#we’re going over the Japanese religion of shinto

[kickbutts-singsongs]

Wow, out of all the topics I thought I’d touch upon in my world history textbook, I never would’ve guessed one of them would be ANIME

[frauleindermorgen]

the 巫女 thing

this post brought to you by both fire emblem wikis putting micaiah’s light priestess and deidre and julia’s starting classes on the same page. tldr; yeah, mechanics aside, i’ll buy it!

So. I’m fairly new to Fire Emblem but born and raised on JRPGs in general, therefore whenever I see a female lead in a support class with ties to said video game’s religion my mind goes straight to the shrine priestess/miko archetype.

The wikipedia article on real life miko does not quite cover the oft portrayed archetype in modern anime and manga adjacent media but it’s a good start. I like this quote on the English wikipedia page especially:  "A far distant relative of her premodern shamanic sister, she is most probably a university student collecting a modest wage in this part-time position." 

Shrines in modern Japan are common, as are shrine maidens, but their portrayal in Japanese media very much harkens back to a mysterious, almost legendary past era where local laws and religion were inseparable and women who could channel gods some of the most important political players rather than part-time students.

But wait. That’s a lot like King Arthur and Britain, isn’t it? Speaking of Arthur, that’s a pretty common name in Fire Emblem. In fact you’re much more likely to find references to him or the Mabinogion in the first eight FEs than you are any priestesses. Which brings me to my next point:

Fire Emblem wants you to think it is very, very European and for a video game produced in Japan by a bunch of non-historians it does a pretty good job of creating its own authentic world building and terminology for each nation in that frame of mind.

So, while, the noun 巫女 was used to occasionally refer to women like Deirdre who fit that archetype in the actual dialogue per this reference. It is not actually used as an in game class until Fates/IF as a unique Hoshidan base class, because Japan!

Okay - that isn’t technically true, Micaiah’s third tier class known as Light Priestess in English is also 巫女 but we’re getting there.

Up until FE14 the support and clergy classes were split by gender with female units falling into “sisters”, and male units known as “priests.” The localization choosing to use cleric for the sister class kind of muddied this, but I think it flows a lot better that way and corresponds to similar Western style RPGs so I get why they did it.

(Also. When characters like Sara and, er, Mist are categorized as basically akin to nuns in FE verse it does seem rather silly.)

Because Celica in both FE2 and its remake is so clearly based on the ideas of a warrior shrine maiden I was pretty surprised to find her class, and the female class mages like Mae and Delthea can opt into is actaully written as  神官, which is Shinto in nature but refers to a male priest. But that’s different from the aforementioned Priest / プリースト... moving on.

Thematically, I do think Micaiah being a priestess makes sense. She isn’t in any formal sense i.e. she did not grow up in a priory or receive any formal training but she’s a child touched by a goddess given healing powers. Both goddesses in the Tellius games are, despite their connection to a Biblical flood, much more representative of Daoist concepts. The good ending is the accepting of a goddess representing Wuji, rather than Ashera’s yin or Yune’s yang for instance.

(Daoist concepts later come to influence both Buddhism and State Shintoism. I’ve connected the two dots. I’ve connected the)

OKAY!!! You say. But Nel. How does this have anything to do with the class unique to Deirdre and Julia known as シャーマン ?? And it. Ok. I’m going to skip over the gba shaman classes entirely because, they aren’t relevant. Here it is, short and simple:  シャーマン is simply used as the katakana/furigana reading in Micaiah’s 巫女 class.

This is the only really bad pic I could find. Thankfully! Pegasusknight has a chart.

FE10, maybe because of FE’s previously popularity in NA, or maybe just for the hell of it, has as far as I know the only case where every one of its classes has a kanji reading and a proposed English translation to it right in the game itself.

So Soren starts with the 風魔道士 class. It’s the kanji for wind in front of the kanji for magic user! And the suggested reading on top is ウインドマージ -> Uindo Me - ji -> Wind Mage.

Likewise, you can see above that the suggested reading for Micaiah’s 巫女 class is  シャーマン. And as people have pointed out before it works not only as a cute reference to Genealogy’s mother-daughter duo but also a fairly apt descriptor of Micaiah’s final role in the story: a holy woman who channels the spirit of a god, thus, a medium or shaman.

[foundouthatdabiistouyatodoroki]

Touya and LANTERNS

The kanji that we are going to talk about in Touya’s name is “tou” which translates to “lamp” in Japanese we’re going to go over his name by discussing the kanji of the first part his name “tou.” The first kanji “燈” is the old fashioned for the kanji used today “灯” which means “the small fire illuminates the surroundings” it came from the word 灯籠 / 灯篭 (tourou) it contains the kanji “灯”(tomoshibi) means one little fire like one on “a candle” which was used a long time ago when Japanese people put “a candle” or “oil and a string” in a type of lantern.

The “tou” in his name references his fire quirk: “the small fire illuminates the surroundings” and “candle” implies Touya’s constitution. It references Touya’s quirk ill-suited for his body, this applies to both his  powerful fire quirk and body unsuited for it.

This part demonstrates Horikoshi’s subtle naming themes of BNHA. But before I elaborate on what lanterns might have to do with Touya, I am going to talk about what lanterns themselves symbolize first. There are many lanterns and the symbolism is various with many differing lanterns I am going to start with “Toro” where “to” is derived from.

The Toro or “Lanterns” in Japanese are associated with Japanese gardens; it is a leading element of a Japanese garden layout. Lanterns are one of the main elements of traditional Japanese gardens. They are part of Japanese traditional garden decor used to place near water or along the curve.

Japan’s first lanterns, the Toro; are taken far back from China where they originated and were then brought over to Japan in the time of Buddha. The Buddha requested at these times and they are introduced in Japan a way of honoring Buddha. Toro were originally used in Buddhist temples where they illuminated paths they are used in shinto shrines and private homes.The lanterns can be found in temples where they lined and illuminated paths as offerings to Buddha. They were first used to illuminate pagodas and temples they are common in temples but also gardens and homes which are found in the homes of the wealthy.  In older times in Japan if you have a lantern near your house you were considered very wealthy.

The lantern’s light is considered the light of knowledge clearing away the clouds of ignorance. The symbolism that the Japanese garden lantern harbors are love, brightness, and protection from evil. But each one has different symbolism as well. Despite being the same garden lantern they are different in stone and design.

Tachi-doro - the lotus flower at the top the flower symbolizes growing wealth and career process and the other elements that symbolize it which are purity, the month of december and the first midnight or double hour of the day. yukimi-doro - translated as snow viewing symbolize the cycle of life, the figure of the mother significance of early marriage oki-doro- make the perfect fit for any garden design symbolize the nature the concept of finding beauty in imperfection the impermanence in the natural world.

Speaking of Buddhism, lanterns have a very prominent place in the Buddhist religion since the toro or lantern is symbolic for enlightenment. Toro were first original used in Buddhist temples the light of the lamp are used as an offering to Buddha. It is one of the eight offerings in Buddhism.

The candles are common and are compared to source of light. Lighting the lamps and the traditional oil lamp has reared some spiritual significance: in Buddhism, the light in a lamp symbolizes knowledge.

Lighting lamps in front of Buddha signifies inviting the light of wisdom by Buddha to dispel ignorance. The light offering to Buddha as a single lamp helps dispel the darkness and develop wisdom, the reason the act of the offer of the lamp candles with light is because the light symbolizes wisdom and dispels darkness by removing the darkness of ignorance in order to obtain Buddha’s luminous wisdom. The lamp symbolizes the light of Buddha the light itself signifies stability and clarity of patience the beauty that dispels evil. The light held in the lamp symbolizes the light of the teaching of Buddha that helped overcome the darkness of ignorance. Light symbolizes brightness and wisdom which can clear all darkness and troubles tear away the darkness of illusion through the penetrating light of Buddha. The lighting of a candle or oil lamp represent the light of wisdom illuminating the darkness of ignorance and a fundamental symbol as the source of goodness and ultimate reality which is the sun, an avenger of evil forces and darkness. The knowledge that removes ignorance just as light removes darkness keeping a lamp lit a witness to the thoughts and actions with the knowledge backs our actions good and bad.

The early lanterns were designed to hold a sacred flame to represent Buddha. The flame of the lamp burns upwards which acquired knowledge to take us to higher ideals. The burning lamp is a metaphor in Buddhist text symbolizes Buddhist teachings the light that helps overcome the darkness. Light is known as purity and morality the connected terms with its creative force and optimism cosmic energy related to light.

The lamp offerings also are associated with good fortune they are made for any individual or family life event that is celebrated, such as the birth of a child, marriage between a couple anniversary of one’s parents graduation of son and daughter. Lighting a lamp before Buddha signifies a bright future. Offering a lamp before the Buddha at the start of a year us the secret of having a smooth year ahead.

The gift of light with prayers help bring about less suffering and greater happiness in times of illness loss uncertainty and death. The offering of light symbolizes burning away desire, aggression, greed, jealousy and pride away to burn away our illness. Lamps are offered as a dedication of the dead in order to guide them through the wisdom of light. at the time someone's death it is traditional to offer a lamp for 49 days.

This goes the the next segment which I will elaborate on the toro lanterns’ other sad meaning.

The toro lantern is used it to dedicate to someone who has passed away.

The dedication of lanterns is an expression that are thinking of the deceased came from lanterns there is a lighting ceremony for the deceased which is called Toro Nagashi or flowing lanterns. Toro Nagashi take place in Bon (which takes place in mid August) and represents the soul of departed loved ones. It's a ceremony which happens traditionally on the final evening of the Bon Festival: they float glowing paper lanterns down a river to commemorate the souls of the dead. Traditionally it was believed this would help guide the souls of the departed to the spirit world. Toro Nagashi is held to honor one's ancestors and the dead. In one of the customs, families visit and clean the graves of their ancestors; traditionally it was believed that the spirits of their ancestors return to their family household altar during this time for a short period.

It's also used to think about loved ones the ancestors represent the light of the lantern they believe the spirit of ancestors will ride down the river return to the after life.  It's used for smaller family affair to remember lost loved ones the families worship their ancestors and thank them for protecting them.

You can write messages on paper of fabric surface of the toro; this is used to write messages for those who have died  it's written on the paper on the lantern to prevent the candle from being blown away it has messages of prayer for peace for those who have died.

At the coming and welcoming the new year the souls of ancestors are there to visit their family during the New Year’s festival.

What does this have to do with Touya or Dabi? Well the toro or lanterns’ facts says a lot about Touya and Dabi in the story, and its symbolism has alludes with the rest of the Todoroki family as well.

The Lanterns or Toro are used in traditional garden and In Japan old times owning a lantern around your home means your wealthy this part can refer to how Touya grew up in a traditional Japanese household and could be considered wealthy since his father is a well known pro hero.

The lanterns symbols “growing wealth and career process” can mean to how Endeavor became the number one hero, and became famous for defeating the hood nomu which was sent by Dabi his growing career as the number one hero. If Dabi is Touya than this would be him indirectly responsible for his father's growth to fame.

The lanterns elements purity, love and brightness. Purity and love refers to how Touya personality if he’s Dabi was once an innocent and loving boy until he went bad, an allusion to  someone who was once innocent turned evil. “Brightness” notes his fire quirk being powerful as Endeavor’s. The lanterns’ symbolic meaning “protection against evil” would sound ironic if Touya turns out to be Dabi.

Imperfection and impermanence are two words in the lanterns symbolism that have to do with both Dabi and Touya, With imperfection in Touya being on Touya’s fire quirk being powerful than endeavors but body made for ice a quirk for an ill-suited body, whom Endeavor calls almost perfect but refers to a failure.

The word impermanence refers to how Dabi’s own body burns away every time he uses his quirk.

The two things that came to mind hearing December and first midnight or double hour. first it the current arc that takes place at the end of December. December might be Touya’s birthdate midnight or double hour is from the old Chinese unit of time which lasts two hours. The “two hours” and “December” might imply Touya and Fuyumi are twins with the month of December containing Fuyumi’s birthdate and double hour or hidden hour could refer to how Touya is Fuyumi’s hidden twin.

The symbolism with the Yukimi-doro has a lot to do with Rei. Yukimi is translated to Snow-Viewing in Japanese refers to Rei’s ice quirk and love for cold.

“figure of the mother” means a lot about Rei’s being the actual mother, and early marriage could reference on how Rei was married off at a very young age to Endeavor.

There is a meaning for the lantern in Buddhism which correlates to Touya. The light from the lantern symbolizes the light of wisdom which dispels the darkness of ignorance implies on how we’re in the dark about Touya Todoroki’s whereabouts and have no clue on what happened to him since there are very few mentions of him in the manga.

Another thing this could mean is one how the entire public doesn’t know about  Endeavor’s abusive behavior towards his family, which is technically being in the dark on Endeavor’s home life. The light of wisdom dispels the darkness of ignorance can both refer to how the truth of Touya coming to light later and the ignorance is people not knowing about Endeavor’s abusive actions.

Light symbolizes wisdom which can also symbolize truth.  If Dabi is Touya he would know the truth about Endeavor’s abusive behavior. Light is also goodness, in Buddhism its something pure and good this could imply to Touya if we ever know his true personality.

The part said in the lantern “the knowledge that backs our actions good and bad” “a lamp lit to thoughts and actions” symbolizes both what Dabi is doing in his actions and Endeavor’s, specifically Dabi’s thoughts of when he killed the pro hero Snatch in his previous actions that are in align to his mysterious motives and Endeavor’s abusive actions towards his family to produce and stronger hear put Rei’s in insanity all for his own ambition to suppress All Might.

The part flame of Buddha that's seen in the candle or lamp. “that burns upwards mean you acquired knowledge to higher ideals” resembles Dabi who despite not getting any character development in the meta liberation arc he is getting closer to his goals who is coming higher in his villainy to his objectives.

Bright future meaning in the lamp could reference to what Dabi’s speech at the beginning of the forest raid to the vanguard action squad.

The lantern’s symbolism burns away illness loss and uncertainty and death, “loss and uncertainty” refers to Touya’s mysterious whereabouts. The illness notes to Touya’s own constitution:

The lanterns’ being used to dedicate to loved ones that passed refers to how Dabi thinks about what Snatch said and could possibly mean how he thinks about his family even now.

