Pitagora Switch ピタゴラスイッチ

Pythagora Switch (ピタゴラスイッチ Pitagora Switch) is a TV program of NHK educational channel.  Pitagora comes from Pythagoras or Pythagorean theorem.  The theme of Pitagora Switch is showing "the way of thinking" for children.  We cannot make light of this program though it's for children.  Pitagora Switch touches your science mind.  It has scientific atmosphere.

The opening of the program is the short film of a Pitagora Device.  Pitagora Device is a chain reaction device with something we all use usually.

Pitagora Devices are collected in the DVD books and published.

ピタゴラ装置DVDブック1 佐藤雅彦 ポニーキャニオン 2006-12-01 Sales Rank : 1598 Average Review  See details at Amazo Japan by G-Tools

ピタゴラ装置 DVDブック2 佐藤雅彦 ポニーキャニオン 2007-04-18 Sales Rank : 2733 Average Review  See details Amazon Japan by G-Tools

I'm not sure the above YouTube video can last in future.  The music of Pitagora Devices is provided by KURI Corder Quartet. The supervisor of Pitagora Switch is Masahiko Sato

Pitagora Switch consists of a short puppet drama, short anime, song, and so on.  Each part is simple but amazing.  My nephew likes Potegin very much.  I searched Potegin video but I couldn't hit.  Potegin is a cube.  You know, a cube has six faces.  Potegin rhythmically speak out with using six faces that is written a word.  Potegin's chat is like a humming.  Start is like that, "Pote, Pote, Pote, Pote, Potegin. I'm a Potegin.  Today,..."

10 stick anime. Silly 10 sticks. This is one anime of Pitagora Switch.


Framy anime.  It's a heart warming story.  This is also one anime of Pitagora Switch.


Pitagora Switch

KNYACKI!

KNYACKI! is clay animation that broadcasts on NHK educational channel since 1995.  It's a long-running program but I've not traced this program very regularly.  I love this animation but I miss it often.

NHK educational channel has 5-minute short animation program every morning and evening of weekday.  Many short animation programs broadcast in this 5-minute slot.  One of them is KNYACKI!.   When I tune in to NHK educational channel at 7:55 every morning, it's not always KNYACKI!.  Besides, this program often is skipped because of sport event or big news.  The day I can see NYACKI! is a lucky day.


Knyacki is an ingenuous and inquisitive worm.  His shape is very simple but expressive.  He gets stuck in somewhere often.  He drops down often.  He loses his way often.  Very cute!  It's a bit difficult to appreciate the magnet for Knyacki without video.  However, I'm afraid that KNYACKI! DVDs are all region 2.





Unfortunately a new story broadcasts only a few times a year.  The reason may be that clay animation takes an immense amount of time and effort.  Production studio is I.TOON.

Spotbill duck diary

There is a comfortable pathway along the Egawa river near my home.  It's named 'Egawa Seseragi Yuhodo (江川せせらぎ遊歩道)'.  I found spotbill duck chicks in April.  6 chicks and their mother. It was very cute!  Chick brothers' size was like a tennis ball.

April 10th, Cold/Cloudy
Six chick brothers stay close mamma. It was very cold and rainy in April. At the evening, I saw that brothers got under mamma's tummy to warm up.

April 23rd, Very cold/Rainy
Brothers got together and slept.  Mother stayed alert without a break.  It's so cold that they didn't want to go around here and there.

April 29th, Warm/Sunny

Sunny light reflected off the water.  I tried to adjust the setting on the mobile phone camera but it didn't succeed.

All 6 chicks are growing up!  According to my observation, chicks don't get bigger fast in those cold days.

I found a new family at a time.  The family of 4 chicks and mummy.  Small and cute!

May 5th, Warm/Sunny
6 brothers has grown up.  This picture don't include all 6 chicks but all ones are doing well.

4 brothers are doing well, too.

And I found new 10 chick brothers without mother.  I wonder whether 10 chicks will grow up steadily.  To begin with, can 10 eggs all hatch in the nature environment?  And where is mommy?  Small babies swim very swiftly.  They immediately go out of the sight of camera.

	May 7th, Warm/SunnyRainy 6 brothers became small ducks.  Baby's plumage has turned to adult one. 4 brothers is doing well.  Comparing to 6 brothers, they grows up rapidly.

I didn't find 10 brothers again.  Instead of that, I found 7 chick brothers without mommy.  And 5 chick brothers with mother.

I'm thinking of tottering 10 babies I saw the day before yesterday.

• 10 orphans has reduced to 7?  A stray cat ate them?  A crow kidnapped them?
• 10 chick brothers I saw are actually mixed up two groups?  The figures doesn't add up. 
• Why couldn't I find out mother the day before yesterday?

My observation will be continued...

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 Twilight Aurora Publishing 2010-05-27 売り上げランキング : 261888 Amazonで詳しく見る by G-Tools

Yokai dictionary by Shigeru MIZUKI who is the Yokai guru.

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 Amazonで詳しく見る by G-Tools

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〉 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 おすすめ平均 Amazonで詳しく見る by G-Tools

All original music by KURI Corder Quartet

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 おすすめ平均 Amazonで詳しく見る by G-Tools

Europe Tour Live Album

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 おすすめ平均 Amazonで詳しく見る by G-Tools