Saturday, July 21, 2012

Cracking Into Japanese Show Biz

Araiguma doesn't want to portray a fake priest
The days when a blue-eyed foreigner in Tokyo drew stares from everyone have long since passed, but Araigmua is still able to capitalize on being a "Gaijin" (outsider) by getting regular acting gigs in television, movies and even a Japanese rock star's video.

Araiguma isn't strikingly handsome, but the truth is, if you're a foreigner in Japan, you don't have to be. The work is out there, and it's plentiful, especially after the exodus of foreign talent in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

There are dozens of agencies willing to hire you, no matter your size, shape, ethnicity or looks. And, if you've got an undergraduate degree, private students are clamoring for one-on-one English lessons. The hourly fee for such private lessons ranges from about 2,000 yen (US $24.00) to as much as 5,000 yen (US $65.00) or more. The acting jobs generally pay about 15,000 yen (US $200) a day, but if you manage to become in demand, you can command much higher fees.

There is modelling, voice acting and even gigs where a westerner poses as a priest in "Christian" wedding ceremonies. Such fake priests earn as much as 30,000 yen (US $400) for a single ceremony - a little less than two hours' work. Araiguma thinks wistfully about how nice the money would be, but the idea of pretending to be a priest just makes him too uncomfortable. But if you haven't got any similar hangups, the opportunities are abundant.

If you're a westerner coming to Japan, and you have a valid visa, don't miss out on these ample opportunities to earn a little extra money. Here is a list of the top agencies:

http://www.agencepresse.com/

http://www.21amazone.com/

http://www.artscmodels.com/

http://www.axelle.co.jp/

http://www.big-injapan.com/

http://www.bravomodels.net/

http://www.cdumodels.com/

http://www.classmodels.net/

http://www.dxim.biz/

http://www.dagmusic.com/

http://www.epromotion.co.jp

http://frame-in.net/

http://www.fridaymodels.net/

http://www.f-w.co.jp/e/index.html

http://www.gunns.jp/

http://www.inagawamotoko.com/

http://www.junes.co.jp

http://www.kmpro.co.jp

http://mkproduce.net/

http://www.remix-model.co.jp

http://www.switchmodels.co.jp/

http://www.tokyomodels.net/parfe/index.htm

http://www.voicemodels.co.jp/

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Giving Thanks for the Ocean's Blessings

The soft glow of candlelight and sunset create a magical atmosphere at Odaiba Marine Park in Tokyo on Marine Day. [Photo/Xinhua News Agency]

We just celebrated Umino-hi "海の日" which translates into "Marine Day".

Umino-hi is the one of Japan's national holidays. First established in 1995, it arrives on the third monday of July, encouraging gratitude toward the sea and hopes for its future bounties.

Japan is, of course, surrounded by water - the Japan Sea, Pacific Ocean, East China Sea, and Sea of Okhotsk. This has provided us with endless resources and transportation since ancient time. When traveling in Japan, you'll find each sea has given rise to unique cultures, a wonderful variety.

Japan has 47 prefectures, primarily called ken "県", but there are four exceptions - the To "都" of Tokyo-to, Fu "府" of Kyoto-fu, Oosaka-fu and the Do"道" of Hokaido. Nearly all - 39 - of these prefectures face the sea, while only eight are inland. Thus, the sea has a profound impact upon our nation.

As Araiguma likes to point out, "the Japanese work hard, but they sure like to party!" It's true: Japan has 15 national holidays a year. Japanese companies provide paid vacation time on Marine Day, but most people don't take it all, instead electing to take off just one or two days.

Most bosses hate this, as this custom impedes the use of paid vacation time, so japan has a lot of national holidays. In a few major companies, administrators monitor the use of paid vacation time, compelling some employees to work on Saturday instead of the national holiday.

When Mimi was born, there was a Marine Day on July 20th, but no holidays the whole month of July, so she thinks that's why the holiday was set up! Now June is the sole month with no national holday in Japan.

If you do choose to stay in Tokyo instead of visiting the seaside or mountains during the holiday, Mimi recommends visitiing the department stores for summer clothes bargqain shopping, particularly the massive Isetan and Takashimaya department stores in Shinjjuku. And of course, she says, Ginza is wonderful too.

