watashi to tokyo

Impressions made by names

I love this Autumn post card. This is the site of a fashion brand called Sally Scot, it is just a brand name and all the designers are all Japanese. I suppose many Japanese will have certain impressions from these types of names.... a slender girl who has freckles, maybe close to the image of Anne of Green Gables.

I feel the same for this name, Hanna. Does this sound strange for you? In the same way I am impressed by glamourous women named "Gloria", "Bridgit", "Brenda". Why? Why I have such impressions from these names! I dont know. Maybe it will concern to what I read, what I saw but Phonetic sound would be most reason. I suppose. Now I am wondering, what impressions do other contry people have for the name, Sally Scott. Will you imagine a big, tall girl? I am very curious.

SuperHero remake animation movies, a trend?

This year we are seeing many superhereo remake animation movies. Animation which I watched when I was kid, except maybe for dominant Otaku, nobody knows Devil Man, Cutie Honey, Ninja Hattori kun and now Casshern. There is Spiderman 2 and the the UK's Thundrebirds remakes made overseas in Hollywood.　Is this trend of this year?

I saw a media preview of Thunderbird recently, well, it is a movie for kids, not for me. When we watch such animation or movie version of the original comic, we have to expect to be disappointed . Well I remember the first time I saw Batman. I really wondered why American people think this is ok? I mean, for me , M. Keaton looked too OSSAN, in Japanese, this means, just a middle aged guy, nothing special.

Following this point , for me being a Japanese, it is hard to know the passion of American people for Batman. I mean what is the image of Batman? I felt like that the fist time, but now I know this Batman was better than Val Kilmer or George Clooney's Batman ha ha. Any ways, I feel the same about Spiderman; Tobby looks too much of a wimp and is too cute. I have this of colder and tougher image of Spiderman.

"this is intolerable, but it is also funny..."

To be honest with you, I had to laugh when I read this news．In Nara, there is a rice candy named Budda's booger which is on sale.　The people at the Todaiji (Temple) are so angry, we call this "intolerable". But the shop says "we hope you understand with an open mind". Well, I suppose people think "this is intolerable, but it is also funny. I will try it when I go there".

Similiar to this story, I can see this type of stuff on TV. Mecha ike is a popluar funny, but stupid, variety TV program. They have a show time called Gochiso sama. It is very simple show. People in hoods try to guess what people are eating. I was surprised people can not tell what they are eating without seeing.

Gochoso sama is a word which we say everytime after eating. A form of appreciation for the cook. Sama is a word to call people in polite way. So in the show, there is a Host who looks a Budda named Gochiso sama. And in the show his hair ( you know how budda's head is round) is made by curled spaghetti on the top of his head. When we see this, many people feel "this is intolerable, but it is also funny".

Generally, Japanese are without regilious faith?? No, I feel this is not true. We do have a traditioanl regilion called Shinto. We think that various things can be a god and we can see God in anything in nature, in any religion. I suppose a kind of "borderless" idea we have for god and religion and this feeling allows us think the way we think.

Graduation of people

This is one of my favorite sites, where you can enjoy "the gradation" of people.　Please click on the number in the left part. 　I like Brandy the most...never miss a chance to check the site.

The reason why! She divorced.

I have a friend who is working as a movie producer and manager for a famous composer.　She is a person who has to expose herself in public, but in private, she is a completely opposite type of person. Recently, her email replys ( to me) were less frequent for 3 weeks.　And besides, every spring she gets emotionally down (a little depressed, we say putti Utsu).　Her mail replys were slower than usual. The reason why? she went through a divorce and was "uncomfortable to see the light of home when I got home after work".　Hmm, she may not be the type for marriage.

I think I am diiferent from her, but I can understand a little. We have to have a night to be alone, to create distance from things which symbolize the home warmth, sweet home feelings, family, warm conversation and the warmth of each other's body? I can understand a little bit.

Kawaii - Cute!

Cute!! OTAMA!!! They say it is a tadpole, we call it Otamajakushi, so we just call it OTAMA! A guy knitted this Otama and from his web page, he and his Otama are becoming more and more popular. He is also complaining about sexual harrasment issues, he must look wierd saying this while knitting! ha ha.

There is various Otama here at his site: Ragae Otama, Brother Otama, Gal Otama, etc. Many people find thier favorite Otama at his site. Otama has a kind of healing power, don't you think so?

We call this type of character DATSURYOKU chara hmm, a sort of faintness? or weakness of the soul, of the mind. Far from beautiful or energetic, but releases tension for us. Qoo, Toro, Tarepanda(I dont like this), I really like Pikmin very much. I wonder I should get Game Cube to play Pikmin 2.
check CM here.

Opening Day!

Welcome. I will begin my diary starting today and I will then open the site officallly on June 12, 2004. I will then open the comment and trackback feedback option. Ahh, I hope to get many responses!

I am a woman who works at a private company in Tokyo and earns a salary at a very crazy job that keeps me very busy. So, my life is not that exciting, but you may sense what is going on here in Tokyo through my real life accounts of living in Japan. I hope you sense my life.

Firstly, I need to excuse my broken English. And please watch out for my perfectly strange Japlish which will appear a few times. Would you help me proofread my diary? All suggestions and comments are welcomed.