Spam From Japan: Hina Matsuri

Today is March 3rd, which is Girl’s Day in Japan, also known as Hina Matsuri. Unfortunately, unlike Boy’s Day (Kodomo no Hi), I don’t get a day off work.

In fact, my first clue that it was today was lunch when we were given the traditional ‘chirashi-zushi’. The ’sushi’ (zushi) part means Japanese rice mixed with vinegar, not that there’s necessarily any raw fish involved. ‘Chirashi’ means ’scattered’ and result is a lot of different ingredients mixed into that rice. Today, there were shiitake mushrooms, renkon (lotus root), nori seaweed, bamboo, kanpyou (dried gourd shavings), chicken and slivers of omlet. If there’s any Japanese food you don’t like, you’re going to be hard at work with your chopsticks picking it out. Not that you should, of course.

This website has a pretty good detailed recipe for chirashizushi. It’s not something to be attempted by those new to Japanese cooking without clear instructions.

There was pink, white and green mochi for dessert, another classic Hina Matsuri food. Oh, and the dolls get to eat them too. You can see this (and other offerings to the dolls) in the photographs.

I got permission to photograph the Hina doll stand that is a centerpiece in many homes around this time. These are stages that feature a Heian-era court, complete with Emperor and Empress dolls and are usually pretty expensive. I don’t know how many schools have them and I don’t remember seeing them in any of the previous schools I’ve worked in, but it’s difficult to prove a negative. This school has a pretty big one.

I doubt it will still be there tomorrow, since you have to take down the dolls soon after Hina Matsuri, else your daughter will never be married! Shocking.

Spam From Japan: Gundam Shot Bar Zion (Sendai)

Gundam Shot Bar Zion in Sendai is relatively far from both the station and the main shopping and eating district. We found it by accident after a friend of ours was searching for a restaurant from her travel guide that serves duck noodles and is closed for all major dining periods (Sundays, evenings, etc…).

Zion is what you might find on an off-world colony if the bar owner was into figure-collecting. The second floor bar is dimly-lit and the walls are lined with Gundam of varying sizes and a video of the original series plays on one of the walls.

The bartender welcomed us warmly and, when we admitted that we needed to leave to catch our train back to Tokyo in twenty minutes, told us what he could prepare from the menu in that time. Apparently food is compulsory, probably due to licensing laws. We had “Dopp GZ no Cockpit de Edamame”, which were edamame beans served decorated with figures, including one of Garma Zabi. We didn’t get to keep them; you have to order a special dessert for that.

Our point cards (to be upgraded the next time we visit the bar) identified us as ‘civilians’ in the Gundam universe and I’m keeping it even if I’m not sure if I’ll return to Miyagi Prefecture.

The menu has a number of cocktails unique to the Sendai bar. I chose “Jet Stream Attack” which was a fairly ordinary cola mix (I think… the recipes are secret). My partner got “Akahana,” a grapefruit-based drink served in a cocktail glass and named after an insignificant-but-iconic Zeon guy from the original Gundam who had a red nose. The bartender thought this was a pretty cool choice. And when our drinks arrived, he insisted that, instead of ‘kampai!’ we shout ‘Sieg Zion!’

When we left, said bartender saluted us. It was a wonderful, friendly experience that I would recommend to anyone visiting Sendai, even if you don’t know much about Gundam. I have no idea if the Tokyo bar is as good.

《ガンダムショットバー　ＺＩＯＮ》
仙台市青葉区大町２-４-１　グランドソレイユ２Ｆ
Gundam Shot Bar ZION
Sendai-shi Aoba-ku Oomachi 2-4-1 Grand Soleil 2F

Map

Spam From Japan: Eating Whale

Fish kanji

About three years ago, I was working as an ALT in a junior high school. I was halfway through my school lunch in the staffroom when the science teacher, who also coached the tennis team, sat down beside me.

“Sensei,” he began, for he was speaking Japanese, “You don’t eat whale in the UK, do you?”

“No we don’t.”

He pointed at an empty compartment of my tray. “How was it?”

To our left, two younger, female teachers nodded their heads in unison and pushed their trays away with uneaten meat on it. Across the table, another teacher did the same. This was unprecedented, as Japanese teachers often try to set a good example by eating all their food, even if there are no children around to see it.

I returned my tray and chopsticks to the metal trolley and checked the lunch menu pinned to the teacher’s notice board. I vaguely remembered expecting some kind of fish that day. However, I saw a handful of stray fliers promoting today’s lunch first. It had the name of the animal in kanji and a guide for pronunciation written over the top. The text, loosely translated, read, “A whale is a large animal, so you can take a big serving!” It was accompanied by a cute anime-style picture of a smiling whale.

Apparently, they were expecting dissent.

