Friday, October 31, 2003
Song of the Moment: "Shanghai Honey" - Orange Range
Yep, it's started... my interest in Japan pop music. Download the above song if you can find it online... great stuff, sorta hiphop/rock fusion with Japanese lyrics. Pop music here in Japan is interesting... you think the music industry is evil in America? They ain't got nothing on Japan... average prices for CDs here: $10 for a single (1-2 songs + instrumentals) $35-40 for a full length LP (10-15 songs) Crazy, eh? Strangely, American music is priced same as America... $13-19 for a CD. Maybe that's why American music is becoming so popular. It's cheaper to buy... Anyways... Yesterday, I went to visit the city of Yagi and Kashihara Jingu shrine... very nice area, parks and everything. I had no idea what was special about the shrine - all the signs were in Japanese only. The place was also partially closed (some holiday?), so I wasn't able to look at the shrine up close... only from a distance. Being the curious guy I am, I Googled "Kashihara Jingu" and this is what I found... Jimmu Tenno The Legend of Jimmu Tenno Pictures of Kashihara Jingu Apparently, the legendary first emperor of Japan, Jimmu Tenno, is buried there. Even though while I had no idea of the significance of the place while I was visiting there, I had some idea that it was very important. Everything about the area was meticulously cared for - from the gravel path, to the bridges and the trees - people here in Japan have a lot of respect for old things, and history. Back home in America, I wouldn't be surprised if somebody told me they have to wipe graffitti off the Lincoln Memorial every couple of weeks to keep it clean. I'm thinking of finally getting out to Kyoto in a couple of weeks. My students have been great in suggesting places for me to visit. Also on the list of places to go: COSTCO. Nothing historical about Costco, but hey... a man's gotta live. I'm talking big bags of frozen boneless chicken breasts/thighs, mass ramen, and $1.50 hotdog and soda. I found out the closest one is in Amagasaki, a city one stop down from my school by express train. Random note: My favorite online store, Digital Gravel, got in some new gear. I love this t-shirt... so simple, so eloquent. Surprisingly, with the growth of hiphop culture here in Japan, there's a lot of interesting clothes for sale... but mostly brandname wh0ring... lots of Sean Jean, RoccaWear... bleh. |
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in?scrip?tion (n-skrip-shun)n.
the facts.
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