Three from Ghost Hunt

This week I have three entries dealing with the supernatural that are all referenced in Ghost Hunt. Volume 10 of the Ghost Hunt manga is set for release later this year but the anime is out. If you like supernatural tales this is a series to check out.


hitogata (human shaped dolls) 人形

katashiro (shape substitution) 形代

yorishiro 依代

I'm also doing plenty of research on Ommyōdō, in other words spending time looking for what little there is in English. However i am having some success so expect some Ommyōdō related entries in the next few weeks.

Insult, Document, Island

This week I'm actually getting the entries up on Sunday rather than Monday.

For your edification I present:

ierō kyabu (yellow cab) イエローキャブ

koseki (household register) 戸籍

Sado 佐渡

I've been doing a marathon of note taking for the past week or so with a focus on religion/supernatural related material. The Ghost Hunt anime was enjoyable, I eagerly await volume 10 of the manga, and today I hope to watch and takes notes on Shonen Onmyouji disc 5. Meanwhile I am reading Jolanta Tubielewicz's Supersitions, Magic and Mantic Practice in the Heian Period and taking plenty of notes.

So for the near future you can expect a higher number of entries related to Buddhism, Shintō, Onmyodō, and yōkai among the other materials I am covering. Of course for marketing purposes I shall continue to add entries on erotic matters, after all sex sells rather well in this repressed society.

As always suggestions are welcome, just post a reply.

Also do consider my books for yourself or as gifts.

'Til next week, Watch More Anime!

Izakaya

When hunting for information about Japanese food one sees eaten in anime, manga and movies one of the places you expect to find something, but rarely do, is cookbooks. The simple reason for this is that most Japanese cookbooks are either modern high cuisine or fancy stuff a housewife may prepare on occasion but not the day to day stuff of the home and small eateries. In other words pretty useless unless you want to try out the recipes.

This book is a notable exception.

Why? Well it has a good variety of interesting dishes to try out that are based on actual food served in eight Tokyo izakaya. It also has descriptions of these izakaya, including interesting details about them. If you don't know what izakaya are go out and buy Anime Companion Volume 2 and look it up. The short description is that izakaya are very cozy neighborhood pubs where you can relax and enjoy a drink as well simple but delicious food for very good prices. For even more information on izakaya just check out this book, you may find yourself purchasing a copy, and if you like to cook just buy it. You may even find yourself booking a flight to Japan to visit some izakaya, sounds like a good idea to me.

Izakaya: The Japanese Pub Cookbook (Hardcover)
by Mark Robinson (Author), Masashi Kuma (Photographer)
Kodansha International
ISBN-10: 4770030657
ISBN-13: 978-4770030658
$25.00

Poem. Pink. Oppression

This week a poem used to teach hiragana and to organize dictionaries, the Japanese use of an English word for a color, and an oppressive institution that ceased with the downfall of the shogun.

iroha uta (iroha poem) 伊呂波歌

pinku (pink) ピンク

shûmon aratame (religious inquisition) 宗門改

I'm currently working through a huge backlog of anime and manga that I need to take notes on. One advantage of this is that when I merge the new notes into my existing set I spot interesting items to add to the supplement. Sometimes I am surprise what I have not already included, at other times with what I have not seen in anime and manga before, and sometimes I am delighted to find an example of something I had wanted to include but simply did not turn up in any stories I had enjoyed.

Roadside, Sex tool, New Year

Last week I had several days off which enabled me to get several entries done. It has been my goal to get ahead of the entry writing so if I unable to write entries in a particular week I'll have some lined up to use. Of course this means I still need to keep writing new ones each week so I don't deplete the ones I have in reserve.

This week I cover :

dōsojin 道祖神

higozuiki (Higo dried taro stems) ひごずいき or 肥後ずいき or 肥後芋茎 or 白芋茎
[An interesting Edo Period sex tool.]

kagami-mochi (New Year rice cake ornament) 鏡餅

Until next week, keep enjoying anime and manga.