On wards!!

Alright so I am going to slowly move into some history about Japan, These might be longer posts then normal because it is putting in a lot of info.
So this part is mainly saying..yeah we are going into history about Japan. I feel if I do not prep you or even tell you there will be some confusion. Not like most of you aren't already confused...I'm just sayin!!
It took me awhile to read about Japan's history and it still is taking me a bit of time. It is so interesting and full of...well history and other things that you want to go deeper into it!
First we will be talking about in the next posting is... the.....

Jomon period which is pretty much Japanese prehistory..it's interesting enough but there isn't a lot there but enough that I can talk about it!

I don't really have a favorite period in Japans history they are all amazingly interesting like I said the more I read the more I want to know. Honestly for me just reading isn't going to be enough for me, I want to go and learn and see and touch! I want to learn by being by hearing from the people of the nation. I guess my lust for such things started back in high school I blame my Anthropology teacher Dr.Davies...I took that course perhaps 2 or 3 times!! I love Anthropology the study of humans and their culture. If you read my first ever post on my blog you know why I am so in love with Japan!! and farther I go in this the more you may understand my love and maybe you will fall in love with Japan too!! If not at least you learned a little right?  I bet some are like what about the Samurai or the Ninja!! Even Geisha!? we will get into those as well I promise!! We may even go into some celebrations and festivals again.. so for now...

じゃね!!!

Until later!!!

Secret Someone..

Alright there is a point to this title, It was Valentines day over in Japan..

Only a certain friend knows about this secret someone I am talking about..

His name is 啓人藤森 (Keito Fujimori) I met him in the summer last year it was an odd experience for me.. I always had a passion for the Japanese people and love their culture as most of my friends know.

I wanted Keito to write about himself but of course being Japanese he was to shy to do so..

It's been almost a year since I met this wonderful boy, he is silly, and his smile is to die for. Most of all...

no the best thing of all...it's how he acts around me like I am the ONLY ONE...it makes my heart stop each and every time!!

I sent him a box of Chocolates and a picture I drew just for him...He opened it today and sent me an email and it said...

"Bryn I got your special gift...I couldn't stop the smiles...The drawing..I love...the chocolates...I desire...but the thing I want...I just can't have today"

It was simple and yes it's personal but it is the something I wanted to share with everyone..

This is honestly the first time in my life that a guy has treated me like this..honestly no guy in America or who I ever been friends with or other wise has treated me so kindly and lovingly...

This is a short post but it was something I wanted to share...

This is my Keito...

Keito Fujimori <3!!

Valentines Day & White Day!!

Okay first I am going to state what I know about both days before I go into what I have learned from my Japanese friends!!
Note: Japanese a typically reserved people they do not show affection out in public like we do! Their affection is showed when alone with the person the love or even affection towards friends! These days are out of the norm for them but they truly do enjoy these days!! It's like reverse days for them!!
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Valentines day- is celebrated just like in the west!! But this day is only meant for girls so it is the girls that give the goodies to their male counterparts! The gifts they give aren't roses or any types of flowers they are mainly chocolates and chocolate cookies!! Soo..I kind of like this idea rather then the way we do it here. It's something special for the guys instead of the girls going "GIMMIE! GIMMIE!!"

White Day- This is a month after V-day! It is of course the male time to give the girls their gifts! Well alright here is the catch. You are asking.."Why is it called White Day!?!?" Well the reason is right in the name!! The guys give the girls something white! But also here is the catch..The gift these boys are suppose to give..Are suppose to be worth more then the gifts the got on V-day.. Now I am sure the girls in Japan aren't as greedy as we Westerners are..

Sooo this truly ends of what I know before my friends telling me about these days so here we go with more romantic info about these days in Japan!!
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Valentines Day- So on this day in February the girls give gifts to guys called  ぎりーちょこ or Giri-choko in romaji! (Obligation Chocolates) They are meant for the guys in the office, friends, siblings, ect.. Now true a true love chocolate is called ほんめいーちょこ or Honmei-Choko (True Love Chocolate) These are meant for..you guess it the ones they married or their boyfriends!  Okay so the term Giri (Look back up to Giri-Choko) is a special concept in Japan it means alright so a clear English translation isn't easy on this and my friends had a hard time even trying to describe it to me! As close as I can get to the meaning is a special bond that you have with someone you like..Say a friend or your close  colleague, ect.. So another way to put this is a mutual obligation so say..Someone gives you a gift you are now obligated to return with another gift to that person. But it isn't suppose to be a burden you are suppose to enjoy and love doing this! So one other thing! It is rare to find a V-day card in Japan..So don't try to look!!

