American Mishima

Ljungberg Leaves Shimizu S-Pulse

2012-02-15T18:11:00.000-08:00

Former Swedish national, Arsenal, & Seattle Sounders midfielder Freddie Ljungberg has left the J-League's Shimizu S-Pulse after only six months to return to europe. Ljungberg and Shimizu president Yasuhito Takeuchi mutally agreed to end his contract citing differences in vision. ほんと? Ljungberg scored some 46 goals for Arsenal and another two for Westham United before signing in 2009 to the MLS's newest team the Seattle Sounders FC. There he would go onto to score another two goals before being traded in 2010 to a brief stint with the Chicago Fire where he would score another two goals before leaving the MLS for Celtic where he didn't score at all. Ljungberg has had a history of injuries to his hamstring which has plaugued his more recent career. In Seattle he was regarded as prickly amoung his team mates which contributed to his trade for Columbian Striker Fredy Montero. In 2011, Freddie Ljungberg appeared in only eight J-League games and three cup matches with Shimizu S-Pulse without scoring. Nowhere on the net has the language barrier been cited as the issue just differences in vision. Ljungberg has stated his utmost respect for Japan and his team mates but it takes more than respect to be on top in the J-League. Shimizu finished 10th out of 18 teams during his tenure there. Shimizu S-Pulse has put out a statement moving forward with players that share the same vision. We are not sure if that was a swipe at Ljungberg or not but after not getting their 60 Million Yen per year's worth on an 18 month contract we can't blame them. Personally, Shimizu is being awfully polite - very Japanese. While Freddie may not have felt this was the right project for him all we can say is さよなら Swede!

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

2012-02-10T15:40:00.000-08:00

Featured in this photo by Takeshi Ogawa Oshiro, are a group of modern day Ainu アイヌ - the indigenous people of Hokkaido, Kuril Islands, and much of Russian held Sakhalin. We chose to feature this photo that was originally posted on Facebook because historically the Ainu do not get much press or respect in Japan yet their place in Northern Japan's history is undeniable.

For one good depiction of the Ainu on film American Mishima reccomends the 2005 Toei Film 北の零年-Year One in the North starring Sayuri Yoshinaga & Ken Watanabe (See official movie poster). 北の零年(Kita no zeronen) is the story of a Samurai Clan from the south that is exiled to Ezo (Present Day Hokkaido) at the end of the Samurai Era in the late Nineteenth Century to make due in a rugged hostile land where nothing will grow and the winters are harsh.

Year One in the North is an outstanding film full of many moving performances and one of Ken Watanabe's most difficult roles to watch. This film is available in the US with English subtitles. I won't give away the film or the role of the Ainu but I will simply leave you with this film trailer without subtitles so you can get the jist of this deeply emotional historical drama.

2012 Hoshimatsuri

2012-02-05T17:24:00.000-08:00

Here's a few images from the Los Angeles Koyasan Temple's 2012 Hoshimatsuri Star Festival taken today in Little Tokyo.

Similar to the Goma Fire Ritual, the Heart Sutra is recited while good fortune abounds to your Star Sign.

A pair of famous faces from Clint Eastwood's "Letters From Iwo Jima" resident actors Yoshi Ando & Akira Kaneda are in attendance.

Every Hoshimatsuri invites each years reigning Nisei Week Queen who kindly offers you the traditional Hoshimatsuri soy beans to eat as many as the years you are old or to throw at the Oni while chanting Oni no Soto to drive misfortune away.

2012 is going to be a year of fortune!

Remnants & Effects of Wars Past

2012-01-16T17:11:00.000-08:00

During our trips over the holidays we came across a man who inherited Japanese personal effects from the War in the Pacific. It had been given to him sometime in the late 1970's by a man who took these things off a dead Japanese Officer. The items consisted of a “Dog Tag”, two medals, and a coin purse containing two dozen coins from the Showa Era bearing the Imperial Chrysanthemum. Little details were given to us as to how or where these “War Trophies” were taken but as you can imagine we were saddened to see these things knowing that this likely belonged to a man long listed as missing in action and presumed dead. Worse, knowing that this dog tag being taken it is likely that the body it was taken from was never identified.

Earlier last year, we posted an article in that first appeared on CNN about a Buddhist Monk who ran an organization that returned war effects to the families to whom they belonged to. When we expressed our interest in these items for the sole purpose of returning them to their rightful owners families in hopes of providing closure to any possible still living relatives things went sour. Of course it would not be so simple for us to get the owner to hand them over to us. As one might imagine, the current host who himself had served in the US Armed forces became somewhat uncooperative and refused to show them to us any longer. After some careful reasoning and cooler heads prevailing, we were allowed to photograph the dog tag in hopes that it could be translated and identified. Unfortunately, we did not have a decent camera with us and relied on cell phone photography in a less than ideal take it or leave it situation.

Seen here are the other two medals taken from the same officer. They contain no identifying marks. Only the dog tag has writing. We have since shown these photos and from what we could derive off them is Troop 11933, 17, 2 but no name which makes this difficult to identify. If anyone can make out the Kanji on the ID tag please let us know. With such knowledge we will try again to reason with the current host in hopes that they will allow us to either return these items to their rightful owners family or to the Japanese Government. We at American Mishima are almost certain someone in Japan will appreciate the gesture.

2012 Hatsu Kaze Kotohajime in Little Tokyo

2012-01-09T15:08:00.000-08:00

No Oshugatsu in Little Tokyo is complete without Kotohajime to ring in the Year of the Dragon. Unlike previous years, this years first performance was held Sunday January 8th outdoors in the JACCC Plaza while the usual venue the Aratani Theater continues to undergo renovation. After a week of unseasonably hot 85*+ weather, the sun came out but the January breeze chilled the air but not the excitement and enthusiasm of both the audience and performers alike to this annual well attended free event. This years' Hatsu Kaze - First Wind performance saw both new and returning groups to perform. As in previous years a Buddhist Priest symbolically opens the event to the sounds of the Imperial Court Music dating back to the Heian Era. Returning this year was the Colburn Dance Institute who danced to the Ryuichi Sakamoto version Chinsagu no Hana. Had they worn kimono this would have taken their performance to the next level but in any case I appreciate the effort to incorporate Japanese elements. It was a nice moving touch.

Now when I think of Little Tokyo I don't think of Koreatown or Korean Arts. Like it or not the Koreans returned for the third year in a row with not one but three acts almost dominating this otherwise Japanese New Years Show. Now don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against Koreans but I did come to see a Japanese event in Little Tokyo. Let's just hope the JACCC never goes so far as to bring in a Mexican Mariachi band for further cultural diversity. Despite this cultural juxtaposition the show continued on to feature the beautiful dancers of the Eung Hwa Kim Korean Dance Academy. These dancers came out in beautiful colorful traditional Korean dress and performed a fan dance with smiles abound and excellent precision.

The fan dancers of the Eung Hwa Kim were next followed by a Korean Children's dance ensemble who were delightful to watch but by then I was getting that highjacked feeling wondering when I was going to hear Nihongo again. The kids were cute to watch and incredibly talented performers. I believe they all have bright futures as dancers before them.

The kids were then followed by the third and final Korean portion of the show and one of which I actually took a liking to sometime back when Gwen Stefani made an appearance on Saturday Night Live with Korean Drummer Girls backing her up. Granted these were not the same Drummer Girls but they still put on quite a show. They made an appearance at Kotohajime in the Aratani Theater two years ago and they were quite good. I have to say as far as Korean Arts go I have to give serious props to their drummer girls. It may not top Japanese Taiko in my book but they are a close second and always entertaining to watch. If you love drumming this is definitely something to keep your eye open for.

Well before you could assume that we were starting to crave kimchi, the show returned to it's original Japanese format with the appearance of Kikusa Katada who is considered a Living National Treasure in Japan.

Playing to traditional Japanese instruments it is easy to be taken to another place and another time. It's what I like to write to combined with the imagery that evoke the Edo Period or make me crave another LA appearance of the Yoshida Brothers. Any true Japanophile will tell you there is never enough Shamisen to go around!

As in years past the highlight of every Kotohajime is marked by the Ikkyu archers of the Los Angeles Kyudo Kai Archery Group. Kyudo often appears at purification ceremonies at the Imperial Court of Japan and often associated with Zen Buddhism - To me it's very Shinto indeed! With the ritual firing of the first arrow a wall of streamers come down marking the New Year. I always get excited to see Ikkyu every year for with that arrow sends forth dreams, hopes, and aspirations as well as the dispelling of obstacles, and misfortune.

Concluding Kotohajime is the final Community Sake Toast after the breaking of the Sake Keg by the Japanese Consul and other JACCC Members and LA City Officials. All this while free mochi is passed around for good luck.

Though the times may change, Kotohajime remains a Little Tokyo Oshugatsu Tradition that will carry on.

あけましておめでとうございます!

受像 George Takei to appear on Celebrity Apprentice

2012-01-04T11:01:00.000-08:00

America's best known Nisei George Takei better known for his portrayal of Hikuru Sulu on Star Trek will appear on the 2012 Season of Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice. As Takei-san put it: "Now, the Donald and I don't always see eye to eye, but I'm doing this for charity, playing to raise money and awareness for Japanese American National Museum." Now what is special about his relationship to the Japanese American National Museum is that most people do not know that years before his big break on the set of Star Trek, Takei-san was once a young five year old Nisei in Los Angeles whose family was forced to abandon everything they owned and watch their neighbors loot their belongings while his family boarded buses with only one suitcase per person containing all they were allowed to keep. This of course was the result of President Franklin Roosevelt's shamefully misguided lowpoint in the history of American Civil Liberties, Executive Order 9066, which led to the forced evacuation of some 120,000 Japanese and Japanese-Americans from the West Coast to remote Concentration Camps. Takei-san in previous interviews described being bused to the Santa Anita Race Track and forced with his entire family to live behind barbed wire and guarded by armed soldiers in filthy horse stables for one week before being made to board trains at gun point to be relocated for the next three years to America's Concentration Camps during WWII.

George Takei has always been and continues to be a strong supporter of the JANM to help educate future generations of Americans of the dangers of cultural fear and ignorance and what it could lead to so that what happened to him and his family will not happen again to any ethnic group on US Soil. We at American Mishima support these efforts of the Japanese American National Museum and the efforts of people like George Takei. For a better understanding of this experience we reccomend watching the 1990 film Come See The Paradise starring Tamlyn Tomita & Dennis Quaid. After watching this you will have an idea what people like George Takei went through and why this cause is so important.

The new season of Celebrity Apprentice debuts Feb. 12th, 2012. We would like to wish Takei-San がんばってください! To find out more about the Japanese American National Museum please visit their website @ http://www.janm.org/ or simply visit them at 369 East First Street, Los Angeles California 90012 in the Heart of Little Tokyo. You'll be thankful you did.

新しい年 Happy New Years 2012!

2012-01-01T15:34:00.000-08:00

あけましておめでとうございます! 2012 - The Year of the Dragon has arrived! As with every new years Emperor Akihito makes his Oshogatsu Address where this year he wished for peace and tranquility of the world and happiness of the people.” Akihito went on to say “It is my hope that the New Year will be a good year for the people of Japan and the people of the world,” he said. The Emperor expressed sympathy for those who suffered from the summer heat and the continuous economic troubles.“I hope that people will cherish their families and community ties and support one another to overcome these challenges they are facing. I also hope that they will work together with the people of the world and do their utmost in pursuit of peace and stability.”

So Meanwhile in Little Tokyo.....

I woke up with a slight hangover asking myself "Kyo wa Shogatsu desu ka? Then why the hell does it feel more like Obon than New Years? The Summer heat was unseasonally on. Normally you would see people in Yukata in 85*+ heat but this is January. Doishta da na?!? Well not to much can be done about the Summer in Winter but a Banzai Cheer Sake' toast at the Koyasan Betsuin to a packed full house will certainly take you elsewhere. As with every year over one thousand visitors descended on the Koyasan Buddhist Temple to both partake in the New Years Day Service and to buy Omori and other New Years amulets much in the same way done throughout Japan only we are doing it here in the City of Angels.

Japanese New Years in Little Tokyo is as festive as ever with Traditional Dance and Martial Arts exhibitions at the Weller Court. Did I mention the food? So many vendors with all the Oiishii delicacies to choose from but what really caught our eyes were the people from the Kimono Club who came decked out in some of the most beautiful Kimono this side of Kyoto. They never fail to impress. Before Mia Naoko gets ready for her first Shichi-Go-San I am sending Tinahime to go talk with them!

A new addition to the Oshogatsu celebrations was the appearence of the newly formed Shingonji Temple. This is headed by former Koyasan Betsuin Shukan Seicho Asahi who had resigned his position at the Koyasan Buddhist Temple to create a learning center for teaching further in depth Shingon Buddhism. It was good to see Asahi Sensei along with Koyanagi Sensei at his side just like old times.

Well back at Japanese Village Plaza the taiko had just concluded when Akira Keneda's famed Martial Arts group took to the stage in front of the Nijiya Market. Keneda who is also an accomplished actor, producer, and martial arts instructor dazzled the crowds with their exhibition. I would loved to have stuck around a little longer but the near 90* summer like heat was getting to us so with that we bid our friends あけましておめでとうございます, We wish all of you a Happy New Years and ask that you continue to read our American Mishima Blog. どもありがとうございます!

Enjoy!

Hatsumiyamairi - Baby's First Shrine Visit

2011-12-13T17:17:00.000-08:00

Hatsumiyamairi - Baby's First Shrine Visit for a newborn baby is the first in a series of life cycle ceremonies in the Shinto Religion. This is done for the success, happiness, and overall well being of the newborn child. Being that there are no local Shinto Shrines in Little Tokyo, Tinahime and I decided upon our child's birth that for our little Mia-Naoko that make the trek up north to Granite Falls north of Seattle to The Grand Tsubaki Shrine of America for her very own Hatsumiyamairi.

Traditionally, Hatsumiyamairi is generally done on the 32nd day for boys and the 33rd day for girls. This of course can also be set by the Guji as in our case where the Rev. Koichi Barrish allowed us to have Mia's blessing on the 32nd day.

As no photography is allowed during the ceremony, we were given the oportunity to take this photograph and many others at the ceremony's conclusion. We were quite pleased with the ceremony and our little Mia who was wide awake was quite a receptive little angel earning the adoration of the Guji and Shrine staff.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, everyone including the baby partook in the sacred sake which presented a memorable reaction from Mia. At first she smiled then 30 seconds later squinted her eyes then all four limbs stretched instantly. I guess that sake' got the delayed reaction but all was good.

It was a brisk 35 degrees at the Grand Tsubaki Shrine but absolutely beautiful in the winter weather. This was our second visit to the Shrine and byfar a most pleasureable time up at the shrine. If you have a curiosity about Shinto outside of Japan, please visit The Grand Tsubaki Shrine of America. It is one hour north of Seattle and relatively easy to get to and well worth the experience.

We can not thank enough the Rev. Koichi Barrish & Mrs. Barrish as well as the Tsubaki Shrine staff for their warm hospitality. We look forward to our next visit to The Grand Tsubaki Shrine of America. Please enjoy these photos we took on the Shrine grounds kudasai. We enjoyed Mia-Naoko's Hatsumiyamairi and we are sure from our photos you will enjoy them too. Enjoy!

Kotohajime Date Announced for 2012

2011-12-02T14:49:00.000-08:00

No New Years in Little Tokyo is not complete without the annual Kotohajime - First Performance of the year put on by the Japanese-American Cultural & Community Center aka JACCC. Due to continued renovations at the New Aratani Theater, this years Kotohajime will be performed outdoors in the JACCC Plaza. We have gone every year for the last six years and have never been disappointed culminating each years performance with the ritual shooting of the arrow – a purification ceremony – performed by IKKYU of the Los Angeles Kyudo Archery Group and the annual Sake toast. So if you have never been to one of these performances, here's your chance to see and take part in one of the best and most culturally unique celebrations taking place in the City of Angels in the heart of Little Tokyo.

Kotohajime will take place Sunday, 01.08.12, 1pm in the JACCC Plaza - Free Admission.

See you there!

太平洋の奇跡－フォックスと呼ばれた男－ Oba The Last Samurai

2011-11-14T17:27:00.000-08:00

Oba The Last Samurai came out in Japanese theaters in February of this year. It is the true story of Captain Oba and his men who fight on in the island of Saipan after the Emperor had surrendered. It has a large Japanese cast starring Yutaka Takenouchi as Captain Oba, Toshiaki Karasawa as Kesamatsu Horiuchi, Mao Inoue as Chieko Aono. It also has two notable American actors Daniel Baldwin and veteran actor Treat Williams. I have not found a good english subtitled version yet but from what I can see from the available trailers this looks heavy. It has been said this film told from the Japanese side captures the War's end in graphic detail and the deep emotional punch you can expect from Japanese films depecting the War in the Pacific. If anyone comes across a source for a good subtitled copy please let us know. Arigatou!

こんにちは Konnichi-Wa Mia-Chan!

2011-11-07T21:33:00.000-08:00

So you are probably wondering why I have not written so much lately. We'll it's all led up to this beautiful moment some nine months in the making. Little Mia-Naoko Rosas was born today on 11.07.2011. Both mom and baby are doing fine after ceasarian section at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica California. This is my third child and the first for Tinahime who I am now spending a life together with. They say three is a charm and with this little girl I have no doubts whatsoever! Arigatou for your continued support!
American Mishima

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

2011-11-01T02:03:00.000-07:00

His Holiness the Dalai Lama looks on as monks from Koyasan chant before his public talk on "The Strength to Overcome Difficulties" held in Osaka, Japan, on October 30, 2011. Photo/Kimimasa Mayama

津波の回復 Japan Six Months Later

2011-10-31T13:35:00.000-07:00

Six months later, Japan is still recovering from the black waters that swept away lives but not the resilience of the Japanese people to carry on. Please continue to support the relief efforts for Japan.

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

2011-10-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

In this photo an archer of the Japan Equestrian Archery Association of the Takeda School of Horseback Archery taking aim at the ko-kasagake in the Kasagake Festival (horseback archery) October 16, 2011. We hope to one day see this in person!

一日の画像 - Imperial Audience

2011-10-17T23:02:00.000-07:00

Emperor Akihito meets with the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Winning Champion Homare Sawa (seen in kimono), Captain of Nadeshiko Japan last Thursday during an autum garden party. すごいい!

更新 American Mishima E-Store Update!

2011-10-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

As you may have read earlier, our American Mishima E-Store has been ressurected thanks to Governor Jerry Brown who repealled a recent law that would forbid California residents from having e-stores through Amazon over tax issues. Now that we got the ok to start up again we have been busy revamping our e-store and stocking it with many new items of Japanese & Samurai interests. We have added many things including Japanese food, Iaito Swords, Home furnishings, Kendo items, and all sorts of Japanese & Samurai collectables. Particularly of interest we have acquired a line of historical Samurai figurine displays that feature many of the famous Samurai heavyweights of the Sengoku Warring States Era such as Takeda Shingen, Nobunaga Oda, Masamune Date, Kenshin Uesigi, and of course Ieyasu Tokugawa just to name a few. For the $24 price, we think it's pretty cool and would look good in any display or collection. So please check out our new wares and help keep The American Mishima E-Store going by spreading the word! ありがとございます!

American Mishima E-Store Gets New Life!

2011-10-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Governor Jerry Brown, our American Mishima Bushidoya E-Store! is back in business! I've added lots of new books, Japanese accessories, Buddhist statues, and even Kendo armor & uniforms. Please visit and shop!

