Lucky Golden Poo

To Westerners, Japan has always been stereotyped in having weird and abstract fetishes.  Foreigners find themselves befuddled when they come across something that can be considered taboo or offensive, even in another country.  However, there is one item in particular I find strange (but intrigued) that actually exists: golden poo charms.

There is an article from Japan Times that discusses in detail the abstractness of these golden poo charms.  The article starts with a letter from Diane O Redmond from Washington, USA to journalist to Alice Gordenker.  In the letter, Diane discovered this gold poo at a souvenir shop in Narita.  The rest of the article Alice Gordenker responds to Diane’s letter.

One thing you must understand about the Japanese is that they LOVE their wordplay.  The golden poo charm is a product of just that.  This charm is called Kin no Unko literally “gold poo”.  Unko is the Japanese word for poo, and the un in the word by itself is the Japanese word for “luck” hence why this item is a good luck charm.  The Kin no Unko was created by Ryukodo, a small Kyoto-based company of traditional dolls and season items.  The company’s president Koji Fujii came up with the idea in 1999 stating, “Japan was in an economic recession, and the national mood was fairly depressed. I wanted to offer an inexpensive product that would make people smile.”

At least 2.5 million of these charms have been sold between 2000 and 2007.  The charm is made of porcelain and coated in 24-karat gold.  Despite being encased in gold, a mini version goes for 105 yen while a larger one can be 2,100 yen which sits on a red cushion  It’s shape is similar to that of soft-served ice cream,  Koji being quoted as a “nice tatsumaki(tornado) shape”.  This design can be based on how Japanese toilets are built in the ground and when a person goes…well you get the idea.

The article continues on how Alice had taken a charm to Kokugakuin University in Tokyo.  Professor Takeshi Mitsuhashi says that Japanese word play is very important to people.  He mentions an example is a talisman with a frog on it as a charm for their loved ones to return safely as the Japanese word kaeru can mean both “frog” and “to return”.

I personally think this charm is a brilliant idea.  I just adore Japanese word play so I always enjoy seeing new concepts based on puns. However would I recommend this item as a souvenir?  It all depends on your situation.  As mentioned before, foreigners who do don’t understand Japanese culture will not find this product appealing.  It is understandable if tourists are not interested in poo puns.  There are many more interesting and iconic souvenirs you can get while in Japan, but if you have Japanese friends or friends and family that have a sense of humor, then buying this would make it an interesting trophy.  If I ever get to go Japan, this wouldn’t be my first souvenir but I would enjoy it in my collection.  I just wouldn’t show it my less-cultured family anytime soon.

 

 

 

Decoden

 Decoden  – Japanese crafting

Decoden is a movement all about decorating items with kawaii (cute) things such as candy, whipped cream, pastel colors, and of course, chibi (small) animals. These items are layered to create a “quirky, cute, extravagant, top-layered look.”

It was originally known as “keitei art,” but became known as Decoden later.

The word Decoden comes from two different things:

1 – Deco (shortened from the word decoration)

2 – Den (shortened from the Japanese word for phone – Denwa)

It is popular among college age Japanese girls

You can create Decoden on anything from cell phones to jewelry boxes! Just look at how kawaii these Decoden creations are ^_^ !!!

 

Many people enjoy Decoden because it gives them an outlet to express their creativity, however, some find the over-the-top style to be tacky. Despite this, Decoden items sell on popular sites like Etsy for anything from $25 to $75!

One popular Decoden website is Sophie and Toffee. They sell accessories, clay and paint, and other tools to create Decoden on their page! They also sell pre-made Decoden phone cases and accessories if you don’t want to make your own.

People who get into this craft can use it as a creative outlet, stress reliever, fashion, or even use it as a business like Sophie and Toffee do.

It is very popular within the Lolita Fashion movement we learned about in class. These are decoden headbands that can be worn with Lolita costumes. If you don’t remember what Lolita is from class, it is a fashion inspired by the Rococo period in Europe. It is characterized by overly sweet girls who wear frilly and lacy fashion.

