JAPAN HERITAGE Matsushima: A seascape that left poet Basho at a loss for words

source:http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201012030325.html

Legend has it that even Matsuo Basho, the celebrated 17th-century haikuist and travel writer, was at a loss for words when he first gazed at Matsushima.

The locale that so moved the man who perfected the art of haiku is about 14 kilometers from east to west, and 12 kilometers north to south. It encompasses a scenic coastline and 270 or so islets, all covered in pine trees, in Matsushima Bay, in Miyagi Prefecture.

An aerial view of Matsushima Bay off Miyagi Prefecture (ASAHI SHIMBUN FILE PHOTO)

Matsushima is considered one of the country's top three coastal scenic spots, along with Amanohashidate in Kyoto Prefecture and Miyajima in Hiroshima Prefecture. Since the Edo Period (1603-1867), Matsushima has been a favorite theme of both writers and artists.

It is within easy access of Sendai, the capital of the prefecture--less than a half-hour train ride.

Matsushima's charms are not seasonally challenged. It is a destination for all seasons--cherry blossoms in spring, beautiful leaves changing colors in fall, swimming and fishing in summer and a crystal view of the bay in winter. And regardless of the time of year, history fans will find much to see, do and learn.

Of course, Matsushima is noted for its seafood, including "anago" sea eels in summer and oysters in winter. There is no reason a visitor cannot try them at various restaurants, many of which offer great views of the bay.

After lunch you might want to hop aboard a tour boat for a bay trip. The boats follow predetermined times and routes to see the best the bay has to offer at just the right times of the day.

Hot tip: The lookout point at Otakamori on Miyatojima island in eastern Matsushima is considered the best spot to watch the sun go down.

For early risers, people say the best place to view the sun making its appearance is Saigyomodoshi no Matsu Park on the coast near Matsushima-Kaigan Station.

The station also provides access to Zuiganji temple, the most famous Zen temple of the Rinzai sect of Buddhism in the Tohoku region. It is believed to have been built in 828 and reconstructed in 1609 by warrior lord Date Masamune (1567-1636). Its main hall, corridors and even its Zen kitchen are designated national treasures.

Nearby is the small island of Ojima, once a training center for different Buddhist sects. It all began, so they say, when the ascetic Kenbutsu took up residence in the 12th century and spent the next dozen years reciting sutras all day long. Naturally, this much effort was rewarded with great spiritual power.

For those seeking more earthly pleasures, there is aquarium Marine Pia, noted for its waddling penguins, and a music box museum, Matsushima Orgel Museum. Both are within walking distance of Matsushima-Kaigan Station.

* * *

Take the JR Tohoku Shinkansen to Sendai Station and transfer to JR Senseki Line. It's a 25-minute ride to Matsushima-Kaigan Station.

From Sendai Station, the JR Tohoku Line is also available. Get off at Matsushima Station.

Sightseeing boats are available from a pier near Matsushima-Kaigan Station.

Visit (www.miyagi-kankou.or.jp/tourist_infomation/index.htm) and (www.pref.miyagi.jp)

Monkeys ecstatic as hot spring opens

source:http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201012020340.html

About 100 Japanese monkeys eagerly clambered into a hot spring, stretching their limbs and getting loose on Wednesday, the first day their pool was filled at Hakodate Tropical Botanical Garden in Hokkaido.

The primates chattered appreciatively--especially the creaky oldsters--as they slipped into the soothing water. The day was a cold one, with temperatures sliding below zero.

The primates will be able to loll about in the bath until the season ends in early May.

According to garden officials, Japanese monkeys, much like Japanese themselves, tend to be fussy about water temperature.

The monkeys demand the water be heated to 41 degrees and won't get in the pool if it isn't, the officials said.

Japanese monkeys relax in a hot spring bath at Hakodate Tropical Botanical Garden in Hokkaido on Wednesday. (Yasuhiro Sugimoto)

Anime Cine Experience In Delhi

source:http://blogs.rediff.com/aaftnews/2010/08/18/asga-join-hands-with-anime-cine-experience/

Cine Darbaar, in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan, Directorate of
Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of
India, Japan Foundation and Asian School Of Graphics And Animation
[ASGA] as knowledge partners is organizing a 3-day Animation film
festival at Siri Fort auditorium on the 20th, 21st & 22nd August,
2010.
It’s the first time that a festival will be celebrating
Japanese-Anime, Manga (Comics) and Pop-culture in India. Anime Cine
Experience will be bringing the great anime works of Japan with films
like The Girl who leapt through time, Grave of the fireflies, 5cm per
second, Voices of Distant Star and The Place Promised in Our Early Days.
“To give the audience a wider understanding of Anime, the festival will
have workshops and special discussions will be conducted by Shubham
Mauria and Kshitiz Anand’’ informed Sandeep Marwah, President of Marwah
Studios and Director of Asian School Of Graphics And Animation.