White Day- So remember what I wrote before this day is EXACTLY a month after V-day!! March 14!! It this the guys turn to return the favor to the girl who gave them a gift on the preceding and day and month! Now this is the time and the moment where guys in Japan can show their romantic side in public!! (It is the sweetest and most romantic time I swear!!) Flowers are given, Stuffed animals, Necklaces, Ect...It depends on if you are a friend, a spouse, a girlfriend, a colleague, ect.. That determines the gift on which you receive on this day! The best gift you can possibly get is... (I bet you would NEVER EVER guess this) is a Handkerchief!! I'm not joking!! The handkerchiefs in Japan are so amazingly beautiful girls love to get them and collect them!! Most of my friends from Japan are male, they have told me their stories on this day. Not all like it (remember Japanese are reserved people so this is out of their comfort zone!!) and most love it!!
I have a special friend there his name is 藤森　啓人 (Fujimori Keito-Their last name ALWAYS comes first in Japan out of respect!!) Keito is an amazing guy! This will be my first year doing all this the Japanese way!! I'm thrilled!!
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Note-I'll tell you all how it goes after it is all said and done I am super excited about all this!!
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I hope you enjoyed this!! I dedicate it to the special day that is coming up! My first TRUE Valentines day!!!
And I can't forget White Day!!!

愉快バレンタインデイ！！

日本まつり (Japan Festival)

Today I am going to talk about an amazing thing..well to me anyways Japanese festivals!! They spread out threw out the year like we have holidays. But they actually celebrate them!! I guess I should start at the most current festival/Festivals that is going on in Japan!

                                                     Yuki Festival
In the most northern Island in Japan Hokkaido they have a festival going on called a Snow festival..
They have many things going on as of currently for this festival. I must tell my unknowing readers that Hokkaido is the closest place near Russia in Japan! So it is the coldest place in Japan and they get a bit of snow and Ice..
  This festival all started in 1950 by high school students who in Odori park made a few snow statues!! It grew slowly and suddenly the whole of the city of Sapporo was celebrating the Snow festival! I will tell you a few of the things that go on at this festival..
  1-You can see large snow sculptures they are all lit up for the viewers enjoy meant!
  2-I can't leave out Concerts! I am assuming some famous groups play there no actually I am almost positive they do!
  3-They have games (like any festival) and food! plus amazing Ice slides..I don't know about you but that sounds like amazing fun!!
  (There are 3 spots to go enjoy the Snow festival)
1-Odori Park
2-Suskino
3-Tsu Dome

Odori Park

Omisoka!

Okay now lets talk about something that is celebrated all over Japan! Japanese New year!! WOO!!

This of course already happened back in January well January 1st to be exact!! One of the amazing things about it is Osechi Ryouri or Japanese new year cooking! a lot of food to enjoy from sweet jams to fried foods and one of the oddest is a goldfish on a stick..no I don't know if it really is one of my many friends told me about it..eating goldfish..no longer pets but food..but were they pets to begin with? nah..

  Okay moving on talk about the shrine..Shinto shrines! they are very very busy this time of year..Usually or I should say traditionally the people of Japan go to 3 different shrines on new years and many stay up until night to do this. Why do they do this? Why to see the first sunrise of the new year of course! What an amazing site. New years in America or in the western world isn't so amazing! They go to these shrines to pray for health of friends, family, and them selves oh and prosperity! Hah can't forget that now can I? You want to see people in Kimono's? this is the time of year to do it! Most amazing sight I can guarantee you!!  Unfortantly slowly the traditions of this celebration is slowly changing because of the western world. They never used fireworks before..but now because we westerners like to make a BIG BANG out of little things they have started to..

   Oh one more thing on Japanese new years they go to a Buddhist temple and you will hear the gonging of bells 108 times for driving off the 108 sins of the human spirit or condition..

Shrine Japanese  New Years

Hanami Matsuri

I really wanted to skip ahead and talk about my most favorite festival of them all! The Cherry Blossom festival!! It is in dedication to the coming of spring!!I think this is the most commonly known festival for those who watch Anime or read Manga.  But I didn't learn it from such a place oh no, I learned about it from an old friend of mine from Japan. He talked about it as if it was a long lost love during the winter times and when it comes closer he talked about as if his love was returning from a long journey!  Now the most I know about this from what I could pick up from him. It is a big get together with close friends and family to view these blossoms,  it starts from the end of march to early May this of course is on main land Japan in Okinawa the "Hawaiian Island" of Japan (I call it that because it is the tropical part of Japan) this festival is at the 1st of February (Yeah it has already passed! lucky them!!) Really either they look at Cheery Blossoms or Ume blossoms or Plum blossoms. It first started out as Ume blossoms back in the Nara period which was around the years 710-794 (I'll get into Japan's history later) I recommend this festival to everyone they do actually have this festival in the western part of the world. To find out where one closest to you is check your local Japanese Ministry!

Hanami Matsuri at Castle Himeji

 

 Tanabata Matsuri!