I personally do not find Decoden tacky at all. It is extremely cute and girly. Though some people would find it too girly, it is my style. I would definitely have one of the phone cases and take it out in public, but I would be hesitant to dress up fully in decoden because I don’t like standing out that much. I think for going to an anime convention it would be a fun style to dress up in, but I would not wear it in every day life.

I don’t know if I would want to spend my money on buying all the supplies to make a Decoden creation, so if I were to get one, I would buy it pre-made. I would also be afraid to mess it up completely and have wasted my money! Definitely having someone else who is more knowledgable make it for you is a good idea in my opinion.

There is even Decoden that would appeal to Fujise Sensei, because Hello Kitty is a common thing used in it. Look at this cute hello kitty decoden phone!

All in all, Decoden is a college fashion movement that is allowing tons of people to express their creativity and spread the joy of cute things!

Want to learn more? Here are some Websites that talk about Decoden and explain what it is or how to do it:

• http://www.lovelyish.com/2011/11/29/what-is-decoden/
• http://www.bustle.com/articles/93540-5-things-that-sparked-my-love-for-decoden-the-japanese-collage-style-decorating-trend

Tattooing the Tebori Way

This post I am doing is a really interesting topic to me and I’m sure it is to anyone else with tattoos as well. I have always been interested in tattoos and Japanese themed tattoos in particular due to their unique style with vivid eye catching lines and beautiful characters and symbols. My first tattoo was of a Koi Fish on my leg, and after the first one I’ll tell you what its addicting. Now on to the topic of today ‘Tebori” (手彫り) style of tattooing is an ancient art developed during the Edo period in Japan in which the artist does not use a traditional tattoo gun you would find in any local shops, but instead uses a stick with needles attached dipped in ink and proceeds to tattoo by hand with precise and pristine detail. Traditionally the tools used were bamboo for the stick and needles, but now most artists use titanium or steel tools so they can be properly sterilized.

According to the webpage most Tebori enthusiasts say that the process is not as painful as a regular tattooing with a gun and it states that apparently the after effects lead to a more natural look of the tattoo. Even though I have no experience to speak of the pain comparison I can for one say that the results are astronomically impressive and unarguably display the sheer skill of each artist.

Now before you get you hopes up finding a Tebori artists outside of Japan can be extremely hard seeing as that they are far a few between as you may expect of something that takes a very skilled hand in the traditional Japanese arts. Now this does not mean it’s impossible I only said extremely hard because like in the post the only two shops I could find that I would trust personally are Onizuka Tattoo in Las Angeles, CA and Stacy McCleaf of Chrome Gardens in Gettysburg, PA.

Now onto some more information when it comes to choosing a tattoo, it’s location, your artist, and the style you will be going with is as unique person to person as the tattoos themselves. I personally go with places that can be easily covered up by my everyday clothes and attire, and after researching on the common consensus of uncover-able tattoos I personally think you should hold off until you make sure your employer or possible future employers do not have any regulations regarding tattoo location. Otherwise the way I look at is it’s each persons own choice of what they put on their body. Now onto the artist and style, when it comes to this step you really want to do your homework and make sure the artist you choose can produce the results you are looking for, and keep in mind that the better the artist the more expensive the tattoo will be as they normally charge by the hour. As you can expect if you decide to go with a Tebori style tattoo you will be investing a lot of time and money, but you will not be disappointed.

 

Link: http://www.tofugu.com/2012/10/04/tebori/

Cody Herdt 10/27/2015

Japanese Vending Machines

Take a walk around Japan, and you’ll notice there are vending machines everywhere, and they don’t just sell typical things like you’d find in American vending machines. They do sell beverages such as juice, soda, coffee, tea, and soup; but these can be selected as “hot” or “cold” as well. Products that’re sold in addition to beverages are “limitless” with items such as newspapers, ice cream, sweets and bread, fruits, vegetables, and even paperback books and umbrellas.