Apart from these workshops, festival is also organizing a short-film
competition. A Short Anime corner will screen the 10 best short films
and the top three films will be awarded. The festival will also have a
photography exhibition on Japan.
A film journal Indian Auteur will be publishing a special issue on Anime for 
the festival with the help of Japan Foundation and knowledge partners 
Asian School of Graphics and Animation.The Festival is supported by 
International Film And Television Club, International Children’s
 Film Forum and Radio Noida.

South Korea, China overtaking Japan in 'cool' culture battle

source:http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201007250293.html

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

2010/07/26

In industry as well as sports, Japan has found itself trailing in the footsteps of China and South Korea.

Those two neighbors are now threatening Japan's place in the cultural realm as well.

Between July 1 and 4, the Japan Expo in Paris attracted manga and anime fans from around Europe. In recent years, about 150,000 people have taken part.

In one section of the event, however, signs were displayed for manhwa, the Korean term for manga.

For the first time in the 11-year history of the expo, the manhwa sign was displayed through the efforts of the Korea Creative Content Agency, a South Korean government agency.

Tetsuya Watanabe, the official in charge of the Cool Japan section at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, could not hide his shock at the strides being made by South Korea.

"There may come the day when this event is overwhelmed by manhwa," Watanabe said.

South Korea has been stressing the fostering of its cultural industry from the 1990s and the Korea Creative Content Agency plays an important role in that effort.

The agency operates mainly through about 180 billion won (about 13.3 billion yen or $152.1 million) in government subsidies. Among its main roles are drawing up a strategy to move into foreign markets as well as to develop individuals in the cultural industry.

Agency President Lee Jae-woong said, "In the 21st century, the cultural industry will lead all industries. That is the recognition of the South Korean government."

In addition to manga, South Korea is also making major efforts in film, even as Japanese directors such as Hayao Miyazaki and Takeshi Kitano have received international acclaim.

A new base for South Korean cinema is now under construction at the Haeundae seaside resort area in Busan.

A roof measuring about 1.5 times the size of a soccer pitch is supported by what looks like tree limbs.

The site will eventually become the main venue for the Pusan International Film Festival.

The film center is scheduled for completion in September 2011 and the South Korean and Busan city governments have invested a total of 162.4 billion won.

An area of about 60,000 square meters, including the film center, will also eventually house facilities to train animators. Two years from now, government agencies in charge of the film industry will move to Busan from Seoul.

South Korean government officials want to turn the area into an Asian film hub.

In the background lies the success of the Pusan International Film Festival which began in 1996.

The scale of the festival expanded with the aggressive backing provided by the national and local governments.

From 1998, a new project was begun to bring together movie producers and investors from various Asian nations.

From 2005, a program was begun to have movie directors and others give lectures to individuals aspiring to careers in the movie industry.

Such efforts rapidly improved international recognition of the film festival.

One result is that the number of world premieres offered at the Pusan International Film Festival reached 98 last year, far outpacing the 26 presented at the Tokyo International Film Festival, which has an older history, having begun in 1985.

This year's Pusan International Film Festival, to be held in October, will have a budget of about 10 billion won (700 million yen), about 4.5 times the budget of the first festival. Three-quarters of the budget is being covered by the central and city governments.

The Korea Creative Content Agency's Lee said, "When moving into global economic markets, efforts should also be made to improve the level of cultural industry. Improving culture will improve the image of a nation and heighten the product value of manufactured goods. The South Korean government is well aware of that connection."

China is also making efforts to improve its cultural industry. In 2007, the Communist Party convention placed cultural soft power as a major national policy.

In addition to movies and publishing, China has in recent years emphasized anime. Anime industrial bases have been constructed in about 20 locations in China, including Dalian, Tianjin and Changsha.

A number of anime companies with more than 1,000 employees have since emerged.

Those efforts were evident at the Tokyo International Anime Fair held in March in the Ariake district of Tokyo.

Of the 59 companies from abroad, 38 were from China, while only 16 were from South Korea.

The Chinese city of Chongqing held meetings at a Tokyo hotel during the fair that brought together anime companies based in Chongqing with Japanese companies.

Wu Jiangbo, deputy director of the Cultural Market Department of China's Culture Ministry, said, "The anime fair is an important platform to publicize China's works and companies."

The central government has a heavy hand in developing China's anime industry.

A high-ranking Culture Ministry official said, "The market has grown to 100 billion yuan (1.3 trillion yen), about six times the Japanese market."

However, Chinese officials are not satisfied with the current situation.

Wu said, "Although there are now about 5,000 anime companies in China, there is no company recognized around the world. We want to foster a first-class company on a global scale."

In the past, Chinese companies were nothing more than subcontractors for the Japanese anime industry.

Now, there is more equality in the relationships.

In June, a news conference was held in Shanghai to announce the start of production of a Chinese-language anime movie based on a Japanese TV anime, "Ikkyu-san," that was popular during the 1980s in China.

The movie version will be jointly produced by Toei Animation Co. of Tokyo and the Shanghai Media Group.

Hidenori Oyama, senior director at Toei Animation, said of the project, "It will be a first step to move into the Asian market."

However, those on the Chinese side have bigger plans in mind.

They are targeting the generation that grew up watching Ikkyu-san, an anime about a Buddhist monk, as well as their children.

