coolest places to be in your bucket list Jump into the anime world — Kyoto What to wear in Japan? Kawaii Kawaii Step Out of Your Confort Zone coolest places to be in your bucket list Jump into the anime world — Kyoto What to wear in Japan? Lolita Kawaii Step Out of Your Confort Zone Kawaii The 2022 Lifestyle 1

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PLACE TO VISIT Japan is famous for natural sights like cherry blossoms and Mount Fuji, cutting-edge technology like Japanese cars and bullet trains, wacky inventions like karaoke and vending machines, cultural values like politeness and punctuality, popular anime and manga, and mouth-watering food like ramen and sushi. 4 The 2022 Lifestyle Kawaii

TOKYO Fujisan 6 The 2022 Lifestyle Kawaii

Fujisan Known as Mount Fuji is with 3776 meters Japan’s highest mountain. It is not surprising that the nearly perfectly shaped volcano has been worshiped as a sacred mountain and experienced big popularity among artists and common people throughout the centuries. Mount Fuji is an active volcano, which most recently erupted in 1707. It stands on the border between Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures and can be seen from Tokyo and Yokohama on clear days. Another easy way to view Mount Fuji is from the train on a trip between Tokyo and Osaka. If you take the shinkansen from Tokyo in direction of Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka, the best view of the mountain can be enjoyed from around Shin-Fuji Station on the right hand side of the train, about 40-45 minutes into the journey. Note however, that clouds and poor visibility often block the view of Mount Fuji, and you have to consider yourself lucky if you get a clear view of the mountain. Visibility tends to be better during the colder seasons of the year than in summer, and in the early morning and late evening hours than during the middle of the day. If you want to enjoy Mount Fuji at a more leisurely pace and from a nice natural surrounding, you should head to the Fuji Five Lake (Fujigoko) region at the northern foot of the mountain, or to Hakone, a nearby hot spring resort. Mount Fuji is officially open for climbing during July and August via several routes. Kawaii The 2022 Lifestyle 7

Kiyomizy-dera Otowa-san meaning Mount Otowa Kiyomizu-dera Temple was founded in 778. Its history dates back over 1200 years. As a holy place where the deity Kannon’s great compassion prevails, the temple has long been open to citizens of all classes. History books and literature describe how large numbers of people have enjoyed visiting Kiyomizu-dera Temple throughout its history. Among the grounds, which spread over 130,000 square meters along the mid-slope of Mt. Otowa in the eastern part of Kyoto, stand thirty Buddhist buildings, including the national treasure Main Hall and many other important cultural properties. Since its foundation, most of the buildings have been destroyed by fire over ten times. Thanks to the assistance of the temple’s faithful preists, they were rebuilt time and time again. Most of the present buildings were reconstructed in 1633. In 1944, Kiyomizu-dera Temple was registered on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. In 1965, Kiyomizu-dera became the head temple of the Kita-Hosso sect, which was founded by Onishi Ryokei Wajo, then the temple’s chief abbot. Kiyomizu-dera Temple is a temple of the Kita-Hosso sect. Ryokei Wajo kept abreast of the turbulent social events of the new era and had been seeking a new form of Buddhism that the future society would need. The name “Kita” Hosso means “Northern” version of the Hosso sect, as it began in Kyoto, located at the north of Nara city. 8 The 2022 Lifestyle Kawaii

KYOTO Kiyomizu-dera Kawaii The 2022 Lifestyle 9

OSAKA Osakajo 10 The 2022 Lifestyle Kawaii

Osakajo The construction of Osaka Castle (Osakajo) started in 1583 on the former site of the Ishiyama Honganji Temple, which had been destroyed by Oda Nobunaga thirteen years earlier. Toyotomi Hideyoshi intended the castle to become the center of a new, unified Japan under Toyotomi rule. It was the largest castle at the time. However, a few years after Hideyoshi’s death, Tokugawa troops attacked and destroyed the castle and terminated the Toyotomi lineage in 1615. Osaka Castle was rebuilt by Tokugawa Hidetada in the 1620s, but its main castle tower was struck by lightning in 1665 and burnt down. It was not until 1931 that the present ferro-concrete reconstruction of the castle tower was built. During the war it miraculously survived the citywide air raids. Major repair works gave the castle new glamor in 1997. The castle tower is now entirely modern on the inside and even features an elevator for easier accessibility. It houses an informative museum about the castle’s history and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The entire Osaka Castle Park covers about two square kilometers with lots of green space, sport facilities, a multi-purpose arena (Osakajo Hall) and a shrine dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The park is one of Osaka’s most popular hanami spots during the cherry blossom season, which usually takes place in early April. The Nishinomaru Garden, encompassing the former “western citadel”, is a lawn garden with 600 cherry trees, a tea house, the former Osaka Guest House and nice views of the castle tower from below. Kawaii The 2022 Lifestyle 11

