Awa-odori — Most popular dance in Japan

—————— Awa-odori at Koiwa / Tokyo — Photo from Tokyobling blog.

Following the post, Tanbo-art, someone asked me why some of the Japanese

culture were not introduced or even reported to the west at all ?

And, what is the current popular culture in Japan — are those well known

“Japanese culture, such as Manga, Anime, Cos-ple” really popular in there,

or are they only on the exaggerated western media ?

Well, I’m not on the street of Tokyo today, so, I can’t tell you what exactly though,

at least I can see the news, info etc on the Net, deeper than the western people.

And I can tell a reality I could read from the photos etc. = like random photo of

a Tokyo street never show the people walking in a fashion of anime character or

in its costume = they gather only in a very limited place or occasion, such as an

anime-festival. Very different from such as the Punk culture in the west on the 80^th.

What the most popular culture in Japan I can tell you these days is, Awa-odori.

(Improvised street dancing originated from the Awa region of Shikoku.

— You can Google and read it in the Wiki.)

[]

Apparently, the spread of this dance started after 80^th (after I left Japan) =

(when I was in Japan, Awa-odori was limited only in Awa (Tokushima on Shikoku),

then after it sprung out to Koenji (west of Shinjuku / Tokyo) it was copied and

spread all over Japan.)  The dance was organized and practised in the each local

group which was called “Ren” while having their own musicians too.

(= Somewhat an equivalent of Brazilian Samba.)

In the Net sphere, an English blogger lives in Japan, Tokyobling, showing many

local Awa-odori events, in fact so many, which made me realize that it was now

almost a national culture held by the men and women, young and old alike.

(Indeed, it amazed me “How on earth, from where so many people came out to do

such a silly dance ?” —– While people dancing they chant “Odoru Aho ni Miru Aho,

Onaji Aho nara Odoranya Son son” = Dancing fools and the watching fools, be the

same fools why not dance !)

Japanese local festival, Matsuri was originated from the local Shinto Shrine, but

now, on top of the traditional Matsuri, the Awa-odori became even more popular

community event and the established culture in Japan.   I guess, this must be

utterly new to your knowledge.  (and you may feel it’s funny but not cool. 😀 )

(When I try the dance, I found its movement was slower than the Aflo, more like

a staged comical acting = doesn’t taxing the body’s dynamic balance nor fire the

reaction on the rhythm.     Awa-odori’s emphasis was created by the gap or

the moment of holt = “Ma / 間” which is

the opposite of the western syncopation (compressed force).)

—– Well, this post is, for your pass time.  🙂

[]

Tanbo Art (Rice field Art) in Japan

————————————————— (Photo from Jiji news)

I’ve been seeing those news every year on this season.  This is a Tanbo-art,

exclusively in Japanese rice-field. (of course, not everywhere of their field)  

—– it was a picture drawn by the different colored rice crop.  And in here,

a famous medieval samurai Keiji Maeda (famous in his eccentric behaviour, 

called Kabuki-mono = origin of the name Kabuki) was depicted in Yonezawa. 

(You may better Google “rice field  art  japan” or watch this youtube.)

Amazing isn’t it ? !!!

( It is completely different from an on-the-spot, one hour prank = Crop-circle. — To do

this, four or five different colored rice crop has been kept many years and the seeds

were sown to exact position — and wait and see it’s grow ! = Typical Japanese Mind )

[]

Magnolia – 2015 (B)

This Magnolia was an utterly unexpected discoverly.  And beyond of my knowledge

and imagination — came from where or if it was a garden variety, how it was

created from which parents ? ? ?  

She is a tall tree and the flower is huge = as big as a Magnolia Grandiflora

 ( even 10″~12″ ) still, flowering long before the leaves was coming out

= closer to the Kobus but not Grandiflora.

In closer look I wonder if they are in fact a kind of invertebrate from the sea ?

