I had a chance to give a presentation about "Internet Marketing" for the Internship student of HEC School of Management, Paris, France at Doshisha Business School. This program is held by KCCI (Kyoto Chamber of Commerce). After my presentation, we could discuss with him and other faculty member of DBS about differences of Internet marketing between two countries.
I have quite a lot of things to do at the end of the year and at the beginning of the new year here in Japan. We cleaned our whole house especially we did the places which we normally don't care very much about such as cleaning the back side and rails of windows, for caps of the lights in the halls and other details in our home and garden. On the first day of the year, "Gantan", in Japan, many people traditionally go to pray at a Shinto shrine or Buddhism temple with family members or friends, after eating "Osechi" which is traditional Japanese food for the new year. It consists on meat and vegetables which can be kept for several days at the beginning of the New Year. We also went to the nearest temple called "Nakayama Temple" to pray to the god for good luck of our family members and myself.
On the second day of the New Year, I went to our relatives house with my wife and my son. This is my wife's original home and almost ten relatives met together. We played table tennis and table games with our children. We had a good fun for the family event once a year. Next day, 3rd of January, I went to eat crab at a nearby restaurant with my family members. It has been also our family event every year for four years. Depending on families, different events are available for the New Year in Japan, but many people go to their home towns and spend several days for the New Year with their families. How were your year end and New Year events in your country?
Three of us, an English lady, an Australian guy, and myself visited the Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages), which is one of the three major festivals in Kyoto. About 2,000 people, dressed in exquisites costume from the various periods of Kyoto history, participated in the parade. The procession winds down from the Old Imperial Palace to Heian-Jingu. Each era consisted of several hundred people with costume and animals such as horses and cows, as well as flags and floats. They were so beautiful and gorgeous. I like the group of females and children wearing nice clothes called Kimono. Quite a few visitors came from many countries in the world to see this festival in the nice cool weather of autumn after a hot and humid summer. Our purpose to visit Jidai Festival is to take photos and create articles about festivals in Kyoto for the new website of the Global MBA at DBS to introduce various traditional cultures in Kyoto. After about one hour after this parade started, it suddenly started to rain, so we decide to go to a Chinese restaurant for lunch near our school building.
We had to take a quick meal which was called “Chyka-don”. This is rice in a bowl topped with meat and vegetables in a Chinese style. We ordered a quick lunch because we were in a rush for our next appointment. Ordering the same meals for everyone in the group is very Japanese demonstrating the “Group oriented society rather than the individual in Japan ”.
The Gion Festival (Gion Matsuri) is one of the most famous festivals in Japan. It takes place annually in Kyoto. As the people were suffering from the plague and pestilence, it is said that this festival took place since 869 to avoid those diseases. In the hot and humid summer in Kyoto, there are parades with several traditional floats by many voluntary staff from the local people and foreigners who are living in Kyoto. During this year, on the 17th July, nine exchange students from Doshisha University participated in this festival. They walked around the city for six hours in the burning hot summer. Those students consisted of three students from Europe, three students from the US, one student from Asia and two students who participated in this program last year and came back to Japan for this event again this year. I would like to present the comments of one of the students who participated in this Gion Festival this year as follows:
“I have two words of advice for any one planning to participate in the Gion Matsuri: wear sunscreen. Especially on your feet. Also, if at all possible, avoid having said feet be large enough to cause your entire heel to extend beyond the bottom of the traditional sandals and onto the burning hot pavement as you walk around the city for 6 hours.
Apart from those minor inconveniences, though, the Gion Matsuri was an amazing experience, although not quite in the way I had expected. From reading the descriptions of past participants on Doshisha’s web site and allowing my over-excited imagination to run away with itself, I had this image in my mind of being enveloped in a cocoon of camaraderie with the other 40 pullers of the Minami Kannon Yama as we ran along tugging mightily at our float, collapsing at the end in an exhausted but satisfied pool of sweat and brotherhood. It was true that there were times when the pulling was a bit of a strain, and it was cool getting to meet some of the other exchange students and Japanese locals pulling the float along, but to be honest the most exhausting thing was just being out walking in the beating sun for such a long time with a lot of standing around waiting in between bouts of pulling, and after a few hours I had had my fill of small talk.
Many of the past accounts also mentioned how they felt that the experience allowed them to feel their connection with the Kyoto of years gone by, but to me the most important part of the Gion Matsuri seems to lie not in preserving the past but in strengthening the present. The ridiculous ritual of pulling giant unwieldy floats in a huge circle through the city seems to have very little, if any, of whatever religious meaning it once had. To me, it just seems like an excuse to bring the community out into the streets and for them to bond together (although I wouldn’t be surprised if that community-building aspect of it was the real driving force even back in 869 when it first began). To be able to experience that from within, to hear the shouts of school children as they cheered us on from their classroom window or see the blissful, toothless smile of an old woman as she and her family cheered us down the home stretch from the second floor of their traditional machiya house, was a unique and powerful experience that I will never forget. Not only did I get to see the Kyoto community grow closer to one another, but by helping in this ancient but vibrant ritual, I felt welcomed into that community as one of their own. 俺は京都人や！” (アーモストフェロー Patrick Savage from Doshisha University)
I attended the symposium of Jaxa (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), similar organization to Nasa in the U.S. Professor Murayama from Doshisha Business School gave a wonderful presentation of the collaboration of Space and Traditional Industry. Then Kakushin-Juku member, Mr. Kawabe who is a CG
Yuzen Kimono designer from Kyoto traditional industry and Mr. and Mrs. Watanabe, who are running the firm of flower arrangement from Kyoto showed us their new products from the collaboration with the materials possessed by JAXA. They created the new design Kimono, Bags, clocks, and post card with
flower, etc. I really enjoyed their challenge and I hope their products are going well. http://www.jaxa.jp/index_e.html
The title of article is "Redesigning tradition for modern life Doshisha University course aims to pass skills of Kyoto craftsmen to next generation."
