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paper"},{"term":"wood"},{"term":"yabusame"},{"term":"yellow"},{"term":"yohga"},{"term":"yugen"},{"term":"zenga"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Fujiland"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":""},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/posts\/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default?alt=json-in-script"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default?alt=json-in-script\u0026start-index=26\u0026max-results=25"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"189"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"25"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-4109631591774363207"},"published":{"$t":"2021-04-08T09:31:00.006-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-04-09T02:24:29.360-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Covid-19"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"medicine"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"MMR"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"vaccines"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"WHY IS JAPAN SO FAR BEHIND IN VACCINATIONS?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; font-family: georgia; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-be1kyDH3XP0\/YG8t2_A2CgI\/AAAAAAAAvdY\/pH_vsbIi__49gWGFiiVx_oCBT7wH6knTACLcBGAsYHQ\/s1024\/mNS0046_1024x1024.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"768\" data-original-width=\"1024\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-be1kyDH3XP0\/YG8t2_A2CgI\/AAAAAAAAvdY\/pH_vsbIi__49gWGFiiVx_oCBT7wH6knTACLcBGAsYHQ\/w640-h480\/mNS0046_1024x1024.jpeg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: helvetica;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EHow can we employ nurses in the meantime?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"font-family: georgia; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia;\"\u003EBy this date (8th April, 2021) the United Kingdom has vaccinated 56% of its population against Covid-19, the USA 52%, France 19%, and mainland China 11%. Even India has vaccinated 6.7% of its vast and impoverished population. So, how is wealthy, high-tech Japan doing? As of today it has just passed the 1% mark. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia;\"\u003EYes, really! \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia;\"\u003EJapan, so far ahead in many areas, is clearly bringing up the rear in Covid vaccination.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia; font-size: large;\"\u003EIt is also relying on \u003Ci\u003Eforeign\u003C\/i\u003E supplies, having secured -- in theory at least -- 140 million vaccine doses from US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. Although there seem to be \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/wip\/Oj5NH\"\u003Eproblems here too\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia; font-size: large;\"\u003EBut why isn't Japan's high-tech medical sector just churning out its own vaccine supplies?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia; font-size: large;\"\u003EThe reasons are several, but mainly this is due to a lack of political will. What little political will exists in Japan tends to come from the big corporations that \"finance\" the politicians, and Japan's medical sector is somewhat ambivalent about vaccines.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia; font-size: large;\"\u003EOne problem is too much protection. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJapan's med sector is old-fashioned and inefficient, with too many small companies that are insulated from that nasty thing called \"competition\" and also supported by government subsidies. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis cosy arrangement also means that these companies are too small and unwilling to take big bets on \"Research and Development.\" Elsewhere in the world, rampant competition has created much larger companies that can take big bets on R\u0026amp;D. This has led to four massive pharmaceutical giants dominating 70% of the global market for vaccines.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia; font-size: large;\"\u003EPolitical will is also lacking because the Japanese government, which used to take the lead in developing vaccines in the past, got burned by a series of lawsuits in the 1990s for the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine. The vaccine was blamed, probabaly unfairly, for deaths and autism.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia; font-size: large;\"\u003EIn 2003, the government and a research center affiliated with Osaka University were forced to pay a total of 155 million yen to the families of two children who died or suffered side effects after receiving the MMR vaccine.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia; font-size: large;\"\u003EAs \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/wip\/t2yfr\"\u003Ereported at the time\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: verdana; font-size: large;\"\u003EThe court ruled that the death of the son of a couple in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, and the serious brain damage suffered by 13-year-old Hana Ueno, from Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture, were caused by the MMR vaccine. It ruled, however, that the child of a couple in Hyogo Prefecture died after contracting influenza.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia;\"\u003EThousands more sued the government, mainly for cases of autism, although cases of autism \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article\/dn7076-autism-rises-despite-mmr-ban-in-japan\/\" style=\"font-family: georgia;\"\u003Econtinued to \u003Ci\u003Erise\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;even after the vaccine was withdrawn, probably with the late age of the mothers being the real contributing factor.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-eXfgv_u0KSk\/YG8vcM_WD2I\/AAAAAAAAvdg\/LCBkWxfC7UgODDKRdEQcePoHl0MZaGeiQCLcBGAsYHQ\/s1000\/135791.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"986\" data-original-width=\"1000\" height=\"632\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-eXfgv_u0KSk\/YG8vcM_WD2I\/AAAAAAAAvdg\/LCBkWxfC7UgODDKRdEQcePoHl0MZaGeiQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w640-h632\/135791.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia;\"\u003EDr. Tetsuo Nakayama, a project professor at Kitasato Institute for Life Sciences and director of the Japanese Society of Clinical Virology \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/XIg2P#selection-1305.0-1309.175\" style=\"font-family: georgia;\"\u003Eexplained the caution\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia;\"\u003E felt by the government:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: verdana;\"\u003E“It’s not that Japan lacks the development capability. But after the government losses, the government did not actively propel the development of new vaccines. That created a vaccine gap that lasted for more than 10 years, during which Japan was way behind other countries in introducing vaccines for children. The lack of initiative from the government led to few financial resources and human resources to develop vaccines,” he says, “which inevitably slows the pace of development.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia; font-size: large;\"\u003EJapan is not expected to produce its own vaccines until at least 2022. Until then it will have to rely on other countries and a draconian lock-down on international travel that has echoes of \u003Ci\u003ESakoku\u003C\/i\u003E (鎖国, \"closed country\"), Japan's earlier isolationist history during the Edo period.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4109631591774363207\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2021\/04\/why-is-japan-so-far-behind-in.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/4109631591774363207"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/4109631591774363207"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2021\/04\/why-is-japan-so-far-behind-in.html","title":"WHY IS JAPAN SO FAR BEHIND IN VACCINATIONS?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-3050431278654819849"},"published":{"$t":"2020-08-30T06:56:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-08-30T06:58:13.871-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"2006"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"book review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dejima"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Isaac Titsingh"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Politics and History"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"seppuku"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Shoguns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Timon Screech"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Book Review: \"Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns\" by Isaac Titsingh"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-wekGq4yPfPo\/UTLNAVOYThI\/AAAAAAAAEFc\/HKrlaSXCbos\/s1600\/Titsingh.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-wekGq4yPfPo\/UTLNAVOYThI\/AAAAAAAAEFc\/HKrlaSXCbos\/s640\/Titsingh.jpg\" width=\"457\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EAccounts of foreign lands are interesting both because of what they reveal about the country but also because of what they reveal about the writer. One of the dangers of this genre is that it can become all too focused on the author and his 'culture shock' as he bumbles into yet another inscrutable foreign custom. \u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELuckily, this is not a problem in this collection of writings by Isaac Titsingh, reissued after a gap of 180 years and heavily annotated by Timon Screech. Titsingh was a level-headed Dutch businessman placed in charge of the Dutch trading station at Nagasaki's Dejima from 1779 to 1784. His success depended on looking beyond confusing cultural surfaces to understand the economic and political realities that underpinned Edo-period society. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETitsingh's account is also remarkable in that he tries to remove the authorial 'I' from the narrative. In the historical part of the book, \u003Ci\u003ESecret Memoirs of the Shoguns\u003C\/i\u003E, rather than digesting or interpreting the island empire's history, Titsingh simply uses translations of documents, allowing an authentic Japanese voice to speak to the West for the first time. Although very laudable in 1822 when Titsingh's book was first published, all the historical information has subsequently been superseded by writers with a more comprehensive understanding of Japanese history and language skills superior to Titsingh, who suspiciously claimed to have 'mastered' the Japanese language in a mere two years. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETitsingh's original concept of using mainly Japanese voices has not been followed by the present book's editor Timon Screech, a Reader in the history of Japanese art at London's School of Oriental and African Studies. In addition, to a detailed 74-page introduction that fills in the detailed background to Titsingh and the Japan of his time, Screech also includes other documents by Titsingh, including his essays on Japan and his 'Secret Diary,' a first-person narrative business report meant for the eyes of his superiors in the Dutch East India Company. This details his day–to–day battle of wits with unreliable translators, capricious governors, and even the authorities in distant Edo. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETitsingh's ace in business negotiations was that the Japanese clearly needed the Dutch at Dejima more than vice versa. While the Japanese imported spices from the Dutch East Indies, wool, and crystal glasses, their main export in return was copper that was becoming increasingly unprofitable for the Dutch due to cheaper sources elsewhere. When Dutch ships didn't visit Nagasaki in 1782 – partly due to war with Great Britain – Titsingh mentions that there was \"incessant praying for three days in temples, with the promise of large rewards if the prayers were answered.\" The other side of this economic downturn was that the Governor of Nagasaki, when he visited Edo Castle, could only be restrained \"with the greatest difficulty\" from \"cutting open his belly,\" because the loss of trade and the threat of war spreading had led to the stockpiling of rice and a famine. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E  Rather than being shocked by the extremes of Edo-period culture, like seppuku (ritual suicide), Titsingh remains blasé. In his essay \u003Ci\u003EThe character of the Japanese People\u003C\/i\u003E he describes it as one might describe playing shogi (Japanese chess): \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\"As with us, the graceful performance of certain bodily exercises is considered an accomplishment essential to a liberal education, so among them it is indispensably necessary for all those who by their birth or rank aspire to dignities, to understand the art of ripping themselves up like gentleman.\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003ETitsingh's narrative is useful in that he never sees Japan as a monolithic and static society where everybody thought the same way. Instead, he is constantly aware of the competing groups and interests that make up any complex society, in particular drawing a distinction between those who favored more ties with the outside world and those who didn't, described as \"frogs in a well\" because of their limited horizons. The widely traveled Titsingh was quite the opposite. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EColin Liddell\u003Cbr \/\u003EMetropolis\u003Cbr \/\u003E22nd December, 2006\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3050431278654819849\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2020\/08\/book-review-secret-memoirs-of-shoguns.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/3050431278654819849"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/3050431278654819849"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2020\/08\/book-review-secret-memoirs-of-shoguns.html","title":"Book Review: \"Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns\" by Isaac Titsingh"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-wekGq4yPfPo\/UTLNAVOYThI\/AAAAAAAAEFc\/HKrlaSXCbos\/s72-c\/Titsingh.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-5705012932430565483"},"published":{"$t":"2020-08-30T06:41:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-08-30T06:41:12.449-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Colin Liddell"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kamasami Kong"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Metpod"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Miscellaneous"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"World Records"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"COLIN LIDDELL ON JAPANESE WORLD RECORDS"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-2BjUVqpFwl0\/X0usX3c0upI\/AAAAAAAAsrI\/AMzHJfI3MZovKydUNx5J_zpEWsa4OSEhgCLcBGAsYHQ\/s1600\/big%2Bapple.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"474\" data-original-width=\"468\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-2BjUVqpFwl0\/X0usX3c0upI\/AAAAAAAAsrI\/AMzHJfI3MZovKydUNx5J_zpEWsa4OSEhgCLcBGAsYHQ\/s640\/big%2Bapple.jpg\" width=\"630\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EColin Liddell interviewed by Kamasami Kong on the Metropolis Metpod about \"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2016\/12\/records-of-rising-sun.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ERecords of the Rising Sun\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SbqBJ4B7DWs\" width=\"560\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5705012932430565483\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2020\/08\/colin-liddell-on-japanese-world-records.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/5705012932430565483"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/5705012932430565483"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2020\/08\/colin-liddell-on-japanese-world-records.html","title":"COLIN LIDDELL ON JAPANESE WORLD RECORDS"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-2BjUVqpFwl0\/X0usX3c0upI\/AAAAAAAAsrI\/AMzHJfI3MZovKydUNx5J_zpEWsa4OSEhgCLcBGAsYHQ\/s72-c\/big%2Bapple.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-3398685295262028871"},"published":{"$t":"2020-08-30T06:15:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-08-30T06:25:02.316-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Angela Vianello"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"anime"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"manga"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Miscellaneous"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sailor Moon"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"sailor suits"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Sailor Moon Re-Imagined"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-vR8BVjDI6to\/X0ulSQdInNI\/AAAAAAAAsq8\/_B4NFegVhEM6b7B_fc2xv_en80f7Apy9ACLcBGAsYHQ\/s1600\/EgpmeyNUcAAswpm.jpeg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1132\" data-original-width=\"1440\" height=\"502\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-vR8BVjDI6to\/X0ulSQdInNI\/AAAAAAAAsq8\/_B4NFegVhEM6b7B_fc2xv_en80f7Apy9ACLcBGAsYHQ\/s640\/EgpmeyNUcAAswpm.jpeg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EThe Sailor Moon characters re-imagined by Italian artist \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/angela_vianello\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EAngela Vianello\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EThe delicate girly warriors of the original are toughened up a little (but not too much). Empowered but still feminine, we hope!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3398685295262028871\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2020\/08\/sailor-moon-re-imagined.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/3398685295262028871"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/3398685295262028871"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2020\/08\/sailor-moon-re-imagined.html","title":"Sailor Moon Re-Imagined"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-vR8BVjDI6to\/X0ulSQdInNI\/AAAAAAAAsq8\/_B4NFegVhEM6b7B_fc2xv_en80f7Apy9ACLcBGAsYHQ\/s72-c\/EgpmeyNUcAAswpm.jpeg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-989086282347510571"},"published":{"$t":"2020-08-03T14:27:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-08-03T14:31:47.001-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Eric Margolis"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"gay"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Hiroaki Sato"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"literature"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Michael Bourdaghs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sam Bett"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Stephen Dodd"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Yukio Mishima"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Resurgence of a Japanese Literary Master"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-jokQ50Svm-c\/Xyh98Lk6cuI\/AAAAAAAAsd0\/93_7We-OMfoPzWQFBgIPcmtDb7th0hjoQCLcBGAsYHQ\/s1600\/Mishima-Yukio-003.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1077\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"430\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-jokQ50Svm-c\/Xyh98Lk6cuI\/AAAAAAAAsd0\/93_7We-OMfoPzWQFBgIPcmtDb7th0hjoQCLcBGAsYHQ\/s640\/Mishima-Yukio-003.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EFifty years after his death, Yukio Mishima is reemerging in translation\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EYukio Mishima may have gone out in an inglorious blaze in 1970, but three of his previously untranslated works have been released in the English-speaking world in the last two years, with another on the way.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003ETo recap the scene: Mishima, then the leader of the nationalist, unarmed civilian militia \u003Ci\u003ETate no Kai\u003C\/i\u003E, entered a military garrison in central Tokyo on November 25, 1970. After taking an officer captive and failing to inspire the gathered soldiers to overturn Japan’s constitution and restore the emperor to power — quite the opposite, the soldiers laughed and jeered at him — Mishima committed \u003Ci\u003Eseppuku\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EIt was another failure. The ritual act of suicide, committed by samurai warriors, involves plunging a short sword into the stomach and slicing from left to right, opening the belly. When the samurai finished, an assistant would decapitate him in a single blow. Mishima didn’t manage to open his stomach cleanly, and his assistant, hands trembling, couldn’t chop off Mishima’s head in one swing, either.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-UUDVm9GYKII\/XyiAGeH8pcI\/AAAAAAAAseA\/1LtH-zVdOfU8ZosHt1BdkegRdX_G-OuYACLcBGAsYHQ\/s1600\/MishimaFront_FosterKrafft-1000x1360.