2010-04-27

Yokai 妖怪

Yokai (妖怪) is difficult to translate into English.  It's a kind of troll or spirit in Japan.  I like Yokai folklore.  It has a dry and innocent sense of humor.

There are many nouns of strange creatures in Japan.  When I said I liked Yokai folklore, somebody misunderstood I liked horror story.  Yurei (幽霊) folklore often is horror story. However, Yokai is not.  So, I clarify the category of unnatural and spiritual creatures in Japan.

Obake (お化け)
Obake is all strange creatures.  Obake causes uncanny phenomenons.  Obake includes Yurei and Yokai.  When people encounter something strange in the dark, they often say 'It's Obake!'  Something people cannot understand is called Obake.


Yurei (幽霊) - ghost
Dead people turn to Yurei if they have some regrettable or resentful things.  For example, getting murdered suddenly, or, leaving lovers behind.  Yurei try to reach satisfaction by taking their revenge. Or, Yurei keep going to bring off their task of their lifetime, such as taking care of child.  To get satisfaction, Yurei involves irrelevant people.  It's scaring.  When Yurei get satisfaction, they vanish.

Kabuki (歌舞伎) and Rakugo (落語) often take up on the subject of Yurei.  That is part of the reason that the existence of Yurei is related to tragedy.
Yokai (妖怪)
Yokai live in darkness beside human.  If you live in the countryside, you may suddenly hear the strange sound from next room with no people.  Yokai do that.  Yokai is almost harmless but they like giving people a surprise even if you're scared to death.  Yokai don't think that they treat you cruelly.  In folklore of Yokai, they appear in public but do nothing mostly.  I think Yokai don't like human and don't dislike human.  They aren't an enemy of human, neither friend.  Yurei is the spirit of dead people, but Yokai is another being. 




The comics of Yokai story. Humorous, mystery and placid.
Beyond TwilightBeyond Twilight

Aurora Publishing 2010-05-27
売り上げランキング : 261888

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Yokai dictionary by Shigeru MIZUKI who is the Yokai guru.
水木しげるの妖怪事典水木しげるの妖怪事典

東京堂出版 1981-08
売り上げランキング : 150381
おすすめ平均

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2010-04-23

KURI Corder Quartet 栗コーダカルテット

栗コーダカルテット(KURI Corder Quartet) is relaxing music group.  The sounds consist of alto and soprano recorder, mouth organ (a kind of harmonica?), ukulele, guitar, percussion and so on.  Unplugged music.  Japanese children learn those instruments at elementary school.  KURI Corder Quartet create heartwarming music by entry-level instruments.  Their music help you relaxed.  Or, it might lead you to become too relaxed to sit up smartly again.


KURI Corder Quartet play The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme).


How do you feel it?  Do you get a body down?  Do you think you can defeat such Darth Vader?



KURI Corder Quartet play Thriller - Michael Jackson.


Somebody giggled when music started. You may well feel so.



15th Anniversry Best
15周年ベスト〈初回限定盤〉15周年ベスト〈初回限定盤〉
栗コーダーカルテット

ジェネオン・ユニバーサル 2009-10-07
売り上げランキング : 2668
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All original music by KURI Corder Quartet
笛社会笛社会
栗コーダーカルテット

GENEON ENTERTAINMENT,INC(PLC)(M) 2007-06-06
売り上げランキング : 18154
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Europe Tour Live Album
巴里渋舞曲巴里渋舞曲
渋さ知らズ

地底レコード 2008-11-16
売り上げランキング : 86651
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2010-04-21

「百万粒」

This picture is the bag of rice I eat now. The brand name is '百万粒 (million grains of rice)'.  I don't know correctly how many grains includes in the bag.  It's just a brand name.  The bag is for 5 kg rice.  It's reasonable price and its taste is so-so.

The rice I ate before was printed 'Taste good eaten cold' on the bag.  It's blended rice.  I wondered which kinds of rice were blended.  It's certain that it tasted good even when it's cold.  But I forgot the brand name. It meant about 'milky way' or something.  I had the strange feeling because the name didn't evoke rice or Japanese food.  I wonder why the brand name is so funny.

I add a bit of sprouted wheat in rice for health at my home.

今食べているお米、「百万粒」。本当は何粒入っているんでしょうか。ちなみに5kg入り。お値段お手頃で普通においしいです。

以前食べていた「冷めてもおいしい」と銘打ってあるブレンド米が何をブレンドしてあるのか気になります。商品名を忘れてしまいましたが、ミルキーウェイとか、洋物っぽい名前でした。

うちではいつも押し麦を入れて炊きます。
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