I realised my mistake immediately. Even within sushi bars where you can find all kinds of semi-obscure kanji for fish, ‘whale’ is frequently written out phonetically. If presented solely with the kanji, it’s a reasonable bet (for a non-native speaker) that it’s a type of fish as it includes another kanji which means ‘fish’.

The reaction of the teachers in the junior high was markedly different from those teaching in many of my elementary schools. These teachers were clearly enjoying it and sighing about how it took them back to their school days. I actually have a great deal of sympathy for people whose childhood food is being restricted and declared morally wrong, but it’s interesting that a deliberate attempt to instill the same sense of nostalgia in the next generation is being made.

Top Ten Anime Musicals and Stage Shows

A number of anime and manga have been adapted into musicals with little attention from Western anime fans. The adaptations made are likely inspire confusion… Why would you turn Naruto into a magic show? Why would you remove all female characters from a manga dedicated to fanservice? Why is Hard Gay a samurai?

Nevertheless, this is my list of my ten favourite anime musicals and stage shows that I’ve enjoyed over the years. The vast majority are available on DVD and, while difficult to buy in some cases, can definitely be acquired by anyone familiar with online auctions or with access to a shopping service.

Ninja Illusion Naruto (Musical)

English Title: Ninja Illusion Naruto

Japanese Title: 忍者イリュージョン NINJA ILLUSION NARUTO-ナルト-

Date: May 2006

I’ve never deliberately sat down and watched Naruto, so my grasp of the plot may be a little shaky. However, I think it’s something to do with a boy in an orange jumpsuit who’s trying to become a ninja. Along the way, he fights people and makes friends. Sound about right?

The anime is aimed at a younger audience and is aired in the early evening when elementary school kids are returning home. Due to this, the production organisers of this musical tried to capture the kid market by using cheap magic tricks while aiming at the usual female theatre-going demographic by casting members of Johnny’s Musical Academy.

What could possibly go wrong?

The plot focuses on a princess who can bring things to life by singing. A handful of villains dressed as disco vampires set out to capture her and Naruto saves her. Other characters make cameo appearances, including Gaara. His sand powers were simulated by covering the entire stage in gold fabric. There was the inevitable sexy no jutsu.

I must admit that if I were younger (by about twenty years!), I would’ve loved this.

English Title: Shounen Onmyouji (Utaemaki) -Kono Shounen, Seimei no Koukei ni tsuki-

Japanese Title: 少年陰陽師＜歌絵巻＞ ―この少年、晴明の後継につき―

Date: October 2007

One of the most difficult things to decide when designing a musical based on an anime is how to deal with the cute mascot characters. In the case of Shonen Onmyouji, the story of the grandson of a famous magician Abe no Seimei, his pet fox-rabbit-cat hybrid could have been a real problem. However, the woman playing him had a lot of energy and a strong singing voice.

The songs were catchy and best described as combining Shinto-style chants and disco music. Awesome.

Neoromance Stage Harukanaru Toki no Naka de Maihitoyo

English Title: Neoromance Stage Harukanaru Toki no Naka de Maihitoyo

Japanese Title: ネオロマンス・ステージ遙かなる時空の中で舞一夜

Date: January 2008 – February 2008

Harukanaru Toki no Naka de was originally a series of one-woman-many-guys dating sims in which yet another Japanese schoolgirl finds herself in Heian era Japan (or something like it) surrounded by hot monks and samurai. The stage version was a retread of the anime film of the same name.

It opens with two characters fighting demons. The rest of the team soon joins them and they all strike dramatic poses, a screen unrolls in a split second and they stand in front of the projected logo. There was then a short sequence that looked like the credits from a TV drama series.

While walking in the rain, the female lead (Akane) falls in love with an amnesiac man who loves to do Noh dances. In the same town, a Noh stage keeps burning down, presumably due to the presence of a restless spirit. The two couldn’t possibly be connected… Their love progresses and the mysterious man gives Akane a mask. It turns out that it’s cursed and whoever performs a dance while wearing it will die. Suefumi, the man who Akane met, was once a famous dancer and performed that dance ten years ago. He was struck down, not by the cursed mask, but by a curse from within his own family.

The main characters play Heian era instruments while Suefumi dances his last dance and Akane frees his soul.

English Title: Butai [Shinsengumi Imon Peace Maker]

Japanese Title: 舞台『 – 新撰組異聞 – PEACE MAKER』

Date: May 2009

Shinsengumi Imon Peace Maker and Peace Maker Kurogane are works of historical fiction about a boy who joins the shinsengumi. Many of the characters mentioned have real world counterparts. For example, Harada Sanosuke was a real samurai who tried to commit seppuku to prove to someone that he knew how it was done. He failed. In this play, Harada is played by Hard Gay. You heard me.

You can watch a commercial on YouTube for the DVD which highlights the sword fighting and melodrama. However, my enduring memory will be of curtain call, when Hard Gay got the whole audience on their feet to thrust HG-style in time with him. Unforgettable.