It might melt your credit card, but it will certainly boost the economy!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Summer Comes to Tokyo

Mimi rabbit received two notices of summer's final arrival in tokyo's "shita-machi"(下町 - downtown). They came in the form of morning glories and Japanese lanterns. She attended two events commemorating summer's arrival.

The first is Iriya asagao matsuri (入谷朝顔まつり Valley entrance, Face of the Dawn), a big, beautiful morning glory festival held on the 6th,7th and 8th of July at Iriya near Ueno Station.

The second is Hozuki ichi (ホオズキ), a Japanese lantern or (ground cherry blossom) market held on the 9th and 10th July at the famous Senzouji temple in Asakusa. Both festivals are very popular, and are held in other areas of Tokyo too, bringing notice of summer's arrival to the neighborhoods and all of Tokyo.

The morning glory festival at Iriya is within walking distance of Ueno (上野 Upper Meadows) and Uguisudani (鶯谷 - Nightingale Valley) stations on the central ring-shaped JR Yamanote line which accesses all of Tokyo's major hubs. It can also be reached directly by taking the Tokyo metoro Hibiya line to Iriya (入谷) Station.

The festival encompasses a stretch of road about 200 meters long, which is usually a busy 4-lane thoroughfare, but is closed to vehicular traffic for the duration of the festival. Most of the visitors also stop in to pray at the nearby temple, Iriya kishimo jin ( 入谷 鬼子母 神 Troll Mother Temple).

The flowers are a vivid spray of colors - pink, blue, navy, purple - and there are subtle variations in their shades and shapes. The horde of visitors carefully chose which flowers to buy, and seemed excited by summer's flowery arrival. In Japan, the summers are hot and humid - sometimes tough conditions for Tokyo residents. Mimi's sure these lovely flowers send their minds cool refreshment.

They were so lovely, not just thin but vivid, and the crowded streets conveyed so much energy to so many. If you have a chance, it's a great place to encounter ordinary Japanese life.



Morning glories have long been prized by most Japanese, and classic poems say they originally arrived from China over a thousand years ago, for use in folk medicines. The morning glory festivals first came into vogue among the Shita-machi as decorative flowers in the early 19th century. This was the "Edo period", and servants of the Japanese Tokugawa Shogun (warlord) lived here, grooming and breeding morning glories as a hobby.

The area's soil was well suited to grooming morning glories, and they became extremely popular throughout the town of "Edo" (the old name of Tokyo, before the fall of the shogunate line). After the close of the Edo era, Iriya gardeners began to take over, transforming from flower aficionados into merchants. At the peak of their cultivation, there were over 1000 distinct varieties.

The neighborhood shrine, Iriya Kishimo jin, founded in 1659, carries the strangest of tales: it's one of three named after a minor diety from buddism, a woman named Kishimo. Legends recount that, 1500 years ago, this wicked woman was eating small children. To teach her a lesson, Buddha hid her own dearest child froim her, and she was stricken with deep anguish. Buddha then told her, "now you understand the horror of what you have done, and the great suffering you have given to so many. Kishimo repented and transformed, forever after serving as a fierce guardian and protector of mothers and their children. People believe in its miraculous powers to this day.



As for Hozuki ichi, this event is held at the ancient Sensouji temple of Asakusa and is deeply connected with Kannon, the goddess of compassion. For some 14 centuries, Japanese pilgrims have come here to pay tribute to the goddess, a means of earning spiritual merit - it's thought that, through good deeds, the rewards of the universe will be bestowed upon the faithful. And visiting the goddess on her monthly holy day, earns visitors 100 times the blessings - granting 100 days of happy life. But Kannon's most sacred day is July 10th. If you are to visit her on that day, it's said to be the same as visiting 1000 times. Since the Edo period, that number has been increased to the equivalent of 46,000 blessed days, which means with a single visit, one can expect to live happily for 126 years! This certainly made the site popular among visitors, who flock to the shrine a day early.

Hozuki - the Japanese lantern (or ground cherry blossom) also used to be a traditional medicine, and a very precious one. It flowers with bright orange balloons, which dry into elegant golden cages within which sit a bright pink berry. No longer used as medicine, the plants are still thought to bring good fortune, and are associated with the festival of Kannon.



During the hozuki ichi festival, a chorus of wind chimes gave mimi rabbit a sense of comfort and tranquility, as she drank in the bright oranges and greens against in the deep blue sky. Energetic plant sellers touted their wares to the passersby, and graciously allowed their photos to be snapped.

