Pianos and Motorcycles: The Story of Yamaha

 

Yamaha is a huge brand, with its products being well known around the world. But what they are known for can vary widely depending on who you ask. For some, Yamaha is a leading motorcycle manufacturer; for others, a purveyor of pianos and other instruments. Others still might recognize Yamaha as the name printed on their boat, golf club or audio equipment. The truth is that Yamaha has a hand in all of these products and more, boasting a level of ubiquity that belies their humble beginnings in the 1800s.

The company’s founder, Torakusu Yamaha, started off as a watchmaker, later branching out and becoming a specialist in medical equipment. In 1886, Yamaha moved to a small town called Hamamatsu and started a business repairing medical equipment. But as it would turn out, his skills with technology would soon lead him down a different path. Yamaha heard news that the reed organ in a local elementary school had broken down, and, being in a small and isolated area, no one knew how to repair it. All organs in Japan at the time were imported from abroad, so finding experts in their maintenance was difficult.

Despite it being outside of his area of expertise, Mr. Yamaha agreed to try repairing the damaged instrument. During the course of his work, Yamaha was forced to manufacture his own replacement parts, which in turn inspired him to attempt what no one in Japan had done before: to build his own reed organ from scratch. 

The process of doing so was not easy. In order to showcase his first prototype in the music department of Tokyo, Yamaha himself had to carry the organ over 160 miles through the mountains. When he finally arrived, the organ was harshly criticized for its construction and poor tuning. Yamaha would spend the next several months dedicated to the study of music theory and proper tuning, before finally constructing the first proper organ ever built in Japan. This new model was good enough to rival foreign-made instruments, and Yamaha soon started receiving requests to build even more.

Thus in 1887, Yamaha’s corporation (then known as Nippon Gakki Co. Ltd.) was established, and slowly began to produce more instruments. Reed organs and pianos made by Yamaha became very popular in Japan, and were widely distributed throughout the country. Torakusu Yamaha passed away in 1916, but his company continued to thrive under new leadership, further expanding to the production of other instruments like harmonicas and xylophones.

Yamaha Corporation, like many other companies, would undergo great change with the advent of World War II. In the last few decades, Yamaha had become well known for its quality woodworking and mechanical engineering. As a result, in the 1940s Yamaha shifted its focus to manufacturing motors and propellers for boats and planes in order to support the Japanese war effort.

After the war had ended, Yamaha Corporation repurposed its expertise in motors to establish its other great claim to fame: motorcycles. While Yamaha Motor Company is technically a separate business, it is still partially owned by Yamaha Corporation .Today it is one of the biggest motorcycle manufacturers in the world. It makes more than just motorcycles, including boat engines, jet skis, golf carts and snow throwers.

Meanwhile, the post war state of Japan also brought about great changes for their music business. New policies had made music education mandatory in Japanese schools, leading to increased business for Yamaha. Their range or products expanded even further as time went on, which now includes everything from guitars and synths to cables and recording equipment. It was also during this post war boom that their influence extended beyond the borders of Japan. While Yamaha was initially only known abroad for their motorcycles, advancements in technology and trade relations between the US and Japan brought Yamaha’s products to the rest of the world.

Today, Yamaha is the world’s largest musical instrument manufacturer, and their influence on the world of music is undeniable. Yamaha instruments can be heard on countless records. Their pianos have been played by jazz legends, their guitars are loved by icons in rock and metal, and their synthesizers have characterized generations of pop and dance music. Aside from their instruments, bikes and boats, Yamaha has too many products too name, including swimming pools and archery equipment. Despite all of this, their logo still pays tribute to their humble origin, featuring three tuning forks which represent Torakusu Yamaha’s dedication as a pioneer in Japanese instruments.

Can Japanese People Speak English?

 

The Japanese call themselves the worst English speakers in the world. Why do they think so?

I think this is due to their actual experience.

Japan is recognized as a nation with high educational standards. Most students study English for at least 10 years from the time they enter elementary school until they graduate from college. Yet, very few Japanese are able to go out into the world and communicate with Americans in English.

It is really strange that they cannot easily master the English language.

Most Japanese, who tend to be highly intelligent, can only say hello, thank you and  goodbye. and other basic idioms. This is strange.

Think about it. Non-English speaking foreigners, once they become a little more comfortable with the English environment, are able to have a basic conversation. And yet, even as adults, Japanese feel an intense sense of inferiority about their lack of English language skills. It also affects their work.