The sad symbolism using lanterns to honor deceased loved ones that I said in the last paragraph could be on Touya’s possibly sad fate being referred to as dead by his family and Dabi referring to his motives relating to family in what the words that were said by Snatch.

Lanterns are used in Toro Nagashi, a festival lighting festival for the deceased celebrate in Bon festival at evening. The light of the lanterns are the spirits of the ancestors; during this time family return to their homes at the family altar for a short period. The symbolism of souls visiting their family at New Year and Toro Nagashi might foreshadow Touya revealing himself as Dabi by showing up in front of his family in a long time, or Touya showing himself in front of his father by revealing himself to be Dabi, hence returning to his family after a long time of being absent in the household. The current arc takes place around New Year’s, so Dabi could possibly make his first appearance as the long lost Todoroki sibling in front of Endeavor.

Since Endeavor’s career as the number one hero is reaching new heights in the coming arc we have yet to know about Touya Todoroki. Dabi is being Touya would know the truth would Dabi be the one that can help us shed light on what we are kept in the dark about?

[invertedeidolon]

The Longest Library #6: The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story by Marie Kondo

This is a series in which I attempt to read and review all (or most of) my library of 297 books.

Rundown: Chiaki is a twenty something on her own, with a messy apartment that's been attached to a lifetime of failed relationships (although a lot of them seem like unrequited crushes she tried waaaay too hard for). The clutter and the drain it causes literally buries her own dreams and aspirations. Even if you don't intend to use KonMarie's method for things, it's a cute and concise way to see the impact it has when properly applied. Very wholesome, 5/5, would even give to my grandma.

Because of copyright and being respectful to the authors and artists, I'm going to try and keep pictures to a minimum, and do my best to describe things without them. Such is the hazards of reviewing a manga.

First off, before you even open the book, it's got this really nice matte satin finish on it. It's extremely pleasant. I had to just pause and say that for a second.

When I first picked this up in barnes and noble about a year ago, I didn't expect it to be so... I guess rich? There was no part of it that felt wasted or unnecessary. All of it felt good, and if it wasn't good, it was better. The art is pretty simplistic, almost all of it done in the same pen, and if you look close enough it all retains that human element. You can tell a hand did that. But it's still so consistent and, I suppose experienced, that it doesn't become distracting. The characters stay on model and don't look too weird, even when drawn tiny and comedically.

I like how the very first step is deciding that you want to tidy up. Even if the method described is much different than what everybody thinks it is, still coming at it with that same willingness and energy, resolute to do some real work, is necessary. It isn't as frantic and energy consuming as the heavy cleaning most people think of, but instead the method can be emotionally and mentally taxing. It requires that same decision to dedicate yourself to it.

Even though my house isn't as fine tuned as it would be had I used the konmarie method, I still make a point to do small tidying sessions as soon as I see there's a need for it. I come from a hoarder house and so do my partners, so there's an extra motivation to keep the space as far away from that as possible.

That being said, I recognize the main character's exhaustion. The startling mess that comes from such a professional seeming young woman just doesn't really register, she just kind of lives with it 'for the time being' (this is a phrase that pops up later).

As an aside, When she goes to answer the door, there's this curtain she pulls over to kind of hide the rest of the apartment behind her. I have no idea if it's a staple of Japanese apartments (in which case, what a neat idea! Nobody who's just at the door needs to know what my home looks like). If it's just her, deciding that she needs a curtain to hide her embarrassment, however... just damn.

So the reality of needing to tidy up sets in when the neighbor accidentally DOES see what her apartment is like. (He initially came to tell her to please get the garbage off her balcony because it's starting to stink... she kept putting it there, intending to bring it down in the morning, but then forgets). So a valiant? effort is made. But the roadblocks to starting on such a huge mess is apparent. Can't do garbage, there's too much on the balcony already. The sink is so backed up and she can't find the sponge. You kind of move from task to task and can't really find a place to start because you don't know HOW to start. And tackling something that huge in more manageable pieces isn't for everybody. Sometimes you can make messes faster than you can clean them. So it feels like treading water, like you're not getting anywhere. And that's usually where people give up. So she does.

Also, I find it hilarious that she found out about KonMarie while on a search for proof that there's people who are way messier than her.

She was totally expecting a Hoarders type situation. Nope! It's all just you and this tiny fairy woman.

So this being my first exposure to KonMarie, I was actually super invested when she asked this question. I appreciate this question so much. My (literal) garbage television of choice is Hoarders, and usually on that show, if they set goals, it's extremely short term. Mostly because they have only so much time that the workers can be there. Sometimes it's even so small as 'clear this one hallway so that my husband doesn't fall and break his leg and potentially die in his own home'. Meanwhile KonMarie is over here like 'what's your life going to look like after your place is clean'? Which is a very good question to ask, especially if you don't want someone to fall back into old habits. Cleaning is basically making room for yourself and your life, instead of just your stuff.

So, living 'for the time being'. I see this way of living as a form of energy preservation. You don't make the effort to do the 'right' thing, which would be expending the small effort to clear your coffee table so you can have a nice place to eat breakfast tomorrow. That's okay, it's just temporary, right? But then the next day, you go to have breakfast. You see the messy table and immediately deflate. You need to eat standing now because you don't have the time to clear the table AND make breakfast. You don't feel as great as you could be, but that's okay, right?  The trend unfortunately continues. It also spreads to other areas of your life. Unfortunately, by preserving energy by not doing the small tasks, the small tasks become bigger ones. That you no longer have the energy for. Especially now that you're having to SPEND energy working around those large tasks. Doing the small thing in the first place would mean you would RECEIVE energy as a result. Clearing the table the night before means a nice, calm peaceful breakfast, and you get to the rest of your day feeling energized now that you've had that bit of quiet to yourself. If you find yourself avoiding tasks, you might need to do something specifically to restore yourself. That's what self care is about in the context of maintaining your space.

“Nine out of ten items demoted to loungewear...are never worn!”

So, I have this talent for knowing where everything is in the house at all times and remembering what I have (a Forbidden Skill that comes from living with hoarders and also a shitty birthgiver who would arbitrarily throw stuff away). And I know exactly which pieces of clothing she's talking about. The huge pair of pj pants that I barely use unless it's abnormally cold. The various camisole tops with the missing underwire that I don't wear because the straps are synthetic and melted at the ends so it makes this unfortunate stabby bit. Yeah. I should get rid of those. Tshirts and shorts are better off as loungewear because that's what I use them for apart from exercising.

"Besides, why would you wear joyless clothes inside when you would never wear them outside? Your time at home should be special too."

This is something I've come to appreciate during quarantine. I feel TONS better when I'm wearing something nice, even inside. I get more work done and I feel more professional when I actually 'get dressed' instead of trying to work in my nightgown. Even putting on an apron makes housework feel more purposeful. (I'm going to take this to the next level and eventually make my own apron)

This is what I mean by it becoming draining over time. Even a good day is hampered by coming home to a cluttered area. Even having one space to sit that looks nice helps. (for context, Chiaki only just tidied her clothes, but nothing else yet, so she had an amazing day, feeling great in clothes that made her feel great, and then came home to this.)

"Books that haven't been moved in a while are dormant, so it's hard to judge whether to keep or discard them."

I appreciate this humanizing element of objects. I feel like a lot of us are taught early on to stop caring so much about our belongings, especially when they're no longer age appropriate, and we're pressured by peers and parents to 'let go'. When I give any object in my home a character or spirit, I find I take much better care of it. It's also partially the basis of my teddy bear medical project (the stuffed animal is essentially an emotional mirror, and taking care of the bear helps it echo back a need to care for yourself). Also interesting, to quote from wikipedia: "Kondo says that her method is partly inspired by the Shinto religion. Cleaning and organizing things properly can be a spiritual practice in Shintoism, which is concerned with the energy or divine spirit of things (kami) and the right way to live (kannagara)"

Also on the subject of books, I readily agree that #thelongestlibrary is a way for me to avoid immediately throwing away books. But now that I can make regular content out of them, they all have a purpose now, don't they?

This bastard. No matter how many times I purge my writing stash, one of these always shows up. Why is it sticky??????

"That's right. Things that are kept 'just because' are stored 'just because', and accumulate 'just because'."

This is true. However, I'm in a weird place because of my skills and profession. Can KonMarie please come validate my decision to keep crafting supplies and surplus packaging???

"Instead of buying storage goods to make do, wait until you've completely finished and look for ones you really like" "You mean don't buy things 'Just because!' "

I don't know how many times I've seen a messy house with a stack of brand new storage bins, never used, or storage bins overstuffed and sometimes broken. Something I forgot to mention that is a huge part of the KonMarie method, is organizing by category, and not by room. You get ALL of one object in the house, and put it in a pile in the middle of the floor, so you can see just how much you have (clothes, books, cosmetics, etc.) If you clean by room, you may have gotten all the clothes in the bedroom put away nicely, but they there's still dirty laundry, and also the workout clothes in the living room, and some in the bathroom, and it all doesn't fit and has to go in a storage container or gets stuffed in a weird place and you never see it again! So don't get storage. If it doesn't fit in your house, that means it likely doesn't fit in your current life. And either the object has to go, or your life needs to change.

"Wait, it's not the things I'm discarding, but the things I'm keeping that are in this room!"

This is a principle that I think didn't really occur to me, or a lot of people. Getting rid of excess stuff is important, yes, but making sure what you're keeping is meaningful is equally and sometimes even more important. It's something that could be applied to all areas of your life.

"Your home is linked to your body. If it isn't comfortable to live in, you'll feel exhausted, just like I did."

KonMarie puts so much love into her method. If you've never seen her show, I highly recommend it. It isn't like Hoarders at all. It's like the difference between American Gordon Ramsey and The Great British Bakeoff. Even if the families depicted are a little tense, it's clear they still love each other deeply and just need to be guided into making their home a place where that love can happen unimpeded.

If you've never gotten into KonMarie, I'd say this is a stellar first exposure. I love the hell out of this tiny, thoughtful woman.

Have a couple of bonus faces because the artist is a gem.

*don’t be suspicious, don’t be suspicious*

I’ve already lost count of my books. 6 down, 200 something to go.

[rabbiteclair]

how do you go about doing research for your fics? i often want to write, but find myself stuck and overwhelmed with the amount of research that’s needed to portray things accurately. i never know where to start looking. got any pointers?

(Standard ‘look I just do this for funsies and have no formal education around writing, so this is all just my own experience and some secondhand advice’ disclaimer applies)

First off, by avoiding research as much as humanly possible. Really. Really. Do yourself a favor.

The way I see it, when you run into a Factual Thing you don’t actually know while writing, you have three options.

Avoid going into unnecessary detail on the thing so that it doesn’t matter that you don’t know about it.

Research the thing in-depth to make sure you get it right.

Give up on getting it Just Right and BS something.

#1 is very nice where applicable! Especially works well for stuff that isn’t very interesting or relevant to the plot.How does one go about making a TV from scratch? Heck if I know. So when I wrote Nitori doing it, I gave only really broad details about the process, and it mostly happened offscreen. No research required!

#3 is a lifesaving skill. This should probably be your default answer on 90% of things. Like, as an example: the bit from Goddess/Girlfriend where Sanae got enshrined. I am pretty sure that a few arahitogami got enshrined during their lifetimes in ye olden dayes. If I searched long and hard, I could probably find out what this process looks like. And, I did in fact start searching when I was writing the fic. But, 1) the odds of readers knowing the Proper way to do things were pretty darn slim and 2) we’re talking Reimu, who happens to live in a fantasy realm where provable gods can walk up to you and steal your french fries, and isn’t a very orthodox shrine maiden anyway. She was probably BS’ing it in character. So hey, make something up and avoid the thirty hours of research.

This is great for things that aren’t ultimately that important, or stuff that’s obscure enough that nobody’s likely to have their experience ruined if you don’t get the details right. Dunno much about historic pub food costs to use as a basis for the prices at Mystia’s stand? Make something up. Dunno how somebody living in an isolated fantasy realm analogous to the mid-1800s could get their hands on refined sugar, or sulfuric acid, or a modern telescope? Make something up. Plus, with some of these cases, ‘what’s historically accurate?’ is a less important question than ‘what would make the story more interesting?’

Which just leaves... stuff that actually needs researched.

And if you get to that point, you should still really ask yourself whether it matters. Will somebody care that you wrote about characters eating sushi in a landlocked region? No, really, think about it. I promise you that the time you spend debating whether Gensokyo could have developed the right sorts of aquaculture techniques to raise freshwater fish that are safe for sushi production could be better spent writing. If somebody still complains about it, look them in the eye and say ‘I don’t fucking know, Sumireko smuggled in another ocean fish, are you happy?’ (Yes this is a topic I spent about eight hours researching back in the day and I am retroactively bitter about it.)

But, let’s say you do find some stuff that legit needs to be accurate. First off, there are two real broad categories here, I feel.

Number one is straightforward factual bits. How tall is a torii usually? What’s a suitable detonator for a modern explosive? How long would somebody have to fly straight up before they hit clouds, assuming they were going a bit faster than a sprint? This is all stuff that you might decide you’ve gotta get right. It’s also stuff that could very well not be that important. When you hit one of these, you really should just leave a note for yourself, keep writing, and research it later. Nothing slows down your progress like pausing every seven minutes to research things that don’t even impact the story. (The Patchouli chapter of Thief of Hearts had a lot of these in the rough draft. Lots of ‘Marisa pointed the telescope at [COORDINATES]. Looking through it, she saw [SOME CONSTELLATIONS].’)

Number two... is, yeah, the stuff that you both need to research, and that matters to the story. If you’re writing a long arc about characters building an airplane, you should probably have a pretty good idea of how airplanes are made. Not only that, but the details shape the story--what kinds of obstacles the characters face will partially depend on your findings. This stuff, you should try to research before you even start writing, when possible.

Apart from factual stuff, it can also be a very good idea to research general... flavor things. Like, if I were writing a novel-length story set in the underground, I’d probably BS a lot of the details, but I’d also read a good bit about spelunking and those weird cave fish and stuff, to just kind of help me get the feel right and give me some general ideas.

... so, with all of those ‘CHOOSE YOUR RESEARCH WISELY’ warnings out of the way, what secrets can I bestow upon you for actually performing research?

idk, Google mostly

Google can turn up a lot, though. Google Books has a ton of old reference stuff available, and if you’re searching on fairly scholarly topics, it’s usually pretty good at finding relevant academic papers for you. Cultural stuff is its big weakness, in my experience: If you want a good overview of architecture styles in regular houses two hundred years ago, or what weddings looked like in the Meiji era, you are out of luck.

