#ikkyu-no-yume

[ikkyu-no-yume]

white house par Shiro Kuro Via Flickr : SONY DSC

#white #snow #winter #japan #nature #temple #tree #ikkyu-no-yume

[we-are-monk]

Inspirations for Matsubi Hanako I like to sit down and ask myself what building blocks got me my character or storyline. Examining this helps me know why I made certain choices. Fox Statue

Shrines to Inari often have foxes as statues, as they serve as messengers to the deity. This one has a scroll in its mouth, like the one on Hanako’s back tattoo. The idea of foxes as divine messengers of became this temple where kitsune are venerated as semi-divine, a little like how celestial-blooded creatures might be everywhere else. While I was supposed to be researching for a term paper I ran across some neat comparative mythology scholarship on fox stories in East Asian lore. Hanako is, obviously, primarily Japanese inspired but stories of the Chinese huli jing and the Korean gumiho influenced both her specifically and the lore surrounding her people. (The country Hanako is from in her original setting is not an island nation, and that shows.) Hanako’s tension with her bestial vs. her spiritual nature is a common theme in Daoist and Buddhist fox stories. Often the less enlightened foxes indulge in trickery or seduction or outright predation, until they are destroyed. But the wise fox gains immortality by overcoming these issues. Her fear of dogs references specifically, “Come and Sleep.” Her ability to drain the ki of her foes is common in fox stories in China, and the habit impoverished kitsune have of eating the flesh of dead humans comes from Korean stories about foxes eating the livers of humans who they killed (Hanako’s favorite guilty pleasure is eating liver.) credit: somethingweirdisaw Library Fox of Wan Shi Tong

In the Avatar universe, the library of Wan Shi Tong sat half in the real world and half in the spirit world as an elusive repository of knowledge. His minions are little foxes that manage the library - this is a huge part of Hanako’s role in this world. There’s a throwaway line in Patrick Rothfuss’s Name of the Wind about the University’s adventure librarians that combined with these scroll-hoarding foxes to become Hana. Also, Iroh is there.

credit: Legend of Korra screenshot

Vulpix

It’s not so secret that I sometimes use visual cues from a pokemon in my character design. I’ve had a ninetales named after Hanako since 4th gen. It wasn’t really my doing alone that she managed to gain her many tails by eating a magic crystal.

credit: pokemon anime via bulbapedia

Maya Fey/Ayasato Mayoi

It wasn’t until I started playing through the games again recently that I realized how heavily I’d borrowed from Maya in terms of Hanako’s demeanor, appetite, and appearance. I decided to give her the necklace as a nod to this relationship.

credit: jadenkaiba on deviantart

Monk/Champion class, Ragnarok Online

I played this game for 8+ years and it still surprises me what design choices I make that relate directly to this game’s aesthetic. Hanako’s heavy rope belt and prayer beads wrapped around a gauntlet probably rely on this a little.

credit: Gravity

Souhei *extra credits whisper:* Warrior monks.The concept of the warrior monk that runs through the fantasy class usually pulls from Shaolin, and the emphasis on hand to hand combat that even Hanako has is indicative of this. (Again, Hanako’s only mostly Japanese.) The way monasteries in her homeland fight with both samurai and each other, the way they see commoners, and the way that monks who aren’t Hanako often wear armor and carry blades draws from stories of angry armed Buddhists in Japan. Hanako’s bracers and the headscarf I never draw her wearing are references to this.

credit: ikkyu-no-yume

Juri Han Hanako’s not evil, doesn’t do taekwondo, and I don’t play Street Fighter. But something about Juri’s body language and facial expressions suit Hanako, who is always trying to hold back a predator.

credit: kotku

Ahri

I was hesitant to admit this, it feels a bit pedestrian. But they share some similar notes in “guilt about their innate powers” and “feeding off people”, even if Hanako is less morally grey and less seductive. Though she does have a weak charm ability, Hana probably couldn’t entrance her way out of a paper bag. I’m tempted to add suzu bells to Hanako’s design. Ahri makes ringing bell sounds when she moves and attacks that I imagine working for Hanako.