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1360\" data-original-width=\"1001\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-UUDVm9GYKII\/XyiAGeH8pcI\/AAAAAAAAseA\/1LtH-zVdOfU8ZosHt1BdkegRdX_G-OuYACLcBGAsYHQ\/s400\/MishimaFront_FosterKrafft-1000x1360.jpg\" width=\"293\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;helvetica neue\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;helvetica\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EMishima by Charles Kraft\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EIn many ways, you can identify a Mishima at first glance: tortured narcissists obsessed with beauty and fantasies of violence. But new translations are finally exposing Western readers to the true breadth and depth of Mishima’s work.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EThe narrative of Mishima’s life and death has often superseded his work owing to his far right-wing politics persists, as well as interest in his sexuality and status as a gay author. Mishima’s carefully cultivated image — a vigorous martial artist, his commitment to \u003Ci\u003Ebushido\u003C\/i\u003E, the code of the samurai and his fixation with masculinity, beauty and glory — has remained more notable than a lot of his writing. He even went to great pains to craft an image for an American audience with English-language interviews in the 1960s.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EHowever, the contemporary resurgence of Mishima translations is starting to get readers back to the actual work. Which, incidentally, is very good indeed.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EOn the surface, Mishima is a writer of capital-L literary fiction, with dense works and elaborate language, in dense conversation with early 20th century European literature and theories of modernization. In many ways, you can identify a Mishima at first glance: tortured narcissists obsessed with beauty and fantasies of violence. But new translations are finally exposing Western readers to the true breadth and depth of Mishima’s work. There’s agony and beauty, but whimsy and variety as well.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E“This is a good time to expand our understanding of what Mishima was about,” says Stephen Dodd, translator of Mishima’s \u003Ci\u003ELife For Sale\u003C\/i\u003E (2019) and the upcoming \u003Ci\u003EBeautiful Star\u003C\/i\u003E, a rare Mishima science fiction novel. “\u003Ci\u003ELife For Sale\u003C\/i\u003E is very funny, very kitsch, trashy, sexy. All these light, trivial, frivolous things make it a great read. But there’s another side to it, the more recognizable Mishima side — a deep loneliness and bleakness at its heart.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EIn \u003Ci\u003ELife For Sale\u003C\/i\u003E, salaryman Hanio Yamada decides to advertise his life for sale in the newspaper classified section, and gets thrown into a series of increasingly outlandish requests from his patrons. While Mishima is most well-known for his dark, staggering works of literary fiction about tortured sexuality, obsession and beauty, like\u003Ci\u003E Confessions of a Mask\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ci\u003EThe Temple of the Golden Pavilion\u003C\/i\u003E, Mishima in fact made his living with popular fiction. He wrote pulp novels like \u003Ci\u003ELife For Sale\u003C\/i\u003E to warm up, and then turned to more serious literary fiction a few hours into his writing.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E“Mishima has continued to have a readership in Japan, precisely because not all of his works are difficult to read and people can enjoy them,” Dodd says. “Mishima has an extremely perceptive understanding of the world. He really understands isolation, loneliness, and wants to get to the heart of things.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EAnother previously untranslated novella that came out last year, \u003Ci\u003EStar\u003C\/i\u003E, grapples with fame and loneliness. Centering on Rikio Mizuno, a young actor in the heyday of the Japanese film industry in the early 1960s, the novel explores Mizuno’s disgust with his empty life, sapped of meaning by his unthinking fans. \u003Ci\u003EStar\u003C\/i\u003E is another work that balances humor against Mishima’s classic darker themes.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E“I found the prose really delectable and fun,” says Sam Bett, translator of \u003Ci\u003EStar\u003C\/i\u003E. “The book has a great sense of humor. Mishima really does have a knack for putting a sentence together in a balanced way, like a spinning mobile — it has all of these different parts that are counterbalanced against each other.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EWhile Mishima had a complicated relationship with his sexuality, writing explicitly gay stories while often treating homosexuality with contempt, modes of queerness in his fiction continue to give his works enduring value.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E“There are modes of queerness in \u003Ci\u003EStar\u003C\/i\u003E that fit into the larger discussion of how his work explores gender relationships and sexuality,” Bett says.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EWith the resurgence of right-wing nationalism in the U.S., UK and around the world, Mishima’s politics cannot be ignored. Michael Bourdaghs, a professor of Japanese literature at the University of Chicago researching Mishima, said that his goal with his suicide was to produce a spectacle for its own sake.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E“The point is the disturbance that you can stir up by speaking [outrageous things] aloud,” Bourdaghs comments. “I think Mishima would have understood Donald Trump well.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EB\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003Eourdaghs also points out that Mishima’s radicalism was more of a product of the Cold War-era revolutionary political struggles than Japanese pre-war fascism.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif;\"\u003E“Mishima and his peers were very aware of what was going on in places like Vietnam, Algeria and other decolonizing nations, as well as in American inner cities and European campuses.”\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EMishima famously engaged with the student protests at the University of Tokyo, part of an inclusive ‘new left’ movement that opposed against American imperialism, Russian Stalinism and Japanese monopoly capitalism.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EMishima’s translators have struggled to get beyond the mythology perpetuated by the dramatic circumstances of his death.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E“It upsets me when a 20-year old reads Mishima and says, wow, that’s fabulous, he was prepared to die for beauty,” says Dodd. “It’s an egotistical reading. When we read Mishima, we have to avoid getting trapped in his web.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-4VImBc4L5co\/XyiAdeyTtUI\/AAAAAAAAseM\/hGwxxk2L66citF4dat-YjihFr4NQyLQrQCLcBGAsYHQ\/s1600\/y_mishima_by_tootalltony.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"656\" data-original-width=\"1050\" height=\"398\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-4VImBc4L5co\/XyiAdeyTtUI\/AAAAAAAAseM\/hGwxxk2L66citF4dat-YjihFr4NQyLQrQCLcBGAsYHQ\/s640\/y_mishima_by_tootalltony.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E“To put the matter in a crude way, Mishima used \u003Ci\u003ETate no Kai \u003C\/i\u003Eas a means of killing himself,” adds Mishima translator and biographer Hiroaki Sato.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E“I think we do need to get away from reading everything he wrote through the lens of November 25, 1970,” Bourdaghs says.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EWhile scholars and critics will continue to scrutinize Mishima’s life, his varied career produced a book for everyone, no matter their taste. It’s valuable that Western audiences are now able to experience a broader scope of his writing.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E“I compare him with Murakami Haruki,” says Dodd. “While Murakami is an extremely important writer whose works have touched the hearts of millions, I find his works to be repetitive. Mishima always surprises.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XXS-9VZJ8Rw\" width=\"560\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EEric Margolis\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ci style=\"font-family: georgia, \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/metropolisjapan.com\/yukio-mishima\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EMetropolis\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E31st July, 2020\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/989086282347510571\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2020\/08\/the-resurgence-of-japanese-literary.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/989086282347510571"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/989086282347510571"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2020\/08\/the-resurgence-of-japanese-literary.html","title":"The Resurgence of a Japanese Literary Master"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-jokQ50Svm-c\/Xyh98Lk6cuI\/AAAAAAAAsd0\/93_7We-OMfoPzWQFBgIPcmtDb7th0hjoQCLcBGAsYHQ\/s72-c\/Mishima-Yukio-003.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-8132974495829207875"},"published":{"$t":"2020-08-03T10:54:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-08-03T10:57:09.504-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"erotic verse"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"haiku"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kamasami Kong"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Metropolis"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"podcast"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Podcast: Colin Liddell on \"Erotic Haiku\""},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-FX6UeJ3LYuo\/XyhPHzl2hFI\/AAAAAAAAsdo\/v47JZQoC2R0ZnvPYGvhDiLesncUNS9b3wCLcBGAsYHQ\/s1600\/original-shunga-square-jpg-39e07e67%2B-%2BEdited.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"684\" data-original-width=\"1000\" height=\"436\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-FX6UeJ3LYuo\/XyhPHzl2hFI\/AAAAAAAAsdo\/v47JZQoC2R0ZnvPYGvhDiLesncUNS9b3wCLcBGAsYHQ\/s640\/original-shunga-square-jpg-39e07e67%2B-%2BEdited.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EBack in 2007, podcasts were still something of a novelty. \u003Ci\u003EMetropolis\u003C\/i\u003E, Tokyo's leading English magazine at the time, was an early pioneer with a show hosted by Kamasami Kong which boosted advertisers and content from the magazine.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EIn this excerpt of the \"Metpod\" from 2007, \u003Ci\u003EMetropolis\u003C\/i\u003E contributor Colin Liddell discusses a book of erotic verses, which he had reviewed for the magazine, with Kamasami Kong. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eNtxqIBVflM\" width=\"560\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/8132974495829207875\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2020\/08\/podcast-colin-liddell-on-erotic-haiku.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/8132974495829207875"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/8132974495829207875"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2020\/08\/podcast-colin-liddell-on-erotic-haiku.html","title":"Podcast: Colin Liddell on \"Erotic Haiku\""}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-FX6UeJ3LYuo\/XyhPHzl2hFI\/AAAAAAAAsdo\/v47JZQoC2R0ZnvPYGvhDiLesncUNS9b3wCLcBGAsYHQ\/s72-c\/original-shunga-square-jpg-39e07e67%2B-%2BEdited.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-6725437044139859199"},"published":{"$t":"2020-06-21T13:51:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-06-21T13:52:25.449-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"2012"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"crows"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"otaku"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sputniko"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"video"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Video: Crowbot Jenny"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-2GizP85BxMg\/Xu_IGAmFenI\/AAAAAAAAsGE\/4-lpxkxpu1cQWN7WwBGlxf7-Vsu2U5RRwCLcBGAsYHQ\/s1600\/Screenshot%2B2020-06-21%2Bat%2B9.48.23%2BPM.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"800\" data-original-width=\"1280\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-2GizP85BxMg\/Xu_IGAmFenI\/AAAAAAAAsGE\/4-lpxkxpu1cQWN7WwBGlxf7-Vsu2U5RRwCLcBGAsYHQ\/s640\/Screenshot%2B2020-06-21%2Bat%2B9.48.23%2BPM.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EI ran into the work of this young lady, who goes by the name of Sputniko, at the \"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/metropolis.co.jp\/arts\/art-reviews\/anonymous-life\/\" style=\"font-family: georgia, \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EAnonymous Life\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\" exhibition at the NTT Intercommunication Center in late 2012. Half British\/ half Japanese, she is actually a \"serious artist\" who makes \"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ci style=\"font-family: georgia, \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;\"\u003Eweird Japan\"\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;pop videos like this one — about a girl with an obsession about crows — in order to comment on contemporary Japan...or something.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"315\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rdU1F54FEOU\" width=\"560\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6725437044139859199\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2020\/06\/video-crowbot-jenny.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/6725437044139859199"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/6725437044139859199"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2020\/06\/video-crowbot-jenny.html","title":"Video: Crowbot Jenny"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-2GizP85BxMg\/Xu_IGAmFenI\/AAAAAAAAsGE\/4-lpxkxpu1cQWN7WwBGlxf7-Vsu2U5RRwCLcBGAsYHQ\/s72-c\/Screenshot%2B2020-06-21%2Bat%2B9.48.23%2BPM.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-2752763868071266126"},"published":{"$t":"2020-03-18T16:40:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-03-18T16:42:28.534-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"corruption"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Culture and Technology"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"freemasonry"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"keiretsu"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"sokaiya"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Yasukuni Shrine"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Japan's Dangerous Reliance on Gentlemen's Agreements"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-77XJgI8ILwY\/XnKw6Re7QeI\/AAAAAAAAqtI\/zvxbbbhpFJAtZ2XdQ_VjuL319znzyTxagCLcBGAsYHQ\/s1600\/0706-nl-4.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"924\" data-original-width=\"1200\" height=\"492\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-77XJgI8ILwY\/XnKw6Re7QeI\/AAAAAAAAqtI\/zvxbbbhpFJAtZ2XdQ_VjuL319znzyTxagCLcBGAsYHQ\/s640\/0706-nl-4.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EBecause of a culture that eschews confrontation, the “Gentleman’s Agreement” has always been popular tool of business in Japan, both at company and government level. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EDefined as an informal understanding between two or more parties, such agreements do have some advantages, most notably a reliance on mutual goodwill rather than complex legalistic knot-tying. Also, in addition to economizing on legal bills, it has PR advantages. Adverse publicity can be easily minimized, and the agreement can be denied if need be due to an absence of official records.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EDespsite this level of secrecy, over the years, many Gentlemen’s Agreements have come to light. One of the earliest was the 1894 agreement between Japan’s imperial government and foreign freemason lodges operating in Japan. Rather than banning Japanese people from becoming freemasons, an act that might have looked like the criminalization of expatriate associations, the Imperial government managed to persuade the lodges to informally promise not to recruit Japanese members. This effectively turned them into purely ex-pat clubs, without bothering to officially inform normal Japanese people.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003ESome years later, in 1907, the American government looked set to ban immigration from Japan. This move that would have hurt Japan’s prestige as a “pseudo-Western” country by placing it on the same level as China, a country whose citizens had been banned from settling in America in 1885. Under these circumstances, the Japanese government was quick to reach another behind-closed-doors Gentlemen’s Agreement. Instead of the US government clamping down, the Japanese government did the anti-immigration lobby’s work for it, secretly ending the issuing of passports to Japanese citizens intending to work or study in the continental United States.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EWhile potentially confrontational issues were thus avoided, the cost was that those not in the know were penalized. We will never know how many Japanese wasted their time trying to join the freemasons after 1894 or applying for a passport to go to America after 1907. Another casualty was democracy itself. When a government operates in secrecy in this way, it effectively removes the power of the electorate to vet and vote on the actions of the leaders.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EAlso, because of the fuzziness surrounding such agreements, there is always room for disagreement to arise. In 2005, the Chinese ambassador Wang Yi complained that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi had violated yet another of the Japanese government’s Gentlemen’s Agreements, regarding the controversial Yasukuni Shrine that honors Japan’s war dead, as well as 14 top war criminals. Japan had reportedly agreed that its PMs would avoid visiting the shrine in return for an end to Chinese criticism of pilgrimages by lesser-ranking figures.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EBy avoiding clear statements of policy, responsibility, and obligation, Gentlemen’s Agreements ultimately weaken public trust and help fuel an international reputation for unreliability and duplicity. But how much more corrosive in areas like business and the media!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EIn business, Gentlemen’s Agreements normally takes the form of cartels between companies competing in the same market but secretly colluding to maintain stable market share and profit margin, with the result that the customer receives a poorer product at a higher price. There is also the phenomenon of \u003Ci\u003Ekeiretsu\u003C\/i\u003E, a set of supposedly separate companies with interlocking business relationships, interests, and shareholdings, which act like giant corporations and use their combined economic muscle to stymie the free market and any competition.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EIn his 1982 book, “MITI and the Japanese Miracle,” Chalmers Johnson the founder of the Japan Policy Research Institute, called the cartel “the characteristic institution of Japanese capitalism.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EWhile some analysts believe that these unacknowledged structures create economic stability and prevent hostile foreign takeovers, the existence of informal, under-the-table business connections on this scale creates vast scope for political corruption and extortion by criminal \u003Ci\u003Esokaiya\u003C\/i\u003E groups, \u003Ci\u003Eyakuza\u003C\/i\u003E-backed shareholders who threaten to cause embarrassment and raise awkward question at annual meetings.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EThe large areas of ambiguity created by informal business collusion and unacknowledged links, gives politicians and \u003Ci\u003Esokaiya\u003C\/i\u003E all the leverage they need to blackmail companies into making “political contributions” or pay-offs. Also, because the \"gentlemen\" from the different firms or divisions of the \u003Ci\u003Ekeiretsu\u003C\/i\u003E need conducive surroundings outside the formal office to make their agreements, this also feeds Japan's hostess industry with the connected twilight world of prostitution.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EOne reason for this continuation of deep-seated sleaze is the interpenetration of Japanese businesses, including the media, who are therefore reluctant to tackle the problem in the root and branch way necessary to make real progress.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EIn their 1996 book “Media and Politics in Japan,” Susan Pharr and Ellis Krauss mention the media’s response to the 1991 Sagawa Kyubin scandal. This involved executives of a major delivery company with links to yakuza groups paying billion yen bribes to politicians.