Senko-Hanabi - Sparkler

There are quite a few different types of sparklers. The type most commonly seen in the United States is made with wire coated with something that slowly burns down. There is a type I used to play with when I was smaller, I don't know what their real name is but they were called Chinese sparklers. They had a wooden stick and were made mostly from paper and card board and would sparkle in multi-colors. I have looked for this type recently but have not found any place that has them.

In Japan, the most common firework is a sparkler called Senko-hanabi (incense fire flower). It is not made of either wood or wire, instead it is made from either a twisted paper or string and paper. It just dangles from your hand, you have to be careful to hold it in the correct place to avoid being burned. The above poor quality picture has Akane from the Ranma manga playing with one of these.

Hanabi - Fireworks

Since Independence day is coming up and I have received several firework catalogs (how I got on their lists is a mystery), I have been thinking about fireworks. In Japan fireworks are called Hanabi. The literal translation is flower (hana) fire (bi). Personally I think fire flowers sounds better than fireworks does.

Summer time in Japan is season for seeing fireworks, there is a firework show somewhere in Japan every single day of the summer, though fireworks are used year round. Almost every town has its own festivals including fireworks. Fireworks are much easier to get in Japan than they are to get here where I live in the United States. Particularly the smaller ones. Sparklers and smoke bombs are not hard to find where I live, though many places do not carry even them because you have to buy a license to sell them. In Japan, it is easy to find stores that carry a large number of small, hand-held fireworks, such as sparklers, torches, firecrackers, and rockets.

The festivals consist of large fireworks shows, the largest of which use between 100,000 and 120,000 rounds (Tondabayashi, Osaka), and can attract more than 800,000 spectators. Street vendors set up stalls to sell various drinks and food (such as Yakisoba, Okonomiyaki, Takoyaki, kakigori(shaved ice)), and traditionally held festival games, such as Kingyo-sukui, or Goldfish-catching.

Both men and women don Yukata, summer Kimono, or Jinbei (men only) and attend these events, collecting in large social circles of family or friends to sit picnic-like, eating and drinking, while watching the show.

Even though the Chinese were using fireworks since at least the 12th century, the Japanese didn't use them until the 15th century when firearms were introduced by the Portuguese (though gunpowder was known to them since at least the 13th century when China attacked Japan and it is believed ninja used gunpowder for noroshi signal flares and land mine type explosives). How old fireworks and gunpowder is under some debate. Some people think it is over 2000 years old, thought that the first firecracker was discovered by accident by a Chinese cook working in a field kitchen who happened to mix charcoal, sulphur and saltpeter, which were commonly found in kitchens at that time.

The first firework displays in Japan where for the shogun and feudal leaders, later they became common entertainment for the populace at large. Firework displays were particularly popular in Edo during the eighteenth century (though there was the occasional ban, it being a fire threat and the building material was very flammable). The most notable fireworks event during that time was an annual festival at the banks of the Sumida River. Professional fireworks manufacturers would have a competition against one another at that festival.

The Japanese became experts at firework displays. There expertise in fireworks production is sought after all over the world and fireworks makers are frequently invited to display their skills at festivals in other countries. Until the mid-1980's the Japanese were major exporters of fireworks at one time the Japanese represented 80% of the worlds fireworks production (decline was mainly due to the Chinese selling fireworks much cheaper). They were the first country to manufacture fireworks that change colors twice or even three times during a single launch. One common type, the 360-degree blossoms, originated in Japan and has become a global standard for the firework displays.

A good site for a bit more information on Japanese fireworks is: JAPANESE FIREWORKS HOMEPAGE

Digital Transition

As most people in the United States know, last week was the day in which most analog television signals stopped being broadcast, switching to digital (a few local ones in some places still are broadcasting in analog). I'm between not caring and really dislike that this has happened. The reason I don't care is because I watch very little television (I do not have cable or satellite), preferring to watch things on dvd/the computer. I do not even know most of the shows that are on television and the ones I do know about I mostly don't want to watch (if asked what shows were on I'd have no idea). I have had the required adapter for awhile know though (ready before the February date that was pushed back).

There are quite a few reasons as to why I dislike it though:
1. Have to acquire a new device to make televisions, which have worked for decades, continue to function the way they were created to.
2. Having multiple televisions requires the purchase of several of these devices.
3. The box has to be plugged in which means more electricity is being used.
4. Old televisions which still worked but had no antenna/internal antenna and/or many of the portable televisions are now just garbage (I threw away an old black and white still working television because there is no way to get it to work).
5. No place near me recycles televisions for free, computers and computer parts they do, televisions they charge you.
6. Four to five second delay changing channels, I like to flip through channels when I do watch television, this is now more annoying.
7. Lost a channel, signal too weak. Problem was this was the best channel on the tv, PBS, and really there is no reason for this, I'm less than two miles from the antenna broadcasting the signal. It's not completely gone, just most of the time it seems.
8. Have and still use a VCR, recording programs, specifically setting it to record programs on multiple channels, is now very difficult/impossible depending on what and how you wanted to record it.
9. Many people have trouble setting up and/or using the new box's particularly old people.
10. Some times acts likes a broken/scratched DVD, i.e. digital distortion, picture freezing and pixelation.

