Onsen

An onsen (温泉)  is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth. Onsen were traditionally used as public bathing places and today play a central role in directing Japanese domestic tourism.

Onsen come in many types and shapes, including outdoor (露天風呂 or 野天風呂, rotenburo or notenburo) and indoor baths. Baths may be either public run by a municipality or private (内湯, uchiyu?) often run as part of a hotel, ryokan or Bed and Breakfast (民宿, minshuku).

Onsen are a central feature of Japanese tourism often found out in the countryside but there are a number of popular establishments still found within major cities. They are a major tourist attraction drawing Japanese couples, families or company groups who want to get away from the hectic life of the city to relax. Japanese often talk of the virtues of "naked communion" (裸の付き合い, hadaka no tsukiai?) for breaking down barriers and getting to know people in the relaxed homey atmosphere of a ryokan with an attached onsen. Japanese television channels often feature special programs about local onsens.

Traditionally, onsen were located outdoors, although a large number of inns have now built indoor bathing facilities as well. Onsen by definition use naturally hot water from geothermally heated springs. Onsen should be differentiated from sentō, indoor public bath houses where the baths are filled with heated tap water. The legal definition of an onsen includes that its water must contain at least one of 19 designated chemical elements, including radon and metabolic acid and be 25°C or warmer before being reheated. Stratifications exist for waters of different temperatures. Major onsen resort hotels often feature a wide variety of themed spa baths and artificial waterfalls in the bathing area utaseyu  (打たせ湯).

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.

Itadakimasu

when we watch anime ora drama in japan, ussualy we hear a phrase "itadakimasu" at every meal time every day. but what is the meaning of "itadakimasu" exactly. and then i try to I look up the word in my dictionary, and try to search this phrases really means.
it was said that "itadakimasu" means I take your life. i began to think, why this phrases said when they had meal? my friend that study in faculty of Japanesse letter, he said that "itadakimasu" is a reward or symbol to animals, plants, and for people that have work to make (grow/catch) our meals (farmers, fisherman, or breeder). Shinto religion, was have a powerfull effect in this phrases, that we have to honour every life and work that sacrified for us.

itadakimasu :

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

GeiSha

Geisha (芸者) are professional female entertainers who perform traditional Japanese arts whose skills include performing various Japanese arts, such as classical music and dance. Contrary to popular opinion and Western stereotypes, geisha are not prostitutes. maybe you can see the term of geisha ini film titteled "memoir of geisha".

They are trained in a number of traditional skills such as Japanese ancient dance, singing, playing instruments such as the Shamisen, flower arrangement, wearing kimo no, tea ceremony, calligraphy, conversation, alcohol serving manners and more. Geisha continue to study and perfect these skills throughout their careers as geisha.

A successful geisha must demonstrate beauty, grace, artistic talent, charm, impeccable etiquette, and refinement. Only guests with a long time connection with the tea house are allowed and tea houses generally don't take on new clients without an introduction. The profession of a geisha is a very expensive business and a geisha party can easily cost thousands of US dollars. The total number of geisha in the 1920's was 80,000, but today the number of geisha has dropped to 10,000 due to the westernizing of Japanese culture.

Apprentice geisha are called maiko. This word is made of the kanji 舞 (mai) meaning "dancing" and 妓 (ko) meaning "child". It is the maiko, with her white make-up and elaborate kimono and hairstyle, that has become the stereotype of a "geisha" to westerners, rather than the true geisha.

Tokyo geisha generally do not follow the ritualized Kyoto maiko apprentice process. The training period can be six months to a year - notably shorter than a Kyoto maiko - before she debuts as a full geisha. The trainee is referred to as a han'gyoku (半玉) or "half-jewel", or by the more generic term o-shaku (御酌) lit. "one who pours (alcohol)". On average, Tokyo geisha tend to be older than their Kyoto counterparts, many holding formal degrees from university.

