Sakura beer cans

It is Sakura (cherry blossom) time in Japan..You can find everything newly packaged in line with Sakura..Above is the beer cans..

Modern Compact House in Tokyo

Located near the center of Tokyo, Reflection of Mineral is a modern 480 sq ft (44 sq m) house designed by Japanese architect Yasuhiro Yamashita.

For more photos click the title...

High School Uniforms for Girls in Japan

Rubik's cube solving robot

watch out the cubestormer...

Yamanote line sound map

Click on the station name to hear the announcement:)

http://www.rickbenedict.com/jams/

The Meaning of Bride's Veil in Japan

With a white wedding kimono, instead of a veil the bride wears a tsuno kakushi. Tsuno means 'horns' and the purpose of wearing this headdress was to veil her horns of jealousy, ego and selfishness - attributes that should not be displayed at a wedding in front of the groom and his family. It symbolized her resolve to become a gentle, obedient wife. Also in those days, hair was thought to be unclean so people wore a headdress to hide it.

Until the end of the Edo period in 1867, brides wore awataboshi hood which was supposed to conceal the bride's face to everyone except the groom. Both the tsuno kakushi and the wataboshiare still used at traditional, non-Western style weddings in Japan.

Mad about sneakers

New trend is colorful sneakers. You can see them everywhere. They are popular among high school and university students. One of the most trendy brand is madfoot.

www.madfoot.jp

Manner Poster of Tokyo Metro

An Interview with a geisha

Nice video...

http://blog.gaijinpot.com/video/japanese-geisha-interview/6713/

Taiyaki

Taiyaki, literally "baked sea bream" is a Japanese fish-shaped cake. The most common filling is red bean paste that is made from sweetened azuki beans. Other common fillings may be chocolate, custard or cheese.

Taiyaki

The newest KitKat

I think only in Japan there are many types of Kitkat. Since sakura (cherry blossom) time is coming, today I ate this one which is mixed with a scent of sakura and green tea. But for more types you can check the below link.

http://tokyo5.wordpress.com/2009/01/24/kit-kat-japan/

Japanese Gestures

Sitting

The Japanese have traditionally sat on tatami (a padded straw mat) at their homes. However, many homes today are completely Western style and don't have Japanese style rooms with tatami. Many young Japanese are no longer able to sit properly on tatami.

The proper way of sitting on tatami is called seiza. It is to bend the knees 180 degrees tuck your calves under your thighs and sit on your heels. This can be a difficult posture to maintain if you are not used to it and requires practice, preferably from early age. It is considered polite to sit seiza style on formal occasions.

Another, more relaxed way of sitting is cross-legged (agura). Starting with legs out straight and folding them in like triangles. This posture is usually for men. Women would usually go from the formal to an informal sitting posture by shifting their feet just off to the side (yokozuwari).

Though most Japanese do not concern themselves with it, it is proper to walk without stepping in the edge of the tatami.

Beckoning

The Japanese beckon with a waving motion with the palm down and the hand flapping up and down at the wrist. Westerners may confuse this with a wave and not realize they are being beckoned. Although this gesture (temaneki) is used by both men and women and all age groups, it is considered rude to beckon a superior this way.

Maneki-neko is a cat ornament that sits and has it's front paw raised as if it is calling for someone. It is believed to bring good luck, and displayed in restaurants or other business in which customer turnover is important.

Indicating Yourself

The Japanese point to their noses with a forefinger to indicate themselves or to ask, "Who, me?"

Banzai

"Banzai" literally means ten thousand years (of life).It is shouted in happy occasions while raising both arms. People shout "banzai" to express their happiness, to celebrate a victory, to hope for longevity and so on. It is commonly done together with the large group of people.

Foreign people seem to confuse "banzai" with a war cry. It is probably because the Japanese soldiers shouted "Tennouheika Banzai" when they were dying during World War II. In this context what they meant was "Long live the Emperor" or "Salute the Emperor".

Hinamatsuri (Doll's Festival)

"Hinamatsuri (Doll's Festival)" is held on March 3rd. This is a day to pray for young girl's growth and happiness. It is also called "Momo no sekku (Peach Festival)" because of the peach blossom season on the old lunar calendar. May 5th is "Kodomo no hi(Children's Day)," and this is so called "Boy's Festival." While Children's Day is a national holiday, Hinamatsuri is not.

Most families with girls display "hina-ningyo" (special dolls for Hinamatsuri, see the photo below) and dedicate peach blossoms to them. They are usually arranged on a five or seven-tiered stand covered with a red carpet. At the top are the Emperor and Empress. The next step contains three court ladies (sannin-kanjo), followed by five musicians (gonin-bayashi), two ministers (udaijin and sadaijin), and three servants ending the bottom row in a five-tiered display. There are also small pieces of furniture, small meal dishes, and other things.

Japanese Elvises at Yoyogi

Interesting video..Check it out..

Japan's weirdest museums

Meguro Parasitological Museum

You won't find many English translations – or tourists for that matter – at the Meguro Parasitilogical Museum, but its hundreds of jars of preserved parasite specimens, many of them spilling out of organs and dead animals, don't really require much explanation.

The world's only parasite museum aims to be an educational affair, but its value lies more in the astounding gross-out factor. If you've ever wondered what a preying mantis infected with horsehair worm looks like, or a how leeches attach themselves to the eyelids of sea turtles, this museum will provide the answers in gruesome, well-lit detail.

The prized exhibit is a perfectly preserved 8.8-metre long tapeworm, reportedly removed from a healthy(ish) man.

Be sure to stop at the gift shop where you can buy preserved pinworm and hook worm in key rings.

Thankfully, eating and drinking is not allowed inside the museum.

4-1-1, Shimomeguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo. Nearest train station: Meguro.

Ace World Luggage Museum

This personal collection of the owner of Japan's Ace luggage company (the world's first producer of nylons bags) is better than is sounds, with more than 400 examples of handbags, travel bags and trunks made from every conceivable skin. It could almost double as an endangered species display - from antique trunks made from antelope to zebra-skin handbags and bags made from the skins of seal, elephant, shark and even aardvark. Bizarre.

1-8-10 Komagata, Taito-ku, Tokyo. Nearest train station: Asakusa

ADMT Museum of Advertising and Marketing

Japan loves its advertising, as evidenced by the colossal neon signs that light up every street, and this free museum outlines the history of the country's industry.

The permanent display features a timeline of advertising, from Edo-era woodblocks, revealing that product placement has been around some time, to today's TV ads.

The display of advertising posters from the 20th century is a graphic designer's dream, while their collection of vintage bric-a-brac – toys, games, cereal boxes, etc – is an amazing potted history of Japan's pop culture.

Higashi-Shimbashi 1-5, Caretta Shiodome B1F. Nearest station: Shimbashi.

The Tobacco and Salt Museum

Another of the city's museums that is more entertaining than it sounds, outlining the importance of salt and tobacco in Japan's history, where both were, until recently, government monopolies. As well as the educational side there are great displays of vintage cigarette packets, pipes and all manner of smoking paraphernalia from around the world. This funky museum also hosts temporary exhibitions of all kinds, from 19th century prostitutes' wigs to Mexican silverware. Well worth a visit.

Jinnan 1-16-8, Shibuya-ku, Nearest station: Shibuya

Other bizarre Tokyo museums worth a visit:

Ryogoku Fireworks Museum, 2-10-8 Ryogoku

The Iris Button Museum, Chuo-ku, Nihonbashi Hamamachi 1-11-8

The Japanese socks Museum, 1-9-3 Midori

The Laundry Museum, 2-11-1 Shimomakuro, Ota-ku,