Japanese boys (37-40) - Japonly

Because we attended the Sumo tournament, met modern Samurai ...

37/Sumo

Always cult even if it is not anymore the sport No. 1. After the passage of the Americans, the national sport at the top of the list was long baseball, beaten by football today thanks to Captain Tsubasa manga, which caused the creation of a Japanese soccer team that participated to the World Cup in 1998, 17 years after the release of the first volume. ( Captain Tsubasa Takahashi Yoichi, Tsubasa Ozora grew up with the series, he is now more than 20 years old and plays for FC Barcelona!)

Performances are in great demand and very quickly sold out, we had to settle for a live broadcast of the tournament to be held in Tokyo in May. Impossible not to feel a certain fascination for these giants.
To score a point, wrestlers must touch the ground with any part of the body or push their opponents out of the circle representing the arena.

38/Aikido

Is to prepare physically, mentally and technically to manage the possible attacks of all kinds. Somehow mirror of Japanese behavior in front of adversity (war, natural disasters, crises ...).

39/Samouraï

Strange destiny, the Samurai were until 1868 among the most powerful people of Japan and are still cited today as an example in the pursuit of self-control and personal inner strength acquired by a self austere discipline, a major feature of the Japanese character always present. I discovered their destiny in "the stone and the sword" by Eiji Yoshikawa.

Five key dates:
1192
August 1192, following the failure of the Emperor to take the country in hand, samurai Minamoto-no-Yoritomo adopted the title of shogun ("General"). Without deleting the Kyoto Imperial Government, he established in Kamakura (south of Tokyo) the shogunate, a military government that will exercise the power and the formal system of Japan from 1192 to 1867.
1338
Era "Muromachi" when the country was controlled by shoguns when Emperor Go-Daigo lost the battle of Minatogawa. This was the beginning of the Ashikaga shogunate, which lasted from 1338 to 1573.
1629
October 22, beginning of the Edo period. Laws on military homes are written, the Samourai Honour Code (Bushido) is defined to safeguard the interests of shogun (military governor). Orderly, loyal, samurai, under the impulse of the code, cultivate the arts of bushido.
1702
December 14, 47 vassals of Asano daimyo Naganori invaded the residence of Kira Yoshinaka, the master of ceremonies of the shogun, and beheaded him. By doing so, the ronin, "masterless samurai" have avenged their master’s death, condemned to commit suicide for having drawn his sword in the palace, two years before. Fulfilling their revenge, the ronin have complied with the samurai code and are elevated to national heroes. They commit suicide in their turn according to tradition. They will be buried in temple Sengakuji. Their story continues to nourish the arts and culture of Japan.
1868
The return of the supreme power to the Emperor Meiji precipitates Japan in the civil war, called Boshin ("War of the Year of the Dragon") involving samurai clans of Satsuma, Choshu and Tosa, and his opponents, the armies of the Shogunate Government of Edo traditionalist. The conflict ended in May 1869 with the victory of the imperial troops.

The seven virtues of the samurai code (Bushido, "the way of the brave warrior") are Righteousness, Courage, Compassion (compassion & generosity), the courtesy (respect), Sincerity (Honesty) Honor and finally Loyalty.

To know a bit more about Bushido

40/Games

Pachinko at the Top of the list is a kind of vertical machines, where you gain pads or metal beads, which you then exchange at the counter.
Once you walk through the door, the noise is deafening, mixing ball falling and music push to the max, despite all these huge rooms are full of kinds of people of all ages.



And of course video games with Mario Bros




Japanese girls
Un voyage au Japon (FR)