Hey people, it's been long overdue and I'm sorry about that. I've got topics galore coming so don't be disappointed.
This Blog here is an overview of Japanese Pop Music and my honest thoughts about what should be done with the current state of it.
Here in Japan, music is playing practically everywhere. It plays in highly populated areas, and sometimes even on small dense streets. When I first came here 2-3 years ago, I knew something like that would take place so I brought my mp3 player full of heavy metal and stuff.
After spending a year in Japan (yeah it's been a full year!), I've come to know the ropes, and get a feel for what's up.
This is the Japanese pop group AKB48. They are a huge sensation here in Japan. The group consists of 64 girls within the age range of 14-20. EVERYDAY I see at least one advertisement for them, even one day when I stayed in my apartment all day doing homework, I went out to a vending machine to get a canned coffee, and there was a sticker promoting AKB48. As soon as I saw that, I chucked the can down the street. 100 yen well spent. Like I was saying, they are promoted everywhere, the other day, I was taking the train from school, and found myself aboard a train that was dedicated to AKB48.
There is something very unsettling about this, it's almost as if there's something psychological behind all of the advertisements and such. AKB has many shops, including one in Singapore with merchandise galore.
I may be digging way too deep into this, but I feel as if the conglomerate behing AKB48 is trying to tell you what to like, and I really don't like that. In America, if you were a full grown man who's obsessed with a pop group like this, then you'd be considered a pervert. Here in Japan it's almost normal.
I have no problems with the music (it's really catchy) or the people who sing the songs in general, but the way they advertised just disgusts me, which is why I am trying to get a job at a concert venue that plays only Japanese underground punk bands. I am almost seeing how the songs J-pop groups lure in fans, and I wanted to be clear of all that.
Sumo is widely known throughout the world and is a one of the most recognizable martial arts (yes it is a martial art) from Japan. Back from it's origination, it was considered a part-time job and form of entertainment for wandering samurai. Aside from that, it's a shinto practice.
The wrestlers are pretty much royalty here in Japan. They get fed, are given certain guidelines to follow and are basically holier than thou. Beginners are put through a series of extenuating tests in order to show loyalty, for example, they basically are hazed by the upper class sumos and even are obligated to wipe their asses after chili night (NO JOKE).
I saw this event in Ryogoku, which is a total sumo town in Tokyo. The arena was Ryogoku Kokugikan which is supposedly the big dance for Sumo.
The Sumo gather in the dahyo, which is the clay area for sumo combat.(No women are allowed to set foot on it according to tradition). to introduce themselves (remember back in my blog about mma). And the tournament begins.
The rules are simple nothing but the soles of your feet can touch the ground. Very fast paced. I dig it!!
I'll be away from blogging for a while, primarily because I don't have internet.
I moved to Nishi-Ogikubo which is western Tokyo, just on the outskirts of the city. It's a chill neighborhood and I like being away from all the crap that surrounds Tokyo.
I went to Dynamite!! 2011 so I'll blog about that too.
I have 2 blogs on the way, but since I have no internet, it'll be a while. Hang in there.
A few weeks ago I won free tickets to the world Karate Championship in Sendagaya. Before you start to wonder, it was nothing like this:
It was more like this:
I wasn't able to take that many pictures, because they didn't allow pictures to be taken at the tournament. I took some, but the glow of the overhead light blurred out the fighters.
Karate is Japan's most recognized martial art, although it originated in Okinawa with many roots from China.
There are different styles to Karate, the main focus in this tournament was Kyokushin.
In this tournament, there were more Scandinavians than there were Japanese.
In tournament Karate, there are no strikes to the face allowed, and all strikes are aimed at the body.
Kyokushin has a signature move, which is a wheel kick, a front roll in air with the heel sticking out, very effective in power, but in my opinion, is very avoidable.
Most often times when you see someone pulling off a move of any martial art, people in America think, "that was some cool Karate man" "what a ninja".
It was a good experience to see an art of the martial variety that defines a culture and to witness tradition in that standard.
Dolph Lundgren was there going for his fourth Dan (rank) black belt, and I left just before he went on :(
Many people in America think Karate whenever they hear Japan, and yell out kiai's (ya and hiyaa) and I'll bet most of you out there did too... you racists LOL XD
I, among many other martial artists, consider that ignorant, and wish for that to change in the future years, martial arts is not all about combat, it's all about self-discovery and knowledge, like I said earlier.
If combat were to come into fruition, it's not about letting anger go, or pure hatred towards an opponent (if it is you're doomed for a black heart), but it's mainly about saying "Hey, I'm good, you're good, let's put it to the test." Almost every time after a bout, the opponents hug, it shows that they respect one another.
