Mari - diary

Do not leave any interspace!!

When I moved over my apartment, I had only a desk and a chair in my bedroom, and I ate on a tray atop a paper box. Since I love space most, it was comfortable for me, and if I did not force myself to buy furniture, I would still be eating oh the paper box. Now I have a TV cabinet, sofa, and light stand. and a small wooden table. That's all I have. My clothes and books, tools, and other all items are put into the closet. Since my closet is almost full. I won't get anymore. In a sense, I adjust my life to the capacity of closet.

Japanese houses are said to be as small as rabbit houses. (As far as I could tell, many European houses seemed to be of a similar size to ours.) So people make all kinds of effort to make space inside their houses. Then we have a various types of interspace furniture. Look at this page; this is only 15cm width (that's less than 6inches). And "How to store" (hover your cursor above each picture) is always a popular topic in house magazines and on TV show.  Actually there are some "storage advisers". Hiromi Honda is one of them and here is her HP. Yeah, some of them looks like nice ideas. For example, attaching towel hungers to the backside of a shoe box, you may put slippers there. Using Cabnets with wheels inside the closet, make it easy to pick up everything, no elieminating dead space. Under the sink,  tend to have a lot of dead space because of the drainpipe, but this idea looks good.

However I am not sure I want to use tape to keep small sauces like this,  or hand small food bags of food on the side of my refregiatore like this.

For North American people, this is funny??.  We have to creat the space because the land is so small.

The pioneer of Origami died

Japanese Origami artist Akira Yoshizawa died this week; his death was listed in the obituary section of the newspaper and on the web in the normal fashion. But I found this big page write up on the Times website in the UK. Since it is a Japanese death, it was a big article relatively speaking; I suppose it could indicate the popularity of Origami in foreign countries. Some sites said Origami originated in Japan, actually the word Origami is Japanese, but some said it came from China to Japan. And as for paper folding, other nations have their own histories regarding this craft too.

As a pioneer of origami, Akira Yoshizawa's method and technique became a topic of conversation. Here are his origami arts, rabbit, sparrow, mouse, Japanese monkey, Children in snow. All of them are so simple, but I feel they are showing one of the essential qualities of Origami, I can imagine this scene of a mom with a quiet smile folding a bit of paper for her child, The child's eyes grow wide with wonder as he watches his mother' s hand create something. Yoshizawa's origami seems to have this warmness, a kind heart, and a sensitive delicacy. Here is a message from him earilier this year.

Anyway contemporary Origami has evolved in to a new field of Fine Arts, and I think some of the foreign artists create great origami. I love seeing this work by Robert J. Lung, his origami captures not only the shape, but each animal's defining features and life styles.　Joseph Wu's work is comical and funny, over all a very happy style. This is contemporary Japanese artist Kitajo's site.　His origami has a literary charm. And their Origami is a new type which breaks some of the traditional rules of Origami.　If you want to see more Origami, this link is really great.　If you want to create your own Origami, this Japanese site has animations and pictures showing how to create it. Ah this post's King Ghidorah is my friend's creation. He shows how to make it on his HP. Please check it out!

This year's new recruit type is ?

In Japan, April is the month for starting a new life. Students begin a new grade; new recruits arrive for work at various companies nationwide. The Japan Productivity Center for Socio-Economic Development (JPC-SED) is a non-profit organization (NPO) and a non-governmental organization (NGO). They release "This year's new recruit type" every year. They reflect on the trend and times so well, then it is always very interesting to read.

They say 2005's new man is "light-emitting diode type".
When you generate the electrical current (if you lead them), it will shine beautifully (they will work fine), but it will not have any heat. (they are bloodless)

In 2004, it was "internet auction type".
Good stuff gets a lot of bids, but most of them have no bids. When you finaly get one it turns out to be expensive because of its brand or strong appeal. And sometimes you end up getting disappointed. All wrapper and no package.

In 2003, it was "cell-phone with camera type"
It can captrue information quickly. Anywhere, Anytime. and it has a good ability for handling a lot of information. However it can't master neither knowledge or experience. Sometimes older people cannot command it.  Fun, but not user-friendly.

In 2001, it was "Xylitol chewing gum type"
We have an abundant variety and the price is reasonable. It is clean and seems to prevent  tooth  decay(scandal) though,  there is not a great difference in taste.

It is very fun, because we can remember what was big in each of these years. I like these,

1994-"water cleaner type"
If mounted inadequately, it will be stinky and have a bad taste. If you properly adjusted, it could prove to be a nessessary item.

1985-"daily lunch special type"
It is not as different as you expected, just the same materials repeated everyday.