Itsukushima Shrine Itsukushima jinja was the chief Shinto shrine (ichinomiya) of Aki Province. It is said to have been erected in 593 supposedly by Saeki Kuramoto during the Suiko period. However, the present shrine has been popularly attributed to Taira no Kiyomori, a prominent warlord (daimyo) who contributed heavily to the building of the shrine during his time as governor of Aki Province in 1168. Another renowned patron of the shrine was the warlord Mori Motonari, lord of Choshu, who was responsible for rebuilding the honden in 1571. It is important to note, however, that as a result of waging war against Sue Takafusa there in 1555, Motonari is said to have tainted the island’s grounds by battling on the island. This relates to the strict notions of sacred purity that Shinto shrines stand for. Unfortunately, the only surviving structure in Itsukushima shrine from the Kamakura period is the Kyakuden or “Guest-God’s Shrine”. In Japanese, Itsukushima translates to mean “ island dedicated to the gods” In fact, the island itself is also considered to be a god, which is why the shrine was built on the outskirts of the island. Adding to its sanctity, Mount Misen is “its tallest peak” ranging about “1,755 feet high.” Tourists can either hike or take a ropeway to the top. It was not uncommon during the 16th century for daimyo to build shrines or take on other architectural projects in order to “reflect their power and splendor.” Japan has gone to great lengths to preserve the twelfth-century-style architecture of the Shrine throughout history and now national treasure. 12 The 2022 Lifestyle Kawaii

HIROSHIMA Itsukushima Shrine Kawaii The 2022 Lifestyle 13

SAITAMA Kawagoe-Shi 14 The 2022 Lifestyle Kawaii

Kawagoe-Shi Kawagoe (Kawagoe-shi) is a city in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Kawagoe is located about 30 minutes by train from central Tokyo and is suitable as a day trip destination. The city is known locally as “Little Edo” ( Koedo) after the old name for Tokyo, due to its many historic buildings. Its main street, lined with Kurazukuri (claywalled warehouse-styled) buildings, retains an ambience reminiscent of an old town from the Edo Period (1603-1867) and allows us to imagine the streets from past centuries. Thereby, Kawagoe became known as “Little Edo”. During the Edo Period, Kawagoe prospered as a supplier of commodities to Tokyo (then named Edo). As Kawagoe was an important city to the capital for trade and strategic purposes, the shogun installed some of their most loyal men as lords of Kawagoe Castle. Close ties ensued between the two cities and over the years, Kawagoe inherited many aspects of the Edo culture and architecture. One of the most important temples in the Greater Tokyo area, Kitain Temple, is Kawagoe’s other main attraction. It is home to the only remaining structures of the former Edo Castle. On the temple grounds are the Gohyaku Rakan group of more than 500 stone statues of Buddha’s disciples. Kawagoe is famous for its sweet potatoes, and the local “Candy Street” sells such treats as sweet potato chips, sweet potato ice cream, sweet potato coffee, and even sweet potato beer, brewed at the local Coedo Brewery. Some of its streets preserve the old castle town of the Edo period (17th to 19th centuries). Kawaii The 2022 Lifestyle 15

Todai-ji Temple Otowa-san meaning Mount Otowa Kiyomizu-dera Temple was founded in 778. Its history dates back over 1200 years. As a holy place where the deity Kannon’s great compassion prevails, the temple has long been open to citizens of all classes. History books and literature describe how large numbers of people have enjoyed visiting Kiyomizu-dera Temple throughout its history. Among the grounds, which spread over 130,000 square meters along the mid-slope of Mt. Otowa in the eastern part of Kyoto, stand thirty Buddhist buildings, including the national treasure Main Hall and many other important cultural properties. Since its foundation, most of the buildings have been destroyed by fire over ten times. Thanks to the assistance of the temple’s faithful preists, they were rebuilt time and time again. Most of the present buildings were reconstructed in 1633. In 1944, Kiyomizu-dera Temple was registered on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. In 1965, Kiyomizu-dera became the head temple of the Kita-Hosso sect, which was founded by Onishi Ryokei Wajo, then the temple’s chief abbot. Kiyomizu-dera Temple is a temple of the Kita-Hosso sect. Ryokei Wajo kept abreast of the turbulent social events of the new era and had been seeking a new form of Buddhism that the future society would need. The name “Kita” Hosso means “Northern” version of the Hosso sect, as it began in Kyoto, located at the north of Nara city. 16 The 2022 Lifestyle Kawaii

