Days

Barbettia (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Dadingisila (Declared; 2010) [unrecognized]

Establishment Day (St. Louis, Missouri; 1764)

Liberation Day (Afghanistan)

Iustus (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Serbia (from the Ottoman Empire, 1804)

Festivals Beginning February 15, 2024

Arizona Beer Week (Arizona) [thru 2.25]

Berlin International Film Festival (Berlin, Germany) [thru 2.25]

Carnival of Bern [Bärner Fasnacht] (Bern, Switzerland) [thru 2.17]

Cribbagepalooza (Colorado Springs, Colorado)

Great British Beer Festival Winter (Burton upon Trent, Great Britain) [thru 2.17]

Havana International Book Fair (Havana, Cuba) [thru 2.25]

Iowa Meat Processors Show (Ames, Iowa) [thru 2.17]

Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association Conference (Newark, Ohio) [thru 2.17]

Palatka Bluegrass Festival (Palatka, Florida) [thru 2.17]

Simplot Games (Boise, Idaho) [thru 2.17]

Takeuchi Festival (Rouge, Japan)

Feast Days

Agape (Christian; Virgin Martyr)

Art Spiegelman (Animeism)

Candlemas (Eastern Orthodox Church)

Charles-André van Loo (Artology)

Charles-François Daubigny (Artology)

Chongwoldaeboreum (Korean Folk Festival)

Claude de la Colombière (Christian; Saint)

Douglas Hofstadter (Writerism)

Drink More Wine Day (Pastafarian)

Faunus (celebrates animals helping humans)

Faustinus and Jovita (Christian; Martyrs)

Februata — Day of Juno Febuata (Pagan)

Festival of Naked Pan (Ancient Rome)

Festival of the Wolves (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Galileo (Humanism; Saint)

Grigori Rasputin Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Guardian Angel Day (Celtic Book of Days)

Kamakura Matsuri (Snow Cave Festival; Japan)

Lupercalia (Festival of Lupercus; Festival of purification honoring Lycaen Pan or Faunusl Ancient Roman god of flocks and fertility)

Matt Groening (Artology)

Michał Sopoćko (Christian; Blessed)

Nirvana Day (Buddhist; Jain; Sikh)

Oswiu (Christian; Saint)

Parinirvana Day (Mahayana Buddhism)

Phaedrus (Positivist; Saint)

Quinidius (Christian; Saint)

The Raggmopps (Muppetism)

Sigfried of Sweden (Christian; Saint)

Sigfrid’s Day

Susan B. Anthony (Feminism; Saint)

Tales of Kelp-Koli (Shamanism)

Tanco (Christian; Martyr)

Thomas Bray (Anglican & Episcopal Church)

Walfrid (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Uncyclopedia Bad to Be Born Today (because so many reasons carrying on from the night before.)

Premieres

Alice Solves the Puzzle (Disney Cartoon; 1925)

Angel and the Badman (Film; 1947)

Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion (Animated Film; 2019)

Autumn (Disney Cartoon; 1930)

The Bears and the Bees (Disney Silly Symphony Cartoon; 1932)

The Blue Danube, by Johann Strauss II (Waltz; 1867)

The Breakfast Club (Film; 1985)

Blue Moon, recorded by The Marcels (Song; 1961)

Broad City (TV Series; 2010)

Bugs Bunny’s Wild World of Sports (WB Animated TV Special; 1989)

Burn, by Deep Purple (Album; 1974)

Burr Gore, by Vidal (Historical Novel; 1973)

Cinderella (Animated Disney Cartoon; 1950)

Clifford the Big Red Dog, by Norman Bridwell (Children’s Book; 1963)

Corregidora, by Gayl Jones (Novel; 1975)

The Crystal Maze (UK TV game Show; 1990)

Doom Patrol (TV Series; 2019)

Eastbound & Down (TV Series; 2009)

Eight Days a Week, by The Beatles (Song; 1965)

Elegy Written in. A Country Churchyard, by Thomas Gray (Poem; 1751)

11.23.63 (TV Series; 2016)

Escape from Planet Earth (Animated Film; 2013)

Fly by Night, by Rush (Album; 1975)

Get Happy!!, by Elvis Costello (Album; 1980)

Lifehouse, by The Who (Rock Opera; 1971)

Marlowe (Film; 2023)

Mechanical Man (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1932)

Orphan’s Picnic (Disney Cartoon; 1936)

Red Dwarf (UK TV Series; 1988)

Return to Never Land (Disney Film; 2002)

