I haven't updated in a long time, I am sorry about this. But it's summer, so I have to do this before summer ends! Japan is the opposite of America when it comes to ghost stories (kaidan), they tell them during the summer, we tell them during the fall.
The Japanese believe that they should tell ghost stories during the summer so that the stories will send chills down their spines, and they can be cool during the hot summers.
I will post a new Japanese ghost story at least every other day until summer is over. And maybe I'll post some in October, too. :)
Today's story is "the writings on the wall.
The Writing on the Wall is a scary tale from Japan about two young boys who explore a creepy old building.
When I was younger, there was a ruined building at the bottom of our street. All of the kids in the area kept well away from it, because the rumor was that it was haunted.
The concrete walls of the old two-story building were cracked and crumbling. The windows were broken and shards of glass lay all over the floor inside.
One evening, as a test of courage, my best friend and I decided to explore the creepy old place.
We climbed in through a window at the back of the building. The whole place was dirty and there was a layer of mud on the wooden floor. As we dusted ourselves off, we looked up and were shocked to see that someone had written the words “I AM DEAD” on the wall near the ceiling.
“Probably just some teenagers trying to scare kids”, I said.
“Yeah, probably…”, replied my friend nervously.
We explored more of the rooms on the ground floor. In a room that appeared to have once been a kitchen of sorts, we found more writing on the wall.
It read “I AM IN A ROOM UPSTAIRS.”
We walked up the creaking stairs to the second floor. I led the way and my friend followed close behind. I wasn’t scared, but he was beginning to get a little jittery.
When we came to the top of the stairs, we turned left and walked cautiously down the narrow hallway. At the end of the hallway was a closed door with some more ominous writing on it.
“YOU WILL FIND ME IN THIS ROOM.”
By now, my friend was shaking with fear. I was quite creeped out too, but I didn’t want to show it. He told me he didn’t want to go any further, but I insisted, telling him there was nothing to be afraid of.
I turned the handle and the door creaked open. We stepped into the room and found it empty. There were two closed doors on either side. There was more creepy writing on the wall.
It read “MY HEAD IS ON THE LEFT AND MY BODY IS ON THE RIGHT.”
As soon as my friend saw this, he completely lost his nerve. He gave a yelp and turned to run away. I caught hold of his arm, but he shook me off and fled out through the open door. I heard his footsteps disappearing off down the hallway.
I held my ground. I was determined to be brave and overcome my fear. Mustering all my courage, I opened the door on the right and walked inside. I walked to the other side of the room and on the wall, written in tiny letters were the words “MY BODY IS UNDERNEATH.”
I looked down at the floor. I was standing on some more writing on the floorboards. I stepped back and saw the words “MY HEAD IS COMING FROM THE ROOM BEHIND YOU. TURN AROUND.”
I heard the door behind me creaking and quickly turned. There was a shadow moving behind the door. Suddenly something rolled into the room and came to a rest against the wall.
It was my friend’s severed head.
His dead, sightless eyes seemed to stare at me. Screaming in horror, I flung myself out through the open window and fell two stories to the ground.
I landed on my side, breaking my arm. In horrible pain, I ran home, crying and yelling for my parents.
The police were called and they searched the old ruined building. At first, they didn’t find anything. There wasn’t even any writing on the wall. They combed the house from top to bottom, but didn’t find any traces of my friend.
Then they pried up the floorboards. His body was lying underneath. They never found his head.
I found this story at scaryforkids.com
Are you chilled? Are the summer days becoming eerie? I'll hopefully post another one tomorrow. And hopefully I'll have it in a video format, too!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
History of Haiku
I haven't posted in so long. I've been working on the MangaOption! game, which is now turning out to be more like a visual novel. The first chapter should be up soon! Anyway.... I had to do a project in school, I chose to do it on Haiku!
Basho
“Lightning flash—
what I thought were faces
are plumes of pampas grass.”
what I thought were faces
are plumes of pampas grass.”
-Basho
What is Haiku? Is it simply a poem with three lines in it? Would you ever associate Haiku with the spirituality of Buddhism? Haiku is so much more than just a poem. Many people can write Haiku, but not many people can tell you how Haiku came to be. Haiku is an extremely short type of Japanese poetry that can take years to master. Haiku has three lines, and seventeen syllables with a 5-7-5 syllable count. The poem tries to focus on one significant moment in time. In the Haiku above, written by Basho, he tries to focus in on a lightning flash.