—– You know what I feel and that was why I wanted to create fuzzy image.  🙂

Lens used was Canon EF Macro 100mm F2.8 and Tamron 500mm Mirror F8

on Canon 5D Mk-3.   (Some fuzzy pictures were taken by Homemade Lens.  🙂  )

[]

Graduation — ? ! ! ! of the Kyoto Uni’

Photos from Japan. —– a guy said “If anything crazy happened, it’s in Japan”.

As a very decent Japanese, —– still I agree with him.  Those photos were not from

Cos-Ple or Carnival but  can you believe, it was the Graduation Ceremony in

 the Kyoto University.

 Yes, they are new Graduates, the top-brains in Japan.  So, they are not crazy at all.  

 It’s not a Halloween or Carnival but more like an act  of Manga or Anime

 = Typical Japanese culture.

Before Manga, Japan had Ukiyoe (Utamaro) tradition.  = This tradition was in the context

 of Kabuki Culture.

[]

This Kabuki derived from a word “Kabuku” (傾く) = inclined or twisted = Eccentric. 

Strangely you might thought, the very traditional, Shinto, Buddhists Feudal society  

under the Shogun / Samurai-Ruled society,  still having very exceptional tolerance

towards the Eccentric or even indecency. ( think, mass publication of “Utamaro” !)

So, to have a public display of very extravagant Kimono of  Lord Date etc, etc, or

show-off of Fire-fighters, even a Yakuza’s stunt was a part of the Japanese culture.

= So, why not to have a FUN at the Graduation Ceremony ! ! !

(You may mistaken that it was a display of Ego, but far from it,

If the person could kill-off the own Ego, he can become a cat = otherwise, how

the one could make oneself fool, on THE day = only once in the life.) 

—– Original Report  :  http://togech.jp/2015/03/25/2105

***********

PS: Since WP changed the system for us to upload / editing, I can no longer change 

      the color of the letters = so that, the text may looks funny here. 

[]

Lens Test on Cherry and Plum Blossom

Those photos were taken a while ago, the same day I took pictures of Daffodils.

(After this, there must be much better full bloom somewhere else though.  🙂 )

(photo above was taken by a Canon Fisheye lens)

And the following photos were taken by the Two Element Homemade Lens above.

The beauty of this lens was that there is no focus  😀   (Other than this lens,

rest of the lenses were used with the Tilting Macro Bellows for focus.)

And the following photos were taken by a lens originally came from a Canon

compact camera G9 = it was their zoom’s front element.

The lens was Epoxy glued onto a lens mount ring and a filter ring was fixed too.  

Unlike first two photos, those photos were (I think) Plum tree.

Next was a front element of a Zoom lens  (I don’t remember where it’s came from,

Canon or Sigma ?)  — The lens was fixed in a similar way to the other homemade lens.

Front element itself couldn’t eliminate the aberration. —– but this one showed

very strong Coma aberration — (if not a camera shake).  In most of the case,

good softness of the image was created by the Spherical  aberration  

= so, Coma aberration was not desirable here.

Strangely, this Coma aberration appeared somewhat in middle distance.  

And not much so on the close-up.

This one above showed no Coma aberration but the following one did  ? ? ?

I need to have more test.

Last one here came from a cheap Wide-Converter for a compact camera.

It got quite big diameter — hence the effective F-aperture is F1.6 !

 

I like the images from this lens though —– strangely, despite full open F1.6,

the back image was not necessary out of focus or dissolved into big  Bokeh.  

Anyhow, each lens got its own character = pros and cons.  🙂

Last photo above was again by the same Fisheye lens. 

[]

Singing Bowl

After the post of Wind-Bell I got a call from a person who said that she got

genuine Japanese glass Fuurin. “Oh, marvellous!”—– It’s said to have come

from a Net-shopping with a help of her Japanese friend.

“The sound is exquisite, its ethereal resonance suck you into the infinite depth

of space!” “How extraordinary!”— and she said that she got a singing bowl

from Tibet too which sound even deeper and draw us into deep meditative state.

—– though, —– What can I say ? ? ? —– should I say “Congratulation” for her

able to get hold genuine article ?

