Posts Tagged ‘Japanese’
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
Well it’s late January in San Francisco so it’s time for our sidewalk plum trees to begin blossoming. Yeah, they look a lot like cherry trees and that causes people around town to start talking about how global warming / climate change is making the cherry trees of April wake up three months early or something.
You can double-check with the Friends of the Urban Forest if you want, but I’ll tell you, those flashes of pink you see brightening up the otherwise-dreary Streets of San Francsico these days are early-rising Prunus blireiana, aka Flowering Plum trees, or something similar.
Be patient and you’ll be rewarded with real cherry trees in March – check out the sked at the San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum in Golden Gate Park.
If this January blossom is cherry, I’ll eat my hat:
This will be the scene in the Financh in a couple of months – our wild parrots love all kinds of prunus blossoms of course.
Take heart, Spring is just around the corner…
Tags: 2010, april, balmy, bloom, blossom, cherry, climate change, day, February, Festival, global warming, golden gate park, ground, groundhog, hanami, hog, january, Japanese, japantown, march, plum, post, sakura, San Francisco, spring, street, tree, warm
Posted in flora | No Comments »
Monday, January 4th, 2010
Can you envision the Feds thinking about the best way to get word out about the 2010 Census – can’t you just see them all coming up with the same meme at the same time:
“OMG, OMG, Bus Tour!”*
That was the plan for early this morning, having the Great Census Bus, a prime mover of the Portrait of America Regional Census Road Tour, roll across the Golden Gate Bridge at 4:00AM and then meander to Civic Center by noon for speeches and a “Census Fair” under the dome of City Hall. Bonus: “surprise celebrity guests” will be on the scene.
O.K. fine.
Now here’s the Good the Bad and the Ugly of your 2010 Census.
The Good: Everybody will get the same ten questions this go around – the “long form” is gone. Why? Cause the Govmint randomly asking 17% of respondents how many bathrooms they have, well that pissed people off and that hurt the compliance rate. (My grandmother, for one, was hopping mad about being compelled to complete her long form ten years back. Pourquoi moi? Pourquoi moi? Je ne sais pas pourquoi. Pourquoi pas, Grand-Mère?)
The Bad: You can’t use the Internet to fulfill your obligation. Oddly enough, they let you go online in 2000, but they won’t for 2010. Pourquoi? Encore, pourquoi pas? The World Wide Web might make things easier on you, but the Feds don’t want to deal with iPhoned-up poindexters such as yourself.
The Ugly: The information you give could be used to round you up when some government agency feels like it. That’s unlikely to be a big concern for you for a bunch of reasons, but the Census Bureau has a bad record of fessing up about the times they messed up in the past. Hey, let’s review right now.
Here’s 2020 Van Ness back in the day, back in 1942 when census data was used to round up Japanese nationals and Japanese Americans (ask about our “just one drop of Japanese blood” policy!) living in the area.
Your Census Bureau at Work. Next stop: a horse stable or an “alien reception facility” in the high desert about 11 hours from here. (OMG, OMG, Bus Tour!)
The same place today, for comparison:
Now, the Boys at the Census had a defense for their failures during WWII (detailed here, from about 20 years ago), but it turns out they were lying about that. Scientific American has the deets.
I guess I wasn’t too impressed with this dog and pony show from last year. Actually, that meeting had to do with sending out letters informing people about the census in languages other than English, which is fine, as the Feds eventually decided, but IMO the Bureau should be upfront about their issues with privacy.
Just saying.
Anyway, a census requirement is burned into the Constitution, so brace yourselves for March 2010, when the forms go out.
(And thank Gaia you’re not a census worker doing Caucasian Outreach in some place like western Montana. Based upon my short stop at a Chevron near the Idaho Panhandle back in the aughts, well, representing the Feds could be a very challenging gig, is all I can say.)
