座頭市 - Zatoichi -

This weekend was a bit busy weekend but with full of fun!
Going out to Malmö, concert in a boat im Malmö harbor etc.
There're a lot of things I wanted to write but let me start from movie "Zatoichi" by Takeshi Kitano, which got Special Director's Award in 60th Venice Film Festival.

It's a story about blind swordman. As you can imagin from the title, this Sword Action Movie is a bit bloody because swordmen are people who fights each other.

If I describe the movie with a few keywords, "Sword action" with "traditional Japan flavored by dance and music". and "Jokes" appears from time to time is a nice spice of this movie.

Actually Takeshi Kitano is one of the most famous comedian and I met many foreigners who knows his TV show "Takeshi Castle".
People who likes show like a "Jackaas". You should check this as well!!

座頭市　公式サイト (Japanese ver.)
http://www.office-kitano.co.jp/zatoichi/

Zatoichi Official website: English ver.
http://www.office-kitano.co.jp/zatoichi/en/index.html

Today's song: "Summer" by Joe Hisaishi. (a song from movie "Kikujiro" filmed by Takeshi Kitano)

HANDS GRAND PRIX

"TOKYU HANDS", which I mentioned in previous article, hold a competition of the handcraft every year as well, namely HANDS GRAND PRIX (Hands Taisho in Japanese.)



The concept is "Think by hands, find by hands, create by hands",
and awarded works there is just amazing!

Some are really detailed art and some others are very impressive by its idea. Sometimes they are nice by its sence of humor!

Be creative and realize it by our trained "hands",
Actually exactly the same thing is important to discover and apply new knowledge into practice in Science and Engineering! Isn't it?

Check it out (click on pictures to see in large picture)

20th HANDS GRAND PRIX (in Japanese but it's no problem for all to take a look of picture!)
http://www.tokyu-hands.co.jp/awd04.htm

Be creative! express yourself in your own way!

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Translation from HANS GRAND PRIX website,
Since human being started to stand up by two legs, hands are independent from legs and gained a freedom. First they met with tools, learned how to handle a fire, made a thing, and society. In our present-day, we have a full of usefulnesses.
However, instead of that there's somthings we forget.
It is the way you express your things in your own way
To put in one word, it's your "hands"

HANDS GRAND PRIX started in 1983 (just one year younger than I!) under the slogan of "Think by hands, find by hands, create by hands",
and we are seeking and discovering unlimited possibilities of human "hands" once again by each of us.

TOKYU HANDS!

Today I'd like to write "Japan" series again,
The building in picture is "TOKYU HANDS" in Ikebukuro (in Tokyo).
It is a department store of DIY tools etc! with a huge variation of things.

From practical things to very stupid things.
It is very nice place to find practical thingfor you office, for example, you can see the number of pens and makers lined up there! and this is just a part of it, in fact.

And Stupic thing, look at the last picture. You will find a SUSHI and Nudles etc, but they are all fake and they actually eraser! (you can'e eat...)
Well, please don't ask "What it is for?" It's a just for a fun. Why don't you have a eraser looking like food and decorate your desk!

American 3 - Persian 1

I wrote American 3 - Persian 1, but it's not a score of game or critisising about political conflict between those countries...

It's a cat in my house in Japan. It is cross of American short hair 3/4 and Persian cat.
It looks almost like American short hair but the hair is very soft like Persian and the neck looks very thick because of long hair.


Characteristics:
1. a great sensitivity against good fish.
2. bravely attack and try to get a fish on the table (when it is good)
3. good at climbing a tree but bad at come off from there...

Today's song: "Numb" by Jay-Z & Linkin Park.

AKIRA

I watched a Japanese Anime movie "AKIRA" by Katsuhiro Otomo, which is a sort of SF action story in the near future world.
Since I've been in Lund, I have had a so many chances to be asked "Have you watched AKIRA?", but I've never watched it before.... It seems to be very famous on abroad!

In fact, it is famous and called as one of the best masterpieces in Anime movies in Japan. At least I knew the title. However, it is not such popular in major level (popular among so called and criticism and subcultural level) .

The visual effect etc. is simply amazing cool. That was my impression after I watched "Akira". Particularly the actions with motercycle are "Must check items"!! I could see why this movie was praised by so many.
Furthermore it is surprising it actually is released in 1988!
Although, some part of this movie was also a little hard to understand for me as it is frequently seen in Anime movies... nevertheless, this is not critical for this movie! Because it is cool enough in other points!!


Check it out!

PS. Maybe it's a type of movie which is favored more by boys than girls...

Official webSite (Japanese)
http://www.bandaivisual.co.jp/akira/index2.html