Official Author

鈴木 正孝（Masataka Suzuki）

Learn About Noh Theatre With the Kanze School of Noh! This video, titled "Manners and Etiquette Handed Down Through Generations of the Kanze School of Noh｜nippon.com" was created by "nippon.com." Noh is a traditional performing art of Japan. It has a long history in Japan, much like Kabuki, tea ceremony, and Buyo. There are many schools of Noh, including the Kanze school of Noh featured in the video. Style and performance can vary greatly depending on the school that an actor belongs to. In this video, we'll introduce the Kanze school of Noh. If you're interested in traditional Japanese performing arts, we highly recommend checking out this article and video! The Ever Popular World of Noh Theatre Photo：Noh stage In this video, the 26th head of the Kanze School of Noh, Kiyokazu Kanze (観世清和), talks about Noh and the importance of passing on the art to next generation. At 2:38 in the video we see Saburouta Kanze (観世三郎太) performing as a heron, one of the highlights of the video! From 1:00 in the video, Kiyokazu Kanze talks about teaching his son Saburouta. Then, at 2:20, he goes on to say that "to learn Noh, it is not enough to simply imitate a performance, one must make the performance their own and elevate it to another level." From 3:53, he explains how constantly improving one's performance until their full potential is reached is the most important aspect of Noh. You can hear Kiyokazu Kanze talk about his feelings towards his son throughout the entirety of this 5 minute long video. A Closer Look at the Traditional Performing Art, Noh Photo：Noh "Nougaku" (能楽) is the general name given to the performing arts Noh and Kyogen (狂言). It is one of Japan's oldest traditional performing arts and is registered as an Intangible Cultural Asset. There are six important features of any Noh play: ・Shosa (所作): Performance ・Utai (謡): Chanting ・Hayashi (囃子): Musical accompaniment ・Men (面): Masks ・Shozoku (装束): Costumes ・Kodogu (小道具): Props Movements in Noh involve standing up straight with ones chin tucked in in a posture called "Kamae" (カマエ). Walking without lifting one's heels off the ground, called "Hakobi" (ハコビ), is another characteristic feature of Noh plays. Back when Noh was first being performed by Kan'ami (観阿弥) and Zeami (世阿弥) in the Muromachi period (1336 AD - 1573 AD), "Kamae" had yet to even be established. "Utai" refers to the lines or speech in a Noh play performed by the lead role called the "Shitekata" (シテ方). This is important in correctly portraying the feelings of the characters in the play. "Hayashi" refers to the musical accompaniment, which usually include a flute, small and large hand drums, and taiko drums (太鼓). In some cases, the taiko drum may not be used. The music is often played at a low volume as not to interfere with the performance. "Men" refers to the masks worn during a Noh play. There may be times when masks are not worn as well. "Shozoku" is the term used for Noh costumes. White is often worn by nobles, whereas young women are often dressed in red. Many props are used on stage during Noh performances. In contrast to the larger props which must be prepared well in advance of the performance, many small, simple props are often repurposed for each performance. More About the Kanze School of Noh Source :YouTube screenshot The Kanze school is but one of many different schools of Noh Theatre. Its name originates from the Yuzaki guild (結崎座) of Yamato Sarugaku (大和猿楽). "Kanze" was the childhood nickname of Kan'ami, the founder of Noh. The Sarugaku performances of Kan'ami Kiyotsugu were what led to the creation of the Kanze School. The Kanze School of Noh's traditions and performances continue even today. Summary of Japan's Noh Theatre Performers of the Kanze school of Noh are continually working hard to perfect their performances in the hope that the traditional art continues for generations to come. If you're interested in watching a Kanze school performance, we highly recommend watching the video to get a taste of Noh theatre! There more you learn about the family trees and schools of Noh, the more interesting it becomes! 【Official Website】Kanze School of Noh https://kanze.net/en/publics/index/