Detail of Article as follows:
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/world/20080327TDY16003.htm
Kakushin Juku http://bs.doshisha.ac.jp/kakushin/shokunin_e/index.html
The English website of Kakushin Juku has been completed and opened to the public. I am in charge of this website of the class called Kakushin Juku in our business school. We started to make website in Japanese version first. This website concept is to focus not only products, but the people in this class of Kakushin Juku, such as craftsman, craftsman, managers of traditional crafts and industry in Kyoto.
Our team which is consisted of some undergraduate students of Doshisha University and me. We visited to eleven work places of craftsmen to have interviews, taking photos, filming video, etc. After visiting them, we made the drafts of website and editing the videos with subtitles in both Japanese and English. After creating website, promotion of pages are very important. In order to be attracted, we posted the videos to "Youtube" and made a community site at "facebook" for overseas and "mixi" for Japan. For analytics of website, we are using "Google Analytics".
We would like to find the best way to dispatch the information about traditional culture and crafts of Kyoto both in Japan and in overseas. We would like to ask diverse people in the world about Kyoto traditional crafts and our way of the promotion based on my ideas which was written in the Master thesis to find the new way for dispatching information of the Kyoto traditional culture by using IT technologies from now.
http://bs.doshisha.ac.jp/kakushin/shokunin_e/index.html
The Kakushin Juku
Doshisha Business School (DBS) is offering a class titled the Innovative Globalization of Kyoto’s Heritage Industries, ”Kakushin Juku”from April 2007. The program offers business education for young managers employed in traditional industries to enable them to create cultural industries from these heritage industries of historic Kyoto, with the objectives of offering hints for new styles of living and making a global impact through overseas expansion.
I met two French designers who were staying in Japan for several days, and took them at some working places of Kyoto traditional industry. They are interested in the inspection of the working places of craftsmen and ask some questions to get some hints for their work and especially in a processes and materials of traditional crafts. They wonder if they could have collaboration with Kyoto traditional craftsmen when they would stay in Kyoto for six months in summer this year as they will be dispatched in Kyoto by the French 
Government.
Some of Craftsmen from Kakushin-Juku will place their new works on the Gift Fair in San Francisco on 26th to 29th of January, 2008. For this show, the members who will attend the International Gift Fair have just finished creating their new innovative products which are not their ordinal works and they showed them in the meeting at the last Kakushin-Juku class. They are all wonderful as is to be expected of professionals. We are looking forward to having the buyers and visitors feedbacks of those Kyoto traditional innovative products in January of 2008.
In this morning, We, the staffs and I visited the working place for one of the members of Kakushin Juku which is the class of our business school. This is the working place of "Hand-painted Yuzen Dyeing" for the way of painting for Kimono. The all staff members for painting are young ladies and they are working in the large working place. We interviewed to the owner of this working place of "Yuzen Dyeing" for making the home pages of Kakushin Juku for the all members of this class.
The home pages will be focused on the crafts men or owners in this class members to understand not only traditional crafts and their history, but also the crafts men's personal histories and backgrounds. The pages will include the movie of making products, pictures at working place and people,articles from interview, their weblog, home pages and online shops. We try to make home pages with multimedia to let visitors understand inclusively.
The next visiting in this afternoon was the shop of products using by antique Kimono. All products are made by the antique kimonos, which have been used in Showa era about 60 to 70 years ago. The are so colorful and beautiful. Many animal dolls are putting on kimono and their expression are so cute. The most popular items are sold more than 1,000 items per year.
