What's in Japan.

July 7 is the day of TANABATA.

Legend

ORIHIME, the daughter of the world god, TENTEI was a weaver of cloths.
When she reached the marriageable age, TENTEI began to search for a suitable husband for her and there he found HIKOBOSHI, who handle oxen for making crops.
He was a good worker, so TENTEI arranged them to meet with each other.
Soon they fell in love and got married.
But their marriage was too good and eventually they stopped working.
So TENTEI made a river between them, which made both of them impossible to meet.
They can't work anymore because of sadness. Then TENTEI gave them a chance.
"If you agree to work, I will let both of you meet once a year. Do you promise?"
Both of them promised.
After this promises, magpies will make a bridge across the river on every July 7th.

In ancient times, people began to write their hopes on a piece of paper, which is known as TANZAKU, and hang it on a bamboo tree. What they hoped is that July 7th will be sunny so that ORIHIME and HIKOBOSHI can get to meet with each other.
Nowadays, people no longer wish that the day will be sunny. Instead, they put down their own hopes, wishing that they will come true.

The river which divides ORIHIME and HOKOBOSHI is represented by the Milky Way.
ORIHIME is represented by Vega, the brightest star in the constellation Lyra and HIKOBOSHI by Altair, the brightest star in the constellation of Aquila.

On July 7th, several festivals are held in many place of Japan.
But on this day, no stars can be seen in the sky.

It is because this event is on July 7th of the old calendar, not the Western calendar.
In Meiji era, Japan changed the calendar from the old one to the Western one.
At that time, people don't recalculate when the TANABATA is.
So now we hold festivals on July 7th in Western calendar, when Japan is in the rainy season and clouds make us not see any stars.

June 23rd is a day where a lot of people were killed during World War II in Okinawa prefecture.
Namely, a day of morning.

People gather at HEYWA KINEN KOHEN every year, including the prime minster himself.

military base

There are many American military bases in Okinawa Prefecture. Local residents are demanding to remove them because of their crimes and some pollution problems.

Chinese insist

China insists that Okinawa prefecture belongs to her. She says that OKINAWA is one country, Ryukyu before EDO era, so it doesn't belong to Japan at all.
But China has not governed OKINAWA any time. So if okinawa doesn't belong to Japan, it doesn't belong to China either.

Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum
http://www.peace-museum.pref.okinawa.jp/english/index.html
http://www.peace-museum.pref.okinawa.jp/

This is a charactor of the animation named "TETSUWAN ATOM". His name is Atom.
In America, this anime is called "ASTRO BOY".

Anime "TETSUWAN ATOM" is created by Osamu Tezuka. He is known to be "God of Manga" by some group of fans of Manga, because he changes manga from book of child to Japanese culture.

Yes, "TETSUWAN ATOM" was Manga before becoming Anime.

1st 30 minutes anime

Anime had been broadcasted by Fuji Television in Japan, from 1963 to 1966.
"TETSUWAN ATOM" is th first 30 minutes anime.
It started as a black and white anime before it changes to the colored anime which we see today.

1st commercial

This anime is first Japanese anime in which charactors have patent.
SEIKA NOTE, Japanese company, told Tezuka what is patent, how to use patent, how to get patent, etc.
This helps Tezuka's hard life.

Rough story

Atom is a robot.
He helps people by using his special power.
But he's not like Doraemon. Apart from heving very strong power, he is very wise too.
He can speak 60 languages. (60 is the number of the United Nations when anime started.)
He can distinguish a person as good man or bad man.
He is very helpful robot.
He is created by a machines expart.

Now, some game soft are being published.
Tezuka is close to Fujio Fujiko(Hiroshi Fujimoto and Motoo Abiko), creator of DORAEMON.

Atom opening in first movie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2btYv8GaXk

Creater TEZUKA was loved by many people
http://tezukaosamu.net/

I saw special show area at Kyoto Station.
It is in the Japan Railway station in Kyoto prefecture.
And there is TEZUKA OSAMU MUSEUM at Takarazuka city in Hyogo prefecture.
In fact, Mr.Tezuka had lived in Takarazuka city when he was 5 before he moved away when he was 24.

ATOM food : Sushi

In Japan, there is a conveyor belt sushi chain restaurant named "ATOM BOY".
Its restaurants are located mostly in Aichi Prefecture and other prefectures close to Aichi

These days, I use Telephone Cards that I stock.
Because it is MOTTAINAI.

(Telephon Card is used to call from public telephone.
And we can use it on only public phone.
To throw away it with not using because of the decrease of the number of the public phone is MOTTAINAI.)

Recently, public telephone is being removed because almost everyone has their own mobile phone.
So the number of people who use public phone became smaller and smaller.

Here is one card that I used.
This photo is taken at DOGASHIMA ONSEN HOTEL. That hotel is located in the Izu peninsula, Shizuoka prefecture.

This photo is western sea from the hotel.

The Waves are particular shape.
Usually, wave is forward to seashore, but these waves are forward to each other.
I guess there are shallow area. People can gather shellfish at low tide, I guess.

People say DOGASHIMA is a beautiful place.
It is because there are many rocks, caves and cliffs made shape by wave shaves.

ONSEN is hot spring in Japanese.
Nikkei Newspaper, published in Japan, introduces several ONSEN point every Saturday.