Wang Lei, a vice president with the Shanghai Media Group, said, "If this succeeds in China, we want to sell it in Southeast Asia."

Chinese Cultural Minister Cai Wu said, "We have learned a lot about cultural policy from Japan and South Korea. In particular, the policy of South Korea has been wise because even though it is a small nation it has achieved economic development and has exported many aspects of South Korean culture."

Trying to keep up, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry established the section for Cool Japan in June.

One official said, "We want to heighten Japan's brand image through a strategic overseas marketing move in such areas as anime, design and fashion, and tie that into economic growth."

A South Korean "manhwa" booth at the Japan Expo in Paris in July (KAZUYA OMURO/ THE ASAHI SHIMBUN)

Manga: Comic romance is big in Japan

source:http://www.canadianbusiness.com/after_hours/lifestyle_products/article.jsp?content=20100412_10015_10015

Adapting its format to Japanese tastes, Harlequin succeeds in the manga business.

By Laura Cameron

Stephen Miles, executive vice-president of overseas operations for Toronto-based Harlequin Enterprises travels one week out of every month, visiting two or three countries on each trip. “When I watch the movie Lost In Translation, I tell my kids, ‘That’s my job,’” says Miles. The task of exporting romance novels around the world involves preserving the characteristics of Harlequin’s product that make it universally appealing — the classic love story — and adapting aspects of the business that change depending on the market, such as how the content is formatted and distributed. But in spite of the need to strike this balance, Miles insists that it is not a complex business.

Arriving in Japan, Miles says, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize Torstar-owned Harlequin needed to change its format to penetrate the Japanese market — more than 50% of adult fiction in Japan is read in a comic-book form called manga. Manga, which translates literally to “whimsical pictures,” is a Japanese genre of comics that is read by people of all ages. The 1990s anime TV series Sailor Moon became well-known in the West as an animated version of a modern romance manga by Naoko Takeuchi. According to a Tokyo-based research company, Impress R&D, the Japanese manga industry took in $380 million in revenue in the last fiscal year.

“If you go into a bookstore in Japan — and they’re on every street corner — half the store is comics,” says Miles. “It made sense for us to publish our books in comic form.”

But Harlequin decided to stick with what they know — the text business — and license their stories to a Japanese comic-book publisher to see what they could learn from the market. Its partner, Ohzora Publishing, took English-language Harlequin romances, had them translated into Japanese and contracted an artist to illustrate them in manga style.

The manga business was successful under Ohzora, and in 2006 when Harlequin launched e-books in Japan, the decision followed naturally to distribute digital comics as well. According to Miles, Harlequin took over publishing manga because Ohzora was unwilling to invest in and grow the business.

Harlequin saw a big opportunity in digital manga, and was quick to recognize that mobile phone technology was an important trend in Japan, where data transfer is fast and cheap, thanks to a one gigabyte-per-second fibre-based network. The transfer of manga illustrations is fairly data-intensive, but because the mobile Internet is so advanced in Japan, comics can be read easily on a cellphone. Additionally, Japanese characters make it possible to read more text on a small screen than other languages. To facilitate this new way of distributing content, Harlequin partnered with SoftBank Creative, the third-largest mobile company in Japan.

Today, Japan is the largest market in Harlequin’s overseas business. Digital manga sales were more than $10 million in 2009, up more than 100% from 2008. Nearly all of these sales were in Japan, but according to Miles there is a large market for digital manga all over Asia. Harlequin is expanding its business with its partner SoftBank — last year they moved into Korea, and currently they are working on expanding in China. This year they will tackle Taiwan, France and the U.S.

The potential for growth is not as big in western countries, where manga is, at most, a niche market. Harlequin is focusing on growing its e-books business in the West, where mobile phone technology is less advanced and e-readers are becoming more popular. Presently, it is launching its electronic front list in the United Kingdom, France and Australia.

Although Harlequin has been quick to adapt to different markets and changes in distribution models, the main reason the company has been successful is the romance novel’s enduring appeal to women. Harlequin is the only publisher that targets women exclusively, which Miles says enables it to do highly focused research. “We know a lot about our customers,” he says. Sticking to their core business also enabled it to fare better than other fiction publishers during the recession. It provides women with an inexpensive escape. “Boy meets girl and they stay in love forever,” says Miles. “It’s a simple model but it works.” And the most important element in the romance novel business, of course, is “they’re all really happy endings.”

China challenges Japan in anime

source:http://www.philly.com/inquirer/magazine/20100401_China_challenges_Japan_in_anime.html

By Tomoko A. Hosaka

Associated Press

TOKYO - Yoko Komazawa had been at the Tokyo International Anime Fair for nearly six hours when she fell in love with a brown-and-white stuffed panda - a character in one of the fair's featured cartoons.

"It's so adorable and interesting," she said, staring into its gleaming pink eyes. "I want it."

Unfortunately, the panda wasn't for sale and Komazawa had to settle for a photo. But she walked away from the small booth impressed by the panda's creators - from China.