I had a good time of the solo pottery exhibition with some friends at Takashimaya Department store in the south of Osaka, Nanba.The person, who is one of the members of "Kakushin-Juku" and holds a solo exhibition, is Mr.Kato, a ceramic artist of Kiyomizu pottery in Kyoto. The "Kakushin-Juku" is the new class of Doshisha Business School ;MBA (DBS). After that we had the culture exchange with three countries form Korea, China, and Japan at the coffee shop with nice cakes. The detail of this class is as follows:
The Kakushin Juku
DBS is offering a class titled the Innovative Globalization of Kyoto's Heritage Industries, ”Kakushin Juku” from April 2007. The program offers business education for young managers employed in traditional industries to enable them to create cultural industries from these heritage industries of historic Kyoto, with the objectives of offering hints for new styles of living and making a global impact through overseas expansion. (Refer to the home pages of the Kakushin Juku)
I visited the shop named "ChiacChiera" in Kyoto, because a famous Italian designer came to this shop. His name is Mr. Attombri who is making jewellery and accessaries with beads made with Murano glass which is about 100 years old. He has been in this work for twenty years with his younger brother in Venice. I was so impressed their works, because materials are so nice including the color of beads and their techniques. Those materials are worked by hand using ancient techniques, reproduce the changing colors in the typical Venetian setting, such as the seasonal variations in the color of the lagoon. Our company has been running the Internet shop for about ten years. We have decided to introduce our customers their works soon. http://www.attombri.com/
What kind of Neta(sushi) do you like? This is "sushi-go-round" of the Japanese version, written in Japanese, but you can enjoy it with pictures even if you are a non Japanese speaker. You can see many old Japanese Anime, Manga, food, cars, goods which used be popular in the past on the "sushi-go-round". Here is that pages! Here is the pages for Live "Sushi"!
Last month I went to have a seminar at one of the national university in Kyoto, Kyoto kougei-seni university, which was good at the technology of fiber and other traditional materials in Japan. The speaker is Mr. Genshitsu Sen who is the chairman of "Urasenke"of "Cha-dou". He said in the speech that one of the basic idea of tea ceremony was "modesty".(left picture) When you have the cup of tea from the person who made tea for you, you have to turn the cup you have. Because you should avoid to drink the tea from the front of tea cup. I learnt from his speech that "modesty" of Japanese culture was very important and I sometimes forget acting of modesty.
My another purpose was to see my friend who was going to take phD course in this university from this spring. He showed me his research office and laboratory. I am happy to see him having hope for the new experience as a phD candidates.
*Tea ceremony: Sado, also called chado or chano yu, is the traditional etiquette of preparing and drinking tea when one has guests. In sado, special powdered tea, different from ordinary Japanese tea, is chiefly used. The powdered tea is put into a teacup, hot water is poured on it, it is whipped with a bamboo whisk till it foams and it is drunk.
In the sixteenth century, SEN NO Rikyu brought sado to perfection by incorporating the simple aesthetic values known as wabi(subtle taste) and sabi(elegant simplicity)and the concept of ichigo ichie(in a lifetime there is but one encounter). To make that encounter important, the host prepares with deep sincerity implements such as a hanging scroll and flowers to put in the alcove and the teacups. From such activities, meanwhile, the guests know the host's warm hospitality dna are filled with gratitude. (Refered to "A Bilingual Handbook on Japanese Culture")
"Kyogen play" is the oldest traditional play in Japan. It started in the Kamakura/Muromachi era. On the stage nothing to decollate without small item with players. The players are wearing traditional kimono and play with talking. They enplane the situation and seldom sing nor dance like "Noh play". It was good fun, I have not seen Kyogen play for since I was an elementally school student. This time I saw it with my son at son's junior high school and the players are very famous came from Kyoto and they are grandfather, father and son for three generation. Basically, it is funny story, so we could laugh many times to see those talk in old way of Japanese with funny actions. I feel traditional entertainment is cool and so unique. I would like to see "Kyogen play" again.
*Kyogen in classical Japanese comic theater and, like "No", was established in the Muromachi Period(1333-1573)by the father and son pair, Kan'ami and Zeami. At first, Kyogen plays were performed in the intervals between "No plays", but now they are staged independently and sometimes Kyogen actors take roles in No plays.
Compared to No, Kyogen has mass appeal. Masks are only worn in a few roles and no makeup is used. Except for the special roles of deities and ogres, the costumers are the daily clothing worn in the fifteenth century. Kyogen plots have a spirit of human affirmation and do not draw thieves and the like as truly wicked people. In addition, in contrast to No, which centers on chanting and dance, Kyogen's outstanding characteristic is the spoken lines accompanied by dramatic movement. (*Referred to "A Bilingual Handbook on Japanese Culture")
I was surprise to see this pictures based on the Japanese culture on the Internet new site, MSN news, after introduced by my class mate of MBA by e-mail. Oh, what the impressed pictures are they! The most of those fashion were made by British fashion designer John Galliano for Christian Dior's spring-summer 2007 Haute Couture fashion collection, presented Monday Jan. 22, 2007 in Paris. The person who send me this information have met this fashion designer John Galliano before he was famous and he was asked to introduce his fashion in Japan, but he refused because he was busy and did not know about fashion. Now he regret a little not to introduce him at that time.
YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34f971VFXys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaROO_gU6Aw&NR
Graduate School of Business, Doshisha University will start the new class "Global Innovation Cram School for Traditional Industry" next year. This is the unique program that four faculties from University and five lecturers who are specialist of traditional crafts from outside of University will have classes and support the crafts men students. The revolution will be expected through collaboration with the other crafts men and teachers. My role of this school is supporting them 
through the Internet skill to sell traditional crafts after innovation this this school by using the new way of the Internet Marketing. One of our purpose of the result of this school would be innovated traditional crafts would be introduced to the overseas market such as European countries, US, and Asia.