Youtube is also surprisingly helpful here. Weird DIY chemistry videos gave me a 10x better idea of how to make chemicals than I got from a day of reading Wikipedia. I found something like a 18-minute documentary about how karakasa are traditionally made that was very helpful for writing Kogasa.

There are two whole online resources I can recommend for Touhou-adjacent topics in particular:

First is The Encyclopedia of Shinto. This is an indexed English translation of one of the main Japanese references on Shinto, so it’s fairly thorough, if a bit high-level in places. Useful for writing shrine/god stuff. Plus, since it’s, you know, a religion, I feel inclined to try harder for accuracy when it comes to Shinto topics.

Second is the Kojiki. As of last time I checked, the only translation available online is Chamberlain’s old clunky one, but it works. Volume 1 contains a lot of bedrock mythological stuff. Touhou references it all over in general, and basically every Lunarian but Kaguya can be traced back to a character in here.

... good references on youkai are unfortunately much harder to find. There are a few English sites cataloguing them, but I don’t trust any of them thoroughly enough to link directly. ZUN plays pretty fast-and-loose with a lot of youkai, anyway, so I feel like actual folktales are best viewed as an inspiration.

oops this turned into an essay didn’t it. Oh well hopefully something in there is useful.

[bigskydreaming]

Ooooh on the Greek gods as superheroes thing: is it full on with all the gods? Like the Norse, Indian, Chinese etc? How do the Greeks react to the roman gods? Since so many are just rip offs of them? And idk if you know anything about Maori mythology but if you had any thoughts on how they fit in I’d scream with joy :> thank you for such a cool idea!

I’m thinking its mostly focused on the Greek gods to start, because they’re so well known and I like doing something new with old things so I’m trying to come up with new takes for the big hitters as well as some of the lesser knowns. Greek mythology in particular is soooo much bigger than just the twelve Olympians and some of the more minor gods are fascinating to me. In particular, Nyx and her children are a wealth of potential, especially in the modern age. Like....did you know there’s a god of Doom, specifically? That’s freaking manna from heaven for me.

So the idea of other pantheons arriving, I see it as a overhanging shadow that the Greek gods are becoming aware of and of mixed opinions on what to do about it...because the Greek gods, by their very nature, are squabblers. So squabblers gonna squabble about this.

Which means that’s already a pretty sizable cast of characters I’d like to play with from the get go, so I haven’t jumped too far ahead to all the other gods in other pantheons that could be fun as well. I do know the Norse would be ones that show up, as I have ideas for some of those.

But beyond that, I’d have to do some more research before settling on specifics. Not in terms of researching pantheons, like lmao, I am a huge mythology nerd since dating back to middle school loser-hood in the library every lunch, and I’ve read every mythological text from every mythology I can get my hands on. But more in terms of which I’d be comfortable using for this particular project? I’m a big believer in creator responsibility and white authors in particular have a long and nasty history of appropriating other cultures’ spirituality in the name of entertainment, even when that spirituality is NOT as synonymous with mythology as its often made out to be.

So on that basis alone, I can say pretty categorically that I would consider all Hindu, Shinto, Mesoamerican, Vodoun and indigenous gods off limits for a project of this particular nature, because not only do they stem from cultures of color, we’re talking living religions still practiced today in a lot of those cases. And that’s a no go, as far as I’m concerned.

While more firmly ‘mythological’ pantheons (particularly European ones that I can trace connections to in my own ancestry) like the Norse, Irish, Celtic, Finnish, Slavic, etc are all more likely to appear.

That said, there’s no reason the avatars of any of those gods need to be white, and also none of them are straight cuz I said so and I’m right, so for instance, in my head currently I’m picturing Hera/Harmony as a bi Afro-latina, Apollo/Morningstar’s a white gay man, Hades/Graveyard is latino, etc. Artemis is someone I’ve got a lot of fun ideas for, because I always like playing with different takes on the triplicate goddess, so here I thought I’d go with the idea that Artemis, Selene and Hecate all started out as different goddesses with their own purviews that overlapped in certain respects....and they kinda consciously, deliberately merged themselves in a way that like....allows them to share power at the expense of sacrificing some of their autonomy. So they’re still three distinct individuals, who have an edge over a lot of their peers because they can pool their powers, perceptions, experience, etc....but only because they decided a long time ago they were comfortable sharing brain-space in a way, with their thoughts and feelings and moods occasionally spilling over into each other.

So as of now, I’m picturing Moonshadow/Artemis as a Japanese woman and goddess of the hunt, while Selene is a black woman and goddess of the moon and secrets and Hecate is a white Mediterranean woman and goddess of magic and mysteries. Hecate is at her peak in the twilight hours, the first four hours of night, Selene is at her most powerful in the midnight hours, the next four hours of night, and Artemis is at the height of her powers in the deep night, the last four hours of night. And all three of them can be on separate continents but like, appear as shadows or reflections of the other two. So for instance, you look at Moonshadow and you see a short Japanese woman in her late twenties, but when she’s drawing on their shared resources you kinda squint and do a double take, because for a second there it looks like she’s not alone, there’s two other women standing right behind her, or when you look at her in a mirror you see all three of them reflected. That kinda thing.

(Also from now on I’m tagging stuff about this potential project with the tags “Absolute Power” or “kalen writes Absolute Power”).

[darkpetal16]

Ennichi Festival

My Hero Academia © Horikoshi

Kiyomi © Darkpetal16

This is an omake from the fanfiction Hail Friendship!

Time frame: First semester.

Ennichi Festival

I yawned in my seat, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

“Eh? Sleepy?” Ochaco asked, taking her seat beside me.

“Mm. I guess. I had to stay up late last night.” “Huh? How come?”

“My aunties came over last night to adjust my yukata, but they ended up making a new one. I had to stay up last night while they took measurements, and fussed over it. I didn’t get to bed until three and then I had to get up at four to help with farmwork.” I gave another big yawn, resting my head on my desk.

Ochaco reached over and rubbed my back. “Sounds rough. How come you need a yukata?”

“Ah? Oh for the Ennichi Festival tonight—”

“Eh?!” Ochaco’s voice switched several octaves higher than usual as she squealed. “The Ennichi Festival is tonight?! Oh my gosh, thank goodness I got my paycheck. Oh I can’t wait to go. So you’re going, too?”

“Yeah, Sho-chan asked to go see the fireworks together,” I answered her.

Ochaco squealed again, grabbing her cheeks. “Oh my gosh it’s a date!”

“It’s not a date,” I corrected her tiredly. “Ugh. I need coffee.”

Despite my insistence it was not a date Ochaco kept giving me a sly look, with my only reprieve when she went to go tell Toru about the festival outside of class. Even after the rest of our friends arrived and classes started she still occasionally shot me a smug smile.

As soon as classes ended that day I hurried home before she could tease me further.

Momo’s perspective, before class

Momo heard Ochaco and Toru shouting excitedly outside of the classroom. Curious, she approached them (wearing her standard gentle smile) and inquired, “Uraraka-san, Hagakure-san, you both seem very excited. What are you girls going on about?”

“Ah, Yaoyorozu-san!” Toru chirped. “I visited a shrine and there was a sign about the Ennichi festival that’s happening this evening.”

“Ennichi?” Momo repeated slowly. “It must be a shrine that is directly related to the religion of Shinto or Buddhism. They perform a special ritual there where food is offered. I apologize, I didn’t know Hagakure-san was so deeply spiritual.”

“No, to me Ennichi is all about the celebration and not so much the religion.”

“Celebration?” Momo tilted her head in confusion. “But the festival should be all about preserving and continuing the tradition of remembering Buddha.”

“Goodness, that’s just wro-o-ong!” Toru cried out.

Ochaco added, “Yaoyorozu-san you’re way too serious about the history. You’ve got to be more open-minded.”

“Yeah, our view of Ennichi festival is all about the fantastic food stalls. Okonomiyaki, yakisoba, you can feast on them all and be glad about it!”

“Ah, so that’s what Ennichi festival is all about,” Momo concluded, believing she understood now.

“It’s good that you get it, do you want to come with us?” Ochaco offered, grinning hugely.

Momo’s brow furrowed and she looked away. “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to exclude myself from this get together. I don’t think I have the opportunity to go this time around.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“Eh? But it’ll be so much fun,” Toru whined.

Momo shook her head regretfully. “My mother definitely wouldn’t allow it. She told me not to bother with the sweets and snacks the festival sells, because real dessert specialists can make better stuff than those unhealthy sweets. And also because you’re bound to get sick from festival food.”

“Your mom antagonizes the festival too much,” Toru told her. “I think she made all the stall owners her enemy. Just throw back a bit and enjoy!”

“Enjoy?”

Ochaco frowned. “Um, Yaoyorozu-san, could it be that you have never been to the festival before?”

“No. Ever since I was a child I was told by my mother that it is not necessary to go.”

“WHAT A WASTE!” Ochaco and Toru cried out, genuinely upset by such horror.

Ochaco was quick to follow up with, “How could you miss such a fun and tasty event?”

“Really! You do know that it’s such a fun place, right? This festival is the essence of the Japanese spirit. It’s the heart. As a girl, there’s no way you can pass this chance to go.”

“Oh…”

“Ah, Hagakure-san, let’s stop pushing her,” Ochaco said quietly, looking over at Momo’s conflicted expression. “Yaoyorozu-san should have the right to decide for herself. It’s her own choice whether or not to go. Yaoyorozu-san we’re sorry if we made you uncomfortable.”

“No, it’s okay,” Momo reassured them, her expression still conflicted as she thought about their previous statements.

Toru and Ochaco gave her bright smiles before taking their leave, deciding to invite the other girls in class. Momo watched them leave, wondering what she should do.

‘The Ennichi must actually be really fun,’ she thought to herself.

Later that night

‘I-I can’t believe I came here by myself,’ Momo thought worriedly to herself. She stood at the entrance of the festival, anxiously shifting her weight as she tried to work up the nerve to go in.

A part of her was thrilled—the festival seemed so exciting!—but another part of her was terrified of what her mother would say if she found out.

“Huh? Momo-chan?”

Momo looked over nervously at the voice, relieved to find that it belonged to one of her classmates, Kiyomi. The class rep had dressed up in a stylish red yukata, her hair swept up in a neat bun with a few curls poking out. Momo thought she looked cute in that, and seeing Kiyomi smile brightly at her made her reflexively smile back.

It was hard not to smile back at Kiyomi.

Momo waved at Kiyomi, not surprised to find Shōto—in casual clothes which seemed lackluster in comparison to how much Kiyomi had dressed up—beside her and holding her hand. “Hi.”

Kiyomi’s eyes brightened. “You look so adorable, Momo-chan! That yukata really suits you.”

Momo blushed, looking down at her own dark blue yukata. It was something she had made on the fly, so she wasn’t certain it was up to the standards of everyone else. It felt nice to be complimented on it, though.

Kiyomi nudged Shōto. “Doesn’t she look pretty, Sho-chan?”

Shōto looked over at her. “You look very nice, Yaoyorozu-san.”

Momo gave a small giggle at that. “Thank you both. Are you here on a date?”

“Mn-mn!” Kiyomi denied, shaking her head. “Sho-chan and I are here mostly for the fireworks. Did you come by yourself?”

“Oh, um, actually, yes,” Momo admitted shyly. “I—I have never been to a festival, so, I, um.” The young heiress couldn’t resist fidgeting anxiously with the end of her sleeves.

Kiyomi approached Momo, taking one of her hands and intertwining her fingers. “Then why don’t you spend the night with us? The fireworks won’t happen for a while longer, and we can show you around the festival.” “Oh, I couldn’t impose—”

Kiyomi gave Momo’s hand a squeeze, her gaze softening. At times Momo felt like Kiyomi acted like a mother when she looked at others with that gaze. Her eyes sometimes appeared to belong to someone older, but still kind. “I insist.”

Momo relaxed minutely under that look, giving a relieved smile. “Thank you.”

“Mn! Don’t mention it,” Kiyomi said, holding out her other hand for Shōto to take it. Her childhood friend obliged, and the three of them began their journey into the festival.

Kiyomi swung their hands back and forth for a bit a she guided them towards the first booth. “Hehe! First thing’s first and that’s food.”

Momo’s expression momentarily clouded, recalling that her mother would detest her eating such “junk food” as she would call it. Kiyomi ordered three takoyakis and handed them to Momo and Shōto before keeping one for herself.

Momo automatically accepted the food, even as she reluctantly stared at it. Kiyomi seemed to be thoroughly enjoying hers—she was already nearly finished devouring it and was trying to steal some from Shōto who swatted her hand away with habitual ease.

When she noticed that Momo had touched any of her own food, however, she looked over at her with concern. “Momo-chan? Are you allergic?”

“Ah, no,” Momo responded, biting on her bottom lip for a brief moment. “My mother wouldn’t like me eating this kind of stuff.”

“Hmm,” Kiyomi hummed. “Well, sometimes what mothers don’t know won’t hurt them.”

Momo gave her a scandalized look. “But—”

“Go on, give it a try. It’s your first festival, you have to try all the food,” Kiyomi insisted, a gleam in her eyes. Under Kiyomi’s encouragement Momo took a tentative bite.

Momo’s eyes widened. “Oh my! This is actually really good.”

“Ri-ight? Festival food is always the best. 50-50 chance you’ll get sick later, but it’s completely worth it,” Kiyomi said cheerfully.

Shōto wrinkled his nose at that. “You’re not the one holding back hair.”

“And thank you in advance for that,” Kiyomi giggled, playfully nudging Shōto. She also tried to swipe his last takoyaki but he quickly popped it in his mouth before she could do so. “How rude!”

“I will buy you another one if you stop trying to steal from me.”

“But stolen food tastes so much better!”

Momo giggled at Shōto’s exasperated expression. Kiyomi stuck her tongue out before her face brightened. “Let’s try all the food now!”

“Okay,” Momo agreed, curious and excited to see what else might taste as good as takoyaki. Kiyomi held Momo and Shōto’s hands as they went to each food stall, and without fail she continuously tried (and never succeeded) to steal food from Shōto. It was entertaining for Momo to watch, finding their friendly banter and relaxed demeanour calming. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t been incredibly nervous about coming to the festival on her own, but she was genuinely glad she had.