The first one was in 1973,  it was the "Panda type" ( this is the year that the Giant Panda came to Japan from China.)
They are very docile and cute, but they do not take to people and are hand to care for.

Popular corporate characters

Japanese love Characters, I don't know how many times I 've written about it here. (Last time it was for Nagoya Aichi expo 2005). So let me write about them again today, please check out some of  these popular characters. Here is Japanese national TV NHK's ex mascot "Do-mo chan" (We actually don't know what that thing is). There is a hippo  mascot for a gargling medicine. This is a Miso boy of Macukome,  NEC's monkey,  Carl-ojisan is on these snacks, Pinky orepresents this brand of candy, I wrote sometimes about Qoo and Pichon-kun. There are so, so many characters. You can check out many of them on this corporate characters link site. Each of  these popular characters have some common feature? Yes, everyone of them have small or big black dots for the eyes. Japanese people think that those dotted eyes with only the iris showing are the cutest! Kawaii!(cute!)

Speaking of the preference for eyes, I wonder if the big-eyed characters like Furby, Gizmo, Simpsons, Nemo, South Park and let's add Gollum (can I add him?), are popular in the States... what do you think? The eldest son Yoda, the second son Gollum (may I add him?), the third son ET, isn't that totally possible? I think it is a pretty beautiful character chart!

On this topic, Dough Boy and Snuggle, who have dotted eyes, are likely-to-be-popular characters in Japan. (By the way, the name Snuggle doesn't sound likable in Japanese, it sounds more like a sinus medicine, so he' s called Fa-fa instead.) On the other hand, it is impossible, to find this type of character, especially for a food company. You like this commercial film?

Very old TV news shows

Today I found an old TV news site, they have a lot of old film collections. Even though they are all Japanese it is interesting I think. ( if you study Japanese, it is good listening lesson too?).
As a Japanese listening lesson, this Japanese voice blog is good too. You can read some Japanese topics in English and also you can listen to Japanese narration by audio. I really hope they will not stop updating this blog. If you are a better good listener this web site is a Japanese masterpiece free listening site. You can listen to Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Osamu Dazai, Kenji Miyazawa etc,. etc,.

Today's post is very short, sorry!! orz

Bakeneko is a Cat monster!

Dogs and Cats are the most popular pets in Japan. People spend a lot of money for pet stuff; Diet food, Houses, Sofas,Clothes, and Toys.  They enjoy costume play with their pet. Speaking of dogs, it seems there is always some kind of popular trend among the different breeds, perhaps the Toy Poodle is the next pu d jour. People often give them this teddy bear cut.  Miniature Dachshunds were the rage a few years ago because of The Dog Club,  Chihuahuas were big because of  that Aiful TV commercial, (Look  at this weird movie.)  Many people got a Siberian Husky before, I suppose this manga  might be related to that trend (This manga was later remade into TV drama later, and they found a very similar Husky. Amazing.)  The Labrador Retriever became a fashion brand-name after their boom. I remember I used to see an abundance of spitz when I was in the first or second grade but now I hardly see any spitz at all. And Shetland Sheepdog, Mame-shiba, etc etc,   we' ve had many such dog trends in our past.  On the other hand, I do not think we have such trends for cats. Actually I don't know anyone of my friends who has pure bred cat. Breeding is not a big issue for cat lovers?  I am not sure.

Anyway although the Japanese love cats and dogs on the same level, historically the Japanese have had some negative images for cats. In folklore we have some Bake neko (Cat monster) stories. "Ge ge ge no kitaro" is a famous Japanese specter animation, Neko musume( Cat girl ) is one of the main characters. I have found a funny site. Cat owners send in photos of their cat's scary expressions that were taken by chance. Then people vote on which cat is the most awful. The title of the site is "Bake neko king". Oh Kowai (scary)!? or Kawaii (cute)!?

A walking Octopus & Super great Obento site

Octopuses occasionally stroll around on two arms. I love this movie. A walking Octopus! it is so cute. I 've heard only a few countries routinely eat octopus, but at least Korea, China, Vietnam, Italy, Greek, such Mediterranean countries and Turkey would eat it in original ways. And perhaps most Sushi bars in the world would have it, so it is not so hard to have a chance to try it.

Octopus is Tako in Japanese. We eat Tako in various ways. Tsuji Cooking Academy shows how to prepare Octopus for cooking. I love Sushi, Takoyaki, boiled, Sea food salad, Marinade, Vinegared, vinegar miso dressing, Oden, Octopus rice, (Tako-Tacco rice!) and we have Dried octpus. You can enjoy all octupus dishes in some Japanese restaurants. Octopus is such a familiar food item for us; we have a motif called Tako-karakusa.