Or should I praise her keen effort to seek a genuine sound ? —– ? ? ?

Or should I flirt her that her spirit will reach higher awareness soon.

[]

It may not fare to write here like this because soon she will read this and might feel

offended though, this is not just her personal phenomenon but this is the wide-

spread misconception among those who, so-called “spiritually awaken” — or

New Age kind of people.

As a matter of fact, it is not easy to see what they are after. (Fashion ?  Snobbism ?)

Are they really believing that they can get hold the Cosmic Power through a

Crystal they bought ? —– Are they believing that to keep a particular article, made

her to posses its myth and the understanding ?  (It’s called Fetisizm Sir/Mme !)

[]

In this area, there are three levels of  misconception.  

1) Believing that the object has its own power. (Like a Crystal power)

2) Or believe the function of its object would solve the problem.

(Like an exercise machine — the matter is not what the machine is but your act.)

3) With its object, the one can imagine that he or she suddenly acquire the truth.

(Like a “Special Mantra” “Book of ancient wisdom” kind. Chanting  O~~~~~rm !)

(— like seeing a film, made a person to believe “Be force with ME” ? )

Unfortunately, none of those kind are in the world. If anybody selling, it’s a fraud. 

[]

Yes, I did said that the sound draw a mind into meditative state and this IS the

state of Void.    This is true, — you try test = what you found?   Did your brain

configure any notion out of tinkling sound ?

I don’t think so = nothing there because nothing else of pure sound is there.

But in this Void what could be discovered ?   It is the question to be a Buddhist.

—– To a non Buddhist, Void or a sound of Fuurin or Singing Bowl wouldn’t make

any meaning other than A sound.   Though, to a Buddhist who seeks nothing,

this Void opens the eyes to see the Void.  (I said, “seeks nothing”)

[]

—– How come ? = our brain takes High-pitched tone as a sign of danger, hence

our brain activities were suddenly silenced and all the perceptions were

concentrated to pick-up further sign.  — even though our higher brain did know

that the tinkling sound was mere Wind Bell and nothing to worry about at all, still,

the emotional region / limbic system and all the sensory receptors were tentioned.

= This combination : completely blank-out Thinking activities and the

completely open / absolutely passive perception is very close to the state of Zen,

and it was the base of the Clear Eyes.   (Then, to see WHAT is depend on the person 

— some will see the enlightenment, but some see nothing.

— you can buy Singing Bowl but not necessary the Enlightenment.)  

And this is THE Singing Bowl ! —– yes it sounds more or less the same to Tibetan

Singing Bowl.

(It’s my cooking pan. = the handle was just unscrewed that’s all, and still sound nice !

— cooking pan wouldn’t make any rice sound.  But it would sound just Gong !   :-D)

—– What’s wrong with this ?          Do you still clinging to the Tibetan Bowl ?  

___/\___

[]

Fuurin / Wind-Bell (2)

Well, this product / Wind-Bell here, was an utterly odd creation.  

—– ( Before this, there has been a long stories of “Lens making” though, I’m

not actually making glass lens = just modifying them to an usable shape.)

—– anyhow, in order to make a lens usable, I’ve been mounting it to the

Camera Lens Mount using another metal ring etc etc = in short

I’ve been playing with lots of small metal pieces. = then I accidentally found,

some of those metal pieces makes nice sound when they were hit.

[]

So, the photos above are the metal rings hanged as a wind-bell but this one

was made to rather quiet one.  🙂   —– here, there was a post about a nice Zen

story of a Fuurin / Wind-Bell. —– Yes, Fuurin makes nice sound —– yes, on

the beginning. = second day, it became an irritation. = Hence, I made quiet one.

= it chimes only once or twice in few minutes. (When wind was not too strong.)

Its high-pitch tone with resonating tail makes our ears to listen,

and our ears can catch even faintest sound

 = the ears become so sensitive, 

still its sound got no meaning,

neither no-point to waite next sound 

= it may come may not come.  