The meaning of this one is the Evening star festival! it is celebrated on July 7th its a bit aways away but I'm putting up my favorites here!! 

   The Tanabata Matsuri is a celebration of the meeting of deities Orihime and Hikoboshi  (Orihime is the girl Hikoboshi is the male by the way) Now as I have been told there is a legend to this. THIS is why they celebrate it so I presume. The milky way separate these two lovers from each other they are of course only allowed to meet once a year..Sad really but can you guess when they are allowed to meet? On the 7th of July of course!! So here comes the celebration of the meeting of these two lovers!! But of course there is a catch in Japan..here is the catch Tanabata varies from place to place in Japan so one prefecture or state might be celebrating it while another isn't. There is a history to this I can't really get into it because it will take a bit of time. So if you are interested just let me know and I'll be happy to share what I have learned!

Tanabata in Tokyo (They are wearing Yukata's not Kimono's )

So to end this..

   These are a few festivals/celebrations I love and know about I of course know a lot more then this. If you wish to know more about any festival or even history of these festivals/celebrations I have mentioned please ask!! I am always happy to share my knowledge with anyone!! To even tell you more about these special days it would take all day and most of the night. So if you want to know any more celebrations or festivals ask me!!

I hope you enjoy this!!

The Past..(Japanese)

          Here I am going to talk to something that I actually keep away from people it might end up enraging my friends and family but this is another reason Japan is dear to my heart, So here goes nothing...

The year is 1945 the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki..It killed countless of thousands of innocent people from little babies who will never know life two grandparents who won't be able to see their family grow. Brothers and Sisters died never knowing what life had for them, Parents watching their children play will never see them grow up and the list goes on. This enrages me one because people continually say that it was the only way! It was not the only way..now the argument goes what of the people in pearl harbor? Those deaths compare nothing to the thousands and thousands that were lost in Nagasaki and Hiroshima put together!! Yes it is sad that those men died in pearl harbor. I am not a normal American I see what "we" Americans have done as a major sin! In schools and out of schools they try and blind us by saying "what we did was right! It ended the war! We are heroes!" and I say Bull shit!
   How many lives were lost in the bombings? How many children never got to grow up? how many more got radiation poisoning and died in a painful manor? You can argue with me until your face turns blue but I assure you my position will not change on this matter! The Japanese people didn't deserve what happened, yes the generals shamed the country by poisoning the emperors ears with their bravado and in a sense it was their fault. But still we should have known better then to drop anything like this on ANYONE! I look at the Japanese people now..we have invaded their home pushed OUR beliefs on them and ended up changing them as a nation for the better and worst.
    I hear story from my friends in Okinawa about how the military people from America have been doing horrible things, from rape to other kind of disgusting things. It enrages me seriously when I talk about this, I think of the harm this nation has done to not just Japan but others as well. Honestly you guys, if you hate me for thinking this then you are no friend of mine. I just want to open the eyes of those who have blinders on and think this nation is the best there is.
     Now I can put the good in here the change that we put threw to Japan take rock n roll that I approve of! of course fashion as well who doesn't like Tokyo Street style, or Harajuku style? I mean the fashion sense in Japan is far above all else.

Alright one last thing guys I honestly have no love for this country..I am carrying a burden as the rest of you are..The burden of the past of killing so many innocent people (Kids,Mothers,Fathers, ect..) ..
It is your prerogative if you love this country..I how ever disdain her...

Now you may proceed to hate me thanks guys!!

Rocker or..J-Rocker!?!

      Now I explained in my last post about my differ in music then from my friends here in America I need to explain exactly why I prefer J-Rock to the normal rock here in America...