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

2011-10-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

A curious appearence at a recent LA Galaxy Soccer match by a Robot Boxer to promote the new feature film REAL STEEL starring Hugh Jackman at the Home Depot Center in Carson over the weekend.

残酷な Soccer Fan Cruelty

2011-09-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

Heckling an opposing team is nothing new in Soccer Supporter Culture. But there are certain lines one should never cross. Well thanks to Japan Probe we came across this photo of Korean Soccer fans of Jeonbuk diplaying a sign reading "Let's Celebrate Japan's Big Earhtquake" during the recent quaterfinal of the Asian Champions League against Cerezo Osaka. なに? Yeah, that's what we said!

Over the years I have heard many cruel taunts from Soccer Supporters even some from my own LA Galaxy Supporter Groups that I felt was in bad taste. But to call for the celebration of over 15,000 peoples deaths and the countless livelyhoods that were destroyed by the combined earthquake & tsunami of March 12, 2011? That is just fucked up and downright cruel. The JFA (Japan Football Association) has lodged a protest with the Asian Football Confederation and I hope they take this up with FIFA. If there is one thing I do not like about Football/Soccer is ばかやろ posing as fans whose sole purpose in being there is to use the "Beautiful Game" as a venue to be a dick. Needless to say the banner went down after 20 minutes following complaints by the Osaka team to organizers. Embarrased, the owners of South Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors soccer team did the right thing and apologized for the incident but by then the damage was already done. It's unknown what became of those dickheads who displayed that banner. Hopefully they were escorted out and banned from the game. If they are smart they will never visit Osaka Japan because Fuji TV aired these ばかやろ faces repeatedly on Japanese TV. There are some who may argue "well that's just Jeonbuk fans." It does not matter if it is Jeonbuk, Mexico, or MAN UTD fans. It's just bad taste and poor sportmanship on the part of these "so-called fans." It ultimately displays a total lack of character by the people who engage in such off the pitch cruelty. I am a real Football/Soccer fan and I will not tolerate it and neither should you. Now let's get back to our "Beautiful Game."

ばか! Co-Pilot Mishap Sends ANA Plane Into Nosedive

2011-09-29T10:23:00.000-07:00

In a scene right out of the Airplane movies starring the late Leslie Nielsen & Peter Graves, the co-pilot of an ANA 737-700 accidentally hit the wrong controls to open the cabin door in order to let the captian returning from a bathroom break back into the cockpit sending the plane into a steep nose dive veering off course and nearly sending the airliner upside down. なん-だいよ! The ANA flight is said to have dived some 1,900 meters over the Pacific in 30 seconds near the southern Shizuoka district. It is believed the co-pilot hit the rudder controls instead of the door lock. The crew managed to stabilize the plane and landed safely but not before two flight attendants and four passengers suffered slight injuries and airsickness. The September 6th, 2011 incident is currently being investigated by Japan's Transport Safety Board. Being that the incident took place at night, many of the passengers were likely unaware the plane dipped some 130 degrees to the left before nearly flipping over. 117 people were aboard the ANA plane whose flight departed from Naha in Okinawa and safely landed at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. All Nippon Airlines Officials apologized to passengers at a press conference and is quoted as saying; "We are deeply sorry for causing anxiety to our passengers." It is said that the flight data records have been made public and I would love to see it. I am told the footage is incredible. Even more so the Flight Voice recorder tapes have to be priceless! Here at American Mishima we are just relieved to know that everyone landed safely. And of the co-pilot? Somewhere over in Japan someone is screaming ばか!

新しい変更点 New Changes to American Mishima

2011-09-28T14:52:00.000-07:00

Three years ago during one of my many layoff's over the last ten years, I've discovered that I really don't like the computer industry anymore. Every other IT job I have had has been downsized, outsourced, eliminated, or flat out went bust. Nevermind some of the hostile work enviroments I have had to endure, the job interviews in between these bouts of enployment have repeatedly found myself being discriminated against for being out of work or having done so many contract jobs in order to survive. Not fair? I thought so too. It's truly been a frustrating decade and I am tired of the same vicious circle. During this time I had taken up writing and ressurected my dream of returning to the film industry that I had left in 2001 to pursue the "more stable" information technology field. Smart Move? Well yes and no.

Well so far we haven't worked on any new films since the 2009 Mike Shu film Repurcussions but the dream has been kept alive through my many creative endeavors particularly my writing. That being said, I have decided to create stand alone pages located at the top of my page under my banner featuring my Conceptual Art, Interior & Set Design, Writing Samples, Crew Resume, and Storyboards to my American Mishima blog that showcase my creative work in hopes that someone may see this that could either put me to work on thier production or help me produce one of my own. Sure, it's a longshot but you have to try and with a baby on the way and unemployment running out my AMBlog is one more resource I can showcase other than a plain old resume. If you are one of those people that can help me aquire production work in film or television or you would simply like to talk to me about some of my original content feel free to contact me here. Your next big production could be an email away.

高野山 New Sensei arrives at LA Koyasan Betsuin in Little Tokyo

2011-09-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

Following the sudden May 2011 resignation & subsequent departure of the presding Bishop Seicho Asahi, the Los Angeles Koyasan Buddhist Temple recently welcomed it's new Sensei Keishin Kako from Japan on September 1st 2011. Kako Sensei has since formally assumed his duties as the new presiding Sensei at the Koyasan Betsuin in Little Tokyo. Though his English is quite limited, he is quite personable and very approachable. Kako Sensei is both young and energetic but do not let his 23 years fool you. He is bright and learned well beyond his years. He has achieved a level of mastery of Shingon Buddhism and is most eager to assist and answer any and all questions one may ask of him. We are pleased to say Kako Sensei is one of the most friendly Sensei's we have met and has instantly made a distinct impression on the Koyasan Temple. We at American Mishima wish him great success.

がんばってください!

2011年地震 A Mother's Love

2011-09-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

As month's pass by, many untold stories of the March 2011 triple tragedies that hit Japan are only starting to emerge. As is such the case we came across one such heartbreaking story that exemplifies both a mother's love and the overall Japanese Character. One can only be moved by such humanity and self sacrifice made so that others may live.
-American Mishima

-Reposted from the web.
After the Earthquake had subsided, when the rescuers reached the ruins of a young woman’s house, they saw her dead body through the cracks. But her pose was somehow strange that she knelt on her knees like a person was worshiping; her body was leaning forward, and her two hands were supporting by an object. The collapsed house had crashed her back and her head.
With so many difficulties, the leader of the rescuer team put his hand through a narrow gap on the wall to reach the woman’s body. He was hoping that this woman could be still alive. However, the cold and stiff body told him that she had passed away for sure.

He and the rest of the team left this house and were going to search the next collapsed building. For some reasons, the team leader was driven by a compelling force to go back to the ruin house of the dead woman. Again, he knelt down and used his had through the narrow cracks to search the little space under the dead body. Suddenly, he screamed with excitement,” A child! There is a child! “

The whole team worked together; carefully they removed the piles of ruined objects around the dead woman. There was a 3 months old little boy wrapped in a flowery blanket under his mother’s dead body. Obviously, the woman had made an ultimate sacrifice for saving her son. When her house was falling, she used her body to make a cover to protect her son. The little boy was still sleeping peacefully when the team leader picked him up.

The medical doctor came quickly to exam the little boy. After he opened the blanket, he saw a cell phone inside the blanket. There was a text message on the screen. It said,” If you can survive, you must remember that I love you.” This cell phone was passing around from one hand to another. Every body that read the message wept. ” If you can survive, you must remember that I love you.” Such is the mother’s love for her child!!

9月11日追悼 Looking Back To 9/11 Ten Years Later

2011-09-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

Ten years have passed since that dark day of September 11^th, 2001. Ten long years and so many changes. It’s hard to contemplate how different our world was then and how for me how much my life has changed since that day. Ten years ago, I was making a meager existence as a Screen Actors Guild background performer in the film industry. I lived with a female coworker and was smitten with a girl living in Brooklyn. I was in love and thinking about leaving the film industry and returning to college in order to pursue a degree in order to win the hand of that Ukrainian princess that made me believe in the positive in everything. I went to sleep that night of 9/10 unaware of what my dreams of blood raining down from the sky and the color of brown clouds meant. I tried not to look too deeply into them as the uncertain calm before the storm rudely interrupted my first sense of contentment I had known since the ugly breakup with my first wife and the painful and somewhat permanent separation from my two little girls. Bliss that new love brought was brief and the ugliness of a world gone mad would greet me the following morning.

I wanted to sleep in for I had been having heavy dreams of late but this was not to be. The phone rang in my Hollywood bedroom with a panicked Tamlyn hysterically screaming on the phone “It’s gone! It’s gone!” What was gone? “Call Irina quick and turn on the TV!” Just then my morning haze turned into horror as the South Tower collapsed instantly killing some 1500 people still trapped on the upper floors on live television. That sickening feeling hit me like a wall making me want to throw up and call New York as fast as my hand could reach the handset. “All circuits are currently overloaded. Please try later,” read the recording. 90 minutes would pass before I got the call from Brooklyn that she was ok and did not go into Lower Manhattan for a music conference that morning. She had been bugging me about my dreams for days particularly when I had advised her to carry a spiritual talisman for protection two days prior. She was convinced something was going to happen and annoyed that I wouldn’t tell her what. But was it turned out I was not the only one to have strange premonitions of the ominous and unthinkable prior to the event. Strange air someone once said. Strange air indeed!

The shock and the horror lasted for days. It was a Week of Tears. The eerie skies above devoid of planes made people feel uncomfortable. It was a difficult time to be an American and yet it was the only time I have known in my 43 years that the country was united in grief and anguish. The scale of the human tragedy was unprecedented. How the fuck does anyone prepare for such an event? This made the 1993 World Trade bombing attempt look like amateur night. The world suddenly changed. In our grief we lit candles and joined many vigils and unity marches in memory of those lost and those still suffering. For a brief two week period everyone was an American and it felt good. No longer was I just a freak extra or disenfranchised Latino, I was an American and it felt good. That high point was epitomized when my then friend Tamlyn and I held up and American flag and led a march of some 1000 people down the Sunset Strip with people applauding us along the way. It was a beautiful feeling but like all things it did not last.

Phony patriotism took hold about the same time President Bush declared to the world that “You are either with us or against us.” Smugness and arrogance replaced grief and anger. The mood of the nation went sour and paranoia set in and would carry on into the 2004 election. ABC News reported that at Miami International Airport on 9/11 five women and one man of Muslim background were arrested wearing flight crew uniforms and carrying phony credentials. This story conveniently never made the news again. All this while the TV blared the footage of Palestinians dancing in the streets in celebration offering the camera crew cake because the Zionists here in the US suffered a traumatic blow to our financial core. For someone like me who then supported the Palestinian people I was disgusted and shared the dismay of then leader Yasser Arafat when he declared the celebrations were shameful and an embarrassment for his people. Terror alerts and Anthrax scares sent the country into a tizzy. Fear and loathing took hold and as a result my then love in New York broke things off on the grounds that she was afraid to fly and didn’t want me flying out there to see her. She would later have a child with someone else thus ending any chance of us reuniting. I was crushed.

Life took on a serious tone. My plans to become a makeup artist or possibly returning to the graphic arts went in the opposite direction. I enrolled in Westwood College of Technology on October 17th 2001 and placed myself on a career path everyone tried to talk me out of but seemed logical at the time. I chose Computer Networking. I figured after my degree I could still go to New York, patch things up with miss single mother, and possibly find work wiring network cables into the new World Trade Center rebuild. Well, it didn’t happen that way. I would not return to New York until 2003 to formally resolve matters in Brooklyn. Seeing Ground Zero in person was indeed a moving experience. The city noise canceled out once you crossed the street replacing it with silence that was only interrupted by the occasional rattle of a jackhammer. I remembered how in 1994 I visited the World Trade Center wanting to visit Windows on the World, the famed restaurant at the top of the Towers. It just wasn’t to be. Hence I reminded my friend Gia about this when I insisted we go atop the Empire State building. From there particularly at night you could still see the ghostly shadows of where the towers once stood and from the height become filled with vertigo as you imagined the people jumping to their deaths. Being there really hit home.

We were a nation wanting revenge and too blind with rage to reason. Within weeks of the tragedy the US Navy fired missiles into

Afghanistan

and quickly drove out the Taliban who harbored Bin Laden and his Al Qaida Shopping Network as I called it with a limited invasion with a radically low number of troops. If the Soviets couldn’t control the country with over a half million troops how were we supposed to with 10,000 troops? Well the answer why became clear. George Bush took us to war into Iraq, a country that did not attack us on 9/11. This became a war of choice. Saddam Hussein was old business that his administration convincingly sold the country on the assertion that Iraq funded the 9/11 attacks. Only France called him on his bullshit and the country resorted to becoming anti-French over it with their “freedom fries” and other slaps at the French sense of logic and general reason. But France was not alone as attempts to rebuild the coalition of the first desert war in Iraq floundered while the war in Afghanistan was settling into a mismanaged quagmire of missed opportunities to capture Mullah Omar and Osama Bin Laden. The unwarranted attention directed to the Iraqi dictator made no sense. It was like invading Mexico for the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. But unlike previous wars, the president told us to go on with our lives. Go shopping, he said and quickly people forgot the countless 9/11 widows and the families of our returning servicemen and women killed in the War on Terror in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2003 I got my Associates Degree and returned a semester later to pursue a Bachelors degree which I successfully attained in March of 2005.

Life had already changed. Prior to entering college, I refrained and ultimately kicked my substance abuse. I quit smoking and I became a serious student with an eye on technology. I left the film industry and took a job working at a call center for Nextel. Soon after corporate tax breaks were dolled out that job was sent overseas to India along with the next few jobs that followed. I should have stayed with graphics or film but by then I had invested so much into technology I was determined to see this through. For awhile I kept in touch with the girl in New York. The guy who fathered her 9/11 baby didn’t want to raise her and my offers to step in were turned down. I would go on to have a few relationships that didn’t work out so well. First there was the Paris Hilton Lookalike Petra who had a pill popping and honesty issues. Then came Aliaa of Egyptian descent who seemed like a real contender with her immense knowledge of Middle Eastern and World affairs but could not hack living with me after 6 months in LA. It was unfortunate she did not see things through but life goes on. I would see three train wrecks of relationships before Tina would accidentally appear in my quest to find a Japanese wife and seek out Buddhism and Shinto. I did Kendo for a year and attended Osaka Sangyo University Learning Center to study Nihongo. My early childhood love of all things Japanese had returned in full force ultimately squeezing out twenty four years of Gothic culture. By then I became a student of Toshishiro Obata and studied Shinkendo under him. All this took place in the wake of the destructive relationship with a Cuban in 2006. 2007 was my year.

In 2007, I had made my first donation to the Flight 93 memorial fund. I had landed my first true successful corporate Information Technology job and had a new best buddy who we watched Battlestar Galactica and Atsuhime together. But then came 2008. That wonderful job ceased to exist as the company expanded too fast and went out of business. The instability caused many problems as unemployment, depression, and feeling of despair took over leading me to my most unfortunate incident on my birthday where I declared if I could not live Japanese I would die Japanese. I can't go into detail here but it was another life changing event that found me facing my darkest fears and divine judgment. We had elected a new president but things were were still pretty bad on our home front. The wars continued long after they captured the Iraqi dictator. Gone were terror alerts, the sound of George Bush’s laugh, and in was my dedication to Koyasan Buddhism and Shinto. Through the crisis of 2009 Tina and I took our friendship into an unplanned level and became a relationship. She has been my Rock of Gibraltar ever since.

By 2010 the war in Iraq was all but essentially over. Bush’s war of choice and his policies of deregulation nearly bankrupted the country leaving an impossible mess for President Obama to repair. We had seen a mortgage crisis, a banking crisis and a Republican congress that goes out of it's way to block everything President Obama proposes to fix this battered nation of 14 million unemployed and those losing thier home while the rich continue to enjoy the largest redistribution of wealth the world has ever seen. It's no wonder Red China calls us irresponsible. I had gone 2 ½ years without work when I got the call to go work at Comcast. For a moment I was back in the corporate IT World and it felt good to be earning that paycheck I was promised in college. But of course it wouldn’t last. I had the misfortune of working under some socially dysfunctional Indian named Zubir from Toronto Canada who blocked my permanent hiring and did his best to run me out while I stomached his daily disrespect and cheered for my LA Galaxy in the MLS. My love for football aka soccer had returned and Tina and I joined two supporter groups and became LA Galaxy Season Ticket Holders.

Well by 2011 Obama announced we finally got Bin Laden. The country relished at the news of his demise as if we won the World Cup. The man who had masterminded the deaths of thousands on 9/11 was finally brought to justice with two rounds at the hand of a US Navy Seal Team 6 Member. Bittersweet as it was, life continued on. Over the last three years I had started writing several screenplays, three novels, this blog, and my latest screenplay. I had the fortune of meeting actor Michael C. Hall who after I asked his opinion on my bad career choices he encouraged me to write. Anyone can fix computers but few people can really write. I'm passionate about it and it’s what I want to do. I want to publish books and ultimately turn them into movies. But until I make a penny from my writing endeavors, the hunt for more dreadful technology work continues and with it comes dealing with the Zubirs of the world.

So where are we now? Saddam Hussein is dead. Osama Bin Laden is dead. The Taliban & Al Qaida, not so dead. The 9/11 babies are almost teenagers, the Freedom Tower is partially built, the 9/11 memorial opens in a year, and we are expecting a baby due November 8^th 2011. The wars have wrecked our economy and the bagpipes continue to play in memory of the 365 first responders who risked everything and paid the ultimate price so that others may live. Many US Servicemen and women have returned from Iraq missing limbs and some are even homeless yet those who cut soldiers pay and health benefits all rally and say they support the troops. And despite it all politicians are more concerned with who wears a flag pin or not. Afghanistan is still a mess and people still distrust Muslims in this country. Will the lessons of 9/11 every really be learned? Probably not but I would like so for some people. Will we as a country ever be the same? Given the indifference after the 1993 bombing I sure hope not. 9/11 taught us how much we take things for granted. Buddhism taught me how to relect on it and find peace. My life as many others have taken so many twists and turns over the last ten years. In some ways, for the better and others not so much. But years from now we’ll all still be asking where were you on 9/11? And for others, how has your life changed since 9/11. Hopefully, you will all one day say it has changed for the better.

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

2011-09-08T08:01:00.000-07:00

A view of one of Little Tokyo's hidden treasures, The James Irvine Japanese Garden located at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center 244 South San Pedro Street Los Angeles, CA 90012. Enjoy!

地震！The Great Quake That Wasn't

2011-08-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

If you live in California or Japan, you know about earthquakes and the dangers they bring about. In earthquake zones and particularly on along the Ring of Fire they are a fact of everyday life and in many cases no laughing matter. Any quake over a 5.5 is a cause for concern but not for dire panic. On the otherhand, in the general sense of US East Coast residents more accustomed to hurricanes, earthquakes register on the bottom of expected natual disaters to hit the region. In fact there are no earthquake drills or any preperations of any kind there. So when the reports of the US Pentagon being evacuated and hundreds of paniced calls to emergency service after a 5.8 quake hit the news, it amused those of us living in earthquake country how much panic this non-tragedy caused.

The media here has a knack for over sensationalizing minor non-tragic events. But before anyone has laugh at the expense of people unaccustomed to earthquakes under 6.0 or higher, take into consideration that in Japan and in California buildings are constructed to meet strict earthquake building codes which are non-existant in the US East Coast. Whereas in the West Coast or in Japan where a building would roll and sway with the quake as designed, the buildings in the East Coast are more likely to shake violently. As rockstar Sansei physicist Dr. Michio Kaku pointed out on ABC News, plate tectonics of the region differ from California whereas a quake would run along fault lines, the East Coast is on one big solid sheet meaning a relatively small quake could be felt as far away as Georgia to Toronto Canada. Luckily no one was hurt and only minor damage was reported. Compared to the recent quakes in Japan, Chile, & Haiti which brought about much death and devestation. We are happy that no one lost their life and damage was realatively minor. But with the way the media has overplayed it here, this minor quake will be remembered as The Great Quake That Wasn't.