Robin Hoody Woody (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1963)

The Screwball (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1943)

Shake, Rattle and Roll, recorded by Big Joe Turner (Song; 1954)

The Stars, Like Dust, byIsaac Asimov (Novel; 1951) [Galactic Empire #1]

Super Troopers (Film; 2002)

Take the A Train, recorded by Duke Ellington (Song; 1941)

A Tuba to Cuba (Documentary Film; 2019)

The Umbrella Academy (TV Series; 2019)

Vision Quit (Film; 1985)

YouTube (Video Sharing Website; 2005)

Today’s Name Days

Georgia, Siegfried (Austria)

Faustin, Onezim, Vitomir (Croatia)

Jiřina (Czech Republic)

Faustinus (Denmark)

Neidi, Tiina (Estonia)

Sipi, Sippo (Finland)

Claude, Georgina, Jordan (France)

Georgia, Jovita, Siegfried (Germany)

Evsevios (Greece)

Julianna, Lilla (Hungary)

Giuliana (Italy)

Džuljeta, Juliāna, Jūlija, Smuidra (Latvia)

Julijona, Julijonas, Tautvydas (Lithuania)

Jill, Julian, Juliane (Norway)

Bernard, Dan, Danisz, Danuta, Julianna, Symeon (Poland)

Pamfil, Valentin (Romania)

Anna (Russia)

Ida (Slovakia)

Juliana (Spain)

Julia, Julius (Sweden)

Cliff, Clifford, Clifton, Jeremiah, Jeremy, Sonnie, Sonny, Sunny (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 46 of 2024; 320 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of week 7 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 26 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Bing-Yin), Day 6 (Ji-You)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025)

Hebrew: 6 Adair I 5784

Islamic: 5 Sha’ban 1445

J Cal: 16 Grey; Twosday [16 of 30]

Julian: 1 February 2024

Moon: 40%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 18 Homer (2nd Month) [Phaedrus]

Runic Half Month: Sigel (Sun) [Day 7 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 57 of 89)

Week: 2nd Week of February

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 25 of 28)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 2.15

Holidays

Agriculture Day (Canada)

Angelman Syndrome Day

Annoy Squidward Day (SpongeBob Squarepants)

Battleship Day

Broken Hearts Day

Clifford the Big Red Dog Day

Commonwealth Day (Gibraltar)

Court of International Justice Day

Day of Ashakalia (Kosovo)

Day of the Mexican Woman (Mexico)

Decimal Day (UK)

Digital Learning Day

ENIAC Day (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

European Perioperative Nursing Day (EU)

Flag Day (Canada)

Galileo Day [also 2.29]

Hazel Day (French Republic)

Hazrat Alis Day (Uttar Pradesh, India)

International Angolan Day

International Bottom Appreciation Day

International Childhood Cancer Awareness Day

International Duties Memorial Day (Russia)

International Fanworks Day

International Green Wall Day

International Male Chastity Day

John Frum Day (Vanuatu)

Love Reset Day

Lui-Ngai-Ni (Manipur, India)

Memorial Day of Warriors—Intrnationalists

National Bad Breath Day

National Black Girl Magic Day

National Clementine Day

National Friendzone Day

National Hippo Day

National Marcus Day

National Plan B Day

National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day

National Side Chicks Day

National Wisconsin Day

National Write Your Book in a Weekend Weekends

Plastic Pollution Awareness Day (Georgia)

Remember the Maine Day

Sandlasting Day

Singles Awareness Day

Slap Day

Sretenje (Serbia)

Sticky Stamp Day

Stop and Smell Your Compost Pile Day

St. Skeletor’s Day

Susan B. Anthony Day

Total Defense Day (Singapore)

World Cholangiocarcinoma Day

World Hippo Day

YouTube Launch Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Burger Lover's Day

Cherry Garcia Day

Florida Craft Beer Day

Mustard Day

National Cheap Chocolate Day

National Chewing Gum Day

National Gumdrop Day

National I Want Butterscotch Day

National Lamb Day (New Zealand)

3rd Thursday in February

Energy Saving Day (Italy) [3rd Thursday]

Global Information Governance Day [3rd Thursday]

National Conductive Education Day [3rd Thursday]

Switch Off Thursday (UK) [Thursday of Go Green Week]

World Anthropology Day [3rd Thursday]

World Cholanglocarcinoma Day [3rd Thursday]

Weekly Holidays beginning February 15

American Association for the Advancement of Science Week [thru 2.17]

