A nice series of wallpapers by Hybridworks from Japan. Make sure also to check page 2 for more yummy illustrations.
Now I am hungry.
A nice series of wallpapers by Hybridworks from Japan. Make sure also to check page 2 for more yummy illustrations.
Now I am hungry.
The Security Council was and still is a good idea - but it no longer reflects the global status. After WW2 the US, Soviet Union, France, Britain and China reflected the world’s powers at that time.
But not today.
India und Brazil have been lobbying hard for a permanent seat - so did Germany and Japan as big spenders for the UN.
Europe is already over represented by France and Britain. I think ONE seat for the whole of the EU would be enough. Africa should also get it’s own permanent seat. Since India and China represented such a huge slice of the population - they also should get a seat each. Although I must say that neither China nor India have been big supporters of international progress - they have been too busy to get their own countries ahead. Although India has sent many troops to international missions.
It would be great progress if this important international forum would reflect the realities of 2008 and not 1950.
More? Wikipedia entry and a BBC discussion if India should get a permanent seat - some nice comments in there.
The Japanese have a very weird TV shows, but this one drove me mad with laughter: Human Tetris, Part 2 and Part 3. Enjoy!
Thanks to Edosan for another mad moment in my life.
When you visit this gallery - it might freak you out in some ways. It is simply strange to a western mind to which extend Japanese fans and otakus jump into your fantasies and passions. Dressing up as a Manga character is a strange thing indeed, especially if guys are doing this.
But masks and masquerades have strong traditions in many societies. Also gender changes are nothing unusual in Carnival and Fasching.
Also androgynous looks and behavior have become mainstream since the early 1980’s - and also trends like the metrosexual guys are blurring traditional lines.
So yes, it new and strange - but it’s also an old thing and not unusual. 
More? Sabrina.jp
Sometimes less is more … more excitement, more mystery and more space for our imagination …
This is the perfect lone wolf and lonely fighter movie. It provided a template for many Hollywood imitations like ‘Last Man standing’ with Bruce Willis.
Akira Kurusawa is one amazing men. Japan’s greatest director, his movies like Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Ran and Dreams just blew away any western competition.
Hollywood copied many of his movies.
His solid storytelling and his talent to create amazing characters, just glues me to the screen every time! Hardly any director - apart from Steven Spielberg or David Lean has made so many epical movies.
What I love about Japanese woodcuts are the different faces from classical European art. The Japanese are the real inventors of comics!
Another great woodcut by Maestro Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. Until the second world war Japans cities mostly consisted out of wooden buildings. So fire was a real threat to them - and firefighter even more important.
Too sad that American decided to totally devastated these old cities through incendiary bombings - which totally snuffed out most of Japan’s cities BEFORE they dropped the atomic bombs. Actually both cities were spared any air attacks to ’save’ them for the big experiments.
Anyway - this is a great painting. Bugger.
Sit down weary traveler and enjoy a moment of Asian bliss.
Another day in paradise. Just watching just picture fills me with a quiet tranquillity.
Geisha faces are pure magic to me - maybe because I am not used to them? But the white color, dark hair, red lips and black eyes create such an unique look which is hard to ignore. Geisha’s always look a bit sad, but also unreal and almost like angel …
They must the holy muses of Nippon.
Amazing colours, drama, action and a Geisha in distress. I love this painting.
I would love this job: playing a monster in a rubber suit and smashing up a whole miniature city. Never mind the bruises or toy trains stuck in your behind - think of the sheer fun!
Here we see a famous japanese hero - Minamoto no Yoshitsune:
Because of Yoshitsune’s tragic life and early death, he is one of the greatest folk heroes of Japan, becoming the subject of and influencing many works of Japanese literature and Japanese drama, especially the Tale of the Heike and Gikeiki (the name of which means “The Chronicle of Yoshitsune”), while the details of his life became legendary. For example, legend has it that while at Kurama Temple as a youth, he was trained by tengu, legendary bird-men warriors, in swordsmanship. Most of the tales focus on his later days in exile, fleeing from Yoritomo with his loyal retainers, including the warrior-monk Saito Musashibo Benkei. It is said his few retainers held off a force many times greater than their own to allow Yoshitsune to commit seppuku.
I am a big fan of symphonic soundtracks - they are the next best thing to classical music. The Godzilla soundtrack is pretty cool, has some great cheesy themes and moods. Just turn on that soundtrack and imagine yourself destroying Tokyo or Osaka.
Or watch this super cool old Godzilla trailer. Or watch this original Japanese Trailer for Godzilla vs Gigan. Ah, the joy of destruction!
More? Godzilla @Wikipedia or a gazillion video on YouTube
You don’t have to pain realisticly to capture the spirit of nature. Art like this just knocks me over! I love the simplicity on one side and the extreme momentum on the other. Perfect!
More about Ohara Koson here.