Tsuyu - Rainy Season

Early summer is the rainy season in most parts of Japan. Tsuyu (or Baiyu) is what the Japanese call the rainy season, it means plum rain (plums ripen at around the same time). The rainy season is caused by the collision of cold northerly and warm southerly air masses, resulting in a relatively stable bad weather front over Japan. The rainy season last from the beginning of June to mid-July, depending on region. Earlier for Okinawa and Hokkaido is barely effected by it at all. In Tokyo it usually from around June 8 to July 20. It does not usually rain every day during the rainy season and the amount of rainfall varies. A movie that I recommend everyone see called Ima, ai ni yukimasu has the rainy season as a major part of the plot.

Teru teru bozu (Teru is a Japanese verb which describes sunshine, and bōzu is a Buddhist monk) are often seen during the rainy season. Teru teru bozu are small doll like charms made with a ball or wad of stuffing and a piece of white cloth or paper tied just below. They are hung as a charm to invite good weather. If the weather is good they maybe given faces. To make it rain occasionally you will see them with either black heads or hung upside down. In the movie mentioned above, the little boy hangs them upside down to bring rain. In Azumanga Doiah, a couple of the characters hang Chiyo-chan (one of the main cast members) upside down outside the window as a Teru teru bozu.

There is also a Warabe uta (song like nursery rhyme) associated with teru teru bozu:

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
Like the sky in a dream sometime
If it's sunny I'll give you a golden bell

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
If you make my wish come true
We'll drink lots of sweet rice wine

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
But if it's cloudy and you are crying (i.e. it's raining)
Then I shall snip your head off

Some people also flip a shoe into the sky, if it lands on its face it would be sunny tomorrow. Osaka does this in Azumanga Daioh, it happens to land on a moving vehicle so she does not find out via shoe toss method if it will be sunny the next day.

Some Japanese Superstitions

Every culture has superstitions, many of which seem to not make sense. Looking at the origins of the superstition and a great deal of them do make sense in some context. Here are a few Japanese superstitions, there are more, and there are also quite a few region specific superstitions (i.e. local ones not found throughout the country, not listed):

*It is thought that when someone sneezes (Kushami), someone is talking/gossiping about that person. Additional comment - In Japan when a person sneezes it is not common to say god bless you, bless you, or Gesundheit.

*A superstition that dates back to the 19th century, but is uncommon now, is that if three people have their picture taken together, the one in the middle will have something bad happen to them (for example, die).

*If a kamidana (miniature Shinto shrine) falls it is an omen that a bad thing is, or will, happen.

*Breaking a comb or the cloth strap of a geta breaking is an omen of misfortune.

*Stepping on the cloth border of a tatami mat brings bad luck.

*You should never write a person's name in red ink, unless your trying to curse them.

*The crow is considered an evil omen and bearer of bad luck. Loud crowing or the gathering in large numbers is a sign of disaster, particularly in the evening. The thing is not all crows are considered bad luck, some crows are viewed as the messengers of the kami, a single crow cawing at 6 am and noon is good luck, and it is thought that crows take care of aged parents.

*If a funeral car passes you should hide your thumb. The reason for this is because the Japanese word for thumb literally translates as "parent-finger" and hiding it is considered safe guarding your parent.

*It is thought that if you give someone your cold it will cure yours. It is also thought that stupid people don't get colds hence Ranma's comment about not thinking Tatewaki Kuno could get one.

*If you cut your nails at night, you will not be with your parents when they die.

*If you whistle in the night, a snake (or a thief, or a ghost) will come to you.

Many Japanese superstitions show up in the Ranma manga, as the above pictures show. Knowing the superstitions, is somewhat helpful when reading manga or watching anime, since some are clearly foreshadowing, and/or an explanation for persons actions. Knowing them can give you an idea as to where the author got the idea from.

Youtube videos

Since I recently have had access to high speed internet, I've been spending far too much time on youtube and browsing forums. Having dial up, I used to avoid topics such as favorite youtube clips, amusing pictures, motivational poster threads, etc., now that I have high speed internet I've been going through those threads, finding quite a bit of amusing things, along with stuff I have no idea as to why people like it.

Internet video sites are pretty addictive and I find myself watching weird things. For example, I spent six minutes watching an Australian girl making and drinking Milo (a chocolate milk). Afterwards I thought, why did I just watch that?