English Title: MUSICAL AIR GEAR

Japanese Title: ミュージカル『エア・ギア』

Date: January 2007 – Ongoing

If you’ve read the manga, the first things you’ll think of are “flashy inline skates” and “boobs,” not necessarily in that order. The production company dealt with the problem of most theatre-goers being women in their twenties by ditching all the girls in the cast and introducing a gay couple called Romeo and Juliet who are members of an evil Shakespeare-themed skating group called Team Bacchus.

The stage consisted of a ramp in the centre and a track that led off it and looped through the audience. Beforehand the show, the backstage crew came out, made some announcements and skated around to check that everything was in place.

The cast included three of the original voice actors from the anime, so you can imagine they aren’t the best at skating. In fact, none of the named characters had been chosen for their skating ability, so lots tended to go wrong. It was part of the fun.

English Title: Saiyuuki Kagekiden

Japanese Title: 最遊記歌劇伝

Date: September 2008 – April 2009

The manga played off concepts from the original Chinese novel. Four characters travel west (to India) in a jeep that’s actually a small white dragon.

The first Saiyuuki musical is notable for selecting actors on the basis of their looks and not for their ability to sing. The result was great chemistry between the characters, dramatic monologues and songs which had only a brief flirtation with what might be termed “music.” One of the four leads even apologised at curtain call and promised to try harder.

Despite what you might think, I loved the show and even went a second time. There was a strong supporting cast who could sing and the overall style and look was fantastic. Audiences really got behind the cast and the actors responded well to their encouragement. I also figured it would it would die quietly like the Naruto musical, which didn’t even get a DVD release. At my second viewing, which was also the final show, they announced a second musical, so I guess other people found something uplifting in the mess too.

English Title: Ongaku Butoukai “Kuroshitsuji” – Sono Shitsuji, Yuukou

Japanese Title: 音楽舞闘会「黒執事」-その執事、友好

Date: May 2009 – Ongoing

The original manga is set in creatively anachronistic Victorian England and focuses on a young boy and the demonic butler who will eventually eat his soul. The anime… was a little different.

The plot for the musical deviates from both the manga and anime, but is closer in spirit to the manga. It concerns a group of travellers from Japan and the secrets they hide.

There were songs by fan favourites like Undertaker (accompanied by pet rats) and shinigami Grell. They also found a way to allow Sebastian (the butler) to throw cutlery like daggers, which has since become an iconic scene from the first manga volume.

Another musical is planned with more original characters and focusing on the shinigami. Grell was too fabulous to ignore first time around, it seems.

SAMURAI 7 (Stage Production)

English Title: SAMURAI 7

Japanese Title: SAMURAI 7

Date: November 2008

Samurai 7 was a sci-fi retelling of Kurosawa Akira’s “Seven Samurai” with giant robots. This was no problem for the high-budget stage version, which used costumes and set design to recreate the anime effortlessly.

The vast majority of the show was choreographed fight scenes interspersed with tragedy and just a little bit of comedy. There was two-handed sword-fighting, devastating death scenes, a melodramatic villain, realistic cyborgs and comedic monologues.

Definitely worth seeing.

English Title: Rock Musical Bleach

Japanese Title: ロックミュージカル　BLEACH

Date: August 2005 – Ongoing

Almost everything I know about Bleach comes from this musical, but it’s not a bad way to enjoy the series. The story revolves around Ichigo, a boy who takes on the power of a shinigami when he tries to rescue her. He also possesses a sword bigger than he is.

Unlike the other long-running fan-favourite, Musical Tennis no Oujisama, Bleach doesn’t really have a large numbers of cast members moving in and out of plot arcs. This allows for a lot of in-jokes and chemistry between the fairly unchanging cast members. Even the back-up actors/dancers, known as TAIIN, have their own fans and photosets.

The final half hour of each musical is usually devoted to getting the audience on their feet and clapping along with the actors who vary wildly from remaining in-character to breaking kayfabe.

The final song is often “Hallelujah Goodbye,” which has evolved its own set of complicated hand movements and actions that most fans seem to have no problems with. I am a notable exception to this.

English Title: Musical Tennis no Oujisama

Japanese Title: ミュージカル・テニスの王子様

Date: April 2003 – Ongoing

Almost certainly responsible for the relatively recent boom in anime musicals starring young and attractive guys, this fairly simple musical follows the fortunes of a young boy who plays tennis with his school tennis club as they try to win the national tennis tournament.

The simplicity of the original was charming. The actors played tennis with regular tennis rackets, but with beams from stage lights as balls. Then they’d stop and sing a song incorporating their catchphrases from the manga.

It becomes more complicated when you start talking about “Dream Live,” which a revue staged at regular intervals that mixes sketches and popular songs without any plot. Filmed scenes of guys eating yakiniku and of shark attacks abound. There are extravagant costumes with the various tennis teams as pimps and pirates.

