Photo of the Day: Ema
Ema are small wooden plaques on which Shinto worshippers write their prayers or wishes.
Japan In The News: Boeing 787 Dreamliner
The first Boeing 787 (called Dreamliner) airplane was just delivered to All Nippon Airlines (ANA) in Japan. Picture courtesy of AP as the plane taxis for take-off from the Boeing plant in Everett, Washington bound for Japan …
… and landing at Haneda International Airport near Tokyo.
ANA plans to offer the first passenger flight with the 787 on October 26 as a special trip between Tokyo and Hong Kong. The trip costs 78,700 yen for a return economy class ticket on the plane and an overnight stay in a hotel. Regular domestic service will start between Haneda and Okayama and Hiroshima on November 1, and intercontinental service between Haneda and Frankfurt in January.
Photo of the Day: Edo-Tokyo Museum
Opened in 1993,The Edo-Tokyo Museum is a museum of the history of Tokyo located in Ryogoku. Permanent exhibitions include a life-size replicas of the Nihonbashi, the Nakamuraza theatre, scale models of town, and buildings from the Edo, Meiji and Shōwa periods.
The distinctive elevated shape of the museum building is modeled after an old storehouse in the kurazukuri style.
Photo of the Day: Tea Ceremony
Traditional tea ceremonies are very popular in Japan. This picture was taken during the 2010 Midtown Blossom in Roppongi …
… and during the 2009 Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony held at the Hama Rikyu Gardens.
Gantz
Many Japanese movies are based on popular manga and/or anime series (or maybe just the ones I watch?). Gantz is no exception – it is a manga written by Hiroya Oku, which has sold over 17 million copies. More recently, it has also been released as a 26 episode anime series.
The movie Gantz and its sequel titled Gantz 2: Perfect Answer were both released in 2011, stars Kazunari Ninomiya (member of the famous Japanese boy band Arashi) and Kenichi Matsuyama (starred in Death Note).
Childhood friends, Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato, who were just about to be hit by an oncoming subway train, find themselves in a strange apartment with a mysterious giant black sphere and others who have recently died. The massive black sphere in the center of the living room is Gantz, who assigns the people gathered in the room on missions to exterminate aliens. They are given a set time and if successful will receive points. A total of 100 points will allow them to leave this purgatory like place or send someone else back to life. If they fail, they can perish forever.
Photo of the Day: Kinkaku-ji
Kinkaku-ji, also known as the Golden Pavilion, is a famous Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto.
Designated as a National Special Historic Site and a National Special Landscape, Kinkaku-ji is one of the most popular tourist attractions and most photographed buildings in Japan.
Japan in the News: Cool Japan
This is the new logo that will be used by the Japanese government around the world to promote Japanese tourism under the theme of ‘‘Cool Japan.’’ The logo was created by designer Kashiwa Sato, who designed the Uniqlo brand.
Let’s go to Japan!
Hula Girls
We saw Hula Girls at a local cinema while living in Tokyo several years ago. This movie is based on a true story of a group of enthusiastic girls learning hula dancing to save their small mining village in Iwaki by helping the formation of Joban Hawaiian Center (now known as Spa Resort Hawaiians), today one of Japan’s most popular theme parks.
Released in 2006, Hula Girls was critically acclaimed and nominated for a total of 12 awards at the 2007 Japan Academy Awards, winning five major awards (best film, best director, best screenplay, best supporting actress, most popular film). It premiered worldwide at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which is currently in progress.
Photo of the Day: Shinkyo Bridge
Considered one of the three most unique bridges in all Japan, the Shinkyo (Sacred) Bridge in Nikko is a registered World Heritage site. According to legend, in ancient times the benevolent god Jinsha first made a bridge here with two giant snakes (one red, one green) to ferry pilgrimaging monks across the gorge.
The Shinkyo had not been vermilion lacquered until 1636. The bridge was washed away by the flood in 1902, but it was rebuilt in 1904.
