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miércoles, 1 de mayo de 2019

How do you say “Happy new era?” in Japanese?

http://bit.ly/2WnStNH Casey Baseel

With the imperial Heisei era over and the Reiwa period just beginning, this is the phrase to use.

While the Japanese language isn’t as difficult as some people make it out to be, greetings can be a little tricky. For example, konnichiwa usually gets translated as “hello,” but the more accurate way to think of it is as “good afternoon,” since it’s a greeting specifically for mid-day, and there are different expressions you need to use for the early morning or night.

Sometimes, though, things are simpler in Japanese. For example, omedetou is used to mean not only “congratulations,” but also for “happy birthday” (otanjoubi omedetou) and “happy new year” (akemashite omedetou). So when people in Japan woke up on May 1, the first day of the brand-new Reiwa imperial era, some of them wondered if this was yet another occasion on which to use omedetou.

And yeah, if you tell your Japanese friend ”Akemashite omedetou!” the first time you see them since Emperor Naruhito ascended to the throne, they’ll understand the sentiment. However, there’s actually a more linguistically appropriate phrase: sumeragi iyasaka.

▼ Sumeragi iyasaka

The straight translation is “prosperity to the emperor,” but as explained by Japanese Twitter user @Moyo_sec, it’s used to show hope that the new emperor’s reign will be one marked with peace and prosperity not just for the monarch himself, but for Japan as a whole.

▼ Kyoto’s Kifune Shrine sends out a tweet on the first morning of the Reiwa era, containing both sumeragi iyasaka in both the kanji characters seen above and the alternate rendering, 天皇弥栄.

With Emperor Naruhito having just made his first speech since his ascension ceremony, sumeragi iyasaka is enjoying its moment in the spotlight as well, and is a handy addition to your Japanese-learning vocabulary list or to impress locals with as you travel in Japan.

Source: Twitter/@Moyo_sec via Hachima Kiko
Featured image: Pakutaso (edited by SoraNews24)
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert image: SoraNews24
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Happy Reiwa! People celebrate the first day of a new era around Japan 【Pics & Videos】

http://bit.ly/2GUyMHH Oona McGee

From jumping off bridges to waiting in ten-hour long queues, there are plenty of ways to welcome in a new era.

The past two days have seen a historic turn of events in Japan, as Emperor Emeritus Akihito stepped down from the throne and handed the role over to his eldest son, Emperor Naruhito.

This brought an end to the 30-year long Heisei era on April 30, heralding in a new era called Reiwa on May 1, and to mark the occasion, people across the country gathered to celebrate. Given that the country received a one-off national holiday on May 1 to mark the imperial ascension, the atmosphere in Japan was like New Year’s Day, only instead of seeing one year out and ushering in another, people were bidding farewell to a whole era of change.

This added an extra special sense of nostalgia to the stroke of midnight, and for some that meant gathering around screens in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, to mark the occasion whilst thinking back on all the changes made to technology and anime since Heisei began in 1989.

At Tokyo Skytree, the tower was lit up to resemble the Japanese flag, with a projection mapping display that included the message “First Year of Reiwa“.

At Shibuya’s famous Scramble Crossing, people gathered to watch the countdown on the big screens.

At Yutoku Inari Shrine in Kashima, Saga Prefecture, the grounds were lit up as calligrapher Hosui Yamaguchi wrote the new era name during a live performance.

And in Osaka, people jumped into the canal at Dotonbori, with and without their clothes on.

Once the sun had risen on the first day of Reiwa in Japan, many people chose to visit shrines and temples to pray for the new era. And for many of those people, the best memento of the first day of the first year of Reiwa would be to have the date preserved in a goshuincho seal book, written in beautiful calligraphy by a monk or priest.

However, for those heading to Meiji Jingu in Harajuku, a revered shrine closely associated with the Imperial Family, the wait to have your goshuincho stamped was looooooong.

The wait was said to be a whopping ten hours long.

By the afternoon, they had to end the day’s goshuincho queue, to prevent people lining up into the wee hours of the night.

At other places around Japan, mascots came out to greet visitors with Reiwa signs by their side at special local events.

The rainy weather on May 1 gave some people the perfect excuse to stay indoors and indulge in Reiwa sweets.

There was no rest for the country’s professional sumo wrestlers, though, who came together to make a very special Reiwa kanji display for the public.

A number of couples chose to celebrate the first day of Reiwa with another celebration: their wedding day.

Seeing as the year is now officially Reiwa 1, it’ll be easy for anyone who gets married this year to remember how many years they’ve been married, as each year will align perfectly, without any math or counting necessary.