"Japan is certainly an amazing anime country," said the 30-something anime fan and collector of all things cute and cuddly. "China has some intriguing characters, though. They're different, and that definitely catches my attention."

Komazawa's enthusiasm for something new is a small victory for China's fledgling animation industry, and could well represent a widening crack in Japan's global anime dominance. Japan may be the birthplace of anime, but China is gunning for its future as it mounts an aggressive effort to expand the country's creative prowess and reputation.

In November, the government's cultural arm established the China Animation Comic Group Co. to foster a "great leap forward" in animation production, technology and marketing. Part of the plan includes building a "China Animation Game City" in Beijing that would be a national hub.

With government subsidies, Chinese animation companies tripled their presence at this year's Tokyo anime fair even as the overall number of exhibitors declined. The four-day event that ended March 28, one of the world's biggest anime-related trade shows and festivals, featured a "China-Japan Anime Summit" along with multiple China-themed lectures.

"China is a big market, and everybody is trying to get in," said Jimmy Tse, chief executive of Top Art Investment Ltd., which makes the panda Komazawa craved. "And the Chinese people, they are starting to think, 'How come I'm manufacturing for someone else? Why are we not creating anything ourselves?' "

China's growing ambitions coincide with an ominous industry-wide slump in Japan.

After peaking in 2006, the number of anime minutes made for television fell 20 percent to 108,342 in 2009, according to the Association of Japanese Animations. A survey of the group's members shows that overseas anime revenue fell 21 percent between 2006 and 2009.

Matt Alt, a Tokyo-based author, blogger, and longtime observer of Japanese pop culture, blames the industry itself for losing its edge. The world's hunger for anime accelerated around 2000, with Hollywood incorporating anime scenes into films and children clamoring for Pokémon.

Since 2006, however, a trend toward adult-oriented (and often sexually explicit) niche titles has turned off the general audience. Moreover, the industry is losing young talent due to persistently low pay and poor working conditions, forcing Japanese animation companies to outsource much of their work.

The man behind the Tokyo anime fair acknowledges the global anime boom has waned. But chief producer Hitoshi Suzuki brushes off suggestions that foreign competition poses a threat. Japanese animation is rooted in a rich 60-year history that cannot be replicated elsewhere, he said, citing the work of Astro Boy creator and "godfather of anime" Osamu Tezuka.

"Everyone tries to copy the surface of Japanese animation," he said. "But real Japanese animation is different."

CDJapan Launches New Online Bookstore

source:http://www.prweb.com/printer/3657844.htm

CDJapan is an online shop that offers Japanese entertainment products including CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, anime characters, and fashion items. This time it launches new online bookstore that offers a wide range of the latest books published in Japan, including magazines, manga comics, Jpop photo albums, anime, and rare books that are obtainable only in Japan. Almost all Japanese books are available, and preordered items will ship as soon as they are published.

(PRWEB) March 2, 2010 -- CDJapan (http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/index.html) is an English online shop located in Tokyo that offers the latest Japanese entertainment products including CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, anime characters, and fashion items to customers worldwide. The website has recently been upgraded to launch a new bookstore (http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/book/index.html) and an audio electronics shop as a part of its efforts to broaden the scope of products that it offers.

Since 1998, CDJapan has offered the latest Japanese entertainment product directly from Japan to customers all over the world. Each month, over 900,000 people from more than 120 countries visit the website, and it currently sends about 10,000 orders every month. CDJapan has a large customer base in North America and Europe, and there has recently been a sharp growth with customers from South East Asia (especially Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand), China, Russia, and South America (especially Brazil, Chile, and Argentina).

The new bookstore offers a wide range of publications available only in Japan including the latest books, photo albums, magazines, manga comics, art books, fashion magazines, lifestyle books, and plenty more. CDJapan does not include any extra charge in the price it offers for the books, and it is the best place to purchase books published in Japan. Usually, orders are delivered within a few days after they are shipped if Express Mail Service is selected.

Orders are packaged well to ensure that they arrive safely, and various shipping methods are available including Express Mail Service, Air Mail, and Economy Air Mail (SAL) to suit various customer preferences. CDJapan also offers convenient payment methods including credit cards, PayPal, Alipay, and more. In addition, CDJapan is currently expanding the types of products it offers, and they welcome requests from customers and they will consider making them available in the future.

It also offers an affiliate program, and it is equipped with an applet that translates the English contents of the website into over 35 languages.

For more information about CDJapan or to view its collection of latest products from Japan, visit cdjapan.co.jp (http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/).

# # #

Contact Information Toshiyuki Makiya Neowing Corporation http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/ 81-3-3665-4970

Isle of Man schoolgirl becomes an anime star in Japan

source:http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/07/rebecca-flint-anime-beckii-cruel/print

Rebecca Flint, 14 – aka Beckii Cruel – is an internet hit among anime fans and her debut album is tipped to top Japanese charts

• Paul Gallagher
• The Observer, Sunday 7 February 2010
• larger | smaller

Rebecca Flint, 14, performing as Beckii Cruel

Like most 14-year-old girls, Rebecca Flint likes to dress up and dance. But unlike most girls, she records and posts her performances on YouTube.

