Japanese civilization

ABOUT THE CINEMA SERIES "A MAN IS DIFFICULT"
In 1996, the movie series Y. Yamada "It's hard for a man" ("Otoko wa tsuray yo") got into the Guinness Book of Records as the longest series of films with…

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Yakuza Eyga
Yakuza Eyga (Jap. ヤ ク ザ 映 画, literally - gangster cinema) is a Japanese cinema genre dedicated to the yakuza, at different times allowing either heroization or absolute denial…

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How to celebrate New Year in Japan
New Year in Japan: holiday history, traditions and customs, Japanese analogues of Santa Claus, Christmas tree, greetings and postcards, feast and festivities. New Year is the most famous holiday celebrated…

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Did Jesus really escape execution, get married and live in Japan: Museum in the village of Shingo

650 km north of Tokyo you can find the tiny village of Shingo, which locals consider the last refuge of Jesus Christ. Allegedly among the quiet hills of this place forgotten by God, the Christian prophet lived like an ordinary farmer, growing garlic. He had three daughters and lived in a Japanese village until 106 years old. All this, as well as many other interesting facts, is described in the local Museum of Jesus. Who knows, maybe today you can run into several of his descendants right on the street …
Shingo is located in Aomori Prefecture, and its population is about 2500 people. Near the alleged grave of Christ are other popular tourist attractions – a car race track, a stunning pyramid and the so-called “Big Rock”. However, tourists still travel to Shingo primarily to see the place where Jesus lived another Continue reading

Secrets of “Japanese Disney”: Why Hayao Miyazaki’s cartoons are so different from Western

The great master of Japanese animation creates completely unique works. Each of his films immerses the viewer in a separate, fully-fledged world. It seems that outside the frame, its inhabitants continue to exist according to their laws. To better understand the famous animator, you should look into his creative laboratory, because Miyazaki creates special paintings and he does it by his own rules.
The fate of Hayao Miyazaki can serve as an example of the fact that “real talent will always break through,” because in childhood, it seemed, nothing could help this boy become a famous animator. He was born in 1941, and in the first years he was forced to experience all the horrors of the bombing and evacuation with his family. His father was the director of a factory for the manufacture of aircraft parts, his mother for many years suffered from a serious illness of the spine and was often in hospitals. Continue reading

did not leave Russia without an emperor

Satsumi rebellion shocked Japan. For almost 8 months of 1877, an untitled aristocracy led by the samurai Saigo Takamori occupied part of Kyushu Island. Anti-government sentiments were unusually strong in the 70s of the 19th century due to a number of reforms carried out by the authorities. One of the main causes of the uprising is the fall in the authority of the samurai. Warriors could not forgive such an insult. The abolition of pensions, the abolition of the samurai army itself (the nationwide appeared in its place), the ban on the carrying of weapons – all this, as well as other modernizations, were progressive solutions designed to put an end to archaism. But the samurai could not just take it and let them send themselves to the sidelines of history. Then came the unpopular land-tax reform, which caused violent fermentation among the peasantry. And Saigo Takamori decided that it was time to act.

The uprising began. And although it lasted for almost 8 months, all this time the samurai suffered defeats. Power was stronger, and they could not do anything about it. The final point was set at the Battle Continue reading

BEAUTY OF BUDDHIAN AND SINTOIST SCULPTURE ATTRACTS THE SHOWER OF A EUROPEAN

Having bought an amazing enameled vase decorated with a figure of some deity as a Christmas present for my daughter, I wanted to find out who is depicted in this vase. And I headed to the house of Monasmit Byron, located in the Tokyo area of ​​Sinanomati.

Byron put on tiny Taisho-era silver-framed glasses (1912-1926) and delved into the reference book.

“This is the deity of Benzai-ten, better known as Benten-sama, the prototype of which was the Hindu goddess Saraswati. Benzai-ten is the only female deity among the Shifufujin – the seven Shinto gods of fortune. The goddess of water and music, she is usually portrayed playing the lute” biwa ” as in this vase, “he said.

I knew that I had come to one of the most competent experts.

When I came to Byron again, but as a journalist, to talk with him in more detail, he photographed a black lacquered zushi – a vertical double-leaf casket where Buddhist statues are usually placed, preparing to sell it at the eBay online auction. Since Continue reading

THEORIES OF “NIHONDZINRON” IN JAPANESE BILLS

In the near future, the Japanese government plans to put into circulation new-type banknotes with new “faces.” Gradually, such money will supersede the existing banknotes of the 1984 model. An interesting feature of Japan is that the banknotes depict the “nichondzinron” theorists [I], great enlighteners, people who made a huge contribution to the formation of the Japanese worldview during the Meiji period.

Why aren’t banknotes, for example, the first Minister of Finance of this period or the first president of the First National Bank? After all, these people had to re-create the financial system of Japan according to the Western model. “According to the results of the American trip, Deputy Minister of Finance Ito Hirobumi [II] proposed urgent reforms in the financial sphere, namely, to pass a law on the issue of government securities, create modern Continue reading

THEORIES OF "NIHONDZINRON" IN JAPANESE BILLS
In the near future, the Japanese government plans to put into circulation new-type banknotes with new "faces." Gradually, such money will supersede the existing banknotes of the 1984 model. An…

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How Samurai's son Matsuo Basho glorified the Japanese three-song haiku all over the world
Haiku (hoku) remains popular largely due to the fact that it perfectly conveys the subtexts of the funny, allows you to achieve funny understatement - a couple of expressive touches,…

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A LITTLE ABOUT CAGURA
The Japanese term "Kagura" consists of two characters, the first of which means "Divine", "sparkling", and the second - in this context - "music". This is the name of cult…

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