Big in Japan: Japanese monks down pints in the name of Buddha

by Matthew Firestone on

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Zen Buddhist monks?

If you guessed raked pebble gardens, immaculately poured cups of green tea and the continual search for inner peace and enlightenment, you’re wrong!

Starting this week in Japan, a trio of Buddhist monks have secured a regular spot at the Chippie Sound Music Bar, a popular Tokyo jazz club.

Here, they seek to educate patrons about Buddha while simultaneously performing their unique shomyo (????; Japanese Buddhist chants) to an attentive crowd.

Yup – you read that correctly.

Zen Buddhist mantras and Miles Davis do in fact mix well under the limelight!

As reported by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the three monks took to the stage, rang a small bell to silence the crowd, and filled the bar with their hauntingly beautiful chants.

To keep reading about this utterly bizarre but fascinating event, click below.

During the second half of the show, the trio once again took to the stage, silenced the room by ringing a small bell, kneeled in their gray robes before the crowd, and began to lecture an attentative audience about their faith.

One of the monks, Hogen Natori, believes that people are more receptive to complex philosophies when they are relaxing in a bar amongst friends.

“Many Japanese don’t want to come to temple. They think Buddhism is very difficult, and deep and serious, but Buddhism is much more than that – exciting, funny even. I want to spread this kind of teaching.”

So why is it exactly that the Buddhist monks had to resort to performing in jazz bars to keep their religion thriving?

Buddhism has had an extremely strong foundation in Japan since the religion first arrived in the archipelago 1,200 years ago from mainland Asia. In fact, almost three-quarters of Japanese people are registered Buddhists, though the only time they enter a temple is on their death bed.

Furthermore, since Japan is a rapidly aging society, interest in Buddhism is virtually non-existent amongst Japanese youths who care little about religion.

As a result, the vast majority of Japan’s 75,000 temples are in serious financial trouble. Although funerals are a huge source of income, the temples will have to attract new followers if they wish to thrive beyond the immediate future.

Although their effort to raise awareness about Buddhism’s lighter side are being applauded by most, the trio of monks is being accused by others of lowering themselves to the level of commoners.

To these critics, Hogen Natori offers these simple and succinct words:

“Come and join us. We are telling people what Buddhism is, what monks are.

Only in Japan…

Japanese Buddhism is undergoing a serious face lift these days. For coverage of a recent Zen fashion show here in Tokyo, be sure to check out the article Japanese monks strut it out on the catwalk.

** All of the photos in this blog post were taken by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) **

Big in Japan: Japanese energy drink makes Red Bull look like apple juice

by Matthew Firestone on

Life can be unbelievably stressful, which is why every one of us needs a quick boost from time to time.

Whether your preferred liquid energy comes in the form of a double skim latte, a bottle of Jolt cola or a red bull and vodka, life is so much easier with caffeine and taurine surging through your veins.

Of course, if you think that we have stressful lives in the West, you should spend some time in the Land of the Rising Sun, where eighty hour-plus work weeks are the norm, and sleep is for the weak and the dead.

So, it should come as no surprise that the Japanese are partial to their energy drinks.

With that said, allow me to introduce you to Yunker Fanti (??????????????????????????????), a powerful concoction by Sato Laboratories that makes Red Bull look like apple juice.

I’m not kidding!

From Royal Jelly and liquid-based nicotine to complex vitamins and herbal extracts, this stuff will put some serious spring in your step.

Want to know more about this invigorating elixir? Click below to learn the secret behind Japanese efficiency.

In Tokyo, you can buy a 50 milliliter bottle of Yunker Fanti for 1,700 yen or approximately US$15. The product is even endorsed by the legendary Seattle Mariner Ichiro Suzuki, so you know this stuff has got to be good!

Remarkably, you don’t even have to go to a health food store to buy the product.

Instead, just simply walk out of your apartment, head into the first convenience store you see, and knock your socks off for the price of a large cappuccino and a pastry at Starbucks.

So what is exactly in Yunker Fanti that makes this stuff so damn good?

For starters, this tiny bottle is jam-packed with caffeine and taurine, which probably isn’t the best thing for those with fragile hearts. But, think of this little baby as a mix of a double espresso and a red bull on ice.

Here’s the clincher.