—– So, the mind become completely passive and open.

= this is nothing but a deep meditative state.

The mind is in the state of Void.

[]

In this design, each three metal pieces had different sizes and the sounds though,

strangely, when they hit each other, they makes only one sound ! (or, to my ear)

(You know, it’s a famous Zen question, when two hand crap, why only 

one sound came out, despite each hand makes each sound ?  — Try to see. 🙂 )

[]

So, now on, the spring breeze has nice company.

[]

 

Jazz at the Cafe / February

Jazz night on this month at the Small White Elephant Cafe had a guest musician

Harrison Cole as a trumpet player.

Handsome boy Harrison (originally from Colombia) has been in Japan several

times, so, I teased him “You must be chased by many pretty girls there” — he said

“No no, nothing like that. My friend tried to chase those Kawaii-ko, neither him

was successful”  ” Ha, ha, ha, I don’t believe you”.

—- Left  Harrison Cole / Trumpet ——– Tris Harris / Drum ——- Les Booth / Bass Guitar

(They were experienced enough to ignore trespassing photographer — thanks ! )

With a good rethome and a touch of latin Trumpet, the customers started dancing.

During a break and after the music, a lots of chat with musicians, visitors

each other — there was even other photographer who was wondering what a

funny lens I was using. (my handmade fuzzy lens !)

It was more like a socializing occasion —– good fun !

[]

Fake Lens ? ? ?

While looking for the items in the ebay, I found a small article “How to spot 

the fake Nikon lens” by gmek111  in which, they says 7 points to check — but 

in fact, it was try to sell their App. —– Think about the “Fake camera lens”

—– on the market, there are thousands of the cheap camera lens though,

I never heard of such as Fake Nikon or Canon lens kind.

[]

In the world, one particular county is notorious for their fake products —– in fact

80% of counterfeits in the world found to be coming from there.  And in there,

such as cooking oil made out of fat from the sewage has been sold and so on, the list

of the scandals were endless.  And their cheap products such as the netphone of

Shaomi sold very well and eating away Samsong’s share. —– Yet still, its  screen

was made by Japan Display, camera sensor was made by Sony etc etc = more than

60% of the component inside were imported from Japan = they can copy the product

using the same components imported from Japan = but they don’t have the

technology to produce those components by themselves.

[]

 

You might have seen a cheaper Memory Card from that country —– half price for

128 GB kind = do you know, only 5 companies in the world having such nano

technology and non in china.  —– So, where those cheap memory came from ?

When those electronic component were produced, there always defective reject

found on the test, which goes to the bin — somebody pick-up those from the dump

and sorting them for such as the one, 90% of memory is still usable —> make a package

and the label then export. The device jump the address of dead memory = still usable.

It may have only 127GB, and due to register dead address and jump = a bit slow for

industrial use though, the amateur on the street wouldn’t notice on their camera.  😀  

—– the reason of defect might be caused by the mis-process and the memory would 

deteriorate further by its heat,  then the photo would be disappeared next by next !

= on the market, you will get what you paid.  There is no such things of good bargain. 

[]

When Contax camera was produced in Japan, their “Carl Zeiss Lens” was said to 

be made by Tomioka-kogaku — though, after the production of Contax camera was 

ended, the rumor said that the Zeiss lens for other DSLR were made by Samyan.

(under license of Zeiss, using their design and microchip — in fact I have one, but

that one says “Made in Japan” and the other rumor says, it was made by Cosina.)

(But I couldn’t find where “Zeiss lens” for Sony camera was produced now.

—- of course, optical part of Sony was former Minolta, they got own production line.

And Minolta was the inventor of the Auto-focus system, = they got top technology.)

[]

To make a fake Rolex watch is easy = it’s a matter of making a copy of its outer case and

put a cheap moving-unit inside. = it shows the time, therefore not much trouble to sell.

Similar situation was such as a fake computer HDD — inside may have just a SD card.   

Though, to make “Convincing, working copy” of the Nikon, Canon lens is very difficult.