Haiku is closely related to the spirituality of Buddhism, and Yugen. Yugen is an appreciation of beauty and art in Japan. Yugen suggests things, and doesn’t state them directly, much like a Haiku. Only a few words can suggest the true meaning of what hasn’t been said. It aims to open up inner thoughts and feelings. It focuses on one particular moment, and describes it just enough to understand, but little enough so it is open to interpretation. Because everything in Haiku is usually suggested, it can take years and years to master this Japanese art form.
Haiku is taken from another Japanese form of poem, tanka. Tanka is a poem made up of the rhyme scheme 5-7-5-7-7. Most tanka was written to explore the themes of religion or being proper. It was a popular thing to link tanka verses together. One person would write the first line of 5-7-5, and the next person would write the next 7-7 line of the poem. After that, the poem would continue in a constant line of 5-7-5-7-7, 5-7-5-7-7. Lines of a tanka could go on for thousands and thousands of lines of poetry. Linking the verses was known as renga.
Hokku (hok-oo) is the starting line in Haiku (in Japanese, Hokku literally means,”starting verse”. Hokku starts the theme and the tone for the rest of the short poem. Authors of hokku were greatly respected among other poets. Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902) was mainly responsible for hokku being read as a single poem, even shorter than haiku. Hokku is where the word haiku comes from.
Basho, Buson and Issa lived in Japan’s Edo Period; the Edo period was from 1600 – 1868. They were considered great masters of Hokku. Their work still influences how people write haiku today. They were born in rural villages. All of them spent years perfecting their poetry. They were poet-wanders. Poet-wanders roam around the land, and try to experience the words they write before they are written, a long Japanese tradition.
Basho is the father of Haiku. When he was young, he studied Taoism and classical Chinese poetry. When he first began to write poetry, he only wrote according to the “rules” of writing poetry. Japanese poetry at that time had an elegant, refined style. Basho eventually broke free of these “rules” and became a poet-wanderer. He kept a journal of many of the things that he experienced.
Today, Haiku is still one of the popular forms of poetry to write. Even today, many people are still influenced by haiku. The poem is short, and yet so full of meaning, many people read haiku to get caught up in a single moment and try to understand it. In almost every country there is a haiku society. There are many books and websites all about haiku. Many English speakers have adapted haiku writing to their own style and have changed things in the traditional form to fit their form of a haiku, like using things in the poem that are common today, but would not have been common when haiku was first made. English also has very different grammar and words than Japanese, and an English haiku with seventeen syllables can sound like they’re saying to much.
One of the most important aspects of haiku is that it aims to capture a satori (a single, amazing moment). Haiku contains simple, and direct language, and not abstract words. Haiku contains a kigo, a kigo is an image of nature that is usually in the first or third line.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Learn Japanese with Manga!
I have been working on a project for a while now called: Manga Option!
And I need your help.
Manga Option! is a game I made where you can learn Japanese with a manga/visual novel. When I was first learning Japanese I had always wanted something like this, so I make one for you guys! The format in the game right now will not stay the same. This is a test run I made using other people's images. I (and maybe you) will be drawing the rest.
I can't do this alone, I need everyone's help.
The whole point of this game is to teach Japanese, and Japanese culture all in one. So, when you guys help out with the story keep that in mind.
To play the demo please go to this page:
http://www.yoyogames.com/games/170974-manga-option
You have to download it, but it is not a big file. and I PROMISE there are NO viruses.
If you guys have anymore ideas for the story, or if you want to submit images, please comment below.
CONTEST!!! (in place of a bonus)
I am having a contest. Whoever draws the best Haruka and Aki (you can draw both or either) their image will be used in the final version of the game. I'll narrow it down, and then have everyone vote.
To enter, please e-mail your image to me at: japanaiblog@yahoo.com
Image MUST be original
If image is found to be unoriginal, you will be banned from the contest.
By submitting your image, I will have the rights to your image.
(don't be scared of that legal stuff, if you submit your image, and I don't use it, then you can 'have' all the rights to your image back. I won't hold it against you.) ; )
Thanks for reading!
***IMPORTANT UPDATE***
I just tryed to download it off of the site to make sure that it worked, but you might have trouble downloading it. If you have trouble downloading it, please use the following steps to play the game:
1. Download GameMaker 8 (NO VIRUS I PROMISE!)
http://www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker/try
2. go back to this page:
http://www.yoyogames.com/games/170974-manga-option
Click download
3. When file asks you to "find" or "save" click "save", and select the folder you want to put it in
4. When it's done, something should come up that says "open"
Click open
If nothing comes up, find the file and click on it
5. You will be presented with a screen that asks you what you want to open the file with.
Click Browse.