For some vending machines, the choice is made simple for the user: either purchase a banana, a bundle of bananas, or move on.

Some vending machines will even give you a recommendation on what to buy. By simply standing in front of these types of vending machines, they will automatically determine your age and gender using a face recognition sensor at the top of the machine, with a probability of atleast 70% accuracy! A “recommended” mark will then appear next to selected beverages based on the buyers attribute information, what temperature it is outside, and time of purchase. So, if a woman in her 30’s is standing in front of one on a cold winter morning, it’d recommend hot tea, corn soup, or beauty drinks; as many women would consider buying these things.

Some people are probably thinking, “Even though vending machines are convenient, they are still just machines. There is no warmth to them like there is when you buy from a store.” This is what the “store manager service” is apparently for, which was introduced in 980 thousand coffee vending machines last fall for a limited time. Simply by downloading the application into your smart phone and registering the vending machine you frequently use, the vending machine will send you messages and special videos from your chosen “store manager,” played by female entertainers, everytime you wander by it. The logic behind this was that as you were wandering home from work, you’d receive messages saying something like “good job on your work today,” which would cause a phenomenon of you going to your “favorite shop” (vending machine) without even thinking about it.

There are also vending machines that brew your coffee for you, in about a minute; the unique thing about this machine is that it has a camera inside it, which’ll show live footage of the whole process of your coffee being brewed until you receive your coffee. Apparently, many people enjoy watching the movements on camera, which makes for repeat business; it’s even said that the taste is comparable to coffee that has been brewed by a coffee shop master, if you can believe it.

I personally think having all these different types of vending machines is very convenient, such as the hot boxed lunch ones I found in this 13 minute video, and most all of the other vending machines mentioned, as well; the half-sized machines waste no space, either. Some of them I find very creative, such as the vending machine that sells umbrellas. I wish we had all the choices that Japan does, when it comes to vending machines, as I do love having alot of options. Although, I do wonder about the popularity of some of them, such as the banana one. Of course, with convenience comes an increase in price, so I may not end up using them much at all, since I’m quite the coupon clipper and deal lurker. Still, it would be nice to just look at all the choices I have available to me, should the need arise. It has even been said that some machines will display a slot machine where you can receive another drink for free, and if that’s the case, I’d likely visit the drink machines more often than other ones. A vending machine that talks to people probably sounds a little strange, but it wouldn’t bother me. The Hot Foods vending machine is particularly amusing as well; even if you’d be unsure of the quality of the food, you’d likely still try it just once, for fun. Overall, I enjoy seeing all the variety that vending machines present to the customer, in Japan, and would enjoy seeing what more they have to offer, over time.

(Written by Brian Sharber)

 

 

 

The Bunnies of Ōkunoshima.

     

I’m sure most people have heard about animal islands that surround the Earth. Considering I’ve spoken on this subject before (mainly because I found it intriguing), I figured I’d share the information I had recieved by studying and learning about the infamous “Bunny Island”, Ōkunoshima. Although Japan has three animal islands, Ōkunoshima stood out the most to me, mainly because of the historical value that was revealed while researching this topic.

First of all, what’s not to love about cute little bunnies hopping around on an island? Luckily for the rabbits, they’re the only creatures who inhabit the island. From what was learned, no people live on the island, there is only a hotel that vistors may stay while visiting. The hotel’s name is Kyukamura, and they provide meals as well as food to provide to the rabbits.

(The island of Ōkunoshima is located where it is shown on this map of Japan.)

Ōkunoshima island was originally used for off the chart testing of poison gas and chemicals during World War II. The island wasn’t on any maps yet so no one could find their testing facilities. It was said that they tested on the bunnies there, even though the rabbits we’re said to have been put down, but no one knows for sure. Because of the testing there, the water became contaminated to this day because of arsenic.

There are three main theories of how so many bunnies populated the island are that of course, what one would assume, the rabbits got loose from the testing facility, or were released from it and bred out. The second theory was that school children released around eight bunnies and left them on the island to reproduce in the 1970’s. And the last main theory was that an old man carried with him two rabbits onto the island and like the school children, left them there to breed which are relatives of those original two rabbits.