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E“Despite rumors and leaks, and the fact that a list of politicians who had received money had circulated among journalists for several months, there was a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ among the major media not to report anything until it could be confirmed by the prosecutor’s office,” Pharr and Kraus write.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EWhile such reticence may seem laudable to some, a pugnacious and confrontational media is the last hope in a country where the political, business, and criminal classes share common interests.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EUnfortunately, more often than not, Japan’s media is just the tame adjunct of its business class. The interpenetration of business, government, and the media, along with cultural imperatives to avoid confrontation, will continue to keep sleaze, corruption, and cronyism alive in Japan. A country that is full of “gentlemen’s agreements” is a country with very few real gentlemen.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2752763868071266126\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2020\/03\/japans-dangerous-reliance-on-gentlemens.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/2752763868071266126"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/2752763868071266126"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2020\/03\/japans-dangerous-reliance-on-gentlemens.html","title":"Japan's Dangerous Reliance on Gentlemen's Agreements"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-77XJgI8ILwY\/XnKw6Re7QeI\/AAAAAAAAqtI\/zvxbbbhpFJAtZ2XdQ_VjuL319znzyTxagCLcBGAsYHQ\/s72-c\/0706-nl-4.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-2649899955456012890"},"published":{"$t":"2020-02-12T05:51:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-02-12T05:51:16.430-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"2011"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"exhibition"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kazumichi Hashioka"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mitsui Memorial Museum"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Noh"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Exhibition: Noh Masks and Costumes from the Mitsui Collection"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/--t8e03MzaSI\/TwxBzDOybGI\/AAAAAAAABsM\/0CPcqYm_3IY\/s1600\/Noh+Masks.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"294\" kba=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/--t8e03MzaSI\/TwxBzDOybGI\/AAAAAAAABsM\/0CPcqYm_3IY\/s640\/Noh+Masks.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EGet into Noh, face first\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003ENoh is the cricket of the theater world. Like that quaint sport it is an esoteric and ancient pastime that has odd rules and occupies time in a way that seems somewhat gratuitous. Full performances can last all day. It is nevertheless one of the key portals of Japanese culture and something that the serious fan of Japanese culture should not neglect.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EPerhaps an easy way to tick this cultural box is to visit \"\u003Ci\u003ENoh Masks and Costumes from the Mitsui Collection: Profound and Subtle Beauty\u003C\/i\u003E\" at Nihonbashi's Mitsui Memorial Museum. The exhibition presents an impressive amount of accoutrements from the art, including 54 masks, Noh costumes, instruments, and song books used in the performances.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EIn Noh theatre, which is all-male, masked actors play the main male and female roles, with lesser parts delegated to unmasked actors. This is something that is not as alien to Western culture as it may seem. The ancient Greek theater, the source of Western thespian traditions, also featured masked actors.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003ENoh masks are traditionally carved from Japanese cypress wood and get their trademark shiny white pallor from a crushed seashell coating, which gives them a slightly spooky appearance useful for playing ghosts. Other roles include deities and vengeful gods, usually depicted as horned demons. Such roles reveal the strong streak of the supernatural which runs through the art.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EAlthough it might be thought that wearing a mask would reduce an actor's ability to be expressive, Noh actors have a number of tricks to compensate, including the use of gesture, demeanor, and dance.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003ESome masks, like the Okina (venerable old man) mask, even have moving parts. One of the most interesting means of creating expression however is the tilting of the masks. Some of these—especially the \u003Ci\u003Emagojiro\u003C\/i\u003E (maiden) masks—have been designed to show different emotional states from different angles. With a subtle inclination of few degrees or a change of lighting, a mask that appeared to be smiling can miraculously change its expression to show fear or sadness.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EJust to emphasize that the world of Noh works on a different timescale from everything else, the exhibition also includes the first showing of a 1991 donation of eight masks and 100 volumes of Noh song books from the master Noh mask carver Kazumichi Hashioka.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003EC.B.Liddell\u003Cbr \/\u003EMetropolis\u003Cbr \/\u003E20th December, 2011\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2649899955456012890\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2020\/02\/noh-masks-and-costumes-from-mitsui.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/2649899955456012890"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/2649899955456012890"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2020\/02\/noh-masks-and-costumes-from-mitsui.html","title":"Exhibition: Noh Masks and Costumes from the Mitsui Collection"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/--t8e03MzaSI\/TwxBzDOybGI\/AAAAAAAABsM\/0CPcqYm_3IY\/s72-c\/Noh+Masks.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-4692881178342800620"},"published":{"$t":"2020-02-10T04:06:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-02-10T04:19:25.837-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"2008"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"castration"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"erotic asphyxiation"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Erotic Review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"geisha"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"jealousy"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kichizo Ishida"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"murder"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"obsession"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"prostitution"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sada Abe"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"sex"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"teahouse"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Unprickable Conscience of Sada Abe"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_SFhgk2FUcYg\/SvJ-xPwfXJI\/AAAAAAAAAak\/B_QrVlAPd5w\/s1600-h\/Sada-Abe.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_SFhgk2FUcYg\/SvJ-xPwfXJI\/AAAAAAAAAak\/B_QrVlAPd5w\/s640\/Sada-Abe.jpg\" vr=\"true\" width=\"624\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eillustration by Emi Yokoyama\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EIf there's one thing the Japanese understand, it is obsession. In 1936, when an ex-prostitute strangled her lover, cut off his genitalia, and carried them around in her handbag for a few days, the nation nodded sagely and made her into something of a celebrity. This was the kind of dark, obsessive, death-tinged love that the average Japanese person could instinctively understand. Sex and death, death and sex: just like peaches and cream, really.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EFollowing her arrest, Abe was taken to Takanawa police station in Tokyo, where a famous photo shows her, still dressed in her kimono, surrounded by a group of jovial, smiling policemen, as she herself smiles. The police record of her interrogation and confession became a national best-seller, and crowds thronged around the courthouse when she was put on trial. Convicted of second degree murder and mutilation of a corpse, she was sentenced to six years in prison but released in 1941, following a pardon from the Emperor.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EThe story that unfolded from the investigation revealed a tale of sensual obsession that, like Abe’s smile, existed in a nihilistic realm far beyond mere passion and love. Having done what she had done, she was beyond caring, a liberated woman in a sense that had absolutely nothing to do with burning one’s bra.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EIt all began in 1905, when Sada was born into a well-to-do family of tatami mat makers. By the age of 15, she was a gregarious, fun-loving girl, toying with the Western fashions that were becoming increasingly popular. After rape by a family acquaintance sent her off the rails, she became a teenage tearaway, until, at the age of 17, her father sold her to a geisha house, which did not necessarily mean prostitution. But, lacking the more artistic talents associated with the geisha, the only way she could get by here was through providing sexual services. Over the next few years, she drifted in and out of various forms of prostitution.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EUnlike the rest of the world, where debt will often force a woman into prostitution, in Abe's case it was the opposite – debt occasionally forced her into living a semi-decent life. Geisha houses and pimps often kept control over their workforce by keeping them in debt. The only way to escape from this debt, which typically could never be paid off, was to go on the run and assume a new identity outside the world of prostitution. Sada Abe did this several times taking waitress and maid jobs, and occasionally becoming a private mistress.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EIn 1936, while attempting to go straight as a waitress at a restaurant named Yoshidaya, she met Kichizo Ishida, the man whose genitalia she would later show to police to prove that she was who she said she was. Aged 42, Ishida was the restaurant’s owner, but spent more time womanizing than working, as the restaurant was largely run by his wife. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EInevitably, Ishida and Abe started a relationship. Although this might look like yet another example of a serial seducer getting his way with a woman whose defences were in poor repair, it seems that Ishida, too, was seduced in some deep way. Soon after their relationship began, the two lovers agreed to meet at a teahouse in Shibuya. In those days, 'teahouses' served the function that 'love hotels' now serve.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EAlthough their intention was just a quick tryst, they stayed in bed for four days, and then only left to move to a new teahouse. Maids here later reported that the couple would continue their lovemaking even when they entered the room. A few days here, and they were on the move again to another teahouse in another part of town, suggesting that, each time, they were wearing out their welcome and hardly touching the tea.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EFinally, after more than two weeks, Ishida returned to the restaurant and his wife. Left alone, Abe felt intensely jealous.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\"It is hard to say exactly what was so good about Ishida,\" she later explained. \"But it was impossible to say anything bad about his looks, his attitude, his skill as a lover, the way he expressed his feelings. I had never met such a sexy man.\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EAt their next meeting, a few days later, Abe, inspired by a play she had seen in the meantime, pointed a knife at Ishida’s penis and playfully threatened him. She later told investigators that he was startled, but also seemed delighted. Two nights later, while they were making love, she wrapped her obi around his neck and started choking him. Afterwards, Ishida said that it greatly intensified his orgasm, and they took turns doing this to each other.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EIn Ishida, Abe had finally found a kind of true love, except it wasn't true love in any normal sense. Replacing overwhelming emotion, there was all-consuming sensual stimulation. Instead of complete faith and dependence on each other, there was the intensity of mutual erotic asphyxiation. Their love was sex tinged with death, but all the more volatile and intense for this. That night as Ishida slept, having taken a sedative to soothe pain brought on by the asphyxiation, Abe wrapped her obi around his neck, and, in an attempt to freeze her bliss at its most perfect moment, killed her lover.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EThe theme of death at the moment of perfection is one that runs through Japanese culture like a black, unbreakable thread. It underpins their appreciation of cherry blossom, is expressed in their poetry, and even helped the kamikaze pilots make their hopeless sorties.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EIn that moment, Abe made their love 'perfect,' while also satisfying a powerful sense of jealousy. She later told police:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\"After I had killed Ishida, I felt totally at ease, as though a heavy burden had been lifted from my shoulders, and I felt a sense of clarity.\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EWith Ishida dead, her actions now took the form of some quaint ritual. She lay with the body for a few hours, then, amputated the genitalia. With the blood, she wrote, \"Sada, Kichi together\" on his thigh, then, carved her name into his left arm. Finally, she put on his underwear, and left the inn at about 8 a.m. Later, asked why she had severed Ishida's genitalia, she replied, \"Because I couldn't take his head or body with me. I wanted to take the part of him that brought back to me the most vivid memories.\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EMoving to an inn in another part of Tokyo, she planned to commit suicide one week after the murder. For the next few days, with Ishida's penis always in her handbag, she did remarkably normal things – going to the movies, shopping, having a massage, etc. She also wrote several farewell letters and tried to say 'goodbye' to the penis.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\"I felt attached to his penis and thought that, only after taking leave from it quietly, could I then die. I unwrapped it and gazed at it. I put it in my mouth and even tried to insert it inside me. In the end, I intended to jump from a cliff on Mount Ikoma while holding on to his penis.\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EThis final obsessive gesture was prevented by the timely arrival of the police. While Abe was sent to prison for a few years and later became a minor celebrity, the famous genitalia were moved to the museum of the Tokyo University Medical School, from where they later mysteriously disappeared.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EColin Liddell\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\" style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EErotic Review\u003Cbr \/\u003ENovember, 2008\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4692881178342800620\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2020\/02\/the-unprickable-conscience-of-sada-abe.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/4692881178342800620"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/4692881178342800620"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2020\/02\/the-unprickable-conscience-of-sada-abe.html","title":"The Unprickable Conscience of Sada Abe"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_SFhgk2FUcYg\/SvJ-xPwfXJI\/AAAAAAAAAak\/B_QrVlAPd5w\/s72-c\/Sada-Abe.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-1644725502964314942"},"published":{"$t":"2020-02-10T03:55:00.001-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-02-10T03:59:37.392-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Culture and Technology"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"fashion"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"high school students"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"sailor suits"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"What is the Thing with Sailor Suits?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-YQ2WVuYo0Pc\/W0Jnr7xfvtI\/AAAAAAAAhL0\/yncNmi4JpV0l9PLkhsgtL-Vsec3UYWgzgCEwYBhgL\/s1600\/s-l1000.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1000\" data-original-width=\"1000\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-YQ2WVuYo0Pc\/W0Jnr7xfvtI\/AAAAAAAAhL0\/yncNmi4JpV0l9PLkhsgtL-Vsec3UYWgzgCEwYBhgL\/s400\/s-l1000.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-D3_rOq8byYs\/W0I3P2zyhcI\/AAAAAAAAhLc\/Scq_lkyJa14PuoyWb2Ml9Weeyu1q04FjgCLcBGAs\/s1600\/kawaii-anime_220120_2.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOriginally posted at \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mindmonger.blogspot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EMindmonger\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003ESailor suits are cute. Sailor suits are sexy. And, yes, a bit pedo. But how did they go from being the uniforms of big, hairy sailors to the dainty attire of Japanese high school girls? Also, how did they come to develop their defining characteristics?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EThe essence of the sailor suit is the collar with its distinctive back flap.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EThere are a number of erroneous theories about how this came about, but the true story is connected to the old nickname for sailors - \"Jolly Jack Tars.\" Yes, in the old days, sailors used to wear their hair long, and to keep it under control - and also waterproof it - they would smear it with actual tar. Hence the need for an easily replaceable and washable sailor collar with a back flap. Yes, they would even have a ribbon on the front to tie it all together.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003ELater, in Victorian England, the sailor suit became an item of children's fashion, with both girls and boys using it, but because of the long hair of the girls, the back flap had a practical use for girls, although often young Victorian boys would wear their hair long as well.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EThis functional benefit was even truer in the case of Japan, where women used a lot of \u003Ci\u003Etsubaki\u003C\/i\u003E (camellia) oil to make their hair sleek and manageable.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EEven if they bathed every day, Japanese ladies washed their hair a lot less frequently in the past. Older ladies tended to wear their hair tied up, whereas younger ladies and girls wore their hair down. This meant that the long oily hair was a problem for their clothes. The obvious solution therefore was to adopt the child's sailor suit, making use of its collar in exactly the same way as the old \"Jack Tars\" did - using it as a barrier between the clothes and the unwashed oily or tarry hair.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EOnce established as an icon of schoolgirl fashion, potent positive associations with youth and budding sexuality did the rest.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-D3_rOq8byYs\/W0I3P2zyhcI\/AAAAAAAAhLg\/CHN9XANZYGwI5cbsOpdgvtIFsFTjMGB7wCEwYBhgL\/s1600\/kawaii-anime_220120_2.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"560\" data-original-width=\"400\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-D3_rOq8byYs\/W0I3P2zyhcI\/AAAAAAAAhLg\/CHN9XANZYGwI5cbsOpdgvtIFsFTjMGB7wCEwYBhgL\/s640\/kawaii-anime_220120_2.jpg\" width=\"456\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1644725502964314942\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2020\/02\/what-is-thing-with-sailor-suits.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/1644725502964314942"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/1644725502964314942"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2020\/02\/what-is-thing-with-sailor-suits.html","title":"What is the Thing with Sailor Suits?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-YQ2WVuYo0Pc\/W0Jnr7xfvtI\/AAAAAAAAhL0\/yncNmi4JpV0l9PLkhsgtL-Vsec3UYWgzgCEwYBhgL\/s72-c\/s-l1000.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-5125663428186471904"},"published":{"$t":"2019-11-17T12:54:00.002-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-11-17T13:16:50.764-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Miscellaneous"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Tokyo"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"video"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Video: The Ghosts of Tokyo"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-QE8iyPbj_Fc\/XdG3Q7GW0yI\/AAAAAAAAo0w\/hP9vAO6fH6AfHcZ_z2_1rWRz1WsazzsMACLcBGAsYHQ\/s1600\/Screenshot%2B2019-11-17%2Bat%2B9.00.25%2BPM.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"716\" data-original-width=\"1255\" height=\"363\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-QE8iyPbj_Fc\/XdG3Q7GW0yI\/AAAAAAAAo0w\/hP9vAO6fH6AfHcZ_z2_1rWRz1WsazzsMACLcBGAsYHQ\/s640\/Screenshot%2B2019-11-17%2Bat%2B9.00.25%2BPM.