The kanji reads: Sogo Kakutogi. In English, Mixed Martial Arts
This entry is long overdue, sorry about that.
I left Tokyo for Saitama where the Saitama Super Arena, the area it's in is pretty nice. Very similar to parts of Nagoya. And I loved Nagoya.
There, I saw DREAM, which is a subsidiary of K-1 kickboxing. DREAM arose from the ashes of K-1 Hero's and Pride FC after Pride got eliminated (stupid UFC).
The last one I saw wasn't anything special, it dragged onto long in some areas.
The last time I went to this, the fights weren't anything special, just an exhibition that went til midnight, and I didn't stay for the whole thing.
MMA was a sport created in Ancient Greece, where two unarmed gladiators fought til their opponent was knocked out or submitted. Pankration (as it was called back then) was used by Alexander The Great and his men when they were conquering countries.
I'd go into the entire history but that'll be on your own time.
At an American MMA event, you'll hear fans yelling maniacally, signs, noise makers... basically an all around noisefest.
At Japanese MMA events, you'll hear occasional yell from a fan, but as the fight goes on, most of the arena is dead silent. It's so quiet, I dropped a pen on the ground and I could hear it perfectly. I've been to amateur boxing matches here, I've seen Karate, Sumo, and Pro Wrestling on TV and the fans go nuts! I wonder what it is about Japan and MMA that makes fans go quiet...
Luckily, I wasn't the only American in the crowd, there were some rowdy fans that made the Japan fans yell too. I couldn't help but join in as well. I met up with an American fan who knews his stuff about MMA and he didn't speak much Japanese so I sat with him.
Also in Japanese MMA, before the matches begin, they personally introduce the fighters, similar to Sumo. I suppose this is for the audience wishing luck to the fighters.
Fight for Japan is K-1's promotion for a Tsunami relief fund, I bought a shirt last time I went to DREAM in order to show support.
The fights were great, it was good to see something that's familiar to me with a Japanese twist.
I'd go over the fights one by one but that'd take too long so I'll just show some pics from Sherdog's website. (I tried to take pics of the fights with my Iphone, but the light in the ring was too bright.)
Shinya Aoki Neck Cranked Rob McCullough
Tatsuya Kawajiri put Joachim Hansen in an Arm triangle choke (This was a GREAT fight)
Caol Uno got knocked out by Lion Takeshi (BOOOOOOOOO!)
Satoru Kitaoka won by split decision again Willamy Freire
Gerald Harris knocked out Kazuhiro Nakamura
Bibiano Fernandes choked Takafumi Otsuka in 41 seconds!
Masakazu Imanari pulled off a really impressive armbar on Abel Cullum
(Imanari is a badass, he entered the arena with full combat gear with Sade's "No Ordinary Love" as his entrance theme)
Minowaman defeated Giant Mongol Baru Harn with a scarf-hold armlock.
(Minowaman's 50th win!)
One other fight took place with MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba. I had the distinct pleasure of watching him in action. He was made famous for defeating 4 members of the Gracie clan (the Gracies are infamous for developing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) with his incredible submission wrestling skills in the early 2000's when Pride FC was big.
But, that was then. He is pretty much the Ichiro of MMA nowadays; being a fan favorite and all. His last win was in 2009, where he concentrated on cranking the leg rather than going for a knockout. Sakuraba has nothing but fighting spirit running through him and wishes to retire when he's 70. He's 42 now, and his fight at this event was... well you get the idea.
I cheered for him... LOUDLY. I wanted him to do good, I even bought a shirt of his, but I knew he was going to lose, for age hit him like a ton of bricks. But I heard shortly after that he's going to keep fighting... 26-16's a good record right?
All in all, it was definitely worth the 5000 yen for the ticket. I got to see a legend in action, got to get out of Tokyo, and turn off my concerns and watch one of my favorite combat sports. K-1/FEG says that their company is going out of business due to lack of money, but I refuse to believe that, these events they put on are better than UFC in my opinion.
If there's another event soon, I'm going to have to restrain myself from going to said event, particularly because there's two major MMA events headed this way.
I know I said UFC sucks, but when they came to Japan in 1997, it was unforgettable. One of Sakuraba's first fights was there. To miss out on something historic like this would be a shame. It's supposed to be here in February.
At the end of every year, since 2002, Pro-Wrestling Legend and Hall-of-Famer Antonio Inoki invites the top MMA fighters and Kickboxers for a lollapalooza of fights just before the year ends on 12/31. I've repeatedly watched the last two, and they're a great time.