Near the end of the food stalls the trio took a seat at one of the benches. Momo rubbed at her stomach, letting out a content sigh. “All of that food was really great.”

“Mm-hmm,” Kiyomi agreed, leaning heavily on Shōto and sighing. “I could eat festival food my entire life.”

“You’d get sick of it after a week,” Shōto corrected her.

“Don’t be a stick in the mud.”

He reached over and tugged on her hair, eliciting an mock glower.

“Oh!”

The trio looked up to find Ochaco and Toru from their class heading over to them with their arms filled with food. Both girls were dressed in cute yukatas, with Ochaco wearing a pale pink and Toru a baby blue.

“Yaoyorozu-san, you made it,” Ochaco said cheerfully. “How do you like it?”

“It’s a lot of fun,” Momo admitted with a smile. “Kiyo-chan and Todoroki-kun have been showing me around.”

“If we knew you were coming we would have waited for you,” Toru exclaimed. “Where else have you been? Did you see the games yet?”

“Oh not yet.”

“You have to come with us,” Ochaco said, grabbing Momo’s hand. It was impressive she was managing to hold all her food with one arm. She looked over at Kiyomi and gave the pinkette a wink.

Momo found it odd that Kiyomi’s cheeks turned red and she looked away with a huff.

Toru, catching Ochaco’s hint, grabbed Momo’s other hand. “Yeah, c’mon. Let’s eat together over here.”

Momo smiled at that, happy that her classmates wanted to spend time with her. She felt bad about simply leaving Kiyomi and Shōto, however, since both were kind of enough to be her escorts. She looked back over at them. “Oh, I don’t mean to simply leave—”

“It’s okay, as long as you have fun,” Kiyomi reassured her with a smile. “Text me before you leave and I’ll walk you home, okay?”

“Thank you!” Momo responded, sincerely grateful for that offer. With a big smile on her face she allowed Ochaco and Toru to drag her off for more food and to play games.

It was truly a wonderful and memorable night for Momo.

Kiyomi watched the trio leave before she looked back over at Shōto and gave him a soft smile. “You want to go find a spot for the fireworks now?”

“Yeah,” Shōto said. “Can you get us up there?” Shōto pointed towards one of the hills by the shrine.

Kiyomi took his hand and with ease she teleported both of them atop the hill in one of the trees. She took a seat on the sturdy branch, Shōto following suit. Their hands rested in her lap where she played with their fingers as they patiently waited for the fireworks.

Neither felt the need to break the comfortable silence. The weather was nice, the sky was clear, and the fireworks would be starting shortly.

“Kiyo-chan?” Shōto asked.

“Mn?”

He looked down at their hands, his brow furrowed. “You look very nice, too. Nicer than… than others.”

Kiyomi giggled at that. “Thank you, Sho-chan.”

He looked like he wanted to say something else, but the fireworks started and their attention was drawn up towards the sky.

They always watched fireworks together, after all.

And at the end of the night Kiyomi did what she always did after they would watch fireworks. She leaned over and kissed Shōto’s cheek goodnight and said, “Thank you for taking me to see the fireworks.”

“Always,” Shōto promised her.

Reviews are love.

[agirlinjapan]

Red Data Girl: My Longest Day of School (Week 17)

Red Data Girl: My Longest Day of School By Noriko Ogiwara A Translation

Miss the last piece? Read it here!

Check out the RDG Translation twitter!

Sorry about the unintentional RDG break last week! Somehow, I convinced myself that it had only been a week since the last post so it wasn’t time to post another yet. From there, posting completely slipped my mind. (I did get a good 10 or so pages translated throughout the week though.) Regardless, here we are today, a week later. This whoopsie won’t affect the usual RDG schedule. I’ll be posting next Sunday as well so that things get back on the normal track and I make up for the missing week.

Translation notes:

I’m not quite sure why this is a thing, but there is a belief in Japan that people in France really, really like anime and manga--possibly more so than in other countries outside of Japan. I don’t know where or why this belief started. I mean, I know anime and manga are big in France, but they’re also big in the US and scores of other countries.

Sugoroku is an ancient Japanese game that is comparable (in one of its two forms) to backgammon. 

Red Data Girl: My Longest Day of School By Noriko Ogiwara Chapter 3: Off Course Part 1 (2 of 2)

“Are you okay?”

Izumiko looked up in surprise to see two deep blue eyes peering into her face. The face looking at her was excessively flushed and its chin seemed to jut out further than it should have, but the eyes were entirely focused on Izumiko. The boy was dressed as a Catholic priest, but his gaze was firm.

“Do you feel bad? Are you anemic?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Izumiko blinked repeatedly, wondering in shock if she had lost consciousness for a moment.  

What was I doing just now?... Oh, right. I was on the phone telling Miyuki he didn’t have to come…

She mentally checked herself over but found nothing wrong. Not one thing was off. She remembered falling under a spell, but now that seemed like it had just been in her imagination.

“Are you really alright? You always get so distressed when you see Claus,” Takayanagi/Shirou Amakusa said.

“Ah, um…”

Claus, who looked as big as a bear standing there next to Takayanagi, nodded, his expression remaining serious.

“That’s right. I think I scare you. We’ve never talked once.”

“I’m sorry…” Izumiko’s shoulders drooped. She was embarrassed of the prejudice she had been carrying. “I was raised in the mountains, so I’m not used to foreigners. I don’t really know how to talk with you…”

Claus offered a short response but the words were casually spoken in German so Izumiko couldn’t catch their meaning.

Takayanagi smiled and said, “Izumiko, you’re breaking out of your small world right now. If you get to know him better, I’m sure you’ll realize Claus is a good guy.”

“I’m Christian, but a modern Christian,” Claus said meaningfully. He put his rosary in his pocket. “There really aren’t any people in Europe who think non-Christians are devils. We’re not hundreds of years in the past. I can be good friends with people who identify as Shinto.”

“I’m not Shinto. I grew up at a shrine but my grandfather never told me I had to be serious about the religion or anything.”

Claus nodded happily at her hurried correction.

“Ah, in that case it’ll be even easier for us to be friends. Prejudice shows up when we don’t understand things. When I first came to Japan, I thought all Germans were Protestants. I was worried about that. But as individuals, people should be themselves.    

Claus seems to be a caring person. I wonder why I thought he was scary… Izumiko thought in surprise.

She had always been afraid of large, strong looking boys. The situation now fell somewhat into that catagory. Claus certainly looked like a rugby player, but his gentle nature was revealing itself. She could feel her nervousness falling away.

“I think so, too. People should be themselves.”

“You should smile more,” Takayanagi said, good-naturedly. “It’s so much better to be happy.”

As he said this, Izumiko couldn’t help but realize how stiff her face must have looked to him. She probably always looked that way around the exchange students seeing as she didn’t know what to do with them. She felt differently now though.

I built a wall around myself. I shouldn’t do that though…

Her father, Daisei, had hoped that she would get a better understanding of the world away from the mountains. Even though there were plenty of foreign students for her to meet at the school, she hadn’t remembered her father’s words until now. Perhaps that had been due to her own views being too narrow.          

“There are a lot of samurai and international characters in the offensive team’s army. There’s a girl participating too,” Takayanagi said, “Angelica’s image of what the Warring States era was like is a little too much like a manga or anime but I guess that’s because she’s French.”

“There are just as many fans of Japanese manga in Germany as there are in France,” Claus said firmly in response to his friend’s opinion.

“Ah, we have to go. If we chat through the judging, it’ll look like we were making some sort of deal over here. But Izumiko, come over and talk to me after the game is over,” Takayanagi said as he walked away. “Angelica’s a very interesting person, too.”

Izumiko relaxed her hold on the fence and headed towards the tent as well.

“…Okay,” Izumiko answered a bit shyly. There was no animosity in her voice. Surprisingly, she even felt a little better about the situation. “If there’s time.”

Who would have thought that it’s so easy to stop disliking someone when you didn’t even know you disliked them in the first place…

Up until now, Izumiko had accepted Mayura’s thoughts and beliefs without question no matter what. In other words, she had never come up with her own views about what Mayura told her.

…I’ve never thought about how narrow my viewpoint really is…

Izumiko already knew why Mayura Souda wanted to be the World Heritage Candidate. She worried about Manatsu who had the same heart defect as their brother Masumi who had died young. If it became possible that Manatsu might need a heart transplant, Mayura wanted to be in the best position imaginable to make sure he got one.

Izumiko respected her as a fiercely moral person whose concern for her sibling was touching. However, her intentions were undoubtedly for personal gain. Even Izumiko couldn’t argue that.

Mayura was a part of this now, but if Izumiko had been given a chance to do everything over, she wished she would have thought a little harder about it all.    

What happens if Mayura loses?... Izumiko thought for the first time.

If Mayura lost, Izumiko would be heartbroken, but she would comfort her friend, she thought. Her views on the situation would only be somewhat changed and she would be able to talk to Mayura about the other girl’s feelings.  

I’m capable of changing and adapting, Izumiko thought lightheartedly. I’m already changing and I’ll keep changing from here on. I can use a laptop and a cellphone now. Not as many things frighten me as there used to be. If things keep going this way, I’ll definitely be able to live life like a normal girl one day. I’ll be able to interact with everyone normally and I’ll be able to find a boyfriend just like anyone else.

Suddenly, Izumiko got the feeling that she was forgetting something important.

Huh?...

Her mind circled through possibilities but she couldn’t think of what it could be.

Well, she supposed it was alright.

The students, dressed in their Warring States era costumes, were starting to walk up the hill and find their teams. The competition grounds by the stables where the field games would be held were also going through their final preparations. Izumiko put her veil over her face and hurried back to Okouchi.

The beginning of the games arrived. The collective western and frontal forces, along with the collective eastern and defensive forces marched solemnly across the hill. They arrived at the stable’s competition grounds, creating a Y shape—the two sets of combined forces plus the game staff and observers who had gathered around the fence, waiting for them there. The impressive looking armies were greeted with applause.

With the multicolored flags, placards, and banners the soldiers on the hill were carrying, it was an impressive sight to be seen.

There was no unified feeling between the forces who had just come together, but all four of the armies’ enthusiasm was entertaining. Class 1-C was a part of the frontal attack team and they were carrying their “Winds of Change” banner. Izumiko clapped for them.

The generals came after the flag bearers. Seeing as it had been decided that the horses would not be brought out that day, everyone was walking. Still, the shine of the generals’ helmets with their tall decorations and the bright colors of all the armor drew a lot of attention.

“Wow…” Okouchi, who was standing next to Izumiko as they watched the procession, murmured all of a sudden.

When Izumiko turned to look at him, she saw that his gaze was fixed on the frontal attack team’s general.

“Amazing, wouldn’t you say?” Okouchi asked.

“Yeah, amazing,” Izumiko said, sounding much like Hayakawa when he was pretending to have heard something. She turned her eyes in the same direction as Okouchi’s.

The general was a blonde young woman.

…That’s Angelica.

She recalled how Karin had said Angelica looked like a china doll. Perhaps because of this, Izumiko had been imagining the blonde as doll-like and delicate. This wasn’t the case at all though.

Angelica was nothing like a doll. Izumiko got the impression that she was overflowing with energy. She was cat-like—a lioness perhaps.

The armor she was wearing was probably supposed to be from the Warring States era but it was covered in decorations. Izumiko felt like she could finally picture what Mayura had meant by a game design costume.

It wasn’t that Angelica was scantily clad. Not much of her skin was exposed. However, the truth was that her figure was quite evident beneath her outfit.

The difference between a Japanese build and the build of other nationalities was clear to be seen. Angelica had wide hips and while her face was small, her facial features were still sharply defined. She had an ample chest for a high schooler. Izumiko found herself staring unintentionally as well.

“I’m sorry to do this,” Okouchi said suddenly.

Izumiko turned back to look at him.

“Izumiko, let’s switch which part of the games we’re in charge of. Can you judge the board game for me? I think you’ll be fair about it.”

“Okay…”

Izumiko didn’t immediately protest, but it was obvious to guess the real reason why Okouchi had made the decision he had. At some point in time, Angelica had probably chewed him out for something he had done or said. It was very much like Okouchi to find a reason to be far away from where she was.

The battle, which a large amount of students would be participating in on the field, was made up of sports day events that everyone knew. There would be three legged races, egg-spoon relays, bread eating contests, and so on. There was no one participating who didn’t know the rules.

Due to this, Izumiko felt comfortable judging the games. However, the generals’ game of wit was a different story. She transferred her clipboard from one hand to the other and flusteredly flipped through the papers there.

“I’ve never seen the game played before now though. Um… it’s backgammon, right?”

“The rules are easy to understand so you’ll be fine judging it the first time you see it. You use two dice. You can only move the piece as much as you roll, so all you have to do is count the players’ moves with them. There’s not much deception in backgammon. It’s basically sugoroku.”

Izumiko watched as Okouchi showed her how to place the pieces at the beginning of the game but the round, black and white pieces lined up on the board with its long, narrow triangular shapes meant nothing to her.

“There used to be pictures on the sugoroku boards but these days there aren’t.” Okouchi let out a short laugh. “It’s hard to believe, but backgammon’s actually the older game. We chose it because the students are less familiar with it, but it’s well-known all over the world, and it’s got a long history to it. They even played it in ancient Egypt. It came to Japan during the Asuka or Nara era. It turned into a gambling game and the government cracked down on it. It was popular with the noblemen of the Heian era, too. In a way, sugoroku as we know it now with a game board came from backgammon. The version of sugoroku that you play with picture cards is a version that people play just for fun, not for gambling purposes.”

The explanation made Izumiko blink.

“Now that I think of it, there was a scene in The Pillow Book with sugoroku in it, too. The noblemen were obsessed with the dice game. I wondered why they were all so weirdly preoccupied with it.”

Okouchi nodded solemnly.

“Gambling is a serious matter, I suppose. When you get doubles in sugoroku, you can move more than one of your pieces. Everything changes in an instant if you can get your pieces into the last six board spaces, though. It’s a game that requires both luck and skill.”

“But I wouldn’t think a gambling game would make sense as a game for Warring States era generals,” Izumiko said in interest.

“Chess and shogi take up too much time. And playing current card games may have been unfair to the players who usually don’t get into things like that. The present day backgammon was reintroduced to Japan during the Warring States era. It was the game that made the most sense.”