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003EA ride on the Tokyo tram through a world of shadows and reflections.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TN2qEpkXDZA\" width=\"560\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5125663428186471904\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2019\/11\/ghosts-of-tokyo.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/5125663428186471904"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/5125663428186471904"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2019\/11\/ghosts-of-tokyo.html","title":"Video: The Ghosts of Tokyo"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-QE8iyPbj_Fc\/XdG3Q7GW0yI\/AAAAAAAAo0w\/hP9vAO6fH6AfHcZ_z2_1rWRz1WsazzsMACLcBGAsYHQ\/s72-c\/Screenshot%2B2019-11-17%2Bat%2B9.00.25%2BPM.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-3078804680465317620"},"published":{"$t":"2019-07-19T07:35:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-07-19T07:35:05.375-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"artificial intelligence"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Business Design Laboratory"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"character"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Culture and Technology"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"cute"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Hello Kitty"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Interviews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"NEC"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sanrio"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"I, Kitty"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_SFhgk2FUcYg\/R5Z0PS-yD_I\/AAAAAAAAABI\/syckHILRgRQ\/s1600-h\/Salary_Kitty.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"366\" id=\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158438229341507570\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_SFhgk2FUcYg\/R5Z0PS-yD_I\/AAAAAAAAABI\/syckHILRgRQ\/s400\/Salary_Kitty.jpg\" style=\"display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;\" width=\"550\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EIsaac Asimov in his classic Science Fiction story, \u003Ci\u003EI, Robot\u003C\/i\u003E, created the 3 rules of robotics, the most important being: “A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.” Luckily, this was not a major consideration, when I recently had the pleasure of meeting Japan’s most famous celebrity – in robot form! Yes, meet ROBO-Kitty, programmed for 21st century cuteness. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003ECo-developed by Business Design Laboratory and NEC System Technologies, “Hello Kitty ROBO,” to use her official name, has advanced voice recognition and voice synthesizer features, enabling her to talk, using 20,000 pre-programmed conversation patterns. She can recognize words and questions, and respond appropriately. In addition, as the robot accumulates conversation history with partners and becomes more intimate, it changes speech patterns and shows a wider variation in conversation. Also, with an onboard CCD camera and an advanced face authentication feature, she is able to register and recognize the faces of up to 10 people, and call their names as well as talk to them while looking at their faces. This gives ROBO-Kitty the ability to at least simulate artificial intelligence in at least 90% of social situations.  \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EUnlike, the Terminator, or other advanced assassination droids from the movies, ROBO-Kitty has a lot less sheer killing power. While she can nod and shake her immense, largely hollow, plastic head and move her arms a little to show emotion, her legs are immobile, being used instead to house speakers. So, even if she turned nasty, like robots inevitably do in SF stories, the chances are you could still outrun her. Kitty, however, is programmed to never act out of character, as Aiko Miyama, a representative of the company that created ROBO-Kitty informs us.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\"We are licensed by the Sanrio Company,\" she says, \"so we are not allowed to change her official character. Kitty is always supposed to be pretty, pure, good, and have good manners. She never says anything upsetting.\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EI decided to put her good nature to the test by running the first ever real interview with a robot in the history of Mankind. As this was also the first time Kitty Chan herself had been interviewed, this was a doubly historic moment. Here, word for word, full and unexpurgated, is the complete interview.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELiddell: \u003C\/b\u003EHello Kitty.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKitty: \u003C\/b\u003EWhat you just said are words Kitty doesn’t know…Today is a relaxing day. Please speak in a big voice.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EHello Kitty… Hi.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EGoodbye!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EYou’re a terribly rude cat.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E Kitty can’t hear well. Speak up, please.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E What day is today?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E It’s fun. Kitty likes having fun. It’s fun to play with one’s friends. When do you feel happy? …Oh isn’t it.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E Please listen.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EIt’s nice that you can feel happy everyday, isn’t it?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EYes, when I’m happy I sing. Can you sing for me?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E Kitty can’t catch your words. Please speak up.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EPlease sing a song.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E Let’s speak up just a little louder.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EPlease sing a song.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E A song, eh? Which do you want to hear, a spring song, a Japanese song, a foreign song, a dance song, a hit song?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EA foreign song.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E This is “Yama no Ongakuka” [sings a traditional German song in Japanese] Shall Kitty sing another song?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EYes please.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E Let me see, Kitty will choose it, OK? [sings a Japanese pop song]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E That was very good.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E Did you hear Kitty’s song?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EThat was enjoyable. Thank you.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EKitty doesn’t understand. Your voice is so loud that it’s difficult to hear.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EI said thanks for the song.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EPlease use words that Kitty can understand.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E Kitty, may I ask a question. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EYes … the end.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E Kitty.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E Please speak up a little.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EGood morning. Good morning. Good morning.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E Hello. Now it’s the afternoon, so you should say hello.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EWhat is Kitty’s favorite food?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EKitty loves apple pie made by Mama. Do you like apple pie? Oh you like apple pie, don’t you?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EWhere is Mimi Chan [Kitty’s sister]?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E The subjects Kitty is good at are English and music.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EWhere is Mimi Chan?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E Do you like music?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E Yes, I love it.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EGoody, that’s like Kitty. Kitty is very happy.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E I’m also very happy.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E What?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E I’m also very happy. Kitty, do you like chocolate?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EKitty’s so happy to stay with you…Do you like carrots?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003ESo-so.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EMmmm. Next time, please eat Mother’s homemade carrot glace. It’s very delicious.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EWhat is your dream?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E Kitty’s dream is traveling around the World making many friends. Kitty has many dreams. My Father told Kitty it’s important to have dreams. Please have dreams.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E My dream is to live in London [Kitty’s hometown according to her official biography].\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E Kitty doesn’t understand.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E You stupid cat!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E Please speak a little quieter... We’ll talk later.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003ELondon.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E London has got so many beautiful parks. There are many people exercising in them in the morning. Do you jog?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003ESometimes.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E Mmmm. Is that so? London Town is very beautiful. It would be very nice if we can go there together sometime.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EKitty, bye-bye.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EWhat happened? Are you OK?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ELiddell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E:\u003C\/b\u003E Have a rest.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Georgia, \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKitty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003EKitty loves having a rest.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EDespite a few misunderstandings, absurd non-sequiturs, and hearing malfunctions, Kitty acquitted herself well. She may not be Voltaire or Dr. Johnson just yet, but already she can converse at a more sparkling level than most bar-room conversations. No doubt, in a few years’ time, she’ll be able to make a lot more sense than the average politician or college professor. We have seen the future and she is cute. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EHello Kitty ROBO is available for 450,000 yen from Business Design Laboratory Co. Ltd. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EC.B.Liddell\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EJanuary, 2007\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EKansai Time Out\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3078804680465317620\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2019\/07\/i-kitty.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/3078804680465317620"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/3078804680465317620"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2019\/07\/i-kitty.html","title":"I, Kitty"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_SFhgk2FUcYg\/R5Z0PS-yD_I\/AAAAAAAAABI\/syckHILRgRQ\/s72-c\/Salary_Kitty.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-4725398222642128174"},"published":{"$t":"2019-07-19T06:59:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-07-19T07:24:44.813-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"murder"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"otaku"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sada Abe"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Shoko Asahara"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"JAPANICIDE: WHAT MURDER REVEALS ABOUT THE JAPANESE"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-qrcFqhMIclY\/XTHIk6KEmnI\/AAAAAAAAnk0\/8QJa8VrZDSglqJaLjJ4UKUOawfUORQg2wCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Sada-Abe-geisha-murderer-knife-w600-h600.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"337\" data-original-width=\"600\" height=\"356\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-qrcFqhMIclY\/XTHIk6KEmnI\/AAAAAAAAnk0\/8QJa8VrZDSglqJaLjJ4UKUOawfUORQg2wCLcBGAs\/s640\/Sada-Abe-geisha-murderer-knife-w600-h600.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EWhat Murder Reveals About the Dark Soul of a Nation\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EMurder doesn’t happen in a vacuum. The form it takes is shaped by the surrounding society and its culture. This was something George Orwell realized, when he wrote his 1946 essay, \u003Ci\u003EThe Decline of the English Murder\u003C\/i\u003E, contrasting the quiet, ‘genteel,’ suburban poisonings of 1930s England with the more violent murders introduced by American GIs during WWII. Likewise here in Japan, Japanese murders are not just killings that occur in some group of islands near Korea. More often than not, there is something uniquely, deeply Japanese about them–unwitting expressions of the country’s hidden character, its culture and soul.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003ESo, what do Japanese murders reveal about the country? First, the good news: the Japanese resort to the ultimate crime a lot less than most nationalities. Statistics reveal that there are just under five murders per million people per annum. Compare this to the UK, Canada, and Australia, with around 15, the USA with 42, and South Africa with 496, and you realize that Japan really is a “safety country”–at least for the vast majority.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EBecause it is such an unrepresentative act, you might conclude that it would be less likely to reveal general truths about the country than, say, murders in America. But that would be a false logic. The rarity of murder in Japan means that when it does occur, the forces pushing the killer across the threshold of extreme violence are all the more powerful, and the damage to his or her twisted psyche all the more obvious. This gives Japanese murders a character of particular intensity that reveals more about the underlying social pressures and cultural precedents than more random and gung-ho acts of murder in routinely violent countries. Like volcanoes that spew forth the bowels of the Earth, the desperate acts of the Japanese murderer often disclose much about the country’s deeper nature that many would prefer to remain hidden.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-nGy9FjNfKI8\/XTHJaP4mulI\/AAAAAAAAnlA\/zyhFGP_gbPoyT0Pa5qEk7Xeuf6A7JyGygCLcBGAs\/s1600\/P7190032.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1095\" data-original-width=\"1127\" height=\"387\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-nGy9FjNfKI8\/XTHJaP4mulI\/AAAAAAAAnlA\/zyhFGP_gbPoyT0Pa5qEk7Xeuf6A7JyGygCLcBGAs\/s400\/P7190032.JPG\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETOMOHIRO KATO (7 murders, 2008, in custody)\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EEarlier this year, the nation was shocked when 25-year-old Tomohiro Kato drove a rental truck into a crowded pedestrian crossing in Akihabara, then leaped out and stabbed 12 bystanders. Three of those hit by the truck and four stab victims died. Because of the location and Kato’s lack of success with the opposite sex, the media were quick to tag this as an \u003Ci\u003Eotaku\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;killing. But instead, it reflected the intense pressures in Japanese society to succeed and belong. Coming from a well-to-do family–his father was a top manager in a financial institution–Kato had slipped off the elite academic ladder he had been set on, becoming instead a lowly temp worker in a factory. The sense of failure this left him with also made it difficult for him to relate to his workmates, leaving him an angry loner with suicidal tendencies, only able to communicate his alienated feelings through blogs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EDr. Seiei Mutou, director of the Tokyo Mental Health Academy and a veteran counselor, said that the Akihabara incident is only the “tip of the iceberg” of things to come, because many young men in 20s and 30s are suffering the consequences of the social and economic changes of the 1980s and 1990s.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E“Temporary workers don’t get any solidarity from their coworkers, because they’re treated as disposable staff,” he told the Japan Times. “Parents play less and less of a part in their regional community, so their children grow up not knowing how to interact with people.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-9rV60__WtxI\/XTHJzFMgc0I\/AAAAAAAAnlI\/CMTQE9eAcIIqSqRAqz3PwDTY8xQ_2U0uQCLcBGAs\/s1600\/P7190035.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1283\" data-original-width=\"1189\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-9rV60__WtxI\/XTHJzFMgc0I\/AAAAAAAAnlI\/CMTQE9eAcIIqSqRAqz3PwDTY8xQ_2U0uQCLcBGAs\/s400\/P7190035.JPG\" width=\"370\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETSUTOMU MIYAZAKI (4 murders, 1988-89, executed)\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EMedia attempts to label Kato an “\u003Ci\u003Eotaku\u003C\/i\u003E killer” were a continuation of a popular media storyline that began in 1989, with the arrest and conviction of 27-year old Tsutomu Miyazaki for the torture, sexual abuse and murder of four girls between the ages of 4 and 7. Partially disabled, with hands that were fused onto his wrists giving an appearance of claws, Miyazaki lived a twilight existence, surrounded by stacks of \u003Ci\u003Emanga\u003C\/i\u003E and 6,000 \u003Ci\u003Eanime\u003C\/i\u003E and porn videos, including the notorious \u003Ci\u003EGuinea Pig\u003C\/i\u003E horror series, details of which he incorporated into his depraved acts. He was finally caught in 1989, while attempting to interfere with a primary school student in a Saitama park.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EOne reason the \u003Ci\u003Eotaku\u003C\/i\u003E narrative is a perennial favorite with the Japanese media is because it strikes a chord in a country, where large numbers of young males drop out of a highly pressurized and conformist society to find solace in violent and sexual fantasy, which often make use of sexualized imagery of children. While for some the specter of the \u003Ci\u003Eotaku\u003C\/i\u003E murderer is an indication of Japan’s social disintegration, for others it has become a symbol of a perceived “moral deficit” that, in part, stems from Japan’s traditional tolerance of bizarre and abusive forms of sexuality.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EThe connection in the popular mind between Kato and Miyazaki was reinforced by the execution of Miyazaki–following 19 years on death row–a mere nine days after Kato’s Akihabara murder spree.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Ngjbolunhtc\/XTHKJsdAZRI\/AAAAAAAAnlQ\/wW3a7pUu0dwOGHHtNgMpFLRYS8yFCSD4ACLcBGAs\/s1600\/P7190033.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1113\" data-original-width=\"1073\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Ngjbolunhtc\/XTHKJsdAZRI\/AAAAAAAAnlQ\/wW3a7pUu0dwOGHHtNgMpFLRYS8yFCSD4ACLcBGAs\/s400\/P7190033.JPG\" width=\"385\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E‘SAKAKIBARA’ (2 murders, 1997, in custody)\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EWhile it is vital for any society to protect its children, they are not always as innocent and vulnerable as thought. Sometimes they can be just as violent as adults. In 1997, a 14-year-old Kobe boy, known by his alias Sakakibara (literally “alcohol devil rose”), murdered an 11-year-old boy and left his severed head in front of the gate of a school. While this drew forth the usual platitudes about the need for parents to understand their children in a society where parental relationships are often remote, the murder, along with that of a 10-year-old girl, revealed elements of fantasist role playing games, with the killer assuming a demonic persona and sending letters to taunt the police. Sakakibara also seems to have been motivated by pseudo-religious feelings, invoking a god called Bamoidoki in a diary recording his deeds.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-W9nRbW7oKA0\/XTHKjilNvtI\/AAAAAAAAnlc\/cItpGnGLVcUcvBJVtKnnmpvPX94KrmMTwCLcBGAs\/s1600\/P7190034.