　

In our defense, the Japanese who studied English up to university have a good knowledge of grammar. Many young people have no problem with reading newspapers and books. But when it comes to conversation, the average college student has difficulty understanding American television programs.

In particular, the listening skills of the average Japanese are dismal. They are unable to answer questions that an American toddler can understand. If I ask, "Please draw your favorite shape with a pen,”  you might think anyone would understand. But for Japanese people, such a simple question is difficult to comprehend.

It is believed that the main reason for this is due to pronunciation. The English language contains sounds that the Japanese language does not. The Japanese language is made up of 50 sounds, while English uses combinations of letters to make a variety of different sounds. As a result, the Japanese who speak English have a unique accent. This is because they are forced to speak a pronunciation that does not exist in Japanese. They use their mouth and tongue differently. For example, it is difficult for Japanese people to distinguish between the words “lock” and “rock,” because the Japanese language does not use distinct L or R sounds.

　

Another reason for this difficulty is that the Japanese language has unique grammar. According to linguists, the Japanese language has its own language system that does not fit into any other language system in the world. French, Latin and German share the same linguistic ancestry. Asian languages such as Chinese and Indian have much in common with English in terms of linguistic logic. Japanese is the only language that is isolated. This may have something to do with the fact that Japan is a very old island nation with a very isolated culture.

It is true that it may be difficult to teach Japanese to foreigners through grammar. But that's not the only problem, it seems. There are people who come from other countries and live in Japan who can master the Japanese language very fluently. Sumo wrestlers from Europe, Mongolia and Hawaii speak very natural Japanese.

Some scholars point out that the reason for the inability of the studious Japanese to speak English is a psychological barrier. Japanese people are very concerned about what people think of them. If I fail, I am embarrassed. I might speak ridiculous English. I will be ridiculed. They will look down on me. They are anxious about what others think of them. The reason for this is definitely different from other ethnic groups.

At any rate, the Japanese have a strong sense of inferiority and admiration for English.

There are countless English language schools in Japan, and bookstores are overflowing with English reference books. Recently, YouTubers have been making a splash with their English videos for Japanese people. There is a lot of debate about what teaching methods are most effective. “You should learn a lot of words first.” “No, prioritize grammar study.” “No, start with listening.” “No, conversation is the most important thing.” Experts' opinions vary, and the Japanese are increasingly confused.

How would you teach English? If you go to Japan and choose a job, an English teacher might be the best choice. The Japanese love Americans who teach English. Although not an exact statistic, the easiest job you can do in Japan may be an English teacher. At any rate, I hope you now understand the struggles of Japanese people trying to learn English.

Hideo Kojima: A Gaming Icon

 

While video games are far more popular now than they have ever been, there is still very little attention given to the people who make them. Of course, among devoted fans and people working in game development, there are many well known figures in the history and current evolution of the art form, but very few of these people are known in the mainstream. Hideo Kojima, however, has challenged this trend, becoming one of the most famous game makers not only in Japan, but the entire world.

Kojima started working on games in the mid 80s, working for a Japanese company called Konami. His first major success came in the form of Metal Gear, an early progenitor of the stealth game genre and the first entry in Kojima’s longest and most iconic series. Metal Gear went on to influence countless other games, and the continued success of its sequels quickly cemented Kojima as one of the most influential game designers in the industry.

The Metal Gear series continued to evolve alongside video game technology, transitioning early on from a top down 2D game to fully 3D graphics, along with intricate plots and extensive use of voice acting. The series is also a great showcase for what sets Kojima apart from other game developers.

In Metal Gear, Kojima usually acts not only as the lead designer, but also as director, writer and producer. He uses this level of control to create games that are not only fun and innovative, but distinctly unusual. While the series explores serious themes like nuclear war and espionage, it also features absurdly over the top dialogue and unbelievable plot devices like giant robots, clones and cyborgs. Characters also tend to have bizarre names like Solid Snake, Psycho Mantis and Die-Hardman, despite being portrayed in serious conflicts. There are so many other strange quirks that characterize Kojima’s style, but they can be hard to put into words. Suffice it to say that his work is extremely distinct from that of his contemporaries.