         So this is the reasoning why, first of all the music doesn't really appeal to me at the time "emo" was the thing. I was already depressed at the time being SEVERELY over weight plus losing an animal close to me. I didn't need any more of this loud "death" to everything kind of music. I can't remember exactly how I stumbled upon The GazettE but I did and I was very very thankful that I did. Now I didn't understand much Japanese at this point in time. It was the rhythm the beat what ever you may call it that enticed me to listen to stay and smile.
       That was the starting of my dedication to the J-rock scene, from there I stepped into another brand of music Oshare Kei which to those who don't know is a lighter music full of smiles and laughter.Some of these groups I listened to are An Cafe, Ayabie, CELLT, Charlotte, SuG,  last but not least (there is a lot) Mix speakers Inc.
Now my american friends are probably all confused by this, it is rather obvious that I am not cut from the same cloth as most. In high school it made me feel a bit rejected I fit into none of the groups that were at my school or any that a hung around with. I know my true friends wouldn't care what I liked or listen to or my beliefs that is what a friend is.
        Back to the J-rock scene, it wasn't just the music that made me interested it was also the clothes they ware the style of make up and hair. My world shifted as I came to like this music, more and more I looked into what groups are out there. I know now of, well I'll say a lot of groups that range from the newest Lc5 that has the amazing singer Miku in it to the J-rock group Sadie. There is a lot in between those groups that range from what americans like to call head banger music to the softer and happy Oshare Kei.
         Recently before winter hit I tried to listen to western rock again from one of my favorite radio stations back in Utah. It didn't work out so well I couldn't stand the music for long it was no longer something I wished to listen to. The music once again was about either getting high or finding a girl to..well get in better with. I realize there are a lot of genre's out in the western world when it comes to music. Most I do not like and I'd rather not listen to. I will say I grew up with classical music (I doubt I could ever hate that) I also grew up listening to John Denver and Johnny Cash so those I will not hesitate to listen to other then that my dear American friends I am sorry but I can't with stand the other types...
           Now when it comes to my family, well I do believe I am the only one that enjoys this type of music as well as love the Japanese culture, country, language, and her people. J-Rock is now one of her many features I do treasure. I think without this music I would be long since gone from this world to be honestly truthful. Well now let's take a step towards my all time favorite brand of music from Japan, it would have to be Oshare kei if we are talking the modern sense. It's happy upbeat and it's point is to make you enjoy and smile with the music. To make your heart lighter if you are in a horrible mood and to just laugh and have the ultimate fun you can possibly have. The people in which make this music them selves are up beat bright people, their outfits they wear say a lot about the music that in itself makes you smile.
            I have to thank all the Japanese musicians out there for doing an amazing job with their work, they are a different breed then western musicians that is for sure. Their dedication to their music and their style is unbelievable! So if they happen to read this, I thank you from the bottom of my heart don't stop making your amazing music. Thank you for changing my life, and also shifting how fashion is seen whether it's from a western eyes (like me) or someone from Japan. Thank you again..

                                                          SuG-Oshare Kei group

                                                           The GazettE-J-Rock group

A wonder of wonders!!

To start this blog off I'm going to write a bit about this I'll call it an amazing passion..

      It kinda started back in middle school 8th grade world history.

Talking about Hiroshima and Nagasaki in WW2, I never thought much about this country back then. It was more or less a country in Asia that's all I ever knew about her. Then that day came in world history talking about the bombings. I saw images in the book (not of the bombing but of the people) The kimono's they were wearing. Beautifully decorated, the people looked amazing and so exotic behind one of the girls stood a temple, whether it was Buddhist or Shinto I don't know.

      So started my path down this amazing journey of this country and her people. From the Kimono's and the temple I started to look deeper into this place. My curiosity couldn't be sated from books to the internet I poured over these things, that talked about Japan's people and the culture and language. My eye's grew wider as I learned, I wanted to know more and more. When I was 18 I started to listen to J-Rock this amazing music better then any western music to my ears, it was like ambrosia to my ears. The first group ever I listened to was  The GazettE amazing music and the style they have stunned me. Japan was in a sense westernized but still stood it's ground on her beliefs and customs and the people still take their traditions and way of living seriously.

     Now why couldn't America be like this? I went to school and it was a typical American school we learned what Americans (and in my case Uthans) should learn. History of the country, and of the state in which we lived in. It was boring for me to learn what I did, though I must be honest it has made me into whom I am today. Though no thanks to my English teacher my, English or grammar is a bit lacking, plus sentence structure. (I'm getting off subject here sorry.) Any ways I was pretty much an odd one out in my school I never mentioned what I liked. I never said that I was looking into Japan and all that she is, I tried to fit in (that didn't work well I'll go over that some other time.) I had my friends of course some closer then others. Soon I found myself thrusted from my childhood into adult hood and into college.

      I went to college at Salt Lake Community College I took Japanese in hopes to gain the language and the understanding I so deeply wanted. I remember one thing my sensei  told us in class and that is this.."The Japanese people are very vertical as the American people are horizontal." I sat in my seat pondering what she said. I finally and slowly understood it as the days passed and as I learned in the class. This is what I think she means... The Japanese people stand on tradition they bow in respect to well almost anything to just a "Thank You" or even a "Good Morning!" . As we Americans do not even do this! We simply say "Good Morning" Without respect to it or other wise. I also slowly found out that the Japanese are very respectful people, even with friend's they use the word "san" take for instances I would be "Bryn-san" unless I other wise tell them.

       There is so much to Japan, from the history, to the culture, and the language to even the religion! I am now 27 and I have been looking into Japan since I was in 8th grade. You might think "Bryn, you must know a lot about Japan by now!" In all actuality I barely have even scratched the surface! My hunger to find out about every thing I can is seriously and truly unquenchable! Some day I truly and seriously hope I find my way to this amazing country, so I can put myself into everything that she is. To learn the language like the Japanese and to learn about the culture, the history, and the people.