ohisashiburi!

おひさしぶり！Sorry I didn't have time and also no topic to post!
Did I talk about "Itasha" before? Itasha means painful car and we call cars decorated with anime or manga MOE characters like this. Why do we call it painful? Hmm difficult, I understand like this: of course people's reaction for Itasha are usually cold, we think it's bad Otaku taste and it's so difficult to comprehend their feeling to show up "I am OTAKU! having love for 2D characters". You know, they turn away from public estimation and keep such cars with love for anime characters, such attitude looks painful. Such Itasha gathered at Odaiba last weekend. Some DID IT on Ferrari!! orz

Savant Syndrome is well known because of the movie RAIN MAN. Kiyoshi Yamashita is a famous Savant Syndrome artist in Japan, known as "Hadaka no Taisho (naked gerenal)". He was in Yahata institution for the mentally handicapped, but sometimes he escaped the place and went around Japan. Then when he returned to Yahata institution he made "Chigiri-e" (coloured paper torn to create images). Here are some of his chigiri-e. He made them all at his room in the institution by memories only. Good color sense right? Compared to his Chigiri-e, his paintings are not so famous but you may understand how he remembers the detail of each place. Tokaido 53 tsugi was an old road that connected Tokyo to Okasa in the Edo generation. There were originally 53 government post stations and inns around stations. Kiyoshi Yamashita drew those 53 places.｡｡Tokyo - Mishima, Numazu - Kaneya, Hisaka - Okazaki, Chiryu - Kusatsu, Ohtsu - Kyoto. It's a great job.

This is interesting, it's 51 Japanese characters that were made by a German guy. There are 51 Japanese characters like Otaku or Yakuza. Click English and you will see a menu in the upper left.

I laughed a lot to look at this site "It's Okan museum". Okan means mom in Osaka area dialect. The site collects mysterious mom's handmade objects. When I was kids every mom made small umbrellas with packages of tobacco like this (he made it with a package of gum though). Now I remember my mom made it too. And also if we can say "mom! it's nice!" even once, mom must make it more and more, and give it to her friends and neighbors. That's mom's way. :-)｡｡You can see the collection by clicking the left number part...Ahhh that's mom's typical handmade! I really laughed. Especially this one, her grandma sent those dogs again and again and again, but she didn't like it and called it grandma's bomb.

Comments

[Drew]

I'm really depressed, because I ride an Italian motorbike and I thought "itasha" was the word for an Italian bike or car! I've been telling people for months that I have an itasha! How otaku must they think I am!

[Mari]

Hi Brian
it's not benkyo. it's just usuless information. :-)

Hi Heidi
When I went to the U.S, I rent Nissan. Last time I rent Ford and I needed to go to Gas station often, but I didn't use such gas for Nissan. I will use Japanese car next time too!

[bshock]

So that's what "itasha" means. Thank you! A week ago I read an article in Sankei Shimbun about "itasha" model cars, but the term didn't mean anything to me.　　勉強になりました。

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/entertainments/game/081101/gam0811011643001-n1.htm

[Heidi]

Itasha

It might be a real problem to sell these cars (used), except to other itasha otaku. Do both men and women have itasha, or more men than women? Do Nihonjin or gaijin have itasha? As Mar-san would say..."Orz!"

In America, there is a new, rather small movement called hypermiling. People try to get the best mileage they can from their cars (greatest distance per gallon or tank of gas). They have a website and offer advice on the best ways to increase your gas mileage no matter what kind of car you drive. I am a hypermiler! I drive a Hyundai Accent ('07 5-speed) and I get 70-80 mpg!! Much better than my mother's Toyota Prius!!

In America, other drivers might call hypermilers "itasha" because we drive slowly (40-50 mph on the freeway - in the far right lane for slow traffic) but they still get angry, tailgate and honk at ya, even though they can just pass!

Are there any hypermilers in Japan?