The results have made her an internet phenomenon in Japan, home of the anime cartoon characters she imitates. More than eight million people have watched Rebecca performing as Beckii Cruel, dancing to bouncy J-pop (Japanese pop music) and anime theme songs in the attic of her home on the Isle of Man.

Her success has led publishing giant Tokuma Japan to sign up Beckii, teaming her with 18-year-old French college student "Sara Cruel", from Lyon, and a 16-year-old student from Portsmouth known as "Gemma Cruel". The trio – Beckii Cruel and the Cruel Angels – release their debut album in Japan on Wednesday, when it is expected to reach the top of the charts.

Beckii's looks have created a sensation in Japan, where she has become a "moeidol", a female worshipped for her small face, large eyes and slender limbs, similar to those found in anime characters – the Japanese animation-style heavily influenced by manga comic books.

Anime has a huge following in Japan across all sections of society. Taro Aso, a former prime minister, is a self-confessed anime obsessive, reading up to 20 comic books a week.

"The perceived virtual existence and borderless nature surrounding Beckii are a catalyst for stirring fantasies," said Toshiyuki Inoue, an IT journalist, summing up the popularity of moe artists.

Kaori Sakurai, a freelance writer, said that the otaku – anime geeks who worship teenagers like Beckii – will often avoid pretty girls in real life, fearing that they would simply dismiss them. But they have been won over by Beckii, who appears as just another fan like them.

Beckii's popularity in Japan rocketed after her YouTube videos were picked up by popular Japanese website Niko Niko Douga. Her Japanese DVD debut, This is Beckii Cruel: Too Cute to be Real, was released last November and debuted at number eight in Japan's DVD charts. Beckii, who already features in Japanese TV commercials for chewing gum, performed live for the first time at Akihabara, home ofotaku culture in Tokyo, last October.

The daughter of a policeman and a former dance instructor, Beckii first became interested in Japanese cartoons and comics three years ago when she picked up a translated copy of Fruits Basket, a Japanese girls' manga created by Natsuki Takaya. Since then, she has been voraciously reading manga and watching anime, while also studying Japanese.

Beckii's idea to film herself in "cosplay" – derived from costume play – followed and an internet star was born. Hundreds of thousands of Japanese teenagers indulge in "cosplay", with conventions regularly held around the country. Tokyo Dome, home of the Yomiuri Giants baseball team, is a regular weekend hangout for teenagers dressed as their favourite anime or manga characters.

At a recent press conference in Japan alongside her father, Derek, Beckii said she was aware that her age and the nature of her videos would attract some unwanted attention. "I'm well aware of the dangers of the internet; my school back home on the Isle of Man is good at educating us on that," she said.

Beckii has had her own webpage since she was four – her older brother, Ryan had his at six. Ten years on from setting it up with her father, who says he has educated his daughter on the dangers of the internet, she now has the second most subscribed website among Japanese musicians. The expectation surrounding the release of her album this week suggests her incredible rise to fame shows no signs of slowing down.

Anime usually refers to a style of animation originating in Japan, influenced by the manga (Japanese comics) style and typically featuring characters with large eyes, big hair, exaggerated facial expressions and elongated limbs.

Cosplay (right) is a term originating in Japan based on the words "costume play", and involves dressing up as anime or manga characters.

• guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2010

Rap and manga - new roads to Nirvana in Japan

source:http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h3sR_aEBCz0bf3uxiLXRpofGvKqQ

By Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura (AFP) – Dec 8, 2009

TOKYO — They rap sutras, use manga characters and serve beers -- some of Japan's Buddhist monks are turning to decidedly unorthodox means to boost the appeal of their ancient faith.

The new breed of holy men worry that Buddhism is slowly losing its shine as a generation raised in a consumer society turns its back on prayer and seeks solace in material rather than spiritual remedies.

Buddhism is still Japan's main religion, along with the animist Shinto faith, but hundreds of temples have been shuttered and monks say they struggle to be heard above the buzz of modern life.

With prayer beads in one hand and a microphone in another, robed and bespectacled monk "Mr. Happiness" flicked on a boom box one recent afternoon and, under the placid gaze of a Buddha statue, rapped lyrics that roughly translated to this:

"This is a story from a long time ago /

He gets in my dreams, he's my cosmic idol /

Yeah yeah, who ya talkin' about bro? /

I'm talkin' about the Buddha yo."

His lyrics, sung in modern Japanese, are inspired by ancient Sanskrit scriptures about compassion, pain and suffering, said the monk, the latest in a line of family patriarchs to head the 400-year old Kyouyoji Temple.

"There was a lot of controversy when I started this," said the monk, whose real name is Kansho Tagai.

"But I think a monk's role is to spread the teachings through a wide variety of performances. With more than 2,500 years of history, I think we should be able to choose ways to adapt Buddhism to every age.

"Buddhism has the substance ... to respond to people's needs, but monks need to get closer to the people," said Tagai, who on his website describes his temple as "Your Heart's Clinic."