Independence & Related Days

Barbettia (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Dadingisila (Declared; 2010) [unrecognized]

Establishment Day (St. Louis, Missouri; 1764)

Liberation Day (Afghanistan)

Iustus (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Serbia (from the Ottoman Empire, 1804)

Festivals Beginning February 15, 2024

Arizona Beer Week (Arizona) [thru 2.25]

Berlin International Film Festival (Berlin, Germany) [thru 2.25]

Carnival of Bern [Bärner Fasnacht] (Bern, Switzerland) [thru 2.17]

Cribbagepalooza (Colorado Springs, Colorado)

Great British Beer Festival Winter (Burton upon Trent, Great Britain) [thru 2.17]

Havana International Book Fair (Havana, Cuba) [thru 2.25]

Iowa Meat Processors Show (Ames, Iowa) [thru 2.17]

Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association Conference (Newark, Ohio) [thru 2.17]

Palatka Bluegrass Festival (Palatka, Florida) [thru 2.17]

Simplot Games (Boise, Idaho) [thru 2.17]

Takeuchi Festival (Rouge, Japan)

Feast Days

Agape (Christian; Virgin Martyr)

Art Spiegelman (Animeism)

Candlemas (Eastern Orthodox Church)

Charles-André van Loo (Artology)

Charles-François Daubigny (Artology)

Chongwoldaeboreum (Korean Folk Festival)

Claude de la Colombière (Christian; Saint)

Douglas Hofstadter (Writerism)

Drink More Wine Day (Pastafarian)

Faunus (celebrates animals helping humans)

Faustinus and Jovita (Christian; Martyrs)

Februata — Day of Juno Febuata (Pagan)

Festival of Naked Pan (Ancient Rome)

Festival of the Wolves (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Galileo (Humanism; Saint)

Grigori Rasputin Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Guardian Angel Day (Celtic Book of Days)

Kamakura Matsuri (Snow Cave Festival; Japan)

Lupercalia (Festival of Lupercus; Festival of purification honoring Lycaen Pan or Faunusl Ancient Roman god of flocks and fertility)

Matt Groening (Artology)

Michał Sopoćko (Christian; Blessed)

Nirvana Day (Buddhist; Jain; Sikh)

Oswiu (Christian; Saint)

Parinirvana Day (Mahayana Buddhism)

Phaedrus (Positivist; Saint)

Quinidius (Christian; Saint)

The Raggmopps (Muppetism)

Sigfried of Sweden (Christian; Saint)

Sigfrid’s Day

Susan B. Anthony (Feminism; Saint)

Tales of Kelp-Koli (Shamanism)

Tanco (Christian; Martyr)

Thomas Bray (Anglican & Episcopal Church)

Walfrid (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Uncyclopedia Bad to Be Born Today (because so many reasons carrying on from the night before.)

Premieres

Alice Solves the Puzzle (Disney Cartoon; 1925)

Angel and the Badman (Film; 1947)

Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion (Animated Film; 2019)

Autumn (Disney Cartoon; 1930)

The Bears and the Bees (Disney Silly Symphony Cartoon; 1932)

The Blue Danube, by Johann Strauss II (Waltz; 1867)

The Breakfast Club (Film; 1985)

Blue Moon, recorded by The Marcels (Song; 1961)

Broad City (TV Series; 2010)

Bugs Bunny’s Wild World of Sports (WB Animated TV Special; 1989)

Burn, by Deep Purple (Album; 1974)

Burr Gore, by Vidal (Historical Novel; 1973)

Cinderella (Animated Disney Cartoon; 1950)

Clifford the Big Red Dog, by Norman Bridwell (Children’s Book; 1963)

Corregidora, by Gayl Jones (Novel; 1975)

The Crystal Maze (UK TV game Show; 1990)

Doom Patrol (TV Series; 2019)

Eastbound & Down (TV Series; 2009)

Eight Days a Week, by The Beatles (Song; 1965)

Elegy Written in. A Country Churchyard, by Thomas Gray (Poem; 1751)

11.23.63 (TV Series; 2016)

Escape from Planet Earth (Animated Film; 2013)

Fly by Night, by Rush (Album; 1975)

Get Happy!!, by Elvis Costello (Album; 1980)

Lifehouse, by The Who (Rock Opera; 1971)

Marlowe (Film; 2023)

Mechanical Man (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1932)

Orphan’s Picnic (Disney Cartoon; 1936)

Red Dwarf (UK TV Series; 1988)

Return to Never Land (Disney Film; 2002)