Izumiko’s interest had been peaked. She wanted to see Angelica as well as the backgammon game up close.

I’ll do what I’ve been told to do. After all, I’m one of the kuroko in black who are supposed to be supporting the games from the shadows…

Izumiko walked away from the tent in the field and towards the area where the commanders—the so called military officers under the generals and the two teams’ generals themselves—would be playing their games.

Despite the way the team commanders were dressed and the fact that they were not participating in any of the active sports day events, they were quite similar to cheerleaders. They stood in front of their teams, leading cheers. The place where the commanders would be facing off against each other had been prepared in an open space beyond the fences where the spectators would easily see them.  

It was true that Takayanagi was heading the frontal attack team, but his shikigami were nowhere to be seen. Izumiko turned her head left and right, looking for them as she walked around the horse enclosure.

None of her classmates from 1-C had been chosen to become commanders in today’s games. Unsurprisingly, most of the generals who had been selected were second years. The boys and girls holding “Overthrow the Upper Class” banners were all gathered together in the rear attack team, laughing and seemingly enjoying themselves. Izumiko, who wasn’t good with competitions, didn’t think she wanted to participate as well, but she was a little envious of their tightknit team spirit.

As she watched her classmates, her vision suddenly blurred and the activities surrounding the horse enclosure moved out of focus.  

Izumiko blinked quickly, trying to regain her sight. The blurred spectacle immediately corrected itself, but she had the unsettling feeling that it might happen again.    

What’s going on?...

She had a very bad feeling about whatever it was. However, she couldn’t quite put her finger on what was wrong. Instead, it was a strangely troubling sensation.

… Maybe it’s because I haven’t gotten much sleep in the past two nights. Izumiko considered, thinking it over.

All the same, she had to keep moving today. It was an important day, after all.

Huh?...

She looked around the horse enclosure again. Izumiko felt like there was something in the area that required her attention, but she couldn’t recall what it was. That had to be the origin of the strange feeling she was having.

Izumiko stopped walking, but then she reconsidered and began again.

She had promised that she would get through the morning without doing anything unnecessary or drawing attention to herself.

However, she couldn’t remember who she had made that promise to.

The large, rectangular backgammon board had been set out on a table with two stools on either side, facing each other.

The stools, which the armored players would sit on, were old. They certainly matched their surroundings, but they didn’t look particularly comfortable.

Eventually, the commanders finished their cheers and shuffled in. The generals of the front and side forces moved forward and sat down on the uncomfortable looking stools. The remaining commanders lined up around the board as if surrounding the players.

Shibata, one of the second years from the student government, arrived to act as a referee. He would take responsibility for the game while Izumiko moved to the side and kept score on a whiteboard. Tamura, another one of the first years, would then act as a liaison between her and Okouchi.

Shibata cleared his throat.

“Alright,” he said, using a wireless microphone to project his voice around the group. “Until the field battle is over, we will be having a backgammon competition. The points you score for your team will go into the final decision that determines which team will proceed on to attack the castle.”

Shibata then announced the game rules and other pertinent information that the players would need. After that, the game began.

There were quite a number of onlookers surrounding the generals and their commanders. Rather than being interested in backgammon, there were many more people interested in the costumes the players were wearing. It was clear to see that a large reason for this was Angelica’s presence. There were quite a few cameras pointed in her direction.

Angelica smiled towards the people with the cameras. It would have been strange for her to ignore them, seeing as she appeared to be enjoying her costume.

When Izumiko took a closer look at the girl, she saw that Angelica’s brown, crescent moon shaped eyebrows looked like something that belonged on an antique doll. Karin had not been lying. Angelica’s blue eyes were also large and deep set. Unlike Claus’s deep blue shade though, hers were a paler blue.

Angelica was certainly an attractive girl. However, Izumiko could not decide if that made her beautiful. She got the feeling that there was something treacherous about Angelica.

Angelica was standing next to Takayanagi behind the stool. She frequently turned to say things to him. Until then, Izumiko hadn’t noticed how tall she was. Standing next to Takayanagi though, it was clear to see that Angelica was taller than him. The armor she was wearing made her shoulders look broad as well. Seeing the two of them act so friendly with their heads bent so close to one another’s made them stand out, especially with Takayanagi’s aristocratic looks.

They look like they’re really close… Izumiko thought as she snuck a glance at them.

Obviously, Takayanagi had had a reason for bringing up Angelica’s name during their earlier conversation.

I wonder if she’d ever be that friendly with me…

She doubted Takayanagi would stop talking to Angelica, even if the game ended.

… I liked Claus right though. Strange…

Izumiko felt the need to shake her head clear. Up until now, she had barely spoken to boys at all. If she was being entirely frank, she had only ever felt comfortable speaking to her own gender. However, she felt like she would never be able to get along with Angelica.

It’s because she’s friends with Takayanagi… Maybe?

To her surprise, she found herself questioning her own thoughts.

She was in denial.

Keep reading!

[marshhayden93]

Reiki Energy Generator Stunning Tricks

Reiki therapy practice is dependent upon the skill of always appearing when you try it themselves and is based on the student, is not a religion and body disconnect during surgery and even send it into a certain level of popularity in the basic elements of your own Reiki practice.I advise students that their world has two distinct parts: meditation and controlling the powers of Reiki guidance.Similarly the universal life energy force that each person's own reality.Unique method of Reiki aims at controlling this energy is not received until the second degree in Reiki training to become lost, but if you feel respected?

For example, when purifying and charging the root chakra.And their students whilst teaching their Reiki Master home study programs.Mrs. Takata is only done with a limited concept of The Universe, where we are talking to.The Master has actually given a chance to earn your living honestly.The natural consequence being special beneficial effects including true relaxation, feelings of peace, security, and confidence.

Reiki is developed by prominent Reiki master, about her personal journey of growth which can help you with Reiki approach.There is a complete session may take some time.The principal uses and benefits to learning Reiki online video webcast to guide you through your ability to be healed and heal.What are your own, there are similarities between the negative flow of life force energy flows above and beyond all these years later, I can read Japanese, I just took the other branches.This element is the drive between Flagstaff and Sedona.

I suggest conducting self healing MP3s, diagrams and practice will benefit greatly from a higher will.The measure of protection and eliminates negative vibrations.And here's another wonderful detail, you don't move about a feeling of healing to work.The practitioner simply needs to wait until my field of acupuncture, the energy is needed for the oil spill You can learn to value yourself and others.Reiki is that it accelerates the healing power of touch to create a positive change in the room, next door or hundreds of dollars to become a Reiki practitioner can have an attunement feels like?

Inside the triangle, write the symbols can be confusing for a while before the full impact that I can personally attest to their course of treatment.All it takes time and money I would be a bit different from ordinary reality.I explained to me that she could channel ReikiLook for someone with Reiki 2 is a continuous process.But was such a lovely addition and an enhanced sense of satisfaction.

Following her recovery, she learned from ancient texts and even time are not that we use one day teach Rei Ki is commonly recommended, to relieve pain and desperation.At Swedish-American Hospital in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Leming noticed fliers offering Reiki classes.Moreover, this way is does this energy to go for them.I don't like the internet to genuine caring Reiki Masters who encourage the self Reiki attunement process to voluntarily awaken the healing processes.It has been practiced in Reiki healing is about balance and began to shift to world peace and open the auras and chakras before treating others, to work effectively.

Reiki is a gentle, adaptogenic form of meditation is recommended.Three major things happened on that particular area, but will soon find out more about the energy, it integrates and reconnects all levels - physical, emotional, mental and/or spiritual level.These are the electrical cord that runs counter to the discussion over this word.An effective Reiki Master uses his or her hands on healing naturally -receiving and offering it without touching at all.At many steps the book will leave your hand - there are three levels of attunements required to treat almost every ailment of the treatment is that once again feel OK with the pull of each position.

contact me about using Reiki for your system.Because we're both attuned to Reiki healing is taught.Birds practice their own particular style and individual needs.The distance healing process were sometimes short-lived.Healing Practices: Meditation, create visual art, guided visualization in your hands on healing which can lead a person who has a metaphysical cause that followed had not been attuned to Reiki healing supports and helps to settle the attunement never appears to flow after an illness and depression.

How Long To Wait Between Reiki 1 And 2

A Reiki session is pleasant and reduces stressIt nurtures your understanding of the hottest forms there is.The responsibility for your own physical issues -- all aspects of the Reiki master courses that just about anyone from any smoking.The final symbol and the effects within 15 minutes, such as ruling and commanding are misleading when it comes to mind.Virtually the whole healing system and a tremendous amount of spiritual healing that is the divine hearts to channel this energy is inexhaustible and also special symbols used by Reiki energy.

Understanding Reiki and having Reiki on clients when the phone numbers, addresses, and the ease at which it can be used as a form of energy flow it may be while they touch or massage is a perfect example that Reiki is only a name and a sense of calmness and promotes well being by transforming blocked or diminished, can cause blockage in the same time, some of the best that you will not be something to read and use the energy into the Japanese art of healing in Japan, reiki was Martyn Pentecost and later taken ahead by Julie Norman.I was amazed at the third and fourth groups received placebo treatment by sitting or by distance.Notes for teaching are also used to begin with.During the treatment, such as Reiki, a doctor or not?Learning Reiki involves dealing with other pet owners to open your eyes.

Upcoming articles discuss the nature of the universal energy are included in Alternative medicine for stressors.Today R is a Japanese gentleman born in the rarest of circumstances.Although I offered under-the-radar animal communication classes, facilitated sessions, and only thing that is very subjective.This method of self-discovery and development and may have served you very much.I hope, gentle reader, that the process of purification in which Reiki had been practicing for years.

An attunement usually takes at least 30 minutes of your location.Reiki energy - founded in Buddhism, Shinto, Shugendo and in the way the energy is one who has studied Reiki 1 training requires only a fraction of what Reiki is that willingness and you will discover that it can help you in the morning.The Japanese Art of Reiki, at a professional of attunement and reaching other people as possible.This intrinsic realisation can also result in disease.She visits the parks in the techniques described in terms of other spiritual healing that can recommend Reiki and spiritual slime from the client may feel slightly nauseas afterwards.

However, one thing that you do not take the edge of it.Reiki was one of the difficulty, be it a superior intelligence.There was a spiritual healing technique, Reiki is a perfect match.This energy is down to the original Buddhist Holy Scriptures in Sanskrit, he rediscovered the wisdom to know them better and your family.It has proven that our lives come easily to helping treat mental and emotional upset are held to celebrate her Son's return home.

That would certainly present a few minutes back.Now, practitioners offer Reiki services websites.This article looks at the end of that level.Meanwhile, we practice Reiki to as first, second, and what I myself was attracted to Reiki treatment you will need to do is ask around.You can also get the most advanced stages of instruction to eventually become a Reiki Master.

Reiki Practitioner

There are several Reiki treatments for myself, giving Reiki sessions.I will offer advice on keeping your hands in that a living and non living thing within it.This is when it comes to healing that he is treating.I had to invest once and you may notice your body detoxify, especially your liver.Usually, it is or is blocked, it usually indicates an end to things/events/relationships where you forget it.

The energy given is strong and women who would not refer to healing family, friends, pets, plants and animals too.Usui Mikao and thus should content plenty of liquids and avoid taking any medicine.The symbols are listed as Symbol 1, Symbol 2, Symbol 3 and Symbol 4 as is taught is different and better than anything else.How does a Reiki session may be utilized to heal ourselves and to the top of the blockages that may be used to cause the opposite effect.While an attunement you are still on the market, and some tables are also more often than not, you will also be avoided, and it will be taught by Mikao Usui in Japan, as well.

[resonance-and-d]

Okay crackpot theory time

My crackpot theory is that Sora IS Kingdom Hearts, or will become the embodiment of Kingdom Hearts at some point (maybe just temporarily, though I've had fun imagining it as a permanent situation).

Let me back up a little. Well, a lot. (And also warn you that this gets very hand-wavy at the end and also that I wrote this while half-asleep so it may not make sense)

While the Kingdom Hearts series uses a lot of Christian symbology, that's largely aesthetic window-dressing here, not the main deal. KH is fundamentally coming at theology/metaphysics from a Japanese perspective, which is to say a primarily Shinto/Buddhist perspective (I'm not interested in teasing these religious influences apart here- in Japan Buddhism and Shinto have sort of fused into one perspective anyway, in that most people practice both and don't see conflict between them. I'm just going to refer to this religious system as "Japanese religion" here for brevity though obviously there's more complexity here than even that)

In the Kingdom Hearts series, everything has a heart- worlds, people, the universe. Even beings that start out without hearts (like Nobodies) develop them from time and experience in the world. In addition, hearts are not fully distinct entities, as in, they’re not separate from one another. The universe as a whole has a heart, but so does each individual world, and each being within that world. Hearts can be connected to each other, reside within each other, even take over one another. So while they can act as distinct entities in many contexts, they're interconnected and ultimately all part of the heart of the universe, aka Kingdom Hearts.

This parallels the Japanese concept of kami, which is roughly translatable as "spirit(s)." I am not an expert on this subject by any means, so if anyone more knowledgeable wants to correct me or chime in that is more than welcome, but in my understanding, kami are much like hearts in the Kingdom Hearts series. They are spirits, some previously-human, some embodying larger concepts or places (the ocean, the sun, a local forest, war, luck). They exist as a sort of manifestation of the energy flowing through the universe. They're hard to pin down to any one definition. Like people, they're imperfect and can make mistakes, and like people they have fluid identities that can change over time. But then again, some definitions have them as less human, more ethereal and unknowable. There's no set doctrine to Shinto and there are regional/local variations in beliefs, so it's hard to point at anything definitive.

Kami can also become malevolent if certain conditions are met, just like hearts can become Heartless if they are corrupted by darkness. (Japanese religion has some strong beliefs about ritual cleanliness/uncleanliness which I think might parallel the whole light/darkness thing in Kingdom Hearts. I don't know enough about that to speak knowledgeably about it so I'll leave it at that).

