New Age Japan

Our site is dedicated to the pursuit of spiritual knowledge--basicly the quest to become a better person, be it through Buddhism, Christianity, Yoga, Meditation or some other way. Tell us how you are becoming more spiritual and contributing to the betterment of the world.

As well this site is dedicated to articles about New Age beliefs and phenomena. With links and information about New Age
resources and services in Japan and the world. Check out our
links section here and be sure to read the articles at our homepage, link below. Love and Light!
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Gaming Day in Fujisawa, Kanagawa

Hi everyone !

Gaming day at my place in Fujisawa this Sunday !

The day will be starting at 10:00 am, directions and my list of games
follow (this is - as usual - a copy/paste from previous events)

It's been a long time since I had one of those. Please come and have fun !

Cheers !

----------

I live in Fujisawa, but the station is actually Hon Kugenuma on the
Odakyu Enoshima Line. From Tokyo or Odawara, the JR Tokaido line or
Shonan-Shinjuku line are the fastest, then get off at Fujisawa
station, and take the Odakyu. People living in or near the Odakyu line
from Shinjuku might want to take it to Sagami Ono and change there for
the Enoshima line.

At Hon-Kugenuma, take the East exit (it's on the same side as the
train when you arrive from Fujisawa) and turn left at the exit. The
road is basically straight ahead, past a supermarket to your right,
then a gardening shop, and a meat shop to your left. There will be a
crossing with a blinking light, cross it, my house is 100 metres
further, on the right side. It's a white house with a parking, my door
is on the right.

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=35.329193,139.479493&spn=0.003834,0.010042&z=\
\
\
17&om=1
(My house is located at the exact centre of this map)

If you need to reach me : 080 6626 5822, the IRL name is Guillaume.

Games I have :

- Puerto Rico
- Settlers of Catan
- Valley of the Mammoths
- Guillotine
- Fire in the sky
- War of the ring
- Succession wars
- Pax Britannica
- It still have Kevin's Republic of Rome, amazing game - but long

And feel free to bring whatever game you would like to.

See you all this Sunday !

The Mystifying and Powerful World of Japanese Fashion

Pictured: Himeji Castle, courtesy of Fuji Film

by: Korbin Newlyn



Many would say that fashion is an expression of the culture and soul, hence every nation has a unique reflection of its own history as well as traditions in one way or another.

Japanese fashion is no exception to this sentiment. This article will go into a few details of how it has changed throughout the years while always remaining intact in its traditions.

The Past and the Present

One of the most traditional and common Japanese fashion outfits is the Kimono; it is still worn today in more modern designs, it was also embraced by the Western nations because of its sensuality as well as elegance.

Throughout the years Japanese fashion saw very few changes but throughout the years the Kimono was a dominant part of the classic collection and consistently a part of their lives in one form or another. Another kind of Kimono is the Furisode which is worn by young women in their twenties; in Japan the age to legally drink and smoke is twenty and in order to celebrate the parent frequently offer their daughters a Furisode.

Then the Houmongi takes the stage. This is another kind of Kimono that is worn by married women and similar to the Furisode the parents will give their daughter one when she is married.

The formal Kimono is known as Tomesode and is typically worn by married women to social functions such as marriages. Additional variations include the Mofuku which is the funeral Kimono for Japanese fashion and the Uchikake is the wedding Kimono.

Last but certainly not least the Obi is the oldest form of the Japanese fashion as they are no longer in production today and rarely will you find someone wearing this type even in Japan.

Modern Japanese fashion generally has several categories in addition to some that are not related to clothes. The Japanese fashion known as the Kogal is translated in Japan to people who enjoy displaying their higher income by wearing expensive jewelry or clothes.

The Gangoro Japanese fashion is designed for those people who began changing their hair color and then you have the Lolita as the Gothic Lolita Japanese fashion, which is being represented by the innocent and sweet dressed (Lolita) all the way to the other extreme type referred to as punk fashion, which is known as Gothic Lolitas.

The Eternal Fashion

The world of classic fashion is eternal throughout the world and Japanese fashion has their Kimonos to prove it. The use of colors also plays a large part in the world of Japanese fashion as well as their culture as it is directly correlated to the event. Fashion not only reflects and defines an era and a place in time but also the character and personality of the person who is wearing it.


About The Author
Listen to Korbin Newlyn as he shares his insights as an expert author and an avid writer in the field of fashion. If you would like to learn more go to http://www.efashioninfo.com/ and at http://www.efashioninfo.com/fashion-youth/teen-fashion/

Learn Japanese Easily - All It Took Was A Movie...

by: Suzanne and Paul Brown



My quest to learn how to speak Japanese began with the Anime movies, Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, by the renowned Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki. These amazing movies were the catalyst that propelled my interest in the Japanese culture and hence, my desire to learn Japanese fast but in the most proficient way possible.

I was determined to learn a language that most of my fellow North Americans either have no interest in or find it too challenging. Why? Japanese not only sounds significantly different from English but the Japanese letters, (Hiragana) that represent the sounds that make up the Japanese language and is central to the Japanese writing system, are very different. Because of this, I was even hesitant to learn basic Japanese but I put my fears aside and proceeded to find the best way to learn Japanese. After weeks of researching the Internet and networking by word of mouth, I found an amazing course that teaches you to speak Japanese online. So, here's a brief overview of this course to help you in your goal to learn Japanese easily.

First, there is a 31-lesson Interactive Audio Course that covers everything that you need to know to learn Japanese quickly and to become part of a Japanese community. Second, their software: the vocabulary software is a word building game designed to help you learn about 1000 Japanese words and to cover 20 different topics. You can also use this game indefinitely because it allows you to add your own images. The audio software will help you overcome the most difficult aspect of learning Japanese and that is the comprehension. The Hiragana Software learning game helps you to easily recognize and memorize the Hiragana character set used in the Japanese writing and pronunciation system. Third, there are the Grammar Newsletter Series that provides you with 31 illustrated Grammar Lessons and examples. These are invaluable cultural informational tools with explanations of written Japanese and of popular Japanese grammar. The visual tools of this series are unique to this product and their value is priceless enabling you to learn Japanese easily.

Finally, there is also access to a Learner's Forum and Support system that is staffed with fellow students, natives and Japanese teachers. This provides you with extra free resources to further assist you on your quest to learn to speak fluent Japanese.

I am pleased to say that I am able to watch Miyazaki’s movies in their original Japanese and I look forward to visiting Japan one day. Thank you, Hayao Miyazaki for opening up the door for me to experience, acknowledge and respect the Japanese culture.



About The Author
Suzanne and Paul Brown

We are passionate about languages and life-long learning. To find out more information on Japanese you can visit, http://www.learnbasic-japanese.blogspot.com or http://www.speakjapanese-online.blogspot.com