ばか! Baka in America

2011-08-19T15:21:00.000-07:00

Baka in America! Yes, that's right! On a day that saw a 6.8 magnitude quake hit Fukushima Japan, a brutal military crackdown against pro-democracy protesters in Syria, and a day that saw the release of the West Memphis Three; what most important news occupies ABC's Good Morning America? The Kardashians! No, not those hideous villans from Star Trek but those annoying E! Entertainment Channel reality "stars" famous for doing absolutely nothing that contributes to society. Shame on GMA for calling the Kardashians upcoming wedding the "Wedding of the Century" and referring to them as "American Royalty." Seriously GMA? I could imagine the newlywed Duke & Duchess of Cambridge having a good laugh at that the notion of being trumped by some trash tv personas from across the shallow end of the pond. Being a useless t*** whose fame is solely based on making sex tape's and endless self gratification that benefits no one but themseleves on endless shopping escapades on reality TV does not make them "American Royalty." Just because they are making sickening amounts of cash from all the "haters" out there as one of the Kardashian sisters is quoted saying in her own E! Channel reality tv promo doesn't buy them an ounce of class. If this is the new standard for "American Royalty" then may I borrow from an old Japanese curse and say: If this is what it is today to be called American Royalty then may the Kennedy's of Camelot look down and weep from heaven.

うちゅせんかんヤマト – Space Battleship Yamato Movie on DVD

2011-08-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

Earlier last year we had announced on American Mishima news of the making of the 2010 Live Action film of the 1974 anime Space Battleship Yamato. Not to be confused with the 2005 Japanese war epic Otoko Tachi no Yamato, this $23.9 million dollar film debuted on Japanese screens to awaiting die-hard fans that helped knock out Harry Potter 4 out of its first place rankings for that week.

Now why all the fuss about a kids space movie? We’ll if you were a kid like me during the 1970’s, this was your first introduction to both Japanese anime and Sci-Fi drama. Up until that point animated films were largely harmless cartoons to entertain children. This of course was not the first anime to arrive from Japan. Kimba the White Lion, Speed Racer, and G-Force had already screened to American audiences. But when Space Battleship Yamato appeared, the game changed in ways no one could have expected or anticipated.

Just prior to the first Star Wars and subsequent Battlestar Galactica films mesmerized audiences starved for Sci-Fi Action Adventure, Space Battleship Yamato appeared bringing with it a drama set in space for survival of the human race whose storyline was previously unheard of. After its initial reception it was repackaged as the anime soap-opera Star Blazers which was heavily imitated by later anime shows. Sure, there had been Star Trek on television but what Space Battleship Yamato did was to usher in the first Sci-Fi Soap Opera 35 years before Battlestar Galactica had been re-envisioned. It had a story of desperate survival. death, epic battles, and a continuous plotline previously unheard of in any science fiction drama or anime. And this was made for kids of all things!

Ok, so we have given you enough background and now let’s go back to the 2010 Live Action Space Battleship Yamato that just arrived in the USA on DVD with English Subtitles. Now taking a kids story to the big screen is a risky proposition hence I cite the horrible Wing Commander film from 1999. Then there is that old anime saying “Everytime you drag real physics into a debate about Sci-Fi anime, God Kills a Cat Girl.” Well, I am pleased to say that God didn’t kill a Cat Girl but my have spanked her once or twice in this film. Inspired by the original design of the famed Imperial Japanese Battleship Yamato, Space Battleship Yamato does a careful dance around real physics and real life history. They never explain how they came to the ship’s design unlike the anime which suggested that the original Yamato was dredged up from the sea bottom and rebuilt as a space battleship. Of course that is impossible considering that Yamato sits two miles on the ocean bottom split in two. But then again they didn’t know that back in 1974. But to tie into the original Yamato that for generations has conjured the imagination, Kodai Susumu (played by Kimura Takuya) makes a speech where he invokes; “On April 1945, The Yamato was sent on a desperate suicide mission to save

Japan

.” In this speech he compares their desperate mission to save the Earth from the deadly radiation that has forced Earth’s population to seek shelter underground pushing mankind to the brink of extinction at the hands of the unknown enemy the Gamilas. Their only hope for survival lies in a message from the planet Iscandr the promises to restore the Earth. But to get there, the decimated Earth Defense Force must send a skeleton crew aboard Earth’s last space battleship, Yamato.

Joined by Mori Yuki (played by Kuroki Maisa) and a crew of young volunteers and the survivors of Black Tiger Squadron, Kodai Susumu inherits the Yamato from their ailing Captain and embarks on their interstellar journey to Iscandr in the faint hopes to retrieve the device that can restore the Earth. There will be a lot of comparisons to the new Battlestar Galactica right down to the Yamato’s Hangar Deck and story for survival against incredible odds and little hope. It is possible to say the new Space Battleship Yamato may have been inspired by the new BSG or the other way around. I’ll leave that up to you. If you are a fan of the original anime classic you will love this. Sure there are the real physics errors such as sounds in space but at the same time they do show spacial decompression scenes which are never pretty no matter how big the budget. But what they do get right is the narrowness of Yamato's hull and the issue of power supply. In order to "warp" or to fire their main weapon the "wave cannon," they can only use one at a time and must recharge before using either which leaves the Yamato vulnerable in battle. Now on an engineering scale this makes for a believable scenario. The film starts off strong and at times gets typical Japanese on the human drama lines and will make you think of films like the Matrix and the new Battlestar Galactica. But if you carry the nostalgia for the original anime film you may truly enjoy this. As far as Science Fiction films go I will give Space Battleship Yamato a B+. This film is now available in the United States on DVD. Check Ebay and other Japanese sources for listings.

二世ウィークリトル東京 - Nisei Week 2011

2011-08-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

Little Tokyo in Los Angeles is the heart of the Japanese-American Community. This year Little Tokyo celebrates the 71st annual Nisei Week & Tanabata Festival. No summer is complete without this generations long tradition that has survived both wartime and economic turbulence. Throughout the years, this ever growing festival has grown and continues to be a popular event in the City of Angeles. Within the Nisei Week festivities is the traditional Tanabata Festival 七夕 aka Starlight Festival which brings about some of the most colorful tanabata streamers outside of Japan.

During Nisei Week one can sample Japanese food, take in beautiful Ikebana Displays, Samurai Yoroi Displays (from the Samurai Store), Martial Arts Demonstrations (including Shinkendo), Edo-Period Re-enactors, Cosplayers, Lolitas, scores of people in Yukata, and of course the Grand Nisei Week Parade featuring the proud surviving veterans of the 442 Infantry Regimental "Go For Broke" Combat Team of WWII. We didn't stick around for this years parade in consideration of Tinahime's health in the summer heat while carrying our unborn child but we can at least show you what we experienced in the photos below. Enjoy!

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

2011-08-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

A serene view of the floating lanterns at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park ( 広島平和記念公園) from August 6th 2011. It is a sobering reminder of the casualties of war and of the nuclear horror that no other nation had suffered prior or since that fatefull week of August 1945 when both the historic cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were reduced to ashes with their civilian populations vaporized in a flash. This particular yearly comemoration memorializes the memory of the over 140,000 victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 before Japan's catastrophic defeat in the final days of WWII. Similar memorials also take place in Nagasaki. May no other nation ever experience nuclear war again. - American Mishima

*Note: This photo was reposted from Japan Today.

原子記念 66th Hiroshima-Nagasaki Memorial in Little Tokyo

2011-08-07T16:31:00.000-07:00

Sixty-Six years ago, a new horror of unimaginable proportions was unleashed one sunny morning over the beautiful city of Hiroshima, Japan. In an instant, countless people were vaporized in a flash and the historic city reduced to ashes rained down upon with deadly radiation. Every year since then memorials have taken place in memory of those who have past on both in the blast and the time that followed. It is not for us to say what was right or wrong but it is for us to keep the memory of these tragic wartime events that must never be repeated again. It is said there are fewer than 1000 A-bomb survivors still among us here living in the United States. Over the past three years we have been both fortunate and honored to come to know these witnesses to absolute anihilation by an atomic weapons. Together we have prayed with them and offered candles to the fallen at the Los Angeles Koyasan Temple in Little Tokyo. No matter how many times we partake in these memorials, we can not be any less moved by the stories and the warm faces that still bear the scars that still welcome us of those two fatefull mornings in August of 1945.The survivors have done their part to educate us to the horrors of nuclear war. As many of the WWII generation embark in their final journey it is our responsibility to continue to educate the generations that follow to never allow such tragedies to ever occur again. Our hearts and prayers will continue to go to the survivors and those who left us so long ago.

突然死 Former Samurai Blue 2002 World Cup Star Dies.

2011-08-05T13:37:00.000-07:00

2011 has been a rollercoaster year for Soccer in Japan. First being the triple tragedy in March. Then came the Victory of Nadeshiko Japan in the Women's World Cup final. But once again tragedy has returned to Japan. We are saddened to announce the passing of one of Japan's Blue Samurai Blue defenders Naoki Matsuda. It is reported that he suffered a heart attack and collapsed while training with his current team Matsumoto Yamaga FC. Matsuda was rushed to a hospital where he slipped into a coma and was pronounced dead two days later. During his career with the Japan National Team the Samurai Blue, he played 40 caps with one goal to his credit in a friendly match against Kazakhstan played in Yokohama, Japan. Matsuda's sudden death has left many grieving in the Japanese Soccer Community and a world wide outpouring of sympathy and support have been sent including one from FIFA President Sepp Blatter. We at American Mishima would also like to send Matsuda's family our most sincere condolences. Matsuda was a popular player and too young to die. Matsuda was only 34 years old.

お盆の写真 Photos of Obon

2011-08-01T07:51:00.000-07:00

These photos were taken July 31st 2011 at the Higashi Honganji Temple, Little Tokyo-Los Angeles, California. Enjoy!

お盆 Photo for Obon

2011-07-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

It has been months since the devastating triple disaster struck the Japanese Main Island. During this time of Obon many celebrations honoring our ancestors and those who came before us take place. For residents of the Sendai Region in Japan there are no celebrations as in times past, instead there are only solemn belated memorials for 10,000 friends & family that were lost last March of 2011. We came across this photo and thought we would share it here. We feel it captures a moment with heartfelt emotion that words alone can not convey. This photo was taken in the town of Okuma deep inside the irradiated exclusion zone near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant. And though people may have moved on elsewhere, in Japan people are still suffering. We thank those who have kept the victims of these disasters in their prayers and ask that you continue to do so. ありがとう

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

2011-07-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

おかえりなさいなでしこ日本!

Nadeshiko Japan and coach Norio Sasaki poses with Japan's 1st World Cup trophy during a press conference.

Tokyo, July 19, 2011.

おめでとうなでしこ日本!

ばんざい! ばんざい! ばんざい!

なでしこジャパン日本 Japan's Cinderella Win over the US in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup

2011-07-18T10:16:00.000-07:00

In what could be described in one of Japan’s finest moments, the team that believed stunned the world as Nadeshiko Japan triumphed over the USWNT. In a nail biting dramatic finish reminiscent of the US defeat over Brazil,

Japan

came from behind and equalized the game to a 2-2 tie in overtime forcing a penalty shootout. Three missed penalty kicks on the underrated Ayumi Kahori by the US proved costly while Saki Kumagi hit her mark past an injured Hope Solo at the back of the net and sailed into history. Never has an Asian team won a World Cup until now and for Japan this well deserved victory could not have been better scripted by Hollywood. March 2011 seems like only yesterday when the world watched the horrifying images of the Tsunami devastating the Sendai region sweeping many homes and countless lives out to sea among them, relatives of the players of Nadeshiko

Japan

. The significance of what emotional and psychological impact on the members of Nadeshiko Japan can not be understated.

How does one recover from such tragedy to achieve such a feat to defeat the odds on favorite USWNT who had previously defeated them? It can be summed up by the Japanese will to fight on, to believe in oneself, and ultimately to prevail without ego. This is a team that last march found itself without a pitch to practice on reducing their training sessions to simply running. Such adversity is difficult to imagine particularly with the lack of support back home. Coach Norio Sasaki and the 32 year old Captain Homare Sawa soldiered on leading these humble beautiful flowers of Japan to fight for their devastated nation. They fought with great heart in their stunning victory over the USA bringing joy to a people who have experienced such indescribable tragedy. This is what Americans call a Cinderella Story for Japan. Americans love an underdog but at the same time we hate to lose. The Japanese played a tough game with grace and even with a red card there was no arguing or cheap theatrics. And though it is disappointing that our US Women’s National Team did not win the final, it is bittersweet to know that we lost to dear friends and the most gracious winners who needed this more. おめでとうなでしこジャパン日本. おめでとうございます!

アメリカと日本サッカー The Parallels of American Soccer & Japanese Football Leagues

2011-07-15T15:06:00.000-07:00

As Japan and the United States head into an epic Women’s World Cup Final this Sunday it would be remiss to take note of the shared obstacles both nations face. Not by tactics, set pieces, or player rosters, but by a lack of respect within their own countries. And this is not limited to Women’s Football, this extends into to both nations Men’s national teams and their respective Football / Soccer leagues as well. In Europe, entire nations rally behind their national men’s teams and have hundred year old clubs with equally old football leagues that were created long before the US started calling it Football / Soccer. The USMNT could be in the World Cup Final and the news of the team would still be buried behind more “important” sports segments like the NFL lockout or player doping results in other sports. Sadly in Japan, the same problem exists. With Nadeshiko Japan’s historic run up to the 2011 FIFA World Cup Final you would think this would be front page news. Iie! Not there. And over here in the US? Not a chance. Perhaps if the USWNT wins they might make the evening news a day late after LA’s “Carmageddon” as what happened after the US win over France in the Semi Final. I would not be surprised if there are people in Europe that bear resentment as we did over FC Dallas triumph over the LA Galaxy in last year’s lead up to the MLS Cup on the grounds that the majority of Texas could give a rats ass unless it was the Dallas Cowboys making the news. Attitudes in both countries towards “Soccer” are less than deserving. Regardless of Mexico’s win in the Gold Cup scores of Americans wishing their own country defeat just to spite our brand of football is disgraceful if not outright unpatriotic not to mention disrespectful to the country that gives you the freedom to choose which team to support unlike Mexico. Equally disgusting during last year’s 2010 FIFA Men’s World Cup scores of Japanese posts chided their own team all over the internet and Japanese press all purely out of a hate for a sport that is both growing in popularity and skill set among J-League players despite the lack of news coverage. ばか! Sound familiar? Until recently, you would have to wait for a sex scandal involving LA Galaxy’s David Beckham before you could get an MLS story in the news with the exception of Landon Donovan’s win over Algeria. Meanwhile over in Germany, the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup is front page news.

Both Japan’s J-League and the US’s own MLS were both created in the 1990’s and are both respectively new leagues in the European sense of the word who are making significant gains in both countries. Despite gaining a 182% gain in overall attendance in the face of a 60% drop in Baseball, NBA, and the NHL our MLS football is still meeting stiff resistance from the non-believers and the haters in this country. Similarly in Japan where Baseball is king the ranks of non-believers are firmly entrenched but with Japan’s recent gains in the FIFA rankings and the success of the nations J-League these proponents of anything but soccer are slowly being deafened by the monstrous chants out from the Nagoya Grampus stadium and by the cheers of their ever growing masses of supporters. There are some that say Soccer will never be popular here in the US. It’s likely those same doubters are unaware of the over 4 million people who attended MLS games during the 2010 season. And while the Women’s Professional Soccer League aka WPS plays on with only six teams on college “Throw ball” fields, it is the one women’s football league that female players ranging from Marta of Brazil to members of Nadeshiko Japan all come to the US to play in the highest paid women’s football league in the world. And despite the lack of fans or news coverage, this tiny league is thriving and slowly rebounding the way the MLS did in the early 2000’s. The MLS now boasts 18 teams with two expansion teams and another ten cities citing interest in future league expansion. Whereas the J-League has grown so large they are broken into two divisions with Div 1 boasting 18 teams and Div 2 boasting 20. Not to be lost to the American Women’s Professional Soccer League aka WPS,

Japan

has its own women’s league known as the L-League boasting 10 teams.

Football / Soccer is growing in both Japan and the United States but you wouldn’t know that from the spotty news coverage particularly for the women’s leagues of both countries. While their male counter parts both in Japan and the US dominate what little news coverage given, women in both countries play on and face the same uphill battle for respect that the men face. But this too will change. It really gets under my skin to hear some "men" call women’s football weak. The only thing weak is the failure to acknowledge and outright dismiss the football stars this country is producing and fear of our women’s teams successes. I really don’t care if the player is a man or a woman playing. I’ll equally watch Kitsuke Honda, Homare Sawa, Lauren Cheney, or Landon Donovan play not because of their sex or which team they play for, it’s because they kick ass! To dismiss Football / Soccer in either country is to insert your head into a bucket of sand and to further dismiss the women’s game entirely is to stick your head in your ass and flush it down the wrong side of history. It has been Japan and the US’s shared destiny since Commodore Perry landed in Uraga Harbor in 1853 that these two nations shared an entwined history and run tandem karmic parallels. I believe in our Football aka Soccer will become a dominant sport in both countries within my very lifetime. And if there is any doubt to what a believer can dream, wait for the final whistle to blow this Sunday at the end of the Final in this year’s Women’s World Cup. Whether you love Homare Sawa or Hope Solo, this will be one match for the history of both countries. You will believe! わかりますか?

なでしこジャパン Japan Defeats Sweden and Makes it to the 2011 FIFA WWC FINAL!

2011-07-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

Nadeshiko Japan defeated Sweden 3-1 in the Semi-Final in this years 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup! Japan has never come so far nor played with so much heart to clench their berth in their first appearance in a World Cup Final match. In this tournament we have seen Nadeshiko Japan send las Gatas of Mexico home, shut down the German Jaggernaut, and sink the Swedish Viking Ship. This is a team who many have lost their homes and family members in the March combined disasters and they are playing for their home. Since March they have had no pitch at home to practice on. They could only run. They won because they played with heart. (Paying attention Bob Bradley?) They are good friends of our USWNT and will be a worthy oponent. The USA is the odds on favorite as the have played and have beaten them before. This will be an exciting match to see Sawa take on Abby Wambach. I love Japan and Nadeshiko Japan but the USA is my home and so I will wish Nadeshiko a well earned がんばれ日本 and wish our USWNT all the success to bring home that third star that comes with a descisive win of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup! So I say to both teams Ganbatte Kudasai!

Soma Transfer Update

2011-07-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

While all eyes are on Nadeshiko Japan's big match against Sweden in the FIFA 2011 Women's World Cup, another Japanese soccer story taking place in Germany all but nearly slipped under the radar. Earlier this year we wrote about the former Urawa Reds defender Takahito Soma's transfer announcement from the Bundesliga 2 Energie Cottbus to an undisclosed franchise in the MLS. This would make his the 2nd Issei player in the MLS alongside Kosuke Kimura of the Colorado Rapids As of this month it has now been confirmed on Goal.com that this deal will not go through. Instead, Takahito Soma will return to the J-League to play for Vissel Kobe. This is understandable given Soma had requested to leave his German team for family reasons. Given our great enthusiasm for the potential move we are a little dissappointed but shigata na gai. Family is important and we more than understand this. We wish Soma-San well and hope that he one day considers another run to the United States to play in the MLS. We love J-League players here in the United States and hope we shall soon see more of them in the ever growing MLS.