Even in the main series of musicals, there are transformations mid-song, adlibbed monologues to cacti and cascading waterfalls of dry ice. Basically, everything you’d expect from a good filler episode of the anime and a lot of fake tennis.

This was a response to Muza-chan’s call for JSOC Blog Matsuri entries. Thank you very much for hosting it this month, Muza-chan.

For more posts on anime and otaku interests, click on the tag cloud to your right. Or check out some of my posts on travel or food in Japan instead.

Snow, Plum Blossoms and Cultists

I went to view plum blossom in a light snowstorm today. While staring at the map near the park entrance, an older Japanese woman approached me.

“Do you speak Japanese?” she asked. “And which country are you from?”

Both are standard opening questions in Japan. Only a little, I told her. And I’m from Britain.

“Well, would you give me the pleasure of praying over there with me?” she continued in Japanese.

I have never been able to refuse middle-aged Japanese ladies. No one has.

We walked over to some filthy benches near a bank of vending machines. She laid down a Burberry handkerchief for me to sit on. “Burberry is from Britain!” she beamed. “Now, let’s pray. Close your eyes and keep repeating ‘Hallelujah’.”

I was born and raised in London. Whenever someone asks you to close your eyes and start praying, you expect their accomplice to appear seconds later armed with a knife.

“Close your eyes,” she insisted.

I pretended to comply and kept one eye open to watch for danger while I also listened for the sound of footsteps behind me. All I could hear were two teenagers in the background practicing baseball and traffic from the highway.

“Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah… Come on. It’s all in the tongue.”

I complied, thinking it was unfortunate that a cult had been founded in Japan that relied on the repetition of a word with multiple ‘L’ sounds.

“Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah…” I wondered when (and how) this would end.

“Repeat! Hallelujah Hallelululululululululululululu…” She entered a trance.

A white van pulled up next to an old park building across from us. A maintenance guy got out and continued about his day. Not an accomplice.

The woman started a prayer. I stopped, but she encouraged me to continue while she prayed over the chant. “Amen,” she said eventually.

“Amen.” I opened both eyes.

She told me the church she belongs to believes in full water baptism to unite the body and the soul. When pressed, she said that the church operated outside of the typical ‘Protestant’ and ‘Catholic’ denominations and if I went to the Tokyo branch, they would explain everything to me. I thanked her, took the leaflet she offered me and went to view the plum blossoms.

I consulted Wikipedia afterwards and discovered she belongs to a fairly well-known “new religious movement” (a neutral alternative to ‘cult’) founded by Murai Jun in 1941.

The plum blossoms were beautiful and gleaming with drops of melted snow. Enjoy the photographs!

Click on the photographs to see a bigger version

Mt Fuji From A Distance (Free Wallpaper)

I was coming home from work yesterday when I saw a man with a weighty professional camera leaning over the railing on the overpass, his camera aimed off into the distance. Looking in that direction, I saw the evening sun was just about to disappear behind Mt. Fuji. I got out my own tiny camera and started taking pictures myself.

We both stared straight ahead at Fuji, neither of us looking in each others’ direction and definitely not comparing cameras. That would have somehow been a breach of etiquette.

Click on the images to see them at 1024 x 768 size.

Top 10 Anime of the Last Decade

It’s December 31st 2009 and so it’s time to talk about the anime of the last decade. I decided to leave this until the last minute just in case an anime or two were to turn up in the last few days or something. I wasn’t catching up on doujinshi from Comiket or anything, honest.

Here are the recs of the decade from fans, in chronological order.

Yu-Gi-Oh! (1998-ongoing)

Anime based on a manga based around a trading card game with lessons learned about friendship and communication along the way. [Wiki]

“If you ask me what my favorite anime was of the decade, it’s got to be Yugioh. Not sure many people would really list it as a “best of”, as it’s not one of the most sophisticated animes ever released.

The stories were interesting, the games were fun to watch, the Egypt theme was lovely, and most of all, there was a great cast of characters, voiced by very talented people. I think the show had a lot of heart, which is why it captured me so much. I’ve certainly seen other “better” animes, but none of them drew me in quite like this one.”

–Athena8

Spiral (2002-2003)

A boy’s older brother disappears and the last words he said to him were ‘blade children’. Now he solves mysteries related to them while trying to find out who they really are. [Wiki]

“The animation was very pretty, the story was mysterious and twisty and I wound up liking all the main characters – especially super-diffident cooking show addict Ayumu Narumi, his hungover sister-in-law Madoka and the sometime villain Eyes Rutherford, who wandered around feeding stray cats in the park because that’s what Kanon used to do and he really missed him.”

