Category: Japan

  • It was the winter solstice. Spiritual awakening day

    Dec. 21 was the winter solstice, the shortest daylight hours of the year (in the northern hemisphere). In spiritual circles, it was a big-time to spiritually wake up until yesterday! Two years ago, I heard from Mr. Yoshikazu Namiki that the gates close at the winter solstice, so I went to hear him talk about…

  • Cool Japanese Music Vol 3 : Sheena Ringo

    Another singer who got me hooked from 2015 Kohaku is Sheena Ringo. I’ve heard her name and songs before 2015, and she’s been on Kohaku since 2011, but I have glued to her song “long and short festival – This is Hell or Heaven” on Kohaku 2015! She was so cool. It was a fusion…

  • Cool Japanese Music Vol2, Hoshino Gen

    Kohaku Uta Gassen is a national show that airs on 12/31 every year in which selected singers gather together and sing in male and female groups. The viewer rating is usually around 50% in Japan. I’m going to be into two singers for the 2015 Red and White Year-end show. One of them was Gen…

  • Cool Japanese Music Vol 1 : Sekai No Owari (End of the world)

    I haven’t listened to many Japanese songs since I came to the U.S., but I do watch the annual Kohaku Uta Gassen at the end of the year. I thought, “This is it!” Sekainoowari appeared for the first time in 2014. The song “Dragon Night” was so good that I listened to all the other…

  • All I want for Christmas is~

    It’s December. It’s Shiwasu., which means A monk runs around because it’s so busy.  Are you busy? Christmas songs are ringing out these days. This season was fun when I was a kid and young, but now that I’m an adult,  not so fun. Why is it that I don’t have many memories of Christmas…