なでしこジャパン Japan Defeats Germany in the 2011 Women's World Cup!

2011-07-09T15:22:00.000-07:00

In a stunning upset, Nadeshiko Japan knocked out the host nation Germany in this years 2011 Women's World Cup in a 1-0 victory. This came about in the 108th minute by Karina Maruyama delivering the knock out blow and Germany's first defeat in 16 matches. This has taken Nadeshiko Japan to the next level as Japan will now face the winner of the Semi-final between Sweden & Austrailia. We at American Mishima like to offer Nadeshiko Japan a well deserved おめでとうございます for their continued success! がんばれ日本!

ばんざい! ばんざい! ばんざい!

なでしこジャパン Japan's Stunning Victory over Mexico in the 2011 Women's World Cup

2011-07-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

Japan Women's National Football team "Nadeshiko" pulled a stunning victory over Mexico's "Las Gatas" in a crushing 4-0 score qualifying Japan for the 2011 FIFA World Cup Quarter Finals in Germany for the first time in 16 years. We at American Mishima would like to offer a special おめでとうございます to Captain Homare Sawa for her amazing three goal hat trick the first ever in this years 2011 FIFA World Cup. This was truly an exciting match to watch and we are very happy for Japan! We wish Nadeshiko Japan continued success and for the success of women's football in Japan. がんばれ日本!

ばんざい! ばんざい! ばんざい!

Kazumi Zatkin Stars in Madame Butterfly

2011-06-29T12:52:00.000-07:00

For many people, the Opera of Madame Butterfly conjures up the music of Puccini and the strange appearance of kimono clad western actresses donning Edo Period wigs singing in Italian. What many people are not unaware of is the actual short story written in 1898 by John Luther Long that appeared in Century Magazine. More so, is the original one act play written by David Belasco that resulted from Long’s work that first debuted at the Herald Square Theater in New York on March 5th 1900. Belasco’s play would later make its way to London where on opening night at the Duke of York's Theater it captivated and inspired Puccini to create his own epic opera based on Belasco's production. Though not entirely lost to history, Belasco’s original play is rarely performed in theaters. Fortunately for us, we were lucky enough to catch this exceptionaly rare beautiful performance of Madame Butterfly at The Ventura Court Theater in Studio City California.

This recent limited production was the work of student actors of The Ventura Court Theater with Alejandra Cejudo directing. This starred the lovely Kazumi Zatkin (War of the Wolves, Repercussions, Memory of Mother) as Cho-Cho San aka Madame Butterfly who is supported by the hilarious antics of Chihiro Kawamura as Suzuki, John Maraffi as the sympathetic American Consul Sharpless, Daniel Park as Yamadori, the young Ace Thor playing a convincing Nakado, the old marriage broker, Lt. Pinkerton Michael Miller, and finally steely determined role of Kate by Marissa Cole played with the absolute seriousness of her character’s resolve. Played so well in fact I swear I heard someone unintentionally whisper “Bitch!” during her dramatic exit from her scene. But hey, that’s what happens when actors perform to a high degree of realistic intensity that you forget that these are just characters and not the real personalities of the actors on stage. To that, I say Bravo!

Continuing on with great performances, we have seen Kazumi shine before on previous Japanese film and stage productions. She has been more than ready to star in her own play and is co-credited with her co-star Chihiro Kawamura as producers in this production of Madame Butterfly. Kazumi delves so deeply and convincingly into her characters she instantly mesmerizes her audiences with her moving performances. Co-star Chihiro Kawamura literally steals many of the scenes with comedic antics and then returns to dramatic prose. Her range is quite remarkable and not understated.

This sixty minute production that was held over a five night engagement which left no dry eye in the house as it entertained and moved the audience to the most Japanese of dramatic endings. It was quite refreshing to see actual Japanese actresses play these roles and insert what Nihongo where situation found it appropriate. This added to the dimension of realism and the tragic fatality of Japan's cultural taboo's of the Meiji Era Japan that was enacted in Puccini’s opera

but never truly realized in the pure Japanese sense that could only be accomplished by Nihon-jin they portrayed. We at American Mishima would like to congratulate the cast and crew of Madame Butterfly for a most memorable and moving performance. We would also like to personally send a well deserved arigatou to Kazumi Zatkin for inviting us to attend the closing night performance.

おめでとうございます!

To all the student actors we wish them great success in their future productions.

がんばってください!

To find out more about Kazumi Zatkin please visit:

KazumiZatkin.com

ありがとう! US Women's Soccer Team for Japan

2011-06-27T06:09:00.000-07:00

This video was made prior to this year's FIFA 2011 Women's World Cup in Germany. The USWNT cares much for their friends on the Japanese National Women's Team and for the People of Japan as do we. Here at American Mishima we would like to offer them a heartfelt ありがとう and ask that they like many of my fellow countrymen & women continue to do so. ありがとうございます!

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

2011-06-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

In this photo taken at Nagoya Airport, Japan hangs twin Lufthansa Scroll Ads featuring our fellow friend, & aspiring actor Yoshi Ando.

おめでとうよし-さん!

なに? Love & Other Drugs for Real? ばか!

2011-06-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

Like many men in this country, I really hate watching sappy chick flicks that always end up sucking in the end. But if you are in a relationship like me they become quite unavoidable. Recently, Tina and I watched the film Love and Other Drugs which centered around a pharmacutical rep and the questionable practices they employ to promote and in some cases corrupt the medicinal prescription process in doctors offices via free samples and other scrupulous means. And just like the movie I have seen stunts like this in the Cedars-Sini parking structure by female pharmacutical reps hiking up their shortened skirts and unbuttoning their blouses to entice a prospective male physicians into a clients. Sounds sleazy? It is! Worse, it's not only sad, it's true!

Now you are probably wondering what the hell does this have to do with the American Mishima blog that is focused on the happenings of the Japanese-American Community and other Cultural happenings of Japan? Well I will tell you. Since the release of Love and Other Drugs more people have become aware of the corruption in the medical industry. It so happens that many medical offices no longer allow sample displays out in the open. But since we love all things Nikkei and just happen to go to "Asian" doctors who we will not mention names in this article, we found it amusing to see carefully placed products from the makers of Cialis - an erectile dsyfunction boner drug found convieniently around the doctors office. As you can see from the photo Cialis makes sanitizing hand soap placed at the sink supplanting the normal hand soap purchased by the doctors office. Talk about blatant product placement! I had no idea Cialis made hand soap! But oh it gets more blatant!

Now check this out! Cialis makes latex rubber gloves! And look how they are placed by the Cialis rep right on top of the gloves used by the doctor. Is this because our doctor is from Japan or because they assume no one is paying attention? Is it safe to say reps are deliberately targeting Asian doctors or is the problem worse than the movie implied? Or is something racist going on here? We asked the staff about this and they were suprised to see these products there and were not happy about it given that they have on more than one occassion chased out female reps out of their office. Now don't go looking for Cialis hand soap or latex gloves because they are not sold to the public and as a result you are just not going to find them. On one level it is funny that a company that makes penis errection drugs also supplys their clients with latex gloves and hand soap. And on another level it's kind of insulting to see such blatant product placement and the assumption of the rep that no one would notice. What's next Cialis? KY Jelly to go with those gloves and soap after that artificial erection? Seriously!

Well going back to Love and Other Drugs, it was the first chick flick Tina picked out that didn't completly suck for it made us aware of the sleazy tactics of the pharmacutical industry. For that we only have one word in Nihongo to say on this matter: ばか!

Sayonara Sensei

2011-05-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

To the surprise and shock of many, the Reverend Seicho Asahi Sensei has resigned as the head of the Los Angeles Koyasan Betsuin in Little Tokyo. Having officiated since 2007, he has led every Goma Fire Ritual and many a service to the Japanese-American community here since his arrival from the Northern California Koyasan in Sacramento California. During this time he has provided counseling, classes, and taught Taiko Drumming. But now he will be moving forward. Citing reasons of both health concerns and the growing need to establish a training center to produce continuing generations of Koyasan-Shingon priesthood, he found this to be the right time to make this move. Despite the surrounding controversy over his tenure and his sudden resignation we believe he is doing the right thing. Of course we are not happy to see him leave but the descision is his. During his latest address he cited his initial mission to spread Esoteric Buddhism when he first arrived here from Japan. Similar to what the Zen Temples had faced years earlier he saw this initial mission as important as now then when he first arrived here.

Today there are fewer people entering the priesthood and like many other religions in the twenty-first century this is a problem that must be addressed in order to continue on these traditions that have been a part of the Japanese-American Community. Considering the daunting immigration issues with priests from Japan it makes perfect sense to establish a place where residing American priests-in-training can be taught here rather than deal with the complexities of obtaining visas, permits, and other logistical problems. Asahi Sensei has been a friend to us and a dear supporter of our efforts. We at American Mishima will miss him dearly and wish him well on his new endeavors. がんばってください!

さよなら!

硫黄島 Doing the Right Thing: Returning War Souveniers to Bring Closure

2011-05-13T18:11:00.000-07:00

It has been over Sixty-Six years since the last Bonzai charge took place thus ending the tragic battle for Iwo Jima now called Iwo To. Since that time there have been countless books, films, and war recollections by the brave men who fought on both sides. But one story had not been told in all this time. It is the story of what became of all the captured items ranging from battle flags, swords, and personal effects of the men who died serving the Showa Emperor and the Empire of Japan during the War in the Pacific. You see for me it has always bothered me to see old captured battle flags on display not knowing if the families of those men ever knew what became of them. I still sigh whenever I come across an old Gunto Sword seen on display and often sickened when I see an Edo Period sword stolen (or confiscated) from Japanese homes in the wake of the war's end and during US Occupation that followed, Family swords that had been heirlooms for generations of Samurai heritage. Well as it so happens that as the WWII generation reaches the end of their twilight years, some veterans have chosen to do the right thing and return many of the items captured in the aftermath of battle. It is both a moving gesture and the right thing to do. I am happy to see this take place as are the families of the fallen soldiers. As quoted in the article I have reposted from CNN below “It did not occur to them at the time that these men had families or a name.” It is understandable how they felt at the time but after many years it is good to see such veterans return items taken from their former foes to help bring about closure to the families and to the souls of those men who fought and died so long ago. - American Mishima

Please read on: Reposted from CNN

Syracuse, New York (CNN) -- On the black sand beaches of Iwo Jima, 18-year-old Marty Connor stood over the body of a dead Japanese soldier. The young U.S. Marine figured it was only a matter of time before he suffered the same fate. But he didn't dwell on it and he didn't ponder whether the enemy had a family, a hometown, or a name. Instead, he reached into the dead soldier's pack and grabbed his diary. Then he moved on to another body. Little did he know then that this was a moment that would change his life; that he would spend 40 years reuniting such war souvenirs with surviving relatives of the dead enemy soldiers. "A lull in the fighting, you scavenge around a little bit," said the now 85-year-old Connor at his home in upstate New York. "In the helmet, you'd find pictures of his family...so I took things like that, just stuck them in my pack. "Once the bloody 36-day battle on the remote Pacific island had ended, Connor had amassed a collection of items like Japanese bayonets, pay records and family photographs. Picking up the personal effects of dead enemy soldiers was a common practice during World War II. When he returned home after the war, Connor locked up his souvenirs in a trunk and rarely thought about them again. But one phone call, a quarter-century later, would change that.

"Some of the Marines were getting back to have a reunion on the 25th anniversary of our landing," said Connor. "I had a call if I'd like to go, and I thought yes, I would like to go back." Connor returned to Iwo Jima in 1970. On top of Mount Suribachi, he and other U.S. Marines shook hands with the Japanese veterans they had once fought against. "They suffered, we suffered," said Connor. "We came to tell them what brave soldiers they were... and our people, our Marines, were just as brave." The diary, photos and other items Connor had taken from Iwo Jima remained locked up at home. But one of his fellow Marines brought his souvenirs with him, and returned them to their owner's grateful and tearful family. The emotional scene stuck with Connor. A Buddhist monk named Tsunezo Wachi explained to him the deep spiritual significance these items had for the families of the dead soldiers.

As soon as Connor returned home, he opened the trunk for the first time in 25 years."I sent back whatever I had, and in most instances, [Wachi] found the families within two weeks after he received whatever I sent." Among the grateful recipients of Connor's souvenirs was the widow of the soldier whose diary Connor had taken."I was pleased," Connor said of Wachi's efforts. "I was pleased because he brought closure to those families, and I helped out."

Connor figured that might be the end of it. But word of his efforts began spreading to other veterans, and soon, packages were arriving on his doorstep. For the last 40 years, he's made it his mission to send these spoils of war back overseas. Recently, a new batch of souvenirs arrived at Connor's doorstep. He opened the boxes, and spread out the contents on his kitchen table: dog tags, some Japanese currency from the Philippines, and several Japanese battle flags. Among them was a very well-preserved flag picked up on Iwo Jima on February 22, 1945. Written on the flag were several Japanese names, perhaps relatives of the soldier who carried it into battle.
"We have high expectations that we'll be able to connect this with a family, hopefully of the person that was carrying this," Connor said, carefully picking up the flag. "If we can determine that, and get it back to that family, it gives that family not only closure, but they no longer seem to have the grief that they had for not having heard for these many, many years... as to what happened to their soldier that they sent off to battle and never came back from Iwo Jima." Connor put the items in a large envelope and shipped it to Japan.

Awaiting its arrival was Masataka Shiokawa, who stepped in to accept packages after Wachi, the Buddhist monk, passed away. Shiokawa was only a baby when his father was killed while fighting the Americans in 1945. The only thing his family received was a small box with some stones inside -- meant to represent the remains of his father. For Shiokawa, that wasn't enough. Years of longing for more information about what happened to his father inspired him to dedicate his life to searching for remains and artifacts, with the hope that he might one day find something that belonged to his father."In the beginning I was looking for my father's remains and personal effects very hard. But as I started returning things [to other families], I realized that it is not just me who is feeing this way," Shiokawa said. When he returns something to a family member, "they get pleased as if the person actually came back. They cry and put the [item] at the family Buddhist altar and offer prayer." At one such altar sits a white shirt, protected in a glass frame. It belonged to Sadaichi Nagamine, a Japanese soldier. But for 60 years, it sat in Marty Connor's home. "I took it from a pack," Connor remembered. "There were three Japanese who were killed by naval gunfire and I had taken it from the backpack of one of them. And I just threw it in my knapsack and didn't think of it anymore."

Connor didn't think the shirt had any identification on it. So he never bothered sending it back, assuming its owner could never be found. Finally, in 2005, he decided on a whim to box it up with some other items. To his surprise, Shiokawa found small markings on the shirt, and was able to identify the soldier and return the shirt to his family. "We wanted to have something to value," said the soldier's nephew, Masami Nagamine, kneeling to pray in front of the family altar. "All ancestors of the family are dedicated in here. I wanted him to rest in peace with the rest of the family."

Connor and Shiokawa are humble about their efforts. The two men, from two countries once engaged in a bitter war, don't speak the same language. But they have the same goal -- to bring closure, answers, and a connection to the relatives of Japan's war dead, who otherwise might never have known the true fate of their loved ones. Shiokawa opened up Connor's latest shipment. Inside were the dog tags, currency and battle flags that Connor had spread out on his kitchen table. Along with Japanese government officials, Shiokawa researched the names on the most promising flag, and was able to identify its owner as Tadao Yamada, who was killed on Iwo Jima. He set out to find one of Yamada's living relatives. "I think bereaved families appreciate anything that could commemorate the war dead. They have a special feeling towards it," Shiokawa said. Gesturing to the latest batch of war souvenirs, he added, "I feel like these are gifts from a tragic history."

To find out more please visit Non-Profit Organization Association of Peace and War Mourning. or contact Marty Connor direct at mconnor5@twcny.rr.com

日本演劇 Japanese Theater: Memory of Mother

2011-05-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

Japanese Theater has had a long renowned tradition of rich classical tales and powerful dramatic performances. For most people living outside of Japan, attending such cultural treats is rare and often not so widely promoted even in areas where a large Japanese-American community exists. But for those who are fortunate enough to discover such performances taking place, they are not to be missed and certainly Arigato Kai’s production of Matuba no Haha (Memory of Mother) was no exception.

Founded here in Los Angeles just over two years ago, Arigato Kai has brought together talents from both Japan and here in the US to produce and perform powerful plays and memorable performances. One could not have possibly prepared us for the Mother’s Day performance of Matuba no Haha. Performed entirely in Japanese with English subtitles for us American-Jin, Memory of Mother played out to a sold out performance at the Rose Theater in North Hollywood leaving no dry eyes in the house.

Set in the Edo Period, this play directed by Kaz Matamura follows the quest of lone Yakuza named Chutaro (played by Yoshi Ando of Good Soil and Letters from Iwo Jima fame) to find his long lost mother. Orphaned at a young age, Chutaro carries with him the faint memories of a mother who had left his father for Edo at the age of five. We do not know much beyond this point in his life other than what is revealed to be his earnings of 100ryo which he has saved from his exploits in the Yakuza for which he planned to give to his mother should she be of need. Along the way to Edo he encounters a misfortunate friend named Hanji (played by Yoshitomo Kaneda of Letters from Iwo Jima fame) who has left the Yakuza and is now in hiding from the thugs of a rival boss seeking revenge for an earlier Yakuza killing. Chutaro see’s Hanji’s unfortunate desperate situation and is moved by the man’s mother’s determination to see to his well being. Chutaro is moved by the love for her unlucky son and quickly comes to his defense. He leaves the man’s family after a duel in which he slays the rival Yakuza and thanks the mother for her loyalty to her son. His admiration expresses his longing for the longing for his ideal of what he hopes to find in his mother for which he will continue on his journey to Edo to reunite with her.

Along his journey, Chutaro encounters other old women in Edo over the following year. He performs good deeds and pays respect to these old ladies who have long lost their sons. And in by doing so restore hope by his acts of kindness winning him admiration along the way. It is by chance that one of these old ladies who is an aging prostitute knows of such a woman that could very well be a match for his mother. It is the rich and powerful teahouse owner Ohama (played by legendary stage actress from Japan Sayoko Shirotami) who by now has many employees and a fully grown daughter named Otose (played by Kazumi Zatkin of Good Soil and other films with co-starring Yoshi Ando). After much persuasion, Chutaro is granted an audience with Ohama but despite being of the correct age and being from his home in Banba and even admitting to having a son named Chutaro, she suspects him to be an imposter looking to take her business.

Rejected, Chutaro is devastated. All of his hopes and dreams are now gone. He has seen that Ohama is living a life of luxury and has no need of his 100ryo but chooses in an all too classical Japanese gesture of leaving his coin purse behind. This action moves Otose and it becomes painfully clear that Chutaro is indeed her long lost son who she had convinced herself that he had died long ago. Both Ohama’s servants and Otose recognize Chutaro’s likeness to Ohama as possibly being a potential lost family member. Together they convince Ohama that Chutaro is truly her lost son she abandoned when she left Chutaro’s father many years ago. Ashamed, Ohama loses her stoic arrogance and breaks down in tears. All is brought to bear but is brought full circle by the comforting kind words of Otose for her long lost brother and her appreciation for all that her mother has provided her. Accepting Ohama’s new reality, Ohama flies into a panic to chase after Chutaro but by now he is long gone. Complicating matters, Ohama’s men having assumed Chutaro to be a troublemaker or a beggar have hired a down and out Samurai Tobata (played by Yoshitomo Kaneda) to dispatch him. Ohama joined by her daughter Otose races to find Chutaro before it is too late.