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1239\" data-original-width=\"1154\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-W9nRbW7oKA0\/XTHKjilNvtI\/AAAAAAAAnlc\/cItpGnGLVcUcvBJVtKnnmpvPX94KrmMTwCLcBGAs\/s400\/P7190034.JPG\" width=\"372\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESHOKO ASAHARA (16 murders, 1989–1995, in custody)\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EThe subjective use of religion to justify acts of callous brutality can also be found in the murders carried out on the orders of Shoko Asahara, the leader of the sect Aum Shinrikyo (Supreme Truth). Born into a large family of poor tatami mat makers in Kumamoto Prefecture, the almost blind Asahara blended nihilistic aspects of Buddhism with elements of science fiction (e.g. Isaac Asimov’s Foundation novels), as well as anti-Semitic and anti-freemasonry paranoia, long staples of historical interpretation in Japan, to create a ruthless doomsday cult, which had a surprisingly strong attraction for some of Japan’s brightest and best.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EThe movement aggressively targeted universities, where it successfully recruited disaffected students, some with the technical and scientific skills that would be put to horrifying use in the sarin gas Tokyo subway attacks of 1995, which killed 12 and injured thousands of others. The group is also known to have killed at least four other people. The blind obedience and passivity with which cult members obeyed the orders of their evil leader made Aum Shinrikyo a dangerous and formidable group.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-KZ_2tewCsYc\/XTHLV_H-b8I\/AAAAAAAAnlo\/IlAX5uwQq8gmiPSDbn-dO7lhBl1afO7NQCLcBGAs\/s1600\/P7190037.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1037\" data-original-width=\"1014\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-KZ_2tewCsYc\/XTHLV_H-b8I\/AAAAAAAAnlo\/IlAX5uwQq8gmiPSDbn-dO7lhBl1afO7NQCLcBGAs\/s400\/P7190037.JPG\" width=\"390\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESADAMICHI HIRASAWA (12 murders, 1948, died in prison)\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EMisplaced trust also features strongly in the murders attributed to Sadamichi Hirasawa. On January 26, 1948, during the US occupation of Japan, a man claiming to be a public health official, arrived at a branch of the Teikoku Bank in Shiinamachi, Tokyo, just before closing time. He presented a doctor’s business card as credentials and told the bank staff that he had orders to inoculate them against dysentery. He then gave them a pill and some liquid, which was actually a cyanide solution. As the staff collapsed, the bogus official seized 160,000 yen.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EThis case is also interesting because of the apparent ambivalence of the legal authorities. After arresting and convicting Hirasawa on less than damning evidence, they repeatedly refused to either execute him or retry him. Hirasawa died of natural causes in a prison hospital in 1987, after almost 40 years in the shadow of the gallows, a testament to the Japanese tendency to brush awkward cases under the carpet.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-AChvbumBZd0\/XTHLzU5hDYI\/AAAAAAAAnlw\/1Srfe08rRPgsvhAEtaxWz78hIYm_q6x_ACLcBGAs\/s1600\/P7190038.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1178\" data-original-width=\"1091\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-AChvbumBZd0\/XTHLzU5hDYI\/AAAAAAAAnlw\/1Srfe08rRPgsvhAEtaxWz78hIYm_q6x_ACLcBGAs\/s400\/P7190038.JPG\" width=\"370\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFUTOSHI MATSUNAGA \u0026amp; JUNKO OGATA (7 murders, 1997-98, in custody)\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EThe strong connections between people that normally give Japanese society its cohesion and unity also create scope for extremely abusive relationships. In such cases, things are often compounded by a reluctance to lose face or wash dirty linen in public. Sometimes this is taken to an extreme degree, impossible elsewhere. This was certainly the case with the charismatic and sadistic Futoshi Matsunaga and the unfortunate family of his common-law wife Junko Ogata. Over a two-year period, in Kitakyushu, the pair tortured and killed Junko’s parents, sister, brother-in-law and their two children, and were involved in at least one other murder.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EIn 1997, Junko had temporarily left the abusive Matsunaga, who then targeted her family, threatening to reveal her role in an earlier murder. Even though she returned, he managed to extort 63 million yen from her family and also seduced her married sister Rieko. As the Ogata family increasingly fell under his dark spell, his sadistic and sexually abusive nature–as well the family’s apparent passivity–knew no bounds.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EOver the next few months, he used a stun gun on the genitals of Junko’s mother and 10-year-old niece, and coerced Junko to torture her 61-year-old father to death. He then forced Rieko and her husband Kazuya to strangle Junko’s mother. A few weeks later Matsunaga commanded Kazuya to strangle his 33-year-old wife. Kazuya was then locked in a bathroom to starve to death. Matsunaga next forced Junko, Aya, and a 13-year-old girl, whom Matsunaga had persuaded to kill her own father, to kill Rieko’s 5-year-old son Yuuki. This was apparently the last murder, although Matsunaga continued to abuse Junko, Aya and the other girl, until the latter’s escape in 2002 led to the arrest of the evil couple.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EWhile parallels to the sheer brutality in this case can easily be found in other countries, the surprising passivity of the victims and the refusal of neighbors to act on suspicions seems unique to Japan. Similar cases can also be cited, including the prolonged abuse and 1988 murder of the Saitama high-school girl Junko Furuta by a gang of teenagers, one of whom kept her at the family home until she was murdered and dumped in a tin drum filled with concrete. The sordid details of cases like these also provide material for exploitative B-movies, \u003Ci\u003Emanga\u003C\/i\u003E, and even computer games that then feed into the \u003Ci\u003Eotaku\u003C\/i\u003E subculture that many sociopaths and dropouts are drawn to.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-TNnrv6qF70w\/XTHMU0M1jRI\/AAAAAAAAnl8\/Iy6BSbwD6hsMs1gmHQ9-XfPl3uzpK9mRQCLcBGAs\/s1600\/P7190039.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1186\" data-original-width=\"1116\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-TNnrv6qF70w\/XTHMU0M1jRI\/AAAAAAAAnl8\/Iy6BSbwD6hsMs1gmHQ9-XfPl3uzpK9mRQCLcBGAs\/s400\/P7190039.JPG\" width=\"376\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESADA ABE (1 murder, 1936, pardoned)\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EWhile dreary tales of relentless abuse and human degradation will continue to find a steady audience among some, no murder has resonated quite so strongly with the wider Japanese public as that committed by Sada Abe. This has provided the inspiration for several well known movies, including Nagisa Oshima’s internationally acclaimed In the Realm of the Senses and Johnen: Sada no Ai, the latest film version of the story released earlier this year.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EIn 1936, Sada, an ex-prostitute, who was working as a waitress, murdered Kichizo Ishida, a married man with whom she was having a passionate affair. She then cut off his penis and carried it around with her for the next few days until she was arrested.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EThis seems a truly gruesome crime, but the reaction of the public was one of fascination. Following her arrest, Abe was taken to Takanawa police station in Tokyo, where a famous photo shows her, still dressed in her kimono, surrounded by a group of smiling deferential policemen, as she herself smiles. The police record of her interrogation and confession became a national best-seller, and crowds thronged around the courthouse when she was put on trial. Convicted of second degree murder and mutilation of a corpse, she was sentenced to six years in prison, but released in 1941, following a pardon from the Emperor to become a minor celebrity and almost something of a national treasure.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EAlthough brutal and bloody, the murder was considered by many to be a poetic and beautiful act. When it occurred, the couple had been spending a few passionate days together, during which they had experimented with erotic asphyxiation, a means of intensifying pleasure at the moment of orgasm by cutting off oxygen to the brain. On the night of the murder, as Ishida slept soundly, having taken a sedative due to throat pains brought on by the erotic asphyxiation, Abe wrapped her obi around his neck once again, and, in an attempt to freeze her erotic bliss at its most perfect moment, strangled her lover.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EThe theme of death at the moment of perfection is one that runs through Japanese culture like a black, unbreakable thread. It underpins the appreciation of cherry blossom, rings throughout Japanese poetry, and even helped to send the kamikaze pilots on their hopeless sorties. In the moment of death, Abe had made their love “perfect,” while also satisfying a powerful sense of jealousy. She later told police, “After I had killed Ishida, I felt totally at ease, as though a heavy burden had been lifted from my shoulders, and I felt a sense of clarity.” She was planning to commit suicide one week after the murder, when she was arrested by the police.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EWords: Colin Liddell\u003Cbr \/\u003EArt: Emi Yokoyama\u003Cbr \/\u003EMetropolis Magazine\u003Cbr \/\u003E24th October, 2008\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4725398222642128174\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2019\/07\/japanicide-what-murder-reveals-about.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/4725398222642128174"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/4725398222642128174"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2019\/07\/japanicide-what-murder-reveals-about.html","title":"JAPANICIDE: WHAT MURDER REVEALS ABOUT THE JAPANESE"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-qrcFqhMIclY\/XTHIk6KEmnI\/AAAAAAAAnk0\/8QJa8VrZDSglqJaLjJ4UKUOawfUORQg2wCLcBGAs\/s72-c\/Sada-Abe-geisha-murderer-knife-w600-h600.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-1118395791285197953"},"published":{"$t":"2017-06-26T15:58:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-06-26T15:59:19.985-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Culture and Technology"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Islam"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Muslims in Japan"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nagoya"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Aljazeera: Japan's Newest and Largest Mosque Opens its Doors"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-JMR02vMK0fY\/WVGRX-ZqHWI\/AAAAAAAAY1w\/TyAyGTay5XgVRy8KyA0DdZgk-0BF94LUgCLcBGAs\/s1600\/e60c3e9019364dcf985602a44386528b_18.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"450\" data-original-width=\"800\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-JMR02vMK0fY\/WVGRX-ZqHWI\/AAAAAAAAY1w\/TyAyGTay5XgVRy8KyA0DdZgk-0BF94LUgCLcBGAs\/s640\/e60c3e9019364dcf985602a44386528b_18.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Ahmadi Muslim community in Japan hopes its new mosque will promote\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003Eintercultural understanding and dialogue\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003Eby \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EMichael Penn\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003ENagoya, Japan - The largest mosque in Japan opened its doors on November 20 near the central Japanese city of Nagoya, heralding a new chapter in the East Asian nation's relationship with Islam.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003EIslam has never made more than a marginal impact on Japan, although the history of Japanese relations with Muslims stretches back further than most people imagine, the Japanese included.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003EThe first mosque in Japan, the Kobe Muslim Mosque, opened in October 1935 and remains a centre for prayer more than 80 years later. Several dozen other mosques have since opened around the country, serving as community centres for a Muslim population numbering in the tens of thousands.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003EThe first Ahmadi Muslim missionary arrived in Japan in the same year - 1935 - but it is only now that this minority community has had the resources to build its own centre, the Bait ul-Ahad Mosque. They have done so on a grand scale, building the Japan's biggest mosque with a capacity in its main chamber for 500 people to be at prayer.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/indepth\/features\/2015\/11\/japan-newest-largest-mosque-opens-doors-151125132433610.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ERead the full article here\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1118395791285197953\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2017\/06\/aljazeera-japans-newest-and-largest.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/1118395791285197953"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/1118395791285197953"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2017\/06\/aljazeera-japans-newest-and-largest.html","title":"Aljazeera: Japan's Newest and Largest Mosque Opens its Doors"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-JMR02vMK0fY\/WVGRX-ZqHWI\/AAAAAAAAY1w\/TyAyGTay5XgVRy8KyA0DdZgk-0BF94LUgCLcBGAs\/s72-c\/e60c3e9019364dcf985602a44386528b_18.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-4859113633373573044"},"published":{"$t":"2017-02-05T06:30:00.002-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-02-05T06:42:40.427-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"architecture"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kenzo Tange"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"People"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Yoshio Taniguchi"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Interview: Yoshio Taniguchi"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-7FFLePQliRo\/WJczF6wpYNI\/AAAAAAAAVDs\/8I3QT4FxFP48jYSG0hOlNe6RBXq86USzACLcB\/s1600\/524342057.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-7FFLePQliRo\/WJczF6wpYNI\/AAAAAAAAVDs\/8I3QT4FxFP48jYSG0hOlNe6RBXq86USzACLcB\/s640\/524342057.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003ESome Westerners, when faced with Oriental creativity, have a tendency to gush a bit. Instead of taking a calm, rational, inquisitive view, they tend to ascribe the aesthetic effect of what they see to some mysterious, spiritual force – whether they call it Zen, Tao, Yin \u0026amp; Yang – alive in Oriental culture but absent from their own.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EThere is a particularly strong incentive to resort to such mystical awe when visiting a building designed by Yoshio Taniguchi, the architect responsible for New York’s recently reopened Museum of Modern Art, (MoMA) as his works have a sublimity that hints at a hidden level of profundity. However, this is something the architect, whose career is currently being celebrated by an exhibition at Tokyo’s Opera City Art Gallery, is keen to dismiss, as I meet him at his unassuming Tokyo office.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EI have just asked him if the perfectly balanced inverse relationship of the circle and the square in the museum he designed for the Japanese cosmetics company, Shiseido, was inspired by an attempt to balance the 'masculine' and 'feminine.'\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003E”I didn’t have anything like that in mind,” he answers. ”But the　museum consists of two parts, one side for the art gallery and one side to exhibit cosmetics and advertising posters. For the art gallery, I wanted to have gentler light, whereas for the other, where they exhibit cosmetics, I wanted light from outside.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-rNp7ggF_Mwo\/WJc0SIJlGpI\/AAAAAAAAVD4\/2K-bPLySu_UCSwOY209KX7zkPmp6yKueACEw\/s1600\/1shiseido.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"306\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-rNp7ggF_Mwo\/WJc0SIJlGpI\/AAAAAAAAVD4\/2K-bPLySu_UCSwOY209KX7zkPmp6yKueACEw\/s400\/1shiseido.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;helvetica\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EShiseido Museum\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EThe cosmetics gallery, wrapped around a square courtyard, faces outwards in a circle with large windows admitting bright light; while the art gallery, a square structure, is wrapped around a small circular courtyard that admits more subdued light appropriate for paintings.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EAnother key factor in the design was the museum's proximity to the tracks of Japan's high speed Shinkansen railway. For this reason Taniguchi gave the building’s exterior a streamlined appearance so that it wouldn’t hurt the eye when passed at high speed. Despite such practical factors, the aesthetic merits of the design won Taniguchi the 1980 Architectural Institute of Japan Award on his first attempt at a major independent project, having previously worked for Kenzo Tange for almost 10 years.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EThe exhibition, which uses photographs and architectural models to present twelve of Taniguchi’s designs, includes the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures completed in 1999 to display Buddhist artworks in the grounds of the Tokyo National Museum, and the Centennial Hall, a major expansion of the Kyoto National Museum, due to open in 2007. The main focus, however, is inevitably on his 1997 MoMA design, completed last year.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003ENow that his career has reached a pinnacle with MoMA, it is natural to see Taniguchi as first and foremost a museum designer and to assume that this is what he always wanted to do. The truth, however, is a lot more prosaic.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003E“It was a matter of chance that I got into designing galleries and museums,” he admits. “Fortunately I was asked to design two museums when I was young, and they were quite successful, so people started asking me to design more.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EThe other museum that set Taniguchi on his destined path was the Ken Domon Museum of Photography, built to display the work and commemorate the life of one of Japan’s most famous photographers. Even more than Shiseido, this museum reveals some of the key elements of his subsequent style, most noticeably the use of water and the internalization of external space.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003E“I can say three different reasons why I use water,” he ponders. “One is it gives a base to the architecture. Two, you can control the movement of people to change their view towards different scenery. Three, the color of the water always changes, depending upon the weather, season, time. That reflects on architecture. So water makes my simple architecture more interesting.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EFor the Ken Domon Museum, he had a large lake constructed as an integral part of the design. The primary façade of the museum is an apparently freestanding wall with a rectangular void through which the lake penetrates into an inner courtyard. This is an example of what Taniguchi refers to as the 'internalization of external space,' as a perfectly edited view of the lake enters the courtyard, rather as an expertly framed view would enter the aperture of a camera.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-MYPI4nXj0s8\/WJc1ywFQa5I\/AAAAAAAAVEE\/9LFLx9ZEnk093iTaEHkooh0LTX4T4xCEwCLcB\/s1600\/6061470724_54b67ae8d6_b.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-MYPI4nXj0s8\/WJc1ywFQa5I\/AAAAAAAAVEE\/9LFLx9ZEnk093iTaEHkooh0LTX4T4xCEwCLcB\/s640\/6061470724_54b67ae8d6_b.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;helvetica\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EKen Domon Museum\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EBecause of the unadorned, geometric elements of his style, Taniguchi is often referred to as a Modernist, a style that is often associated with coldness and a lack of humanity. His buildings, however, invariably avoid such pitfalls.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EAs with the Ken Domon Museum, one of the most effective ways in which he softens the effect of architecture is through the internalization of external space, something he has used to good effect in MoMA, where vast windows bring the actual cityscape of New York into the design. Taniguchi’s plan, which was chosen over those of nine more famous architects, was also praised for the way it preserved and referenced MoMA's complex architectural legacy.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EFor Taniguchi, going to MoMA is an unmistakably New York experience in a way that going to the famous spiraling form of its main rival, the Guggenheim, isn't. The contrast between the two premier modern art venues is also a clear exposition of Taniguchi's architectural approach.