–Semishade

Gilgamesh (2003-2004)

Two children are taken in by a mysterious countess. One has the power to use Dynamis and is trained to use it against Gilgamesh, a supernatural group that wants to wipe out humanity. [Wiki]

“The art is dark and stylised and the musical score fantastic, but that wasn’t the main draw of the anime for me. Every episode answered a few questions, raised more questions about the nature of the world in the anime, then screwed with your mind a bit more. Had some amazing revelations about characters’ backstory that left my jaw hanging, but were never overly forced.”

–SpamFromJapan

Fullmetal Alchemist / Hagane no Renkinjutsushi (2003-2004)

Two brothers go on a journey to restore their bodies after an attempt at using alchemy to bring their mother back from the dead goes wrong. [Wiki]

“Fullmetal Alchemist. Can there be any other? I know they’re doing the new series now, and I love that too, but the original had me hooked. I was desperate for new episodes each week and cared so damn much about the characters. And ok, it went a bit skewed at the end when they just decided to hell with the manga, they were gonna make it up, but it was still special, because the characters were there.”

–Tayles

Paranoia Agent / Mousou Dairinin (2004)

People are being attacked by a boy on inline skates whose face they can never recall. In each case, the attacks cause some improvement in the lives of the victims. [Wiki]

“Paranoia Agent is pretty awesome (yay ‘Happy Family Planning’ episode!) – Satoshi Kon is excellent at the head-messin’ stuff – but I want to have his anime babies anyway.”

–Golden Bastet

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo (2004-2005)

A sci-fi retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo which famously used static textures to depict clothing. [Wiki]

“Obvious or not, Gankutsuou should be on a best-of list; it’s a pretty faithful and surprisingly decent adaptation of Something That’s Actually Good For You, done from an innovative angle (Albert de Morcerf’s viewpoint) and with usually successful animation. The clothing thing even works (after the first episode or so). Someone actually thought this out before making it. What’s not to love?”

–Golden Bastet

Noein: To Your Other Self / Noein: Mou Hitori no Kimi e (2005-2006)

A sci-fi anime which starts when a young girl named Haruka and her friend meet a man from a world that could be their future. He believes that Haruka is the ‘Dragon Torque’ and the key to stopping an otherworldly invasion. [Wiki]

“Noein. Totally amazing in everyway. Amazing look, fantastic story really well told, and very original. Also best recap episode ever.”

–ThomasVye

Shigurui (2007)

An extremely violent historical anime set in Shizuoka. The daimyo stages a tournament where participants fight with real swords. [Wiki]

“There is also Shigurui, which was just so well realised from the manga and used atmosphere so brilliantly.”

–ThomasVye

Vampire Knight (2008)

A girl is rescued from a vampire by another vampire and now lives at an academy dedicated to peaceful coexistence between humans and vampires. [Wiki]

“Apart from a rather silly heroine, this anime kept me glued to both series [Vampire Knight and Vampire Knight Guilty].”

–Auburn Imp

Kuroshitsuji (2008-ongoing)

In Victorian England, a young boy named Ciel summons a demon called Sebastian, who appears in the guise of the perfect butler. [Wiki]

“I think Kuroshitsuji speaks for itself. I loved the dark humour.”

–Auburn Imp

Happy new year everyone!

Spam From Japan: Winter Comiket 2009

I bought only one doujinshi at Comiket (also known as Comic Market, Comike, etc…) this year, which is in sharp contrast to when I first visited Japan when I couldn’t pull them off the shelves fast enough. In fact, the very first time I went into a store, I didn’t notice the big laminated sign on the front that said ’sample’ and rushed the comic to the check-out. The person at the register had to read out the doujinshi’s pornographic title over the intercom so a member of staff could bring me a proper copy from the rack.

The five stages of doujinshi fandom.

What you buy:
(1) All doujinshi featuring your favourite series.
(2) All doujinshi with your favourite characters from your favourite series.
(3) A few nice-looking doujinshi where your two favourite characters make out.
(4) A few nice-looking R-18 doujinshi where your two (or more) favourite characters are going at it.
(5) The one with the alternate universe where they’re all dinosaurs or something

Comiket is an event dedicated to doujinshi (fan-made comics) and is held twice a year, in summer and winter. My advice is pretty much the same no matter which one you’re attending.

Eat a good breakfast and accept you’re probably not going to stop for lunch.

If there’s something you really want to buy, go as early as you can and expect queues of more than an hour to get in. By mid-day you can pretty much just walk in. I like to go around 10.45am, when there’s a queue, but not much of one and it’s still early.

Entry is free and you don’t need to buy a catalogue. If you don’t have anything specific in mind, walk around until you see something you like. If there’s a particular circle or group you want to buy from, consult their webpage and then one of the maps pinned to the wall.

Pay attention to the halls that you’ve visited and which halls are joined together.

Make sure you don’t miss the official booth room, where anime/game companies will give you free stuff like over-sized bags, flyers and clear files.