The Long History of the Japanese Kimono This video, titled "Kimono inspired by the ‘street’, Jotaro Saito | V&A" was created by "Victoria and Albert Museum." The kimono is an important part of Japanese culture. The knowledge and techniques required to create beautiful kimono have been passed down for centuries. Have you ever heard of Jotaro Saito? The video will introduce the kimono designer, whose work is famous both inside and outside of Japan. In the article, we'll provide supplementary information about Jotaro Saito. If you're interested in traditional Japanese culture, we highly recommend checking out the video! Introducing Jotaro Saito Source :YouTube screenshot In this video, Jotaro Saito talks about how his kimonos are made. There are English subtitles available for those who don't speak Japanese. Jotaro Saito was born in Kyoto in 1961. His family owns a well-established dyeing store that has been in business for over 80 years. He was brought up in an environment surrounded by kimono. In the interview, Jotaro Saito talks about how his kimono are designed to bring out a woman's sexiness. He also explains that "street" is the main source of inspiration for his designs from 0:46 in the video. From 2:56 in the video, Jotaro Saito touches on the manufacturing process and areas of specialization, such as embroidery, that make up the design of his kimonos. You can also take a look at how the designs are hand-drawn onto the kimono in the video. It's a very informative video for anyone wanting to learn more about the kimono-making process and how kimono patterns are created. More About the Famous Kimono Designer Jotaro Saito Source :YouTube screenshot Jotaro Saito is a kimono designer who was born in Kyoto prefecture. His grandfather, Saizaburo Saito (斉藤才三郎) was a dye artist and his father, Sansai Saito (斉藤三才), a kimono designer. At the young age of 27, Jotaro debuted as a kimono designer and began creating modern kimono to fit the lives of people today. His kimono designs are based on the Yuzen dyeing method (友禅) which he learned from his father. This method of dyeing is combined with special weaving techniques to create truly unique kimono designs. Jotaro Saito is also famous for his interior design work in buildings such as the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto (ザ・リッツ・カールトン京都) and the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa (グランドプリンスホテル新高輪). He also runs his own café called JOTARO SAITO in Ginza (銀座). Make sure to stop by during your trip to Japan and have a look at some of the Jotaro Saito goods for sale! Jotaro Saito's work is being recognized worldwide and his kimonos have been featured in Japan Fashion Week in Tokyo and he has even had the opportunity to create outfits for Lady Gaga. Learn More About Japanese Culture! Source :YouTube screenshot Jotaro Saito is a world-renown kimono designer. For those interested in traditional Japanese clothing, such as kimono, furisode and yukata, we highly recommend taking a look at some of Jotaro Saito's beautiful kimono in the video!

Traditional Japanese Weaving on Shiraishi Island! Shiraishi Island belongs to the Kasaoka Islands (笠岡諸島) found near Kasaoka City, Okayama Prefecture in Japan's Chugoku region. The island has an area of 1.86 km², a max elevation of 169 meters, and has a population of 750 people. The island is known for being an exceptionally scenic area in Japan. The island's traditional woven goods are made using a loom called a "hata" (機). This has led to products made with this method being known as "hata-ori" (機織り). In this article, we'll introduce the weaving experience available on the island. Try Your Hand at Weaving on Shiraishi Island Photo：Hata-ori During the Genroku Period (1688-1704), the weaving trade thrived on the reclaimed settlement of Shiraishi Island. In recent years, in an attempt to revive the tradition, a weaving workshop where visitors can experience "hata-ori" was started. As seen from 0:42 in the video, the relaxing sound of the cotton gin is one of the features of the weaving experience. You might even find it therapeutic. Next, the cotton is spun into threads on a spinning wheel. The finished product is unimaginably soft to the touch. The woven products of Shiraishi Island are colored using dyes made from plants grown on the island itself. As shown at 2:05 in the video, onions, safflowers, persimmons, and cherry blossoms, and even chestnuts are used for the dyes. Visitors are treated not as customers, but as fellow weavers and are encouraged to freely try out the weaving experience. The management’s motto is to allow visitors to fulfill their dreams of mastering weaving. You might now be wondering about the price of the weaving experience. At a mere 500 yen, you should definitely give it a try if you’re interested! Summary of Shiraishi Island's Weaving Experience Photo：Kasaoka City and Shiraishi Island coastline, Okayama Prefecture Shiraishi Island is a place where you can enjoy not only weaving, but also the natural sights and sounds. As shown in the video, visitors from overseas can have fun learning about Japanese traditions while taking in the beautiful scenery. You can even go for a dip in the sea! Consider making a visit to Shiraishi Island during the warm summer!