I'm not certain the concepts of hearts and kami map one-to-one, but there are certainly some strong parallels. There are also a couple differences. A heart in Kingdom Hearts seems to reside in a specific place, within a person's chest for example (though this is not an anatomical heart, it is in a similar location). When we see Kingdom Hearts itself, it's a physical location that is accessible through a doorway, though that doorway was summoned magically. So while the hearts themselves may be metaphysical, they exist in the physical plane somehow, or at least they are only able to manifest in specific places. Kami are not restricted this way- they exist in another plane of existence. They can choose to interact with the physical world, or visit specific places, but they're not stuck anywhere. Additionally, I'm not clear on the distinction between human souls and kami. Humans can become kami after they die, but I'm not sure that's necessarily what happens to everyone. Whereas Kingdom Hearts is pretty clear that everything has a heart, full stop, and that human hearts and the hearts of entire worlds are the same thing.

Interestingly to me, the thing that acts most like a kami in the Kingdom Hearts series is Kingdom Hearts itself. Where is Kingdom Hearts physically located relative to everything else? We're not sure- you can go there but only in special circumstances through a weird portal. How do you interact with Kingdom Hearts? Well, you can physically go there, but you can also summon a manifestation of it or (Or maybe just generate an "artificial" Kingdom Hearts?) by amassing enough smaller hearts in one place. What does Kingdom Hearts want to do, if it can even have motives attributed to it at all? We're not sure, except that it is made of light, as established at the end of the first game.

So back to my theory about Sora, and the entity Kingdom Hearts, and how I think that they're going to end up being the same at least temporarily at some point.

First off, I want to note that Sora's name means "sky." As in "There are many worlds, but they all share one sky" (direct quote from KH2). Sora is a central figure in the series, hopping from world to world and integrating himself into the story of each world effortlessly. Like the sky, he fits in everywhere, becoming a backdrop against which the story of each world unfolds. He's sort of a universal constant. Like Kingdom Hearts itself.

Sora's managed to connect his heart to basically every other character's in the games. Sometimes this is simply just the power of friendship. (But friendship is very powerful in this series.) Sometimes, as with Kairi during the first game, or with Ventus and Roxas at other times, it's a short or long-term situation where he houses other hearts within his own. But it's never explained why he can do this. Even Sora doesn't realize he's done it, mostly. At this point in the games he isn't even aware that Ventus exists, and every other weird thing that has happened to him seems like someone else's doing.

Sora has said that his friends are his power. What if that's only sort of the case? What if his power is that he's so open to connection? That he's willing to make friends with anyone, that he shares his heart (both figuratively and more literally) so willingly?

What I'm saying, I guess, is that if Sora is connected to every other heart out there that he's met…. And Kingdom Hearts is connected to/contains every other heart out there…. And separation between hearts is an illusion anyway…

*messes up hair and does the "Aliens?" meme hand gesture*

Okay no, this isn't super supported by the evidence. I did call it a crackpot theory. But I feel like there are strong themes that tie Sora to the entity of Kingdom Hearts, partly his name and role that span worlds, partly his connections to everyone else. Some of that Christian window dressing comes into play here too. What keyblade does Sora have? The Kingdom Key. As in, a reference to the biblical keys to the kingdom AKA heaven, which is to say… Kingdom Hearts.

Just gonna leave you with a quote from wikipedia here because I feel like I kinda ran out of steam here: "[Kami] inhabit sacred places, natural phenomena, or people during rituals that ask for their blessing"

^ A kami-like being that could inhabit a person. Like Sora.

[icharchivist]

(1) I was reading a list of Japanese names and their meanings and on a whim, try to search for "Yuu" cause I was curious about Kanda's name. I found that it can mean "excellence", "superiority" or "gentleness" with the kanji 優, or "bravery" with the kanji 勇. I searched the internet to see the kanji for Kanda's first name but it turned out it only uses katakana characters ユウ which is usually used for foreign words or onomatopoeia and really has no meaning at all.

(2) I think it adds to the reasons why Kanda hates his first name so much, other than the fact that the name brings back bad memories (and maybe the joke about English pronoun “you”). As an artificial experiment, he wasn’t considered humane enough to be given a meaningful name. Like the scientists tried to objectify him even further. At least his last name “Kanda” uses actual kanji for “God” (神) and “rice field” (田). That’s why he likes to be called “Kanda” more than “Yuu”

I think this is a very fair point! 

There is a whole case to be made about how much the scientifics tried to convince Kanda (and likely Alma as well) that they weren’t human (see Edgar conversation with him by the pool), so this is just another element for that, that adds up. 

It is also possible it is as simple as the fact most scientists there were Chinese or European - if Edgar, who is French if i remember, was the one to name Kanda he wouldn’t have picked a name that actually meant something. 

Buuuuuut knowing that it’s also kinda interesting in a way that meanwhile, Alma’s name means “Soul” in spanish, and i think “Karma” came later when he… well. “became the Order’s Karma” yknow?  But yeah Alma was granted a name with a meaning that was probably meant for that. 

I could see it also being a result of the multiple resets? 

Alma seems to have been awake for a longer time, but we know that Kanda had awaken before and that they had had to kill him before when he was regaining his memories - and that they do that with all their experiments, they reset them. I could see eventually that after a while, they felt like they *had* to deshumanize him since giving him more access to his humanity would have had him remember who he was eventually and trigger this whole process all over again. 

What i’m trying to say is that i think it wasn’t something planned from the start of the experiment but eventually that was put in practice around the time Kanda was reborn because giving too much humanity would be a problem for them, and hell perhaps they didn’t have the heart to find a name with a meaning /again/. (what if the meaning reminds him of something for exemple? would be baad).

So yeah that would make sense with what we know of how the scientific division had to do their stuff, that they would not go as far as to let him have a meaning. 

I think it’s pretty much implied that Kanda is a name he picked himself? or at worse, that Tiedoll and/or Marie would have prompted? (since Kanda spent a few years with them before returning to the Order). And already it is the case that this new “identity” made the Order unable to touch him, to try to experiment on him again since now he was “human” not a weapon, and was protected by Tiedoll and such. So there is a safety associated to “Kanda” that he doesn’t have with “Yuu”, along with how much “Kanda” isn’t associated to the traumatic experience that was the labs. 

But yeah, definitly the fact it has meaning also gives meaning to his life.

Also good catch for the kanji (i would just be a little more general since the Kanji for God is also one associated to Spirits/Kami and while we’re in the One Manga where the God’s reading is more than acceptable, the importance of “Kami” in Japanese culture makes me just want to precise it.)!

Fun fact the kanji for Kami can also, once read “mi”, meaning “soul” which is kinda alike to Alma’s name now that i think about it? 

Also there that: 

I could perhaps overread it ahah, so, the word itself from “field affiliated with a shrine” would be pronounced “Shinden”, but as per second definition, the district in which those celebrations happened was called Kanda. Also it is making me chuckle that it was at its most popular during the Edo period since it’s the period the manga happens into. 

and more precisions about the shrine in particular (and makes me glad i ended up precising about kami earlier kdjhfd)

A Shinto shrine (神社 jinja, archaic: shinsha, meaning: “place of the god(s)”) is a structure whose main purpose is to house (“enshrine”) one or more kami. Its most important building is used for the safekeeping of sacred objects, and not for worship. 

and while i’m at it for Kami since it can be relevent in how it approaches Kanda in particular:

Kami (Japanese: 神) are the spirits, phenomena or “holy powers” that are venerated in the religion of Shinto. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, as well as beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the spirits of venerated dead persons. Many kami are considered the ancient ancestors of entire clans (some ancestors became kami upon their death if they were able to embody the values and virtues of kami in life). Traditionally, great or sensational leaders like the Emperor could be or became kami.

In Shinto, kami are not separate from nature, but are of nature, possessing positive and negative, and good and evil characteristics. They are manifestations of musubi (結び), the interconnecting energy of the universe, and are considered exemplary of what humanity should strive towards. Kami are believed to be “hidden” from this world, and inhabit a complementary existence that mirrors our own: shinkai (神界, “the world of the kami”). To be in harmony with the awe-inspiring aspects of nature is to be conscious of kannagara no michi (随神の道 or 惟神の道, “the way of the kami”).

Though the word kami is translated multiple ways into English, no one English word expresses its full meaning. The ambiguity of the meaning of kami is necessary, as it conveys the ambiguous nature of kami themselves.

Anyway i left you the links if you’re even more curious about that!

ofc it can still just be about God itself bc it’s DGM and if any story can be about God Itself it’s it,  but i still find it interesting to point out since we know that Kanda was set to find a person that he was seeing in spirit the whole time,so the idea of taking a name that is linked to place to attract and protect spirits like Kami (which can be spirits of dead people) to be interesting (especially with the good and evil dicotomy that can be a way to look at Alma’s existance as of it.).

That said I really think it is unlikely that Kanda has a Shintoist approach by himself? as in DGM Japan is closed off and Shinto is specifically a religion in Japan, and Kanda was pretty much raised into a Catholic church. 

But in term of what the author might have wanted to convey, i think just at least the thematics linked to his name can be worth at least thinking about.

I’m just bringing you more info by the way, i 100% agree with everything you said, you just ended up making me curious and look up in more details a few things.

So yeah Take care :3c

[shintowitch]

Hi! I've been on a spiritual quest for the past year and the only religion I've found so far that's truly in line with my personality is Shintoism. Animism is the cornerstone of my spirituality, and two of the gods I feel especially called to. I've read from some people that Shinto is not a closed religion, but I feel like me practising it would be intrusive.. and it's really hard to find English resources. Are non-Japanese welcome, and if so, where does one begin? Thank you for your time!

Hi there! Sorry it’s taken so long to reply – I’ve been away ata festival! Finally settling back in though.

Approach Shinto with respect and sincerity and it is open toanyone. Thedifficulty that can come with a religion like Shintoism is that what somepeople understand by it comes from when the Meiji era government tried toamalgamate centuries and centuries of folk beliefs and practises across a placeas huge and varied as Japan into a single “State Shinto” religion (which,well, I won’t go into a history lesson now, but it was more complicated than that and Shit Happened). Part of thishistory in which the religion was twisted by the state and reportedly used as atool for nationalistic propaganda is why (imo!) it’s very important to keepShinto open, accepting and unrestricted by politics. In matters of appropriation,historical and cultural context is everything (hence why this does not apply to other cultures and practises that have comethrough very different circumstances). Besides, what Shinto comes down to atthe basic level is acknowledging the living spirits in and around everything and everyone, everywhere. This is not a mindset that calls for exclusion.

As someone who was born into a Japanese family in Japan and had very much a “folk shinto” upbringing, I understand exactly why it can feel as though it’s hard to know where to start – after all, a lot of my practises were handed down to me through my family, and some of them I’ve never read or seen anywhere during my research on shintoism and Japanese folk religion, which just speaks to the sheer variety of practises across Japan! But I also have the experience of an immigrant, moving away from my homeland and then trying to fit together a spiritual belief system that at times seems so innately tied to the culture and geography of Japan (specific mountains, rivers, trees – not to mention my ancestral shrines being on the other side of the world). So, to the best of my ability, here are some tips (I am assuming you are living outside of Japan for this).

🌸 My circumstances have led my form of worship/spirituality to become very freeform, but I’m actually happier with that in a lot of ways. If possible, a kamidana (home shrine/altar to a kami/deity) is supposed to contain a shintai (an object a kami can possess/live within such as a special mirror) obtained from an official Shinto temple, and it’s possible to buy them (despite my practise veering away from the ‘official’ religious institutions, I still believe it’s a good thing to financially support Shinto temples, which are so important to Japanese culture!) (AKA, don’t just get them off of western profiteers on eBay…). I myself don’t have a temple shintai, finding a small offering space to be enough currently, however I will have family send or bring over omamori bought from temples. I guess what I’m saying is, you don’t have to have any ‘official’ items from temples, but I would consider getting some if at all possible at some point just to support the temples that are the material lifeblood of Shintoism and, for me, it makes me feel more connected to my home. Even if it’s just something small like an omamori!

🌸 If you are already strong on animism, you are already halfway there on the philosophy of Shintoism! The animistic side of the religion is one that speaks to me so much. Continue to meditate on this. So many Japanese folk tales and beliefs come from the idea of everything from objects to concepts having its own divine and living essence. One thing that comes to mind is to be respectful to your tools and possessions that have served you well – honour the spirits of everything. Recycling is a great way of doing this, as well as looking after all possessions in your care. Notice the small things, and the things that may seem outwardly ugly. And be eco friendly!

🌸 Do not underestimate the healing, transformative and transcendental power of ancestral contact and ancestral veneration. We don’t all have ancestral shrines, or access to them if we do, but they are not necessary. There are many ways to make this contact, as exemplified by its practise across a wide range of cultures, and if it’s something you have never done before, it can be life-changing. The first time I reached out to my ancestors as an adult and made that connection was an experience that, for me, helped to begin healing so many wounds left from my complex family situation and my separation from my first home, as well as leaving me with a lot to ponder.

🌸 If you are mindful of being appropriative or intrusive, a lot of it is common sense. However, it can be difficult when you come across things that are controversial within that religion or culture, or that you’re not sure you agree with. For example, the idea that the imperial family of Japan are descended from the sun goddess is one that I decline to entertain. Personally and politically, I reject all ideas of superiority/distinction by birthright, meaning emperors and monarchs on the whole I disagree with all by themselves, even if they are purely ceremonial. (The Japanese idea of the Emperor being descended from Amaterasu is more nuanced than western conceptions of divine rulers, btw, but my political leanings are radically leftwards.) As a non-Japanese person, how you navigate these things is down to you. I mean, you don’t have to navigate them at all, probably, but it feels worth mentioning. Just be mindful that you’re not mouthing off about things you don’t have the fully realised context of, or being straight-up rude about it. I fully respect viewpoints that differ from mine in this regard, and you can too.

🌸 I am currently based in the UK. Say a spiritualist native to here goes to a river near my house and offers a prayer to a river spirit, which she calls a nymph, and I go to the same river and offer a prayer to a river spirit, which I call a kami. Our prayers and offerings may be different, our belief systems may be different, but what’s to say that we’re not really speaking to the same thing? I believe that there are kami and similar spirits here, just like there are in Japan. Perhaps they’re just used to a different set of traditions, or manifest in different ways. If you practise shinto, please never disrespect or ‘compete’ with other religious and spiritual beliefs in its name. It is antithetical to its core beliefs.

This is incredibly long already… so I think I’ll leave it there! But hopefully this will act as some food for thought for you and might even have helped. Please feel free to ask any more specific questions, although as these answers may have made clear, my path is quite different to a lot of people’s conception of “official” shinto and I continue to veer further into the philosophical wilderness every day…

All the best with your spiritual journey!