Despite (or possibly because of) these games’ idiosyncrasies, they comprise one of the most beloved game franchises ever made, with almost every sequel receiving high praise from both critics and the general public. Metal Gear has inspired countless references in other media, and the series' protagonist Snake was even featured in Super Smash Brothers, a crossover fighting game featuring gaming icons from throughout history. Kojima’s writing for this series has even being regarded as prophetic by some, with 2001’s Metal Gear Solid 2 being noted for its discussion of fake news, echo chambers and the effects of the internet on politics years before these issues gained mainstream attention

While Metal Gear is his biggest claim to fame, it is far from Kojima’s only beloved project. Among his most well-regarded works are games like Snatcher, Zone of the Enders, and Policenauts. In more recent years, he collaborated with filmmaker Guillermo del Toro to design P.T., a short demo for a planned Silent Hill game that was cancelled in development. Despite only being a playable teaser to a game that would never see the light of day, P.T. went on to become arguably one of the most popular horror games in the last decade, serving as inspiration for dozens of other projects and gaining critical acclaim.

Today, Kojima is one of the most popular game developers in the world, holding the Guinness World Records for most followed game director on both Twitter and Instagram. He has contributed articles to mainstream publications like Rolling Stone, and been the subject of innumerable essays, reviews and editorials. Despite this, very little is known about Kojima’s personal life, which he seems to avoid talking about in interviews.

After splitting from his long time employer Konami, Kojima has become the head of his own independent game studio, Kojima Productions. Their first game, Death Stranding, was released in 2019, was one of Kojima’s most experimental games yet, drawing both praise and criticism for its unique setting and unconventional gameplay. While his next project has yet to be revealed, we can safely assume that it will be just as unconventional as the rest of his work. That unique identity, as well as his consistently great work, have elevated Hideo Kojima to the status of a veritable gaming icon.

Tezuka, The Godfather of Manga

 

Today, I would like to introduce you to Osamu Tezuka, the godfather of Japanese manga.

Without him, the Japanese manga industry would not be thriving today. It's no exaggeration to say that the majority of manga artists working today are influenced by him. Foreign readers know that Japanese comics use a unique mode of expression. But they may not know that it was Tezuka who established the basic style.

Some of his work is world famous, including Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, Buddha, and Black Jack, to name a few. He was also a pioneer in animation. He set up his own animation company and made movies from his own works. It was the first successful company of its kind in Japan.

He became a professional manga artist when he was a medical student. While writing manga, he set his sights on becoming a doctor. As a result, he got his medical license, but chose to become a manga artist instead. This was because he had already made his debut as a professional cartoonist while he was in medical school.

Tezuka's early works were distinct from established manga. Until then, Japanese manga had a flat style of drawing, simple conversation, and simple plot. Tezuka's manga introduced cinematic techniques and used a more dramatic, three-dimensional presentation. This innovation grabbed readers' attention. Since his debut, Tezuka's works have become popular one after another, and he quickly became a leader in the world of manga.

Tezuka Osamu was influenced by Hollywood films and Disney animation. It is said that he watched Disney's Bambi in particular several hundred times.

Tezuka made his debut in 1946, and at that time Japanese manga had only naive satirical cartoons and short stories for young children. He was a pioneer of the full-length manga, and his story and drawing skills made him a solitary figure. That was when he was still around 20 years old.

Since that time, his style has been broad and diverse, ranging from comedic and light Disney-style work to serious Sci-Fi drama. A turning point in his career was Astro Boy. When the cartoon became a popular magazine series, he set out to make it into an animated feature, a dream come true. He set up his own film production company and aired Astro Boy as a weekly TV show, which was an even bigger hit.

　

Thus, Tezuka became the first successful Japanese manga and animation artist. The creator of the now world-famous Dragon Ball and the director of Ghibli Animation have also admitted to being influenced by Tezuka. Also, Disney's Lion King was clearly influenced by Kimba the White Lion. It is interesting to note that while Tezuka emulated Bambi, Disney was later influenced by Tezuka.

　

During his heyday in the 1960s, Tezuka produced at least five manga series a month in parallel. At the same time, he was also producing animation. He became legendary for his superhuman work ethic. In fact, he kept himself immersed in his work on four hours of sleep.

He drew accurate cartoons even in a moving taxi or train. It is said that he was able to work on one cartoon while meeting with editors of other works at the same time. He had seemingly superhuman endurance and intelligence.

At the root of his work is always the love for humanity. Tragedy and comedy coexist, and he believes in the future of humanity. Such a positive style is said to be the reason why his works have gained a large following.