NARA Todai-ji Temple Kawaii The 2022 Lifestyle 17

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What to wear in Japan? Lolita is a Japanese fashion inspired by Victorian-era clothing and styles from the rococo period. It grew from young women’s desire to dress for themselves in a way that disregarded men’s opinions. The style is characterized by a distinctive silhouette, achieved from wearing petticoats underneath dresses or skirts with a specific cut. A full Lolita outfit is called a “coord” or coordinate. Every outfit will include a dress or skirt to achieve the proper lolita silhouette. Dresses are made with very full skirts to accommodate a petticoat. Lolita dresses are categorized as either JSKs or OPs. JSKs, or jumperskirts, are sleeveless dresses normally worn over a blouse, and OPs, or onepieces, are worn without a blouse. The tops worn with JSKs or skirts are either blouses or cutsews, tops made of jersey fabric. If the sleeves don’t reach the wrists, it’s customary to wear wrist cuffs or bracelets. Shoes known as “tea party shoes” are the most popular option for footwear, but Mary Janes, boots, low heels, and Rocking Horse Shoes are worn just as often. Socks or tights keep the outfit balanced from head to toe. Lolitas wear many different styles of headdress and hairstyles to balance out their skirts. Many other accessories can be worn with the fashion- other items include bloomers, wigs, jewelry, gloves, coats, capes, parasols, or bags. Kawaii The 2022 Lifestyle 19

The Lolita Fashion L olita is a Japanese fashion inspired by Victorian-era clothing and styles from the rococo period. It grew from young women’s desire to dress for themselves in a way that disregarded men’s opinions. The style is characterized by a distinctive silhouette, achieved from wearing petticoats underneath dresses or skirts with a specific cut. A full Lolita outfit is called a “coord” or coordinate. Every outfit will include a dress or skirt to achieve the proper lolita silhouette. Dresses are made with very full skirts to accommodate a petticoat. Lolita dresses are categorized as either JSKs or OPs. JSKs, or jumperskirts, are sleeveless dresses normally worn over a blouse, and OPs, or one-pieces, are worn without a blouse. The tops worn with JSKs or skirts are either blouses or cutsews, tops made of jersey fabric. If the sleeves don’t reach the wrists, it’s customary to wear wrist cuffs or bracelets. Shoes known as “tea party shoes” are the most popular option for footwear, but Mary Janes, boots, low heels, and Rocking Horse Shoes are worn just as often. Socks or tights keep the outfit balanced from head to toe. Lolitas wear many different styles of headdress and hairstyles to balance out their skirts. Many other accessories can be worn with the fashion- other items include bloomers, wigs, jewelry, gloves, coats, capes, parasols, or bags. It is unknown where the fashion gets its name. Many Lolitas suspect that a writer decided the Spanish name Lolita complemented the feminine and whimsical fashion and it just caught on. It, unfortunately, shares the name with a controversial book by Vladimir Nabokov about a young girl who is preyed on by an older man. The book and fashion are unrelated (for more information on that aesthetic, feel free to look at the Nymphet page. The fashion has its roots in the 70s and 80s with Otome fashion and Natural-kei. Lolita as we know it came about in the 1990s, where it was photographed on the streets of Harajuku and featured in magazines like Fruits, Kera, and eventually Gothic & Lolita Bible. Lolita was worn by members of Visual Kei bands in their performances, notably Mana of Malice Mizer, who created the first Gothic Lolita brand, Moi-même-Moitié, in 1999. Gothic Lolita also has strong roots in the New Wave and Punk music scenes in terms of its style. The band Strawberry Switchblade and the singer Nina Hagen are certainly key influences to the development of the look, as much as Japanese Goth and Visual Kei artists. “ ” You are not overdressed, the world is underdressed for you 20 The 2022 Lifestyle Kawaii