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003E“The Guggenheim is very interesting architecture,” he concedes. “But I don't think it’s a good museum. Why? Because it doesn't fit there. That building can be in the middle of Tokyo. It can be anywhere. It has nothing to do with the pattern of the city. It is some kind of prototypical circulation museum, and in order to express this prototypical quality all the floors are slanted so when you’re watching paintings, you feel you’re standing on a slope.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EThe important point for Taniguchi is not flash and showiness, but beautiful forms arising out of function and a relation to the wider environment. Much of this comes from his training in urban design, which was very much in vogue when Taniguchi studied architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design in the early 60s.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EThis aspect of his training found an echo in his appreciation of traditional Japanese architecture, where temples and tea houses are designed in conjunction with their surroundings to present carefully edited views of nature:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003E“If you go to an old Japanese temple, you sit on the tatami mats and look out at the garden. You see the garden framed by long projecting eaves, so eaves are a kind of architectural element that captures external space.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EAnother way in which he gives warmth to his architecture is by 'peopling' his larger spaces at different levels, using mutually visible balconies and walkways:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003E“If you see my big spaces, such as at MoMA, you see the movement of people on different levels, so people watch each other, just like in a city plaza.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EAlthough rightly renowned for his museums, Taniguchi has also designed other types of buildings, including an incineration plant in Hiroshima with a public viewing gallery and his striking design for the Tokyo Sea Life Park aquarium, both of which show up at the exhibition.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EAlthough museums are often thought of as latter day temples of the mind and spirit, surprisingly Taniguchi believes that, from an architectural viewpoint, there is no real difference from everyday buildings like supermarkets.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003E”In a supermarket you see what you want then you bring it back and pay,” he smiles. “In a museum you see what you want, but you can’t bring it back. That's the only difference, maybe. A building is an expression of the relationship between people and goods, people and information, people and people.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EMuseums by Yoshio Taniguchi runs till June 26th at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-R_7EK6QVOw0\/WJc2fIKVfvI\/AAAAAAAAVEM\/aWo-zmHeU2I4bw2gFRqyAlcUX5O8nrv4wCLcB\/s1600\/MoMA_Tim_Hursley_garden.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-R_7EK6QVOw0\/WJc2fIKVfvI\/AAAAAAAAVEM\/aWo-zmHeU2I4bw2gFRqyAlcUX5O8nrv4wCLcB\/s640\/MoMA_Tim_Hursley_garden.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;helvetica\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003ETaniguchi's MoMA\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EC.B.Liddell\u003Cbr \/\u003ESouth China Morning Post\u003Cbr \/\u003EJune, 2005\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4859113633373573044\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2017\/02\/interview-yoshio-taniguchi.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/4859113633373573044"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/4859113633373573044"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2017\/02\/interview-yoshio-taniguchi.html","title":"Interview: Yoshio Taniguchi"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-7FFLePQliRo\/WJczF6wpYNI\/AAAAAAAAVDs\/8I3QT4FxFP48jYSG0hOlNe6RBXq86USzACLcB\/s72-c\/524342057.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-9073354258563780424"},"published":{"$t":"2016-12-18T16:52:00.002-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-11-02T00:34:20.341-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"2008"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"banking"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Great Kanto Earthquake"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Guinness World Records"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"manga"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Miscellaneous"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mitsubishi Materials Corp."},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Osaka University"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Pentel"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"robots"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Shigechiyo Izumi"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Tamori"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Yomiuri Shimbun"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"RECORDS OF THE RISING SUN"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-ZVhDHJKrp4o\/WFcmEiFhjvI\/AAAAAAAAT04\/kB-TY9enmCsUR0CVn4XxvDLmzGRPlUNZQCLcB\/s1600\/Great%2BKanto%2BEarthquake.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"303\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-ZVhDHJKrp4o\/WFcmEiFhjvI\/AAAAAAAAT04\/kB-TY9enmCsUR0CVn4XxvDLmzGRPlUNZQCLcB\/s400\/Great%2BKanto%2BEarthquake.jpg\" width=\"550\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe world's most destructive earthquake.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EAn examination of Japan’s world-beaters yields a “superlative” understanding of the country\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EIf you want to paint a picture of a country and its people, there are different ways of going about it. The most obvious one is to look at averages. For example, the average Japanese man is 41 years old, 169.9cm tall, weighs 61.9kg, and works 151.3 hours a month for a salary of ¥332,485. He’s most probably called Sato, and enjoys a temperature of 14.5°C when’s he’s out and about. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ENot only is this rather dull, but, as the example shows, it creates its own distortions: you’d be hard pressed to find an individual exactly like this, and even if you did, what would it really tell you about the country? \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA much more interesting and revealing way is to ignore the bland, gray middle ground and instead focus on the sharp, delineating lines of the country’s extremes and superlatives. With this in mind—and with unprecedented access to the data files of \u003Ci\u003EGuinness World Records\u003C\/i\u003E—we present a revealing picture of the country through its sensational record breakers, both human and otherwise.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003ETHE NATURAL WORLD\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ELike any society with very deep roots, Japan is a creation of its environment. While the country’s warm, mild climate hasn’t earned it many records, its restless geology, the source of countless earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, has.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe greatest physical devastation due to a quake occurred on September 1, 1923, when the Great Kanto Earthquake (measuring 8.19 on the Richter scale) destroyed 575,000 dwellings in Tokyo and Yokohama, killing around 142,000 people. Japan also suffered the worst natural disaster in terms of financial cost: the bill for the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake was US$100 billion.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-4BOtHIETPtQ\/WFcnz_nVWYI\/AAAAAAAAT1E\/dxqhojQKklI2n38rDVdujgXAN_Q0fWyQACLcB\/s1600\/big%2Bapple.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-4BOtHIETPtQ\/WFcnz_nVWYI\/AAAAAAAAT1E\/dxqhojQKklI2n38rDVdujgXAN_Q0fWyQACLcB\/s320\/big%2Bapple.jpg\" width=\"314\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe biggest apples\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EAlthough it is easy to see such seismic activity in negative terms, Japan’s volcanism also has its beneficial aspects. It is the reason the country has so many natural hot spas, like the largest outdoor spa bath in the world at the Spa Resort Hawaiians in Fukushima. Occupying a total area of 1,000m2, this single bath can hold 1,500 people at once.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EMore importantly, the country’s volcanic nature also makes its soil and coastal waters nutrient rich, stimulating fertile agriculture and plentiful fisheries. This has seen not only impressive examples of fruit and vegetables—the heaviest apple (1.849kg) and radish (31.1kg)—but also impressive sea life, like the Japanese spider crab, whose average leg span of 8-9 feet makes it the longest marine crustacean.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EOVERCROWDING \u0026amp; TEAMWORK\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EDue to the rich harvest of its volcanically fertilized sea and soil, Japan’s land can support a dense population. This has shaped the Japanese character and also led to some of the nation’s most remarkable world records.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EIf you reside in Tokyo or its urban sprawl, you are to be congratulated, because you too are a record breaker. According to the rigorous record keepers of GWR, the Greater Tokyo area is the most populous urban agglomeration in the world, with around 26 million people.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ESuch overcrowding has honed the ability of the Japanese to do things in large groups and build teamwork. This has led to records such as the fastest 31-legged race over 50m (8.8 seconds, by students in Ehime Prefecture), the longest “human centipede” (2,026 people), the largest tea party (14,718), and the most people collecting litter together (74,206).\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-y2CVvcJDzIo\/WFcpPZ9xnhI\/AAAAAAAAT1Q\/XBlFR-zt5M82skLxvHSt-USvnzbOalWdACLcB\/s1600\/honda-31-legged-race-02.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"366\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-y2CVvcJDzIo\/WFcpPZ9xnhI\/AAAAAAAAT1Q\/XBlFR-zt5M82skLxvHSt-USvnzbOalWdACLcB\/s400\/honda-31-legged-race-02.jpg\" width=\"550\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E31-legged race: building teamwork\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EJapan’s extremely high population density has also seen the creation of the world’s busiest rail network, with over 8.6 billion passenger journeys per annum, and the world’s busiest fish market, Tsukiji, which handled an amazing 615,409 tons of produce in 2003.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EBIG BUSINESS \u0026amp; A CAPTIVE MARKET\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAnother result of Japan’s population density is that it has come to rely heavily on imports and exports, in the process developing a high-powered business culture that’s set numerous records. The country is home to the world’s biggest bank (Bank of Tokyo–Mitsubishi UFJ), telecommunications company (NTT), motorcycle manufacturer (Honda), and travel agency (Japan Travel Bureau).\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAware of the prestige that a world record can bring, Japanese corporations have often sought out the superlative. In 2005, 900 employees of the pen company Pentel made the longest-ever drawing, measuring almost 4,000m. Not to be outdone, Mitsubishi Materials Corporation set the record for the biggest gold bar, weighing 250kg.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-_t9Qj5vlYuQ\/WFcqKhBO--I\/AAAAAAAAT1Y\/IdhCHglzNVMrxji82p-ZcG42Cn2EAtxqACLcB\/s1600\/biggest%2Bgold%2Bbar.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"265\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-_t9Qj5vlYuQ\/WFcqKhBO--I\/AAAAAAAAT1Y\/IdhCHglzNVMrxji82p-ZcG42Cn2EAtxqACLcB\/s400\/biggest%2Bgold%2Bbar.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EBiggest gold bar.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EThe power of Japan’s corporations in what is still a relatively closed market also allows them to exert much greater control in shaping demand. This is undoubtedly one of the factors behind some impressive sales records.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EHelped by an extensive network of subscription salesmen and control of kiosk space, \u003Ci\u003EYomiuri Shimbun\u003C\/i\u003E has managed to build up a circulation of over 14 million, making it the largest newspaper in the world. A similar level of market control can be seen in the music industry, where powerful record companies and entertainment agencies find few obstacles in dominating teen taste. Between 1997 and 2007, the unremarkable music of the KinKi Kids duo scored a record-breaking 25 consecutive number one singles. A similar phenomenon can be found in the movies, where the 47 sequels of the first Tora–san movie suggest that Japanese companies are able to stretch successful formulas longer than elsewhere.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EMINIATURISATION \u0026amp; ROBOTICS\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe power of the corporations has also been one of the factors behind Japan’s impressive record of technical achievements, much of which centers on miniaturization.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-MIDTkZMZ_7Y\/WFcrJWaZv4I\/AAAAAAAAT1k\/w42d_iwbHWIuMM4QVzOubnfxarGGU6zNACLcB\/s1600\/05-ph5.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-MIDTkZMZ_7Y\/WFcrJWaZv4I\/AAAAAAAAT1k\/w42d_iwbHWIuMM4QVzOubnfxarGGU6zNACLcB\/s320\/05-ph5.jpg\" width=\"261\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003ESmallest sculpture\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EAt 360g, Sony’s HandyCam DCR-PC55 is the world’s smallest camcorder. Japan has also given the world the smallest thermometer, digital cassette player, helicopter, motorized model car, and laser sculpture. This last is a three-dimensional bull created by researchers at Osaka University, measuring 0.007mm high—about the size of a human blood cell.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ESuch miniaturization not only saves space, but also powers other advanced technologies. It is no surprise that the nation with the smallest external hard drive and the thinnest computer chip (7.5 microns thick) also makes the fastest maglev train (581km\/h) and the toilet with the most functions. Named the Washlet Zoe, the bidet has a seat and a lid that lift automatically, a flush sound effect to cover “embarrassing noises,” a built-in heater, a self-cleaning capability, and a range of “services” to offer the user, including a remote control.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAnother scientific field where Japan leaves the rest of the world behind is robot technology. Some analysts see this as a response to the country’s falling birthrate, combined with a reluctance to make up the resulting labor shortage by becoming a multicultural society. But robots have also long had a powerful cultural cache in Japan, something that has been strengthened by the rise of an otaku subculture obsessed with the human\/technology interface. The robot is the perfect symbol of this.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EJapan can claim the largest robot expo, the biannual International Robot Exhibition. The 2005 event attracted 152 companies and 99,713 visitors. Here they might have encountered Emiew, the fastest two-wheeled robot, which can trundle along at 6km\/h; PaPeRos, the world’s first robot babysitter, or PARO, a robotic seal, which holds the official record for most therapeutic robot after a six-week trial at a nursing home, in which stress levels were monitored through urine samples following interaction with the robot.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oJq5PQZHU-I\" width=\"560\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe collective nature of Japanese society is often blamed for a lack of initiative and inventiveness among its people, but the high-tech nature of its economy has also provided immense opportunities for the truly inventive—like Shunpei Yamazaki, who holds the record for most patents held by a person, with over 3,245.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EWORK HARD, PLAY HARD\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EYamazaki’s achievements point to another aspect of Japan’s corporate culture: the emphasis on unremitting hard work that has given the nation its workaholic reputation. Although it no longer holds the record for working the longest hours among developed nations, Japan still holds a number of impressive labor-related records, like the longest working career—98 years—which belongs to Shigechiyo Izumi, who first punched the clock in 1872 at age 7 and retired as a sugar-cane farmer in 1970, aged 105. This was almost matched by the record for longest singing career, held by Yoshie Yokata, who spent 91 years as a practitioner of \u003Ci\u003Emusume gidayu\u003C\/i\u003E, a traditional form of chanting that accompanies the shamisen.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-n_kM-DotDvo\/WFcs6JSWkmI\/AAAAAAAAT1w\/jbV8YXLhvUofLFKRTusBk4yLfaeZzi12gCLcB\/s1600\/Shigechiyo_Izumi.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"290\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-n_kM-DotDvo\/WFcs6JSWkmI\/AAAAAAAAT1w\/jbV8YXLhvUofLFKRTusBk4yLfaeZzi12gCLcB\/s400\/Shigechiyo_Izumi.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003ENo slacking: 98 years on the job\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EThe country’s show business fraternity seems to be particularly hard-working, holding the records for the most variety shows hosted by the same presenter—over 6,000 episodes of Waratte Iitomo, hosted by Tamori—as well as the most hours of live television by a host in one week: the 21 hours, 42 minutes notched up by Mino Monta, who can claim the title of hardest working man in show business.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe pressures of a hard-working society also create a strong need for escapism. Perhaps this explains much of Japan’s otaku culture, with its emphasis on manga, anime, computer games and toys.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EJapan is undoubtedly the greatest comic-reading nation on earth. Manga makes up an incredible 40 percent of all printed material. The record for the most comics published by one author is also held by Japan. Shotaro Ishinomori, the “King of Manga” has created over 770 titles in his career.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe computer-game and anime industries can claim similar popularity. Among its records, the gaming business has created the world’s longest-running and most successful character, Mario, who has been trotting around since 1981. Japan’s anime industry can claim an even more astonishing record: in 1997, an episode of \u003Ci\u003EPokemon \u003C\/i\u003Ethat used strobe-like effects induced the most seizures ever caused by a TV program, when more than 700 children had to be rushed to hospital.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAs this last example proves, it’s not just adults who amuse themselves with juvenile pursuits in Japan. Kids are also a very big part of the picture. In 2006, the Friends of Thomas, a team of parents and kids, constructed the longest wooden toy train track, measuring 1,650m.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EGOLDEN OLDIES\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe stresses caused by Japan’s overpopulation and intense work ethic, combined with the refusal of a large segment of the population to “grow up,” has seen the nation’s birthrate plummet to near record lows. This has the effect of making Japan the most aged society in the world. But a great deal of this phenomenon is also due to Japanese people’s incredible longevity, the result of a number of factors, including a stable, homogenous society where the elderly are respected, combined with a healthy diet.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe oldest living man is now Tomoji Tanabe, who was born in 1895, while the oldest man ever was Shigechiyo Izumi—the same sugar cane farmer we met earlier. Izumi enjoyed a happy 15-year retirement following his 98-year work career, dying in 1986 at the age of 120.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EJapan also holds the records for oldest person to climb Mt. Everest (Tamae Watanabe, aged 63), oldest person to sail round the world solo nonstop (Minoru Saito, aged 71), and the oldest hit recording artists: twin sisters Kin Narita and Gin Kanie had a combined age of 200 when their “granny rap” entered the Japanese charts in 1992.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EONLY HERE\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003EAlthough Japan has 373 Guinness world records, many of them are in fields where they have an unfair advantage, like the most \u003Ci\u003Ekoinobori \u003C\/i\u003E(carp-shaped windsocks) flown simultaneously (5,283), longest sushi roll (1,825m), largest rice cake (2.097 tons), largest paper crane (78m wingspan) and most simultaneous games of Go (500).\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-7FoMcgNLtNo\/WFcuFkb0PTI\/AAAAAAAAT18\/4L4cMDzNy1YoetRq2weMiPqBgq35A1iDgCLcB\/s1600\/crane.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-7FoMcgNLtNo\/WFcuFkb0PTI\/AAAAAAAAT18\/4L4cMDzNy1YoetRq2weMiPqBgq35A1iDgCLcB\/s1600\/crane.