“On behalf of the San Francisco’s office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs and the Complete Count Committee, I would like to invite our community to attend the SF 2010 Census Kickoff Rally and Information Fair on Monday January 4th from 12 noon to 2:00 PM at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco.
Program highlights are drum jam opening performance by local performers on City Hall steps, remarks by the Mayor and members of the Board of Supervisors and some surprise celebrity guests.
The importance of this rally is to start the United States 2010 Census. This count happens every ten years and it is important for our community to be counted accurately so it can obtain proper allocation of the federal, state and local resources.
On Monday January 4th, the Portrait of America Road Tour bus will start at 4:00 AM at Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, filmed by national media, and drive through San Francisco neighborhoods, arriving at City Hall at Noon for the rally. The Road Tour will continue its travel across America to collect images and stories from thousands of people across the country, explaining why the census will make a difference to their community.”
*Or vehicle tour, we’ll see when it gets here – somebody from Census 2010 told me they were going to use buses, but that was a while back…
Tags: 1, 2010, april, census, City Hall, data, FBI, federal bureau of investigation, gavin newsom, Golden Gate Bridge, interment, Japanese, kickoff, outreach, Portrait of America, Portrait of America Road Tour, privacy, road, San Francisco, supervisors, tour, United States
Posted in government | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 30th, 2009
Our highly-rated Asian Art Museum on Larkin Street in Civic Center will welcome all to its 24th Annual Japanese New Year Bell Ringing Ceremony tomorrow, December 31st 2009
All the deets are below. Show up early (or better yet, become a member and show up earlier still) and maybe you and the fam will get a chance to ring the big bell yourself, thereby striking a blow against one of the 108 earthly desires.
This is how it’ll look:
(And then, on January 9th, it’ll be rice pounding time at the Mochisuki Mochi Pounding Ceremony.)
See you there!
24th Annual Japanese New Year
Bell Ringing Ceremony
A unique, fun, and family friendly way to ring in the new year!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
FREE with museum admission
Children 12 and under always admitted free!
9:30–11:00 am: Bell Ringing for Asian Art Museum Members
10:00 am–2:00 pm: Art Activities
11:00 am: Bell Ringing Ceremony
Say goodbye to 2009 with family and friends…by taking a swing at a giant temple bell!
Bring your loved ones to the Asian Art Museum and literally “ring in” the New Year, Japanese-style.
Everyone is invited to participate in the auspicious Japanese tradition of striking a temple bell. This popular event offers the community a memorable opportunity to reflect peacefully upon the passing year.
As in past observances, a 2100-lb., sixteenth-century Japanese bronze bell originally from a temple in Tajima Province in Japan and now part of the museum’s permanent collection will be struck 108 times with a large custom-hewn log. According to Japanese custom, this symbolically welcomes the New Year and curbs the 108 bonno (mortal desires) which, according to Buddhist belief, torment humankind.
It is hoped that with each reverberation the bad experiences, wrong deeds, and ill luck of the past year will be wiped away. Thus, tolling heralds the start of a joyous, fresh New Year.
There will be a short performance of Japanese folk songs preceding the ceremony. Then, Zen Buddhist priest Gengo Akiba Roshi will conduct a blessing and begin the bell ringing. Akiba Roshi is director of the Soto Zen Buddhism North American office. He is also Zen teacher at Oakland’s Kojin-an Zendo.
Hands-on art activities are offered in the education studios to entertain families while waiting for their turn at the bell. Guests will also have the opportunity to enjoy the special exhibition, Emerald Cities: Arts of Siam and Burma.
Tickets
Numbered tickets to ring the bell are assigned to visitors on a first-come, first-serve basis in South Court beginning at 10:00 am, when the museum opens to the public. No advance reservations are accepted. 108 groups of four to six people will be assembled to strike the bell.