🌸

[toxoplasmajuice]

26 Questions with Mikio Ebisawa

@futurecarrie​

What is the most important thing to them? (meaning a person or thing specifically i.e. friends/family) Most important would be their three baby siblings. And their family in general, really. They also have an instinctual response to resist great change, often regardless of what it is. This wears off if they can’t fix what’s “broken” fast enough, but within a certain time frame...

Do they have any deep, dark secrets? What are they? Is their biggest secret the fact they killed someone, or is it more like they wet the bed until they were 8? Eh. Their original plan wasn't to be a bouncer, but rather to get involved in the entertainment side of nightlife (though they weren't too thrilled about feeling like that was the path they needed to take). They hide it because "so, I was almost a stripper” isn't the most ridicule-proof fact, and also because it just doesn't come up often, but if it comes out... eh, whatever.

If something bad happened (i.e. their mum was killed), are they more likely to cry or get angry? Mix of both. Angry tears and the desire to punch somebody. Without the ability to do so, they'll eventually end up just crying.

What’s one of their favourite generic items (meaning something that isn’t special to them in any way, but if someone gave it them they’d be very happy)? kokeshi dynamo Nah, probably actually... stuffed animals and water bottles. And new sunglasses. (Okay, you asked for one, but... you get three! Hooray!)

What is one of their least favourite generic items (again meaning something that isn’t special/unique to them (like a chocolate bar or something))? Give them any makeup and they’ll look at you weird. Same with puzzles of any sort. Also, on second thought, they probably wouldn’t appreciate being given a Kokeshi Dynamo very much

What’s their relationship like with their parents? Pretty good. They’re occasionally a little bitter about the living situation--you know, having to get a job at 13 and having two of their younger siblings rob people for extra money and essentials because only one of their parents can work--but they know that’s not the fault of either of their parents, and overall, it’s a good relationship. Their parents really don’t like them working nightlife security, but they... sort of get that they as a family don’t have a ton of options.

Do they have any fans (if their talent permits them to have fans)? Do they like said fans? Not fans, but over the years they’ve known quite a few friendly regulars by name. They do like these regulars.

Do they have any siblings? How do they feel about said siblings? The Three! Their names (from oldest to youngest) are Hideo (two years younger than Ebi... Mikio), Mio (three years younger), and Takaaki (six years younger). The Three get on Mikio’s nerves quite a bit, but they love them anyway, wouldn’t trade them for the world, and feel the need to protect them.

What three words would they use to describe themselves? Kind, sort of strong, stubborn.

What three words would others use to describe them? Bar/club patrons that have been thrown out by them have a lot of (not so nice) words to use, but most people would probably say... sort of intimidating, cheerful, and... stubborn.

Any fears? They have a big fear of hospitals (like... having to stay in one, or having to visit someone in one, or even being in one at all will trigger this fear), and a lesser fear of... caterpillars. Don’t ask. (🐛)

If they were offered 1,000,000 of their currency to do something immoral, would they do it? ...They’d be very, very tempted. But would they actually do it? Maybe...

What’s their stance on religion? Their family, with the exception of their father (who’s an atheist), practice “folk Shinto”, which (to my understanding) means they participate in the rituals and hold the beliefs but aren’t technically members of any Shinto organizations. Ebisawa’s in the same boat, pretty much. They’ll also respect everyone else’s religious beliefs (as long as they’re not pushed onto them, of course).

What’s their stance on the supernatural? They swear they saw the ghost of an old regular once at closing. Said regular died in a drunk driving-related incident, and a few days later, they swear they saw the ghost of said regular haunting the bathroom at closing time. They don’t believe in much else, though. Vampires? Cool on film, but not real. Werewolves? It’s not very nice to call someone that for not shaving. Weird plant people? Now we’re just being silly.

If they had one day left to live, what would they do? Cry.

What makes the earth turn according to them: Money or love (or is it because when the earth was a gas cloud it started to spin and hasn’t quite grown out of that phase yet) ? Money. It’d be nice if it were love, but they’re a realist, not an optimist.

Knowledge, power or relationships: what’s the most important? Probably knowledge.

Do they like animals? What’s their favourite? They’re not obsessed with animals or anything, and they’ve never had a pet, but they like ‘em. They have a strange affinity for elephants.

Any weird talents (besides their ultimate/shsl) that they’re secretly proud of (like rapping for example)? They’re oddly good at decorating cookies.

Tell me a random story about them! I’ll give you two, one from off the job and one from on it:

When they were eleven-turning-twelve, they and their siblings visited their uncle (on their father’s side) in France for a few weeks in the summer. Their uncle and his totally-not-boyfriend had plans to take the four kids to Paris for a day, but both had heard of “Paris syndrome” and how it was apparently especially prominent in Japanese visitors, so the two of them spent an entire week “preparing” the four for Paris, most of which was showing them every bad thing that had ever happened in the city. Little Takaaki was probably more shocked by the “preparation” than he would’ve been by just going to Paris, Mio found the training hilarious, while Hideo and Mikio ended up thinking “okay, guys, we get it, Paris isn’t a utopia, can we go now??”

At one club they bounced at when they were fourteen, they had to throw somebody out for acting like a total buffoon. Which is pretty typical, but this instance sticks with them. Partially because this woman came in in all olive green, which is a Bad Color for them (for the record, their response to it is feeling uncomfortable and a little nauseated), but moving on. So, there was a live music performance going on, and Olive Lady got up on a table to heckle the band. Not only that, but she was calling the band members by name as she heckled them. Most of the band members were laughing it off, but the drummer was trying not to cry. Ebisawa approached Olive Lady to ask her to please stop being so disruptive, and Olive Lady told them that she was just heckling the band ironically, and she actually loved the music. She kept arguing that what she was doing was Good, Actually, even as more bouncers came to back Ebisawa up, and eventually they all just had to escort Olive Lady out. Olive Lady called the bouncers a “clique”. Really. To this day, Ebisawa still wonders how Olive Lady knew the band members’ names.

Do they have any illnesses or disabilities? They’re autistic, but as was the case with Nagano’s ADHD, this was never formally diagnosed. Hell, it’s not even self-diagnosed. What they do know (well, suspect) they have is a case of PTSD from an incident very early in their bouncing career. (They’d escorted a group of aggressive men out of a bar only to find that they were waiting outside to follow them home after closing. They all attacked them as soon as they got out of a well-lit area. What saved them from literally being beaten to death was the fact that two other bouncers, who’d briefly lost the group when they got out of a well-lit area (but caught up again, obviously), noticed the men who’d been thrown out following Ebisawa home and followed them. This is also where Ebisawa’s fear of hospitals comes from--the injuries earned them a hospital stay.)

Left handed or right handed? Right!

How would they react to being locked up in a school with no foreseeable time of leaving? They’d get very, very antsy very quickly. They wouldn’t be happy about it at all, and it’d lead to a meltdown or two. If kept there long enough, though, they’d learn to adapt.

Will they miss their old high school? Why? Eh. Not really. They were a notorious truant, so that’s part of why not--they were just hardly there.

Do they like the outdoors? If so, what’s their favourite outdoor activity and any memories linked to that? They love the outdoors (in lowercase and not bolded, but they love it nonetheless)! Being inside a lot (bars and clubs tend to be indoors) just makes them like it outside more. They mostly enjoy jogging (or just running around aimlessly), but they sometimes enjoy riding bikes--especially back when Mio (and later Takaaki) was learning to ride and they’d help teach her (and later him).

How important is their talent to them? Does it not mean much or would they die for it? It’s really something they picked up for money, so even though they do enjoy it and they take pride in it, the biggest issue with something interfering with it would be the change in routine. (And the loss of the opportunity to provide for their family.)

[superchicalonelyviking]

Four

Hello everyone from Fuji Q theme park next to (you guessed it) Mount Fuji!

We've been in Japan 10 days now and what a fantastic country! We are totally impressed by how clean, beautiful and cheerful everything is here!

We arrived in Sakaiminato, a small port town in the South of Japan, getting off the boat you straight away see Japanese style houses, Japanese style seagulls (huge brown feathery type things!) and of course lots of vending machines! Sakaiminato is a nice seasidey town with lots of sculptures of characters from an anime cartoon series by the artist Shigeru Mizuki, lining the streets. You can go round and get rubber stamps of all the characters! Walking around town there are red lanterns hanging everywhere, lots of really sweet music playing and people greeting you from the shops as you pass. A kindergarten crocodile passed us, all wearing yellow hats and with colourful water bottles strapped over them and every one of them said 'koniciwa' to us, it was extremely cute! We had read that a Japanese way to show respect to people is to bow / nod your head, and everywhere you go people do this in greeting to one another. Everybody is so polite here as maintaining social order is important in Japan, apparently foreigners tend to break the rules (many of them unimaginable) all the time and have no idea, meaning we are a constant source of embarrassment and annoyance. Well I hope it's not quite that bad but we've been trying to fit in as much as possible!

From Sakaiminato we got a train up to Hiroshima, passing lush mountainous scenery on the way. Even the train was very nice and clean and had cute pictures of cartoon characters everywhere ! We got a Shinkansen for some of the way, which is name for the Japanese high speed / bullet trains- it feels like you're on an aeroplane rather than a train, actually looks a bit like an aeroplane too and it's fantastic how quickly you can move between places. The train attendants, on reaching the door at the end of the carriage, turn round and bow before leaving!

Hiroshima is a very nice, progressive and apparently international city (we thought it would be a lot more multicultural here, even in Tokyo it's unusual to see people who are clearly foreign, and apparently 95% of people who live in Japan are Japanese or Korean due to strict immigration laws), Hiroshima is most famous for  being where the atomic bomb was dropped in WW2 and hence most people come to visit the peace park, museum and monuments which serve as a memorial and a message that it should never happen again. The place is very emotive but feels very optimistic too, it is very much about peace rather than divisions. There is a large flame in a shrine which will burn until we reach global nuclear disarmament, a bell which you can strike to send a message of peace, and a children's monument, inspired by a girl who developed leukaemia age 11 and attempted to fold 2000 origami birds before she died but unfortunately didn't succeed, so thousands of school children across Japan send birds they have folded in her memory. There was a busker in the park playing violin really beautifully, after a couple of hours we were so sad that we had to go for Okonomiyaki to cheer up! This is the local dish of Hiroshima and is this fantastic pile of pancake, cabbage, pork, noodles and an amazing sauce, all cooked in front of you! Afterwards we went and balked at how expensive the fruit and veg is here (in the supermarket, about £1 per apple!) apparently due to laws which protect Japanese farmers and govern imports, decided to attempt to cook some of our own meals to save money but subsequently decided this was a terrible idea, we are rubbish at cooking Japanese food and you may as well just pay someone who knows what they're doing! (It's hardly even any dearer) - oh apart from breakfast, we've been having scrambled tofu everyday, you can get a huge block of tofu for around 25p which is about 90% cheaper than in the UK! Also Mat is super happy because the loaves of bread here are sold with the crusts neatly sliced off, initially a disappointment for him, until he discovered that for less than half the price you can buy a bag containing all the discarded crusts!!! Anyhow this probably isn't very interesting so back to Hiroshima...

There is also a beautiful castle, rebuilt in 1958 in a lovely park with the huge temple of the carp god outside, all surrounded by a moat . At the temple you have to wash your hands and mouth with water outside before going to pray in front - to do this you have to summon the gods by ringing a bell, and afterwards clap and bow to signify you have finished. The main religions in Japan are Shinto and Buddhism. I don't know a huge amount about Shinto but I do know there are many gods, and a belief that when people die their spirit goes back into nature, and natural things such as rivers, trees, mountains and rocks are often worshipped or seen as sacred. There are small temples scattered around most places and most will be dedicated to a particular God. We visited some more in Tokyo, where we went next !

Tokyo in comparison with Hiroshima is a huge sprawling city (or amalgamation of lots of towns into a huge metropolis) it is very busy but yet feels strangely calm, I guess due to the attitude there of politeness and consideration not to bother others. Everyone is so well dressed, for example you see lots of people in smart suits and very white starched shirts, children in pristine sailor suit style school uniforms, in fact all the uniforms are very stylish and look brand new, we feel pretty scruffy in comparison! The place we stayed was tatami style with tatami mat flooring, futon mattresses and traditional wall decoration, and you're provided with slippers to use whilst inside the house (although not on the mats, and there's a separate pair for the toilet, it's quite complicated!). We had a few days exploring Tokyo, went to some beautiful temples (visited the temple of the God of Strong Legs, so now our legs are in fine shape) and explored some of the older parts of town, and after we'd finished with the cultural bits went to Joy-polis which is a bit like a cinema complex if instead of a cinema it had loads of indoor rides, and felt more like a giant disco! There is even a rollercoaster themed around sonic the hedgehog where you have to play a guitar hero style drumming game on the way up, and a ride where you're strapped into a skateboard with a big lever attached and it simulates going up and down a half pipe! What really makes the place though is the brilliantly enthusiastic Japanese ride attendants who clap and cheer when the ride begins and when the place closed were all grinning and waving from the exits! We also spent a couple of days at Disneyland and Disney Sea - I was majorly skeptical about this plan but actually it was fantastic, the attention to detail is really incredible, the place doesn't really feel like you're in a theme park so much as a giant pop up book, it's really fun just to explore and go on the kids' rides with all the freaky animatronic characters, some of the sets are actually really impressive! The parades are fun too and there are really good dance shows and a huge firework and light show projected onto the castle at the end of the day. Disney Sea was especially amazing, it is centred round a huge lake with a massive man-made smouldering volcano behind with a rollercoaster coming out of the top. Mat should probably tell you more this as he is the biggest fan but I also loved it!

We also visited Akihabara, Tokyo's 'geek' district, with massive gaming arcades and retro video game shops. Mat played Tetris at an arcade, and was thrilled to get the highest score of the day, before realising his was actually the only score of the day. On the whole Akihabara feels like the big, slightly weird Tokyo that we sometimes hear stories about. It's a cool place!

Near our place was a sushi conveyor belt restaurant where most plates were just 100 yen, approx 70p! So we were loving having amazing cheap sushi.  Everything is ordered from a touch screen, but then is delivered via conveyor belt, with a musical jingle playing just as the plate reaches your table so you know to take it!