Whether it was staying up all night jumping into canals or simply eating sweets indoors, people around Japan certainly celebrated the first day of Reiwa. And the good news is, thanks to Golden Week, we’ve still got another string of holidays to help ease us into the new period in relaxed style. Happy Reiwa everyone!


Source: Twitter/ #令和元年
Featured image: Pakutaso
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Man jumps off bridge in Osaka to celebrate Heisei era’s end, hits something other than water【Vid】

http://bit.ly/2V5Bcfy Casey Baseel

”Heisei, thank you…” SPLAT.

There was a New Year’s Eve-like atmosphere in Japan on Tuesday night. With Emperor Akihito having officially abdicated the throne earlier in the day, much of the country decided to stay up until the stroke of midnight, when the 30-year Heisei period, as Akihito’s reign was called, came to an end.

And just like on New Year’s Eve, some people went out to party, like the people in the video below (from Twitter user @sui_uj) in the Namba neighborhood of Osaka. Namba is the city’s most popular party place, with a dense concentration of bars and restaurants plus picturesque views near the Dotonbori canal. Partiers often meet up and mingle atop the Ebisubashi bridge, but it’s not unusual for said partiers, fueled by bravado, alcohol, or some combination of the two, to leap off the bridge and into the water.

Usually this happens after victories by the local Hanshin Tigers pro baseball team, but with the Heisei period winding down, one young man decided it was time for one last leap from the ledge. Shouting, “Heisei, thank you!”, he ran forward, bounded over the railing, and plummeted…

…face-first onto the deck of a sightseeing boat that was passing underneath the bridge at that exact moment.

▼ An alternate angle of the incident

Jumping off the bridge is dangerous under any circumstances (the city regularly asks people not to do it, as deaths have occurred), but it’s even more so when you’re smacking into a solid object instead of the water in the canal. In a stroke of incredibly good luck, though, the exact spot where the man hit the ship was where the crew stores the tires it hangs off the side of the boat as bumpers when docked, which cushioned the blow. The sightseeing cruise quickly returned to the dock, where the operating company’s employees attempted to provide first aid, but the man refused their assistance and walked off, with his injuries, if any, apparently minor enough that he felt he didn’t require immediate medical treatment.

▼ Though he was still prone and crumpled when the ship docked.

With bridge-jumping occurring so often in Namba, some might be surprised that there wasn’t a police presence to prohibit stunts like this. In actuality, though, there was, but not until later that night. The incident in the above video took place at about 8:30 p.m., and the authorities simply didn’t expect anyone to be so amped up about the end of Heisei period that they’d be jumping off the bridge with more than three hours left in the era.

In any case, let this be a lesson to everyone. When in Osaka, it’s fine, and even recommended, that you enjoy aspects of the local culture like takoyaki octopus dumplings and manzai comedy routines, but maybe pass on jumping off the bridge, and if you absolutely can’t resist the temptation, at least look down before you leap.

Source: Twitter/@sui_uj via IT Media
Top image: Wikipedia/Martin Falbisoner
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Japan’s new emperor ascends to throne, makes first speech with wish for peace, happiness

http://bit.ly/2GHbjs8 Casey Baseel

Emperor Naruhito looks back on emperors of the past before turning his eyes to the nation’s future.

Japan was up late on the night of April 30. With Emperor Akihito having officially abdicated the throne earlier in the day, people across the nation gathered to mark the end of the 30-year Heisei era, which officially came to a close at the stroke of midnight.

The first morning of the new Reiwa era was once again a busy time for the imperial family, however, who again gathered in the Matsu no Ma (Pine Hall) of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, where the abdication ceremony had taken place just a day before, but this time to officially declare Akihito’s son, Naruhito, Japan’s new emperor.

Standing in the same spot where his father, whose title now shifts to Emperor Emeritus, stood less than 24 hours earlier, Emperor Naruhito made his first official statement as Japan’s head monarch:

“In accordance with the constitution of Japan and the Imperial Household Law, I now succeed the position of Emperor of Japan, and solemnly accept the responsibilities entrusted to this position.

Looking back on the 30-year reign of the Emperor Emeritus, I see how he always desired peace in the world and happiness for the people of the nation, and that he faithfully carried out his duties, sharing the joys and sorrows of the people at all times with a strong spirit. I wish to express my deep respect and gratitude for the way in which he served as a symbol of the nation.