If you want to buy something, check the surrounding area to make sure that a queue hasn’t formed elsewhere. It’s really easy to jump queues by accident and annoy people.

Do not take photos outside of the cosplay area.

In the cosplay area, you can take a picture if the cosplayer is posing and has lots of people taking photographs surrounding him or her. Any other time, ask permission.

If you want to cosplay, it’s forbidden to arrive or leave while in costume. You’ll have to pay 800 yen, which will get you a cosplay pass. More detailed information below.

Winter Comiket: Bring a coat that’s warm, but light enough to carry once inside.

Summer Comiket: Bring water. When I went last year, all the bottled water was sold out and I ended up queuing for half an hour only to have to buy Pepsi Nex, the only thing that was left.

I’ve cosplayed once at Comiket and, knowing the basics already (i.e. you have to pay and you can’t arrive or leave in costume), it was pretty easy. I used to laugh at them, but I now recommend those mini-suitcases on wheels, particularly if you’re wearing an uncomfortable costume.

First off, go to the changing rooms. The place that used to be the cosplay area is now being used to contain the queues that result from the official booth room. The cosplay area is in a small garden area, which is better for photos. The changing rooms are close by.

Line up, pay your money (800 yen) and you’ll receive a small pamphlet. It looks like it’s just useless information, but it’s a record of your payment and gives you permission to cosplay. You’ll be asked to show it on your way out of the changing room and when you enter the cosplay area. Don’t lose it.

I don’t know what I was expecting from the changing room, but it was chaos. It was just a big room with barriers marking a loose path. Everywhere you looked, there were people changing and there wasn’t much space left. There’s also a big sign that said in English, “Do not use color spray or moose.”

Japanese cosplay seems different from Western cosplay in that there’s a bias towards brand new shows and characters. There are a few cosplayers doing characters from classic anime (Evangelion, older Gundam series), but mostly are cosplaying characters from shows recently aired. Having said that, I saw two people cosplaying Ronald McDonald this year, so if you want to dress up as Sanzou from Saiyuuki, go for it. One more thing — if you are female, pretty and wearing a maid outfit or something similarly girly, be prepared for a lot of excessive attention once in the cosplay area. Some of those photographers creep me out and I’m not even their target!

Which day? (Summer 2010 (Comiket 78))

Each day of Comiket has a certain general theme and only doujinshi that fall under certain genres will be sold on that day.

First, search for the magazine your favourite series appeared in (you do know it, right?) and then double-check to see if there’s a specific listing for the creator or series. For example, Inu Yasha was serialised in Weekly Shonen Sunday, and Takahashi Rumiko has her own listing. So, if you wanted to buy Inu Yasha doujinshi, you’d go on day two. (Note: Information is correct as of writing for Summer Comiket 2010 only. All data taken from Comiket Official Site.)

Day 1 (“Anime and Yaoi Day”)

General: Seiyuu, anime songs, anime and game-based news, overseas anime, magical girl anime, original BL games, one-girl-many-boys dating sims, Neoromance, American comics, and anime for young children. Games covering the genres of action, simulation, adventure, puzzle, sound novels, arcade games and pachinko. Also includes board games, tabletop RPGs, card games, collectible card games, play-by-mail RPGs, play-by-web games and online gaming. This is the day for sports, martial arts, gambling, RPS, pop idols (w-inds, WaT), Takarazuka, Tenimyu and other stage productions and musicals.

Specific series: .hack (including games), Akatsuki Denkou Senki, Arcana Heart, Atelier, Bikkuriman, Biohazard, Black Matrix, Circadia, Code Geass, Dead or Alive, Devil May Cry, Digi Charat, Digimon, Dragon Quest, Evangelion, Final Fantasy Online, Final Fantasy series, Fire Emblem, Front Mission, Gakuen Heaven, Garou: Mark of the Wolves, Gensou Suikoden, Grow Lanser, Guilty Gear, Gundam, Gunparade March, Gyakuten Saiban, Gurren Lagann, Heart no Kuni no Alice, Hetalia, Inazuma Eleven, King of Fighters, Kuuron Youma Gakuenki, Lamento, Langrisser, Lord of Vermillion, Lucky Dog, Majin Gakuen, Megami Tensei, Monster Hunter, Musou OROCHI, Nintama Rantarou, Ogre Battle, Ore no Shikabane wo Koete yuke, Persona, Quiz Magic Academy, Phantasy Star Online, Pokemon, Pop’n Music, Ragnarok Online, SaGa, Saihai no Yukue, Sakura Taisen, Samuraidamashi, Sangokushi Taisen, Seiken Densetsu, Sengoku BASARA, Sengoku Musou, Senjou no Valkyria, Senkou no Ronde, Shining Force, Shinra Banshou, Shin Sangoku Musou, Smash Brothers, Spectral Force, Street Fighter, Summer Wars, Summon Night, Super Robot Wars, Tales of Phantasia (etc), Tekken, Terra e…, Togainu no Chi, Tokimeki GS, Valkyrie Profile, Virtua Fighter, Virtual-On, With Her, Xenogears, Xenosaga, Yuukyuu and Zelda.