Elsewhere in Tokyo, the suburban Ryohoji temple attracted hundreds of people for last month's autumn festival by drawing on the power of manga comics and the quirky youth cult of Cosplay, or costume-play.

Girls sporting frilly maid uniforms and sets of fluffy cat-ears -- the latest in comic-inspired costuming and usually a more common sight in Tokyo's geeky manga cafes -- greeted visitors to the 16th century temple.

Benzaiten, the goddess of knowledge, music and the arts, was depicted as a doe-eyed cartoon character on a sign at the temple, which also offered short cellphone video downloads of chief monk Shoko Nakazato chanting prayers.

"I came over because this temple has been the talk of the Net," said software programmer Mitsutaka Adachi, 26. "I was a bit surprised to see this, but it's fun. This can motivate people to come here."

Ryohoji's abbot Nakazato, 45, said he is part of the manga generation himself, having grown up on a diet of big-eyed cartoon figures and robo-cats, and sees nothing wrong with using the genre to attract newcomers.

"I have little resistance to manga ... I wanted to tell the people that temples are a fun place to visit," he said.

In another Buddhist temple, monks and nuns have even staged a fashion show to promote the faith, strutting down a catwalk to hip-hop music at Tsukiji Honganji Temple and showcasing their colorful Tokyo Bouz ("monk") Collection.

The fashion-monks from several different sects wore colourful robes and rapped sutras under a shower of confetti shaped like lotus petals.

Yet another monk, hipster Kaku Aoe with a goatee and a shaved head, has organised monthly 'dinners in the dark,' where blindfolded guests play a guessing game about the food but also get a taste of a monk's life.

"There are few opportunities for monks and people to connect," he said during a recent dinner. "Through a fun concept like this, people will be more open and eager to learn about Buddhism."

While some detractors dismiss the monks' business ventures as marketing gimmicks, the debate underscores real worries over the faith's future.

Japan is home to 75,000 temples and 20,000 monks, but hundreds of the religious sites are shuttered each year.

Although temples and religious festivals remain popular, many Japanese see them as tourist magnets that do a roaring trade in lucky charms and expensive funerals but have little connection to their lives.

Others resent the idea of ascetics seeking enlightenment in the comfort of their tax-free temples at a time when a severe recession has caused massive layoffs, a spike in suicides, and worries over a bleak future.

Hoping to take his spiritual message into the earthly realm of the Japanese office worker, another monk has ventured into the inner sanctum of the salaryman, the after-hours beer bar.

Working the counter of a cozy music club one recent night, monk Hogen Natori was serving drinks, yelling orders, joking with customers -- and chanting traditional ancient sutras.

Hogen began performing with two junior monks six years ago, experimenting with jazz and other styles. In the end they decided to stick with the original -- unembellished and ancient chants.

The monks explained their message before dimming the lights. Then, one struck a chime and a hush descended over the 12-seat bar. The trio began to hum in low voices that swelled into chants as candles flickered.

After their performances, the monks engaged the guests in dialogue.

"Japan's youth have very few opportunities to run into Buddhism," Natori said. "They think monks are boring, that they just sit in their temples and say they pray for people without even coming out to listen to them."

Natori is unashamed about his nocturnal forays into Tokyo nightlife in his bid to bring enlightenment to the people.

"We need to actively guide people about how to live," he said. "But we also need to make monks fun ... If they can't come to us, we need to go to them, like a delivery service."

Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved

apanese temple resorts to manga to woo visitors

source:http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jRK1Vs55B3f_ZtJuVIVcqqY23IiQ

By Miwa Suzuki (AFP) – Nov 21, 2009

HACHIOJI, Japan — Girls clad in maids' outfits are not traditionally associated with Buddhism, but that has not stopped monks at a centuries-old temple using Japanese pop culture to woo visitors.

The Ryohoji temple, built in the late 16th century in a Tokyo suburb, erected a colourful manga-inspired sign at its entrance in June and has since seen visitor numbers perk up -- especially young men.

But it went a step further at the weekend, setting up tents and opening up a temporary cafe staffed by bonnet-wearing girls sporting classic frills, one of the recent popular themes among fans of anime and costume role-playing.

The "maids" look authentic and old-fashioned in every way -- save for the short length of the skirts and the fake cats' ears on their heads.

And it seemed to work, the temple drawing hundreds of visitors on Saturday as the event coincided with a local autumn festival in Hachioji, on the western outskirts of Tokyo.

"I came over because this temple has been the talk of the Net," said Mitsutaka Adachi, a 26-year-old telecom software programmer, one of many first-time visitors to the ancient temple.

"I was a bit surprised to see this but it's fun," he told AFP. "This can motivate people to come here."

One of the maids, who only identified herself as Yurin, said it was "good that young people come to the temple."

"This is my first experience as a maid but I'm enjoying myself," she added.

Ryohoji's chief monk, Shoko Nakazato, 45, said he did not think it was inappropriate.

"I'm a manga generation who grew up watching them on television. I have little resistance to manga.... I wanted to tell the people that temples are a fun place to visit," he said.

