Window Into Japan

木曜日, 4月 27, 2006

Kabuki, No and Bunraku

Kabuki ->

Kabuki (歌舞伎) is a traditional Japanese form of theater with its origins in the Edo period.Kabuki plays are about historical events, moral conflicts in love relationships and the like. The actors use an old fashioned language which is difficult to understand even for some Japanese people. They speak in a monotonous voice and are accompanied by traditional Japanese Instruments.The kabuki stage (歌舞伎の舞台) is a rotating stage and is further equipped with several gadgets like trapdoors through which the actors can appear and disappear. Another specialty of the kabuki stage is a footbridge (花道) that leads through the audience.The actors are all men who are specialized in playing female roles (女形). During kabuki plays, it is common for fans in the audience to shout the name of their favorite actor just in the right moment during short pauses.

No ->

"No" (能) is a very old form of traditional Japanese theater with its origins in the 14th century. The actors of "No" plays wear masks. They speak and sing in a very monotonous way, accompanied by a chorus and traditional music instruments. The "No" stage is usually located outdoors.In "No" plays too the actors are all men, who play the roles of beautiful women, villains, and heroes.

Bunraku ->

Bunraku (文楽) is traditional Japanese puppet theater that has its origin in the Edo period. Bunraku and Kabuki are closely related with respect to the content of plays. Bunraku plays are also accompanied by the music of traditional Japanese music instruments.The puppets are about one meter tall and are manipulated by up to three persons. Every person is responsible for a different part of the puppet.

Japanese Gardens

Garden design has been an important Japanese art for many centuries. Traditional Japanese landscape gardens can be broadly categorized into three types ->

- Tsukiyama Gardens (hill gardens)(築山)
- Karesansui Gardens (dry gardens)(カレ山水)
- Chaniwa Gardens (tea gardens) (茶庭)

Tsukiyama Gardens ->
The main characteristics of Tsukiyama Gardens is that ponds, streams, hills, stones, trees, flowers, bridges and paths are used to create a miniature reproduction of a natural scenery which is often a famous landscape in China or Japan. The name Tsukiyama refers to the creation of artificial hills. Tsukiyama gardens vary in size and in the way they are viewed. Smaller gardens are usually enjoyed from a single viewpoint, such as the veranda of a temple, while many larger gardens are best experienced by following a circular scrolling path.

Karesansui Gardens ->
Karesansui gardens reproduce natural landscapes in a more abstract way by using stones, gravel, sand and sometimes a few patches of moss for representing mountains, islands, boats, seas and rivers. Karesansui gardens are strongly influenced by Zen Buddhism and used for meditation.

Chaniwa Gardens ->
Chaniwa gardens are built for the tea ceremony. They contain a tea house where the actual ceremony is held and are designed in aesthetic simplicity according to the concepts of sado (tea ceremony). Chaniwa gardens typically feature stepping stones that lead towards the tea house, stone lanterns and a stone basin (tsukubai), where guests purify themselves before participating in the ceremony.

火曜日, 4月 25, 2006

Japanese Dolls

Dolls have been manufactured since the early days of Japanese culture.
Today, there exist various types of Japanese dolls. The following is a description of only a few of the most famous ones:

- Daruma Dolls
- Kokeshi Dolls
- Hakata Dolls
- Hina Dolls
- Samurai dolls


Daruma dolls are spherical dolls with a red painted body and a white face, but without pupils. They represent the Zen monk Bodhidharma. It is the custom to paint one of the doll's pupils in the beginning of a new year, make a wish and paint in the second pupil, if the wish comes true. Takasaki's Shorinzan Daruma Temple is the birthplace of daruma dolls as good luck charms.

Kokeshi dolls are simply shaped, wooden dolls from Northern Honshu, which originated as souvenirs distributed at hot spring resorts during the Edo Period. Kokeshi dolls have neither arms nor legs, but a large head and a cylindrical body.

Hakata dolls are clay dolls manufactured in Fukuoka Prefecture on Kyushu. They are worked out in great detail and painted beautifully.

Hina dolls are displayed during girl's festivals. The Girl's festival is also known as "Hina Matsuri" or "Doll Festival" and is celebrated on March 3. On this day, families with girls wish their daughters a successful and happy life. Dolls are displayed in the house together with peach blossoms.

Samurai dolls are displayed during the boy's festival. The Boy's Festival is also known as "Tango no Sekku" or "Kodomo no Hi" or "Children's Day" is celebrated on May 5.Families pray for the health and future success of their sons by hanging up carp streamers and displaying samurai dolls, both symbolizing strength, power and success in life.

月曜日, 4月 24, 2006

Japanese Language

The Japanese language has three sets of characters - hiragana, katakana, and kanji.