Specific studios: Gainax and Sunrise.

Game developers: Atlas, Nippon Ichi Software and Square Enix.

Day 2 (“Manga and Yaoi Day”)

General and Miscellaneous: Home recordings and movies, cosplay goods, music CDs, Vocaloid, drama CDs, internet, blogs, mascots, desktop mascot software, 2ch, Futaba, Niconico Douga, Sound Horizon, Mukashinagara no Seinyuu Shitate, doujin games, independent software developers, retro games, works based on doujin games and commentary and news. If something doesn’t fit into a recognisable genre listed here, it’s probably on this day.

Specific series: Death Note, D.Grey-man, Eyeshield 21, Fullmetal Alchemist, Ghost In The Shell, Gintama, Hikaru no Go, Houkago Play, Higurashi no Naku Goro ni, Initial D, Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn!, Koukoku no Shugosha, Kuroko no Basket, Kuroshitsuji, Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro, Maria-sama ga Miteru, Mr. Fullswing, Natsume Yuujinchou, Naruto, One Piece, Ookiku Furikabutte, Rozen Maiden, Slayers, Suzumiya Haruhi series, Tennis no Oujisama, Toriko, Umineko no Naku Goro ni and Yu-Gi-Oh

Specific magazines: Afternoon, Bonbon, Birz, Business Jump, Champion RED, Comic Blade, Comic Gum, Comic Punch, Comic REX, Comic Rush, Comic ZeroSum, Corocoro, Dengeki Daioh, Dragon Age, Evening, Gao!, Jump Square, Morning, Shonen Ace, Shonen Champion, Shonen Magazine, Shonen Rival, Shonen Sunday, Shonen Sirius, Super Jump, Ultra Jump, V Jump, Weekly Jump, Young Animal, Young Gangan, Young Jump, Young King, Young Magazine and Young Sunday,

Specific creators: Amano Kozue, Araki Hirohiko, Azuma Kiyohiko, CLAMP, Fujisaki Ryuu, Fukumoto Nobuyuki, Higuchi Daisuke, Ishinomori Shoutarou, Kawaguchi Kaiji, Kubo Tite, Kurumada Masami, Nakamura Hikaru, Minekura Kazuya, Yasuhiro Nightow, Shibata Ami, Takahashi Youichi, Takei Hiroyuki, Tezuka Osamu, Touhou Project, Togashi Yoshihiro, Yude-Tamago and Takahashi Rumiko.

(Note: I’ve romanised all names in accordance with the kana with the exception of ones with well-known Anglicised variants.)

Day 3 (“Hentai Day”)

General: Original works for boys, original works for girls, original june (BL/yaoi) works, manga clubs, original literature and poetry, commentary and news, original works ‘for men’, anime ‘for men’, games ‘for men’, R-18 hentai games, strip mahjong games, love sims, daughter-rearing sims and historical works on topics such as the Three Kingdoms Era or kabuki. You can find reading material for a wide range of ‘otaku’ hobbies on this day — garage kits, trains, bikes, buses, anime figures, dolls, accessories and cameras.

Game developers: Alice Soft, AQUAPLUS, August, age, Circus, Leaf & Key, Nitro Plus, PULLTOP, TYPE-MOON, UNiSONSHIFT and Windmill.

Specific creators: Nasu Kinoko

Games titles: AIR, Akai Ito, Amagami, Aoi Shiro, Baby Princess, CLANNAD, Comic Party, Dousei, DREAM C CLUB, Fate/Stay Night series, THE iDOLM@STER, Kanon, Koihime Musou, Little Busters, Love Plus, Lyrical Nanoha, Melty Blood, Miracle*Train, MOON, ONE, Sister Princess, Tokimeki Memorial, Triangle Heart, Tsukihime, Utawareru Mono and White Album.

The photo was taken by Jasohill, who made it available via Creative Commons.

Spam From Japan: Christmas Dinner with Turkey and Wasabi Kit-Kats

Wasabi Kit-Kat

I went to a friend’s house for Christmas dinner this year. With our powers combined, we had a feast of mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing, fried okra, Ferererero Rocher and wasabi Kit-Kats.

Japanese kitchens are usually small and ill-equipped to deal with the demands of a Western Christmas dinner. Our own apartment has two gas rings, a fish broiler, a microwave, a toaster oven and a rice cooker, so we usually roast potatoes in the toaster oven. Some people cook vegetables in their rice cooker. These fairly common balancing acts demand fewer roast items and more creativity for big meals. Compromises must be made.