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003ENo competition: largest paper crane\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: x-large;\"\u003EBIG IN JAPAN\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe Japanese excel at miniaturization, but they have also managed to break some impressively large records. The tallest Buddha in the world, a 120m bronze statue, can be found at Ushiku in Ibaraki. Japan can also boast the tallest lighthouse (the 106m Marine Tower in Yamashita Park, Yokohama), the longest cable-suspension bridge (the 1.99km Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, which joins the islands of Honshu and Awaji), and the largest television display—an 11.2m x 66.4m monster installed by the Japan Racing Association at its Fuchu Racecourse.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-DA_-VB_mx18\/WFcu3_5FIvI\/AAAAAAAAT2E\/gkR7rkiHbcoahbTyPsHs_slRemHdkJ91wCLcB\/s1600\/Akashi-Kaikyo%2BBridge.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-DA_-VB_mx18\/WFcu3_5FIvI\/AAAAAAAAT2E\/gkR7rkiHbcoahbTyPsHs_slRemHdkJ91wCLcB\/s1600\/Akashi-Kaikyo%2BBridge.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe longest cable-suspension bridge\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EColin Liddell\u003Cbr \/\u003EMetropolis Magazine\u003Cbr \/\u003E22nd of February, 2008\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;georgia\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot; , serif;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/9073354258563780424\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2016\/12\/records-of-rising-sun.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/9073354258563780424"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/9073354258563780424"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2016\/12\/records-of-rising-sun.html","title":"RECORDS OF THE RISING SUN"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-ZVhDHJKrp4o\/WFcmEiFhjvI\/AAAAAAAAT04\/kB-TY9enmCsUR0CVn4XxvDLmzGRPlUNZQCLcB\/s72-c\/Great%2BKanto%2BEarthquake.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-6079185868430734327"},"published":{"$t":"2016-09-21T02:15:00.003-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-02-04T00:30:52.308-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"2016"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"art"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Itoh Jakuchu"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Japanese Art"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"kappazuri"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kyoto"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Saifuku-ji"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Tokyo Metropolitan Museum"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Ito Jakuchu: Quite the rare bird"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-AQzDclTa9-Y\/V-JN5PxQmKI\/AAAAAAAAS8I\/a5y0Jqv7-IAvr24iEAFkGoqibXd1uIOtgCLcB\/s1600\/p9-liddell-jakuchu-b-20160511.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-AQzDclTa9-Y\/V-JN5PxQmKI\/AAAAAAAAS8I\/a5y0Jqv7-IAvr24iEAFkGoqibXd1uIOtgCLcB\/s400\/p9-liddell-jakuchu-b-20160511.jpg\" width=\"388\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;helvetica\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003ECockatoo, 1771\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003EThe best time to see Jakuchu was back in 2000 or 2006, when there were two big exhibitions that aimed to re-evaluate the under-appreciated 18th-century Kyoto painter. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENow that re-evalutation has picked up plenty of steam and we are now experiencing a powerful \"Jakuchu Boom,” which means that \"300th Anniversary of his Birth: Jakuchu” at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art is a busy and crowded exhibition – not ideal conditions for appreciating the colourful yet delicate beauty of his work.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EJakuchu is particularly loved for his vivid depictions of animals, especially birds, of which there are several excellent examples, but a similar artistic love is bestowed by the artist on all aspects of nature, revealing a Buddhistic embrace of life in its various forms.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPerhaps the most impressive of the bird-themed works is “Cactus and Domestic Fowls” (1790), a work painted on six golden door panels from Saifuku-ji Temple. The contrast between the gold and the colours emphasizes the strutting forms of the birds, while the cactus makes a lazy appearance on the side as if to comment on the “prickly” nature of the proud fowls.   \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis work also reveals Jakuchu’s constant subtle humour that riffs off the eccentricity of the animal world as well as the constraints and possibilities of artistic media. You can find it in many other works, such as “Cockatoo” (1771) a kappazuri print, namely printed in black and then colour stencilled. Jakuchu seems to have chosen the upside-down pose of the little bird to refer to the various inversions of the printing process.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-ilpv6nlN4cA\/V-JORrgP6oI\/AAAAAAAAS8M\/nF6R1WBpRAcVWK0s0Hl6a8Qkl1YR3IwOACLcB\/s1600\/jakuchu-15.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"243\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-ilpv6nlN4cA\/V-JORrgP6oI\/AAAAAAAAS8M\/nF6R1WBpRAcVWK0s0Hl6a8Qkl1YR3IwOACLcB\/s400\/jakuchu-15.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;helvetica\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003ECactus and Domestic Fowls, 1790\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003EA completely different technique also reveals artistic humour – “Phoenix” (undated), a hanging ink scroll painting, relatively quickly painted, shows playful brushstrokes around the neck of the bird that loosen and enliven what would otherwise have been a too precise and straight composition, while also throwing in a hint of gentle mockery at the austere bird.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThese hints and touches constantly shine through Jakuchu’s work and suggest that he may even have been subtly commenting on the vanity and pomposity of the society around him.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut if Jakuchu is such an accomplished artist, why is there now a boom, implying, of course, that appreciation of his art went through a lengthy period of neglect?  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHis name appears second only to Maruyama Okyo in the “Heian Jinbutsushi,” a kind of Who’s Who of Kyoto of the period, testifying to his high standing in his own time. But unlike Okyo, who founded a school and thus had many disciples and followers to keep his reputation high, Jakuchu was a more solitary creature. His painting studio was even named “Dokurakuka,” literally solitary pleasure nest. One imagines that he may have been something of an odd bird.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EC.B.Liddell\u003Cbr \/\u003EJapan Times\u003Cbr \/\u003E10th May, 2016\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6079185868430734327\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2016\/09\/ito-jakuchu-quite-rare-bird.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/6079185868430734327"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/6079185868430734327"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2016\/09\/ito-jakuchu-quite-rare-bird.html","title":"Ito Jakuchu: Quite the rare bird"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-AQzDclTa9-Y\/V-JN5PxQmKI\/AAAAAAAAS8I\/a5y0Jqv7-IAvr24iEAFkGoqibXd1uIOtgCLcB\/s72-c\/p9-liddell-jakuchu-b-20160511.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-4434291574310143590"},"published":{"$t":"2016-07-31T09:56:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-02-04T00:31:50.057-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"2012"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"art"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Japanese Art"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Takeshi Kitano"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"TAKESHI KITANO: PAINTER'S KID"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-sMDfj7-jAUA\/V54r8DUiqAI\/AAAAAAAASQg\/j4ipb-sqmkcnbT4dppldqBvCLUC8b0u4wCLcB\/s1600\/TakeshiKitano.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"366\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-sMDfj7-jAUA\/V54r8DUiqAI\/AAAAAAAASQg\/j4ipb-sqmkcnbT4dppldqBvCLUC8b0u4wCLcB\/s400\/TakeshiKitano.jpg\" width=\"550\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMaking movies is great if you want the fame and excitement, but for real artistic fulfillment there’s nothing like becoming an actual paint-and brush artist. This seems to be the conclusion that leading Japanese filmmaker “Beat” Takeshi Kitano has come to over his long and successful career. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EAs his movies increasingly run out of steam, Takeshi has been devoting a growing portion of his time to creating artworks in paint or sculpture. In 2010 the Foundation Cartier, a prestigious culture outlet in the French capital even granted him carte blanche to curate a show of his own art. The result was “Gosse de Peintre,” French for “Painter’s Kid,” a reference to his own father, who was a house painter. This Paris show has now been lovingly recreated at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-4EbAj4oQqzA\/V54s3BAL3dI\/AAAAAAAASQs\/54pmnPEc00wdMPCn1ehZDvTDeURvWBBzwCEw\/s1600\/main_image.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"306\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-4EbAj4oQqzA\/V54s3BAL3dI\/AAAAAAAASQs\/54pmnPEc00wdMPCn1ehZDvTDeURvWBBzwCEw\/s400\/main_image.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;helvetica neue\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;helvetica\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EOne of Kitano's paintings.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003EWhile Takeshi’s definitive movies gave him the image of a hard-boiled tough guy, in his art he comes across as naive and innocent, with childish doodles and garish acrylic caricatures. The exhibition also includes installations, including one where scale models of animals have been transformed otaku-like into weapons, a stall where participants can fire paintball guns at cut-outs of dinosaurs, a machine that produces random Jackson Pollock-style paintings, and a large, clanking cross between a steam engine and a pedal-powered sewing machine, complete with two giant disembodied feet (complete with socks!). \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETakeshi is dismissive of his abilities, but paints and makes art for the sheer joy of it. While it is easy to sneer at much of the output in this exhibition, it is also hard to resist the playful enthusiasm with which these works have been created. Takeshi clearly had more fun making the artworks for this exhibition than he did making his films. The cynical tough guy act was clearly a front. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EC.B.Liddell\u003Cbr \/\u003EMetropolis\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E20th July 2012\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4434291574310143590\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2016\/07\/takeshi-kitano-painters-kid.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/4434291574310143590"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/4434291574310143590"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2016\/07\/takeshi-kitano-painters-kid.html","title":"TAKESHI KITANO: PAINTER'S KID"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-sMDfj7-jAUA\/V54r8DUiqAI\/AAAAAAAASQg\/j4ipb-sqmkcnbT4dppldqBvCLUC8b0u4wCLcB\/s72-c\/TakeshiKitano.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-243958850512176005"},"published":{"$t":"2016-05-05T06:45:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-02-04T02:18:18.341-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"fashion"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Hara Museum of Art"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Hiroshi Sugimoto"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Interviews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"modernism"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"People"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"photography"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"INTERVIEW: HIROSHI SUGIMOTO"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-hx1nCjb26Bw\/VytJQtMxOmI\/AAAAAAAAQ90\/KJgEmb3S3F4pGlRdPwM7rp9z4sS2xxAlACLcB\/s1600\/2012%2BHiroshi%2BSugimoto.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"367\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-hx1nCjb26Bw\/VytJQtMxOmI\/AAAAAAAAQ90\/KJgEmb3S3F4pGlRdPwM7rp9z4sS2xxAlACLcB\/s400\/2012%2BHiroshi%2BSugimoto.jpg\" width=\"550\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EWhat Lies Behind Our Love of Clothes \u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003EThere’s something counter-intuitive about photographic artist Hiroshi Sugimoto. While most artists are happy to achieve a distinctive style and enjoy the rewards that this brings, Sugimoto is forever re-inventing the wheel by developing then abandoning one style after another.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif;\"\u003E\"I’m always trying to come up with some kind of idea, but if I feel I’ve done it, then I feel it’s completed,\" he tells The Japan Times during a visit to his Tokyo atelier to discuss his latest exhibition at the Hara Museum of Art. \"My curiosity spreads to many, many fields. Some idea hatches, but I try not to get bored. Once I get a signature style, I just stop and change the signature.\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EWhile such changes of style would be a disadvantage for a lesser artist, in Sugimoto’s case they serve the fortuitous function of giving his career a convenient, compartmentalized structure that also makes it more marketable. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EEntering his oeuvre is like entering a large mansion with each room furnished in a markedly different style; whether it is the soft focus of the “Architecture” series, forcing us to pay attention to the essential structures of the modernist buildings photographed, or the mind-bending innovation of the “Lightning Fields” series, when he photographed electric shocks in the dark without even using a lens. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis ability to artistically reinvent himself means that you never quite know what to expect from a Sugimoto show but that each show will have a clear identity. The show at the Hara is yet another example of this. Entitled “Hiroshi Sugimoto: From naked to clothed,” it mainly features a series of images of historical dioramas and fashions by famous designers modelled by mannequins.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-JwtC9z1en7o\/VytMVJKd0XI\/AAAAAAAAQ-E\/sELmqlaXZ7IburpgHq85imq9p2hTt1ttACLcB\/s1600\/H%2BSugimoto.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"275\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-JwtC9z1en7o\/VytMVJKd0XI\/AAAAAAAAQ-E\/sELmqlaXZ7IburpgHq85imq9p2hTt1ttACLcB\/s400\/H%2BSugimoto.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe show originated in Sugimoto’s interest in modernism.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif;\"\u003E\"I’m very interested in the movement of modernism,\" he explains the show’s genesis. \"I once covered it by surveying the architectural history of modernism, so why not just follow it in fashion. It’s all interrelated.\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EHowever, once he started following fashion, it took him to some unexpected places, including mankind’s prehistoric past.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif;\"\u003E\"My intention was to cover modernism in fashion from the 1920s, using the costumes of the Kyoto Costume Institute,\" he explains. \"But that collection also has garments from the 18th century, so it became a fashion history survey. Then I expanded my idea to all human history, exploring how we dressed from the very beginning, from the ape to the half ape, to the human.\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EThis led him to incorporate photographs taken almost 20 years ago of historical or pre-historical dioramas, like those at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, the Californian Wax Museum, and Madame Tussauds.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-gfdMj1gHh7U\/VytObkBWe6I\/AAAAAAAAQ-Q\/gMTJEurCmWQW6E7mgyvmqD8qjycOUifOQCLcB\/s1600\/12%2B05%2BSugimoto.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-gfdMj1gHh7U\/VytObkBWe6I\/AAAAAAAAQ-Q\/gMTJEurCmWQW6E7mgyvmqD8qjycOUifOQCLcB\/s400\/12%2B05%2BSugimoto.jpg\" width=\"310\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EIn contrast to some of his earlier photographic series, which veer towards minimalism, aesthetic essence, and abstraction, the photos featured in this exhibition are replete with detail and information. This is inevitable considering that the subject matter is from museums whose role is to impart knowledge. But this creates two distinct problems. First, the informational interest of the images threatens to outweigh the stylistic elements; and, secondly, because the objects photographed come from different museums and represent widely different eras and subject matter, there is a danger of the exhibition lacking aesthetic unity.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESugimoto gets round this by shooting in low-key monochrome and emphasizing background shadow to create a gentle but insistent chiaroscuro effect that creates an elegiac mood.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnother unifying factor is that the images are tied together by his informative but also ironic narrative, presented in the information plates. He compares this approach, which blends together pictures and words, to the traditional Japanese \u003Ci\u003Ekamishibai\u003C\/i\u003E, a simple picture show used by itinerant storytellers that was a popular form of entertainment before the advent of television.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif;\"\u003E\"I want to make it fun to look at, and fun to read, so that people’s attention can continue from one photo to the other,\" he comments.  \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EWith the exhibition ranging through prehistory and including images related to our ancient ancestors, like “Lucy” a hominid from around 3.2 million years ago, Neanderthals, and Cro-Magnon Man, Sugimoto speculates on the origins of clothing and how it impacted on human physiology and psychology. He believes that when humans started to control their body temperature with animal skins, it had important effects.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif;\"\u003E\"You could control your temperature according to whether you put your fur on or off,\" he explains. \"One significant thing about human nature is we are always in heat, and can have sex all the time in all the seasons. I think this is related to the control of our body temperature by clothing. This is the origin of eroticism. It comes together with how you dress and the signals we send each other.\" \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EThe fact that humans are always “in heat,” combined with the production and consumerist power of modernism, also explains the ever-changing face of fashion, according to Sugimoto. With no off season for our sexual desires, change is always necessary to keep clothing fresh and alluring, leading to fashion cycles that usually last for about 10 years. But he also wonders whether fashion is finally losing its grip on the younger generation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , sans-serif;\"\u003E\"Young people are changing,\" he admits. \"They don’t expect the fantasy or the symbolism of high fashion. Five or ten years ago they used to buy Louis Vuitton bags, but now it’s changed and they don’t pay attention to high end brands any more.\" \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EThis mood of requiem is one more thing that unites the diverse elements of this exhibition, a sense that fashion itself is something of a museum piece.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EC.B.Liddell\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe Japan Times\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E31st of May, 2012\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/243958850512176005\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2016\/05\/interview-hiroshi-sugimoto.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/243958850512176005"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/243958850512176005"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2016\/05\/interview-hiroshi-sugimoto.html","title":"INTERVIEW: HIROSHI SUGIMOTO"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-hx1nCjb26Bw\/VytJQtMxOmI\/AAAAAAAAQ90\/KJgEmb3S3F4pGlRdPwM7rp9z4sS2xxAlACLcB\/s72-c\/2012%2BHiroshi%2BSugimoto.