Bell Ringing for Asian Art Museum Members
Asian Art Museum members are invited to a special members-only bell-ringing ceremony at 9:30 am. Doors open at 9:00 am. Numbered tickets distributed at the Membership Desk. RSVP: members@asianart.org
Tags: asian art museum, bell, bell ringing, ceremony, civic center, day, eve, Family, japan, Japanese, kids, larkin, mochi, Mochisuki, new year, new year's, Ōmisoka, oomisoka, pound, Pounding, ring, Ringing
Posted in events | No Comments »
Friday, September 4th, 2009
The Asian Art Museum sends a reminder about how the Lords of the Samurai exhibit is heading out on September 20th. Why not get on over to Civic Center and see what the fuss is all about. (And should we look forward to a King Tut parody website chiding us about how many people died building pyramids? We Can Only Hope).
In the meantime, look at this bad ass gunpowder container from the 16th century. It was the perfect accessory for your matchlock gun that couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn. But check it – metal, horn and bamboo:
Eisei Bunko Museum, #7324. Click to expand.
And let’s hear from the AAA itself:
“Don’t wait until the last minute — beat the crowds and see Samurai now! Drawn from the collection of the Hosokawafamily in Japan – a clan with a 600-year-old lineage – Lords of the Samurai features superb armor, swords, paintings, tea wares, and more. Discover how some samurai strove to master artistic, cultural, and spiritual pursuits. The Asian Art Museum is the exclusive U.S. venue. Click here to see what the press has been saying.”
See you there!
Tags: 2009, asian, asian art, Bamboo, california, civic center, exhibit, gunpowder, hosokawa, japan, Japanese, lords, lords of the samurai, matcha, museum, samurai, San Francisco
Posted in art | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
I’ll tell you, the reason why the home county of the exchange student who was recently sexually asaulted in San Franciscois resting easy these days is that the media of said home country isn’t aware of the attack. And why’s that? Apparently, it’s the policy of San Francisco to not give out that kind of information. Per the SF Appeal:
“Police are not releasing information about the country the alleged victim is from in order to protect her identity, Tomioka said.”
I’m wondering how small a country has to be such that saying its name discloses the identity of any particular tourist in San Francisco.
Like if there’s a famous exchange program in Monaco (population 30k) and they send ten students a year to the States? That would seem to fit the bill, fair enough.
But what if the exchange student is from one of the following Big Ten tourist-producing countries (countries avec concomitant robust, aggresive media, of course)?
Germany
United Kingdom
France
China
Italy
Japan
Canada
Russia
South Korea
Mexico
If the student is from one of these countries, I’d be hard-pressed to see how saying the name of the country would identify any particular person from that country. Maybe there’s a written policy, or maybe there’s an unwritten rule, the way the MSM won’t report routine cases of Golden Gate Bridge jumpings?
That is all.
Tags: 1, 1993, 2009, 21, 29, 30, Alex, Alex Owen, Alex T Owen, Alex Thomas Owen, ashbury, assault, august, blackout, britain, british, canada, canadian, car, China, chinese, country, crime, department, dept., england, english, exchange, female, france, german, Germany, heights, id, identify, industry, italian, italy, japan, Japanese, korea, korean, lincoln, Lyn, media, mexican, mexico, msm, offender, Owen, police, probation, rape, registered, russia, russian, San Francisco, school, september, sergeant, sex, sexual, SFPD, Sgt., south, spokesperson, state, student, suicide, survivor, thomas, Tomioka, tourism, tourist, town car, treasure island, twin peaks, UK, United Kingdom, university, victim, visitor, Washington, wOMAN
Posted in crime | Comments Off
Friday, August 28th, 2009
All right, the summer crowds are starting to dissipate, so now’s your chance to see the fantastic Lords of the Samurai exhibit at the Asian Art Museum. And if you saw it already, well then come on back for the new stuff that just got put up why don’t you?
Read all about it via Kenneth Baker and SF Art Examiner Marisa Nakasone, and take a look at the pieces present at the opening of the exhibit here, here, and here at the Civic Center blog. And check out the Asian Art Museum Blog here.