Lolita Dresscode The main feature of Lolita fashion is the volume of the skirt, created by wearing a petticoat or crinoline. The skirt can be either bell-shaped or A-line shaped. Components of the lolita wardrobe consist mainly of a blouse (long or short sleeves) with a skirt or a dress, which usually comes to the knees. Although the name Lolita has become synonymous with underage sexpot, Nabokov’s Lolita is simply a stubborn child. She is neither very beautiful nor particularly charming, and Humbert often remarks on her skinny arms, freckles, vulgar language, and unladylike behavior. Because for all its linguistic pyrotechnics — as Humbert confesses, “you can always count on a murderer for a fancy prose style” — and for all its controversial subject matter, Lolita is one of the most beautiful love stories you’ll ever read. It may be one of the only love stories you’ll ever read The Creation of Lolita Lolita is a Japanese fashion inspired by Victorian-era clothing and styles from the rococo period. It grew from young women’s desire to dress for themselves in a way that disregarded men’s opinions. The style is characterized by a distinctive silhouette, achieved from wearing petticoats underneath dresses or skirts with a specific cut. Due to the growing popularity of Visual Kei and widespread publication of street fashion magazines, Lolita was introduced to the world outside of Japan. A full Lolita outfit is called a “coord” or coordinate. Every outfit will include a dress or skirt to achieve the proper lolita silhouette. Dresses are made with very full skirts to accommodate a petticoat. Lolita dresses are categorized as either JSKs or OPs. JSKs, or jumperskirts, are sleeveless dresses normally worn over a blouse, and OPs, or one-pieces, are worn without a blouse. The tops worn with JSKs or skirts are either blouses or cutsews, tops made of jersey fabric. If the sleeves don’t reach the wrists, it’s customary to wear wrist cuffs or bracelets. Shoes known as “tea party shoes” are the most popular option for footwear, but Mary Janes, boots, low heels, and Rocking Horse Shoes are worn just as often. Socks or tights keep the outfit balanced from head to toe. Lolitas wear many different styles of headdress and hairstyles to balance out their skirts. Many other accessories can be worn with the fashion- other items include bloomers, wigs, jewelry, gloves, coats, capes, parasols, or bags. It is unknown where the fashion gets its name. Many Lolitas suspect that a writer decided the Spanish name Lolita complemented the feminine and whimsical fashion and it just caught on. It, unfortunately, shares the name with a controversial book by Vladimir Nabokov about a young girl who is preyed on by an older man. The book and fashion are unrelated. Lolita fashion is a subculture from Japan that is highly influenced by Victorian clothing and styles from the Rococo period. A very distinctive property of Lolita fashion is the aesthetic of cuteness. This clothing subculture can be categorized into three main substyles: ‘gothic’, ‘classic’, and ‘sweet’. Many other substyles such as ‘sailor’, ‘country’, ‘hime’ (princess), ‘ero’ (erotic), ‘guro’ (grotesque), ‘qi’ and ‘wa’ (based on traditional Chinese and Japanese dress), ‘punk’, ‘shiro’ (white), ‘kuro’ (black), and ‘steampunk’ lolita also exist. This style evolved into a widely followed subculture in Japan and other countries in the 1990s and 2000s and may have waned in Japan as of the 2010s as the fashion became more mainstream. If the sleeves don’t reach the wrists, it’s customary to wear wrist cuffs or bracelets. Shoes known as “tea party shoes” are the most popular option for footwear, but Mary Janes, boots, low heels, and Rocking Horse Shoes are worn just as often. Socks or tights keep the outfit balanced from head to toe. Lolitas wear many different styles of headdress and hairstyles to balance out their skirts. It, unfortunately, shares the name with a controversial book by Vladimir Nabokov about a young girl who is preyed on by an older man. The book and fashion are unrelated. Every outfit will include a dress or skirt to achieve the proper lolita silhouette. Dresses are made with very full skirts to accommodate a petticoat. Lolita dresses are JSKs, or jumperskirts, are sleeveless dresses normally worn over a blouse, and OPs. Shoes known as “tea party shoes” are the most popular option for footwear, but Mary Janes, boots, low heels, and Rocking Horse Shoes are worn just as often. Socks or tights keep the outfit balanced from head to toe. Kawaii The 2022 Lifestyle 21

Tasty Tasty Sashimi Sushi Sashimi What Is Japanese Delicacy? As many of you already know, Japan is famous for its wonderful and unique cuisine. But when we think about Japanese food, the first thing that comes to mind is fish and rice. This blog post will give you a wider view about the food culture in Japan, and teach you what to order from the moment you sit at the restaurant. L et’s start with the food item that most of us associates Japan with: Sushi and Sashimi. Sushi is known all over the world and is unique in its creation because every piece of rice is seasoned with a rice vinegar mix (made with sugar and salt) and then mixed with different ingredients such as a variety of seafood, vegetables, and nori (seaweed). You can just grab a piece of sushi with chopsticks and dip it into soy sauce or wasabi, or both. It is truly a mix of flavors in your mouth! Depending on the shape and ingredients that are used, sushi can be called different names: Nigiri sushi, Maki sushi, Oshi sushi, Temaki sushi, etc. Sashimi is basically raw fish or seafood served with wasabi (a spicy Japanese condiment) and soy sauce. It generally comes with slices of radish on the side. The name sashimi comes from a tradition of presenting the fish itself with the meal to identify which kind of fish you are eating. The first kanji means spine and the second kanji means body. If you are planning a trip to Japan and want to ensure that you have the best possible food experience in the country, you should first check out all the different sushi tours that Triplelights offer - some are truly unique, such as learning how to make and cook sushi in the suburbs, participating in sushi workshops at Tsukiji Fish Market, and even making a trip to the Shimizu Sushi Museum. Feel free to send a message to any of the local guides in Japan if you have questions on how to receive a customized itinerary and quotation to begin planning for an unforgettable food experience. Sashimi is popularly served with a dipping sauce (soy sauce) and condiments such as wasabi paste, grated fresh ginger, grated fresh garlic, or ponzu for meat sashimi, and such garnishes as shiso and shredded daikon radish. Wasabi paste is sometimes mixed directly into soy sauce as a dipping sauce, which is generally not done when eating sushi (which itself normally includes wasabi). 22 The 2022 Lifestyle Kawaii

