Rakuda Ginza

Japan is famous for its fashion & hairstyle which are extreme and seduce the youngsters desire. One of most popular hairstyle is Harajuku. What is the Harajuku?

Harajuku is an area in the middle of Tokyo, exactly around Harajuku Station, in Sibuya District, Tokyo. In the beginning of 1990s, it is an important area that connects Tokyo to other sorrounding districts. 1n 1906, The station was opened  as an expansion of Yamanote railway. Several years later there were various kind of department stores around the place that led to the existance of fashion centres. This area became famous all over Japan after having been broadcasted through some fashion magazine like Anan and non-no. That time, some group of girls were recognized wandering around Harajuku area. Their fashion immitated the style of fashion models in the Anan and non-no magazine. And until now, group of youngsters wearing extreme styles  can be seen in this area. Harajuku becomes icon of fashion style rebellion in Japan.

In the capital city of Japan, Tokyo, most officers generally wear dark coats, dark trousers, white shirts, dark ties, dark suitcases, their hair was well combed, and they walk fast because they do not want to waste time. Students wear uniform determined by school authority. But in Harajuku, there is a rebellion of fashion. The youngsters refuse to wear neat and tidy clothes. Their desire to be creative is expressed through extreme, glamorous  fashion and hair style. Not only extreme hair style they perform, but also extreme hair colour like green, purple, red, blue, golden blonde, grey, silver, pink, and ash.  Read more... (474 words, estimated 1:54 mins reading time)

Although the artwork is cartoon style, Anime is much more than just a “cartoon” to its fans. While traditional cartoons in the United States are either humorous, or simplistic “good versus evil” storylines, the typical Japanese anime series offers characters who evolve as the series moves along and deals with complex real-life issues, such as friendship, love, loss, even the reality and acceptance of death.

Japanese Anime truely is an art, with its wonderful plots and beautifully drawn pictures. Anime is entirely about movement between states of being, whether fast or slow. The ‘being’ of a person, which can be one’s soul, mind, blood-line, weapon, limb or organ, is always caught in various stages of transition.

I love the anime characters and their development, particularly, the way each of them possesses multiple personalities, motivations and attitudes. It creates what comes close to the complexity of true human relationships, very touching and memorable.

Anime provides an escape to a wonderous world so beautiful and amazing you wonder how the artist created such a place and conceived the charaters that capture our hearts and keep us impatiently awaiting the next episode’s release.

Anime is doing what every artistic medium strives to achieve, move you. Anime characters with their spiky hair and huge expressive eyes hold our attention, we cannot help but respond to the language and expression conveyed through their eyes.

Japanese anime artists are eternally searching for the cutest little creature they can possible come up with, and one of the newer characters is Mamegoma, a “bean seal.” I have no idea what that means but he is an adorable little critter!

Anime may also be adapted into live action television programs, available on media such as movies, DVD, video games, soundtracks, music, MP3, and all audio formats for mobile devices.  Read more... (733 words, estimated 2:56 mins reading time)

Both the capital and the largest city in Japan. The city began life as Edo, a small city notable only as the sight of one of Japan’s many castles. But in 1603 a feudal government was set up there by Tokugawa Ieyasu, making Edo the political center of Japan. By the middle of the eighteenth century over a million people lived in Edo. Much later, in 1868 the Meji emperor moved his residence and Japan’s capital from Kyoto to Edo. The city was renamed Tokyo which means Eastern capital. Tokyo is located roughly in the center of Japan near the eastern coast. It is bordered by mountains to the west and rivers to the east and south. The area most often thought of as Tokyo includes not only Tokyo itself, but also three adjacent prefectures: Saitama, Kanagawa and Chiba. Two island groups, the Izu and the Ogasawara, are also governed by the city of Tokyo. Both are in the Pacific Ocean. Over 12.5 million people live in Tokyo and the surrounding metropolitan area. This means about 10 percent of the Japanese population lives on the 0.06 percent of Japanese land that makes up Tokyo. Thousands more commute into the city for work or pleasure. Every year, tens of thousands of tourists travel to or through Tokyo on their way to the rest of Japan.

Tokyo is served by Narita International Airport, the major international hub and Haneda Airport, which handles mostly domestic air traffic. The city also has an extensive, and efficient, train and subway system and a slightly more complex bus system. During the rush hours these transportation systems can be packed to overflowing. Tokyo boasts several major attractions for tourists in Japan. The Imperial Palace stands on the sight of the old Edo palace. It is surrounded by a large park area that is open to the public for most of the year. The inner gardens are only open for the Emperor’s birthday and the annual New Year address. Both occasions draw huge crowds. Tokyo is an icon of Japanese life. The city is a surprising mix of traditional Japanese culture and modern life. It is not uncommon to see small shrines nestled between large shopping centers. The Harajuku area of Tokyo boasts both the most fashionable shopping district in Japan and the largest shrine, which is dedicated to the Meji emperor and includes 170,000 square meters of forest.