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-3371899387852239560"},"published":{"$t":"2016-05-01T01:18:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-02-04T00:33:03.913-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"honesty"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kiyose"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"mujin store"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Photos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"social trust"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Photo: \"Mujin\" Store"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-v22-5-jxoNc\/VyW7F2Bw5OI\/AAAAAAAAQ4M\/uGWxMp7RbfITZrAgU4f5staHHjT2XHJ7QCLcB\/s1600\/IMG_0777.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"412\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-v22-5-jxoNc\/VyW7F2Bw5OI\/AAAAAAAAQ4M\/uGWxMp7RbfITZrAgU4f5staHHjT2XHJ7QCLcB\/s400\/IMG_0777.JPG\" width=\"550\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;helvetica\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EClick to enlarge\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: justify;\"\u003EIn Japan, thanks to monoculturalism, high social trust, and Confucian morality, it is possible to have \"mujin\" (no person) stores like this one that have \u003Cb\u003Eno shop staff\u003C\/b\u003E and rely entirely on customers using the honour system to pay the correct price. The money is deposited in the dark blue box on the left side of the kiosk. This one is near Kiyose City in Tokyo.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3371899387852239560\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2016\/05\/photo-mujin-store.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/3371899387852239560"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/3371899387852239560"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2016\/05\/photo-mujin-store.html","title":"Photo: \"Mujin\" Store"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-v22-5-jxoNc\/VyW7F2Bw5OI\/AAAAAAAAQ4M\/uGWxMp7RbfITZrAgU4f5staHHjT2XHJ7QCLcB\/s72-c\/IMG_0777.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-3772426061710548023"},"published":{"$t":"2016-04-22T02:12:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-02-04T00:40:44.469-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"art"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Japanese Art"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Politics and History"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Saburo Miyamoto"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Setagaya Art Museum"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"WWII"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Yoga"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The War Art of Saburo Miyamoto"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-ERVFlJWGtMk\/VxnpC1OaRBI\/AAAAAAAAQtY\/TjofGLQkNMU8xUBwok2m0_ewuhWV52cqACLcB\/s1600\/The%2BHouse%2Bof%2BDeath.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-ERVFlJWGtMk\/VxnpC1OaRBI\/AAAAAAAAQtY\/TjofGLQkNMU8xUBwok2m0_ewuhWV52cqACLcB\/s1600\/The%2BHouse%2Bof%2BDeath.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;helvetica neue\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;helvetica\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe House of Death (ca. 1945-46)\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003EOne of the most astounding and, indeed, slightly unnerving pictures in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art Tokyo is Saburo Miyamoto's \"The Meeting of General Yamashita and General Percival\" (1942). In a masterly, realist Western style, it depicts the conference between the Japanese and British military leaders that led to the surrender of Singapore and over 100,000 British and Empire troops. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EApart from its painful associations — many of the troops who surrendered later died in POW camps — and the irony of a Western art style at a time of Japanese nationalist hysteria, the artwork is also notable for its composition: The plane of the conference room is tilted to symbolically elevate the line of Japanese officers high above their British counterparts, who appear to cower on the other side of the conference table. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUnfortunately, this painting, which established the reputation of Miyamoto, at least in Japan, is not part of the \"Saburo Miyamoto: 1940-1945\" exhibition at the Miyamoto Saburo Annex of the Setagaya Art Museum. But there is much else of interest at this show, which focuses on the war art of the famous Japanese painter. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn place of the triumphalism of \"The Meeting of General Yamashita and General Percival,\" which invariably gives the impression that Miyamoto was some kind of insensitive propagandist, there are more morally pleasing works that show a better-rounded view of the war.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThese include \"Standing Nurse\" (1941), a slightly Renoir-esque treatment of a compact and efficient-looking nurse, \"Hunger and Thirst\" (1943), where wounded men scramble in the mud apparently after being blown off their bicycles, and Miyamoto's true war masterpiece, \"The House of Death\" (ca. 1945-46). Showing figures huddled over a naked corpse, this seems to partially take its inspiration from Michelangelo's famous \"La Pieta\" sculpture, although the somber tones and war-ravaged landscape in the background also bring to mind Francisco Goya's war paintings. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EColin Liddell\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E22nd October, 2010\u003Cbr \/\u003EJapan Times\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3772426061710548023\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2016\/04\/the-war-art-of-saburo-miyamoto.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/3772426061710548023"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/3772426061710548023"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2016\/04\/the-war-art-of-saburo-miyamoto.html","title":"The War Art of Saburo Miyamoto"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-ERVFlJWGtMk\/VxnpC1OaRBI\/AAAAAAAAQtY\/TjofGLQkNMU8xUBwok2m0_ewuhWV52cqACLcB\/s72-c\/The%2BHouse%2Bof%2BDeath.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-3501635981269037746"},"published":{"$t":"2016-04-05T00:15:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-02-04T00:41:07.654-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"fire prevention"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Momoko Kikuchi"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"photo"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Photos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"poster"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Photo: Momoko Kikuchi \"Fire Woman\" "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-KD_Y_ZmWFC4\/VwNjrNj5xNI\/AAAAAAAAQRM\/qNHSXw5WGbcGg0wY79sHhtds1GOzc1YdQ\/s1600\/Fire%2BPrevention%2BCampaign%2BMomoko%2BKikuchi.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"760\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-KD_Y_ZmWFC4\/VwNjrNj5xNI\/AAAAAAAAQRM\/qNHSXw5WGbcGg0wY79sHhtds1GOzc1YdQ\/s400\/Fire%2BPrevention%2BCampaign%2BMomoko%2BKikuchi.jpg\" width=\"546\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EBecause\u0026nbsp;Japanese cities\u0026nbsp;are overwhelmingly built from wood, they are extremely susceptible to fire, so\u0026nbsp;every spring there is a fire prevention campaign. This year the campaign involved the sudden appearance on millions of notice boards and other spaces across the land of the above poster featuring the actress \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Momoko_Kikuchi\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EMomoko Kikuchi\u003C\/a\u003E. Enjoy a safe spring and cue \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/8g6h1vI4Xv0\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ECult music\u003C\/a\u003E!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3501635981269037746\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2016\/04\/photo-momoko-kikuchi-fire-woman.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/3501635981269037746"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/3501635981269037746"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2016\/04\/photo-momoko-kikuchi-fire-woman.html","title":"Photo: Momoko Kikuchi \"Fire Woman\" "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-KD_Y_ZmWFC4\/VwNjrNj5xNI\/AAAAAAAAQRM\/qNHSXw5WGbcGg0wY79sHhtds1GOzc1YdQ\/s72-c\/Fire%2BPrevention%2BCampaign%2BMomoko%2BKikuchi.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-390915733458550805"},"published":{"$t":"2016-03-30T04:17:00.005-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-02-04T00:41:26.875-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"2011"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Japanese Art"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kuniyoshi Utagawa"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Metropolis"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ota Memorial Museum of Art"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sharaku Tohshuhsai"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"silhouettes"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Tempo Reforms"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"ukiyo-e"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Polymorphous Creativity of Kuniyoshi"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-hcqlecrIFp0\/Th-gZfMw_gI\/AAAAAAAABaY\/FT9OsjnNjRI\/s1600\/903-AE-Art_Men-Join-to-Form-a-Man-Looks-Fierce-But-is-Really-Nice.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"500\" m=\"m\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-hcqlecrIFp0\/Th-gZfMw_gI\/AAAAAAAABaY\/FT9OsjnNjRI\/s400\/903-AE-Art_Men-Join-to-Form-a-Man-Looks-Fierce-But-is-Really-Nice.jpg\" true=\"true\" width=\"332\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ci style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small;\"\u003EMen Join to Form a Man: \u003Cbr \/\u003ELooks Fierce But is Really Nice, c.1847\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003EThe big ukiyo-e exhibition this year has been the Toshusai Sharaku show at the Tokyo National Museum. Despite all the effort put into that comprehensive show, I have to confess that much more to my taste—and I suspect yours—is the exhibition at the Ota Memorial Museum of Art that looks at the work of another ukiyo-e legend, Utagawa Kuniyoshi. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile Sharaku is a historical cipher who largely limited himself to offbeat prints of kabuki actors in a short ten-month career, Kuniyoshi (1798-1861) was a manically creative genius who took the art of woodblock printing on one of its wildest rides during his five-decade career. If you don't already have a favorite ukiyo-e artist, then this is the perfect choice. Although just as talented as his great contemporary, Katsushika Hokusai, he is less famous, so citing him sounds cooler. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EAs is often the case at the Ota, the show is divided into two halves, with two entirely different sets of prints—something to do with the largeness of their collection and the relative smallness of the venue. The first half of the exhibition (which featured Kuniyoshi's prints of warriors, actors, and the supernatural) is already finished, but the themes in the second half are just as interesting: caricatures, trick pictures, portraits of beauties, and prints showing the influence of Western art that was seeping in as a precursor to the political changes at the end of the Edo period.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne of the keys to understanding the artist's polymorphous creativity was the way he responded to the strict censorship of the times. Occasionally during the Edo period, the government worried about public morals and introduced legislation to clamp down on the \"floating world\" of actors and prostitutes. In 1842, following the imposition of the Tempo Reforms, ukiyo-e artists, who made most of their money depicting famous actors and renowned beauties, were told that these themes were now off-limits.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-EfsDBljv3zk\/Vvu0q_FBQfI\/AAAAAAAAQMM\/4rTXHxMQm1kOIohXwJlsnm9xr9TYfMa2A\/s1600\/Actors%2Bas%2BFish.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-EfsDBljv3zk\/Vvu0q_FBQfI\/AAAAAAAAQMM\/4rTXHxMQm1kOIohXwJlsnm9xr9TYfMa2A\/s640\/Actors%2Bas%2BFish.jpg\" width=\"427\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;helvetica neue\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;helvetica\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: small;\"\u003EFish with Actors' Expressions, 1842\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003EKuniyoshi got round the restrictions by substituting animals for humans in many of his prints. \u003Ci\u003EFish with Actors' Expressions \u003C\/i\u003E(ca. 1842-44) shows a number of actors caricatured as various forms of sea life, while \u003Ci\u003EThe Yoshiwara Sparrows' Temporary Nest\u003C\/i\u003E (1846) shows the denizens of Tokyo's pleasure quarters in bird form. In yet another ruse to get round the censors, \u003Ci\u003EScribbles on a Storehouse Wall\u003C\/i\u003E (1847-8) purports to reproduce roughly drawn graffiti, but actually shows recognizable pictures of the famous actors of the day.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAlthough it was government regulation that helped to spur these inventive works, Kuniyoshi's own restless creativity took over, pushing him to create all manner of eccentric masterpieces. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe exhibition includes several pictures in which single human figures are skillfully built up from lots of tiny people clustered together. Another series of works show misleading silhouettes. What initially appears to be the outline of a lobster proves to be a fisherman with two fishing rods tangled up in some weeds.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELater pictures show a slackening of the Tempo laws, with the artist returning to pictures of beautiful women. In these, there is often some 'prop'—like a child, domestic chore, or literary allusion—so that accusations of glamorizing courtesans can be denied. The final section of the exhibition looks at the impact of Western art, with Dutch etchings set alongside the Kuniyoshi prints they influenced.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThrough Kuniyoshi's art we get a lively picture of late Edo Japan: a vibrant society in which irrepressible popular culture vied with authority, while foreign pressures made themselves increasingly felt. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EUtagawa Kuniyoshi: Unparalleled Ukiyo-e Artist until July 28, 2011\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EC.B.Liddell\u003Cbr \/\u003EMetropolis\u003Cbr \/\u003E14th July, 2011\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/390915733458550805\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2016\/03\/the-polymorphous-creativity-of-kuniyoshi_30.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/390915733458550805"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/390915733458550805"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2016\/03\/the-polymorphous-creativity-of-kuniyoshi_30.html","title":"The Polymorphous Creativity of Kuniyoshi"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-hcqlecrIFp0\/Th-gZfMw_gI\/AAAAAAAABaY\/FT9OsjnNjRI\/s72-c\/903-AE-Art_Men-Join-to-Form-a-Man-Looks-Fierce-But-is-Really-Nice.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680767306647564241.post-5074581063249934300"},"published":{"$t":"2016-02-27T00:33:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-02-04T02:30:40.123-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ainu"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"archaelogy"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Folklore and Tradition"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Great Kanto Earthquake"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Hokkaido"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Jomon Period"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Karuizawa"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Neil Munro"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nibutani"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Yokohama"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"NEIL MUNRO, CHAMPION OF THE AINU "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-kOSzbZm14IE\/Vvuk3vkKc3I\/AAAAAAAAQLs\/XdLCawoaFIM5DHobZ3n4Y8HK0FJnPvgFg\/s1600\/Munro2.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"313\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-kOSzbZm14IE\/Vvuk3vkKc3I\/AAAAAAAAQLs\/XdLCawoaFIM5DHobZ3n4Y8HK0FJnPvgFg\/s400\/Munro2.jpg\" width=\"550\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;helvetica neue\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;helvetica\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003ENeil Munro (left) with an Ainu. \u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EPerhaps the greatest champion of the Ainu people was the Scottish doctor, Neil Gordon Munro. Born in Lochee, Scotland, on the 16th June or July 1863, he received his medical degree in 1888, and then travelled to the east, where he first worked for the P\u0026amp;O ferry line in Hong Kong, before arriving in Japan in 1891, where he stayed for the next 51 years until his death. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EIn 1905 he became a naturalized Japanese citizen, adopting the katakana characters マンロー (man-ro-), and subsequently the Chinese (Kanji) characters ('full,' 'long-awaited,' 'satisfaction') 郎 (often used in names given to first-born sons; also 'official title'). His earlier seals show the Chinese characters 卍 樓 (man-ro-), which he probably changed as it became associated with German National Socialism. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EFrom 1892 to 1898 he worked at the Yokohama General Hospital. In 1895 he married his first wife (of four), Adele Retz, a German with whom he had two sons. His wife died in 1905, and that same year Munro married a Japanese wife Toku Takabatake. They had a daughter but divorced in 1909. In 1914 Munro married Adele Favre-Brandt, a lady of Swiss and Japanese heritage, although he again divorced in 1937 to marry his fourth wife, Chiyo Kimura, a Japanese nurse, who assisted Munro in his medical practice. They remained married until his death in 1942. She died in 1974.  \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWhile working as a doctor, Munro became interested in archaeology and personally directed or participated in hundreds of excavations throughout Japan, and collected thousands of artefacts from the Jomon period and subsequent eras.  \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EHis work established that the Ainu were the indigenousness people of Japan. Munro excavated at Mitsuzawa, Omori in Tokyo, Negishi near Yokohama, and sites in Nagano prefecture, Kagoshima prefecture, and the Northern island of Hokkaido. In 1908 he published  a book \u003Ci\u003EPrehistoric Japan\u003C\/i\u003E, giving an account of his research and findings.  \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBy 1923 Munro had amassed a great deal of material, but lost most of his books, artefacts, letters, and almost all his personal belongings in the Great Kanto Earthquake, which struck that year. Munro also spent a great deal of effort treating the victims of the fire and the earthquake for free. In 1932, he experienced a similar personal disaster, when his accommodation in Hokkaido was destroyed in a blaze. Luckily, he also regularly sent archaeological finds back to the UK, starting in 1894. The National Museum of Scotland has a large collection of artefacts sent by Munro.  \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EHe spent his life after 1930 in Nibutani in Hokkaido, although he had often visited the island before. There he documented the culture, language, folklore, traditions, and artefacts of the Ainu people, and also provided cheap or free health care for the local people. He was able to fund this by treating rich foreign patients at the Karuizawa Sanatorium in Nagano prefecture during the Summer. He worked there from 1923 and became a director in 1930.  \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EMunro was also important in studying the health and illness patterns of Japanese people, and earned a doctorate in 1909 from Edinburgh University with a thesis entitled \"Cancer in Japan,\" in which he noted that people in Nara had a much higher rate of cancer than those in Yokohama. Ironically, it was also this disease that finally killed in 1942, at a time when the land of his birth was at war with the land of his adoption.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5074581063249934300\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2016\/02\/neil-munro-champion-of-ainu.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/5074581063249934300"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6680767306647564241\/posts\/default\/5074581063249934300"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/fujiland-mag.blogspot.com\/2016\/02\/neil-munro-champion-of-ainu.html","title":"NEIL MUNRO, CHAMPION OF THE AINU "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-kOSzbZm14IE\/Vvuk3vkKc3I\/AAAAAAAAQLs\/XdLCawoaFIM5DHobZ3n4Y8HK0FJnPvgFg\/s72-c\/Munro2.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}}]}});