Speaking of which, learn about the mystery behind a new collaborative parody website here. ( Boy, looking at that site, geez, somebody paid attention at college, huh?) “If people did research into this scandal… the woman is the culprit.”
Anyway,… God Bless the Armored Cav:
Tosei gusoku-type armor.
Unlike a certain culprit, I missed the press preview to this show, which is too bad. But I’m going to try to make it back to the AAM before Lords of the Samurai goes dark on September 20th, 2009
See you there!
“The samurai culture and code of conduct, bushido, have long captivated the imaginations and aspirations of young and old in the Western world. More than just professional warriors, Japanese samurai of the highest rank were also visionaries who strove to master artistic, cultural, and spiritual pursuits.
Lords of the Samurai takes an intimate look at the daimyo, or provincial lords of the warrior class in feudal Japan. The Hosokawaclan, powerful military nobles with a 600-year-old lineage, embodied this duality of fierce warrior and refined gentleman.
The exhibition features more than 160 works from the Hosokawa family collection housed in the Eisei-Bunko Museum in Tokyo, and from Kumamoto Castle and the Kumamoto Municipal Museum in Kyushu. Objects on view include suits of armor, armaments (including swords and guns), formal attire, calligraphy, paintings, tea wares, lacquerware, masks, and musical instruments.
The Asian Art Museum is the only U.S. venue for this exhibition.”
Tags: 2009, asian, asian art, california, civic center, exhibit, hosokawa, japan, Japanese, lords, lords of the samurai, matcha, museum, samurai, San Francisco
Posted in museums | Comments Off
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
This hungry-looking kitten made it a good way up Haight Street, starting at Fillmore - the kitty would nose into each doorway to see if the coast is clear, and if not, then move on to the next food emporium.
Feral or not? Well, how about something in between? What does your cat do when he or she is out at night? Mmmm.
Good Kitteh!
Click to expand
Tags: "kitty", cat, feral, fillmore, food, haight, hungry, indian, Japanese, kitteh, kitten, lower, market, pakaistani, restaurant, san francsico, street, whole foods
Posted in Animals | Comments Off
Monday, August 17th, 2009
You knew that something big was going in Japantown when you saw this big sign go up last week – lots of people worked late into the night to make sure Saturday’s opening of the glassy “NEW PEOPLE” centre went off without a hitch.
Putting the finishing touches on the second-floor carousel at 9:00 PM. Click to expand:
And here’s the result Saturday morning, via the ubiquitous Steve Rhodes, who, like Visa, is Everywhere You Want To Be:
And, bonus, J-Town hosted a J-POP Summit to celebrate the building’s opening. Hello Kitty, Harajuku Girls, etc. in the house:
Post Street, as witnessed by Elanine A.
Read all about Saturday’s festivities here, via Robert Selna and here, where you can see tofu connoisseur and Supervisor Ross “The Boss” Mirkarimi helping to kick things off.
Excelsior! Good Luck NEW PEOPLE BUILDING!
Tags: 15, 15th, 1746, 1746 post, 2009, august, Buchanan, building, center, district 5, fillmore, glass, grand, j-pop, j-town, japan, Japanese, jpop, jtown, Mirkarimi, new, new people, opening, post, ross, ross mirkarimi, San Francisco, street, summit, Supervisor, webster
Posted in events | Comments Off
Sunday, April 19th, 2009
As expected, there was a great turnout for the 42nd Annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival in Japantown today. Sunny skies and the Grand Parade made today the busiest of the four-day festival. Let’s take a look at the staging area this morning.
Its Grand Marshall George Takei! Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu (born in San Francisco) is seen here hanging out with Heidi Cheung, Miss San Francisco’s Outstanding Teen 2009 and Crystal Lee, Miss California’s Outstanding Teen 2008.
Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Northern California President and Mrs. Masaaki Tanaka, Ambassador of Japan to the United States of America, H.E. Ambassador and Mrs. Ichiro Fujisajki, George Takei, and Consul General of Japan and Mrs. Yasumasa Nagamine:
The mise-en-scene in front of City Hall:. Click to expand:
My Melody, Hello Kitty, and Badtz Maru were pleased to be on the scene:
From Hawaii with aloha:
Photographer David Yu was welcomed by all, including this contingent from Los Angeles:
Miss National Asia Dow-An Kou is on the right:
Bevan Dufty chilling with local pageant winners.
Elizabeth Kress, Miss San Francisco:
And Little Miss San Francisco 2009, Alyssa-Marie Muna:
And now on with the parade:
Senator Leland Yee:
Frosty Senator Mark Leno:
Assemblymember Fiona Ma with Bob Twomey:
Assemblymember Tom Ammiano:
Board of Supervisors President David Chiu:
And his ride for today:
Supervisor Bevan Dufty and company:
Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi with the Japanese Ambassador and Consul General:
Supervisor Eric Mar:
Richard Hashimoto, President of the Japantown Merchants Association:
Thought this was an electric Tesla Roadster at first. Actually, it’s the similar (but lighter) gas-powered Lotus Elise. (Horrible Tesla Motors is long on promises, certainly, but just because a toy car is expensive and is powered by electricity, that doesn’t mean it’s a desirable product, that doesn’t mean it represents “the high end.” Just ask Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who ended up giving his Tesla Roadster back. Go ahead and buy one if you want, though. While you’re at it, why not buy an impractical electric Ultra Motor A2B bike and an impractical electric Segway Scooter as well.)
Speaking of cars, here’s part of the NUMMI contingent all the way from Fremont. It’s the only car factory in the West that’s still operating. Union labor, FYI
Nihonmachi Little Friends:
And your reward for making it all the way to J-Town? Yummy chicken and rice balls from O-Izakaya Lounge at 1625 Post Street.
See you next year!
Tags: 1625 Post Street, 2008, 2009, 2009 Crystal Lee, 42nd, a2b, Alyssa-Marie Muna, Ambassador, America, and electric, annual, Arnold Schwarzenegger, assemblymember, Badtz Maru, bevan dufty, bike, board of supervisors, Bob Twomey, california, Cherry Blossom, City Hall, Consul General, crystal lee, David Chiu, David Yu, Dow-An Kou, elise, Elizabeth Kress, eric mar, Festival, fiona ma, Fujisajki, George Takei, Governor, grand marshall, H.E., hawaii, Heidi Cheung, Hello Kitty, Hikaru, Ichiro, japan, Japanese, Japanese Chamber of Commerce, japantown, Japantown Merchants Association, leland yee, Lieutenant, Little Miss San Francisco, los angeles, lotus, lounge, mark leno, Masaaki Tanaka, Miss California's, Miss National Asia, Miss San Francisco, Miss San Francisco's, Mrs., My Melody, Nihonmachi Little Friends, Northern California, NUMMI, O-Izakaya, outstanding teen, pageant, parade, Photographer, post, president, Richard Hashimoto, roadster, ross mirkarimi, San Francisco, scooter, segway, Senator, street, Sulu, tom ammiano, ultra motor, union bank, Union labor, United States, Yasumasa Nagamine
Posted in events | Comments Off
Sunday, April 19th, 2009
Under a blazing sun today (we hates the Sun, we hates it forever!), the 11th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival Anime Costume Contest went off without a hitch today in Civic Center.
You’ve seen 2008’s, here’s this year’s:
An unbelievable number of shutterbugs were there. Photographer dude from the AP didn’t know what to do with himself upon witnessing this scrum – one thing he knew for sure was that he wasn’t going to line up with the paparazzi. Click to expand:
There was a backdrop set up, so I imagine there’ll be a lot of images looking like these floating around soon:
Haru Yoshioka and Baron Humbert von Gikkingen from The Cat Returns (猫の恩返し, Neko no Ongaeshi, lit. The Cat’s Repayment.) These two spent the past four months making the get ups:
For the 8-bit-obsessed Boing Boing demographic, a larger-than-life Game Boy (ゲームボーイ, Gēmu Bōi). Has it really been two decades since this thing debuted?