Robin Hoody Woody (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1963)

The Screwball (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1943)

Shake, Rattle and Roll, recorded by Big Joe Turner (Song; 1954)

The Stars, Like Dust, byIsaac Asimov (Novel; 1951) [Galactic Empire #1]

Super Troopers (Film; 2002)

Take the A Train, recorded by Duke Ellington (Song; 1941)

A Tuba to Cuba (Documentary Film; 2019)

The Umbrella Academy (TV Series; 2019)

Vision Quit (Film; 1985)

YouTube (Video Sharing Website; 2005)

Today’s Name Days

Georgia, Siegfried (Austria)

Faustin, Onezim, Vitomir (Croatia)

Jiřina (Czech Republic)

Faustinus (Denmark)

Neidi, Tiina (Estonia)

Sipi, Sippo (Finland)

Claude, Georgina, Jordan (France)

Georgia, Jovita, Siegfried (Germany)

Evsevios (Greece)

Julianna, Lilla (Hungary)

Giuliana (Italy)

Džuljeta, Juliāna, Jūlija, Smuidra (Latvia)

Julijona, Julijonas, Tautvydas (Lithuania)

Jill, Julian, Juliane (Norway)

Bernard, Dan, Danisz, Danuta, Julianna, Symeon (Poland)

Pamfil, Valentin (Romania)

Anna (Russia)

Ida (Slovakia)

Juliana (Spain)

Julia, Julius (Sweden)

Cliff, Clifford, Clifton, Jeremiah, Jeremy, Sonnie, Sonny, Sunny (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 46 of 2024; 320 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of week 7 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 26 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Bing-Yin), Day 6 (Ji-You)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025)

Hebrew: 6 Adair I 5784

Islamic: 5 Sha’ban 1445

J Cal: 16 Grey; Twosday [16 of 30]

Julian: 1 February 2024

Moon: 40%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 18 Homer (2nd Month) [Phaedrus]

Runic Half Month: Sigel (Sun) [Day 7 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 57 of 89)

Week: 2nd Week of February

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 25 of 28)

[neonpiegon]

Japan

Research Essay - missing some pictures from the original document.

Japan is an archipelago on the eastern edge of Asia, formed by 4 main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, plus nearly 4,000 other smaller islands. It has a population of 126,168,156 people, and its area is comparable to that of California or Germany. As a country, it is completely sea-locked, with its nearest neighboring countries being the Siberian region of Russia to the north, North and South Korea and China to the southwest. Almost four fifths of Japan’s land is covered with mountains and forests – the largest mountain range being the Japanese Alps. Japan has about 200 volcanoes, 60 of which are active, with Mt. Fuji being the most famous one and the highest mountain.

Japan has 47 prefectures contained within 8 regions: Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu.

Humanity in the Japanese archipelago can be traced back to 30,000 B.C. However, the country’s history in itself would rather be explored some time before the 2nd century, during the Jomon and Yayoi Periods, where communities first begin to establish and see the appearance of metallurgy and agriculture. This is the foundation of Japan. The Kofun Period, before the year 538, was when the Yamato clan had great control of the island of Honshu. From 538 to 710 came the Asuka Period, in which the history was enriched with and influenced by the already established Chinese civilization. This period saw the introduction of Buddhism, writing, architecture and sculpture. After that, with the Nara Period came the affirmation of the central power of the emperors, plus the construction of the first capital in Nara and its great temples. The Heian Period came after Nara, from 794 to 1085. The capital was relocated to what is today known as Kyoto. Japan was heavily influenced by China and adopted its style of power, where the clan Fujiwara ruled. With the Kamakura Period, which ran until 1336, the imperial court’s power faded to give place to the samurai clans and the first government of warriors. The Muromachi Period (1336-1491) introduced Japanese feudalism and the fusion of the culture of the samurai and the court, resulting in arts such as the tea ceremony and Noh theater. However, the central power disappeared in The Sengoku Jidai (1491-1603), due to repeated civil wars. Here appeared the Daimyo Warlords, the first contact with Europeans and the introduction of Christianity. In the Edo Period, from 1603 to 1853, Japan was unified under the 3rd Tokugawa Shogunate (government of warriors) and the power was installed in Tokyo. The borders of Japan were completely closed to foreigners and Christianity was prohibited. The country was urbanized and rich merchants developed, just like the Kabuki theater and Nihon printmaking. At the end of Edo, The Bakumatsu (or Late Shogunate, 1853-1868), Japan was forced to open its borders by the Americans, leading to the overthrow of the Tokugawa. This began modernization and industrialization in Japan. The Meiji Era, from 1868 until 1911, restored imperial power and relocated it to Tokyo (previously known as Edo). That is when electricity and the railway first arrived. Japan conquered Korea and Taiwan and was victorious against the Russian Empire and China. In the Taisho Era (1911-1926), the democratic system was first implemented. The Showa Era (1926-1989) began the imperialistic politics and military government and the expansion policy towards China, which involved Japan’s entry in WW2. After its defeat in 1945, the reconstruction of the country was managed under American trusteeship. The Heisei Era (1989-2019) is marked by economic crisis and natural disasters, but also the influence of Japan over the rest of the world. On May 1st, 2019, Emperor Naruhito acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne, beginning the Reiwa era.