There was the symposium of "Global Innovation Cram School for Traditional Industry" last Sunday. More than 150 people have joined, and faculties and lecturers had a presentation and discussion at Doshisha University in Kyoto. I am looking forward to meeting with new students and have creative activities in this class.
http://bs.doshisha.ac.jp/english/index.html (Graduate School of Business, Doshisha University)
We had a festival in our city. Many local people attend the festival to manage two floats all day long. Some people pull and some people push, the other people are flowing the floats with instruments drum and Kane. Some children are allowed to ride inside of the float. I saw the float from my room at night with my son, now. They have just finished today's duty at nine from early in the morning. The last stop is the shrine just in front of my house. That's why we could see them from the window of my room. Still now, I can hear people's talking and laughing voice, so that people bit exciting from the autumn festival.
Yesterday, I visited one of my classmate's home, which is the maker of Tegaki Yuzen. "Tegaki" means hand writing and "Yuzen" is dyeing for Kimono. Our group saw the working place with instruction about kimono production using about 20 steps, such as painting, sewing, shaping, and making to kimono. There are lots of Kimono and tools. The craftsmen are young ladies working at this workshop. We could try to paint it as experience and found it was very difficult and you need patience for long hours.
In summer, many fire work festival are held in many parts of country. This constitute is a typical summer scene and lively gatherings for amusement. Many people enjoy gorgeous show at night. In Japan many women and girls wear on“ Yukata” and feel elegant. In this summer, I saw men who wear on “Yukata” more than before. I think fireworks is wonderful because it fascinates a lot of people in a moment. In your country, what kind of fireworks festival is held? (posted by Harumi Y, Internship student)
I went to "Daimonji". "Daimonji" is "Gozan-no-Ookuribi" which is held in 5 mountains in Kyoto. They make a fire in many points there. It can be seen letter or picture from far, for example photo is ‘大-DAI’. This is held Heian Period and the purpose is sending spirits who come home in the obon-period. So, spirits can go back to heaven. In KYOTO, there is this custom for long time. .(posted by Harumi Y, Internship student)
I had my mother to buy YUKATA (informal cotton kimono). In summer, special place where they sell YUKATA is hold in department store. They sell many YUKATA; there are a lot of color and pattern. So I was very puzzled which to choose. Almost costumers also are puzzled talking with clerks. I decided to get cute pattern because I am 20 years old. Then, I chose OBI (sash) to go well with YUKATA and my image. OBI effects on the total image and coordinate. For example I want to wear without circumstance; I select a lacework and modern OBI. I was tried on much kind of YUKATA and OBI. The time was also pleasant.
I'm going to go festival or fireworks displays with YUKATA. What's more I will wear on like an everyday clothes, for example when I go out town or temple. So I would like to enjoy YUKATA in many scenes.(posted by Harumi Y, Internship student)
Traditional Japanese houses are made of wood, with floors raised 30-40 cm off ground and covered with tatami(flooring rush mats). Essentially, we call this type of houses "Machiya". Machiya is very popular for young women these days. Machiya is recognized comfortable and nice.
Please look at these photos, which I took few days ago. The Machiya is fitted to the seasons. Now it is summer now and prepared for "Gion Festival". In Gion festival, they welcome guests in this house. So always this Matiya is closed to street and people in outside, but when Gion festival is held, they take off doors or Fusuma(paper sliding doors) or Shoji(sliding paper screens). Besides, this way can good through of wind and it's cool. They seem enjoy Maturi, conversation and cooking.The Machiya has many appearances to fit the scene. I thought that our ancestors had a good idea. (posted by Harumi Y, Internship student)
The Gion Matsuri was held in a few days ago. Gion Matsuri is the most famous festival in Kyoto and is held for four days. The last day is "Yamaboko-zyunkou" ,carry a portable shrine, 32 yamaboko are carried by people, they wander around the town from 9 am to noon. This Matsuri was started to wish peace of town about one thousand years ago. We call the day before is "Yoiyama", the day before yesterday is "Yoiyoiyama", and tree days before is "Yoiyoiyoiyama". These three days are held in evening, they illuminated yamaboko at night and people of area welcome their guests.
The Gion Matsuri is very famous, so many people come to enjoy the mood of the Matsuri. In this term, many people wear on "Yukata", an informal cotton kimono for the summer season, and many stalls are opened. So the town is very bustle. Million of people gather in only for days. I like Gion Matsuri very much, because this festival can express the elegance of Kyoto. "Ohayasi", this Matsuri music is played by the original and traditional instruments, and also graceful. I saw a lot of foreigners. Some of them were wearing Yukata. I would like you to enjoy the Gion Matsuri someday. (posted by Harumi Y, Internship student)
A Kaiten Sushi has been popular for long time by family customers in Japan. We went to the Sushi restaurant near my house with my family for dinner today. This type of 'sushi-go-round' restaurant is normally cheaper and worse taste than a normal type of sushi restaurant, but this is little more expensive than the other round sushi restaurant. The taste and fleshness are much better than them.That's why it was always crowded to wait more than 30 minutes to take seats today. We enjoy the different type of sushi and took some photos for you. There are 牛たたきraw meat, たまごegg, かにcrab, ネギトロ巻きtuna and leek with 'Nori', seaweed. Have you tried sushi and round type of sushi restaurant in your country?