Although we aren’t too certain on how all of these rabbits came to be on the island, everyone seems to care less about where they came from, and more about the fun in it. Being able to feed and pet multiple and multiples of rabbits that are greeting you is a wonderful place to spend your vacation.

About Jonnie

I grew up as a only child with a couple of dogs. At 6 months I moved from Nasvhille to Tampa, FL and grew up there until about 2012, where I’ve been back in Tennessee since. While I was growing up in Tampa, my parents worked hard, my father worked in the medical business, while my mother traveled for business trips.

Though, because of certain circumstances, my parents did not end up staying together, and I unfortunately moved quite a bit in my life. So I don’t really have any close long time friends from my childhood, besides the people I’ve met online via doing artwork.

I’ve been drawing since the age of 11 and have stuck to it off and on. I’ve gotten to a comfortable point with my work that I draw commissions online for customers as a job.

My hobbies include;

• Drawing
• Writing
• Designing
• Gaming
• Playing with my dachshund.
• Mini Coopers??? ( I really enjoy them and I have one??? I’m not sure if its a hobby though haha!)

Since the other group member’s are showing their pets, I figured I’d show mine.

Here is my 13 year old ‘Silver Double Dappled’ Dachshund, “Blueboy”. He was named Blue because he has bright blue eyes, and was given to me when my parent’s we’re getting a divorce. Blue loves snuggling, chewing up bones, and exploring the yard.

Fun Facts;

 

 

I still play my dreamcast quite a bit.

I used to barrel race in rodeo’s but due to a few things happening, I was unable to continue.

Yokai Watch: The New Pokemon?

Credit: Level-5

Does the long-running franchise Pokemon have competition?

Yokai Watch is a series of role-playing video games which allow the player to fight and capture different types of yôkai.  Does the concept seem familiar? Before we continue, let us discuss what are yôkai.  Yôkai are spirits that inhabit Japan which can be considered the Western equivalent of monsters or demons.  Yôkai are also known as bakemono, obake, and many other terms.    The concept of yôkai dates back all the way to Heian Era(785-1185) but prevalent during the Edo Period(1603-1868).  Yôkai were believed to be reason behind erratic behavior and other unexplained phenomenon, a theme central to the plot of Yokai Watch.

Now that we know the basis of yôkai, let us go forth,  Yokai Watch began as a role-playing game for the Nintendo 3DS released in 2013 and developed by Level-5.  The plot follows a boy or girl that is given a watch by a “yôkai butler” Whisper.  Together with a cat yôkai Jibanyan, they befriend and fight yokai causing mischief for the residents of Sakura New Town.  The player uses the watch in order to see the yôkai then using medals to summon other yokai to battle them.  If victorious, the defeated yôkai gives their medal to the player to summon them in the future.  Yokai Watch also has spawned several manga and an anime series.

The reception of Yokai Watch in Japan has achieved wide acclaim.  Unfortunately the franchise has not migrated to North America yet but will be coming overseas very shortly as the anime is due to air October 5th, 2015 and the first game November 6, 2015.  But how does this franchise fare against Pokemon?  Lauren Orsini wrote an article stating the popularity of this new franchise.  She has stated that despite plans to sell all forms of merchandise to Western audiences, the localization will have trouble.  As mentioned before, Yokai Watch is vastly popular in Japan at the moment with the series’ mascot Jinbanyan surpassing the popularity of Pokemon‘s Pikachu. However, Orsini quotes Dale North, a writer for Games Beat:

“These beings… won’t mean anything to Western children, but Japanese kids are familiar with these mythical creatures and are able fully appreciate the silly, pun-based naming scheme that series’ creators went with. And it’s not just the lore that is Japan-specific: The locations, relationships, and nonplayer characters are all just as unabashedly Japanese.”