Logically, the official language of Japan is Japanese. The language is based on writing syllables in Hiragana, the traditional set of symbols, and Katakana, mainly used for words that do not exist in traditional Japanese (for example, the word “television” is written as “terebi.”). Japanese also uses Kanji, which is a set of thousands of Chinese characters that have been imported to the Japanese language. Most of the meanings remain the same, but their pronunciation has been adapted to being read in Japanese syllables. Kanji is used to “simplify” Hiragana (i.e. instead of writing two or three characters in Hiragana, you would write only one character of Kanji,) and for proper names.

The most predominant religions are Shinto and Buddhism, respectively. Buddhism was introduced through mainland Asia in the 6th century, but Shinto is almost as ancient as Japan itself. Even though these are the two major religions in Japan, religion on its own does not play a heavy role in the everyday life of Japanese people. Shinto literally means “the way of the Gods;” Japanese gods are called “Kami.”

The core of Shinto are beliefs in the mysterious creation and harmonizing power (musubi) of the kami, and the truthful way or will (makoto) of kami. The nature of kami cannot be fully explained in words because the kami transcend the cognitive faculty of humans. Parishioners of a shrine believe that kami are the source of human life and existence. Each kami has a divine personality and responds to truthful prayers, and may reveal makoto to people and guide them to live in accordance to it. In Shinto, it is commonly said that “man is kami’s child.” First, this means that people are given life by kami and that their nature is therefore sacred. Second, it means that daily life is made possible by kami, and, accordingly, the personalities and lives of people are worthy of respect. Individuals must revere the basic human rights of everyone (regardless of race, nationality, and other distinctions) as well as their own. The concept of original sin is not found in Shinto. Purification is considered symbolically to remove the dust and impurities that cover one’s inner mind.

In Shinto, all the deities are said to cooperate with one another, and life lived in accordance with a kami’s will is believed to produce a mystical power that gains the protection, cooperation, and approval of all the particular kami.

Notable kami revered at Shinto shrines include: Amaterasu Omikami (the Sun goddess), Inari Okami (god of rice and agriculture), Izanagi (the first man), Izanami (the first woman), Tsukuyomi (the Moon god), Raijin (god of lightning, thunder and storms), and many more.

Shinto is also described as a religion of tsunagari (continuity or communion). The Japanese, while recognizing each human being as an individual personality, do not take each to be a solitary being separated from others. On the contrary, one is regarded as the bearer of a long continuous history that comes down from one’s ancestors and continues in one’s descendants.

In practice, Shinto does not have a weekly religious service like in Christianity. People may visit shrines at their convenience. Some may go to shrines on the 1st and 15th of every month, and on rites or festivals (matsuri) several times a year. Devotees may pay respect to the shrine every morning. The Japanese usually have their wedding ceremonies in Shinto style and pronounce their wedding vows to kami. Shinto funeral ceremonies, however, are not popular. Most of the Japanese are Buddhist and Shintoist at the same time and have their funerals in Buddhist style. A traditional Japanese house has two family altars: one, Shinto, for their tutelary kami and the goddess Amaterasu Omikami, and another, Buddhist, for the family ancestors. Pure Shinto families, however, will have all ceremonies and services in Shinto style.

Each Shinto shrine has several major festivals each year, including the Spring Festival (Haru Matsuri), Autumn Festival (Aki Matsuri), Annual Festival (Rei-Sai), and the Divine Procession (Shinko-Sai).

At festivals, Shintoists may perform different types if rituals at the shrine, such as: Purification, Adoration, Offerings, Prayers, Sacred Music and Dance, Feast (naorai), etc.

