Amaterasu

Amaterasu (天照, Amaterasu), Amaterasu-ōmikami (天照大神 / 天照大御神, Amaterasu-ōmikami) or Ōhiru-menomuchi-no-kami (大日孁貴神, Ōhiru-menomuchi-no-kami) is in The Japanese Shinto sun goddess, ruler of the Plain of Heaven, whose name means 'shining heaven' or 'she who shines in the heavens' and perhaps the most important Shinto deity (神, kami). Her name, Amaterasu, means literally "(that which) illuminates Heaven". She was born from the left eye of Izanagi as he purified himself in a river and went on to become the ruler of the Higher Celestial Plain (Takamagahara).

When her brother, the storm-god Susanowa, ravaged the earth she retreated to a cave because because of her brother's actions. She closed the cave with a large boulder. Her disappearance deprived the world of light and life. Demons ruled the earth. The other gods used everything in their power to lure her out, but to no avail. Finally it was Uzume who succeeded. The laughter of the gods when they watched her comical and obscene dances aroused Amaterasu's curiosity. When she emerged from her cave a streak of light escaped (a streak nowadays people call dawn). The goddess then saw her own brilliant reflection in a mirror which Uzume had hung in a nearby tree. When she drew closer for a better look, the gods grabbed her and pulled her out of the cave. She returned to the sky, and brought light back into the world.

Amaterasu's main sanctuary is Ise-Jingue situated on Ise, on the island of Honshu. This temple is pulled down every twenty years and then rebuild in its original form. In the inner sanctum she is represented by a mirror (her body). She is also called Omikami ("illustrious goddess") and Tensho Daijan (in Sino-Japanese pronunciation).

In Naruto, amaterasu was used by Itachi Uciha as his jutsu. Amaterasu will burn every thing with its strongest jutsu, opposite of Tsukuyomi, a genjutsu of similar power. Itachi Uchiha was the first person shown in Naruto that could use Amaterasu. He later gave the power to Sasuke Uchiha. The jet-black flames are said to be as hot as the sun. Since the Mangekyo Sharingan is necessary to be able to use this technique, not many have learned it. All that is known is that it is extremely powerful since it can punch through Jiraiya's Summoning: Toad Mouth Bind, which Jiraiya states to be fire retardent. Not surprisingly, it appears to use a large amount of chakra. Amaterasu burns everything within Itachi's wide field of vision to cinders with an unholy black flame, to the degree of being able to burn an entire forest or village with it. As long as the user keeps the target within their eyesight, this technique is unavoidable.

KeKKaisHi

Kekkaishi is a manga series by Yellow Tanabe. It is published in Japan by Shogakukan and in North America in English by Viz Media. It has been adapted into an ongoing anime series by Sunrise beginning in October 2006.

The Story

Five hundred years ago, a feudal lord was attacked by demons wanting to retrieve his mysterious inner power, the invincible power that can help them take over the human world. The famous mage, Tokimori Hazama, was called upon, and with his 2 students, managed to save the whole land. But they fell ill, the feudal lord was killed, his power was also buried with him at a site called Karasumori.


In the present day, Yoshimori Sumimura and Tokine Yukimura, heirs of the Hazama clan, became the kekkaishi protecting the land and the power. They use a technique called Kekkai, a form of magical barrier, used to capture and destroy Ayakashi (monsters/demons) that are drawn to this land. Any demons that come near the power will become stronger and therefore Yoshimori and Tokine are to guard the land from intrusion of the Ayakashi.

But some of the demons form a powerful organization to take over that mysterious power. Yoshimori plans to destroy not only the demons, but also to gain the power to completely save the world from being controlled by demons. To do that, he first needs to know what the power actually is, and also strengthen his poor kekkai skills.

UzUmaKi NaRutO

is any one knos Uzumaki Naruto? hahaha.. i bet most of everyone that like to watch anime or read manga must know uzumaki naruto.Naruto Uzumaki is a fictional character in the Naruto universe created by Masashi Kishimoto as the main protagonist for the series and developed into other media. While creating Naruto, Kishimoto kept in mind to keep the character "simple and stupid" while giving him many attributes of Son Goku from the Dragon Ball franchise.