What is 回転すし'sushi-go-round' ?
Normally, customer order sushi which you like to eat, to a sushi staff and they make it for you as an individual order at sushi restaurant. But in this type, round sushi restaurant, there is conveyer going round with a lots of different kind of sushi behind your counter table. When you find your favorite sushi dish, you can take the plate with sushi and eat. After you wait, but you can not find your favorite sushi, then you can order it to the sushi staff. When you finish to eat, your numbers of dish would be counted by a shop assistant and you get a bill. The price of each sushi dish is different, so they make the differentiate by the color of dishes. Normally, you pay 2,000 to 3,000, means 20 to 30 US dolors per person without drinks.
There is the gallery of Kyoto Traditional Arts & Crafts in Kyoto. I visited there with our company president Yasu. Many works are displayed, and some of them are sold there. They also gave demonstrations of the works. We met a craftsman of traditional craft.
He makes box of paulownia, 'Kiri' in Japanese. The works are his original. He studied at traditional arts school of Kyoto and after graduation he started his own business to make boxes and sell. He wishes people could appreciate traditional woodwork without circumstance. It takes few days to make the boxes for him. So, he pours his energy into producing the boxes one by one. The boxes are lightly slick, but very firm, and moreover can adjust moisture. It's more realization goodness of box when you actually have it.
I want to adopt the box to give present as case of accessory. He is very brightening because he is active toward for his aim. I hope goodness of his boxes will be recognized by many people. (posted by Harumi Y, Internship student)
'Tanabata' is the Weaver Star Festival, which occurs today on July 7. The Chinese legend, which has it the Altair (the Cowherd Star) and Vega (the weaver Star) were split apart by the two banks of the River of Heaven (the Milky Way) and come together once a year on this night, has aligned with Japanese belief,. Originally a festival carried out among the Court nobility, it has since the Edo Period(1603-1867) become established among the people at large.
One the night of the 6th, people write their wishes or poems on strips of poetry paper of various colors and hang them on bamboo grass; the, on the night of the 7th, they put them out in the garden. This picture is the decoration of 'Tanabata' , which was displaied at Aichi Expo 2005 in Japan last year. (posted by Yasu)
I have joined traditional crafts exports symposium in Kyoto with the president and other internsip student.Firstly , we went to a traditional crafts show. Many traditional crafts was exist here. For example ,pots, silk goods, robes, and ornaments. Especially I was moved silk clothes which made by Izukura Akihiro who is a crafts man. His products are all handmade. So it is a little expensive.
But it is very popular. And his products is accepted in Italy. Next, I listened three panelists’talk. Everyone say communication is important.When you sell traditional crafts to the other countries, you must inform back ground of these .Throughout the symposium , I studied many things.It was fresh experience for me. (posted by Koji K, Internship student)
I have joined the symposium about export of Japanese traditional crafts to overseas in Kyoto with internship students today. I enjoyed the three speakers' presentations including our business school teacher and exhibition of traditional crafts have already exported from Japan (refer to photos). One of speakers said they were important to modify some design of the products to adopt to liking of local consumers in the country which you wanted to export, and Japanese artists should collaborate more with the people who are artists in the country.
I also learned that we needed communication with people in that country, at the same time you started to sell your products. Anyway I enjoyed this international symposium which were held in English to learn both trading methods and English itself. (posted by Yasu) *Click the photos for enlarging
Every Monday I commute from Kyoto to Hyogo to work on internship program. It takes 2hours and half, I have to leave home at 7:30. It's early for me, but I can help eating breakfast. I can't start a day. Always I eat a slice of bread and black coffee. This is a western style breakfast. Because, bread is delicious and I can eat it simple.
This photo is typical Japanese meal. The left side of the photo is rice of staple dish. The Japanese are a rice-cultivating people who have lied for more than 2,000 years with rice. We oil the rice and eat with side dish.
The right side of photo is miso soup. The hot soup is made by adding several ingredients to broth, for example, tofu, seaweed, or vegetables, then stirring in the soy bean paste. Miso soup has valued as a health food that contributes to a balanced diet. When I make miso soup for friends of German, they don't like very much. It's taste match for Japanese.
The top side of photo is pickled vegetables (tsukemono). Tsukemono are produced by a means of processing food that is as old as the human race. Mainly vegetables, for example cucumbers, Chinese cabbages or eggplants, are prepared. This is necessary ingredients of Japanese food.
If we can eat these three cook in basis every morning, we would spend on healthy life. But, now in Japan western food is very popular. Some people don't eat breakfast. Do you have a breakfast every morning? Also, what kind of breakfast do you have in your country? (posted by Harumi Y, Internship student)
Cooking that we ate in welcome and farewell party was a dinner of seven courses. Each of one is very beautiful dish, elegant, elaborate decoration. I think it characteristic of traditional Japanese food. Particularly, I was impressed on dishes of relish (Sakizuke) and slices of raw fish (Sashimi).