Ryohoji previously had almost no visitors during the week, but recently up to 30 people, mostly young men, had come every day, Nakazato said.

Adding to the spectacle, Toromi, a singer who drew the manga characters on the temple's sign, was in a red-and-white costume inspired by a goddess worshipped at the temple.

"I'm so happy as unexpectedly many people came," said Toromi, who goes by one name and is a common sight in Akihabara, Tokyo's electronics district that is frequented by computer buffs and fanatics, known in Japanese as "otaku."

Ryohoji is also selling a 500-yen (five-dollar) card with cartoon characters which allows buyers to download three-minute motion pictures on to their mobile phones of chief monk Nakazato chanting prayers.

Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.

It's the unreal wedding of the year

source:http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/games/its-the-unreal-wedding-of-the-year-20091126-jt2j.html

ASHER MOSES

November 26, 2009

Photos courtesy Sal9000, via BoingBoing.net.">

The honeymoon in Guam and, inset, Nene Anegasaki. Photos courtesy Sal9000, via BoingBoing.net.

We may occasionally wish our spouses had an "off" switch but a Japanese man will have that luxury full-time after he married his virtual girlfriend in an official-looking ceremony over the weekend.

In a bizarre story reminiscent of the film Lars and the Real Girl, the man, known by his nickname SAL9000, fell in love with a fictional character from the Nintendo DS "love simulator" Love Plus.

Popular in Japan's geek subculture, the game invites players to pick a girlfriend and then challenges them to woo her by taking her out on "dates" and perform boyfriend duties such as saying "I love you" 100 times into the handheld games console.

Photos courtesy Sal9000, via BoingBoing.net.">

The bride and groom in Tokyo. Photos courtesy Sal9000, via BoingBoing.net.

The most successful lotharios can even give their virtual love interest a kiss by literally kissing the DS's touch screen.

But that wasn't enough for SAL9000, who wedded Nene Anegasaki in an official-looking but not legally binding reception in Tokyo on Sunday.

Unusually, before the wedding, he took her on a "honeymoon" to Guam.

The reception included a priest, an MC, a DJ, speeches from friends and family, photo slideshows, wedding music and even a bouquet. The entire event was streamed live on a Japanese video-sharing site, of which SAL9000 is a prominent member.

"I'm so happy so many people were able to witness this," SAL9000 wrote in a letter to tech culture blog BoingBoing.net, calling it a milestone in his life.

"Some people have expressed doubts about my actions, but at the end of the day, this is really just about us as husband and wife. As long as the two of us can go on to create a happy household, I'm sure any misgivings about us will be resolved.

"The two of us hope to continue to let our love for each other grow as time goes on."

Lisa Katayama, a US freelance journalist who covers Japanese tech culture for publications including BoingBoing.net, The New York Times Magazine, Wired, and her own blog, TokyoMango.com, has been at the forefront of this virtual love craze.

She covered SAL9000's reception and in October interviewed young Japanese real-life couple Koh and Yurie, whose marriage took an unexpected turn when Koh took a liking to his Love Plus virtual girlfriend while on a business trip.

Yurie said she didn't have a problem with Koh's virtual indiscretions, saying "if he's just enjoying it as a game, that's fine with me".

And in an even stranger story, Katayama wrote a piece for The New York Times about Tokyo resident Nisan, 37, who fell in love with a stuffed pillowcase emblazoned with a depiction of a teenage video game character.

Nisan insists he has real feelings for the character and says he carries the pillowcase everywhere he goes.

"When I die, I want to be buried with her in my arms," he said.

But Katayama says people who dismiss these love affairs as the preserve of wackos are simply placing judgment too quickly on something they're not comfortable with.

She said people needed to stretch their imaginations to consider how far they would go in loving something that's not human.

"Here [in the US] it's OK to love your dog, it's OK to even love your car, but it's not OK to love an anime character," she said in a phone interview.

"We draw the line there in Western culture but in Japan some people still draw the line at cars and some people draw it a little further.

"I don't know if it's a good thing for society but we're always replacing things that humans used to do with technology, so it's not too far off to think that things like romance and sex can be replaced by technology."

Japanese launch campaign to marry comic book characters

My god, this is getting really weird.

source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/3283463/Japanese-launch-campaign-to-marry-comic-book-characters.html

A campaign has been launched in Japan to legally allow comic book-loving humans to marry their favourite fictitious characters.

By Danielle Demetriou in Tokyo
Last Updated: 8:27AM GMT 30 Oct 2008

In a reflection of the nation's growing obsession with escaping reality, more than 1,000 people have signed an on-line petition to present to the government to establish a law permitting marriage to comic characters.

Comic books known as "manga", animated "anime" films and on-line virtual reality games have become increasingly popular in Japan, with fictitious characters frequently elevated to celebrity status.

Among the most high profile of manga fans is the current prime minister Taro Aso, who recently complained he had not had time to read any comic books since taking office last month.

The on-line campaign for cartoon marriages was masterminded by Taichi Takashita who claimed he was motivated to pursue the unusual change in law because he felt more at ease in the "two dimensional world" than reality.