Those lenses are as sophisticated as the camera body itself.  In fact, having a Zooming,

auto-focusing drive mechanism, let alone the tricky optical design =

It wouldn’t pay for making counterfeit.    And to defraud the buyer, it doesn’t need to

make a counterfeit —– just show a real photo, then grab the money and disappear.

If the company has such technology and capable production line, the company would

do much more profitable business, instead of taking a risk to commit a police matter.

[]

So, the article in the ebay, “How to spot the fake” is just a scaremongering

only to sell their App.    This article or advertisement itself is the fraud !

I buy small adapter, filter-ring kind, from ebay, but about £2~£7 of cheap products.  

Because, I prepared to lose money = I never trust them.   In fact, I never be successful

with the internet shopping when it was more than £50 price. — Ebay is having useless

“Claim system” — we need to report the transaction-code kind — Type-in — they says

“Code is wrong” — Type again “Code is wrong” repeating for ever.    😦     😀 😀

On the End, sake of security, pay a bit more in the shop would bring more peaceful life.  

Ha ha ha. 

[]

 

Blinds and Elephant

Among the millions of metaphors human culture has, the one such as

“Moon and Pointing Finger” was known to be associated with Zen Buddhism.

A story of the Blinds and Elephant was too widely known and seemed to have

lost its origin.   But this story/metaphor has Buddhist origin too, and this

metaphor was exactly about the Buddhists themselves, was forgotten.

[]

There are tens if not hundreds of the descriptions to explain Buddhism.   Such as

Mushin, Void, Mindfulness, Middle way, Clear-eyes, Detachment, Impermanence,

Ichijo, Compassion, Dharma, Karma, Delusion, Contemplation, Enlightenment,

— etc etc.   So that, the people whether believer or the outsider, they think that

there are many aspects, or the elements in the Buddhism which necessitates to

master next by next — though, it is the utter misunderstanding or misguided idea.

[]

Since those Notion and the Words were used to describe a state of the mind,

people were made to believe that such each state IS exists.  = Just same as

one blind man told while touching its flapping ear saying “The Elephant is a

soft thin disk just like a nan bread” and the other said “Oh, it is a very thick

rubbery hose, like a vacuum car’s hose” etc etc.

—– The trouble to deal with Buddhism was, that the most of its phenomena,

state of the mind are in the subconscious of the person, hence it is invisible to

the people, even to the person himself.   Inevitably, all those descriptions were

nothing but a guess work of the person, mixed with the hearsay. —– It’s mean,

a person who couldn’t even see the own mind speaking about the Buddhism, let

alone whether he himself had reached to the level to know what the Buddhism is.

[]

Typical sample of it in these days is, the fashion of “Mindfulness” even in a kind of

business lecture !   The most funny things about this word “Mindfulness”, there is

NO Japanese or Chinese word of this notion exists. = It was a western invention or

made-up —– probably, a sham doctor selling miracle portion kind of “Zen monk”

had used the word first, while having a misunderstanding that the Zen is “a kind of

concentration of the mind”.

If you know about the Zen Buddhism a little bit, you may know the word “Mushin =

Mind of no-mind” —– sound somewhat opposite of “Mindfulness” though, as a state

of the mind, those two is in-separable one.  (and nothing like a concentration at all =

Zen is a completely relaxed, open, detached mind = hence No-mind / Void = in fact,

all those different explanations were about the same state —– the person who said,

didn’t know the real situation / state in his real experience — came from hearsay )

= So, it is clear, the person who is using a word “Mindfulness” is a person who is

pretending to know the Zen Buddhism, (and telling “It’s a hose of vacuum-car”) 😀

[]

—– A funny story in Japan is, one of the big University, Waseda Uni’ has a

student group called “Mindfulness Society” = obviously following a book (or two)

written by the westerner. —– Or, they might have learned that “Mindfulness is no

longer the Buddhism but New religion” = Cool western religion !

— What a hose. 😀

___/\___

[]