Sushi Sashimi Kawaii The 2022 Lifestyle 23

what is the S&s Delicacy? The word sashimi means “pierced body”, sashimi breaks into two parts, sashi (pierced, stuck) and mi (body, meat). This word dates from the Muromachi period and was possibly coined when the word kiru (cut), the culinary step, was considered too inauspicious to be used by anyone other than samurai. This word may derive from the culinary practice of sticking the fish’s tail and fin to the slices for the purpose of identifying the fish being eaten. Another possibility for the name is the traditional method of harvesting. “Sashimi-grade” fish is caught by individual handline. As soon as the fish is landed, its brain is pierced with a sharp spike, and it is placed in slurried ice. This spiking is called the ikejime process, and the instantaneous death means that the fish’s flesh contains a minimal amount of lactic acid. This means that the fish will keep fresh on ice for about ten days, without turning white or otherwise degrading. The typical garnish is Asian white radish, daikon, shredded into long thin strands, or single leaves of the herb shiso (perilla). Sashimi by contrast is always served on its own. Many non-Japanese use the terms sashimi and sushi interchangeably, but the two dishes are distinct and separate. Sushi refers to any dish made with vinegared rice. While raw fish is one traditional sushi ingredient, many sushi dishes contain seafood that has been cooked, and others have no seafood at all. Sashimi by contrast is always served on its own. Sashimi is popularly served with a dipping soy sauce and condiments such as wasabi paste, grated fresh ginger, grated fresh garlic, or ponzu for meat sashimi, and such garnishes as shiso and shredded daikon radish. Wasabi paste is sometimes mixed directly into soy sauce as a dipping sauce, which is generally not done when eating sushi (normally includes wasabi). A reputed motivation for serving wasabi with sashimi (and also gari, pickled ginger), besides its flavor, is killing harmful bacteria and parasites that could be present in raw seafood. The sliced seafood that composes the main ingredient. Everything Sashimi and Sushi “Each sushi represents a different patch of sea under a different shade of sky” 24 The 2022 Lifestyle Kawaii

LEARN ABOUT SASHIMI AND SUSHI Here is what to know for an even better experince and taste of sashimi and sushi. Fish used raw for sushi and sashimi include tuna, bonito (a type of tuna), striped bass, fluke (summer flounder), sole, flounder, porgy, sea bass, bluefish, red snapper, tilefish, weakfish (sea trout), halibut and salmon. These fish can be found in markets all year but there are definite seasonal variations. Your taste varies. Sauce Soy Sauce: used for dipping sushi and sashimi, soy sauce has a salty and sweet flavor that makes it ideal for topping off any roll. Wasabi: made from Kudzu, wasabi tastes slightly spicy like horseradish and mustard, and is used to add a kick to your sushi. These two are the most favorable combination among Japanese. Combination Once prepared, Japanese meals always have soup in it, so this is a must if you’re eating sashimi or sushi. Miso Soup, Gari or Pickled Ginger, Tempura, Edamame, Gyoza, Eggplant, Kani Salad, Seaweed Salad. Fun fact: Gari or pickled ginger is not a side dish, but it’s often served with sushi to serve as a palate cleanser in between bites. Drink In general, craft cocktails made with sake or other light wines or spirits as safe picks to pair with sushi. Any good cocktails mixed with sake, white wine, sparking wine or flavored vodka are a good paring with sushi and sashimi in Japanese restaurants. Especially, fruity flavor soju works best with sashimi or sushi. Why It Is Unique Sashimi is a Japanese delicacy consisting of fresh raw fish or meat sliced into thin pieces and often eaten with soy sauce. Sushi is often made with fish and other types of seafood. It is also made with egg or vegetables like cucumber and avocado. Sashimi, loosely translated, means “pierced body,” and it refers to a delicacy of thinly sliced fish or other types of meat. Sashimi is popularly served with a dipping soy sauce and condiments such as wasabi paste, grated fresh ginger, grated fresh garlic, or ponzu for meat sashimi, and such garnishes as shiso and shredded daikon radish. Wasabi paste is sometimes mixed directly into soy sauce as a dipping sauce, which is generally not done when eating sush. A reputed motivation for serving wasabi with sashimi (and also gari, pickled ginger). To highlight the delicate flavor as well as for texture, the chef cuts fish into different thicknesses by variety of the fish, its age and by the season. The hira-zukuri cut (“flat slice”), is the standard cut for most sashimi. Typically, this style of cut is the size of a domino and 10 mm thick. Tuna, salmon, and kingfish are most commonly cut in this style. The usu-zukuri cut (“thin slice”), is an extremely thin, diagonally cut slice that is mostly used to cut firm fish, such as bream, whiting, and flounder. The dimensions of this cut are usually 50 mm long and 2 mm wide. The kaku-zukuri cut (“square slice”), is the style in which sashimi is cut into small cubes that are 20 mm on each side. The ito-zukuri cut (“thread slice”), is the style in which the fish is cut into fine strips, less than 2 mm in diameter. The fish typically cut with the itozukuri style include garfish and squid; squid dish prepared in ito-zukuri is also called ika somen and you dip them in dashi or mentsuyu like eating somen noodle. Fish used raw for sushi and sashimi include tuna, bonito, striped bass, fluke (summer flounder), sole, flounder, porgy, sea bass, bluefish, red snapper, tilefish, weakfish (sea trout), halibut and salmon. These fish can be found in markets all year but there are definite seasonal variations. Your taste varies depending on types of fishes too. Once prepared, Japanese meals always have soup in it, so this is a must if you’re eating sashimi or sushi. Miso Soup, Gari or Pickled Ginger, Tempura, Edamame, Gyoza, Eggplant, Kani Salad, Seaweed Salad. Fun fact: Gari or pickled ginger is not a side dish, but it’s often served with sushi to serve as a palate cleanser in between bites. Miso soup is prepared in a small portion as a side dish to complement a meal. Common main dishes might be rice, sashimi, steak, and other meal options. In general, craft cocktails made with sake or other light wines or spirits as safe picks to pair with sushi. Any good cocktails mixed with sake, white wine, sparking wine or flavored vodka are a good paring with sushi and sashimi in Japanese restaurants. Especially, fruity flavor soju works best with sashimi or sushi. � Kawaii The 2022 Lifestyle 25