The Hiragana character set includes following characters ->

あ (A) い (I) う (U) え (E) お (O)

か (Ka) き (Ki) く (ku) け (Ke) こ(Ko)

が (Ga) ぎ (Gi) ぐ (Gu) げ (Ge) ご(Go)

さ (Sa) し (Shi) す (Su) せ (Se) そ (So)

ざ (Za) じ (Ji) ず (Zu) ぜ (Ze) ぞ (Zo)

た (Ta) ち (Chi) つ (Tsu) て (Te) と (To)

だ (Da) ぢ (Di) づ (Du) で (De) ど (Do)

な (Na) に (Ni) ぬ (Nu) ね (Ne) の (No)

は (Ha) ひ (Hi) ふ (Fu) へ (He) ほ (Ho)

ば (Ba) び (Bi) ぶ (Bu) べ (Be) ぼ (Bo)

ぱ (Ha) ぴ (Hi) ぷ (Fu) ぺ (He) ぽ (Ho)

ま (Ma) み (Mi) む (Mu) め (Me) も (Mo)

や (Ya) ゆ (Yu) よ (Yo)

ら (Ra) り (Ri) る (Ru) れ (Re) ろ (Ro)

わ (Wa) を (O) ん (N)


The Katakana character set includes following characters ->

ア (A) イ (I) ウ (U) エ (E) オ (O)

カ (Ka) キ (Ki) ク (ku) ケ (Ke) コ(Ko)

ガ (Ga) ギ (Gi) グ (Gu) ゲ (Ge) ゴ(Go)

サ (Sa) シ (Shi) ス (Su) セ (Se) ソ (So)

ザ (Za) ジ (Ji) ズ (Zu) ゼ (Ze) ゾ (Zo)

タ (Ta) チ (Chi) ツ (Tsu) テ (Te) ト (To)

ダ (Da) ヂ (Di) ヅ (Du) デ (De) ド (Do)

ナ (Na) ニ (Ni) ヌ (Nu) ネ (Ne) ノ (No)

ハ (Ha) ヒ (Hi) フ (Fu) ヘ (He) ホ (Ho)

バ (Ba) ビ (Bi) ブ (Bu) ベ (Be) ボ (Bo)

パ (Pa) ピ (Pi) プ (Pu) ペ (Pe) ポ (Po)

マ (Ma) ミ (Mi) ム (Mu) メ (Me) モ (Mo)

ヤ (Ya) ユ (Yu) ヨ (Yo)

ラ (Ra) リ (Ri) ル (Ru) レ (Re) ロ (Ro)

ワ (Wa) ヲ (O) ン (N)

Having knowledge of elementary Japanese can be helpful while commuting to different places in Japan. The stations, railway lines boards are normally shown in Kanji characters. But the on the top of the Kanji character, the reading of the Kanji is mentioned in Hiragana or Katakana characters. So knowing these Hiragana and Katakana characters we can read the names of places which makes life easier.

For example the JR Yamanote Railway line also known as "Loop line", traverses the following stations in a loop.

Shinjuku -> Yoyogi -> Harajuku -> Shibuya -> Ebisu -> Meguro -> Gotanda -> Osaki -> Shinagawa -> Tamachi -> Hamamatsucho -> Shimbashi -> Yurakucho -> Tokyo -> Kanda -> Akihabara -> Okachimachi -> Ueno -> Uguisudani -> Nippori -> Nishi-Nippori -> Tabata -> Komagome -> Sugamo -> Otsuka -> Ikebukuro -> Mejiro -> Takadanobaba -> Shin-Okubo -> and finally back to Shinjuku Station.

The knowledge of Hiragana and Katakana can be of great help. Suppose we are at station "高田馬場", on top of this set of Kanji characters the station name in Katakana is written as "タカダノババ". Referring to the character set for katakana given above we can easily identify the name of station as "Takadanobaba".

Similarly loop line name in Kanji is as "山の手" and katakana characters on top of this Kanji characters says "ヤマノテ", then we can easily identify that the loopline is "Yamanote" loopline.

Mastering Hiragana and Katakana makes life easier in Japan for those who have elementary knowledge of Japanese and one need not take tension of difficult kanji characters or pictographs.

Cheers

日曜日, 4月 23, 2006

Japanese Tea Ceremony

Green tea "O-cha" is an integral part of Japanese culture.

The "chaji", or tea ceremony is usually held in a "cha-shitsu" tea-room.

Guests enter the tea-room through the "nijiriguchi", a tiny door which forces them to crouch, thereby humbling them and imbibing a sense of politeness in them.

"Chado", the Way Of Tea, is based upon the simple act of boiling water, making tea, offering it to others, and drinking of it ourselves.

The four principles of harmony, respect, purity and tranquility are timeless guides to the practice of "Chado".

Incorporating these principles into daily life helps one to find that unassailable place of tranquility that is within each of us.

月曜日, 4月 17, 2006

Japanese Culture


I started visiting Japan since 1998. I made it a point in every visit to understand various facets of Japanese art and culture. The different aspects of Japanese art and culture facinated me.

The various facets of Japanese Arts and Crafts include ->

- Japanese Architecture, Garden design, Ukiyo-e

- Bonsai, Calligraphy, Japanese Dolls, Ikebana, Origami

- Bunraku, Literature, Movies, Music, Poetry, Kabuki, No

- Martial Arts, Swords

- Japanese Tea Ceremony

日曜日, 4月 16, 2006

Window Into Japan!!!


Hajimemashite...

As a part of onsite assignments, I got an opportunity to travel to various parts of Japan. I have worked in Tokyo,Osaka and Kyoto cities in Japan.
It is a pleasure to share the valuable experiences in the Land of Rising Sun...Japan!!!

It will be really nice if you all can also share your experiences in Japan and enrich this article.
I am sure, reading the articles complied here will always be a memorable experience for all of us, and surely will give a refreshing and exciting feeling to those who are planning to visit Japan soon!!!

Let's window into the different dimensions of Japan!!!

Cheers

Dhananjay


 
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