Ah!  We even cut red sausage into an octopus shape, pretty?. Japanese like such ornamental Obento (Hmm great Obento site! Her obento is not only cute,  but it also has some story. I add this page to my obento lover list.) If you want to try it yourself, she shows how to cut the sausage  on the lower part of this page. Those are cute for me, however if you are not in the habit of eating "devil fish", you might not like it. Maybe weird?,  W ell, but to us, it is delicious.

Typing Japanese on cell? hell?

This morning I found this news, hmm Great! 48 seconds to type 160 characters? I tried typing the same sentence on my cell, and I gave up almost immediately. I really really hate typing on my cell actually. Especially JAPANASE! We have to do these crazy conversions such small buttons. The funny thing is a face mark dictionary is a preset on every mobile phone.

By the way mobile phones have developed a lot since I wrote about them last year. I work for a mobile entertainment service, so I have a chance to see most kinds of cell phone models at work. I have to say recently it seems as though they ' ve run out of new topics / technology. So each company has decided to creat a concept phone and compete for business based on its design. This is a very simple phone designed for older people by TUKA.  The premini is a small phone, lightweight, easy to carry inside  your pocket. When this first arrived at our office first, we all had a good laugh. au has released its new "au-design" phone,  I like this penck. It's vibration is comfortable, how can I explain this.... a moving part is deep inside the phone, so you can get feeling as if something will hatch from its egg-shaped body. Talby is fashionably designed by Marc Newson. Here is the new model list. Which do you like most?

Kenzo Tange and Tadao Ando, Japanese Architecture

Yesterday Kenzo Tange died. He was perhapds one of the most famous Japanese architects. Here is his site. Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for Atomic Bomb Deceased, National Gymnasiums for Tokyo Olympics, King Faisal Foundation Headquarters Complex are some of his more famous works. This is the list of his work in Tokyo.

I am unfamiliar with archtestural concepts, but I love to see nice, wellthought out buildings. And I really feel architects are sooooo cool. For me they seem to have a cool brain, big imagination and the toughness to challenge a certain irreeparable plan. Last year I was really impressed to find future system's design for Selfridges in Birmingham featured in some magazines. In Japan, I found works by Atrier Rats often.  When I want to see good architects in the world, I check this site. If you have interest, here is their Japanese page.

Anyway after Tange, maybe Tadao Ando is the biggest name in Japanese archtecture in Japan. Actually the Pritzker Architecture Prize is called "the nobel prize of Architecture". As Japanese, only Tange and Ando got it. I said I love to read design magazine Casa Brutus in my magazine house article, and today I found, they've made a few English pages, Wow lucky!! I looked for a good short story about Ando. They have it!!  Here is a special page about Ando on the Brutus website. Please check it out. Nice to read.

Eating sushi in Tokyo? I recommend this.

In the last few days, I ' ve gotten some emails asking about my recommendations for sushi places in Tokyo. Like I wrote in this Sushi article, Nigiri and Makimono is not all Sushi. We have a various types of sushi. However if you eat sushi in Tokyo, it should be Nigiri; our Edomae sushi.
The really Good Fresh Edomae sushi places are in the Ginza area because the biggest fish market in Japan, Tsukigi, is next to Ginza. Ginza is the most exclusive and expensive shopping area in Japan; even so the price is pretty good :-) too.  But if you want try real sushi, Yoshino sushi Honten, Sushiko honten would be good. The budget for each is around 10000 yen. If you want to lower price a little more, I recommend Shoei(JP). It is nice place and it is in my favorite town Ebisu.

Anyway if you want to try something good but reasonable priced, the rotating sushi bars (kaiten sushi ) are not bad at all. Actually since there are so many rotating sushi bars, they compete hard with each other, and the quality of rotating sushi bars has been greatly improved recently.  For example Ikebukuro is very competitive place of rotating sushi shops.  it will be interseting to check them all in the same item and find your best place.

#Ikebukuro East exit side
Mawaru kuruma ushi Ikebukuro kitagushiten (廻る車すし　池袋北口店)
Koma sushi (こま寿司)
Katsugyo Ooedo Ikebukuro 2goten (活魚大江戸)
Mawashizushi Wakataka (回し鮨　若貴)

#Ikebukuro West exit side
Kaiten sushi honjin (回転　寿司本陣)

P.S.
Personally I reccommend this sushi place Sushi Katsu in 　Meguro.　 This is the branch of Midori zushi in Umegaoka which is famous for delicious and cheap non- lotating regular sushi place.