"I am no longer interested in three dimensions. I would even like to become a resident of the two-dimensional world," he wrote.

"However, that seems impossible with present-day technology. Therefore, at the very least, would it be possible to legally authorise marriage with a two-dimensional character?" A growing number of Japanese "otaku" geeks are spending an increasing amount of time escaping the social challenges of modern-day life by seeking refuge in the "virtual" two-dimensional reality of manga, anime and on-line games.

The new campaign was launched only days after a woman was jailed in Japan after "killing" her virtual husband after he suddenly divorced her as part of a popular interactive internet game.

Weeks earlier, police charged another woman who posted an on-line message plotting to kill her parents after they told her to clear up her several thousand-strong manga collection in their home.

While single sex marriage is not permitted in Japan, the popularity of the cartoon-human unions was instantly apparent this week as more than 1,000 were enlisted to the campaign.

Among them, one supporter wrote: "For a long time I have only been able to fall in love with two-dimensional people and currently I have someone I really love.

"Even if she is fictional, it is still loving someone. I would like to have legal approval for this system at any cost."

Horror stories in old Japan

By AZIZUL RAHMAN

(from http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2008/10/5/tvnradio/2158080&sec=tvnradio)

Masterful horror anime Ayakashi premieres on Animax, just in time for Halloween at the end of the month.

AT a glance, Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror seems like a horror story that is meant to simply shock and awe. However, like its hip-hop opening theme, there’s more to this anime than meets the eye.

Ayakashi is a collection of three horror stories set in feudal Japan, each told in three or four episodes (or chapters) in its own unique art style, and steeped in Japanese culture and mythology.

The first story, Yotsuya Kaiden (The Ghost Story of Yotsuya), spans four episodes. It is based on an 18th century kabuki play by Tsuruya Nanboku, which is an adaptation of a classic Japanese ghost story. Undoubtedly the most complex of the three stories, Yotsuya Kaiden is a very tragic tale of evil that begets evil. It centres on a curse uttered by a woman named Oiwa whose fate is dreadful beyond words.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, in Ayakashi’s opening tale, Yotsuya Kaiden.

Oiwa is married under false pretences to a poor ronin (samurai without a lord) named Tamiya Iemon. Despite her love for her husband, Iemon starts loathing Oiwa after she gives birth to their child and falls ill.

When a rich neighbour’s niece is attracted to Iemon, the woman’s family poisons Oiwa so that she can marry Iemon. Disfigured by the poison, Oiwa learns of their nefarious plan to get her killed. Weak and disheartened, she takes her own life. From then on, Oiwa’s vengeful spirit haunts those who had wronged her to a horrendous death.

Of the three stories, I found Yotsuya Kaiden to be the most profound and true to the series’ horror theme. Heavily laden with references to Japanese culture and legends, the story may be too complex for a casual anime fan. But given a little patience and maybe a little research, you will find that this is one of the best tales there is.

Yotsuya Kaiden’s story unfolds like a play. Each episode is an act with a short documentary at the end to help explain the deep story, which is rooted in Japanese lore and history, further. Even the characters are drawn with facial features that resemble those found in old Japanese paintings.

Tenshu Monogatari (The Castle Tower), the second story of Ayakashi, takes up four episodes in the series. The story is very different from what I expect to find in a horror-themed anime. It is a romantic tale of forbidden love and jealousy based on a play by Kyoka Izumi.

Zushonosuke the falconer is forced by his cruel master to retrieve a falcon that flew towards the castle of the Forgotten Gods. There, he meets a girl who falls in love with him. However, he is unaware that the girl is actually Tomihime, Princess of the Forgotten Gods, a race of beings once worshipped but now feeds on humans.

The second story Tenshu Monogatari, which is about a castle full of dangerous creatures, looks like a conventional anime.

Tenshu Monogatari is the sort of show you’d watch with your significant other. Its plot is in stark contrast to Yotsuya Kaiden’s: it has clear-cut heroes and villains, and it is about love. The art has a more modern feel to it; it looks like Ghost in the Shell fusing with classic Japanese art €“ not surprising, considering that Yasuhiro Nakura, who was involved in the key animation of Ghost in the Shell II: Innocence, has had a hand in this anime.

In the final story, Bakeneko (Monster Cat), a samurai family plans to marry off their daughter to free them of debt. Unfortunately, the daughter dies under mysterious circumstances. Eventually, a medicine seller becomes involved in the affair; he begins to hunt down the creature that killed her and in the process, uncovers the family’s dark secret.

The three-episode Bakeneko (Monster Cat) evokes extreme feelings from both sides of the spectrum. I was surprised to find myself laughing out loud at what is supposed to be a horrific and sad tale. Then I realised just how masterful the story really is.

Bakeneko’s art, reminiscent of Samurai Champloo, is comical but with texture added to make it appear as if it is painted on canvas.

Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror is truly a roller-coaster ride of tales and emotions. Every story is different yet all three work together in harmony like the instruments in an orchestra.

‘Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror’ premieres on Animax (Astro Channel 715) today at 11.30pm. It will air every Sunday at 11pm.