If you're used to imagining the Japanese as a very quiet people, you can see a whole different aspect of them here. You'll find a number of sellers in front of Sensouji temple, but those at the rear are more fun to see.

With the arrival of summer, Mimi Rabbit wishes you deep happiness and a summer full of joyful memories. May these beautiful flowers restore a little of your energies.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Seven Gods of Fortune

Click to enlarge

Here's a peek at the cover for our first photo journal and tour guide, Sampo Nikki: Seven Gods of Fortune, due for publication in August. Number two: NeoTokyo is also in the bag, and number three: The Warlord's Shrine is currently in production.


Japan's Star-Crossed Lovers Come Together for lucky 7/7

Tanabata wishes hang from a bamboo tree on the lucky 7/7th.
Welcome!

This is the official launch of Sampo Nikki, which is Japanese for "Walking Diary". Each of our 100-page  photo journals guides you through a single day's walk as you explore Japan. Join your guides Mimi and Araiguma and learn about Japanese food, history, culture and trends.

Mimi is a Japanese rabbit and Araiguma is an American raccoon, both living in the rich diversity of Japanese culture - the fascinating people, places, architecture and thriving culture of daily Tokyo life.

As they explore Tokyo and beyond, they share the twin perspectives of a native and a visitor - Araiguma is a world traveler and journalist, and Mimi is a scholar of Japanese art, history and culture. Mimi wants to preserve her proud Japanese heritage, while Araiguma wants to experience the thrills of modern Japan. Together, they guide you along new and exotic adventures.

Their diverse points of view bring you rich insight into a variety of locales - from sites steeped in ancient Eastern history and lore, to exciting cultural hotspots where hip Japanese youth gather, and secret places you won't discover among more conventional guidebooks.

Today - 7/7 - is a special day in Japan. It denotes Tanabata (七夕), a time when legends say two legendary lovers come together once every year. The story is familiar to all Japanese:

Once upon time, a girl and a man lived as stars in the sky. The girl was Orihime, daughter of the gods, for whom she would weave beautiful clothes.  The man, Hikoboshi, was a cow herder. Both were kind and industrious, and so the gods permitted their marriage. But after marriage, Hikoboshi and Orihime became lazy, stopped working and spent their days in idle pleasures. This angered the gods, who punished them, by separating them with a great river of stars - the Milky Way.

Their sorrow touched the hearts of the gods, and, showing a little mercy, the gods allowed a magpie to build a bridge enabling the unlucky lovers to meet once a year, on the 7th of July. But if it rains that day, the river overflows and the bird can't make its bridge, so the couple can't meet.


This sad story originated in China in the late 7th century, and seems to have spread to other Asian countries, which share similar customs.  But bamboo displays are unique to Japan, because here, bamboo is a sacred tree said to house the gods and the souls of ancestors. Japanese commemorate the occasion by hanging written wishes upon bamboo stalks. These written appeals to the gods are hung outside at midnight on July 6, remaining throughout the morning of July 7, while during the night, Tanabata festivals are held.

In the ancient "Edo" period - 1603 to 1868 - when the Tokugawa warlord family ruled all of Japan from the ancient capital that was to become Tokyo - people wished for prosperity, inspiration and growth in crafts and the arts - writing poetry, sewing or dyeing fabrics. The lucky numbers 7/7 marked the special day once a year when Hikoboshi and Orime could meet and wishes would come true, and many Japanese marry on this fortuitous day.

This is perfect timing for Araiguma and Mimi rabbit to send out their own appeals to the universe. Their first wish is for the success of this project, and for Sampo Nikki to help others share the enjoyment of learning japanese culture past and present, and their second is that their contribution can help preserve the wonder and beauty of traditional Japanese culture. We ask your warm support, as we nurture our new enterprise into maturity.

Sampo Nikki 1: Seven Gods of Fortune and Sampo Nikki 2: NeoTokyo have already been written and will go on sale at the end of the month. Sampo Nikki 3 and 4 are currently in production. Please join us as we explore the magical shrine of Kamakura (where visitors can walk inside the 800-year-old giant bronze Buddha), Nara, Osaka, and beyond. In the meantime, we will be bringing you 2 to 3 topics a week to enjoy in this blog. We hope you love our blog and our books and hope to see you someday in Japan!!!