Man's kimono

Men's kimonos have sleeves which are attached to the body of the kimono with no more than a few inches unattached at the bottom, unlike the women's style of very deep sleeves mostly unattached from the body of the kimono. Men's sleeves are less deep than women's kimono sleeves to accommodate the obi around the waist beneath them, whereas on a woman's kimono, the long, unattached bottom of the sleeve can hang over the obi without getting in the way.

In the modern era, the principal distinctions between men's kimonos are in the fabric. The typical kimono has a subdued, dark color; black, dark blues, greens, and browns are common. Fabrics are usually matte. Some have a subtle pattern, and textured fabrics are common in more casual kimonos. More casual kimonos may be made in slightly brighter colors, such as lighter purples, greens and blues. Sumo wrestlers have occasionally been known to wear quite bright colors such as fuchsia.

The most formal style of kimono is plain black with five kamon on the chest, shoulders and back. Slightly less formal is the three-kamon kimono. These are usually paired with white undergarments and accessories

Kind of kimonos

• Kurotomesode

(黒留袖): a black kimono patterned only below the waistline, kurotomesode are the most formal kimonos for married women. They are often worn by the mothers of the bride and groom at weddings. Kurotomesode usually have five kamon printed on the sleeves, chest and back of the kimonos.

• Furisode

(振袖): furisode literally translates as swinging sleeves—the sleeves of furisode average between 39 and 42 inches in length. Furisode are the most formal kimonos for unmarried women, with patterns that cover the entire garment. They are usually worn at coming-of-age ceremonies (seijin shiki) and by unmarried female relatives of the bride at weddings and wedding receptions.

• Irotomesode

(色留袖): single-color kimonos, patterned only below the waistline. Irotomesode are slightly less formal than kurotomesode, and are worn by married women, usually close relatives of the bride and groom at weddings. An irotomesode may have three or five kamon.

• Hōmongi

(訪問着): literally translates as visiting wear. Characterized by patterns that flow over the shoulders, seams and sleeves, hōmongi rank slightly higher than their close relative, the tsukesage. Hōmongi may be worn by both married and unmarried women; often friends of the bride will wear hōmongi at weddings and receptions. They may also be worn to formal parties.

• Tsukesage

(付け下げ): has more modest patterns that cover less area—-mainly below the waist-—than the more formal hōmongi. They may also be worn by married women.

• Iromuji

(色無地): single-colored kimonos that may be worn by married and unmarried women. They are mainly worn to tea ceremonies. The dyed silk may be figured (rinzu, similar to jacquard), but has no differently colored patterns.

• Komon

(小紋): "fine pattern". Kimonos with a small, repeated pattern throughout the garment. This style is more casual and may be worn around town, or dressed up with a formal obi for a restaurant. Both married and unmarried women may wear komon.

• Edo Komon

(江戸小紋): is a type of komon characterized by tiny dots arranged in dense patterns that form larger designs. The Edo komon dyeing technique originated with the samurai class during the Edo period. A kimono with this type of pattern is of the same formality as an iromuji, and when decorated with kamon, may be worn as visiting wear (equivalent to a tsukesage or hōmongi).

KiMoNo

Kimono (着物) is the national costume of Japan. Originally the word "kimono" referred to all types of clothing, but it has come to mean specifically the full-length traditional garment worn by women, men, and children. Kimonos are T-shaped, straight-lined robes that fall to the ankle, with collars and wide, full-length sleeves. Traditionally, unmarried women wore a style of kimono called furisode, which have floor-length sleeves, on special occasions.

Kimonos are wrapped around the body, always with the left side over the right (except when dressing the dead for burial) and secured by a wide belt called an obi, which is tied at the back. Kimonos are generally worn with traditional footwear (especially geta, thonged wood-platform footwear; and zori, a type of thong-like footwear) and split-toe socks (tabi).