First, they served to us Sakizuke which is first plate. This vessel was drawn flower and closed, so I was little exited what put in the bowl. Then I opened, cooking was dished boiled shrimp, steamed fish paste, and so on. Its color scheme was good and added flower. In traditional Japanese food, they often add flower and plant of the season. I reflect that is way to better expression seasonal ingredient and healthy natural food. I tried to examine what this purple flower is, but I couldn't find out.. Every time I think it is too beauty to pull dish down and eat. This time there was aperitif of Japanese apricot taste. (on the left side of photos). This mini glass was so cute and suitable to aperitif.
Next, I talk about Sashimi. Sashimi is raw fish, cut in appropriate sizes, which are dipped in soy sauce and eaten. This dish is to enliven dishes with ingredients that are as fresh as possible. That is characteristic of Japanese cuisine. This dish is translucent, and small ices underlay Sashimi. That is effective expression freshness and coolness. Also this plate was adorned with a lot of flowers or plants or ingredients. Ingredients are sea vegetable, shred Japanese radish, perilla. Some people eat those ingredients, but another people don’t eat. Each people have pleasure to eat in their own way.
Like this, I think Japanese traditional food have value-added. Japanese more tend to like not only food and taste, but also visual. So, Japanese people are particular about Japanese food on detail. Meals have many pleasures. What kind of pleasure do you have of meals? (posted by Harumi Y, Internship student)
A few days ago, we hold the party of Farewell and Welcome party with our office members. We went to the Japanese food restaurant near our office. In the restaurant, we took off our shoes, and sited on the flooring rush mats, 'Zabuton' which was a Japanese-made cushion. On the wall in the room, there hanged a Japanese-style painting (picture).
I am an internship student in this company to study the Internet business from the president directory. In my article, I would talk about Japanese food. A dinner of seven dishes courses takes out us one by one by waitresses who wears Japanese-style apron. All dishes were a little dish, but looks graceful and very good taste.
This time, I would introduce the main dish, 'tempura'. Tempura is pretty famous as a typical modern Japanese dish. It is Japanese fried food and fish, shellfish, vegetables, and so on. This time’s ingredient were shrimp, eggplant, Japanese pepper and bamboo shoot. They are dipped into a batter of wheat flour dissolved in water, fried in hot cooking oil, dipped in a special broth, and eaten. Its special characteristic is a light taste, distinct from food that is directly coated in wheat flour and fried.
It is better to eat as soon as fried, otherwise the coat of tempura becomes soft. I like eating it with grated radish then can eat more light taste and hot tempura and cool grated radish become good harmony. Another, tempura are eaten, as tempura buckwheat (tempura soba), tempura noodle, tempura donburi (or ten-don). These kind of tempura dishes have a lot of way to satisfy us.
We can eat tempura whatever at a restaurant or at home. But I think tempura of restaurant better taste, because of crispy coating. My mother said that was why those were difference of oil and the temperature of oil. To make good taste, a professional chef must have knacks. Have you tried 'tempura'? (posted by Harumi Y, Internship student)
I went to 'Fashion Cantata from Kyoto’ last Sunday. This was fashion show that appeal CHANEL and Kimono. The show is 14th, and theme was 'BOJYO’.（BOJYO is Love.） They express, heart and internal beauty of lady, tradition, and the figurative art. First, they started CHANEL fashion show. 22 fashion models were appearing on the stage. CHANEL designer used black and white in main color. CHANEL collection was so simple, but cool and elegant.
In the middle, there were talk show that Japanese woman essayist talk with Richard Collasse who is the president of CHANEL. He likes Kyoto and Kimono very much, so decided showing in this event. They talked about life in Kyoto. It seemed that it not easy, but so happy! He said CHANEL is similar to traditional goods, because its goods are simple and handmade. They seek elegance that not limited. Besides, the French and people in Kyoto are both have pride that 'I am the French’ or 'I am the Kyoto'.
In the latter of show, a lot of fashion model who wear Kimono went out in stage. The Kimonos were made by Kimono writers. It’s very beautiful, especially shade is beyond description. Altogether, show of CHANEL was foreigner model and show of Kimono was Japanese model, which is each of these good because they were so characteristic. I thought Kimono was very good after all. This show could remember us heart of Japanese. I wish I can wear Kimono in some day. (posted by Harumi Y, Internship student)
Yesterday, I attended to the wedding and wedding reception of my cousin at the hotel near Osaka castle (photo). At first the Japanese wedding was held for about 30 minutes and take photos with all relatives, then the wedding reception was held for 2.5 hours. My cousin is 28 years ago. When I have met him few years ago, he was the university student and now he is working for Japanese restaurant as a manager of the shop. The bride and groom gave some presents with a crane Origami, Japanese art of folding paper into attractive shapes. They looked so happy with many flowers celebrated for their start of new life.