ANIME WORLD Jump into the Modern anime began in 1956 and found lasting success in 1961 with the establishment of Mushi Productions by Osamu Tezuka, a leading figure in modern manga, the dense, novelistic Japanese comic book style that contributed greatly to the aesthetic of anime. Anime (Japanese, anime is handdrawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. 26 The 2022 Lifestyle Kawaii

ANIME Kawaii The 2022 Lifestyle 27

The Legacy of Anime Creation Anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, anime refers to Japanese animation, and refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, anime describes all animated works, regardless of style or origin. Animation produced outside of Japan with similar style to Japanese animation is referred to as anime-influenced animation. The earliest commercial Japanese animations date to 1917. A characteristic art style emerged in the 1960s with the works of cartoonist Osamu Tezuka and spread in following decades, developing a large domestic audience. Anime is distributed theatrically, through television broadcasts, directly to home media, and over the Internet. In addition to original works, anime are often adaptations of Japanese comics (manga), light novels, or video games. Anime is a diverse medium with distinctive production methods that have adapted in response to emergent technologies. It combines graphic art, characterization, cinematography, and other forms of imaginative and individualistic techniques. Compared to Western animation, anime production generally focuses less on movement, and more on the detail of settings and use of “camera effects”, such as panning, zooming, and angle shots. Diverse art styles are used, and character proportions and features can be quite varied, with a common characteristic feature being large and emotive eyes. Into the Fame Akame Ga Kill! is a Japanese manga series written by Takahiro and illustrated by Tetsuya Tashiro. It was serialized in Square Enix’s Gangan Joker from March 2010 to December 2016. The story focuses on Tatsumi, a young villager who travels to the Capital to raise money for his home only to discover strong corruption in the area. The assassin group known as Night Raid recruits the young man to help them in their fight against the corrupt Empire. In 2007, Takahiro was asked to do a manga for Square Enix magazine. He originally came up with the idea of an “all-female band of assassins, and the protagonist is a boy who is captured by them and has to work for them”. After his editor approved the idea, he waited on serialization until his company had stabilized and had released two other titles, during which he developed the characters, story and world. In August 2009, following the release of Majikoi ~ Oh! Samurai Girls, Takahiro looked for an artist for the serialization, and recruited Tetsuya Tashiro to do the illustrations. He liked Tashiro’s ability to draw fast-paced action scenes and that he can draw cute girls.Vol. Both the main and prequel manga combined has 3.3 million copies in print as of August 2016. During this period several filmmakers became famous, especially Hayao Miyazaki and Mamoru Oshii. It became clear that now anime has reach the world ranking. There are many other anime that awaits. The seventh volume sold 24,181 copies within the first week of release. The seventh volume sold 24,181 copies within the first week of release. The eighth volume likewise sold 37,833 copies in its debut week. The series has sold over 2.1 million copies. The English release debuted at 19th in Monthly BookScan during February 2015. Both the main and prequel manga combined has 3.3 million copies in print as of August 2016. In 1970s, anime developed further, with the inspiration of Disney animators. 28 The 2022 Lifestyle Kawaii

