Photographs from a small group of islands
The Sumo finished on Sunday, and for the first time in over 6 years, a wrestler went undefeated throughout a 15-day tournament. Quite an achievement. And with the present Yokozuna (and tournament winner) only 23 years old, we are seeing the early days of a potentially great wrestler.
You haven’t got this far have you? Sorry. Here are the pictures.
At the end of last year, The Washington Post published an article on Japan. Declaring it the coolest country on earth no less. It would seem that as far as the writer of the piece was concerned, Japan is the now the world’s number one trendsetter. Unfortunately the feature is now archived, and has to be paid for, but here is a short extract which gives you the gist of the article.
“Even as this country of 127 million has lost its status as a global economic superpower and the national confidence has been sapped by a 13-year economic slump, Japan is reinventing itself–this time as the coolest nation on Earth. Analysts are marveling at the breadth of a recent explosion in cultural exports, and many argue that the international embrace of Japan’s pop culture, film, food, style and arts is second only to that of the United States.”
If this all sounds a bit over the top. Think again. As one look at these hipsters pictured in Osaka over the weekend will surely dispel any doubts.
Pretty cool eh?
*I presume you are well aware of the fact, but just in case you aren’t, this year marks the 30th anniversary of Hello Kitty. What’s that? Oh right.
Anyway, in Japan the strange looking feline is huge. Kids and adults alike adore the little creature, and the marketing people are unfortunately all too aware of this. You can buy hello Kitty everything. From suitcases to sandals, and videos to vibrators. Yeah, even vibrators! If you don’t believe me check here.
So, seeing as this year marks a momentous time for the Hello Kitty money making machine, the jewellery shop Ginza Tanaka will be selling a limited edition jewel encrusted Hello Kitty. Only 30 will go on sale, and if you happen to have 3,000,000 Yen (15,400 Pounds) spare, you could be one of the lucky buyers.
To stop you missing out, I should tell you that they go on sale from February 2nd. You might want to consider getting there early to avoid the rush.
*The picture shown is not the Hello Kitty mentioned in the article. It’s one that went on sale last year. A bargain it has to be said, retailing for a thrifty 400,000 Yen (2,000 pounds). A picture of the item in question regrettably couldn’t be found. The author apologizes for any kitty confusion.
I’m guessing that the how-to-use-a-Japanese-toilet conundrum isn’t one that keeps most people awake at night. But for anyone interested, this little animation explains things quite nicely. Even if this most tricky of procedures holds no interest to you, it’s worth a look anyway, as it’s pretty funny. Perhaps unintentionally, but funny nonetheless.
The site it comes from also has some information on public lavvies in Tokyo. Admittedly an odd topic for a website, but judging from the owner’s writing, he does seem to have an unhealthy interest in all things toilet related. I guess this is a good outlet (for want of a better description) for his passion.
If you have just eaten (or are about to) I suggest you don’t take a look. If you haven’t (or aren’t), go here and be sure to click on the small map, for perhaps the internet’s only Tokyo Toilet Tour. Complete with cleanliness and design rankings too!
Looking for some files on my old computer, I came across a few photographs that I had forgotten all about. And going by the title, you’d be right in guessing they are of a big Buddha. Or in this case, a very big Buddha.
For reasons unknown, I have a bit of a thing for big Buddha’s. Before visiting the one in question, I’d been to see the famous Kamakura Daibutsu, and its slightly larger cousin the Nara Daibutsu
Both the Kamakura and Nara Buddha’s are sitting. So when I heard of another giant Buddha that was actually standing, there was no way I was going to pass up the chance of seeing it. Before you could say meditation, I’d shaved my head, donned my sandals, and set off to meet this mighty Buddha.
Whilst the standing Buddha in Ushiku isn’t that old (it was built during the bubble years), whatever it lacks in history, it makes up for in its sheer size. It clocks in at a whopping 120 metres. That’s pretty damn tall it has to be said. The picture below gives you some idea of how tall it really is.
I must confess that there was something else, bar its size, that prompted my visit. It has a lift inside. Yes, there can’t be many statues of Buddha that can boast a lift. When I was told, I was skeptical to say the least. But this picture taken from inside the Buddha’s chest proves it.
As well as the chance to take some pictures from very high up, the Buddha contains a huge study area, and a memorial floor where ashes can be stored. Whilst somewhat out of the way, it’s quite a novel location for a final resting place. The Japanese aren’t all that religious (despite the prevalence of big Buddha’s!) so you could probably reserve an urn without too many awkward questions. If storing your ashes inside a 120 metre Buddha is your thing of course. And, needless to say, that you could come up with the necessary cash.