Yunker Fanti, along with several other Japanese energy drinks, is packed-full of nicotine, which isn’t exactly the greatest thing to be putting into your body.

But, if you want to sharpen your senses, stave off hunger and punch the clock for a few more hours, you can’t beat this liquid gold.

Yunker Fanti is also brimming with a variety of natural and herbal remedies for fatigue, depression and sickness, such as royal jelly (think bees), complex vitamins, ginseng, guarana, garlic, ecinachia and a whole bunch of Chinese herbs that don’t translate into English.

Seriously – this stuff is the cure for what ails ya’.

If you’re still interested in trying Yunker Fanti, sadly you’re going to have to make the trip out to Japan.

Unfortunately, I’m fairly certain that there strict import restrictions in the States regarding liquid-nicotine based products, though perhaps I’m wrong. With that said, please chime in if you’ve seen this product in a health food store near you.

Big in Japan: Aliens may have landed in Japan

by Matthew Firestone on

Ever wonder why the Japanese are so much more advanced than the rest of us?

What if the answer to this question was simply that the Japanese government has made contact with aliens?

What if the Nintendo Wii and Playstation 3 were actually alien technology that was adapted to life on this planet?

Believe it or not, there may in fact be some truth to these statements!

Well, sort of…

According Chief Cabinet Secretary Mr. Nobutaka Machimura, one of the Japanese government’s chief spokesmen, unidentified flying objects (UFOs) do in fact exist.

Although he said that the Japanese government could not confirm any cases of UFOs, he told reporters that believed they were “definitely” real.

Interesting.

I guess at this point in the posting, you’re wondering one or more of the following:

a) How do you say Area 51 in Japanese?
b) So ramen really is an alien creation!
c) If there were space whales, would the Japanese hunt them too?
d) This has all got to be some big joke, right?

Have I peaked your curiosity yet? If so, keep reading as I assure you that there is some sort of rationale behind this apparent madness.

To put things into perspective, this whole ordeal started when a member of the opposition party asked the current government what their policy was in dealing with UFOs.

Although this is generally the type of question that no politician would want to touch, Mr. Machimura was quick to weigh in on the issue.

In the event that a UFO was discovered inside Japan’s sovereign airspace, Mr. Machimura said that fighter planes would be scrambled in an attempt to confirm the nature of the object.

However, Mr. Machimura regretted to announce that the government’s response measures ended there as there were no mechanisms in place for dealing with an actual alien landing.

Drawing peals of laughter from the crowd of reporters, Mr. Machimura admitted that this was a stereotypical response from bureaucrats.

Of course, Mr. Machimura was quick to emphasize that the Japanese government was not aware of any confirmed cases whereby a UFO was actually discovered in their airspace.

However, he did reiterate the urgent need to try and scientifically confirm whether or not UFOs exist because of what he called incessant reports of sightings.

Although to date most UFO sightings in Japan have either been birds, planes or other easily explainable objects, Mr. Machimura was proud to announce that he believes that they definitely exist.

And, it’s worth nothing that the position of the government’s chief spokesperson isn’t that much different from that of the prime minister, namely Yasuo Fukuda.

When questioned about his belief in UFOs, Japan’s Prime Minister took a long hard think, and then responded with the appropriate political rhetoric.

Although he was a bit more reserved than Mr. Machimura, he said that it was impossible to answer the question since no one could either prove or deny their existence.

Truth be told, the Japanese aren’t exactly famous for their direct answers, though perhaps Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is trying to tell us to read between the lines.

Big in Japan: Turmeric keeps Japanese women fit and beautiful

by Matthew Firestone on

Ever wonder why it is that Japanese women are so fit and beautiful? Ever wonder how Japanese women manage to work endless hours without visible signs of aging?

What if I told you that there was a simple and cheap remedy for staying healthy and energetic regardless of how hectic your life may be.

What if I told you that this remedy costs less than US$3 a day, and can be started at any time no matter how busy you happen to be.

Although the secret is slowly spreading to the Western World, for years Japanese women have been taking turmeric extract to stay fit and beautiful.

Yes. You read that correctly.

A good number of Japanese women take daily doses of turmeric, that rare and exotic Indian yellow spice that is most often used to color curries.

Seriously. I am not making this up.