The Climax hit By the mid-1930s, animation was well-established in Japan as an alternative format to the live-action industry. It suffered competition from foreign producers, such as Disney, and many animators, including Noburo Ofuji and Yasuji Murata, continued to work with cheaper cutout animation rather than cel animation. Other creators, including Kenzo Masaoka and Mitsuyo Seo, nevertheless made great strides in technique, benefiting from the patronage of the government, which employed animators to produce educational shorts and propaganda. In 1940, the government dissolved several artists’ organizations to form the Shin Nippon Mangaka Kyokai. The history of anime can be traced back to the start of the 20th century, with the earliest verifiable films dating from 1907. Before the advent of film, Japan already had a rich tradition of entertainment with colourful painted figures moving across the projection screen in utsushi-e, a particular Japanese type of magic lantern show popular in the 19th century. Possibly inspired by European phantasmagoria shows, utsushi-e showmen used mechanical slides and developed lightweight wooden projectors (furo) that were handheld so that several performers could each control the motions of different projected figures. The second generation of animators in the late 1910s included Oten Shimokawa. In the 1980s, anime became mainstream in Japan, experiencing a boom in production with the rise in popularity of anime like Gundam, Macross, Dragon Ball, and genres such as real robot, space opera and cyberpunk. Space Battleship Yamato and The Super Dimension Fortress Macross also achieved worldwide success after being adapted respectively as Star Blazers and Robotech. By the mid-1930s, animation was well-established in Japan as an alternative format to the live-action industry. It suffered competition from foreign producers, such as Disney, and many animators, including Noburo Ofuji and Yasuji Murata, continued to work with cheaper cutout animation rather than cel animation. Other creators, including Kenzo Masaoka and Mitsuyo Seo, nevertheless made great strides in technique, benefiting from the patronage of the government, which employed animators to produce educational shorts and propaganda. In 1940, the government dissolved several artists’ organizations to form the Shin Nippon Mangaka Kyokai. The first talkie anime was Chikara to Onna no Yo no Naka (1933), a short film produced by Masaoka. History to take back The history of anime can be traced back to the start of the 20th century, with the earliest verifiable films dating from 1907. Before the advent of film, Japan already had a rich tradition of entertainment with colourful painted figures moving across the projection screen in utsushi-e, a particular Japanese type of magic lantern show popular in the 19th century. Possibly inspired by European phantasmagoria shows, utsushi-e showmen used mechanical slides and developed lightweight wooden projectors (furo) that were handheld so that several performers could each control the motions of different projected figures. The second generation of animators in the late 1910s included Oten Shimokawa, Jun’ichi Kouchi and Seitaro Kitayama, commonly referred to as the “fathers” of anime. Propaganda films, such as Momotaro no Umiwashi (1943) and Momotaro Umi no Shinpei (1945), the latter being the first anime feature film, were made during World War II. “ „ If you don’t take risks, you can’t create a future! Kawaii The 2022 Lifestyle 29

Gobal POP Culture

Aimyon in a shoot for her new release album

IT’S MORE THAN JUST MUSIC IT’S WHERE THE DREAMERS GO " " A picture of a famous concert that has a breakthrough in Japan for its highest rating of pop music industry 32 The 2022 Lifestyle Kawaii

J-pop “Japanese jeipoppu” often stylized as J-POP; an abbreviated form of “Japanese popular music”, natively also known simply as pops (poppusu), is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in traditional Japanese music, but significantly in 1960s pop and rock music, such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys, which led to Japanese rock bands such as Happy End fusing rock with Japanese music in the early 1970s. J-pop was further defined by new wave and crossover fusion acts of the late 1970s such as Yellow Magic Orchestra and Southern All Stars, then Eurobeat in the early 1990s, namely Namie Amuro. Eventually, J-pop replaced kayokyoku (Lyric Singing Music), a term for Japanese popular music from the 1920s to the 1980s in the Japanese music scene. The term was coined by the Japanese media to distinguish Japanese music from foreign music and now refers to most Japanese popular music. Popular styles of Japanese pop music included technopop during the 1970s–1980s, city pop in the 1980s, and Shibuya-kei in the 1990s. Its musical characteristics (except its “cultural background”) were inherited by 1990s Shibuya-kei musicians such as Pizzicato Five and Flipper’s Guitar. At first, the term J-pop was used only for Western-style musicians in Japan, such as Pizzicato Five and Flipper’s Guitar, just after Japanese radio station J-Wave was established. On the other hand, Mitsuhiro Hidaka of AAA from Avex Trax said that J-pop was originally derived from the Eurobeat genre. However, the term became a blanket term, covering other music genres—such as the majority of Japanese rock music of the 1990s. In 1990, the Japanese subsidiary of Tower Records defined J-pop as all Japanese music belonging to the Recording Industry Association of Japan except Japanese independent music (which they term “J-indie”); their stores began to use additional classifications, such as J-club, J-punk, J-hip-hop, J-reggae, J-anime, and Visual kei by 2008, after independent musicians started to release works via major labels. Ito Music City, a Japanese record store, adopted expanded classifications including Group Sounds, idol of the 1970s–1980s, enka, folk and established musicians of the 1970s–1980s, in addition to the main J-pop genres. Those professional people may say ‘What are you doing?’ but I think that our musical style is cool after all. The good thing is good.” Every band or singer would have their own professional phrase. Photo by Google Photo by Shutter Stock THE RISE OF J-POP WAVE Kawaii The 2022 Lifestyle 33