Mutaba no Haha lived up to every expectation of Japanese theater and raised the bar to new heights in dramatic performances. The all Japanese cast included Yoshi Ando, Yoshitomo Kaneda, Mina Oba, Mie Aso, Yoshi Murakami, Kazumi Zatkin, Akiko Katagiri, Mai Kobayashi, Sachiko Mori, and others including and not to say the least the legendary Sayoko Shirotani who flew in from Japan just to play in this production. Toshiro Mifune’s influence could be seen in Yoshi Ando’s performance with elements of Sanjuro and the deep expressiveness of Hiroyuki Sanada as Seibei in Twilight Samurai. I am very honored to call my old fellow Shinkendoka Mr. Ando my friend. I recommend you watch his career with great interest. Arigato Kai has worked hard to bring Japanese theater to American audiences. As I explained to Yoshi Ando that this should not be looked upon as the most arduous task for American audiences who already like Japanese Theater either know Nihongo or are comfortable with subtitles. In any case any American with a thirst for good theater will appreciate the hard work of the cast and crew of Arigato Kai and we at American Mishima believe you will too!

To find out more about Arigato Kai and their future productions Please visit: Arigato Kai

Enjoy!

日本サッカー J-League Defender Takahito Soma to come to MLS

2011-04-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

Former Urawa Reds and current Second Division Bundesliga Energie Cottbus defender Takahito Soma has announced he has accepted an offer to move to an undisclosed Major League Soccer team here in the United States. This move is slated to take place during this summers transfer window. The 29 year old former J-League defender will join Colorado Rapids star Kosuke Kimura as the second player from Japan to join the MLS. "I have had an offer from an MLS club and want to move in the summer," Soma was quoted as saying Thursday. We at American Mishima are very happy to see the MLS invest in J-League players instead of retiring European players in decline. I have always argued the point about the logic of paying millions for the Beckhams of the world when the J-League has many talented players in their prime who would love to come play in the US. It's a wise descision to consider more J-League talent scouting. After all, who set up the winning goals in the last MLS Cup at BMO Field? It sure wasn't the likes of Thierry Henry or the over-hyped David Beckham. No, it was Kosuke Kimura - a man who was initially rejected by the J-League who has since become a superstar in his home country of Japan. I rest my case! I give kudos to the MLS for finally waking up and smelling that sashimi! We at American Mishima would like to offer Soma-San a nice よこそことしもよろしくおねがいします! & がんばってください! Now show the MLS what the J-League players can bring to the pitch! Ganbare!

Ichiban Konichiwa!

2011-04-21T12:42:00.000-07:00

We at American Mishima are proud to announce that Tinahime & I are expecting our first child together thus officially starting our very own clan this November 2011.

We could not be happier!

日本文化 Getty Museum Exhibit Features Vintage Samurai

2011-04-11T12:10:00.000-07:00

Ongoing at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles is an exhibit featuring rare 19th century photographs of Felice Beato who lived between 1832–1909. Felice Beato whose career spanned five decades was a pinoneer war photographer who covered the Crimean War, The Second Opium War, and the American Expedition into Japan and Korea. What is notable for our readers is his collection of late Bakumatsu Samurai whose images have graces countless books and exhibitions. Felicio Beato spent the years of 1863-1864 in Japan photgraphing everyone from the Nobility to people in everyday walks of life. He was one of the few photographers to caputre on film Japan's turbulent era of the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate to the rise of the Meiji Restoration. This fascinating exhibition has been ongoing since December of 2010 and will end April 24th 2011.

For more information please visit the Getty Museum link here.

神道 Defying the Tsunami, Otsuchi - Kozuchi Shinto Shrine Survives

2011-04-10T10:48:00.000-07:00

It has been over a month since the Tsunami devastated the town of Otsuchi, Japan. And yet despite the catastrophic loss of human life and property, Otsuchi's Kozuchi Shinto Shrine remains beautifully intact. Set on a small hill the Kozuchi Shrine managed to survive the March 11th 2011 earthquake, raging fires from a resulting gas explosion, then the tsunami that literally wiped Otsuchi off the map leaving a sea of shattered lives and debris. Call it luck or the power of the Shinto Kami (For those not familiar with Shinto - What can best be described in Western terms as the Divine in Nature), this shrine has survived to become a place of refuge and place of prayer for those who seek favor and comfort of the Shinto Kami in hopes of finding their lost relatives and the strength to carry on. The Shrine has since become a shelter for twenty-two survivors and a focal point for those who would ring the Shrine's bell and make offerings. We at American Mishima ask you to please watch this video and continue to pray and donate to the countless victims of the multiple tragedies that have devastated Japan. ありがとう!

救済の取り組み Ken Watanabe's Street Team Sends Love from Little Tokyo

2011-04-09T09:40:00.000-07:00

Actor Ken Watanabe's Kizuma 311 Street team filmed this in Japanese Plaza, Little Tokyo sending heartfelt messages and prayers for the People of Japan. The connection between the Japanese-American Community here and that of Japan remains as strong as ever. All of us here shall continue to pray for those lost and for the survivors who have endured so much.

ビル - Kirin's Double Disaster & Recovery

2011-04-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

By now everyone has heard of the extensive damage and loss of life from Japan's combined earthquake and tsunami disaster of March 11, 2011. As people begin to pick up the pieces new stories are slowly making their way out to the web. As one might have expected, the Kirin Brewery plant in Sendai suffered damage as the tsunami knocked over four of its fifteen brewery tanks and flooded much of it's equipment. If that was not enough, much of the stored beer kegs and bottles were carried off by the waves and strewn throughout the Miyagi Prefecture. This of course invited Kirin's second disaster in the means of all the people arriving as told from eye witness accounts and other bloggers that hundreds came by car, foot, and even bicycles to pick up what free Kirin beer they could find littering the streets of Sendai. Now by no means are we trying to make lite of things. We just happen to love Japanese beer so we can't blame these poor thirsty people and after what all they have gone through we at American Mishima wish them all a healthy and safe かんぱい!

For the record Kirin's president Koichi Matsuzawa is said to have announced on Thursday that Kirin will resume operations at its Sendai Brewery in September. Until that time we'll continue to drink our Sapporo. かんぱい!

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

2011-04-02T08:03:00.000-07:00

In the wake of tragedy one thing remains consistantly true: Life does go on to see another day. In this photo reposted from Japan Today shows a wedding couple led by a Shinto Guji before the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, Japan. As with most weddings that are planned months in advance, no one can ever possibly prepare you for an unexpected natural or man-made disaster to interfere with your plans nor is there any such preperation for how people will react should you continue on with your plans. I can attest to this thus having my own first wedding levied upon by the LA Riots of May 1992. Many people thought it was inappropriate to have a wedding during a state of emergency yet we chose to carry on. We at American Mishima admire the courage of this couple to carry on to new beginnings. As I write this I will reveal that I too hope to marry my current fiance' in the same Shinto tradition in Japan in the coming year. But enough about us here in LA. We at American Mishima would like to join in with others and wish these unnamed newlyweds a special おめでとうございます!

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

2011-03-29T06:04:00.000-07:00

Koyasan incense prayer offering for the Victims of Japan's combined 2011 Earthquake, Tsunami, & Nuclear Disasters.

Koyasan Betsuin, Little Tokyo -Los Angeles.

JFAのサッカー Japan’s J-League – So What’s Next?

2011-03-23T08:50:00.000-07:00

It’s been well over a week since Japan’s most devastating series of disasters resulting from the magnitude 9 earthquake hit the Sendai area. In response to this national tragedy, Japan’s JFA J-League (Japan Football Association) had suspended all matches since the March 11^th earthquake prompting many players to help in the relief efforts. While many of the leagues foreign players have left the country stars like former international and current Kashima Antlers star Mitsuo Ogasawara visited refugee shelters to encourage survivors in Ofunato and Rikuzen, Iwate Prefecture. Ogasawara grew up in Iwate and wanted to help. As described from the Official JFA website this was a “heartbreaking homecoming” for Ogasawara. To quote the Kashima midfielder “I am hoping we can support those who have been forced to evacuate so they can have a more secure life and recover fully.”

Of course, for many people in the disaster zone this will not be possible as there are close to over 9000 people reported dead and still many more missing. Since then, many J-League clubs have called for donations such as Avispa Fukuoka, Urawa Reds, Kawasaki Frontale, Nagoya Grampus, and Jublio Iwata. The J-League plans to resume play on April 23^rd but some second division clubs such as Mito Hollyhock may be delayed as some venues have sustained earthquake damage.

In a related move, Japan’s European based players plan to return home for a charity match between Japans’s National Team the Samurai Blue vs. a select J-League squad scheduled for March 29^th at Nagai Stadium in Osaka. This match will feature Samurai Blue & CSKA star Keisuke Honda and Utsuto Uchida. This charity event will raise funds for Japan’s disaster victims. We at American Mishima would like to thank the JFA J-League for their respective clubs participation in the ongoing relief efforts. We hope their league can continue to help lift the spirits of those affected by this tragedy.

To find out more about the J-League Please Visit http://www.jfa.or.jp/eng

ががく Gagaku: The Sacred Court Music of Japan

2011-03-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

Gagaku is the Sacred court Music of Japan whose history dates back some 1300 years. It is a cultural treasure that is still with us today as the oldest surviving and rarest continuous orchestral music in existence today. As that being said, this music had been confined to the Imperial Court and had we lived 170 years ago in

Japan

chances were that unless you were part of the nobility you could not hear these sacred sounds. In fact it wasn’t until 1887 during Meji’s reign that special permission was given to Ryōdo Ono of the Terusaki Shrine to perform for the general public outside the Imperial Court. And even still, such performances would have been rare. Fortunately for us we don’t live in those times and can now have opportunities to appreciate such performances. This last Saturday March 19^th, we were treated curtsey of Mr. Shige Higashi of the Cultural News to a special Gagaku performance which was performed in two segments in Costa Mesa California. And what a unique experience this was.

So going back to the performance, the first segment of the Gagaku performance was entitled “The Classical Sounds of Gagaku Music” The second conclusive segment was aptly named “Contemporary Music for Gagaku Instruments.” Performing on stage was master musicians Takeshi Sasamoto on Ryūteki, Hitomi Nakamura on Hichiriki, and Mayumi Miyata on Shō or as translated as the “Phoenix pipe.” Each performer appeared in traditional garments of the Imperial Court for the first segment and instantly mesmerized the audience in attendance with the haunting sounds of the shō. This continued on well into the second segment when the musicians returned in modern clothing to express their free form almost jazz like use of Gagaku instruments in the most unique and entertaining sounds. I must admit I was quite taken by the sounds of the shō. It is impossible to conceive of this keyboard sounding instrument that is a wind blown driven pipe could have existed some 1300 years ago. It is very fitting for Shinto weddings, funerals, and Imperial Installations. But is also something as I will alude to in my last paragarah very relevant to what has been taking place in the wake of Japan's worst disaster in modern history since the end of WWII.

Gagaku is as timeless as it a national treasure. It has endured over the centuries under strict adherence to traditions of the Imperial Court. But sometime during the early 1970’s it was realized that these very restrictions meant to preserve the sacred music were endangering Gagaku to extinction. In fact up until the 1960’s it was considered heresy to even think of creating new pieces for Gagaku. It was said then that Gagaku in its rigid preservation could suffer the fate of the butterfly pinned to a collection for safe keeping. This would not be enough to keep the art alive. For this reason a new thinking was employed and gradual experimentation was given to Gagaku performers particularly to Sukeyasu Shiba of the Imperial Household Agency to utilize Gagaku unique instruments in exploratory fashion to keep Gagaku from dying. As a result new pieces have been composed and performed in ways earlier Gagaku musicians could have never dreamed of. Since then, Gagaku has found new interest and is said to be even an elective in schools as a musical course which has resulted in Gagaku clubs forming in and around Tokyo.

This rare Gagaku performance which was presented by the Philharmonic Society in conjunction with JapanOC had been planned months in advance. But with the extraordinary events that culminated in the combined disasters in Japan, the concert took a more somber tone as to reflect on those lives lost and those still missing. This real life drama painted a deeper picture to what was already a transformative performance that is best experienced least described. As with many other Japanese events taking place during this time, a plea for donations for the relief efforts in Japan was called for the audiences generosity. What better music to stir the soul during times of need. We would like to thank JapanOC and the Philharmonic Society for their efforts for the People of Japan.

If you would like to know more about Gagaku here in this country there is an actual Gagaku music curriculum in Columbia University in New York. If possible please attend their next performance. Gagaku is as enriching as it is southing for the soul (particularly in times of great tragedy) and indeed a true Japanese National Treasure to be enjoyed.

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

2011-03-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

Visiting students of Koyasan High School offer prayers for the victims of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami at the Ohigan service, Koyasan Betsuin in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. We are all grateful for their visit particularly during a heavy early spring rainstorm and the LA Marathon that blocked many of the streets leading to the Koyasan Temple.

どもありがとうございまして.

補佐して日本 LA GALAXY Partners to help Japan Disaster Victims

2011-03-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

Fresh off their season opening 1-0 win over the Seattle Sounders at Qwest Field in Seattle Washington, the LA GALAXY on the eve of their 2011 home season opener at the Home Depot Center in Carson California have announced today that they have partnered with the American Red Cross to help with the disaster relief efforts in Japan. Here at American Mishima, we are filled with joy to see our favorite MLS team partake in such great humanitarian efforts. We applaud their efforts and ask that the GALAXY and other MLS teams participating continue to do so. ありがとうございます!

Below reads from their official press release sent to me today.

Galaxy Invite Fans to Donate to Relief Efforts at Sunday’s Home Opener Against the New England Revolution at The Home Depot Center

CARSON, Calif. (Friday, March 18, 2011) – The LA Galaxy will partner with the American Red Cross to collect financial donations for the Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami relief fund this Sunday prior to kickoff of the club’s home opener against the New England Revolution at 5 p.m. at The Home Depot Center.
The Galaxy are inviting fans to join in those efforts by making a donation to the American Red Cross at one of The Home Depot Center’s entrances prior to kickoff. Additionally, donations can be made at the Galaxy Foundation booth or at the Team LA Store and any of its five Team LA merchandise booths inside the stadium through the end of halftime.

For those not in attendance, donations can also be made online at redcross.org or by texting “redcross” to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

A gift to the American Red Cross will support disaster relief efforts to help those affected by the earthquake in Japan and the subsequent tsunami that struck Japan and throughout the Pacific. On those rare occasions when donations exceed American Red Cross expenses for a specific disaster, contributions are used to prepare for and serve victims of other disasters.

For more information, please contact the Galaxy Community Development department at (310) 630-2200 or visit www.lagalaxy.com.

救済の取り組み Ken Watanabe Helps Lift Spirits in Japan

2011-03-18T05:41:00.000-07:00

Actor Ken Watanabe star of many American film & Japanese Samurai productions such as Baian the Assassinn, Year One In the North, and The Last Samurai has joined forces with screenwriter Kundo Koyama to launch a new website KIZUNA311 to encourage solidarity in the aftermath of Japan's combined disasters. When we first read about this we felt it necessary to help spread the word about Watanabe's site both available in English & Nihongo for through this media Kizuna has encouraged other celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio to send messages to uplift spirits of those affected by this disaster. We at American Mishima applaud Ken Watenabe & Kundo Koyama's efforts. It's always nice to know that your big screen movies heroes can be heroes in real life. Please continue to do so ください. =)

Please tell others and visit KIZUNA311 ありがとうございます.

救助活動 - Sandra Bullock Helps Japan Relief Effort

2011-03-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

Oscar winning actress Sandra Bullock has become the first US celebrity to make a sizable donation of one million dollars to the American Red Cross to help the victims of the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan. Since the outbreak of this tragedy, Americans have genersously opened their hearts and their pocketbooks to donate over $47 million dollars to the relief efforts in Japan. Many more have made appeals for donations largely through use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter. These funds have been passed onto the Japanese Red Cross which has now taken in over ten million dollars in U.S. donations and will need much more to help rebuild the shattered lives this tragedy has left behind.

Despite all the goodwill for those affected by this tragedy there has been some bitter criticism by some people in the U.S. who for whatever reason harbor resentments against Japan or see this tragedy as merely a Japanese problem. These misguided people are in the minorty. Americans for the most part have great compassion and have time and time again contributed more money to disaster relief efforts than any other country in the world. The overwhelming American response has once again shown America's generosity and compassion for people in need just as they have done in other recent tragedies such as the ones in New Zealand, Chile, and Haiti.

We at American Mishima would like to thank Sandra Bullock for her contribution to the People of Japan during this crisis. We hope that other people whether famous or not will continue to do all they can to help the Japanese in this time of crisis and ultimately people everywhere in need. It's often said when times are at their worst, people bring out their best. We ask everyone to please continue to do so.

無私の犠牲 Selfless Sacrifice - The Fukushima 50

2011-03-16T09:20:00.000-07:00

Throughout history during times of great crisis and tragedy, countless brave souls have time and time again put their lives out on the line to save others. As the nuclear crisis at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi power plant continues to unfold 50 brave men of unquestionable courage and valor have stepped up to defy the odds to protect all that is dear. We at American Mishima ask our readers to please pray for the Fukushima 50. These brave men who have voluntarily stayed behind at the crippled nuclear power plant in the most desperate of circumstances literally sacrificing their lives to save their country from further nuclear radiation contamination. Like the brave men at Chernobyl who fought to the bitter end to contain the deadly radiation, these brave men at Fukushima know the road that lies ahead of them and know if not them then who would have to take their place. These brave men represent the finest of Japanese traditions and are Japan's last line of defense. For lack of a better comparison we dare say they likely will be remembered and revered as "This Generations 47 Ronin." We at American Mishima look to you with awe and humbly bow to you for your selfless sacrifice and unequivocal courage in this most unprecidented catastrophe.

To those brave men we say がんばってください!

Our hearts and prayers are with you.

どもありがとうございまして!

災害救援の努力- MLS W.O.R.K.S. Joins the Disaster Relief Effort

2011-03-15T17:14:00.000-07:00

The International response to the Disaster Relief efforts in Japan have been huge. Earlier this week I announced that two Major League Soccer teams in the U.S. (San Jose Earthquakes and the Seattle Sounders) had joined up with the Red Cross to raise funds for the Japan relief effort. As of today, I am happy to announce that after much letter writing and appealls to our local MLS clubs for help, Major League Soccer's community outreach program MLS W.O.R.K.S. has done the right thing and stepped up to the plate to join in on the relief efforts for the People of Japan. Domo-Arigatou Gozaimashite! I could write further in depth but rather I will provide you with the link so you can read their official press release that just came in my mail only minutes ago. Throughout this crisis, the internet has proven to be a powerful tool for good. By posting and reposting articles and appeals for help using blogs and social media such as facebook and twitter as well as individual emails to people and orginizations, the people of Japan are one step closer to rebuilding their lives and their nation that will continue to need both our love and support. If you can not donate directly please continue to participate in this global effort by spreading the word and encourage people everywhere to help. どもありがとうございます!

To read the full MLS Press Release please visit: MLS W.O.R.K.S. Japan Relief Campaign

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

2011-03-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

Arsenal's Ryo Miyaichi is shown here revealing his hand written message to Japan reading “I hope that as many people as possible will be saved." In a further show of unity and support for Ryo, Arsenal's players all wore black armbands in a recent FA Cup match in memory of Japan's disaster victims. This is our picture of the Day.

ばか! Sea Shepard Founder Adds Foul to Disaster.