As history has shown, Japanese people are very proud and respectful in their everyday life, as such many customs and manners have been developed that many foreigners may think of them as strange or unnecessary. At the start of a meal, it’s common to say in a brief prayer pose “itadakimasu” (I humbly receive). When eating dinner, it is inappropriate to eat directly from common dishes (where everyone can grab a portion of food), as you should put your portion on your plate first, and to reach for the item closest to you and at the top of the plate. If someone else is picking food from a common dish, give them some space. Also, playing with chopsticks, or using them for anything other than eating, is considered disrespectful, because the chopsticks may contain your saliva or traces of food and so they should be flung around in the air as little as possible; use chopstick holders whenever you’re not eating. Do not try to stab food with your chopsticks. If a chopstick is messy, let it be messy, and do not try to pass food chopstick-to-chopstick, as it resembles a funeral. At dinner parties, it’s somewhat rude to pour your own drink. As such, you should pour everyone else’s drink except yours, someone will notice and pour your drink. Walking and eating is seen as sloppy. “Gochisosama Deshita” (It was a feast) is used to thank someone for preparing a meal or for paying the bill (someone else paid) and compliment good service (paid yourself). The traditional Japanese diet consists of minimally processed, seasonal foods served in a variety of small dishes. This style of eating emphasizes dishes’ natural flavors rather than masking them with sauces or seasonings. The diet is rich in steamed rice, noodles, fish, tofu, natto, seaweed, and fresh, cooked, or pickled fruits and vegetables but low in added sugars and fats. It may also contain some eggs, dairy, or meat, although these typically make up a small part of the diet.

Keigo (honorific language) is a polite level of speech that includes different levels of humble, formal and respectful terms. It is complicated to master this level of speech, even for native speakers of Japanese, as some situations may not require it or the incorrect term was used. However, it is considered very rude to avoid using keigo. It is most appropriate to address someone by their last name followed by the polite suffix “-san.”

Oseibo and Ochugen are winter and summer gifts respectively given at year-end and around Obon (Festival of the Dead) given to relatives, neighbors and anyone who has helped you out in the past year, such as a doctor or teacher.

When greeting, the Japanese understand that foreigners tend to shake hands; nonetheless, shaking hand is more usual for business introductions. The usual way to greet is a bow, the deeper the bow, the higher the respect given… or the higher the shame felt by the person bowing, according to the situation. Bowing can go from just slightly nodding your head downwards, to being in a 90 degrees angle directly looking down, and a lazy bow is considered disrespectful. Getting on your knees (seiza) with your head down is used in deep prayers or when begging for forgiveness, as if you are experiencing intense shame. Bowing and shaking hands at the same time is seen as awkward. The formal bow is usually 45 degrees.

Try not to touch another person, as the Japanese are generally uncomfortable with physical interaction. Pointing is also considered rude and threatening. Instead, people tend to indicate directions with an open hand or even avoiding gestures at all. When feeling uncomfortable, the Japanese tend to be indirect and try to avoid conflict where possible, dropping subtle hints about their feelings rather than direct, bold statements. Japanese people are very patient and resist honking at other drivers out of irritation. Brief honks and light flashing is most often used in friendly gestures, such as warnings. When accepting a call, try to be discrete and very quiet, and not to talk on the phone on a train or in a café. In an elevator, the person closest to the buttons operates the doors and should help people select their floor. The person nearest to the door should also be the last one to get off. It is customary to take off any backpack on a crowded train and hold it in your hands. Many taxi doors in Japan are automatic, and the driver will get a little upset if you operate the door yourself. Tipping servers at restaurants or taxi drivers can be considered insulting or at least confusion. Walking and smoking is viewed as dangerous and inconsiderate, being the idea that you could accidentally burn someone on a crowded street. In Japan this is taken very seriously, and it might even be illegal to walk and smoke in some areas.

When entering a home and many establishments where you can rest, the entrance will have a space to change your shoes for indoor slippers. This is done as to not to bring the impurity and uncleanliness of the world into your home. Tatami floors (made from rice straw or compressed wood chips) are common on traditional households, and no kind of slippers or shoes should walk upon them. Bathroom slippers are exclusive for use in washrooms and bringing them into other rooms in considered shameful. In Japan, bathing is seen as a relaxing leisure activity rather than an act of cleansing. One must completely shower with soap before entering a bath; this applies for home baths and public hot springs (onsen). There may also be available garden slippers for balcony, garden or outside use. Japanese cultural activities, such as theatre and tea ceremony tend to require formal wear. Restaurants and office work usually do too.