Having high speed internet has also allowed me to catch up with some shows and watch shows I wouldn't have as easily otherwise, such as cable television. I only have antenna television, I had people record the shows for me or got them from the library before. So I've been watching things like South Park, Kim Possible, and Mythbusters.

I had already seen a lot of the good older videos on Youtube. I used to do fansub trading via the postal service when high speed internet was less common and it was common for people to add amv's and other videos as filler/extras/bonus's and occasionally someone I know would see a video they liked a lot and have me watch it later.

Here is a Caramell Dance (Caramelldansen in Swedish) also known as Uma uma dance in Japan, with Ranma characters (I didn't make it). I really like this one because the characters look so very happy and I like seeing people, or in this case animated characters, happy.

Cthulhu Tales - The whisper of madness

The graphic novel Cthulhu Tales - The Whisper of Madness was inspired by Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos. I have read some of Lovecraft's works and I tend to like works that were inspired by him or in a similar style to his more than I do his works. For example, I much prefer Robert E. Howard's works, which were influenced by Lovecraft (they wrote letters to one another), than Lovecrafts works. There is a lot I like about Lovecraftian type horror, I wouldn't want to experience it but I do like it in stories.

Personally I feel that the graphic medium is not the best medium for Lovecraftian horror, the written word is. Images maybe well done but it just not as good as my imagination is. Point of view also matters a lot, for these types of stories a first person point of view would likely elicit the most emotion in the readers.

The Cthulhu mythos, basically that our world and our role in it is an illusion and that we are living in a fragile bubble, unaware of what lies behind what we can sense and filled with things that we are unable to comprehend even if we could sense them is pretty damn interesting. That we are tiny little insignificant specks to other things, as far below them as ants are to us. The idea that there are beings so very different from us, is not very hard to believe. Just look at some of the things here on Earth such as insects or bacteria that can live in places that humans could not and are radically different from us. That we are tiny, insignificant specks to some things that exist, not really that hard to believe, considering the size of the universe. The Milky Way Galaxy alone is too big to really understand/comprehend (it's one thing to say there are 200-400 billion stars in the galaxy, but that's just a number, and such a big number that it's basically meaningless). Our entire solar system is tiny in compared to a great deal of things in the universe.

One story involves a blind guy, or supposedly blind - it isn't clear whether he is blind in the traditional sense or not, who is able to see the cosmic horrors that are around us that no one else can see. I find this idea to be pretty interesting. Humans are limited, we can only sense so much with our senses, even amongst the creatures on Earth, there are ones that can sense things we are unable to. It is not impossible that a person can sense things that most people can't afterall something like 10% of the population can hear sound frequencies at levels above and below those that the other 90% can not. If a person did have a sense that is significantly different from the majority of people, how would the person explain it to people and why would they believe him? A person who was born blind only knows that sight exists because people tell him it exists, in this type scenario, the majority of humanity is the blind person and the one who has the ability is not believed simply because no one (or such a small percentage that it might as well be no one) else has the ability. The story doesn't really explore that aspect, it instead has the guy kill several of the cosmic horrors that are disguised as normal people and transfer the ability to another person. Exploring the aspect of seeing cosmic horrors everywhere and not being believed is more interesting to me than what is presented.

There is a possibly that humanity will find a cosmic horror that is currently out of our reach/understanding. We rely on our senses in learning about the universe, with the aid of technology to extend our senses. It is possible that someone will discover a different way of viewing the universe, possibly in a way currently not even thought about. As new instrumentation/technology is created, discoveries made and new information is introduced, our views on the universe and even on ourselves change. Though personally I'd find it funny if a "great old one" was sleeping at the bottom of the ocean and we just never noticed/were not able to detect it with current methods (there is that mysterious bloop sound, an ultra-low frequency underwater sound detected by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration several times during the summer of 1997. That has an audio profile of a living creature but there is no known animal that could have produced the sound which would have to be several times the size of the largest known animal on Earth to create it).

Another story in the book that interested me somewhat is the story titled "How to get ahead in the occult". This only interested me in so far that I can easily see someone attempting black magic, i.e. the summoning of a being and allowing their roommate to be used as a sacrifice in exchange for a ruling position in the future, even though for most everyone will not enjoy that future. Power is power and there are people who would happily serve an alien creature pretty much dooming mankind in the process, in exchange for the power to rule over others.

Overall the stories in the book were not really that great in and of themselves. The above mentioned two, were interesting to me for secondary reasons. One story in this book stands out above the rest and that is "Alimentary, My Dear Cthulhu". This one is interesting in that the cosmic horrors are known to everyone and have been living amongst people forever. In addition to that it also has a Sherlock Holmes type character, a dead great old one, the birth of a new great old one, and the last few panels break the fourth wall. This story would have been better had it been longer and more detailed, but of the stories in the book it is probably the best.