After meeting at my University, our member of seminar with teach went to the English pub near the Shijo Station yesterday. We enjoyed beer with chatting for the relax time before you going back home. In the same building which named 'Cocon Karasuma', we visited some shops in the same shopping mall. 'Cocon' means all time in Japanese. One of the shop which we have visited was 'lisn' shop for the incense. The company 'Shoyeido', the owner of this shop has long history, more than 300 years since 1705. You can enjoy the perfume of incense. http://www.shoyeido.com/
Incense, along with Buddhism, was introduced into Japan from China(538). At first, it was used in front of Buddhist statues, but it gradually came to be enjoyed independently. In the middle of the Muromachi Period (1333-1573), it developed in association with the tea ceremony, and the style of using incense as an independent art was developed. With Kodo there are several approaches. One can burn aromatic wood and appreciate the fragrance, play a game by judging the relative quality of two kinds of incense, or express a theme common to the fragrances of several kinds of burning incense.
Then we visited the 'Karakami Paper' shop named 'Karacho'.karakami paper is made, with only the slight sounds of woodblock printing audible. This shop is famous of paper which has 380 years history in Kyoto. This company has this hope is only one shop for selling 'Kyo Karakami Paper' in Japan. http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/columns/0005/lens158.htm
I like the lots of lighting covered by 'Karakami paper' on the ceiling of this building. (Please refer to the picture)
Today, I went the Rotary Meeting at Takarazuka Hotel. Every Thursday I must attend the club meeting for one hour. Normally, in the first day of the month, we have celebration about the birthday of members and members' wives and the club give you a small present for you. June is the month of my birthday. I don't want to say exactly my age on the weblog, but it is over 40 years old. The average of age of members are 63 years old, so I am one of the youngest members in our club. Anyway, I have gotten a pen with a seal (signet) for a present, which is useful, because you use seals quite often in Japan. This is simple seal printed just sir name in Chinese character with red ink.
A seal is used as sign you have seen the papers or agree with the contents of the papers, instead of signature in Western style in documents, next to your printed name. Also, I use the company seal on the documents of company, such as agreement papers, contract with the other companies, nex to your name and company name. And also it is always used in banks. When you open your bank account and withdraw your money without a bank card. In Japan, a seal is necessary to use for the private and official cases and use different seals depending on cases.
I went to 'the Japanese traditional craftsman exhibition' at Hankyu Department store in Umeda, the center of Osaka-sity. Many craftsmen came from all over Japan and they showed their skill on the spot with different specialities, such as Bag from Yamanashi(upper-left picture), Urushi,Japanese Lacquer, bamboo craft, the image of Buddha craft, coral craft from Kochi(upper-center picture), doorplate of calligraphy from Nara (upper-right pic.), doll of Hakata(below-left), wardrobe from Iwate(below-center), handmade fountain pen from Miyagi(below-right).
I really enjoyed them, after I saw a train advertisement by chance. Also, at the same place I could see the modern craft exhibition as well. The artists made a lot of unique things using creativity. The business is similar to start a new business with your own style and your own resource. I did it for 15 years with built and scraped. Sometime am tired and sometimes am exciting. Do you have such a exhibition show in your country?
Do you know Mosquito-repellent incense as the picture ? In Japan, this is a traditional item and mainly people use it in summer to kill mosquitoes using inside and outside at home. It is a kind of incense, and you put the fire one of end. Mosquito could be killed by the smoke from it.
Question is with two 'Mosquito-repellent incense', please find the way to measure for 15 minutes. This type of Mosquito-repellent incense takes 1 hour to complete to burn out. When you find the answer, please post your answer to post in the comment column.
One of Kyoto's biggest festivals, the Aoi Matsuri consists of a procession of beautifully decorated oxcarts attended by some 400 people dressed in Heian-period costume. The parade leaves the Old Imperial Palace in the morning and heads north to Shimogamo-jinja (shrine), reaching the shrine around noon. It then proceeds to Kamigamo-jinja, arriving there in the evening.
I have joined from Shimogamo-jinja and walked to Kamigamo-jinja about 5km and I was taking pictures for the parades. It was a beautiful day today, so I really enjoyed the festival for the first time.
In Maturi, many people came to see from not only Japan, also from many countries. I meet one lady who comes to Japan from Spain, in order to join the International conference about women's sport in Kumamoto, Kyusyu at Okonomi-yaki restaurant for lunch. She said that she would stay in Kyoto for 3 days and will go to Tokyo after Kyoto. Tokyo and Kyoto are confusing for her, because this is the first trip in Japan. We could exchange information each other about different countries and experience in English, while taking lunch.
I like tea, especially Jasmine tea from China, but I don't have many chance to drink this tea except I have a chance to have it at Chinese restaurant. Today, my prospective Chinese teacher gave it to me, because she has just returned from China to Japan. I like English tea as well. I drink it once or twice everyday. I prefer English tea to coffee now. My favorite has been changed from coffee to English tea. Of course I drink Japanese tea many times everyday.
A long-standing Japanese custom is to have 'refreshment time' at three in the afternoon to partake of sweets and 'cha',Japanese green tea. Meanwhile, however, the tea ceremony, for which the tea is quite different from the cha used daily and which improves one's character by taking in the spirit of 'Zen', was developed in the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573-1603) and is widely practiced still today. Just as Buddhist priests originally used Japanese cha for medicinal purposes, it is know to include a lot of vitamins and is considered to be very good for the health and diet well known in overseas recently.
