Japan My Love - Japanese culture, tv, news, trend, food

TV broadcasting has been "analog" so far in Japan.
But July 24th 2011, it will be changed.
All TV broadcasting will be "digital terrestrial", and current analog TV won't be available after that.
So people will have to buy a new one for new broadcasting.
Good points of digital terrestrial TV broadcasting is
- high quality of picture
- hight quality of sound
- useful service for elderies and handicapped people can be available.
- useful information for each area can be offered.

Digital terrestrial TV broadcasting is adopted in 20 countries like US, UK, Germany, Italy...
In 2011 TV sales should go up for sure.

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"The red and white singing contest" in 2009 got a special guest from UK.
Her name is Susan Boyle.
She suddenly became famous worldwide since she joined the popular audition TV program in UK.
Her name often appears in news headlines here in Japan as well.
She sang "I dreamed a dream" in "The red and white singing contest".
Over 40% of Japanese citizens watch this program on New Year's Eve.
Her beautiful voice attracted the audience in front of the TV.
Susan is getting many offers from Japanese media after she appeared in this national famous TV program.
She's getting popularity also here in Japan!
According to the news, Susan looks forward to visit Japan again.

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I dreamed a dream

Japanese people go to shrines to pray for the happiness of the new year on New Year's Day.
This visit is called "Hatsumoude" or "Hatsumode".
They throw coins into an offertory box.
5(=pronounced as "go") yen coins has a meaning "good luck of meeting new people" since "goen" means "chance of meeting" in Japanese language.
So people who are looking for partners usually throw 5 yen coins.
There's a rope hanging from the ceiling which has a bell stuck to the upper end of the rope.
People pull it to ring the bell after they throw coins, and they clap hands 2-3 times and join palms together and close eyes for minutes to pray.
This action is not special for New Year's Day.
We usually do this whenever we see an offertory box in shrines and temples.

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In ancient time, Miko was a virgin who served God.
At that time various services were conducted to calm God.
Miko was the one who conducted them.
Miko's role was to be the body God descended to, and Miko spoke for the God.
Nowadays Miko is a woman who works for a shrine.
Miko sometimes dances at divine ceremonies.
There also are many Miko girls who work temporarily at shrine as part-time job.
They especially work there when shrines are quite busy like New Year's Day.
People visit shrines on New Year's Day to pray for happiness of the new year.
Many goods like charms are sold there, and part-time Miko usually works as a cashier.
They're in traditional costume and look very cute.

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There is a young American guy who sensationally made a hit in enka world in Japan.
His name is Jero(Jerome Charles White, Jr.).
He's from Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh.
His father is an African-American and his mother is half-American half-Japanese.
His grandmother is a Japanese, and he's been familiar with enka since childhood.
He tried to practice enka for his grandmother, then he gradually got absorbed in enka himself.
He came to Japan for the first time when he was 15.
He studied abroad in Japan for 3 months while he was in University of Pittsburgh and he decided to become an enka singer at this time.
After graduation in 2003, he came to Japan again and worked as an English teacher in Wakayama prefecture, then he changed his job as a computer engineer in Osaka prefecture.
While he was working, he tried to join singing contests.
In 2005 he won the first prize at Karaoke contest and was recruited as a potential singer by Victor Entertainment, and he passed an audition.
Judges say "He's polite, and sings well whatever song is requested."
He was trained for 2 years, and finally made his debut with his first song "Umiyuki".
In 2008 he joined "The red and white singing contest" which is the national most famous TV program of a year, which proves a participant to be a well-known singer in Japan.

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Uwasa no onna


Umiyuki


Showa Karesusuki (duet)

We eat buckwheat noodles called "soba" in Japanese at midnight on New Year's Eve.
This is called "Toshikoshi soba" which means "soba to welcome the new year".
This special soba has some hidden meanings.
1. live happily for long since soba is thin and long.
2. throw all bad luck of the old year away since soba is easily snapped.
3. live like soba since buckwheat stands up in the sun even after it's exposed to a storm.
If you don't finish this soba, then it's said that you wouldn't have a luck of money in the new year.
It's also said that you have to finish this soba by 12 o'clock at night.
Otherwise it's said you'll bring on bad luck to the new year.

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We watch "The red and white singing contest" on New Year's eve.
It's the competition between teams of male and female singers, but on the other hand, there's an invisible costume competition between 2 singers.
One is a female singer called "Sachiko Kobayashi".
She's an enka singer.
Her costume has been the special-feature of this TV program for many years.
The other singer is called "Kenichi Mikawa".
He is a male enka singer, but his way of talking is completely middle aged lady.
We don't know if he's a gay or not...(mysterious...)
His costume is also the special-feature of this program.
Many people look forward to watch their costumes every year.

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Sachiko Kobayashi





Kenichi Mikawa