Select "Game Maker 8"
6. Open the file using game maker 8
7. Click on the small green arrow at the top of the screen
8. Enjoy the Game!
©Manga Option!
And I need your help.
Manga Option! is a game I made where you can learn Japanese with a manga/visual novel. When I was first learning Japanese I had always wanted something like this, so I make one for you guys! The format in the game right now will not stay the same. This is a test run I made using other people's images. I (and maybe you) will be drawing the rest.
I can't do this alone, I need everyone's help.
The whole point of this game is to teach Japanese, and Japanese culture all in one. So, when you guys help out with the story keep that in mind.
To play the demo please go to this page:
http://www.yoyogames.com/games/170974-manga-option
You have to download it, but it is not a big file. and I PROMISE there are NO viruses.
If you guys have anymore ideas for the story, or if you want to submit images, please comment below.
CONTEST!!! (in place of a bonus)
I am having a contest. Whoever draws the best Haruka and Aki (you can draw both or either) their image will be used in the final version of the game. I'll narrow it down, and then have everyone vote.
To enter, please e-mail your image to me at: japanaiblog@yahoo.com
Image MUST be original
If image is found to be unoriginal, you will be banned from the contest.
By submitting your image, I will have the rights to your image.
(don't be scared of that legal stuff, if you submit your image, and I don't use it, then you can 'have' all the rights to your image back. I won't hold it against you.) ; )
Thanks for reading!
***IMPORTANT UPDATE***
I just tryed to download it off of the site to make sure that it worked, but you might have trouble downloading it. If you have trouble downloading it, please use the following steps to play the game:
1. Download GameMaker 8 (NO VIRUS I PROMISE!)
http://www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker/try
2. go back to this page:
http://www.yoyogames.com/games/170974-manga-option
Click download
3. When file asks you to "find" or "save" click "save", and select the folder you want to put it in
4. When it's done, something should come up that says "open"
Click open
If nothing comes up, find the file and click on it
5. You will be presented with a screen that asks you what you want to open the file with.
Click Browse.
Select "Game Maker 8"
6. Open the file using game maker 8
7. Click on the small green arrow at the top of the screen
©Manga Option!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Anime IS important when learning about Japanese culture
When I first started this blog, my first post was that "this is not an anime otaku site", and it isn't - but Anime IS important. Most people who are trying to teach people about Japan intentionally leave out Anime, Manga, Japanese Pop Culture. Anime may not be the main thing to teach someone when teaching about Japanese culture, but it IS important.
Think about our American singers, actors, and everything we have. If you were teaching someone about American culture of course your going to have to mention Lady Gaga's new song or that new movie, "Black Swan". Why? Because if you had no idea what they were, people would become confused very quickly.
If people didn't teach anyone about Anime/Manga, they would go into a Japanese store and wonder what all the strange books, and weird movies were on the shelves.
Everything in a culture is there for a reason,
"For people saying it doesn't affect the culture at all, they are right but wrong. Anime is part of Japanese culture. Entertainment such as animation, music and film is an important part of many cultures, including Japan. Also, it's not entertainment that affects culture, it's culture that effects entertainment (for the most part.)"
- Unknown
BONUS!!!!!
Although, learning Japanese from Anime is NOT something you should try to do....
This video isn't mine, it was made by Koichi at Tofugu (http://www.tofugu.com/)
Thanks for reading!
Think about our American singers, actors, and everything we have. If you were teaching someone about American culture of course your going to have to mention Lady Gaga's new song or that new movie, "Black Swan". Why? Because if you had no idea what they were, people would become confused very quickly.
If people didn't teach anyone about Anime/Manga, they would go into a Japanese store and wonder what all the strange books, and weird movies were on the shelves.
Everything in a culture is there for a reason,
"For people saying it doesn't affect the culture at all, they are right but wrong. Anime is part of Japanese culture. Entertainment such as animation, music and film is an important part of many cultures, including Japan. Also, it's not entertainment that affects culture, it's culture that effects entertainment (for the most part.)"
- Unknown
BONUS!!!!!
Although, learning Japanese from Anime is NOT something you should try to do....
This video isn't mine, it was made by Koichi at Tofugu (http://www.tofugu.com/)
Thanks for reading!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Using the Playstation 3 to Study Japanese
Playastation 3... well... what can it do?
That's right... it only does everything.
Now it does everything plus 1, study Japanese!