As I succeed the position of emperor, I reflect on the progress made by the Emperor Emeritus, and the actions of Japanese emperors throughout history. I will put them in my heart as I strive to better myself while always thinking of the people and remaining close to them. In accordance with the constitution, I pledge to carry out my duty as a symbol of Japan and the Japanese people, and earnestly hope for the happiness of the people, the continued growth of the country, and peace in the world.”

Many of Emperor Naruhito’s sentiments echoed those of his father’s in the Emperor Emeritus’ abdication speech, particularly the desire for not just the happiness of the Japanese people, but for peace throughout the world, which seems like a fitting goal for Reiwa, the era named as a wish for beautiful harmony.

Source: Nihon Keizai Shimbun
Top image: Wikipedia/Kakidai
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Good God the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie trailer looks weird【Video】

http://bit.ly/2GUBJs3 Casey Baseel

Sonic’s butt, Jim Carrey’s Snidley Whiplash mustache, and “Gangsta’s Paradise” in a preview that we’re not sure if we’re supposed to take seriously.

The Sonic the Hedgehog live-action movie hasn’t been the smoothest production so far. Sony originally obtained the film rights for the Sega video game icon in 2013, but then decided it didn’t want them, opening the door for Paramount to take over in 2017. Then there were the early leaks of Sonic’s character design for the movie, which was so jarring that even Yuji Naka, Sonic’s original creator, asked “Couldn’t they have created a design with better balance than this?”

And now comes the first look at movie Sonic in action, with the official trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog,

Despite Naka’s concerns, the movie’s artists aren’t backpedaling on the decision to give Sonic a much more human-like head-to-body size ratio than his video game version, as well as a trimmer midsection.

▼ And here is movie Sonic’s butt.

While Sonic has never had quite the soft and cuddly look of fellow video game star Pikachu, or even former rival Super Mario, the movie version seems to have scrubbed any cuteness from his look, doubling down on his cocky confidence instead.

As for the plot, the trailer shows that the movie is set in the real world specifically the northwestern United States. Sonic apparently runs so fast he causes a wide-scale blackout, and so the military calls in a scientist, played by Jim Carrey, to capture him.

▼ Given his non-rotund physique, we’re guessing the character will go by Dr. Robotnik, the name used in English versions of the Sonic games, and not the original “Eggman” (although that mustache is definitely Snidely Whiplash).

This scenario is a reversal of the standard Sonic game narrative, in which Sonic is the one going on the attack to stop Robotnik’s schemes, although in the trailer movie Sonic mentions to his San Francisco cop buddy that “Basically it looks like I’m gonna to have to save your planet.”

Aside from running really fast, Sonic is shown tossing one of the franchise’s often-seen golden rings, although this time it opens a teleportation portal which he uses to save his friends. There’s also a scene in which Sonic battles Robotnik on the roof of a skyscraper while the villain hovers about in a flying machine firing missiles.

▼ It’s a gutsy move to have one of your action set pieces be pretty much the same as a boss fight in the 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog game, widely regarded as being the absolute low-point of the entire 28-year-old franchise. It’s an especially gutsy one to then direct the sequence like it’s a Looney Tunes cartoon.

The trailer is set to Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise,” and it’s hard to tell whether the choice is meant to earnestly convey what a badass Sonic is, or if it’s supposed to be taken as a bit of comedic irony. Actually, you could say the same about most of the trailer, including Carrey’s dismissively intellectual put-downs of the Army major he’s shown talking to, though maybe that fuzzy line between rebelliously cool and clownishly puffed-up is the most appropriate place for a movie based on a franchise that peaked in popularity in the mid ‘90s.

Online commenters haven’t been particularly kind to the trailer either, with reactions including:

“Why do I live in a reality where this exists?”
“That’s the Walmart version of sonic”
“The movie is a sin against nature.”
“’Gotta go fast.’ No Sonic gotta go home you’re drunk.”
“Did…..they even try?”
“And they said the Emoji Movie looked bad…”
“This whole thing just seems like a YouTube parody, I can’t believe this is a real movie.”
“I think Paramount knew that Sonic’s design was weird and now they’re rubbing it in our faces.”
“Dragonball Evolution: ‘”We have the worst live-action cartoon movie.’ Sonic the Hedgehog: ‘Hold my rings!!!!!’”

Before it wraps up, the trailer tells us “Every hero has a genesis,” but if that’s going to be a promise that sequel films are on the way, and not just a nod to Sonic’s Sega Genesis debut hardware, the live-action Sonic movie is going to have to change a lot of minds when it comes out in November.