The fifth of May is the Boys' Festival and the national holiday. We celebrate boys to be healthy and for talisman to eat 'Chimaki' made of mochi from rice and sweet bean paste, display 'Koinobori' made of cloth shaped of a carp outside of the house which is very tall about 10 meters high. Some houses also display 'Yoroi-Kabuto' which is an armor for wearing worrier's tools to protect himself against the enemy.
I visited the shop Mamechiku for just limited period they display traditional crafts made by young people mainly who graduate from School of Traditional Arts and Crafts called TASK. The young lady on the picture said that once a year we introduce a lots of different Kyoto traditional crafts, such as Urushi as Japanese lacquer, bamboo work, woodwork, applique, ring by woodwork, Urushi, shell and Nishijin. Normally Nishijin is used for Kimono, obi(belt for kimono), neckties, and shawls, but this industrial artist for rings has found to use Nishijin for wooden rings. I really interested in this type of crafts, so I would like to her again and have interview.
Mamechiku, shop name came from the art on the picture with a lady who is also industrial artist. She said this is the pillow for hold when you sleep and it was made of foam polystyrene with tree times Urushi. It is the symbol of the shop, but it has been staying this position of the house for three years.
I will contact each person for the interview why they have started to make traditional crafts in Kyoto. I know many traditional crafts can not continue due to lack of successors, but on the other had they go to the school of art and crafts to be professional. I think this is mismatch of person.
I had Unagi(eel) for lunch at Center of city in Kyoto. In Japan we eat Unagi quite often so that eel is very good for your energy and good for your health because of lots of vitamin A in it. After lunch, I went to the 'Kamogawa Odori'.It is a Geisha and Maiko dance at the theater near the Kamo River. That's why it is called Kamogawa river dance. Kamogawa odori started in 1871, after they have gotten the license for Geisha industry in 1959. It was operating for over 130 years every spring and autumn since then. This is the 169th show.
It was the first experience for me to see this show and I was very impressed it had nice story and they were so beautiful about dancing and their clothes called 'Kimono'. I enjoyed this dance for 90 min including two shows.
They are dancing perfectly because they start the training when they are very young. I also really like the traditional music instruments, such as Shamisen similar to a guitar, Taiko as Japanese dram, Fue as Japanese flute, Tutumi you hold and hit it, and four singers. The music is very old type and unique, but I believe you would like if you hear them once.
On the way to the Kawaramachi station from Maruyama park, I visited the Gion, very famous area for night life and passed in front of Minamiza.
The oldest kabuki theatre in Japan is in Gion. The major event of the year is the kaomise festival (1 to 26 December), which features Japan's finest kabuki actors. Other performances take place on an irregular basis. The most likely months for performances are May, June and September. (from lonely planet)
Nishijin textile is a high-grade textile woven in conformity with excellent designs with silk as its principal material. Varicolored silk threads including gold tread and silver thread are used for weaving. This textile is characterized elaborate and florid woven patterns. Used for Kiomono, obi(belt for kimono), neckties, shawls and articles for interior decoration, it has a high value as an art object as well. Since the textile is woven in the Nishijin area, it is referred to as Nishijin textile. This textile industry has a history of more than 500 years. (from brochure) This photo is the machine to make Nishijin Textile.
I saw the special display 'Traditional Food Culture in Kyoto' in the museum of Kyoto. So many Kyoto food in the period of the Edo era to today are displayed with many models and explanations of foods. After spending around two hours, I bought some Kyoto souvenir which were Kyoto Pickles and 'Yokan', Japanese sweet bean jelly which we eat them with Japanese tea for snacks.
This 'Yokan' is made by 'Toraya' which is very famous Yokan maker that they started this company eraly-1500's, it means they are operating this business for about 500 years. They brought their sweets to the Imperial Palace in Kyoto between '1586-1611'. I am eating them right now with Japanese tea and writing this weblog.
By chance we visited at the office of an artist who know my classmates of the graduate school. She painted to a t-shirts, pottery, parasol and wall. The way of her art comes from Kyoto traditional dyeing 'silk kimono in the 17th-cntury 'Yuzen' style. These clothing do a freehand drawing dyed pattern in application of Yuzen process technique and a pigment for cloth.
The last two pictures were painted on the walls of this building at many places by her. We really enjoyed her arts very much. Someday, I would like to work with her for the internet business.
I have been to the area of Nijyo around 'Nijyo-castle'. At first I went to the shrine which has cherry-blossom, Dragon restaurant and nice pond. I couldn't remember the name of this shrine, but it's scenery was so beautiful. After having lunch I moved to the old house 'Nijo-Jinya'.
On the way to the house, I found the small 'Japanese rice cracker' a factory and shop which was operating for around 100 years. When I talked with a woman who was a shop master, she was let me come inside of the house which was the factory of rice cracker operated by her father who was 90 years old. He made rice cracker, baked 'Mochi cake' made from rice every morning and from afternoon he and her wife pack them into the plastic bags. This style is a typical papa-mama factory and shop in Kyoto. This family has problem about the heirs to a house job for their sons who were working for the other's job. In Kyoto, as I noted before, the traditional culture could not continue in the future due to less heirs to a house job.
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