credit: ryuradraws

Shippou I was twelve, I liked the kid and the then-unfamiliar medieval Japanese setting, and I think that’s why I figured kitsune had a place in my fantasy world at the beginning.

credit: rat-king-arts

#hanako #kitsune #monk #sohei #juri han #maya fey #vulpix #avatar the last airbender #ragnarok online #inuyasha #shippou #ahri #pokemon

[kimonobeat]

gonna be cliche... top 6 songs of 2017 so far?

aww nuts, I don’t think I’ve listened to enough music from 2017 to have a top 6 list... so here are the 6 songs I’ve been obsessed with this year instead in no particular order :’)

“Yume Saki Annainin” by Yamaguchi Momoe: this song is so pretty and elegant in a timeless kind of way. I’ve been singing this song at karaoke a lot lately!

“Ikkyu-san” by Suiyoubi no Campanella: thank you Suikan and KOM_I for keeping things interesting during a dry spell in Japanese pop music

“OH NO, OH YES!” by Nakamori Akina: LOVE LOVE LOVE this track... specifically this live performance

“Starter Pistol” by Otsuka Ai: not sure if this is one of my TOP songs of 2017 yet, but I definitely have it bookmarked in my brain for future lists!

“Moonlight Kiss” by Kawai Naoko: what a pure, catchy pop song. I get it stuck in my head all the time!!

“RIDE ON TIME” by Yamashita Tatsuro: I’M SO OBSESSED WITH THIS SONG RN... his English is quite good too!

#music #shibuya-to-harajuku

[sneek-m]

Songs of the Day: March 2017

All I remember playing during March is Suiyoubi no Campanella’s Superman. I put that album on every other drive home from work, and some other songs from it, like “Ikkyu-san” or “Kamehameha the Great,” was definitely close to making this list. I tried making sense of why I like it so much in writing here.

A good amount of new favorites from previous months are still well kept in rotation for me: Nanase Aikawa, S.E.S., Red Velvet, April and so on. So maybe my new finds from March will trickle in later more down the line.

Here’s the updated Spotify playlist. Omissions are Suzy, Nanase Aikawa, Charisma.com, and Namie Amuro. The links take you to a video at least, and some have my writing to go with it.

March 1: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu -- “Yume no Hajima Ring Ring” [Pika Pika Fantajin, 2014]

March 3: Suiyoubi no Campanella -- “Sakamoto Ryoma” [Superman, 2017]

March 6: April -- “April Story” [Prelude EP, 2017]

March 8: Zombie-Chang -- “I Can’t Get to Sleep” [Gang!, 2017]

March 10: Suzy -- “Yes No Maybe” [Yes? No?, 2017]

March 13: Nanase Aikawa -- “Koigokoro” [paraDOX, 1997]

March 15: Selena Gomez & The Scene -- “Love You Like a Love Song” [When the Sun Goes Down, 2011]

March 17: Asako Toki -- “Pink” [Pink, 2017]

March 20: S.E.S. -- “Birthday” [Remember, 2017]

March 22: French Montana -- “Lockjaw” ft. Kodak Black [MC4, 2016]

March 24: Charisma.com -- “#hashdark” [Not Not Me, 2017]

March 27: Namie Amuro -- “Can You Celebrate?” [Concentration 20, 1997]

March 29: Red Velvet -- “Some Love” [Russian Roulette EP, 2016]

March 31: Perfume -- “Spending All My Time” [Level 3, 2013]

#Song of the month

[ikkyu-no-yume]

Kokeshi par Myajima Via Flickr : Old man painting a Kokeshi doll at Zao onsen, Yamagata prefecture in the Tôhoku region, North of the main island Honshu. Kokeshi dolls are originally from the Tôhoku region and there's eleven type of dolls coming from the different areas of Tôhoku. Viel homme peignant une poupée Kokeshi à Zao onsen, préfecture de Yamagata dans la région du Tôhoku, nord de l'île principale de Honshu. Les poupées Kokeshi sont originaires de la région du Tôhoku et 11 types de poupées viennent de différentes zones du Tôhoku.