His masterpiece Buddha is not a mere Buddhist biography, but an imaginative historical tale depicted through Tezuka's view of life. Black Jack contains profound episodes in which the titular doctor confronts a variety of life issues. These may have something to do with Tezuka's motivation to become a doctor.

　

Tezuka died suddenly at the age of only 60. It was in the middle of his busy work schedule. He was sick and had to be hospitalized, but he did not stop working. Even when he was unconscious, he grabbed a pen and tried to draw. His last words before his death were reportedly "Please, let me work.”

　

Today, many creators of manga, animation, and film have pointed out the significance of Osamu Tezuka's existence. They are unanimous in their appraisal of Tezuka, saying that modern manga owes its existence to him.

Without him, manga and animation in Japan would not have flourished as they do today.

What is Shonen Jump?

 

One of Japan’s biggest cultural exports is anime, that distinctive style of animation that has become increasingly popular in America and the rest of the world. Open acceptance of anime is not uncommon in the US these days, a fact that might be thanks to how many adults today grew up watching and enjoying japanese animation on American TV channels. Series such as Naruto, Bleach and Dragon Ball Z were wildly successful here, leading to a generation of Americans that has grown to love Japanese animation.

Despite that, many anime fans may not be as familiar with where some of the most popular franchises originated: the pages of a magazine called Weekly Shonen Jump. This weekly publication, which has been running since 1968, is Japan’s best-selling manga magazine, and one of the most influential institutions in modern media.

Manga, as you may already know, is the japanese term for comics and graphic novels. While manga has much in common with American comic books, there are some distinguishing features. First, while American comics are usually in full color, manga is almost always monochromatic. There is also not nearly as much crossover between series, with each franchise being created by a relatively small team as a stand-alone piece of fiction. There are many other differences as well, but the one most relevant to this discussion is that each new issue of a manga series is usually published in a weekly anthology which combines multiple series in one book.

Shonen Jump has long stood as the biggest and most prestigious host for popular manga series, and for good reason. Over the years, it has published international hits such as One Piece, Bleach, Naruto, Dragon Ball, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and many more. If a manga creator can manage to make a deal with Shonen Jump, their work can be showcased to a huge audience. If the series continues to be successful, it may even warrant an anime adaptation, as has been the case with all of Jump’s most popular franchises. But maintaining your position in Weekly Shonen Jump is not an easy feat.

Because Jump is so popular, it has strict limitations on what series can remain in publication. This is largely determined by audience feedback, with the least popular series being discontinued to make room for a new series. As a result, the competition is fierce, and only a manga with great art, writing and storytelling will last long enough to be considered a success.

With that in mind, you may be wondering what kind of manga is the most successful. From the examples I listed earlier, you may be able to guess that Shonen Jump’s biggest audience is boys and young men. The stories presented usually appeal to things that this demographic tends to like, with an emphasis on action and comedy. While this means that there is not as much as an emphasis on things like mystery, romance or drama, these genres have still seen some amount of success in the pages of Jump.

This emphasis on action and excitement aimed at boys is referred to as Shonen manga, the term from which the magazine takes its name. This formula has proved to be surprisingly flexible, and has been combined with many other genres over the years. Subjects can include anything from fantasy and sci-fi, to contemporary subjects like card games or sports. As you might imagine, many of these subjects are appealing to people from all over the world, which is an important factor in Shonen Jump’s international appeal.

Today, Shonen Jumps still stands at the top of the manga industry, and continues to influence the creation and distribution of some of the most popular franchises in the world. Looking at it today, one can see a combination of long running series like One Piece and JoJo along with new ones like My Hero Academia and Dr. Stone. New issues can be found in Japanese specialty stores or even purchased online, so if you’re curious about the future of anime and manga, pick up a copy when you get the chance.

Japanese Myth: Catfish and Earthquakes

 There have been superstitions and myths all over the world since ancient times.

Japan is no exception. However, ｗith the development of science, many of them have disappeared. Still, some of them still continue to exist.

Japan is a country that is prone to earthquakes. Some superstitions have arisen to explain this phenomenon. The most famous of them is that "a catfish run amok causes an earthquake”.

Don't you think this is very strange?

Its possible that this is based on real events. Some catfish may be observed acting strangely before an earthquake, which would make people think that they were the cause. The Japanese apparently thought that catfish had supernatural powers that controlled earthquakes.