In the story, Naruto is a young ninja from the fictional village of Konoha. His body encases the spirit of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox that attacked his village around the time of his birth. His primary motivation throughout the series is to become Hokage, or in other words, the village leader of Konoha. During the beginning of the series, Naruto was a simple-minded prankster who wished for acceptance. However, as the series progresses, Naruto develops into a much more mature character, although he still retains some of his childlike traits.

right now in Japan the series of Naruto has change to naruto shippuden. its story same as storyline after the passing of two and a half years in the fictional Naruto universe.series

link for naruto official site :
http://naruto.viz.com/
http://narutofan.com (in this site Offers direct downloads of naruto anime and manga chapters, summaries, character information and forums)

Nakama

To One piece lovers maybe you heard luffi (One piece central character) said "i love my nakama" or "i will not leave my nakama". what is actually nakama means? nakama (仲間) in japan means colleague, compatriot, or comrade. so.. start to call your friends nakama.. and feel the spirit of true friend :P

Oyabun (i heard this word in one piece anime)

when i first heard oyabun, i think that oyabun is like word okaasan ora obaasan in japan. but i'm not sure with my conclusion. i began to search in my japan dictionary. i found that oyabun is words to define the supervisor or crime boss.

i search in wikipedia as online encyclopedia , it said that oyabun is like acriem boss or something like that. i'm not sure if im right. if you have another idea what is oyabun, please inform me.

thank you..

SaKuRa

Sakura or Cherry Blossom (サクラ) is the Japanese name for ornamental cherry trees, Prunus serrulata, and their blossoms. Cherry fruit (known as sakuranbo) come from a different species of tree. It can also be used as a name. There are many dozens of different cherry tree varieties in Japan, most of which bloom for just a couple of days in spring. The Japanese celebrate that time of the year with hanami (cherry blossom viewing) parties under the blooming trees. in

Japan, cherry blossoms symbolize the transience of life because of their short blooming times. They have also come to represent clouds due to their nature of blooming en masse. Falling blossoms are used as metaphors for fallen warriors who died bravely in battle. Due to this connotation, they are closely associated with the samurai. This theme remains alive today and is often observed in pop culture, especially manga and anime. Music also works with the theme; for example, the band Kagrra often uses sakura in its songs and live shows for ambiance. The flower is also represented on all manner of consumer goods, including kimono, stationery, and dishware. Cherry blossoms are an enduring metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life, and as such are frequently depicted in art.There is at least one popular folk song, originally meant for the shakuhachi (bamboo flute), titled "Sakura", as well as a number of pop songs. "Sakura" is also a common Japanese female name.

Japan’s most beloved variety of sakura is the Somei Yoshino. Its flowers are nearly pure white, tinged with the palest pink, especially near the stem. The flowers bloom and usually fall within a week, before the leaves come out. Other categories include yamazakura, yaezakura, and shidarezakura. The yaezakura have large flowers, thick with rich pink petals. The shidarezakura, or weeping cherry, has branches that fall like those of a weeping willow, bearing cascades of pink flowers.

Anime

anime is an abbreviation of the word "animation". Outside Japan, the term most popularly refers to animation originating in Japan. To the West, not all animation is considered anime; and anime is considered a subset of animation.

Anime has many genres typically found in any mass media form. Such genres include action, adventure, children's stories, comedy, drama, erotica (hentai), medieval fantasy, occult/horror, romance, and science fiction. Most anime includes content from several different genres, as well as a variety of thematic elements. Thus, some series may be categorized under multiple genres. For example, Neon Genesis Evangelion might be considered to fall into the genres of post-apocalyptic, mecha, drama, and shonen-ai. A show may have a seemingly simple surface plot, but at the same time may feature a far more complex, deeper storyline and character development. It is not uncommon for an action themed anime to also involve humor, romance, and even social commentary. The same can be applied to a romance themed anime in that it may involve an action element, or in some cases brutal violence.

