JAPANESE MAGAZINE
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The architecture of Buddhist temples, like that of any structure, has changed and developed over the centuries. However, while the particular details may vary, the general themes and styles have strong similarities and common origins. Most, if not all, Buddhist temple buildings exhibit the same basic design elements as other traditional Japanese buildings. Tall thick wooden columns serve as the load-bearing and stabilizing element of the structure. Each column sits atop a single large stone, anchoring the building. The walls, floors, and complex bracketed roof structure are then built around these columns. There is great diversity in the style and appearance of roofs, but most follow the basic concept of a tiled sloping roof. The roofs of many older temples, designed more directly on mainland forms, have upturned flaring corners. Meanwhile, newer temples that are based more on native Japanese styles will have smoother, flatter roof corners. The Horyuji already mentioned was one of the first, if not the first, Buddhist temple built in Japan. Its primary structures represent the style then current in 6th century Sui dynasty China. The Konden (Golden Hall) is a double-roofed structure, supported by thick, strong pillars, and giving a feeling of boldness and weight.
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Japanese castles were frequently constructed in strategic locations to protect important transport routes such as bridges, rivers or ports. Other Japanese castles were built to dominate a landscape and provide a final point of defence. Many Japanese castles were the basis for the development of cities, while others were located in difficult to reach mountain tops. Most Japanese castle featured one or more moats, plus one or more sets of outer walls, then a raised platform where the inner castle buildings were protected by a series of large stone walls, turrents and donjon or tower. Japanese castles really came of age in the 14th century, reaching their peak in 17th century and by the late 19th century most were being disassembled as part of the Meiji Restoration
Himeji Castle has long been the number one castle in Japan – in fact, many travel books recommend that if you can only visit one Japanese Castle, you should make it Himeji. Built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Himeji Castle became a staging point for many of Hedeyoshi’s campaigns across Japan. The castle grounds were built with plenty of defensive elements, including a confusing maze of paths leading to the main keep. The idea was that attackers would get confused and lost while navigating the castle streets, all the while getting picked off from arrow and gun emplacements. 3
Similar to Chinese cuisine, there is a concept of staple (main) foods (主食, shushoku) prepared from five carbohydrate-rich cereals (五穀: 米, 麦, 粟, 豆, 黍 or 稗, or rice, wheats and oats, foxtail millet, beans, proso millet or Echinochloa) and main and side dishes (副食, fukushoku, or more commonly, おかず, okazu) of which role is adding flavors to staple foods. Okazu are usually designed "salty" to eat with shushoku with synergistic harmonization and basically not expected to have them alone in Japan.
A standard Japanese meal nearly always consists of a bowl of cooked white Japanese rice (gohan) as shushoku with accompanying tsukemono (pickles), a bowl of soup, and a variety of dishes known as okazu - fish, meat, vegetable, etc. Traditional Japanese meals are sometimes classified by the number of okazu which accompany the rice and soup. The simplest Japanese meal, for example, consists of ichijū-issai (一汁一菜; "one soup, one side" or "one dish meal"). This means soup, rice and pickles, and one accompanying dish. A traditional Japanese breakfast, for example, usually consists of miso soup, rice, a pickled vegetable and grilled fish. The standard traditional meal, however, is called ichijū-sansai (一汁三菜; "one soup, three sides"), or soup, rice & pickles, and three dishes, each employing a different cooking technique. The dishes may be raw fish (sashimi), or grilled, simmered (sometimes called boiled in translations from Japanese), steamed, deep fried, vinegared, or dressed dishes. Ichijū-sansai often finishes with pickles such as umeboshi and green tea.
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Tokyo is the capital of Japan the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area in the world. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family. Tokyo is in the Kantō region on the southeastern side of the main island Honshu and includes the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands. Tokyo Metropolis was formed in 1943 from the merger of the former Tokyo Prefecture (東京府 Tōkyō-fu?) and the city of Tokyo (東京市 Tōkyō-shi?). Tokyo is often thought of as a city but is commonly referred to as a "metropolitan prefecture". The Tokyo metropolitan government administers the 23 Special Wards of Tokyo (each governed as an individual city), which cover the area that was formerly the City of Tokyo before it merged and became the subsequent metropolitan prefecture. The metropolitan government also administers 39 municipalities in the western part of the prefecture and the two outlying island chains.
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Kogals (コギャル kogyaru, lit. "small/child girl") are a subculture of girls and young women in urban Japan, one of several types of so-called gals. They are characterized by conspicuously displaying their disposable incomes through unique tastes in fashion, music, and social activity. In general, the kogal "look" roughly approximates a sun-tanned California Valley girl, and indeed, the similarities between the two extend to the linguistic, for both subcultures have derived entire sets of slang terms (コギャル語 "ko-gyaru-go"). Kogals are not to be confused with the ganguro subculture, although they are similar Kogals are known for wearing platform boots, a miniskirt, copious amounts of makeup, hair coloring (usually blond), artificial suntans, and designer accessories. If in school uniform, the look typically includes skirts pinned very high and loose socks (large baggy socks that go up to the knee). Kogals' busy social lives and desire for new material goods leads them to be among the first consumers of Japanese cell phone technology, and their taste in clothes tends toward names such as Burberry scarves and Louis Vuitton handbags. Kogals spend much of their free time (and their father's income) shopping, and their culture centers around the Shibuya district of Tokyo, in particular the 109 building, although any major Japanese city is sure to have at least a small population. During the summer, kogals may sometimes be seen at the beach. They are generally not seen in high-end department stores.
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The word Cosplay from the joining of two English words "costume" and "play". Typically Japanese will dress as their favorite character from manga, anime, video games, J Rock or pop band or movie. Cosplay involves dressing in very elaborate costumes, normally made by themselves, with other people who like to do the same thing. While the cosplay is normally done for themselves, it has become a public spectacle in places like Harajuku (Tokyo) and Den Den Town (Osaka), where interested members of public, mainly western tourist, come to take pictures. At times there can be more photographers than there are cosplayers.
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There are many different styles of Japanese clothing and they vary greatly from traditional Japanese clothing to the modern Westernized Japanese clothing or Japanese fashions.
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Anime (アニメ) is a style of animation originating in Japan. Anime is characterized by character and background styles which may be created by hand or may be assisted by computers. Storylines may feature a variety of characters and may be set in different locations and in different eras. Anime is aimed at a broad range of audiences because there are a wide range of different genres that any series may be categorized under.
Anime may be broadcast on television, distributed on media, such as DVDs, or published as console and computer games. Anime is often influenced by Japanese comics known as manga. Anime may also be adapted into live action television programs.
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