Tokyo Stories

Scarecrows Stand Out In Japan

Mark weitzman — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:30:41 GMT

Politicians, celebrities and sports figures are also good at keeping the crows out of the fields.

The Billy’s Boot Camp exercise video series is hugely popular now in Japan. According to the description on this Japanese blog page, one farmer in Kawagoe City created a scarecrow based on Billy Blanks (J).

Sca recrow photo set for TokyoStories visitors.

Blogs with more scarecrow photos: ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) ( 6 ) ( 7 ) ( 8 ).
Scarecrows - Guardians of the Harvest

No Crows!

Attack of the Minminzemi

Mark weitzman — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:01:59 GMT

They say min min min min minnnn. They makes adults run in fear. They’re the winged scary-cicadas! Kids, watch out! Kids, no, don’t! You enjoy catching them? With your fingers?

The “semi”, one version of the Japanese cicada, emerges every year around late June. They hide up in the tree branches. Except when they fly to a better position. Or when they hang out on the front door preventing your wife from entering the apartment until you’ve squeezed through the doorway and whacked the monster with a broom then fled back inside .

And even then a semi has flown into our apartment at least once. (And once hitched a ride in on my wife’s pant leg. Don’t remind her.)

Now, you say, those little cicadas are so cute, how can you be afraid? The reason: see photos.

Sometimes I’ll be watching TV and – WHAM!– one hits the window, knocks itself out, and falls out-of-service to the ground for the cockroaches to feast on.

The semis make their noise, flutter around the stairwell, and one day in September, it suddenly gets quiet.

After that, children focus on catching whatever else is crawling or flying around – dragonflies (tombo) or big black scary beetles (kabutomushi). See those pictures. Enjoy!

Larger photos for PNN visitors. Semi cicada photos and sounds, and other types of cicadas in Japan. Japan bug sounds. More bugs in Japan: Rhinoceros Beetle; Intimidating insects

Sumo: Throw and Go

Mark weitzman — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:57:37 GMT

The 15-day Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament ended July 27. Viewers new to sumo might titter at the big buttock cheeks flapping from what you're apt to call "the diaper". The name of that thong is "mawashi", and it is made of heavy silk, about 10 yards long by 2 feet wide, folded in 6, and wrapped around and up and over several times depending on the girth of the wrestler.

The mawashi is on there so tightly, there's no chance of a wardrobe malfunction.

Well, almost no chance. A mawashi did loosen in 2000 during a televised tournament and all was exposed to all. Fortunately, I missed that. But it was nice to be living in Japan and share this sumo moment because the last time a mawashi dropped in Japan was in 1917.

I attended a sumo event only once, here in Tokyo. It was a special one-day mini-tournament ("Jungyo Circus".) With no weight limits in sumo, it could be humongous guy versus simply huge guy. Competitors in sumo might face an opponent twice his own weight. At the tourney I went to, I sat way up in the rafters. When you see the pure power that these guys have, and hear the wham when they slam into each other at the start, it is quite fascinating.

That initial thud sounds more painful heard through surround-sound on these new digital televisions. Everyday, I watched the final hour of the July sumo tourney on TV. Like American football, the view is better at home, watching on TV. And now digital TV allows you to clearly see even the few whiskers that Hakuho sprouted on his chin during the course of the July event.

Watch videos from the July 2008 tournament, with English announcing. Sumo blog with more pictures and details of the July event.

In addition to competing, and eating at the table in their training "stable", sumo guys perform traditional rituals. They toss kids, throw beans instead of each other, and make infants cry.

In the Nakizumo ("Crying Sumo") event in April, sumo wrestlers hold babies, and the baby to cry loudest - as judged by the wrestlers - is the winner. Watch the Nakizumo video.

In early February, Sumo wrestlers wear kimono, and go to temples and shrines to join others and help throw beans for "Setsubun", to drive away evil and bring good fortune for the new lunar year. Watch the Setsubun video.

See the sumo photos from this article in larger sizes. Sumo photo set for PNN visitors.

RELATED
Mongolian Hakuho posts perfect 15-0 record at Nagoya sumo (Hakuho with trophy above)
Sumo tourney slide show

Sumo beginners guide
Doing their best to win
Grand Sumo Homepage
Nagoya Summer Basho 2008
Seat selection and views from each
More pictures of Nagoya arena and previous tournaments

TOURNAMENT PHOTO CREDITS
Daily Yomiuri; Sankei; Nikkei

The Fifth Season: Rain

Mark weitzman — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:09:20 GMT

"We have four seasons in Japan". It is not uncommon for non-Japanese to be told that Japan experiences summer, fall, winter and spring.

Yet, what about the official rainy season (called tsuyu or baiyu) which is now underway in parts of Japan? So doesn't Japan actually have five seasons?

Japan's rainy season begins on a sunny day in southern Japan in May or early June The Japan Meteorological Agency officially declares the rainy season has begun.

In July, gradually by area, usually during a torrential downpour, the rainy season is officially declared over.

The rainy season in Japan probably confuses people:

Sound effect: phone rings

Japan Meteorological Agency: Moshi moshi (hello). Kishouchou de gozaimasu (It's the weather agency.)

Caller: I put my laundry out on the balcony to dry last night and it rained. My clothes are soaked. Yesterday you said the rainy season was officially over.

JMA: Aso. Gomen nasai. (We are very sorry). I apologize for that.

Caller: It looked like it might rain. But you said the rainy season had ended!

JMA: (bowing) Suimasen. (So sorry). Gomen nasai.

Sound effect: Goro goro! (Thunder!)

Sound effect on phone: Ka chan! (Hanging up!)

Sound effect: Fu fu fu (chuckle)

CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE

RELATED:
Weather in Japan right now

"Japan Has Four Seasons..."

PHOTOS:
Kimono; Asakusa Sensoji Temple
Torii gate and lanterns
School kids

CHART: Tokystories

Whale Streamers Replace Traditional Carp

Mark weitzman — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:24:20 GMT

At this time of year, carp streamers can be seen flying outside the homes of families with male children.

CARP STREAMER IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD

Japundit notes that some locales in Japan have other kinds of carp streamers (koinobori) to represent local fish products important to local economies. Such as streamers that look like whales.

Japundit

SOURCE

More whale streamer photos: (1) (2) (3) (4)

Traditional carp streamer photos: (1) (2) (3) (4)

Whale Not Often Eaten In Japan

Sakura So Serious

Mark weitzman — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 19:13:09 GMT

Hanami - cherry blossom viewing party - requires careful panning.

Ueno Park, Tokyo. (Mainichi Daily news)
Ueno Park, Tokyo. (Daily Yomiuri)

Tokyo Tower. (Sankei Newspaper/MSN)

How To Do Cherry Blossom Viewing
Gallery 1 (Mainichi)
Gallery 2 (Mainichi)
Sakura viewing party 1 (Flicker photostream)
Sakura viewing party 2 (Flicker photostream)

Cherry Blossom Blooming

Mark weitzman — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:46:16 GMT

The Sakura "Blooming Front" is closely followed.