Some older Japanese imagined a giant catfish running rampant in the ground, and there is an illustration of it in a document from about 160 years ago. At that time there was a huge earthquake in Japan. The people were terrified and imagined a supernatural force. It is not known who created the first depiction of a catfish causing an earthquake. Before long, illustrations of catfish became popular and many similar drawings spread. There are more than 250 known illustrations depicting this superstition.

There are patterns in how these illustrations are made. The most common one is a composition of someone holding down a giant catfish. It can be an incarnation of a god, a people, a monkey or a horse. There are also humorous ones in which the catfish is anthropomorphized in a kimono.

But why a catfish?

People today would dismiss such superstitions. However, today, some scientists are scientifically examining the relationship between catfish and earthquakes. Catfish are known to be sensitive to electricity. One scientist speculates that when earthquakes occur, the geomagnetic field is often disrupted and that catfish may sense it electrically.

According to the latest research, catfish are creatures with very interesting characteristics.

Catfish live in ponds and lakes. They are said to be omnivorous and greedy, but how do they get a "meal" in the muddy water where they cannot see? The secret lies in their "sense of taste".

The vertebrate organs that sense taste are called taste buds. If you look closely at the tongue, you can see that it is full of tiny protrusions. These are the taste buds. The human tongue has between 5,000 and 7,000 taste buds. Incidentally, carnivorous mammals have few taste buds, with cats having only about 500. Carnivores kill animals on the spot and eat them, so they don't need the ability to discern the difference in as many tastes.

In contrast, herbivorous mammals have a very large number of taste buds, with cows having 25,000 taste buds. This is because herbivores need to distinguish between poisonous and nutritious food from the mixed grasslands of different types of grasses.

Taste buds, which are responsible for detecting food toxins, are usually found on the tongue and other parts of the oral cavity. However, a catfish has these taste buds all over its body. Moreover, they have 200,000 taste buds. They have about 40 times as many taste buds as humans do. The catfish uses these taste buds instead of its eyes to search for small fish to feed on. If a small fish touches a catfish inadvertently, its presence is instantly detected.

And that's not all. The catfish is able to follow the taste of the small fish as it drifts along with the current. The taste buds on the surface of the body allow the catfish to find its target as it moves toward the stronger taste. By measuring the time difference between the taste buds on the whiskers and the taste buds near the tail, we can even pinpoint the exact location of the small fish.

This new scientific knowledge may shed some light on the origin of the catfish’s association with earthquakes. If their hypothesis is correct, it may prove that while catfish cannot cause an earthquake, they may be able to predict one.

The Geography of Japan

 

I would like to explain the basics of the geography of Japan.

If you look at a world map, Japan is small. But did you know that Japan's exclusive economic zone（an area of coastal water and seabed within a certain distance of a country's coastline, to which the country claims exclusive rights for fishing, drilling, and other economic activities), including its territorial waters, is quite large? It is 1,726,000 square miles, the sixth largest area in the world. Japan has jurisdiction over a very large ocean.

The length of Japan's coastline is 21,160 miles. By comparison, the coastline of the United States is 12,380 miles long. The length of the earth's equator is 2,4850 miles, which gives you an idea of how long the Japanese coastline is. This is due to the fact that Japan has so many islands, and the uneven topography of the coast itself.

There are currently 194 nations in the world. On a map, the island nation of Japan looks small. But when it comes to land area, Japan is 50th largest. That means there are 134 countries in the world that have a smaller land mass than Japan. In Asia, Japan is 17th out of 47 countries. If you look at the countries of Europe, only five of the 43 countries are larger than Japan - Russia, Ukraine, France, Spain and Sweden. 

Japan covers a wide spectrum of climates. Hokkaido in the north belongs to the subarctic zone and its seas are covered with ice floes in the winter. Okinawa and the Ogasawara Islands in the south belong to the subtropical zone. The southern islands of Okinawa and the Ogasawara Islands belong to the subtropical zone, where palms and bananas grow naturally. There is not a single European country that has such a wide range of climates within its borders.

There are twenty-four countries in the world, like Singapore, that are smaller than Tokyo prefecture. Japan seems small when compared to large countries like Russia and the United States. By the way, Russia and the U.S. are about 45 and 25 times larger than Japan respectively. The disparity between the two countries is extreme.

In 2000, Japan's population density was 334 people per square kilometer. Among the major countries, Bangladesh, South Korea and the Netherlands have a higher population density than Japan. Bangladesh, however, is not more than twice as crowded as Japan. Located in the Ganges River delta, Bangladesh is almost entirely composed of flat, habitable land.