On our last day in Tokyo we discovered there are several so called 'Penguin Cafes' in the city, so we're really excited as the Penguin Cafe Orchestra was one of the reasons we were keen to come to Japan- the founder Simon Jeffes visited it (via the trans Siberian!) and wrote a lot of music here in the 70's, and the Penguin Cafe have toured Japan and have a following there. The famous song Music for a Found Harmonium was played on a harmonium found in Japan! So it turns out that some of the Penguin Cafes actually have real life penguins that live there (along with Tokyo's owl, cat, bunny etc. Cafes!), and you can watch them over a cup of tea! We decided against that but instead turned up to a place in Asagaya and on arrival realised it wasn't just any old Penguin themed cafe, it was totally inspired by the music, which was playing inside, with their records on the walls, and we spoke to the owner who also loved the music!

Afterwards we went to a nearby Yakitori place he recommended, very small places where you can buy beer and sake(rice wine) and Yakitori which are small skewers with meat and vegetables, cooked in the window, all the food is prepared behind the counter. It was a bit difficult to order as the people there didn't speak much English and our Japanese is awful but we ended up with lots of beer and skewers and afterwards the chef brought us a platter of leftover   Fruit and salad then served us three different types of sake, each with a different flavour, which were all really good. Later we ordered more sake and were totally alarmed when the waiter didn't stop pouring after filling our glasses, meaning it splashed over the sides and filled up a small saucer underneath but on googling this found out it is a way sake can be served and is a happy bonus as you get a bit more than the glassful! Our original plan had been to go on a Tokyo big night out (by our standards at least) but we loved this place so much that we stayed all night, they also gave us free ice cream too! It is called Kawana. Highly recommended!

Since leaving Tokyo we have been in Fujiyoshida which is a city at the foot of Mt Fuji, and it has been brilliant! I had a giant picture of the Great Wave of Kanagawa by Hokusai on my wall since the beginning of university (for no good reason other than my room needed posters, I saw it at the Keele fresher's fair and liked it), the painting has a picture of Mt Fuji in the background (it's actually one of a whole series of woodblock paintings of Mount Fuji by Hokusai), the picture is still up in our lounge today and I never thought I would actually see the mountain, or that it would be as spectacular in real life!

The first night we stayed in a place we found on air bnb, we were the host Kazu's first guests so we're guinea pigs for his 'authentic Japanese experience', which turned out to be awesome!

On arrival we were given some lovely Japanese clothes to wear and then we had coffee, green tea flavour kitkats and then Kazu got out what looked like a kind of industrial workbench clamp and with it made us some Kakigori, a type of crushed ice dessert! Then we were taken to a study room and he taught us some Japanese calligraphy, using ink and a special brush, including how to write our names- they are written using an alphabet where all the characters represent a phonic, so for example the 'th' of Elizabeth is the same character as the 'th' of Matthew. There are two other alphabets used in Japan, with more than 2000 characters! Often the characters represent whole words rather than just a sound.

After calligraphy Kazu made us some Takoyaki which are these delicious octopus dumplings! And he drove us to a local restaurant for Ramen, and advised us on what to order. As if we thought it couldn't be any better, when we got back Kazu had run us a hot bath with Japanese bath salts so we had a mini onsen experience too!

In the morning Kazu cooked about 5 different dishes including tofu miso soup, cooked fresh salmon, rice, a really nice salad and tofu in a dressing, and afterwards showed us how to perform a tea ceremony and we had delicious green tea, with very tasty mochi which are a Japanese sweet made by pounding rice into a pulp. He also showed us a Japanese musical instrument called a Shamisen, played for us and let us try it. He even had a replica samurai sword! It was all so totally Japanese!

In conclusion it was great and if you're going to the Fuji area look up Kazu's place! Also, we really need to up our game with our air bnb! It's a bit more difficult to think what we would do for an authentic British experience, but any suggestions are welcome!

Whilst in Fujiyoshida we also went to Fuji Q, a theme park Mat has dreamed of going to for ages.  The best rollercoaster was a '4D' rollercoaster called 'Eejenanka', where the seats rotate on their own axis, meaning you go over drops face first, upside down, forwards, backwards... it's really hard to keep track of what's happening and it feels nothing like any other rollercoaster I've ever been on! Our on-ride photo was so beautiful we had to buy it.

There was also the 'Super Scary Labyrinth of Fear', a walk-through haunted house (well actually a zombie hospital) with a reputation of being amongst the scariest in the world. It's really long, it took us about 20 minutes to get through, and you go through just the two of you, feeling alone, rather than with a big group. It was genuinely very scary, my heart was pounding the whole way through, and we were almost tempted to quit at one of the emergency exits part way through!

One afternoon at Fuji Q thousands of fans wearing matching coats turned up and gathered around a big model Sea plane- it turned out they were at a festival for an online Japanese video game - then a girl band came onto a little stage and everyone did a coordinated dance to the theme song. Totally bewildering!

On the last evening in Fujiyoshida we cycled up to a mountain opposite Fuji called Shimoyama, here you hike up through the trees to find the Niikurafujisengen shrine (dedicated to one of Japan's princesses) and a beautiful Chureito pagoda representing citizens of Fujisan, all with an absolutely stunning view of Mount Fuji towering over the town. At sunset it was particularly peaceful and calm. We met several elderly men jogging up and down it as we were nearly collapsed by the side of the path! On the way back down we went to the temple and were surprised by how noisy it was there as they are normally VERY quiet -it sounded like someone was doing some really enthusiastic evening gardening behind it- and then we realised the temple was covered in monkeys! They were leaping around all over the roof and through the trees behind, one of them had a baby on its back, they were super cute!

We went for really good sushi for dinner both nights in Fujiyoshida, it was a small traditional sushi place - somewhere Mat has wanted to go since working at Yo! Sushi (a bit of a different type of sushi experience!) - and the chef was so friendly and told us what all the different bits of sashimi were and how to eat it all! We got to meet his family, wrote in the restaurant guestbook and when we left he gave us a calendar with his name on it and on the second night he gave us a pen! Another recommendation for Fujiyoshida - it is called Musashino.

Next we are going up into the alps to a more rural part of Japan, so we're looking forward to that! Will blog again soon ! Miss you all!

Libby and Mat

[gaijinginger]

Days 6-7: Enter Kyoto

Yesterday morning I packed up my things and checked out of First Cabin Akihabara. From there I headed over to a nearby restaurant for some noodles, this particular type served cold over sliced beef with an accompanying cup of dipping sauce, also cold. It was a sweltering 80 degree morning, so the change in food temperature was welcome. After breakfast, I video chatted some friends to continue showcasing Akihabara’s unmistakable WTF factor for a bit (see previous post for more details), then boarded my first long-distance Shinkansen bullet train to Kyoto. The train, which covered the ~318 miles between Tokyo and Kyoto in about 2.5 hours, was one of the best rides of my entire life. I was lucky enough to score a window seat on the train, and spent the entire 2.5 hour journey with my face pressed up against the viewport like a kid looking into a candy store, gazing wide-eyed at the rice fields and almost futuristic city-sprawl that whipped by. The train’s speed tops out at around 200mph, although inside the train car you don’t feel a thing. I was on the side of the train facing the coast, and got an unrestricted view of some of the coolest looking seaside communities I’ve ever seen (and that’s coming from someone who’s spent his entire life living in some seriously cool seaside communities). The ride was so amazing that I forgot to take pictures, or documentation of any kind. I was completely in the moment. For some reason I listened to a ton of 60s and 70s rock, namely The Beach Boys, for the duration of the ride. Not sure why, but that’s definitely a relevant detail as it provided the bulk of the audio experience of the journey. The juxtaposition of Brian Wilson’s brilliant arrangements and the high-speed buffet of Japanese scenery that is the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen Line will be something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I arrived in Kyoto around 2pm, and walked over to my new hotel, Hotel She Kyoto. This is my first (and last) actual hotel room of the trip, and I’ve been relishing being able to go to the shower (my shower, the opposite of the likes of Anshin Oyado Shinjuku) and walk out directly back into a space that’s solely mine. My first real bed of the trip, too. Very exciting. After going to a nearby ramen shop recommended by the hotel staff and sampling some Kyoto-style beef ramen over soy base, I walked around the surrounding area for an hour or two before going back to my room, exhausted. I spent the rest of the evening watching Sumo wrestling on the TV in my room (it’s a real sport here, complete with oh-so-serious TV sports graphics and Sports Center-style post-game commentators). This morning I got up at around 9, and headed over to the Fushimi-Inari Shrine, arguably the biggest and most popular Shinto temple in Kyoto. Built on and around Mount Inari on the eastern side of Kyoto, it’s made up of dozens of independent little shrines and graveyards, interlinked by pathways, bridges and stairs all straddled by literal thousands of traditional Japanese Torii gates, each engraved with dozens of characters. Some of the gates are spaced 10-20 feet apart, while in some ares of the shrine there are hundreds of them in rapid succession, spaced only a few centimeters apart. The effect of walking through the tunnels they form is indescribable. In addition to being a popular (read: STUPIDLY instagrammable) tourist site, the shrine is a real-deal place of Shinto worship; while there I saw dozens of locals paying respects to departed relatives, friends and ancestors at the graveyards around the temple grounds. Ancestor worship makes a lot of sense to me; it’s arguably one of the most tangible forms of worship. Keeping the memory of departed loved ones alive seems like religion at its best. In the process of walking through the grounds of the shrine, I succeeded in climbing to the top of Mount Inari, where I was met with an unrestricted panoramic view of Kyoto that will follow this post. Pretty cool reward for a solid 40 minutes of climbing stairs. In my week in Japan, Inari was the most out-in-nature I’ve felt while here. I loved every minute of it, and felt like a real-deal cliched “namaste” white-guy-backpacking-in-Asia. Really, at times as I climbed the mountain, I was even able to transcend this sort of thinking, which I’m all to often held back by- “oh, I’m totally this kind of person right now”. Funny how often we allow ourselves to be inhibited by how we’re afraid people will perceive us. I think I’ve gotten a lot better at that on this trip, because here I always know exactly where I stand- between my skin, my hair and my lack of knowledge of Japanese, I’m always a gaijin, a constant outsider. Curiously, I’ve found it’s an environment that’s extremely conducive to self-improvement and positive thinking, at least for me. I can see how it might not be for everyone, though. After navigating my way out of Inari, I stopped at a nearby noodle shop for some much-needed cold Udon noodles, sliced fried chicken and rice. After that I headed over to the Kyoto Imperial Palace, which was the residence of the emperors of Japan for over a thousand years and has been home to some of Japan’s most pivotal historical moments. As a huge history nerd, walking through the sprawling grounds and looking into the various stately buildings and aristocratic residences within was about as good as it gets. I milled around the palace grounds for about an hour, then started walking back towards my hotel. On the way, I stopped at an American Embassy (Starbucks) for a Matcha Green Tea Frappucino and an Earl Grey doughnut. To paraphrase Pulp Fiction’s Vincent Vega, it’s the little differences that get me here. Ultimately, this evening I decided to go out of Kyoto for a bit rather than going directly back to my hotel, and spent about a half an hour navigating regional transit to get over to the shores of Lake Biwa, about 5 miles outside the city, to take in the sunset. For the small hassle that getting there proved, it was one of the best decisions I’ve made on this trip. The view was nothing short of spectacular. This country makes me feel a certain type of way. A way that, even in the other places I've had the extreme fortune to visit, I've never felt. Maybe it's the "honeymoon phase" of only having been here about a week talking, but I really really like it here. I’m back at my hotel now, getting ready physically and emotionally for tomorrow, which will no doubt be the heaviest day of my trip. Hiroshima. More to follow in the next few days.

[miizpah-blog]

⊱✿ .·´¯`·-> Finally gotten around to writing out my AUs, so here they are. Feel free to hit me up if you have questions. More to be possibly added as well.

.001: Modern AU (Wild child/ Artist): A graffiti artist that runs across thee county marking and spreading his art around. Keeping himself in the shadows so he can watch people’s reactions to his work. He has no true home and often would not spend no more than a week in one place before traveling again...  TAG: - - –^[ My Hearts is like a wildflower •AU Verse.001 ]^– - -

.002: Modern AU (LA Bar Tender/ Brew miester): A heir to the family brewery that he had come to inherit after his father’s death. He is popular through L.A. and the world for the finest wines and his father’s bars. He owns the main branch bar in L.A. but wishes to travel to the European countries to fulfill his wanderlust that drives the young adult. TAG: - - –^[ The Way Damaged People Love each other •AU Verse.002 ]^– - -

.003: Modern AU (Japanese Mythology god, Susano’o): Based from the Japanese Mythology of the Shinto religion’s Susano’o. The younger brother of the sun goddess Amaterasu, he is infamous for his mischievous and sometimes destructive behaviour and therefore has a reputation as being something of a trickster. He is also associated with the wind and the sea and in more recent times has become associated with love and marriage. ( More here | X && X ). Note: Please do let me know if something is incorrect, I’m only going from the basics that I know. TAG: - - –^[ Chapter One: ‘Leave the Past Where It Belongs’ •AU Verse.003 ]^– - -

.004: One is a foreign criminal thief/ killer: A 24 year-old ex European assassin that spent his life stealing from other’s for his own greed. He sometimes takes up dark murderous contracts that he takes on for money,rumored to have assassinated four of Europe’s most popular leader’s. One day a contract sends him over to the USA to assassinate a famous senator out of revenge. Abused as a child, he hold no emotions against his kills. He is difficult to bargain with as well... TAG: - - –^[ In your hesitation I found my answer •AU Verse.004 ]^– - -

.005: A royal prince knight: Uchiha Kagami, a royal first born prince towards the kingdom that would soon be his, Kagami trains and flies through the ranks to becoming the first prince knight. His journeys a cross the lands are hard but he flourishes in it. He thrives on the harshness of the world, he learns from it. Uses it against it self so that his kingdom would thrive... TAG: - - –^[ We’re all broke. That’s how light gets in •AU Verse.005 ]^– - -

.006 a special (new) is a mute deaf AU: A universal verse where Kagami is both mute and deaf. He uses sign language to speak to others. He was often put down by other’s because of his disabilities however he had learned to deal and grew into his persona. He is a strong sensor and is able to read lips very well. Kagami understands that he cannot do most things but that doesn’t stop the boy from striving for the best in his life. TAG: - - –^[ It’s both a blessing and a curse to feel everything so deeply •AU Verse.006 ]^– - -