Shutdown of the Supercomputer "K" This video titled "The Curtain Has Come Down on the Supercomputer 'K' and Fugaku Will Serve as Its Successor,（スパコン「京」幕下ろす 後継・富岳、運用へ）, released by "KyodoNews," is a video on the shutdown ceremony of supercomputer "K"- the former fastest computer in the world. The supercomputer “K” was used in various fields after achieving first for two consecutive years in the category of fastest calculation speed of a supercomputer, in 2011 during the test run. In the video of K's shutdown ceremony "Fugaku”, the successor to “K” , is also reported. You can find out how powerful the Japanese computer is. The video features the supercomputer "K" and its successor. What Is "K"? Source :YouTube screenshot The supercomputer "K" was jointly developed by the Riken Center for Computational Science and Fujitsu. NEC and Hitachi were also involved in its development at the beginning, but withdrew. This supercomputer, completed in 2012, contributed to the development of various fields including life science, healthcare, disaster defense, and space technology. It was also referred to as a "Next Generation Supercomputer," "General Purpose Hyper Speed Calculator" or "Kyosoku." This supercomputer achieved the fastest calculation speed in the world at the beginning of it development and has been used for about 7 years. According to the latest world ranking, it has currently dropped all the way to 20th . It was finally decided to put an end to the 7 year history and to make room for its successor "Fugaku," the next generation, most advanced supercomputer. In the video you can see that about 860 units of the supercomputer “K “ were shut down in turn during this ceremony. Hiroshi Matsumoto, President of the Riken Center talked about the expectations for the next generation supercomputer in this video (1:11). It is expected that Fugaku's calculation speed is more than 100 times faster than "K," and it will be used as AI (Artificial Intelligence). K's Specs Photo：CPU Next, we will show you what kind of specs "K" has. First, its high-end CPU capable of performing highly advanced arithmetic processing was developed by Fujitsu. 88,128 pieces are connected in parallel to calculate 10 petabytes worth of information per second. There is some concern about error because of the scale that the supercomputer has. However, they built a unique system that could avoid errors and continue high-speed arithmetic processing. Also, high-performance memory is used. This supercomputer consumes powers equivalent to the amount used by about 30 thousand households. Therefore it costs about 1.2 million yen to operate the whole system of "K" per hour, Running the supercomputer "K" full for a day costs about 28 million yen (~$260,000 USD), so the electricity bill can get a little high. “Fugaku," the Next Generation Supercomputer Source :YouTube screenshot “Fugaku," successor to "K," had a development costs of about 112 billion yen (~$1.38b USD). The development of Fugaku started in 2014, and it is scheduled to used starting in 2021. Its calculation speed is more than 100 times faster than that of "K." It is aiming to achieve the worlds top level utility. 150 thousand units of CPU are connected to improve its computing power. According to the world supercomputer ranking as of November, 2019, "Summit" developed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory is top the list, followed by "Sierra" developed by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and "Sunway TaihuLight" (神威・太湖之光). Summary of the Supercomputer "K" The video, titled "The Curtain Has Come Down on the Supercomputer 'K' and Fugaku Will Serve as Its Successor," released by "KyodoNews" is a video on the shutdown ceremony of supercomputer 'K' that was used for 7 years. These computer technologies that have been developing day to day may change our futures. 【Official Website】K Computer | Riken Center for Computational Science (R-CCS) https://www.r-ccs.riken.jp/en/k-computer/about/ 【Official Website】The supercomputer "FUGAKU"｜Riken Center for Computational Science (R-CCS) https://www.r-ccs.riken.jp/en/postk/project

This video, titled "An Eternal Longing ☆ The Princess Experience Is Really Popular!" (永遠の憧れ☆プリンセス お姫様体験が大人気), was released by "KyodoNews." This video is a news video released by Kyodo News that gives shows you princess experiences in Japan. The Disney Store, which sells Disney princess costumes, is the driving force behind the experience of becoming a princess, every girl's dream. The Snow Crystal Museum in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, is a popular place where you can feel like a princess, as it looks just like the castle from Disney's "Frozen." Lockhart Castle in Takayama Village, Gunma Prefecture, is a popular destination for couples and women, with more than 250 costumes available in the exotic mountain castle. These princess experiences have also increased tourism. It's been observed that Disney characters have become more popular due to their increased diversity.