If you have internet, then you can sign up for the Japanese Playstation Netowrk and download a lot of demos in Japanese. There is also something called "Playstation Home"
It is a MMO that Playstation has created and you can interact with people in Japan on a daily basis. It also has a lot of things that coincide with the Japanese culture. This is probably more for people who are more advanced in Japanese, but I think anyone who is more advanced should do this because I've learned so many new words that I constantly aply over and over. You can also download videos for games and movies in Japanese. This also allows you to keep up with current Japanese culture. I have also had many oppurtunities to talk to native speakers about grammer and when to use certain things I wasn't 100% sure about when I should use.
The Platstation 3 is reigon free, so you can play Japanese games without having a Japanese Playstation 3.
You should definitly use the Playstation 3 to study Japanese!
The only downside to this is that there is barely any ふりがな (furigana) (the Japanese Alphabet written above Kanji)
More information:
http://playstationhome.jp/ (Japanese, but can be translated by Google)
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/27/irem-creates-japanese-festival-themed-home-space/
http://www.gameinformer.com/blogs/members/b/meta77_blog/archive/2009/12/24/is-it-just-me-or-is-the-japanes-home-better-than-the-us-version.aspx
BONUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Playstation Home cheats: http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/cheats/17534/playstation-home/
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Why you should learn Kanji meaning before the Reading.
Meaning before Reading.
I have found, when studying Kanji that knowing the meaning before the reading has helped me much more than just seeing this: 本 and then the computer or textbook says THIS MEANS HON! THIS CAN BE USED IN THIS AND THIS AND THAT AND THIS.... and so on.
It's intimidating.
Your brain works better when you can connect things, and if you learn the meaning before the reading, then your brain can connect it better to other things and you will remember it longer.
I recommend:
Remembering the Kanji by James W. Heisig
Vol 1.: http://www.amazon.com/Remembering-Kanji-Vol-Complete-Characters/dp/0824831659/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1302147088&sr=8-2
Vol 2.: http://www.amazon.com/Remembering-Kanji-Vol-Systematic-Characters/dp/0824831667/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b
Vol. 3: http://www.amazon.com/Remembering-Kanji-Characters-Upper-Level-Proficiency/dp/0824831675/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1302147215&sr=1-2
Kanji de Manga by Glenn Kardy and Chihiro Hattori
http://www.amazon.com/Kanji-Manga-Special-Box-Set/dp/492120506X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1302147252&sr=1-2
Kanji in Mangaland by Marc Bernabe, Veronica Calafell, Alberto Aldarabi, and Gea Cassinelo
http://www.amazon.com/Kanji-MangaLand-1-Marc-Bernabe/dp/4889962212/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1302147252&sr=1-11
BONUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (*sigh* once again... I try.... I think everyone who reads to the end should get a reward)
Remembering the KANA!
http://www.amazon.com/Remembering-Kana-Reading-Japanese-Syllabaries/dp/0824831640/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1302147525&sr=1-1
Hope this helped anyone who wants to learn Kanji, and... Kana!
I have found, when studying Kanji that knowing the meaning before the reading has helped me much more than just seeing this: 本 and then the computer or textbook says THIS MEANS HON! THIS CAN BE USED IN THIS AND THIS AND THAT AND THIS.... and so on.
It's intimidating.
Your brain works better when you can connect things, and if you learn the meaning before the reading, then your brain can connect it better to other things and you will remember it longer.
I recommend:
Remembering the Kanji by James W. Heisig
Vol 1.: http://www.amazon.com/Remembering-Kanji-Vol-Complete-Characters/dp/0824831659/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1302147088&sr=8-2
Vol 2.: http://www.amazon.com/Remembering-Kanji-Vol-Systematic-Characters/dp/0824831667/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b
Vol. 3: http://www.amazon.com/Remembering-Kanji-Characters-Upper-Level-Proficiency/dp/0824831675/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1302147215&sr=1-2
Kanji de Manga by Glenn Kardy and Chihiro Hattori
http://www.amazon.com/Kanji-Manga-Special-Box-Set/dp/492120506X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1302147252&sr=1-2
Kanji in Mangaland by Marc Bernabe, Veronica Calafell, Alberto Aldarabi, and Gea Cassinelo
http://www.amazon.com/Kanji-MangaLand-1-Marc-Bernabe/dp/4889962212/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1302147252&sr=1-11
BONUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (*sigh* once again... I try.... I think everyone who reads to the end should get a reward)
Remembering the KANA!
http://www.amazon.com/Remembering-Kana-Reading-Japanese-Syllabaries/dp/0824831640/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1302147525&sr=1-1
Hope this helped anyone who wants to learn Kanji, and... Kana!
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