watashi to tokyo

Shitsurai is setting

This is the candidature file that Tokyo took to the IOC. They wrapped it in furoshiki? Ha ha ha. When the Japanese movie "Departures" came out, I read that some foreign press said that “Departures” is a movie about "the beauty of form." I understand what he said, and in Japanese, we have the word "Shitsurai" (form). Shitsurai means fitting out and preparing, setting up, but it's not just regular setting up. "Shitsurai" includes the feeling of "beauty of form." Usually we use the word when we have seasonal events like New Years Day, Hinamatsuri, etc. This site shows examples of shitsurai with beautiful photos. This is New Year, this is Hinamatsuri, and this is Boy's Day. Maybe it looks like just displays, but shitsurai is not just about displaying, it's an applicative kind of set up... hmm it's difficult to explain. Anyways, I wanted to say that if you watch “Departures,” you can see the shitsurai for departures to the afterworld.

Tokyo Metro has released this month’s manner poster. Hmm… I like it, but their copy "please do it at home" doesn’t suit that scenario. It was okay before though. Tokyo Metro and Japanese tobacco manner posters are always interesting. My favorite JT one is this and my favorite TM one is this. I know that in North America, you’d be arrested by police if you drank in public like that. In Japan, it's not an issue of the law, but rather one of manners. Actually, sometimes I can’t remember how I got home because I was too drunk.

taboo topics

Dr. Hiroo Iwata is a professor at the Institute of Engineering Mechanics and Systems at the University of Tsukuba and he is a leader in virtual reality technology in Japan. His exhibition "Hiroo Iwata: Dr. Strangelove to creation" is held at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. In that exhibition, we can see his inventions and another work from his project device art. This is one of his art projects: "circular floor." And you can check out more of his work on this page.

Ilaughed when I saw this "Floating Eye," but I want to try it. Your sight is controlled by a camera in a floating balloon, so you can see yourself from a bird’s eye view. I am very interested in this one: media vehicle. It's a virtual reality machine. I am not sure how it works, though at least I can feel like Motoko Kusanagi in Tachikoma. :-)

It was very interesting to read this article: "No sex please: We're German." I understand that regarding the topic of sex, it would be the same in Japan as well (except for young boys, ha ha! My American friend taught high school in Japan, and he said that Japanese boys always like to ask about the size of American guys’ THAT!). One in three of the Germans preferred not to talk about death, and one in five said that sickness was a no-go area. In Japan, death does not seem to be a taboo topic since it is related to metempsychosis and reincarnation. Japanese people can think of life as fragile and death as fantasy. Now I remember my favorite Japanese poem "negawakuwa hana no shitanite haru shinamu (hopefully I will be able to die beneath the blossoms in spring)” by Saigyo. And regarding sickness, older people at least don’t seem to care about talking about their sickness. Medical fees for old people are quite inexpensive in Japan, so they can go to hospital easily and get a lot of medicine. And some small hospitals look like a place for social interaction for old people. Their conversation topic is mainly their sicknesses.

I wrote before about how herbivore boys are increasing. “Herbivore boys” are boys who are not aggressive, not competitive in getting girls or having sex; they are pacifists and want to enjoy a quiet life. I found a topic on Wikipedia. (web translation). There is no other language link, but I guess you have this type of guy in your country as well.

Homeless people's blue tent

It's March already! I feel like I celebrated the new year just a few weeks ago, but "Time flies like an arrow!" In Japanese, we say "Koin Ya no Gotoshi," which has the same meaning as “time flies like an arrow.” And March 3rd is?"Girls’ day" (Hina Matsuri) in Japan. Families display hina dolls and eat Chirashi?zushi, Amazake and Hina arare or other special sweets.

This is some good artwork: "twelve animals" by Japanese artist Kentaro Nagai. He made the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac by using a world map. Since Japan is so small, I can follow it.

I got a windows mobile phone last week but I gave up two days later, so this article was interesting to me: "Why the Japanese Hate the iPhone." I think that we destroyed PDA culture with the cell phone. We had CLIE by Sony, Zaurus by Sharp, Cassiopeia by Casio, but they all went out of production. Most Japanese people use their mobile phones for the email, camera and TV watching features, but we don't manage our schedules or use office programs on phones. And most popular PC sites have mobile Internet sites that are much lighter and easier to read on mobile phones. But I won't say that we can keep this unique way.

This is a site about Japanese homeless people: "0 yen house." You can see details about homeless people's lives and ideas on the site. Usually they use blue tarps to make their tents. I can see a lot of such tents in Yoyogi park. I don't want to lose my home, but I have a desire to live with a minimum amount of possessions.