Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Studio Ghibli




Right now Studio Ghibli is most popular and known all round the world Japanese animation film studio. It was founded in 1985 by the directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata and the producer Toshio Suzuki, after great success of Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind from 1984, produced by Toei Animation (Dragon Ball, Clannad the movie). Most of studio Ghibli's movies are films directed by Hayao Miyazaki with Spirited Away which has won in 2002 an Oscar for Best Animated Feature and it remains the only anime film to have done so. Many films from Ghibli studio have on the Animage Anime Grand Prix award. In October 2001, the Ghibli Museum opened in Tokyo. There are many exhibits based on Studio Ghibli films and shows animations, including an number of short Studio Ghibli films not available anywhere else. The mascot and lodo of studio is Totoro, the forest spirit, main character in My Neighbour Totoro from 1988. All the films have got music composed by Joe Hisaishi (personally I think the best are OSTs to Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle).


1984: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ, Kaze no tani no Naushika)
1986: Castle in the Sky (天空の城ラピュタ, Tenkū no shiro Rapyuta)
1988: Grave of the Fireflies (火垂るの墓, Hotaru no haka)
1988: My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ, Tonari no Totoro)
1989: Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便, Majo no takkyūbin)
1991: Only Yesterday (おもひでぽろぽろ, Omohide poro poro)
1992: Porco Rosso (紅の豚, Kurenai no buta)
1993: Ocean Waves (海が聞こえる, Umi ga kikoeru)
1994: Pom Poko (平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ, Heisei tanuki gassen ponpoko)
1995: Whisper of the Heart (耳をすませば, Mimi o sumaseba)
1997: Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫, Mononoke-hime)
1999: My Neighbours the Yamadas (Hōhokekyo tonari no Yamada-kun)
2001: Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し, Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi)
2002: The Cat Returns (猫の恩返し, Neko no ongaeshi)
2004: Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城, Hauru no ugoku shiro)
2006: Tales from Earthsea (ゲド戦記, Gedo senki)
2008: Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (崖の上のポニョ, Gake no ue no Ponyo)


and planned for july 2010 The Borrower Arrietty.
























Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Other Cults connected with cats






The word "bakeneko" in Japanese means demon-cat that change its form; in Japanese folklore creature as powerful as fox (kitsune) or racoon-dog (tanuki). Normal cat can become bakeneko for many ways, just beacause of its age or size. When it becomes demon because of bearing too lond tail which splits in two it's called nekomata (next paragraph).

After old or too big cat becomes bakeneko demon it appears at it's house where it lives creating little spiritual lights, visiting sleeping people or even eating it's master to take his place. In the night it can be even 1,5 meter high. It is believed that when bakeneko cat comes into the room where lies just died person, and the cat jumps above dead person, the person rises from death.

Nekomata is the house cat whose tail has splited in two tails. It happens when cat had too long tail after 10 yaers of cat's life. In Japan is believed that cat shouldn't have got long tail. That's why in Japan special breed of cat is being bred - Japanese tailbob. It walks standing like human, with its front paws and tails it can control dead. It is told that nekomata eats dead bodies. They're usually acting like normal cats, but if family was treating them not porperly, they control dead from family of master and haut them until master apologise and give some treat. Some legend tell that nekomata can take human figure.







And modern version, Nekomimi Mode! Common in anime and manga, adorable girl with cat ears, tail and sometimes gloves immitating paws. Sometimes wearing maid unifroms, which are also popular.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAeO4raYmb4




Friday, January 8, 2010

Ohayo, minna! / Maneki-neko - The Good Luck Cat


Hello, Everyone - おはようございま!!!


I hope I'll manage to update this blog once a week. Every week I'll write something about culture and traditions of Japan (language, myths, traditional wear), and something about Japan nowadays (fashion, music, anime, manga).

On top of this note, you see the Cat of Luck - Maneki-neko (maneki - luckiness, neko [猫] - cat). Probably you have seen this before on some sticker on the shop door. It means something like "Welcome". It may be use too as piggybank (it also talisman for having more money). Usualy Japanese people put some figure of maneki-neko in front of their houses. It has got one paw (often left) up, to tell people "welcome". It must has got no, or very short tail. So the breed of the cat is Japanese Bobtail. In Japan the cat when it is bobtail cat, it is "lucky" cat. Cats with long tails are known as bakeneko (bake [ 化け] strange, evil - bakemono [化け物] monster, demon) evil and demonish cat. If you've got cat with long tail in the house be aware!

Next week I'll tell you why...