Images: YouTube/Paramount Pictures
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martes, 30 de abril de 2019

Virtual model imma to pose in fashion magazine with real models, advertising makeup brand KATE

http://bit.ly/2GM6bmJ Dale Roll

The CG-created model is getting her big break in the fashion industry!

You might remember virtual model imma, whose trendy selfies and street-style Instagram photos have earned her tens of thousands of followers, along with worldwide attention. What sets her apart from other models is not her fashion or makeup style, however, though those are unique in their own way; it’s the fact that she isn’t real! imma is entirely a CG construct, designed to look so incredibly realistic that if we hadn’t been told that she didn’t exist, we would never have known.

Such is her realistic beauty, and her growing fame, that she’s booked herself her first major photoshoot! She’s appearing in a digital article from fashion magazine i-D Japan sporting KATE cosmetics, alongside two real models. How does the digital beauty of imma compare to the beauty of real humans?

KATE, by Kanebou Cosmetics, is a makeup brand marketed towards Asian women, which goes by the motto “No more rules”, emphasizing individuality and freedom in makeup design. The brand has a base makeup series called “THE BASE ZERO“, which includes foundation that prides itself in being light and smooth while still thoroughly covering blemishes. The products come in both liquid and powder form, in six colors each, and with mild SPF protection.

You can see imma and her human co-models Mayben and Aria wearing KATE THE BASE ZERO in a special article on i-D Japan’s website. The makeup and looks were coordinated by renowned hair and makeup artist Torii, who sought to re-imagine beauty with their design, and with the use of a digital model. The article discusses what beauty is and how it changes with the times, and there’s even an interview with all three models, including imma. Unfortunately, it’s all in Japanese, but if you can find someone to translate it for you, you might find it very interesting!

With the blossoming of highly realistic virtual idols like imma and the newly debuted meme, who is turning beauty standards on their head, the world of fashion modeling is changing. In fact, with technology that can even produce an incredibly realistic human voice, with AIs designing their own idol faces, and with virtual YouTubers scoring anime voice acting gigs, we might soon be approaching a time when we no longer need real celebrities!

What a time to be alive.

Source, images: PR Times
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Can’t decide what to order at Starbucks Japan? Use this handy guide to pick a Frappuccino!

http://bit.ly/2URScRt Dale Roll

With all of the delightful flavors available, it can be hard to choose. We’re here to help!

Now that cherry blossom season is pretty much over, it’s time for one of Japan’s biggest holiday seasons: Golden Week! A week straight off from work marks it as one of the biggest travel times in the Japanese calendar year. It can also be one of the most expensive, so for many it can be better to stay home and enjoy the quiet that often comes with Golden Week, especially in the Tokyo area.

And what better way to enjoy a staycation than with Starbucks? As the days are getting warmer, we’re starting to crave something cold, and for that you can’t go wrong with Starbucks’ delightful lineup of sweet, icy Frappuccinos. But how do you know which one to try when they all look so darn good? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with our Starbucks Frappuccino Golden Week 2019 Flavor Chart.

We covered the basic lineup of Frappuccinos two years ago, and in case you forgot, the regular menu Frappuccinos are Coffee, Matcha Green Tea Cream, Vanilla Cream, Dark Chip Mocha, Dark Chip Mocha Cream, Caramel, and Mango Passion Fruit. They were placed on the richness scale based on the votes from our panel of judges two years ago, and they have held steady in flavor profile since.

Last time we also included two limited edition menu items that aren’t available any more, so this year we decided to add two spring specials and an additional Golden Week drink: the two Strawberry Very Much Frappuccinos, and the Espresso Affogato Frappuccino.

With its combination of strawberry cream, whipped cream, strawberry syrup, mocha, and strawberry macaron chunks, the Strawberry Very Much White is supremely rich and creamy, but comes at a high calorie cost (481 calories), just higher than its sister, the Strawberry Very Much Red (447 calories). Compared to the White, the Red lacks only the mocha and the macaron chunks, and is just a little more refreshing.

The real surprise of the trio, however, was the Espresso Affogato. It has the more mature flavor of bitter espresso, and there’s no whipped cream topping on this baby, so it’s much less rich than the other two. And yet, it still comes in at a pretty high calorie count, with a whopping 458 calories!

So there you have it – your guide to Starbucks Japan for Golden Week. If you’re looking to save on the calorie count, the Caramel, Vanilla, Coffee, and Mango Passion Fruit may be your best bet. But if you’re prepared to splurge for the holidays, definitely give the limited edition flavors a try, and while you’re at it, pick up a cute tumbler for next time!

Images © SoraNews24
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