Regardless of whichever event I go to, I'll report about it on here.
I've also been thinking of stepping in the ring myself, at least once.
The Kanji reads: Mikoshi - Which is a mobile shrine.
In Shintoism, shrines contain the spirits of deities, just as I stated about Yasukuni shrine.
Around this time, the Mikoshi is taken from storage in what is called a Kura; it's kept there when it isn't needed. Year round, the Kura acts as a small shrine for when a quick prayer is needed. Mikoshi's are carried by 20+ men/women to large shrines.
The Mikoshi is gorgeous, it's decked out in solid gold and has patterns with like tigers and stuff, this one had three phoenixes on the top. By the way, this thing weighs roughly a ton.
Before the carrying begins, a prayer is said, then everybody in the proper attire claps a rhythm similar to what you would hear at a baseball game; then a loud "SA!" is said, then everybody in unison hoists the 2X4's that support the Mikoshi onto their shoulders and prepare for a loooooong march. Since the Mikoshi is so heavy, we all had to move slowly. We basically soultrain'd for three hours with a ton on our shoulders, parading around neighborhoods, and getting praise from the locals (which in my opinion was the best part [there was an old man who we woke up, and he came out of his house and started clapping... awesome]). As we moved, we chanted "Sora, Doccoi" repeatedly and waved the Mikoshi from side to side. In Shintoism, can't stay quiet, gotta be active XD.
We had to climb up a hill, at the top, we took a short break and had some tea and beer. A lot of the carriers were local residents of the neighborhood, and since this area is home to many English speakers, alot of them knew a little English, which is fine because my Japanese is not as good as it once was. Everyone of these dudes was awesome, they liked MMA, art, and well... since I told them I was from Seattle, I got many dudes saying "WAAA! MARINERS! ICHIRO! STARBUCKS!" I get that all the time! So I'm used to it. We continued onward to the shrine, everyone started to sound like they'd lost their second wind, so I started shouting "HA!!" instead of "Sora" to boost their egos a little bit. We made it to the Shrine after 2 hours of carrying that thing.
This ritual is said to bring conscientiousness, and from what I've seen, it brings supreme joy to those who observe it's presence. It felt so awesome spreading that kind of joy to the people of this awesome country.
We reached the shrine, three other Mikoshis met up with us and a Shinto priest came out and blessed the Mikoshis, as well the carriers. Then, I'm not quite sure what rank these guys were, but they came out and sang a prayer in old Japanese. A guy asked me, "Are you tired? Do you give up?" I smiled, raised my fist and said, "kakattekoi! (bring it on)" He laughed at patted me on the back. We then carried the Mikoshi back to the kura, chanting, and full of extreme spirits, and the day was as hot as hell.
That didn't stop me even the least bit; if I can do Muay Thai combos for an hour straight, this should've been a cakewalk right?
When we returned back to the Kura, which was convieniently just outside of TUJ, we drank lots of beer and sake, as well as nomming on this awesome stew that contains daikon, onions, and sweet potatoes. We all yakked it up with the locals, who are some of the coolest guys I've ever met. They all wanted to hear about America, and why we all chose to go to Japan for college.
Kenji and I
All in all, it was a great experience. I had an awesome time carrying that thing as well as getting to know the roots of Shintoism and Japan in General. I must've sweated off 10 pounds and got a scab on my shoulder as well as a torn up tabi (the shoes we wore). Some say that if you get an injury from carrying a mikoshi, it means you don't have enough faith, while others say that they're a sign of good luck. I firmly believe that they're good luck.
These are just a few of the Mikoshi crew: From Top to Bottom, Left to Right: Nitta-san, Kenji, (I never caught his name but I regret that because he was an awesome guy), Napol from Thailand, Yudi, TOKYO ROE, Adrian from Hawaii, (another :'( ), Michelle from Vermont, Stephanie, and Walter from LA. and Courtney (not pictured)
When we finished, I knew that some college students think that like, "Oh, it's a done deal, we never have to see each other again." Bullshit that is. I knew we'd done something awesome, we would have to keep that spirit of comradery alive. So we decided that each time we pass by each other, we'd tap our shoulders in memory of what we did on this day.
If any readers want to see more pics, I have lots more, thanks to Suzuki-san.
Masaru, Kenji, Everybody I met from that day, I want all of you to know that no matter where I am in the world, how down or sick I am, I would gladly drop everything in order to carry the Mikoshi with you guys again!
Oh yeah, do you want to know how crazy I am? I'm doing it again this weekend!!!!!!!! This time for
I