2011-03-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

Eco-Terrorist & Founder of the Sea Shepherd Society Paul Watson called Japan's Tsunami disaster that killed hundreds "Divine Punishment." What a serious ばかやろ! I don't care how much you value whales over human life, this is not the time to be should be so callous & cruel. It's uncalled for cold blooded hateful Anti-Japanese statements like these in the wake of such catostrophic loss of life that makes this author want to do the unconscionable and side with the Whalers!

For the record, we have never really agreed with commercial whaling but at the same time we can not endorse the pirate tactics and actions that violate international law and maritime safety endangering lives on the high seas by either the Sea Shepherds crew or it's founder Paul Watson. Regardless how you feel about the whaling debate this is not the time to be casting judgement on innocent civilians who have lost everything that have nothing to do with Japan's whaling industry. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. We just think Paul Watson's opinion on the Tsunami tragedy is not only wrong but utterly inhuman. ばか!

ばか! Aflac Spokesman Quacked!

2011-03-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

If there ever was a more appropriate use of the Japanese expression ばか, it is certainly appropriate to describe the reckless and insensitive statements made by actor, comedian, and voice of the Aflac Duck Gilbert Gottfried. Seriously! What was this guy thinking making jokes about missing Japanese girlfriends he obviously does not have. Has this man lost his mind or is he that insensitive to the sufferring of the Japanese People? Whatever the case, Aflac has fired their spokesman and voice of the Aflac Duck of the last ten years and rightfully so. In times of great human tragedy it is never correct to make jokes while people are sufferring. I am sure Mr. Gottfried would not appreciate holocaust jokes on the anniversary of Kristalnacht so it should not be done at all. In a related move and effort to save face, Aflac has donated 100 million Yen to the International Red Cross.

We at American Mishima applaud Aflac's swift action in both firing Gottfried and making a sizable donation to the relief efforts. No amount of money can erase the pain his words may have caused but then again those who are sufferring the most were likely unaware of this incident and have more important things to concern themselves with. We should never endorse this type of humor in the wake of catastrophie. We can only pray for those missing and those struggling to survive.

核危機 Post Disaster Nuclear Crisis in Japan

2011-03-14T08:38:00.000-07:00

The recent 8.9 earthquake & tsunami in Japan has dealt the country a series of devastating events in what could be described as the worst crisis since the end of WWII. With the mounting death toll still rising, Japan is now facing one of its worst fears of having to contain a nuclear disaster in the making. With two reported hydrogen explosions having taken place over the weekend, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear plant is now spewing radiation into the disaster zone hampering relief efforts and exposing an already devestated populace to deadly radiation. Over 1500 people in the Sendai area have been tested for low level radiation. So far no reports of radiation sickness have been reported but time will tell. One helicopter from the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan had been exposed to a radiation plume which resulted in the massive carrier repositioning further off the coast to avoid further radiation exposure. We hope that emergency iodine tablets and contingency supplies reach the survivors in the disaster zone in time. I need not mention what this means to the Japanese people. The subject of nuclear power has always been a sensitive one. Not discounting the people of Chernobyl, this disaster is a reminder of the horrors of the after effects of radiation from the nuclear bombings of WWII. With six reactors shut down and in crisis mode it is our hope that this will be contained so that the rescue and recovery efforts from the resulting tsunami can continue.

The scope of this disaster has reached unprecedented levels. It had been truly heartbreaking to watch from a world away. We wish we could be there to help search for survivors. It hits hard to see the people we love suffer through so much grief, hunger, and the stinging cold. And yet our feelings toward the crisis do not begin to compare to the ongoing agony of people both here and abroad who have yet to reach family or friends that are still among the missing. All we can do is pray and use the power of the internet to spread the word so people know that people are suffering and continue to need our help. Our hearts continue to go out to the People of Japan. We may be an ocean away but our hearts are with you.

If you would like to help, please donate to the Red Cross for Japan’s victims in this ongoing crisis.

American Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Relief

Please continue to show your love and support the People of Japan in their most desperate hour.

どもありがとうございます.

日本における災害 MLS Star Kosuke Kimura Reflects on the Disaster in Japan.

2011-03-12T11:05:00.000-08:00

Kosuke Kimura is the only Japanese player from Japan in the MLS who plays for the Colorado Rapids. Originally rejected by Japan’s J-League, he has since become a huge star in his native country of Japan after helping the Colorado Rapids win the 2010 MLS Cup in Toronto Canada. It is reported that his family in Japan is ok but none the less is understandably concerned for his countrymen. Kimura was in Seattle when the 8.9 quake hit Japan. Kimura spoke on camera while in Seattle to reflect on this most recent tragedy. Please watch.

災害救援 MLS Teams Pledge Aid to Japan Disaster Victims

2011-03-12T02:37:00.000-08:00

The tragic events following Japan’s most devastating earthquake has found an ironically named sports franchise to come to their aid. The San Jose “Earthquakes” have stepped up to the plate to be the first sports franchise in the United States and in the MLS to come to the aid of Japan’s many disaster victims. The San Jose Major League Soccer franchise announced today that they would donate part of their proceeds of their 2011 Season Opening game at Buckshaw Stadium in San Jose on March 19^th 7:30PM PST.

In addition to this announcement, the SJ Earthquakes have partnered with the American Red Cross to set up donation bins so fans may contribute to the growing relief effort. The team also plans to donate $50.00 USD for every goal defended by their goal keeper for the entire year. Considering they saved some 119 goals this could add up. Every little bit helps.

As quoted from the San Jose Earthquakes website “We were deeply saddened by the events that transpired in Japan on Thursday,” said Earthquakes President David Kaval. “As an organization, it’s our mission to be a leader in the community. We recognize that there are thousands of families in the Bay Area who were affected by this tragedy and I would like to personally encourage all of our fans to make a donation to the relief effort.”

As admirable as San Jose MLS franchise efforts they are not to be the only American Soccer team in this effort. The Seattle Sounders have also partnered with the American Red Cross to join in on the relief effort. The Seattle Sounders have invited fans to donate to the relief fund for Japan in their 2011 MLS Season Opener against the LA Galaxy this March 15^th at Qwest Field. Seattle has a large Japanese community with strong ties to Japan. Both teams and players have expressed compassion for the victims and seek to involve their fans in the relief efforts. Turnouts are expected to be large and we at American Mishima encourage all soccer fans to please come and donate to the Red Cross.

It is often in moments of tragedy that people come together and express both their compassion for their fellow man as well as their generosity. We applaud San Jose and Seattle for their help for the People of Japan. It is our hope at American Mishima that other MLS teams will join the relief effort as well as other sports franchises. Should more MLS teams join in we will write about them here.

May all your family and friends be safe. Our hearts and prayers go out to the People of Japan.

Please visit Redcross.org or text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 from your phone to support

The American Red Cross emergency and disaster relief efforts.

どもありがとうございます.

津波の悲劇 - Tsunami Tragedy 2011

2011-03-11T00:44:00.000-08:00

No words can begin to descibe the unfolding tragedy caused by the devestating series of Tsunamis in the wake of a most terrifying earthquake near Sendai Japan. We at American Mishima offer our prayers and norito to the People of Japan. It breaks our hearts to see this tragedy unfold before our tearfull eyes live on television. If there is anything we can do to help the People of Japan we would gladly offer our assistance. Please pray for the People of Japan and for those lost and those still searching for loved ones yet unaccounted for.

二月十一日 American Mishima Milestone

2011-02-11T09:53:00.000-08:00

二月十一日
Today marks a milestone for American Mishima.
As of today we have achieved our first 10,000 hits.

This is remarkable considering we only have less than a dozen official followers.
We thank you none the less.

Please continue to read and support American Mishima.

どもありがとうございまして!

仏教 Hoshi Matsuri 2011

2011-02-07T14:34:00.000-08:00

This last weekend brought in the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Rabbit which for many will be a year of multiple opportunities. We spent ours at the Hoshi Matsuri at the Koyasan Betsuin in Little Tokyo which drew large numbers of people to partake in this most important of festivals. Understanding that Emperor Meji had moved Japan to the Gregorian calendar, this Buddhist ceremony still coincides with the earlier New Years traditions of Japan. It is an opportunity to seek universal wealth and harmony. Also known as Setsubun, The Hoshi Matsuri is also set to ward off misfortune hence the throwing of soy beans at the “Oni” with shouts of おにわそと!(Oni wa soto - Get Out demons!) This was our second Hoshi Matsuri and as fun as the last spent eating as many soy beans equal to the years of your age and participating in this most traditional of services (as one can see from the video clip below).

So please continue to read American Mishima in good health and enjoy!

日本サッカー Japan's Samurai Blue Takes the 2011 AFC Asian Cup!

2011-01-29T11:49:00.000-08:00

It’s official! For the fourth time in a row Japan’s National Team the Samurai Blue has taken the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar the future site of the 2022 World Cup. Japan enthralled its large numbers of supporters that flew in from Japan to watch their team sweep through past Qatar in a 3-2 victory in the quarter finals then onto an outright slugfest in the semifinal against South Korea in a 1-1 tie. Korea would go on to face Uzbekistan third place in a 3-2 victory while Japan would face Austraila in the final match to ultimately triumph over Australia’s Socceroos in a 1-0 victory in Khalifa Stadium the Asian Cup Final. Well done boys! Bonzai! Bonzai! Bonzai! To read more results from the 2011 Asian Cup please visit:

一日の画像 Picture of the Day

2011-01-17T09:26:00.000-08:00

The Los Angeles Koyasan Buddhist Temple Taiko Players welcoming in the Year of the Rabbit at the annual Los Angeles Koyasan Buddhist Temple New Years Gathering Saturday 15th, 2011 in Little Tokyo.

Enjoy!

2011 Usagi no Toshi

2011-01-02T19:06:00.000-08:00

Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu! And a Happy New Years! American Mishima officially turns a year old in the Year of the Rabbit and Heisei 23. Just as the year prior, I have reposted a photo of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Akihito delivering his traditional New Years greetings from the Imperial Residence in Japan. Though we could not be in Japan, we celebrated this most important of holidays in Little Tokyo. Starting with our traditional visit to the Koyasan Betsuin for the end of the year service and returning the next morning for the first service of the year to a packed house and a three Bonzai cheer sake toast that makes this worth negating any previous night’s hangover not to be missed! But wait! The New Years Festivities don't end there. Over at Weller Court more festivities could be found including the annual Miss Kimono Contest put on by the LA Kimono Club. As well as demonstrations and taiko performances both there and in the Japanese Plaza. But seriously all this fun aside we had our duties to perform to which we had done so diligently.

As with any morning and in particularly on such holidays we cleaned and placed offerings before our Kamidana followed by purification and Norito. Since there is no Shinto Shrine locally, our Shinto practice is confined to our home and with kindred spirits. Like many people in Japan, we too practice both Shinto and Buddhism which means no sooner than I make my last ceremonial bow, we make haste to help out at the Koyasan Betsuin before the First Service. This takes place no matter how hung over we are. Last year we stayed up late chasing sake with everything else we drank earlier with our good friend Julian Ikeda and we paid for it dearly during last year’s service. Having learned from this mistake, we made sure we operated within moderation to ensure a fully operational mind frame to partake in this service. As with years prior, the Koyasan Temple never disappoints and every New Years it is packed to capacity with Buddhists and other people seeking good fortune for the year to come.

But no New Years in Little Tokyo is complete without Kotohajime – First Performance put on by the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC). Their annual Oshogatsu show is not to be missed starting and ending with purification rites by IKKYU – LA’s very own Kyudo Archery Dojo. Concluding the dazzling performances which included Taiko by Koji Nakamura, Korean performances, Shimasen by Atsushi Gushi and awesome shimasen extraordinaire Mike Penny, and a most moving Okinawan Dance performance by the Mijikina Honryu Group. When I think of moments that I could capture in time and relive over and over again, the Okinawan Dance captured a soul fulfilling experience that leaves one in awe. If you are ever in Little Tokyo on New Years, make it a point to see Kotohajime. Your soul will say ありがとう! 2010 was a long busy year and 2011 has only just begun. I hope you will continue to visit my little blog and help support it throughout the year. ありがとうございましてございます!

Thank you for reading and please continue to enjoy!

Reflections on a Year Past

2010-12-21T11:43:00.000-08:00

The year of the Tiger had lived up to it’s namesake full of activity and intensity. It had been indeed a busy year for me with many accomplishments, highs, lows, and much work unfinished. In this past year I had achieved my Jiho rank in Shinkendo and Roku Kyu in Toyama Ryu. Together with my girlfriend and constant traveling companion Tinahime, we followed the steps of legendary Samurai Katsu Kaishu and John Manjiro to San Francisco which resulted in a most vivid chapter in my ongoing historical novel The Setting Sun. By June, I had a small reprieve from my long state of unemployment and worked two weeks at Comcast Entertainment Group. With the funds I had earned, I fulfilled a promise to visit Seattle and make a Shrine visit to the Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America near the Canadian border to partake in Misogi. Along the way we made some more Japanese friends Atsuko, Imanaka Sensei, and Hiroko while seeing my tomodachi Julien Ikeda leave for Japan.

This year had seen many ceremonies and events all culminating the second and final phase of my most destructive critical two year cycle. Fortunes somewhat changed weeks after performing Shinto Misogi leading me to five long yet very stressful months back at Comcast which has now concluded. And though I left there on less than happier terms I am happy that this allowed me another opportunity to return to Seattle in October for a day to see a soccer match and enjoy the fabulous waterfront and views from the Space Needle. This had been a year that I had become reaquainted with my love of Futbol-Soccer starting with the World Cup and the rest of the LA Galaxy MLS season. This had also seen the first girlfriend to survive a World Cup. Usually they leave me during the cup but this one became a fan and all the better for it. Hence now we are committed season Ticket holders in the LA Riot Squad and the American Outlaws Supporters Groups.

And though I begin the Year of the Rabbit much as I had done with the Year of the Tiger, out of work, broke, and uncertain what lies ahead. I must take stock in Tinahime’s sense of optimisms that I often lack. The Year of the Rabbit will either multiply my problems or multiply opportunities to get ahead and find happiness. I will continue to write and hope this is the year I will become published. I will continue to practice Shinto and be active in the Koyasan Betsuin. My ties in our little community in Little Tokyo will continue to grow and the unforeseen may bring my critical year to an end this March. It is said in Buddhism that we are all responsible for our own happiness or misery. I can’t guarantee that this moody Pisces will always do the right thing but we shall try as we have always try. May the year of the Rabbit bring you all peace and prosperity? Thank you for reading my blog. ありがとう

神道 - Searching For Shinto: An Author's First Shrine Visit

2010-11-11T11:49:00.000-08:00

Shinto, The native religion of Japan is steeped in mysteries and traditions that go back to a time before recorded history. Shinto is a thriving spirituality whose many Shrines can be found throughout

Japan

and easily distinguishable by non-Japanese by its iconic Torii Gates. It lies past those gates is often not so easily understood or explained to those of us in the west. Rather than veneration for the Western monotheistic concept of a single all powerful God, Shinto venerates the numerous Kami or what best can be described what inspires awe in nature. Shinto has peacefully coexisted alongside Buddhism and often in tandem for many households as the two dominant religions of Japan. Shinto has influenced

Japan

’s history and culture which now extended beyond the Islands of Japan for as it is said: The Kami are everywhere and for this writer they certainly are!

The draw of the Kami had become too impossible to ignore once aware of their presence. We had long sought to remedy this since we had first made contact with the Grand Tsubaki Shrine of America in the late fall of 2009. So this last July of 2010, we had set about aboard Virgin America flying the two hours northward from Los Angeles passing over the range of snow peaked Volcanoes that dotted the Pacific Northwest. Seattle is not Japan but it was one step closer to our destination which we would take by car the following morning but not before we would visit the Seattle Koyasan Church along our journey. It is a common practice to visit temples long a journey in Japan and this was no exception. We had been warmly received by Imanaka Sensei who opened the Koyasan Temple for us and shared the Hannya-Shin-Gyo better known here as the Heart Sutra to pray for our safety as we continued on our mission to better understand our budding dual Japanese spirituality.

Like many in Japan, we too have learned walk this careful spiritual balance between Buddhism and Shinto which may seem unconscionable by Western Standards to practice two religions at once, but then again it would be impractical to make such judgments from Western eyes. Like the cultural orphans we appeared, the spiritual duality of Japan had answered our call and drew us ever nearer thus committing us to our first Shrine visit to the only known Shinto Shrine existing in the North American mainland.

I honestly had no idea what to expect from this leg of my spiritual journey which would bring me face to face with real Shinto practice outside of the Islands of Japan. Nor when it was all over how I would conceive how to begin to even write about my experience. I had struggled for the last four months over how to respectfully chronicle this journey in a fashion that would be understood by those who have not had this experience. I had undertaken this journey with my combination traveling companion & girlfriend Tinahime in an attempt to understand the impact on our lives from our first visit to a Shinto Shrine on American soil. Now there have been actual Jinja (Shrines) here in our not to recent past, (twice if you don’t count the existing Shrines in Hawaii). There had once been an actual Pagoda Shrine on Terminal Island California prior to WWII. Sadly, it was bulldozed by a vengeful U.S. Navy during the illegal Internment of Americans of Japanese Ancestry during that war. There had been a more recent Shrine that was founded in Stockton during the 1980’s which ultimately merged with the newly built Kannagara Shrine (Built in 1990 by the current Guji Rev. Koichi Barrish) in Granite Falls, Washington in the early 2001. Bearing Shinto’s history in North America, we set out on Interstate 5 North towards the Canadian border. The early morning mists had made their way across the lands as we traveled north from Seattle to Granite Falls Washington to attend the Summer Shinto seminar at the Grand Tsubaki Shrine of North America.

A glimmer of sunlight had paved the path leading us with a sense of the unknown. An hour’s drive from Seattle took us to our destination along a wood lined path leading down to the Tsubaki Grand Shrine. It seemed from the moment of our arrival we had stepped into another world as we passed under the old Torii gate that has since been replaced by a newer one that was made possible by the generous donations of the Shrine’s members and supporters. We had arrived early ahead of the seminar scheduled for 3:00 PM so we could partake in the unique and most important morning Misogi purification rite that is performed daily in the Pilchuck River that runs through the shrine grounds. As part of the fee for attending the seminar, Sunday morning Misogi is included but given I had undergone a tumultuous critical 2 year cycle noted in both Buddhist and Shinto calendars, we found it necessary to purify ourselves twice, one for each year in order to put the trials and troubles of the last two difficult years that has seen anger, despair, disillusionment, strife, unemployment, and even imprisonment behind us. So prior to heading down to the River, a small set of Norito are performed inside the main Shrine.

In Japan, Misogi is normally performed under a waterfall where men are clad in only a wrap and a hachimaki and women in hachimaki and white robe. Not having a waterfall is no obstacle for the Tsubaki Grand Shrine. There is a natural whirlpool containing its own unique natural wonder and power that exists on the Shrine grounds hence according to the shrine builder and Guji Rev. Koichi Barrish led to the Kami’s choice in the location of the Jinja dedicated to Sarutahiko O’Kami. But before Misogi can take place one arrives to purify with water before entering under the main Torii. Following this tradition one gives the customary ring of the Shrine Bell and offering. Once prepared and led into the Shrine hall comes the pre-ritual prayers of “Norito” before descending down past a smaller shrine of the patron Kami who sits holding his spear in a stance of ever presence and authority. Having once been a disciple of the Norse God Odin, this presence seemed familiar yet different and so undeniable. We bow before the Kami and make our way down to the rocky riverbank where Barrish Sensei had lit the flames invoking the call to the Kami our intentions and prayers.