Because the Japanese have a deep philosophical approach to graphic designs of all kinds, they value their national flag for its simplicity, striking contrasts, and appropriate symbolism. The “hot” red of the sun symbol contrasts with its “cool” white background, and the circle of the sun contrasts with the rectangle of the flag itself. The pole on which it is to be officially hoisted is rough natural bamboo, while the finial at the top is a shiny gold ball.

It is considered extremely racist and disrespectful to compare a Chinese person, or any other person of Asiatic features, to a Japanese person, as it is done so by so many ignorant people. One of the main reasons for this comes from an event during World War II, when the Japanese army invaded the village of Nanking (or Nanjing), resulting in the mass murder, burning, looting, and rape of its villagers. This event is infamously known as the Nanking Massacre or Rape of Nanking.

After World War II, Japan had a radical change to its whole country and people. All large cities (except for Kyoto), the industries and transportation networks were severely damaged. Japan basically lost all the territory acquired after 1894. In addition, the Kurile islands were occupied by the Soviet Union, and the Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa, were controlled by the USA. Okinawa was returned to Japan in 1972. Over 500 military officers committed suicide right after Japan surrendered, and many hundreds more were executed for committing war crimes. A new constitution went into effect in 1947: The emperor lost all political and military power, and was solely made the symbol of the state. Universal suffrage was introduced and human rights were guaranteed. Japan was also forbidden to ever lead a war again or to maintain an army. Furthermore, Shinto and the state were clearly separated. Especially during the first half of the occupation, Japan's media was subject to a rigid censorship of any anti-American statements and controversial topics such as the race issue. With the peace treaty that went into effect in 1952, the U.S. occupation ended. Japan's Self Defense Force was established in 1954. After the Korean War, and accelerated by it, the recovery of Japan's economy flourished. The economic growth resulted in a quick rise of the living standards, changes in society and the stabilization of the ruling position of the Liberal Democratic Party. Japan's relations to the Soviet Union were normalized in 1956, the ones to China in 1972. The 1973 oil crisis shocked the Japanese economy which was heavily depended on oil. The reaction was a shift to high technology industries.

After previous bans for publishing and censorship from the fascist period of WWII in Japanese media were lifted, the animated film industry and manga (basically, Japanese comics) began to flourish, but not before having to deal with the repercussions of the war. Gojira (Godzilla) was created as a metaphor to represent the use of nuclear weapons against the Japanese at the end of World War 2 and has now developed to be recognized as an official citizen of Japan. Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy and known in Japan as the God of Manga and Godfather of Anime, led the manga explosion of what would one day become one of the biggest entertainment industries in the world. Animation mainly took off in the 60’s and 70’s, when technology made it more accessible to produce the shows and to consume them. In contrast to western animation, which is generally directed to be “family friendly,” Japanese animation and manga can virtually explore any theme imaginable, from daily life as a middle school student to the psychological repercussions of war crimes while attempting to kill God to cleanse yourself of all sins and restart the universe.

In the modern day, Japan is known for being one of the most technologically advanced and civilized countries in the entire world, with even the crime rates being virtually null. Japan is naturally beautiful, with enough forests, mountains and lakes for a lifetime, and the metropolises of Japan are no exception to being astonishing, vibrant, and adventurous. Just the history of the country and learning its language are enough reason to gain interest in this wonderful land. After someone experiences the land that brought to life Godzilla and Mobile Suit Gundam, nobody would think about leaving. It’s the nest of the whole anime industry, with the most kawaii (cute) of souvenirs and , which I would one day want to visit myself.

Bibliography

Toyoda, Takeshi; Notehelfer, F.G.; et al. (1998-2020). Japan, history. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Japan/History

Hirai, Naofusa. (1999-2019). Shintō. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shinto

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (1998-2020). Nanjing Massacre. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Nanjing-Massacre

Spacey, J. (2009). 50 Japanese Manners and Customs. Japan Talk. https://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/japanese-manners-and-customs

Lonely Planet. (n.d.). History. Lonely Planet. https://www.lonelyplanet.com/japan/narratives/background/history

Japan Experience. (2020). Timeline of Japan’s History. Japan Experience. https://www.japan-experience.com/to-know/the-history-of-japan/history-of-japan-timeline

Petre, A. (2019). What Is the Japanese Diet Plan? All You Need to Know. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/japanese-diet

Japan Guide. (n.d.). Geography. Japan Guide. https://www.japan-guide.com/list/e1000.html

Japan Guide. (n.d.). Religion in Japan. Japan Guide. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e629.html