Japan, on the other hand, has plains covering only 13% of its land. Do you know what the population density of the habitable land is? It is a formula that divides the habitable area of Japan, excluding mountains, lakes, rivers, deserts, etc., by the population. That gives us a population density of 2,796 people in Japan, which is much higher than the population density of Bangladesh, Korea and the Netherlands. Japan's land is 90% mountainous and forested, and only a few flatlands are inhabitable.

　

However, there are countries that are more densely populated than Japan. Singapore has a population density of 6,048 people. This is also surprising if you only look at the numbers, but Singapore is a city-state and most of its land is inhabitable. The population density of Tokyo's 23 wards is 12,698 people per square kilometer. Its congestion level is still the highest in the world.

China, India, Brazil, etc., have larger territories than Japan, but their borders, which are adjacent to other countries by land, are longer than their coastlines. This means their water area is smaller than that of New Zealand and Japan, which are surrounded on all sides by the sea.

Japan has many islands in the ocean, such as the Nansei Islands and the Ogasawara Islands, as part of its territory. If you added the total of the ocean territory surrounding these islands, they would come to a total of 166,000 square miles, more than Japan's entire land area of 146,700 square miles.

The Japanese archipelago, which stretches 2,051 miles north and south, is made up of many islands, large and small. How many islands does it consist of? Ultimately, the number of islands is impossible to determine, because there is no clear legal definition of the term “island.” Estimates range from about 3,000 to 6,852, depending on how the size of an island is defined.

　

Japan is made up of countless islands of all sizes. 99% of these islands are uninhabited, and only 421 are inhabited. 99.4% of Japan's total population lives on the 5 islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Okinawa. The other islands are called remote islands.

Being an island nation lends Japan a unique character compared to other countries. This has had a big influence on daily life in Japan.

The History of Nintendo

 

If you know anything about video games, you’ve almost certainly heard the name Nintendo. Like many other tech companies in Japan, Nintendo has grown into an internationally known brand, and has established itself as the biggest and most famous video game company on earth. That being said, while many people have a general idea of what Nintendo does, the story of where they came from is not as obvious. I’d like to share a brief history of this legendary company, its rise to power, and its current position in the video game industry.

Given that video games are a relatively modern media, it may surprise you to learn that Nintendo was founded as early as 1889. Strange as it may seem, the company was founded by Fusajiro Yamauchi in order to make and sell “hanafuda” cards. These hand-crafted cards, decorated with flowers and other designs, could be used to play a variety of different games, much like western playing cards.

While cards were Nintendo’s original product, they eventually branched out into other business ventures, ranging from taxis to instant ramen. A turning point for the company came in the 1960s, when they began to break into the toy industry. Competition was fierce at the time, and Nintendo struggled to stand out among contemporaries like Bandai and Tomy, bringing the company to the brink of bankruptcy.

One day, the president was inspecting one of the hanafuda factories when he noticed a worker who had made an extending arm toy in his free time. This maintenance man, named Gunpei Yokoi, was asked to develop his crude prototype into an official product, and he was promoted to lead toy designer.

That first toy, called the Ultra Hand, was an immediate success, and was a sign of the many innovations Yokoi would make at Nintendo. As the company expanded into video games, Yokoi had a key role in some of their greatest successes. He designed the Game and Watch and the Game Boy, two early handheld game systems, and invented the cross-shaped control pad button design which is still used in almost every modern controller.

Nearly 100 years after its inception, Nintendo established itself as a major video game company with the release of the Famicom in 1983, called the Nintendo Entertainment System or NES in America. This affordable 8-bit home console revitalized the struggling game industry, and popularized playing video games at home rather than in arcades.

The main strength of the NES was not in the machine itself, but in the talented designers and developers at Nintendo. Game designers such as Shigeru Miamoto made a wide variety of fun and challenging games, in genres including action, adventure, horror and RPG. Popular and long-lasting franchises such as Mario, Zelda and Metroid all started here, cementing Nintendo as the video game company to beat.

In 1989, Nintendo launched the Game Boy, a handheld game system. While they had dabbled in portable game systems with the Game and Watch series, the Game Boy was a full-fledged system with an impressive monochrome display, as well as a great selection of exclusive games, including the massively popular Pokemon series. As a result, this too was a huge success, putting Nintendo at the top of both home and portable gaming.