Edged weapons were the order of the day…
but stick fighting adherents were not uncommon.
Of course the Raccoon Police used more modern implements to keep matters under control:
Hello Kitty’s foil Badzt Maru managed to make plenty of friends…
…as did Usagi Tsukino from Sailor Moon:
All right:
Some posed individually…
…and others took the time to set up ensembles:
Did the judges award extra points for this plush victim in the upper mouth? We can only hope:
Gratutitous “fake lesbians in ill-fitting anime costumes” kissing for cameras? Affirmative. CBS 5 Eye on Blogs won’t be surprised.
Good puppy, bad puppy:
And bubbles. Everybody loves Bubbles.
See you next year!
A stab at the winners:
1st -
Lilleah & Gemily West – Midna & Wolf Link
2nd -
Katy Lauters – Teto (Nausicaa)
Beau Williams – Baron (Cat Returns)
? (sorry, forgot name) – Heartless
3rd -
Lauren Andraus – Talim (Soul Caliber)
Tiffany Kum – Seung Mina (Soul Caliber)
Stephanie Scholl – Valentine (Guilty Gear Overture)
Kristie Metz – Almira (OZ – The Sword of Etheria)
Lorraine Yee – Suu
4th -
Sigrid Williams – Haru (Cat Returns)
Stephanie Tran – Taokaka
Monique Brossard – Bankai Hitsugaia (Bleach)
Sharon Peng & Kei Luong – Kagene Rui/Kagene Ren (Vocaloids)
Becca Parker – (Kuroshitsuji (Ciel Phantom Hive)
Laura Chin – Deathscythe – Gundam Girl (Gundam Wing)
Christine Tsin & friends – Silfer the Sky Dragon (Yugioh)
Charie Monterola – Deijiko (DiGi Charat)
Natasha Hrepcshak – Hyuuga (Neo Angelique)
Katherine Hrepcshak – Angelique (Neo Angelique)
Laura Eldon – ?
2009 Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco
It’s coming up yet again! The Cherry Blossom Festival at San Francisco’s Japantownis an event over two weekends. On the last day of the festival, there is a grand parade. Japan Video sponsors a costume contest for the parade that has become more and more popular over the years. As a result, the contest is limited to 100 people. However, the number of people able to join the parade is unlimited!
Here’s the flier:
2009 Cherry Blossom Festival
11th Annual Anime Costume Parade
To accommodate more applicants and to better serve you, we are offering two levels of participation; please choose one.
Costume Contest & Parade (limited to first 100 persons)
You can participate in both the anime costume contest and the parade.
Date: Sunday, April 19, 2009
Time: 10:00am – Check In
10:30am – Costume Contest begins
1:00 pm – Parade starts
Place: In front of City Hall
Costume Contest
1st Prize (1 person)
2nd Prize (3 people)
3rd Prize (5 people)
Consolation Prize
[We'll Announce Prizes Later]
Parade Only
You can participate in the anime parade only.
Date: Sunday, April 19, 2009
Time: 12:00 noon – Check In
1:00pm – Parade starts
Place: In front of City Hall
Pre-registration is required.
>> DEADLINE IS 4/12. <<
Organized by: Japan Video & Media, Inc
1737 Post Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
Tel: 415-563-5220, Fax: 415-563-5454
__________________
日本語も出来ます。
Tags: 11th, 19, 19th, 2009, anime, annual, april, Cherry Blossom, civic center, comics, contest, cosplay, costume, Festival, japan, Japanese, japantown, parade, photographers, photos, post, San Francisco, street
Posted in events | Comments Off