#Japon #Japan #Honshu #Tôhoku #Zao onsen #Kokeshi #Poupée #Doll #日本 #ikkyu-no-yume

[ikkyu-no-yume]

Hiroshima Gokoku Jinja par Lucas Mamoru Via Flickr : What is the life of a human being — a drop of dew, a flash of lightning? This is so sad, so sad. - Ryūnosuke Akutagawa

#gokoku #jinja #shrine #shinto #hiroshima #japan #nihon #japanese #garden #fuji #fujix #fujifilm #x100f #travel #architecture #ikkyu-no-yume

[ikkyu-no-yume]

bamboo forest par tooktheredpill Via Flickr : kyoto

#kyoto #bamboo #forest #japan #ikkyu-no-yume

[ikkyu-no-yume]

Autumn Reflection par Andrew Allan Jpn Via Flickr : Reflection in polished wood. Ruriko Temple, Kyoto, Japan

#autum colour #Pentax Art #ricoh gr #travel #Japan #Kyoto #ikkyu-no-yume

[ikkyu-no-yume]

the closing bow twirling ceremony, sumo par Shiro Kuro Via Flickr : Satonofuji, former Yumitori Rikisi (bowman) add a sakura background to an old photo

#sumo #大相撲 #japan #photoshop #portrait #people #ikkyu-no-yume

[ikkyu-no-yume]

赤外線で撮った金閣寺はより一層美しく感じますよね par Eiki Wang Via Flickr : 赤外線で撮った金閣寺はより一層美しく感じますよね。（用紅外線所拍的金閣寺感覺格外的美） infrared photography Filter-QB24 LumixGF1 + Lumix Leica DG15MM F7.1 1/500SEC ISO100

#赤外線 #紅外線 #Infrared #Kinkakuji #金閣寺 #京都 #kyoto #せきがいせんしゃしん #赤外線写真 #世界遺產 #鹿苑寺 #rokuonji #japan #ikkyu-no-yume

[ikkyu-no-yume]

Nikko Toshogu Senningyoretsu par Hong Seongwan Via Flickr : Nikko, Tochigi-ken, Japan Unesco world heritage

#nikko #toshogu #tochigi #japan #ikkyu-no-yume

[ikkyu-no-yume]

葵太夫（石清水八幡宮にて） par Geert Rinkel Via Flickr : A tayū from the Shimabara district in Kyōto. She performed at a special event at Iwashimizu Hachimangū in Yawata City, Kyōto Prefecture, to celebrate that the shrine was designated as a National Treasure.

#tayuu #aoi #kyoto #japan #japanese #yawata #iwashimizuhachimangu #shrine #national #treasure #heritage #ikkyu-no-yume

[ikkyu-no-yume]

Japan12_1982 par Wallace Via Flickr : Buckwheat Noodle だしそば & 松茸そば , Restaurant Mitoya (美登屋), Yamadera (山寺), Japan

#Japan #Tohoku #Yamadera #food #日本 #山寺 #ikkyu-no-yume

[ikkyu-no-yume]

hatsugama (5) par Michihiro Tanaka Via Flickr : Hatsugama (the first tea ceremony of New Year). I was fortunate to take those photos in the solemn atmosphere.

#japan #ikkyu-no-yume

[ikkyu-no-yume]

今宮戎神社 十日戎 宵宮 2018 par Tetsushi Kimura

#今宮戎神社 #神社 #Shrine #十日戎 #福娘 #伝統行事 #Japanese Tradition #大阪 #Osaka #日本 #Japan #日本の伝統 #ikkyu-no-yume

[ikkyu-no-yume]

Winter tale par 小川 Ogawasan Via Flickr : G I F U - J A P A N 白川郷 Shirakawa-go ---小川-Portfolio--- NEW*Instagram * Facebook * *5px 小川 **Béhance**Art Limited**Tumblr**Fotoblur**5px B&W* © Ogawasan 小川/Bach.sacha.Photography. All Rights Reserved.

#Japan #Japon #Winter #Night #Speedlight #Unesco #Shirakawa-go #合掌造り #民家 #gasshō-zukuri #Snow #Tale #Fairy #ikkyu-no-yume