Despite their newfound success, Nintendo would soon face major competition from many sources. In the 80s and 90s, Sega was a major rival, releasing a more powerful 16-bit console and an edgier mascot in the form of Sonic the Hedgehog. Nintendo would soon respond with their own 16-bit machine, dubbed the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, in 1991. Referred to as the SNES, it was another huge success, boasting better graphics and another huge selection of excellent games, many of which were sequels to NES classics. The SNES was even powerful enough to support primitive 3D graphics, as seen in games like Star Fox.

Nintendo would continue to innovate with the Nintendo 64, released in 1996. As their most powerful machine yet, it was designed to support full 3D graphics, and yet again they used this new technology to create many classic games. However, this year could also be considered the end of Nintendo’s first golden age. Sony’s Playstation was comparable in power, and had a strong selection of games, leading to lower sales overall for Nintendo. The company would continue to struggle to keep up with advancing technology; their next console, the Game Cube, was noticeably less powerful than its contemporaries, with less realistic graphics than Microsoft’s Xbox or Sony’s Playstation 2. That said, while their home console sales were down, Nintendo continued to dominate the handheld gaming market with the Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo DS.

Rather than try to compete directly with their rivals, Nintendo continued to rely on innovation and the popularity of classic franchises like Zelda and Mario. The Wii, released in 2006, had primitive graphics compared to modern consoles, but featured unique motion controls and a selection of games focused on appealing to a wider audience. This unusual and family-friendly system was Nintendo’s biggest success in years, selling an amazing 101 million units internationally. This also prompted Sony and Microsoft to attempt to imitate the Wii’s motion control, but with little success.

In more recent years, Nintendo has continued to explore innovative hardware, while continuing to expand on their uniquely vibrant and colorful style of games. The Wii U, released in 2012, was marred by poor marketing and a sparse library of games, but it did introduce an interesting controller featuring a high-resolution touch screen. While not nearly as successful as the Wii, Nintendo would iterate on its design with 2017’s Nintendo Switch, a hybrid console that combined the best elements of home and handheld systems. It was powerful enough to support modern games on an HD TV, but its small size and built-in screen allowed it to be used as a portable game console as well.

The success of the Switch, which continues to be one of the best and fastest-selling consoles in the world, has kicked off what some have called a Nintendo renaissance. While Nintendo’s hardware is not always on the cutting edge, it has a long and consistent history of making well-loved and influential games that have been enjoyed by generations of players. Culturally, they have produced some of the most iconic and frequently referenced characters and franchises of all time, making a permanent mark on popular culture around the world. Given how consistently they have continued to push forward the art of game development, I think it is safe to say that they will continue to lead and influence video games for many years to come.

Matcha and Red Bean Paste: The Flavors of Japan

Every culture has a unique culinary tradition, and Japan is no exception. Today I want to talk about two distinct flavors that are strongly associated with Japanese cuisine: matcha and sweet red beans. While these are two very different flavors, they are both commonly used in snacks and dishes eaten in the summer.

We’ll start with matcha, that bitter green powder that has become increasingly popular around the world in recent years. These days, it is not uncommon to find matcha tea powder on the shelves of American stores, and matcha-flavored drinks and snacks are also on the rise. But what exactly is matcha?

Matcha is a type of powdered tee, grown from the same type of plant used in conventional green tea. The difference comes in the growth and preparation of the plant. While normal green tea is typically bagged and steeped like a normal tea leaf, matcha leaves are grown in the shade, have the stems and veins removed, and are then ground into a fine powder. Matcha tea is made by mixing the powder directly into the water.

Matcha originated in ancient China, first being used in Buddhist tea rituals. Eventually this practice spread to Japan, where it was initially reserved for the upper class. Eventually, modernization led to matcha becoming more accessible to the general public.

In the modern age, matcha is used for much more than just tea. It is most commonly used as a flavor for desserts such as ice cream or mochi, though it can also be used on other dishes such as soba noodles. It has even been combined with more recent snacks such as Pocky and Kit-Kats, a far cry from its origins as a sacred and exclusive luxury.

While the bitter taste of matcha may be off-putting at first, the sweet red bean paste is more immediately appealing. The idea of using beans in dessert may seem strange to some western cultures, but in Japan, it is a common ingredient in many popular treats.

The paste itself is simple enough to make, although there are some variations. Most involve boiling and mashing azuki beans, then adding sugar. The red husk of the bean lends the dish its signature color, although these husks may or may not be removed from the final product to modify the texture. Some recipes will even omit these husks entirely, resulting in a smoother, white paste.