Japan Guide. (n.d.). Japanese Language. Japan Guide. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e621.html

National Geographic. (n.d.). Japan. National Geographic Kids. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/japan/

Japan Rail Pass. (n.d.). Regions of Japan. Japan Rail Pass. https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/regions-of-japan

[recentanimenews]

Japanese Gardens : Kyoto Photography + Guide Book Review

Kyoto, the cultural capital of Japan is one of the most magical and beautiful places I’ve ever visited in Japan. Although I spent most of my 6 years in the country living in Tokyo, the numerous trips that I made to Kyoto really opened my eyes to the rich cultural heritage of this ancient city. One of the highlights of Kyoto is most certainly its traditional Japanese gardens, verdant landscaped works of art that date back to the Kamakura, Muromachi, and early Edo periods (approximately 1200 to 1650).

This luscious photography guide book published by PIE showcases some of the most stunning gardens that still exist today, with over 100 entries spread across 220 pages. The stunning photographs of these gardens are accompanied by captions in both Japanese and English, which is extremely helpful should one want to take itinerary notes for any trip to Kyoto.

I’ve only been to Kyoto a handful of times myself and have see but several of the gardens featured in this book, but I’m fully planning to tick off more entries in future trips. For those that are unable to make the trip, you can still live vicariously through the lovely photographs in this book. Recommended.

Japanese Gardens : Kyoto 日本の庭 京都 book details :

– Dimensions – 5.75 x 0.75 x 8.25 inches – soft cover, 224 pages – Full color, in Japanese/English

Buy From Amazon CA | Amazon JP | Amazon UK | Amazon FR | Amazon IT | Amazon DE | Amazon ES

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By: yonghow

[ra-chic]

The Kimono

Tracing back to the Heian Period (794-1185), the Kimono was only worn for special occasions like weddings and tea ceremonies. It was first worn with the Hakama (which is a Chinese influenced long skirt without the division in the middle to separate the legs) and a Mo (a type of apron), but it then fell out of fashion and that’s when the Obi (a wide sash on the waist) became popular. Kimonos weren’t always considered everyday wear until the Kamakura period (1185-1333). The versatile garment was an item that was easily layered and altered to suit any season. It was very popular up until the Meiji period when fashion started to adopt western clothing style.

The colours of a kimono were then designed based on the season, gender, political ties or even family ties. Each colour of a kimono can mean a different thing:

Black: Dignity and formality

Blue: Represents elements of the natural world (eg. The sky or ocean). It symbolises peace, stability and security.

Pink: The staple feminine colour for the Kimono. Represents the springtime with a youthful and fresh aesthetic. It symbolises good health and vitality.

Purple: This colour was only worn by people that were wealthy enough because of how hard it was to actually make purple dye a long time ago. It was commonly worn by royalty.

Red: Considered the scared colour. Represents the vitals of life: the dawn, fire, blood, etc. It symbolises wealth and authority.

White: Purity and the divine

Yellow: Bravery and refinement

The kimono is considered the clothing that classically represents a woman in Japan. Traditionally, it would be worn with the right side under the left and with an Obi around the waist with the knot tied at the back. One of the versatile elements of a Kimono is that it’s all made in one size for women, so when women put the kimono on, they can custom fit their kimono to their bodies with the help of the Obi.

While there are kimonos for men and women, women actually have more types of kimonos than men ranking from non-formal to formal. In the non-formal category, we have the Onsen, Yukata and Komon kimonos. Onsen kimonos are usually the ones that you can find in your hot springs hotel. It’s for you to wear just as a casual form of dress when you go to the hot springs or a bathhouse. A Yukata is a kimono that is usually worn for warmer weathers, especially during the summer. You can see these all the time at summer festivals and especially at firework viewings. The Komon Kimono is considered as something that you could wear just around town with a casual setting. It has an overall pattern design where it’s repeated. Formal kimonos are a little more distinctive when it comes to identifying women, especially with their marital status. The Iro-Tomesode and the Kuro-Tomesode are two types of kimono where they are both worn only by married women, while the Furisode is worn by young unmarried women. What differs the Furisode kimono to the other two is that the sleeves are a lot longer and the pattern designs are a lot more colourful and playful, purposely making the unmarried woman in it stand out.

Even though the Kimono has somewhat died out as popular fashion, nowadays, you can still see people wearing them on the streets of Japan. Even tourists can go to Kimono rental places and rent a Kimono for a day. Kimonos have such a long history and symbolism behind them, it holds as a big part of Japanese culture.