Japanese popular music, called ryukoka before being split into enka and poppusu, has origins in the Meiji period, but most Japanese scholars consider the Taisho period to be the actual starting point of ryukoka, as it is the era in which the genre first gained nationwide popularity. By the Taisho period, Western musical techniques, and instruments, which had been introduced to Japan in the Meiji period, were widely used. Influenced by Western genres such as jazz and blues, ryukoka incorporated Western instruments such as the violin, harmonica, and guitar. However, the melodies were often written according to the traditional Japanese pentatonic scale. In the 1930s, Ichiro Fujiyama released popular songs with his tenor voice. Fujiyama sang songs with a lower volume than opera through the microphone.Jazz musician Ryoichi Hattori attempted to produce Japanese native music which had a “flavor” of blues. He composed Noriko Awaya’s hit song “Wakare no Blues”. Awaya became a famous popular singer and was called “Queen of Blues” in Japan. Due to pressure from the Imperial Army during the war, the performance of jazz music was temporarily halted in Japan. Hattori, who stayed in Shanghai at the end of the war, produced hit songs such as Shizuko Kasagi’s “Tokyo Boogie-Woogie” and Ichiro Fujiyama’s “Aoi Sanmyaku” (lit. “Blue Mountain Range”). Hattori later became known as the “Father of Japanese poppusu”. The United States soldiers—who were occupying Japan at the time—and the Far East Network introduced a number of new musical styles to the country. Boogie-woogie, Mambo, Blues, and Country music were performed by Japanese musicians for the American troops. Chiemi Eri’s cover song “Tennessee Waltz” (1952), Hibari Misora’s “Omatsuri Mambo” (1952), and Izumi Yukimura’s cover song “Till I Waltz Again with You” (1953) also became popular. In the mid-1950s, Jazz Cafe became famous among jazz music live concert. JAPANESE POP MUSIC called ryukoka before being split into enka and poppusu, has origins in the Meiji period, but most Japanese scholars consider the Taisho period to be the actual starting point of ryukoka, as it is the era in which the genre first gained nationwide popularity. By the Taisho period, Western musical techniques, and instruments, which had been introduced to Japan in the Meiji period, were widely used. Influenced by Western genres such as jazz and blues, ryukoka incorporated Western instruments such as the violin, harmonica, and guitar. However, the melodies were often written according to the traditional Japanese pentatonic scale. In the 1930s, Ichiro Fujiyama released popular songs with his tenor voice. Fujiyama sang songs with a lower volume than opera through the microphone.Jazz musician Ryoichi Hattori attempted to produce Japanese native music which had a “flavor” of blues. He composed Noriko Awaya’s hit song “Wakare no Blues” (lit. “Farewell Blues”). Awaya became a famous popular singer and was called “Queen of Blues” in Japan. Modern J-pop is also known as J-wave. One of the first actions taken by the government was to denounce popular music (specifically both Chinese pop music, known Western pop music) as decadent music, and for decades afterwards the Communist Party would promote Chinese revolutionary songs while suppressing Chinese folk songs, Chinese pop songs and Western pop songs. Dissatisfied with Chairman Mao Zedong’s new music policies, a number of Shanghainese jazz musicians fled to the British and established Cantopop, which is pop music sung in the Cantonese dialect of Chinese. However, a few musicians instead settled in Japan, where they became members of the Far East Network and collaborated with the American soldiers to help expose the Japanese public to a wide variety of western genres. ∏ 34 The 2022 Lifestyle Kawaii

“Embrace me, embrace me don’t let go” Now, the hands that led me Down this path were mine and mine alone My body’s like a deflated balloon Even if we keep on running and running This so-called life is a race that only ends in death A lightweight like me Just gets swept up by the wind Then suddenly it’s end of the line I’ve been stubbornly clinging to that Let it go now Though I’d like to be always gentle and kind Sometimes I just wanna get hopping mad Let my tears run free and true Till I know what love is, I’m not gonna die! Go with fate that has guided me so far Today or tomorrow, I’ll keep on living The stars I could see in front of me I’ve been running like my life depended on it Take a break now Top left is a photo of Aimyon on her 2019 tour “Love Call”. Bottom left is a photo of a music concert in Japan in 2017. Top Right is another photo of Aimyon getting ready for album cover photoshoot. Kawaii The 2022 Lifestyle 35