I personally do not see this being a severe issue for Western children.  For anybody who knows Pokemon‘s history, they will know that some Pokemon are indeed based on yôkai.  It is possible that it will be more difficult to localize the series than Pokemon, but I believe it won’t be very long until Western children will start loving the characters as much as Pokemon.  I don’t necessarily believe Yokai Watch will replace Pokemon any time soon but I understand how some might worry.  The concept maybe similar but both are different in their own right, and I think both franchises should be enjoyed as I love them both thoroughly.

(Written by Ryan Moers)

Pokemon Go

Credit: IGN

90’s children rejoice, because you can become a Pokemon Trainer in real life now!

Pokemon GO is a new mobile app developed by The Pokemon Company and Niantic, which is coming to I-Phone and Android in 2016. Nintendo is also working on the development of Pokemon Go, and is heavily influencing the game content. It will include an optional wristband GPS device called the Pokemon Go Plus that works with the game. It can also be warn as a clip instead, which can be put on clothing and bags.

The Pokemon Go Plus device will communicate with your cell phone through Bluetooth and alert the player to nearby Pokemon. Just like in the regular Pokemon games, you will be able to catch Pokemon, but with an added twist. You have to physically walk to the location where the Pokemon is in the real world. All of the Pokemon will have GPS coordinates where they appear. The device also allows you to catch these Pokemon with the push of a button (which can also be done on the screen of your phone). The trailer also shows that players can battle and trade their Pokemon by using the application. There is also speculation that there may be events where legendary Pokemon can be captured through the effort of a group of people all using their Pokemon to fight it (seen in this trailer for the game).

In Tech Advisor’s article they quote John Hanke, the founder of Niantic.

Pokemon Go will apparently be a Free-To-Play game, but will have some in game content that players can pay for. No one is sure yet if it will impact the player’s ability to progress in the game. Pokemon has several other free-to-play games such as Pokemon Rumble World and Pokemon Shuffle, which suffer from this problem.

My Personal Opinion

I’m not sure how successful Pokemon Go will be, because we don’t have very many details about how it works yet. Based on the internet’s reaction, however, many people are super excited to start catching their own Pokemon in real life.

What is for sure, is that this game will certainly bring back some nostalgia for older players, and attract a newer generation of kids to enjoy the Pokemon universe.

As a 90’s kid, I grew up with Pokemon and have played all of their Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS games. I think moving into the mobile market is an extremely wise decision on Nintendo’s part because it is a huge market of untapped consumers. Not everyone has a Nintendo game system, but almost every person has a cell phone these days.

I personally can’t wait to run around in the real world catching Pokemon. I hope that they do not make you have to travel too far to find them so that Pokemon are accessible for many people. I also hope that you will be able to train and level up your Pokemon so that they can grow stronger (and not be at a static level).

I am afraid that since it is free to play that they will try and trick players into spending extra money on the game to progress. I hope that the only money you have to spend is on the Pokemon Go Plus device.

(Written by Rachel Bissell)

About Cody

I am a first generation American studying Engineering here at MTSU, scheduled to graduate this fall. My parents are from Vietnam and Germany so my cultural background is pretty mixed. I love to play video games like FIFA and other sports games, along with PC games like DOTA 2 and League of Legends. In my free time I Love to race dirt bikes at our local track and sometimes beyond as far as my family in Pittsburgh, and sometimes we end up traveling as far as Utah like this past summer. I have lived mostly in Tennessee, but plan to work and travel internationally after graduating, I am very exited to see other parts of the world and those near my dad’s homeland in particular. If i could mange to come across an opportunity landing me a visit or even a job in Japan I would take it without hesitation, as I would love to experience Japanese culture and lifestyle first hand. In closing I hope to learn a lot this semester and have fun in this class.

About Ryan

Ryan Moers was born October 6, 1988 in Berwyn, Illinois.  He currently is pursuing Japanese language and culture.  He excels in Japanese mythology specifically youkai, Japanese monsters or spirits.  He has also studied Spanish, Hebrew, and German.