Today, kimonos are most often worn by women, and on special occasions. A few older women and even fewer men still wear kimonos on a daily basis. Men wear kimonos most often at weddings, tea ceremonies, and other very special or very formal occasions. Kimonos are also worn by both men and women in certain sports, such as kendo. Professional sumo wrestlers are often seen in kimonos because they are required to wear traditional Japanese dress whenever appearing in public.

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..

HAnami

Hanami (花見,) is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers, "flower" in this case almost always meaning cherry blossoms (sakura). Hanami is one of the most popular events of Spring. in this time, sakura bloom all over Japan. In modern-day Japan, hanami mostly consists of having an outdoor party beneath the sakura during daytime or at night.Crowds of people - families, groups of friends, and groups from companies sit under the fully open cherry blossoms, usually on plastic tarps, and have a picnic celebration. The picnic fare consists of a wide variety of foods, snack foods, and sake (rice wine) or other drinks. The activities often include dancing and karaoke in addition to the cherry blossom viewing. In very popular places such as Ueno park and Aoyama Cemetary in Tokyo the competition for prime picnic spots is intense. Company groups and family members claim spots by arriving very early in the morning and sitting all day long until the real celebrations begin in the evening. It is not unusual to see a young man in a business suit sitting under a cherry tree early in the morning reserving a space for his company. The new employees are traditionally given this job of sitting all day long to reserve space for the company celebration.

In Japan, April is the beginning of the school year as well as the business financial year. Since the Heian Period (794-1185) flower-viewing parties were popular among the aristocracy. In the Azuchi Momoyama Period (1568-1600) the cherry blossom viewing spread out to the rest of the population.

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.

Tanabata

Tanabata (七夕) a Japanese star festival, The festival is usually held on July 7, and celebrates the meeting of Orihime (Vega) and Hikoboshi (Altair). The Milky Way, a river made from stars that crosses the sky, separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year.

On the day before “Tanabata,” the Japanese express best wishes by writing on a piece of colored paper and tying it to the branches of bamboo trees found in front of the house. they believe their jope will come true if we do that. It is believed that prayers uttered and hanged on bamboo trees on the evening of “Tanabata” will be granted. It appears, however, that today’s society feels less inclined to celebrate this celestial event. Yet, for some the belief is as clearly evident today as it was decades past.

Once there was a weaver princess named Orihime and a cow herder prince named Hikoboshi living in space. After they got together, Orihime no longer would weave cloth for Tenkou and Hikoboshi allowed his cows to stray all over Heaven. In anger, Tenkou separated the two lovers across the Amanogawa River and forbade them to meet. separated from his husband make orihime sad. she cried and beg his father to mmet Hikoboshi. thouched by her sadness, her dad let orihime to meet Hikoboshi on the 7th day of the 7th month if Orihime worked hard and finished her weaving. after her worked hard finally they can meet, but unfortunately there was no bridge. it make them cant meet each others. it makes them have to wait until next year if they wanted to meet.

Large-scale Tanabata festivals are held in many places in Japan, mainly along shopping malls and streets, which are decorated with large, colorful streamers. The most famous Tanabata festival is held in Sendai from August 5 to 8. In the Kantō area, the biggest Tanabata festival is held in Hiratsuka,

Matsuri

what is matsuri (祭) ? in japan matsuri means or holiday. In Japan, festivals are usually sponsored by a local shrine or temple, though they can be secular or Christian. There are not specific matsuri days for all of Japan; dates vary from area to area, and even within a specific area, but festival days do tend to cluster around traditional holidays like hinamatsuri, tanabata, bon-odori, hanami, etc. usually when japanesse people hold matsuri, they will wear yukata or kimono, as their traditional chlotes.

One can always find in the vicinity of a matsuri booths selling souvenirs and food such as takoyaki, and games, such as snatching goldfish. Karaoke contests, sumo matches, and other forms of entertainment are often organized in conjunction with matsuri.

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