Anime is available outside of Japan in localized form. Licensed anime is modified by distributors through dubbing into the language of the country. The anime may also be edited to alter cultural references that may not be understood by a non-Japanese person and certain companies may remove what may be perceived as objectionable content. This process was far more common in the past (e.g. One Piece), when anime was largely unheard of in the west, but its use has declined in recent years because of the demand for anime in its original form. This "light touch" approach to localization has proved popular with fans as well as viewers formerly unfamiliar with anime. The popularity of such methods is evident by the success of Naruto and Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block, both of which employ minor edits. The "light touch" approach also applies to DVD releases as they often include both the dubbed audio and the original Japanese audio with subtitles, are typically unedited. Anime edited for television is usually released on DVD "uncut," with all scenes intact.

Anime has also been a commercial success in Asia, Europe and Latin America, where anime has become even more mainstream than in the United States. For example, the Saint Seiya video game was released in Europe due to the popularity of the show even years after the series has been off-air.

related blog http:direct-naruto.blogspot.com

Hinamatsuri

Hinamatsuri is The Japanese Doll Festival held on March 3 and celebrates "Girls' Day". usually hinamatsuri also called girld day in japan. on this day, families pray for the happiness and prosperity of their girls and to help ensure that they grow up healthy and beautiful. The celebration takes place both inside the home and at the seashore. Both parts are meant to ward off evil spirits from girls

on hinamatsuri day, dolls are displayed in the house together with peach blossoms. in order to transferred bad fortune to dolls and then removed by abandoning the doll on a river. the displayed doll take out around mid-February and put it away immediately after Hina Matsuri is over. There is a superstition that says that families slow to put away the dolls will have trouble marrying off their daughters.

The best place to experience Hina Matsuri in Wakayama prefecture is at Kada shrine. It's right by the shore and the priests host the Hina Matsuri there every year.

ShiniGami

Shinigami (死神) it means "death god". is the Japanese name for personifications of death, in particular the Grim Reaper, which was imported to Japan from Europe during the Meiji period. maybe we find the similarity of shinigami and Grim reaper that was quickly adopted by the Japanese, and early on featured in such works as a rakugo play called Shinigami and in Shunsen Takehara's Ehon Hyaku Monogatari (One-hundred Story Picture-Book) The term shinigami may also be used more loosely to refer to any death deity. It seems to be a recent term, however, as it belongs to no specific Shinto deity and is rarely used in folklore. we can find many difference term about shinigami in many anime and manga in japan. such as naruto, bleach, death note, hellsing, gundam, and many more. lately this shinigami became very popular in japan. many folklore, anime, and manga are using shinigami as their main character.
i cant find the image how is truly shinigami are. maybe these picture from many terms of shinigami can help you understand how is shinigami looks like..
taken from shinigami no ballads














taken from death note

Tengu

Tengu (天狗, Tengu "heavenly dogs") are a class of supernatural creatures found in Japanese folklore, art, theater, and literature. They are one of the best known yōkai (monster-spirits) and are sometimes worshipped as Shinto kami (revered spirits or gods). Although they take their name from a dog-like Chinese demon, the tengu were originally thought to take the forms of birds of prey, and they are traditionally depicted with both human and avian characteristics. The earliest tengu were pictured with beaks, but this feature has often been humanized as an unnaturally long nose, which today is practically the tengu's defining characteristic in the popular imagination.


japanesse people believe that tengu are mountain and forest goblins with both Shinto and Buddhist attributes. Their supernatural powers include shape-shifting into human or animal forms, the ability to speak to humans without moving their mouth, the magic of moving instantly from place to place without using their wings, and the sorcery to appear uninvited in the dreams of the living.
Tengu are born from giant eggs and live in the mountains. Bird tengu congregate in high trees. In their last incarnation as humans, tengu were arrogant samurai or priests-that is why they have beaks or long noses. The expression tengu ni naru is thus an admonition to avoid being arrogant. If they do good deeds, however, tengu can be reborn as humans. The wings of bird tengu are usually shown with ordinary feathers. However, some authorities describe the wings as shimmering, like those of a hummingbird. This would be in keeping with their heavenly origin.

The Shasekishū, a book of Buddhist parables from the Kamakura period, makes a point of distinguishing between good and bad tengu. The book explains that the former are in command of the latter and are the protectors, not opponents, of Buddhism - although the flaw of pride or ambition has caused them to fall onto the demon road, they remain the same basically good, dharma-abiding persons they were in life.