Sweet red bean paste, like matcha, has an origin linked to China. The first recorded instance of beans being prepared in this way was in the Heian period (between 794 and 1185), when Chinese traders imported steamed buns to Japan. While these buns were traditionally stuffed with meat and vegetables, Buddhist monks invented the bean paste as a meat substitute. 

Since then, red bean paste has become an essential component in all kinds of deserts. Its role and popularity in Japanese cooking is similar to that of chocolate in America. The paste is often used as a filling for cakes and buns, such as in Dorayaki or Anpan. Mochi filled with red bean paste is called Daifuku. It can also be incorporated into other confections such as ice cream, donuts or jelly. Hundreds of uses for this versatile food exist, and more are being made all the time.

Luckily, both of these delicious flavors can be easily obtained in Japanese specialty stores throughout America, so if you haven’t already, give them a try. While they may be different from what you are used to, their popularity in Japan is well-deserved, and there are countless ways they can be enjoyed.

Akihabara: The Mecca of Video Game and Anime Culture

Akihabara Electric Town, affectionately known as Akiba, is known around the world as a mecca for anime and video games, with a high concentration of shops specializing in anime, manga, and video game goods.

Near the Japan Railroad Akihabara station is the 9-story Akihabara Radio Kaikan. This building is home to many shops selling electronic goods. It's a great place for tech enthusiasts; almost everything related to electric gadgets, such as computers and their parts, can be found here. There are also figure shops and anime related shops here. There's also Mandarake, a shop famous for its wide selection of anime related goods. You'll also find a collection of manga, video games and anime collectibles. If you're busy, this is a great place to start.

If you're a gaming enthusiast, head over to Super Potato, a retro gaming shop just outside of Manzakura, where you'll find a large selection of old-school consoles on the third through fifth floors and a retro arcade on the fifth floor.

On the north side of Akihabara is the club Mogra. On weekend nights, the club hosts an anime song club night, where guests get an all-night dance party going. Weekend admission is $20-$30; no one under the age of 18 is allowed in.

Japanese pop culture is popular all over the world with the term “otaku”, a term which roughly means nerd or geek. Many foreign tourists come to Japan to experience the real otaku culture, and otaku is a symbol of cool Japan.

Originally, otaku was a negative derogatory term for children who were absorbed in games and anime on the internet without leaving their homes. However, in recent years, some people have taken a positive view of them. There are those who respect their way of life and call for no discrimination.

Rather, tourists from abroad come to meet the otaku because they admire them. Akihabara has a large concentration of such "otaku shops" that sell anime, figures, and games.

When did Akihabara become a center for otaku culture?

Akihabara developed soon after World War II. It originated in the area where electrical appliance wholesalers and street vendors selling parts gathered. During the period of high economic growth, televisions, refrigerators, and washing machines, which were called the "three sacred treasures," spread to ordinary households, and Akihabara was filled with people who could buy them cheaply.

In the 1980s, it is said that the electric town of Akihabara alone was responsible for 10% of the nation's demand for home appliances.

At the time, Akihabara was a "family town" where families would visit on weekends and holidays to pick out televisions and refrigerators, and then go home for dinner after shopping.

Later, the rise of large suburban consumer electronics stores took a toll on Akihabara, and around 1990, many stores began to focus on selling computers and their parts. Rumors of this began to spread and PC enthusiasts began to visit Akihabara. At the time, PC enthusiasts were also fans of anime, figures and games. They must have shared the same tastes as each other. In this way, PC enthusiasts who were "geeks" gathered in Akihabara, and the latent demand gradually grew.

In the late 1990s, a number of "otaku shops" opened their doors in Akihabara on a trial basis. Otaku shops are hobby shops that cater to introverted people with a penchant for computers, internet communications, anime, and games. The "otaku culture" blossomed in Akihabara by grabbing a long-simmering need.

In the 2000s, as Internet shopping became more popular, PC shops began to disappear from Akihabara. Instead, the "maid cafes" that greeted customers wearing maid costumes became more prominent. Shops where shop assistants dressed in anime like costumes and serving customers were also a dream come true for otaku.

These days, high-rise office buildings are lining the streets of Akihabara, and the demographics are changing, but Akihabara, the sacred land of the otaku, is still alive and well.

Over the course of its long history, Akihabara has undergone a number of transformations. The changes in this town are likely to continue.