Now when recalling photographs of previous Misogi rites one often asks just how cold can it get? Considering the river does flow down from a mountain glacier the question was soon put out of my mind by a practice known as “Soul Shaking.” We literally work ourselves into frenzy as Barrish Sensei led us into a state of higher consciousness before entering the Pilchuck River. The process happens so fast, the waters temperature no longer concerns you. And in a moment senses of liberation of the weights of past troubles feel lifted. This practice is done all year round and even in the dead of winter. The practice of Misogi is one of the most important rites in Shinto and thus having experienced it we can honestly agree. Concluding Misogi, we dry off and join the Guji upstairs in the beautifully constructed Shrine for some Ocha tea especially brewed for the Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America. The construction of the upper chambers and rooms are reminiscent of shrines and inner castle sanctums of Japan. It is peaceful here. The Shrine performs all traditional ceremonies that you can find in Japan here in the United States.

The Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America even host their own Aikido groups which I had the privilege of partaking in one of their keiko sessions in both sword and hand to hand technique. As a student of Shinkendo, this was a unique martial arts experience to compliment this initial spiritual experience. All this became quite exhausting particularly as the July heat had kicked in. Luckily, we had been given traditional Japanese accommodations at the Tsubaki House across from the main Torri Gate. The Tsubaki House serves as both a residence and guest house for members of the Tsubaki Grand Shrine. Complete with tatami mat and no shoes past the entrance, the design was both modern and yet very Japanese complete with priceless Kimono’s hanging in every room. One who loves Watshitsu style homes would feel right at home and we certainly did for a much needed rest before the official start of the seminar.

When visiting a Shinto Shrine there are traditions and etiquette that must be strictly adhered to. Buddhist temples in America may give you some latitude but this is Shinto. Everything has a purpose and a method of doing that must be followed or risk a scolding in one form or another which may seem unfair from a Western standpoint but remember this is Japanese and better you learn here than the hard way back in Mei. Shrine etiquette is important and not to be taken lightly. Ignorance will not earn you an easy pass. But the only way you will know is to experience this for yourself and learn as you go.

During this time we had met other Shrine members mostly not of Japanese descent who like us had been drawn to the power of the Kami and the culture it inspired. Japanese people do visit the Shrine but many of its members are not Japanese. This is so because Shinto is not exclusively as once thought to be for Japanese only. If there can be Korean Evangelical Christians there certainly can be American-Jin Shinto. But before you jump to conclusions, there is nothing American about the Shinto practiced here. All Shinto Norito (prayer) is done in Japanese. If you do not speak Nihongo a prayer sheet is provided for you. The ceremonies are beautiful as they are elaborate and all of them performed by both the Shrine’s builder and the only American licensed Guji in the world Rev. Koichi Barrish. The Tsubaki Grand Shrine of North America is licensed and part of the Grand Tsubaki Shrine in Mei Prefecture in

Japan

. During our visit, there were many opportunities to ask questions and I likely proved to be a handful to other guests but no one weekend can answer it all. But then again, I came to learn and I make no apologies to those who glared at me in silence. I had a real Shinto Guji before me to field questions to ranging from understanding the Divine and Heavenly Kami to the role of the Heisei Emperor in modern Shinto as opposed to the now discredited “State Shinto” which was enforced during the war. I didn’t get all the answers I sought but as time would tell, they would come to me in their own time as does all things in nature.

Perhaps I wasn’t supposed to ask so many questions while everyone sipped their tea. It wasn’t that I was trying to show off my knowledge or spiritual development, it was more like I flew some 1300 miles to understand the meanings and significance of what I have come to know as Shinto. I had spent years asking people in the Japanese community for a reasonable discussion on the matter without being treated like a total outsider who would never understand but could only until rather recently could only find. People either love me or hate me for reasons I can neither explain nor understand. I do not possess an abrasive personality but I have always had this effect on people my whole life. I will never understand what that is about but that is how fickle nature can be. Much like dealing with the old Pagan Gods, the Kami can also show their fickleness like a stern warning of an authoritarian parent or the nurturing grace of the Divine much like the wind bending the branches of the trees. Shinto is a living experience just like the Kami it venerates. It is to be experienced that explanation can not in many cases suffice. I can’t go into too much of those details here but know that if the Kami hear your call, you will not be disappointed. I have had one life altering experience that made me a believer. They are everywhere like all things that inspire awe in nature. With this we concluded the summer seminar with a closing ceremony came followed by a wonderful Falwell Meal provided by Mrs. Barrish at the Tsubaki House.

So did I learn anything? Absolutely! There are some things you just can’t get out of a book. It is the duty of anyone who takes up Shinto to visit a Shrine at least once in their lifetime. But did I learn it all in a weekend? The answer is not so easily explained. It took time to take in this experience hence it took three months before I could write this article for American Mishima. Since that time my luck had improved. I was called to work within two weeks of my Shrine Visit and have been working ever since. Because of this I have been able to fulfill some of my other commitments. It has unfortunately brought much of my writing to a slow crawl but all things lead to their natural progression. I still maintain a Kamidana in my little home and practice my norito while still attending the Koyasan Betsuin in Little Tokyo. It is my hope that along side a future visit to Mount Koya I will also visit the Grand Tsubaki Shrine in Mei. I feel no less divided or conflicted. If anything, Shinto is part of a continuation of a long spiritual journey I started many years ago without being aware of it as I would come to know as such one Goma Ritual where the flames of Acala raged I noticed the bearded Kami walk across the field carrying his spear whistling to see if I would notice. Trust me, I noticed much like I noticed there has always been a bearded spear holder watching me all my life. This is no coincidence hence re-enforcing what the 95th High Priest of the Grand Tsubaki Shrine

Guji Yukitaka Yamamoto had recognized after the war that Shinto is open to anyone who sees the awe in nature hence Shinto’s non-exclusiveness to those not of Japanese ancestry.

In conclusion, we made some friendly acquaintances and likely irritated others with our enthusiasm and inquisitiveness but all in all, we shared an experience that will live with us and continue on as we visit more Shrines and partake in more ceremonies. The local Kami became aware of us and saw us off as we lifted into the air and into our hearts. And though Shinto may be difficult to understand it is not impossible to find. Our journey of spiritual growth and learning will continue on.

To find out more about Shinto and The Grand Tsubaki Shrine of

America

, please visit their website at:

Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America

真言宗 Shingon Buddhism – A Rare Look Inside Goma

2010-11-11T10:16:00.000-08:00

Not so long ago, I was granted a very rare opportunity to photograph the famed Goma Fire Ritual practiced by Shingon Buddhists of Japan. A visiting Sensei from Mount Koya had asked for my assistance to photograph the event to which I was fortunate enough to have my own means of digitally capturing this most mystical and important rites of Shingon Buddhism. Due to the sensitive nature of these rites, I can not say when this took place or show all of the photographs but can show you glimpses of Esoteric Buddhism at its core.

For those not familiar with Buddhism or Shingon Esoteric Buddhism in particular, I will try to explain in brief. The practice of Goma predates Buddhism in India and involves many deities and offerings. As with Shinto, Buddhism is not a monotheistic religion that worships a single all powerful God nor does it revere the historical Buddha has a sole savior as with Christianity. It is far more complex and oddly agreeable. As far as I know there have been no great religious wars over disagreements in the way Buddhism is practiced as opposed the other monotheistic religions of the West.

Taiko drumming adds a unique element of intensity that builds as the rite progresses. Through the practice of Goma spiritual obstacles can be overcome and wishes can be attained. It is through this monthly practice I have gained both understanding and a sense of peace as my hardships and impurities are consumed by flame. This ceremony is performed monthly throughout the Shingon Buddhist World. If you can attend one such Goma, you are in for a uniquely powerful spiritual experience. Enjoy!

雨の中のリトル東京 - Little Tokyo in the Rain

2010-10-17T16:36:00.000-07:00

こんにちわ!

It’s been awhile since I have had time to write something for American Mishima. My contract job at Comcast Entertainment Group has left me little time or energy to be creative but the desire and though involved never tires. I assure you I will find a way to continue writing and not abandon my faithful readers like I have unintentionally done with my cooking blog which at some point I will do my best to resurrect. I have been working on an entry on my recent Shinto Shrine visit but it has been long and coming. So while I was on my way to the Koyasan Betsuin this early Sunday morning, I took note of the light rain that came down over Little Tokyo and took these three images of the newly renovated Japanese Plaza with my new Digital Sony Cybershot camera.

Little Tokyo has a magic of its own and particularly at New Years and Obon. But when the rain comes to the City of Angels, Little Tokyo takes on a more natural setting. In a sense, as if you were somewhere else like it might had been originally intended without leaving Los Angeles.

It is in these images taken outside the newly installed stage & fountain in front of the Nijiya Market you can appreciate the renovations without being lost in the crowd.

Enjoy!

日本映画: ゴテンダですか? Sideways Re-envisioned Nihon-jin Style

2010-09-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

Here’s a new film where an actor who is engaged and about to be married joins up withan old wine affectionado friend for a one last blast tour before getting married in theCalifornia Wine Country. But before you do a double take and spit up your Chardonnay you will know that sounds an awfully a lot like 2004’s “Sideways” starring PaulGiamatti, Thomas Haden Church, the lovely Virginia Madsen, and that oh so Sandra Oh! That's because it is the script from Sideways! OK, wellnot quite. You'll just have to read on or watch the movie. What we have is 2009’s Fuji TV’s Japanese Sideways (Sidaweizo) shotentirely in California’s Napa Valley with a Japanese Cast starring Oscarnominated actress Rinko Kikuchi of Babel as Mina Parker (in the Sandra Ohcharacter minus motorcycle helmet) Fumiyo Kohinata as Michio Saito (Giamatti’s character Miles) Katsuhisa Namase asDaisuke Uehara (Hayden’s Jack Cole), and Kyoka Suzuki in her first American comedic role as Mayuko Tanaka who isbetter known for her work on Otoko Tachi No Yamato and Sengoku Jieitai 1549.

It’s not all so uncommon for Americanfilms to remake foreign films for American Audiences like The Vanishing, or mydreaded upcoming 47 Ronin remake with Keanu Reeves, and dare I say a littlefilm I starred in with Robin William & Billy Crystal called Father’s Day.But this is something entirely different. Rather than make a shot by shotremake, Fuji TV loosely adapted the story and the characters which make for a totallydifferent take from the original film. For starters Saito-San (Miles) is notthe bitter divorced unpublished writer. Instead his girlfriend has recentlymoved out and instead of anger he has given into the system by becoming theteacher at a school that teaches screen play writing. OK, it’s still similarto the original character but with a different personality. Michio does not share Mile’s anger but does sharehis love for wine.

Now if you saw the original Sideways, you’ll remember the larger than lifesoap opera star character Jack Cole. His Japanese counterpart is the formerstar of a silly kids TV Action show called Captain Ninja whose catch phraseGoten-da!(Got it!) sticks in your head and has you saying it along with thecharacters on screen. This leads to some entertaining situations such as thehilarious scene where Daisuke rushes a pharmacy to buy condoms and getsinstantly recognized as Captain Ninja by kids in the store and has to run out in embarrassment.

I don’t want tospoil the entire movie for you. The frame work of the original is all here butthe plot twists and character differences make this an entirely different film.One Blogger went as far to suggest that something may be lost in translation.We’ll, to a degree one could say that if you are not familiar with Japanesepeople. But if you are then there is nothing to be explained that you don’talready know such as the corporate culture, overcrowding, customs, etc. Whatmay not be so explained is the cultural differences which ultimately define thecharacters from their original counterparts as well as the direction of theplot’s resolution.

Fuji TV’s Sidaweizo is indeed a unique adaptation of Alexander Payne’sSideways. Shot under three million on location in Napa Valley,“Japanese Sideways” features mostly Japanese actors and in Japanese. PaulGiamatti was offered a cameo role but turned it down on the grounds his careerhad not sunk low enough. Truly something was lost in translation here. I feelhe was being a little unfair in dismissing the project and for describing actorFumiyo Kohinata as an “Ugly Little Troll” playing his part (like Paul could really win any beauty contests - seriously!).
As much as I like Paul Giamatti as an actor I have to respectfullydisagree. Kohinata was perfectly cast as a 40 something whose dreams of being ascreenwriter had been reduced to giving into the system and becoming an insignificant teacher that has gone out of business due to a corruption scandal. Anyone familiar with NOVA in Japan would be familiar with this. His only unspoiledloves are his love of wine and his one time affection for Mayuko without the snobbery of the original Miles and his distaste for Merlot. This filmpremiered at the Napa Festival, it also premiered at the Tokyo InternationalFilm Festival and the Hawaii Film Festival. If you are a fan of the originalyou may find this a bit bizarre but if you can see past Giamatti’s pass on the filmyou may find it delightful.

So please enjoy and make like Captain Ninja:Goten-da!

一日の画像 - きょのしゃしん - Picture of the Day

2010-08-30T06:22:00.000-07:00

Photo By Louis Rosas from Niesei Week Grand Parade.

さよならなつ! - Goodby Summer 2010!

侍冑 Samurai Yoroi – Up Close & Personal

2010-08-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

Every August in Little Tokyo Los Angeles brings about another fun filled Nisei Week of festivities that have been going on since the late 1930’s. The streets become alive with traditional dances, Tanabata streamers, parades, martial arts demonstrations (including Shinkendo), Taiko drum performances, and many cultural displays. And regretably I missed this year’s Grand Nisei Week Parade (due to scheduling conflicts), I did manage to catch the some of the always popular Taiko groups and displays at the JACCC center that featured beautiful bonsai trees, Kabuki showcases, and my personal favorite from The Samurai Store, Samurai Yoroi Armor.

Back in 2007, I had the privilege of meeting some of the exceptional craftsmen of the Samurai Store at the Japan Expo held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. They were kind enough to even let me try on Ichimonji Retainer styled Yoroi made for the Akira Kurosawa film RAN. Now I have worked in the film business before and have worn everything from elaborate costumes to alien armor but nothing I have ever worked with compares to this. These authentic looking Yoroi is so well constructed you could probably fight in them and survive and that's because they take their work seriously just as the craftsmen did generations ago in Japan.

Well fast forward three years later, these guys still remembered who I was and were kind enough to let me inspect their latest display for this years Nisei Week as well as try out their one Iaito sword. And as student of Shinkendo I can say I was impressed with their well crafted Iaito. I would certainly would like to get one for my own use before moving up to a real shinken for tameshigiri (test cutting). As certainly as I can attest, the Samurai Store produces some of the finest Yoroi you can find without raiding a musuem or an actual castle!

Based in Tokyo, the Samurai Store has been providing quality craftsmanship Samurai Yoroi for Samurai Films, Martial Artists, and Private Collectors. They do make custom armor and nobori to match any Clan replica or display. Of course, owning armor is quite an investment. For those looking swords for display or actual martial arts training, the Samurai Store also makes quality Iaito Swords which are excellent for Shinkendo Tarengata & Iaido demonstrations. So if you are looking for some quality work from Japan or just looking to live out your Samurai dreams, talk to the Samurai Store. Enjoy!

広島記念 Hiroshima Commemoration 2010

2010-08-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

Every first Sunday of August and every August 6th since that fateful morning in 1945 people gather to commemorate one of the greatest tragedies (if not atrocities) committed by a civilized nation against a civilian population during a time of war. Well over 166,000 men, women, & children, civilians all, wiped out in a single bright flash and resulting mushroom cloud of ash. And what was even worse, the horrors did not stop there for those who were lucky enough to survive the initial nuclear blast. Every year I write about these things and every year I will get one unapologetic American arguing for the bombings justification for avenging the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. 3000 military deaths do not justify 166,000+ civilian deaths in any war or any such instance. Who started the war is not a relevant argument. American history books will tell you The Japanese did at Pearl Harbor. What they wont tell you is how the US imposed an oil embargo essentially bring Japan to it’s knees in 1941 before the Arizona sunk nor will they tell you how American Planes were fighting in China under the guise of the American Volunteer Group weeks before Pearl Harbor. But we can argue about who was right and who was wrong well past the last Hibakusha passes us on and it still will not erase the fact that this great tragedy took place and yet despite it all, what Hibakusha I have met bears no malice towards the nation that wiped out their families and forever left them with scars no American textbook will talk about. It wasn’t that long ago that Enola Gay pilot Paul Tibbets went on to his grave unrepentant for his actions during that raid. What saddens me is to hear that his 66 year old son is equally unapologetic and very angry that the Obama Administration has done the moral and correct thing by sending the first US Ambassador John Roos since the war’s end to participate in this years commemoration at peace Park in Hiroshima. I would rather see Obama himself attend but this first gesture by a fair and just president is perhaps the first of many steps to true reconciliation that has been long overdue.

It was a year ago that I attended my first Hiroshima commemoration service at the Koyasan Betsuin in Little Tokyo where I had met my first Hibakusha who insisted we call her Oba-Chan. It struck me how happy the Hibakusha were to have so many Americans come to these memorial services and this year was no different. Oba-Chan was happy to see us again and so was this years Hibakusha guest speaker Kaz Suyeshi thanked us for attending this years Hiroshima Memorial service led by Asahi Sensei at the Koyasan Betsuin in Little Tokyo. Each year the Hiroshima Peace Flame is brought out and each participant offers a candle for the victims long past. It is a moving solemn experience that brings the tragedy to life. In school we were taught that this was necessary to end the war and that our government had no other choice. When you listen to the humble words of the Hibakusha survivors they will tell you there was always a choice and I am inclined to agree. I have come to develop strong feelings about this issue. While I will still get criticism from people who claim they had some relative they never knew killed in Pearl Harbor, I now have met people who were just school children who watched the lone silver B-29 drop the single atomic bomb over their city obliterating the world around them. It is hard to hear their stories as you take notice of their half covered scars that they have lived with since that day and yet they say tell it without hatred or resentment. They are a better people than me and that’s one of many reasons I say Nippon wa Ichiban.

Today is August 6, 2010. I was invited to a special Hiroshima commemoration at the Garden of Oz atop Beachwood Canyon in the Hollywood Hills. (Sorry I could not take any photos of this event due to the sign posted.) It was a solemn event that started at 7:55 Am marking the start of the Enola Gay’s approach to Hiroshima. Steven Velez played a moving cello piece while Keiko Nakada Sokei performed a special tea ceremony for the dead in full kimono. The cello continued until 8:15 the minute the bomb was dropped. Hibakusha Kaz Suyeishi rang a Tibetan bowl ten times in remembrance of those lost at that fateful moment so long ago. This was not some random footnote out of a history book. This was real. Suyeishi-San was only 18 years old when she saw the bomb drop. The flash had knocked her to the ground. She had tried to cover her eyes and ears as she had been instructed but could have never imagined what happened after she awoke from her state of unconsciousness. The blue sky had gone and the city was silent. “Yare itai!” went the cries of her in the distance as she lay there with third degree burns under the wooden pilings of what was her house. It’s difficult to imagine being there with her at that moment yet there she was all these years later sharing her experience with us as tea and dove sweets from Kyoto was served to all who joined to pay their respects for those who had suffered so long ago. As repeated from Sunday’s service at the Koyasan Betsuin last Sunday, Suyeishi-San asked us to pledge to love and understand one another and that there be no more Hiroshima’s, No more Nagasaki’s, no more war. Once again I thanked Suyeishi-san for extending the invite to the beautiful Garden of Oz Contemplation of Compassion Hiroshima ceremony. As I left the ceremony I took notice of a single plague at the gate to the garden which read:

Cherish the sun for those who no longer can not’

09.11.01.

Koyasan Betsuin 08.01.2010

神 Kami の Rainier-Yama?