Turkey is a tough item to get, particularly since KFC have convinced the Japanese market that everyone overseas eats their brand of fried chicken for Christmas. Congratulations to my friend on her find. Meanwhile, fried okra is a traditional dish from the American South, which shows the range of experiences with Christmas we had. Compare that to my Ferrero Rocher, which nobody really likes except to pretend they’re at the ambassador’s reception. And then we have the wasabi Kit-Kat.

Whenever I try a new Kit-Kat, I’m always surprised by how it well imitates its chosen flavour and yet how good it is. In the case of the wasabi version, only the first part is true. To me, wasabi is hot, but it also has a distinct flavour that is unmistakably savory. I had one finger of it and desperately tried to appreciate the wasabi with the sweetness of ~~white~~ green chocolate, but I couldn’t. It doesn’t compare favourably with chili chocolate, which adds spiciness to chocolate without adding flavour. I handed the second finger to another friend, who thought it was okay, although couldn’t see herself eating them on a regular basis.

Thanks to my friends and everyone who reads this blog. Hope you had a merry Christmas and are looking forward to a fantastic New Year.

Former Prime Minister Koizumi Plays Mahjong in New Anime

The Legend of Koizumi / Mudazumo Naki Kaikaku

The official site for The Legend of Koizumi (ムダヅモ無き改革 / Mudazumo Naki Kaikaku / “Revolution Without Tsumo”) went live today and you can see character designs and the voice actors selected to perform as the heads of state who also love Mahjong.

Based on a gag manga, the plot revolves around former PM Koizumi Junichiro (best known for ballroom dancing with Richard Gere, his love of Elvis and his resemblance to a lion) and adds on an interest in the aforementioned game. Other heads of state are featured too… we’ll get to Bush in a second, okay?

The opening story in the manga begins with a young, naive Diet member named Taizou who agrees to teach President Bush how to play Mahjong. Mysteriously, Bush keeps winning and it’s revealed that he and Koizumi had been playing the game for the past three days and he was feigning his lack of knowledge. Bush cleans Taizo out and Rumsfeld strips him and forces him to wear a ball gag. That’s when Koizumi arrives to save the day…

The Mahjong play references international politics, but each move’s name is shouted out and explained in the same kind of detail you’d expect in any other specialist manga. It’s difficult to understand if you have no knowledge of the game, particularly the Chinese terms, but the idea of Bush, Koizumi, Rumsfeld and Rice sitting down to play Mahjong grudge match can be appreciated by anyone. Whether it will cross the line and be seen as offensive later is anyone’s guess. But probably.

The cast

Koizumi Junichiro / Morikawa Toshiyuki

Koizumi Junichiro is the former PM of Japan and, unsurprisingly, looks like he’s stepped out of a Very Serious Manga, presumably with plenty of street-fighting. Morikawa Toshiyuki is an extraordinarily prolific voice actor who, nevertheless, most fans will remember for his performances in yaoi CDs and as Conrad in Kyou Kara Maou, a touching tale of a boy flushed down a toilet into another world.

Taizou / Fukuyama Jun

Sugimura Taizou became the youngest member of the House of Representives and acted like a kid in a candy store at the idea of eating at first class restaurants and travelling on the trains for free. Fukuyama Jun is a key voice actor at the moment, known for his performances as a crazy chess-playing revolutionary, a crazy blood-addicted reaper of souls and a crazy destroyer of rabbit dolls. He’ll do this role justice.

Yukari-tan / Itou Shizuka

Satou Yukari was sent by Koizumi to go up against Noda Seiko as an “assassin” candidate. She lost. Itou Shizuka is part of a seiyuu idol unit and appears in hentai games under a pseudonym.

Aso Taro / Arimoto Kinryuu

Aso Taro is another former Prime Minister (Japan tends to go through them quickly), famous for his love of manga. Arimoto Kinryuu is an older seiyuu who has had tons of supporting roles going back more than a decade.

Papa Bush / Genda Tesshou

Papa Bush is fairly self-explanatory. Genda Tesshou is another prolific voice actor who usually does older characters.

Bush Jr / Tobita Nobuo

This is an incredibly flattering character design for Bush, although the character description refers to him being called an “ape”. I first remember seeing Tobita Nobuo as the insane Dr. Jackal in Getbackers.

Vladimir Putin / Nakata Jouji (George)

Vladimir Putin is the current Prime Minister of Russia, although during the time the manga is set, he would have been President. Nakata Jouji is known for voicing tough guys, often with military backgrounds. He’s been the lead in Sgt. Frog, Yukikaze and Hellsing. See the photographs of Putin going fishing in Sibera to see why he’s a good choice.

Yulia Tymoshenko / Satou Rina

Yulia Tymoshenko is the current(!) Prime Minister of the Ukraine. Satou Rina is probably best known for voicing Negi in Negima.

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