Now, I guess at this point in the post you are probably thinking one of the following:

a) Why turmeric?
b) Does it work?
c) What does it taste like?
d) Where can I buy some?
e) Some or all of the above.

Well, keep reading and allow me to explain the powers of this magical Indian spice!

In Tokyo, you can buy a 100 milliliter bottle containing 30mg of dissolved turmeric. The suspension solution also contains several vitamins and minerals and a pinch of sugar to make the medicine go down.

And remarkably, you don’t even have to go to a health food store to buy the product.

Instead, just simple walk our of your apartment, head into the first convenience store you see, and give into your vanity for the price of a couple of dollars.

As I’ve commented so many times before on this blog, I know that it’s easy to be skeptical about health and beauty products, especially since the next big thing is always being touted on late night infomercials across North America.

But, there exists a decent sized body of scientific evidence to suggest that turmeric might actually have positive health effects.

For instance:

– In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric has numerous medicinal properties, and is readily used as an antiseptic.

– In several Asian countries including Japan, turmeric is taken to alleviate stomach problems and other related ailments.

– According to a 2005 article in the Wall Street Journal, turmeric is being investigated for possible benefits in Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, liver disorders and depression.

If you live in North America, and you’re interested in trying turmeric extract, your best chance is to check out a health food store near you.

Or, you can simply find the nearest Indian supermarket and just buy a pound or so of the stuff and add it to your morning OJ.

Anyway, if you’ve ever taken turmeric before, or know anything about its health effects, please chime in and let all of us know!

** Turmeric photo sourced from the Wikipedia Commons Project. And yes, the girl at the top of this post is in fact Maria Ozawa. **

Big in Japan: Buddhist monks strut it out on the catwalk

by Matthew Firestone on

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Zen Buddhist monks?

If you guess raked pebble gardens, immaculately poured cups of green tea and the continual search for inner peace and enlightenment, you’re wrong!

This week, Japanese monks strutted their stuff on the catwalk in the hopes of promoting the Buddhist religion, especially amongst the younger generations.

Japanese youths have little interest in religion, which is a huge problem considering that Japan is a rapidly aging society.

(With that said, Christmas is all the rage here in the Land of the Rising Sun, though I can assure you that it’s capitalism and not religion that’s driving this recent fad!)

As reported by the Tokyo division of the Associated Press (AP), the fashion show took place at the historic and storied Tsukiji-Honganji temple (???????????), and opened with a traditional Buddhist prayer set to a hip-hop beat.

Yup – you read that correctly.

Zen Buddhist mantras and Biggie Smalls do in fact mix well on the turntables!

To keep reading about this utterly bizarre but fascinating event, click below.

As the beats started to break, five monks from each of the varying schools of Buddhism took to the runway.

Buddhist monks traditionally wear simple black robes, though in order to appeal to the youth, the monks wore multi-layered robes in vibrant colors with gold trim.

(Anyone who has ever been to Tokyo can attest to the fact that whether or not you like their style, you have to hand it to the Japanese – they know how to dress!)

Of course, as this was intended to be a religious event, the night wound down with a group prayer that was livened up with a grand finale of confetti that was shaped like lotus petals.

As with any Milan, Paris or New York fashion show, the high-profile event at Tsukiji-Honganji was well-attended. According to Sayaka Anma, a young woman in the audience, “Their robes were gorgeous. I was a bit surprised in the beginning, but it was very moving to watch.”

So why is it exactly that the Buddhist monks had to resort to rap music and high fashion to attract more followers?

Buddhism has an extremely strong foundation in Japan as the religion first arrived in the archipelago 1,200 years ago from mainland Asia. In fact, almost three-quarters of Japanese people are registered Buddhists, though the only time they enter a temple is on their death bed.

As a result, the vast majority of Japan’s 75,000 temples are in serious financial trouble. Although funerals are a huge source of income, especially given Japan’s aging population, the temples will have to attract new followers if they wish to thrive beyond the immediate future.

“Many of us priests share the sense of crisis, and a need to do something to reach out to people,” said Kosuke Kikkawa, one of the organizers of the event.

“We won’t change Buddha’s teachings, but perhaps we need a different presentation that can touch the feelings of the people today.”

Only in Japan…

** All of the photos in this blog post were taken by the Associated Press (AP) **