2010-07-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

It is often said in Seattle Washington, that Mount Rainier is known as the ever disappearing mountain. Seriously! Up until now, I had not much interest in seeing Mount Rainier or never considered Mt. Rainier’s similarity to another famous mountain Fujiyama, but there we were on the deck of a tour boat starring at this majestic sight that slowly emerged from the haze of Puget Sound. Neither, Tinahime or I had ever seen such a large volcano before and were instantly awestruck by its massive scale and beauty. What a sight indeed in all its natural wonder and majesty! Seeing Mount Rainer’s 14,000ft snow capped peak in the middle of July from the Seattle Waterfront, one could not be remiss without recalling that first image of Fujiyama in the 2003 American film epic The Last Samurai. Despite this not being Tokyo Bay, I could not help but be mesmerized by the power of this towering volcanic peak. Mount Rainier does not share the romantic smooth slopes of Mt. Fuji but it does have a beauty all its own.

Awe and natural wonder aside, this was just the start of where our troubles began. You see Tinahime and I had come to Seattle to visit the Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America located just north of the city in Granite falls to study Shinto and participate in Shinto ceremonies there. In by doing so I had come to recognize the Kami and their ever present nature around us. Call it crazy, but I started to think of Mount Rainer in such a fashion. I had recalled that scene in the German film Kirschbluten-Hanami playing in my head where Rudi travels to Fujiyama in hopes of seeing it but is repeatedly daunted by Fujiyama’s repeated disappearing acts into the haze and cloud cover. Rudi goes as far as to rent a room at a Ryokan with a view of Fujiyama so he can open his sliding shoji door and see if Fujiyama is there. He of course opens it and finds clouds over and over again until finally one morning the powerful Fujiyama stood before him starring right at him in all its magnificence!

Perhaps I had become carried away or dialed-in to my experiences at the Tsubaki Grand Shrine, but in any case I got into this habit of calling Mount Rainier “Rainier-yama.” And very much like Rudi, I found it frustrating to get a clear view of it. It was on our second day there that the sun cleared the sky of the clouds and revealed this incredible sight of this massive snow peaked volcano overlooking Seattle. Now to try to get a picture of it! Or at least try.

We had previously tried to get a good view to take a picture of Mt. Rainier two days earlier when the volcano first appeared. We had set out in our Avis rental car and started driving down the 5 freeway to get a better glimpse but the closer we would get something kept drawing us to keep driving even closer to it. Suddenly, I was really feeling like Rudi on his quest to see Fujiyama and going far off the beaten trail to get close to the towering volcano. Either I had gone insane or there indeed exists Kami there for as I endearingly mentioned the name Rainier-yama I got this amusing thought shouted back in my head in a Japanese accent from a distance yelling: “I’M NOT FUJI-YAMA!” Ok, I know I’m a bit eccentric and in tune with the nature of things but this started to get amusing and a bit weird if I may say so! But it didn’t stop there!

We kept on driving and damned if it was coincidence or this volcano’s Kami was seriously messing with me. It was like a game. Each time we lined up a good photo while driving the mountain would disappear! Ok, not really! Or did it? The road took dips and turns and then out of nowhere sprang tall trees and magnifcent forests and if that were not enough, hills just popped out of nowhere! It’s like the mountain was having a hysterically good time sticking its tongue at us and having a ball at our expense. Tinahime was like “What is going on?” It became unreal as now we were both hearing “I’M NOT FUJIYAMA!” It wasn’t a mean or scolding voice shouting in anger but more like something out of a crazy comedy sketch but we were still driving and it didn’t end there. We put this out of our heads for awhile and concentrated on why we were there in the first place. We toured Seattle one last time on our last day there and paid this no mind until it seemed the mountain was literally peaking around a building to see if we were paying him attention. Oh boy! The game was on again and there we were trying to catch a photo of this elusive mountain whose Kami was having a good time playing with us.

I am sure some people who will read this will relegate this as whimsical nonsense. It’s ok. You don’t have to believe in Kami (Shinto expression for natural things and godlike spirits that inspire awe in nature) to find this story amusing. But there at last we had boarded our Virgin America flight back home to LA when we noticed out of our window was that mountain again literally grinning at us in the beautiful red skies we had not seen before. “Remember now, I’m not Fujiyama,” went the Kami much like in the way Walter Matthau once repeated “I’m Not Rappaport.” It seemed the mountain had fun with us as we did on our crazy adventure with the mountain. And as an added bonus or a final farewell, Mount Rainier presented us with the most spectacular view from the air. I swear if that thing had arms it would have been waving bye to us as we waved back and bid Sayonara. It was something else!

Mountains can truly inspire as do many things in nature. The Native Americans recognized this and very likely had their own tales of Mount Rainier. Perhaps we caught Rainier on a good day for it has been known to be both a powerful and dangerous mountain particularly to the brave climbers who face death on its slopes. So powerful, I can feel it’s Kami from here in LA as I write this. And though it was not my beloved Fujiyama, Mount Rainier's Kami-Sama definitely left us with a lasting impression we will never forget and will always treasure for the rest of our lives.

Arigatou' Gozaimashite’

To find out more about Mount Rainier

Please visit:

Mount Rainier National Park

Enjoy!

すごいい! Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa: Up Close and Personal

2010-07-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

It has been over 65 years since Japan's catastrophic defeat at the end of the Second World War. During the war, thousands of fighter aircraft were built for Japan and fought throughout the Pacific Theater. Many planes were lost in combat and many more survived to the August surrender of 1945, yet so few of those surviving planes exist today. So when I discovered by chance there was a surviving Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa “Peregrine Falcon” fighter of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, I jumped at the chance to go see her in person.

You see, when I was growing up we all watched television and movies about the war usually filmed with models dangling from visible wires. In other cases, American A-T6’s were used to double as Mitsubishi Zero’s such as the Baa-Baa Black Sheep Squadron series which I used to see being filmed out of the Oxnard Airport by where I lived as a child in the 1970’s. I was disappointed back then to know there were no real Zero’s. There were plenty of original F-4U Corsairs for the show but no real Japanese fighters. I was seriously bummed. It would be some thirty years before I learned the real truth of the fate of the surviving planes.

If any of you have seen the recent Japanese film Ore-Kimi you will know that the American conquerors of Japan deliberately destroyed 99% of the surviving aircraft to prevent Japan from breaking the peace. From the standpoint of an aircraft history buff, I found that move to be as tragic as the entire war itself. But fortunately some planes do survive in museums thanks to the dedicated work of skilled restoration specialists such as GossHawk Unlimited of Casa Grande, Arizona who helped recreate this Hayabusa in 2008 from the wreckage of four planes that were based in the Kurile Islands.

The Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa served the Showa Emperor from late 1941 to the end of WWII. Close to 6000 of them were built and is said to have been more maneuverable than the famed Mitsubishi Zero. She was 29ft in length with a ceiling of 37,400 ft, and a range of 1,320 miles. Her cruising speed was 275 mph but suffered from the same problems of inadequate armor and firepower which cost the lives of many brave men who flew them. This plane bears the markings of the 3rd Chutai, 54th Sentai assigned to protect Hokkaido from attack from the Aleutian Islands.

In examining this Ki-43 up close, what struck me was how cramped the cockpit was. Even more so how small the flight suit was. The average pilot must had been no more than 5’8 to have fit in this thing! The restoration is flawless! My thanks go to Doug Champlin for finding the parts to restore her and to Col. Hiroo Murata of the JASDF for their dedication to this plane’s restoration. It is really worth seeing in person which stands as a living testiment to the men who flew them. This plane can be found at the Museum of Flight in Seattle Washington.

To find out more about the Ki-43 and other great warbirds please visit:

The Museum of Flight.

映画お盆の - Three Films for Obon

2010-07-09T16:53:00.000-07:00

The Japanese festival of Obon is upon us! It is a celebration of the annual return of our ancestral spirits marking our interdependence with them. It is a time of deep reflection and more so for those who have recently lost family or friends. There was a time I used to look forward to Halloween but since adopting Buddhist and Shinto practice and traditions I have found Obon to mean much more. It occurred to me when I started going to the Koyasan Betsuin in Little Tokyo that the dead had started to visit me every July in ever so frequent occurrences. In fact, frequent enough to all but eclipse the one or two visits during the Celtic New Year where there I can expect to hear from an old friend or two for a day or so. But in contrast Obon I can expect to see my grandfather, my old roommate Deirdre, older friends, and my most recently departed grandmother Sophie to check in on me in both my dreams and sometimes in some unexpected ways to let me know they are still with me. Ever watchful and ever in my heart their memories mirror my own.

So every year at Obon there are Buddhist memorial services and festivals both in the Nihon Machi’s in America and throughout Japan. I will be going to a few of them myself to pay respects to those who have passed on. So in reflection, I have decided to write about three films that individually deal with grief and the celebration of life from three different angles. May you find them as entertaining as they are heartfelt stories that reflect life and loss in the deep and subtlety that only Japanese Culture can express to share with all.

The first film is the German film Kirschbluten aka Cherry Blossoms - Hanami. It is a moving drama by director Dorris Dorrie made in 2008. The story is of an German elderly couple in Bavaria played by Elmar Wepper and Hannalore Elsner. Elsner plays Trudi who learns that her husband Rudi has come down with a terminal illness to which she chooses not to tell Rudi the gravity of his prognosis. Instead she talks her accountant husband to go on a spontaneous trip at the suggestion of Rudi’s physician. So they take a trip to Berlin to see their two grown up children and grandchildren in Berlin but they are so consumed with their own lives there is no time for Trudi & Rudi. Trudi’s third child is the grown up Karl who also works as an accountant in Tokyo Japan. It was her wish to see Mount Fuji but settles to see the Baltic Sea with Rudi instead of remaining in Berlin to be neglected by their family. Once there at a Baltic Sea Resort Rudi awakes to find his beloved Trudi had passed on. In his grief Rudi is consoled by his daughter’s girlfriend who was aware of Trudi’s love of Japanese Butoh Dance. And in going through her things he discovers she had sacrificed her life long desire to see Japan and more specifically Mount Fuji to live for her husband Rudi and their three children. In death Rudi realizes his wife had wished to live another life in Japan which makes him see his wife in a whole different light he had never known.

The poor grief stricken widower Rudi becomes consumed with guilt and loss and decides to go to Japan to fulfill his wife’s desire to see Mount Fuji. So in doing so he packs her Kimono and her clothes in an effort to bring her along. Once in Tokyo he is the care of his accountant son Karl who asks the question: “Why have you never visited me in Tokyo?” Rudi can only answer: “Because we always thought we would have more time.” Karl proceeds to deal with his own grief by being a workaholic and utterly neglecting his elderly father who can not speak Japanese. The isolation and neglect leads Rudi to go out on his own and explore Tokyo while engaging in some eccentric grief inspired behavior. During his visit to the Hanami he comes across a homeless teenage Butoh dancer named Yu played by Aya Irizuki who strikes up a strange and unlikely friendship. No this is not Lost in Translation. Yu’s dance is a shadow dance from which she interacts with her recently departed mother. In grief the two become art and in a climatic gesture, the two embark on a journey to see Mount Fuji in hopes of living his wife’s lifelong desire. This is a two hour film which starts off slow but becomes an engrossing drama. It won several awards and inspired many people in Germany to make check up calls on their parents. Enjoy Kudasai

My next film is the 2003 Australian film Japanese Story directed by Sue Brooks. Toni Collette plays Sandy Edwards who is a director for a software company in Perth, Australia. Her business partner arranges for her to act as a tour guide for a Japanese businessman Tachibana Hiromitsu played by Gotaro Tsunamashima – task she is least enthusiastic about. To add to her sense of indignity, Hiromitsu expects her to open doors and carry his luggage which adds to her level of resentment to her partners who expects her to do her best in order to sell their company’s software. As expected, Sandy and Hiromitsu do not get along. He winds up talking her into driving into the Australian Outback where they end up getting their vehicle stuck in the mud. The two become stranded and are forced to spend the night in the desert together. The following day, Hiromitsu realizes that his arrogance and disregard for Sandy's consideration had placed the two in danger which motivates him to free the vehicle and make the situation right which leads to Sandy becoming his friends.

Now that they can stand to speak to one another, they begin to start a friendship which leads to a sexual relationship. It is only afterwards that Hiromitsu reveals he has a wife and children living in Japan. The two go swimming then unexpectedly tragedy strikes. Hiromitsu dived into a shallow end of a watering hole and comes up dead. The tragedy sends Sandy into a tailspin as she tries to deal with her sudden circumstances. Not only will she have to explain what happened to her business partner, she will have to deal with Hiromitsu’s grieving wife. Talk about reality check in the harshest terms! There are some expressions that need no translations. I didn’t think I was going to like this film but then before you know it you get hooked and feel the sense of loss along with the characters. It is possible you may too.

My final film for Obon is the 2008 film by Yojiro Takita "Departures." Unlike my first two films this does not share the moving song titled Chinsagu no Hana. This Japanese production stars Masahiro Motoki who plays Daigo Kobayashi. A cellist in the Tokyo Opera. Upon hearing the the news of the orchestra’s disillusion, Kobayashi decides to sell his cello and move back to his home town to which his wife passively accepts. Once back in his hometown of Sakata, Yamagata he finds an ad for an NK Agency for assisting departures. Kobayashi naturally assumes this is a job at a travel agency but it turns out he has just been hired on the spot for a job where he must ceremoniously prepare the dead in front of mourners for burial. The money is good but the feared wrath and embarrassment from his wife is not. So after being advanced money from his new job he tries to explain his new position to his wife without detail.

This is a fascinating film which shows you the ins and outs of the Japanese funeral industry. The methods of what they call nokan (encoffinment) are indeed a foreign concept here in America but performed with such dignity before the family. Kobayashi must clean, dress, and apply makeup all before the mourning family. He inevitably becomes really good at his profession but just when you think it’s safe his wife Mika played by Ryoko Hirosue finds the training video and demands he quits immediately. But when his estranged father passes away, new meaning to his work becomes evident to both Kobayashi and Mika. It is a deeply fascinating movie and one that leaves you in awe of the dignified customs of Japan. Enjoy kudasai!

なに? Sakamoto Ryoma Original Soccer Star?

2010-06-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

Sakamoto Ryoma has to be one of the most popular figures in Japanese history. He has been the subject of numerous historical dramas, books, films, and internet blogs. I’ve always wanted to write something about Ryoma and until I came across this photo, I could no longer resist. For those of you not familiar with Sakamoto Ryoma, he was an influential Samurai from the powerful Tosa Domain during the late Bakumatsu Period of Japan (1860’s). He is best remembered as Statesmen, Visionary, and Japan’s first JFA Soccer Star. なに? Did I just say Soccer Star? Yup! That's right! You heard it here! Japan's First International Soccer Star was none other than Sakamoto Ryoma!

なんちゃて! Ok just kidding! Ryoma was not the father of Japan's Soccer League nor did he play for the national team. In fact Futbol Soccer was not even in Japan until quite recently. But in all seriousness, I had come across the Samurai Blue website while looking for photos of Japan's national team and found this curious psuedo monument depiction of Ryoma all decked out in Samurai Blue Adidas gear at Samurai Blue Park. I about spit up my Sapporo when I first saw this photo but loved where they were going with it none the less. Samurai Blue Park is located next to National Stadium in Yoyogi Park Tokyo which was created by the Japan Football Association for the 2010 World Cup. Who knows how long the JFA will keep this open now that Japan has been eliminated from the Round of 16 in the World Cup but If you would like to see more of this park please visit the Samurai Blue’s official website at http://samuraiblue.jp/

American Mishima

Ljungberg Leaves Shimizu S-Pulse

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

2012 Hoshimatsuri

Remnants & Effects of Wars Past

2012 Hatsu Kaze Kotohajime in Little Tokyo

受像 George Takei to appear on Celebrity Apprentice

新しい年 Happy New Years 2012!

Hatsumiyamairi - Baby's First Shrine Visit

Kotohajime Date Announced for 2012

太平洋の奇跡－フォックスと呼ばれた男－ Oba The Last Samurai

こんにちは Konnichi-Wa Mia-Chan!

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

津波の回復 Japan Six Months Later

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

一日の画像 - Imperial Audience

更新 American Mishima E-Store Update!

American Mishima E-Store Gets New Life!

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

残酷な Soccer Fan Cruelty

ばか! Co-Pilot Mishap Sends ANA Plane Into Nosedive

新しい変更点 New Changes to American Mishima

高野山 New Sensei arrives at LA Koyasan Betsuin in Little Tokyo

2011年地震 A Mother's Love

9月11日追悼 Looking Back To 9/11 Ten Years Later

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

地震！The Great Quake That Wasn't

ばか! Baka in America

うちゅ せんかん ヤマト – Space Battleship Yamato Movie on DVD

二世ウィークリトル東京 - Nisei Week 2011

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

原子記念 66th Hiroshima-Nagasaki Memorial in Little Tokyo

突然死 Former Samurai Blue 2002 World Cup Star Dies.

お盆の写真 Photos of Obon

お盆 Photo for Obon

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

なでしこジャパン 日本 Japan's Cinderella Win over the US in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup

アメリカと日本サッカー The Parallels of American Soccer & Japanese Football Leagues

なでしこジャパン Japan Defeats Sweden and Makes it to the 2011 FIFA WWC FINAL!

Soma Transfer Update

なでしこジャパン Japan Defeats Germany in the 2011 Women's World Cup!

なでしこジャパン Japan's Stunning Victory over Mexico in the 2011 Women's World Cup

Kazumi Zatkin Stars in Madame Butterfly

ありがとう! US Women's Soccer Team for Japan

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

なに? Love & Other Drugs for Real? ばか!

Sayonara Sensei

硫黄島 Doing the Right Thing: Returning War Souveniers to Bring Closure

日本演劇 Japanese Theater: Memory of Mother

日本サッカー J-League Defender Takahito Soma to come to MLS

Ichiban Konichiwa!

日本文化 Getty Museum Exhibit Features Vintage Samurai

神道 Defying the Tsunami, Otsuchi - Kozuchi Shinto Shrine Survives

救済の取り組み Ken Watanabe's Street Team Sends Love from Little Tokyo

ビル - Kirin's Double Disaster & Recovery

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

JFAのサッカー Japan’s J-League – So What’s Next?

ががく Gagaku: The Sacred Court Music of Japan

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

補佐して日本 LA GALAXY Partners to help Japan Disaster Victims

救済の取り組み Ken Watanabe Helps Lift Spirits in Japan

救助活動 - Sandra Bullock Helps Japan Relief Effort

無私の犠牲 Selfless Sacrifice - The Fukushima 50

災害救援の努力- MLS W.O.R.K.S. Joins the Disaster Relief Effort

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

ばか! Sea Shepard Founder Adds Foul to Disaster.

ばか! Aflac Spokesman Quacked!

核危機 Post Disaster Nuclear Crisis in Japan

日本における災害 MLS Star Kosuke Kimura Reflects on the Disaster in Japan.

災害救援 MLS Teams Pledge Aid to Japan Disaster Victims

津波の悲劇 - Tsunami Tragedy 2011

二月十一日 American Mishima Milestone

仏教 Hoshi Matsuri 2011

日本サッカー Japan's Samurai Blue Takes the 2011 AFC Asian Cup!

一日の画像 Picture of the Day

2011 Usagi no Toshi

Reflections on a Year Past

神道 - Searching For Shinto: An Author's First Shrine Visit

真言宗 Shingon Buddhism – A Rare Look Inside Goma

うちゅせんかんヤマト – Space Battleship Yamato Movie on DVD

なでしこジャパン日本 Japan's Cinderella Win over the US in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup

日本映画: ゴテンダですか? Sideways Re-envisioned Nihon-jin Style