JAPANESE POP CULTURE:
Japan is known for its ‘kawaii’ culture. This is based upon fashion, manga/anime, characters and different brands as well as specific shops and idol culture.
Kawaii culture is based on things which are ‘cute’. This can mean people, often brightly coloured of pastel clothing, characters, etc.
Kawaii culture also includes ‘kawaii personalities’ which is when a person is often shy, ‘cute’ and does a lot of hand gestures when they talk (peace signs, etc).
Mascots are very popular in Japan.
These can include characters such as Kumamon, Gloomy Bear, Rilakkuma, Hello Kitty, etc.
These mascots are often on many clothing items, stationary, etc. However they often have action figures, plushies and comics.
Manga is a almost a Japanese comic book drawn in a certain ‘kawaii’ style.
Manga series can last for up to 100 or more books which are hugely popular and each have a large fan base.
Fans will watch the anime, collect figures and cosplay as the characters, etc.
Manga culture is popular all over the world.
Attack on titan
Anime is the Japanese word for cartoon. Anime is often based on popular manga and drawn in the same style are are EXACTLY the same as the original books.
Anime also have the same fans as manga which includes cosplay, video games, etc.
Some popular anime get turned into live action movies.
So, today two of us went to Hyper Japan! Which is a convention based on Japanese culture. This includes anime, cosplay, etc.
The dayw as amazing!!!
The two of us first went to look around the stalks where we did A LOT of shopping where we saw lots of K-pop merchandise (which we very excited about-especially BTS)!!!
The stalls included handmade things, lots of kawaii clothes, food, jewellery, and more!!!
There was lots of merchandise on sale!! Especially for popular anime and manga.
The food at hyper Japan was also amazing!!! For lunch we each had a rice and chicken burger-which was amazing! And I also managed to get (my favourite drink) Ramune!!!! Which was delicious!!
Overall, the day was amazing! The space was very crowded-especially with various cosplayers-for which there was a competition.
There were also popular Japanese shops (such as ARTBOX) there. These shops sold cute kerrings, stationary,clothes,etc.
However, the highlight of our day was seeing REOL and Mosi Calibration live.
The idols had many fans there-which were dancing along and filming various songs.
The concerts were very busy but they made sure to include the crowd as much as they could.
There was also a meet and greet at the end.
There was also an amazing maid cafe!!! Which has super cute food and activities to do with the maids.
They decorated my mochi and can dance, sing, draw and more!!! They also have various games to play and activities to take part in!!! (They also played BTS!!!)
You are also able to get a Polaroid with the maids which is cutely decorated afterward!
Hola all. So-I’m going to Japan very soon (before this issue is even released) and decided to learn Japanese! So, since our theme is HARAJUKU, I thought I’d introduce some of my kinda ‘methods’ for learning Japanese.
BOOKS (text books):
Learn Japanese-the fast and fun way:
This was the first textbook I used for Japanese and as a whole, it’s super useful. It gives lots of revision help (flash cards, etc) and talks you through the basics of SPEAKING Japanese. The book, however, does not teach you how to read or write.
I would not use this book as your first book for learning Japanese as it gives you the basics but the book I’m about to mention next gives you a better start.
Where I got this book- The Japan Centre (book shop) in London.
I’m gonna be honest here and say I prefer this book to the previous one. It’s simpler but also teaches you about reading and writing and helps you with revision with repetition.
This book would be better to start with.
For each topic it has dialogue with key phrases and words with a role play activity.
Where I got this book-The Japan centre (book shop) in London.
I don’t go to classes and I am self taught as that helps me learn the best way. Using textbooks is really good for this as well as extra revision.
When I use textbooks to learn, I have lots of notebooks which I copy almost everything into.
It takes a while but it helps me remember it.
To learn Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji, I use a notebook I got from the Japan Centre book shop in London.
Which includes graph paper for practicing writing out the symbols.
A useful way to learn the writing and reading system is by writing the symbols over and over-which I have a separate notebook for.
I also buy lots of Japanese products and try to read the packaging, etc. Buying books for children in Japanese also helps as the language is more simple.
I also have a Pokemon book which shows you how to write basic Katakana and Hiragana. (I’m not sure what the English title is as the book is in Japanese). I also got this from the Japan centre book shop in London.
Having a dictionary and phrase book is also very useful.
To help me revise, I go back to the start of the textbook and work my way through the lessons again. I also use flash cards, watch Japanese movies and shows as well as listen to Japanese music.
What is Harajuku?
Harajuku is a neighbourhood in Tokyo known for its bizarre fashion and youth culture.
The streets of harajuku are lined with trendy shops both independent and chain stores.
In harajuku, people have a very rare style such as a LOT of accessories with their outfits,clunky boots and lots of pink.
Cosplay is also very popular in harajuku and people are often seen dressed as their favourite anime and manga characters.
Here is your (crappy) guide to key phrases. I’ve only included the pronunciation because the writing is a whole other story.
🇯🇵My name is….:
‘(Name) desu.’ —When you pronounce ‘desu’ the ‘u’ is silent. So it sounds more like ‘dehs’. Desu also means ‘to be’. So it’s like saying ‘to be (name)’.
‘Domo’.—Pronounced ‘Doh-moh’ and is used in a casual way.
‘Arigato Gozaimasu’.—Pronounced ‘A-ree-ga-toh goh-zai-ee-mahs’. Like ‘desu’-the ‘u’ is silent. This is the formal way of saying ‘thank you’. You can also just use ‘Arigato’.
‘Sumimasen’—Pronounced ‘sue-me-ma-sen’. Make sure you use this word when you bump into someone,e.t.c as is in Japan respect and being polite is important!
‘Hai’-pronounced ‘hi’ as in the word hello.
🇯🇵Please treat me well:
When you introduce yourself in Japan, you say ‘Please treat me well’ after introducing yourself.
‘Yush ku’-pronounced ‘You-sh koo’.
🇯🇵I don’t understand:
I hope this helped!
What is the LGBT+ community?
Since some of the topics in our magazine are related to pride-here is a guide for those of you who may not know what the LGBT+ community is.
The LGBT+ community is a group of people who identify as gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual:
The community support pride, diversity, equality, individuality and sexuality. It is important the community is supported as the LGBT+ community face a huge amount discrimination and trouble from society. Many celebrities support the LGBT+ community-allowing the power to flow through social media.
Events are held locally in places such as Brighton. People paint their faces bright colours with bright clothes. Celebrities, such as Brendon Urie, have been known to wear the pride flag at concerts.
Into the war against stereotypes:
The 21’st century is more than a break in freedom for those part of the LGBT+ community. More importantly, everyone. With social media promoting gay rights, TV shows with trans characters, e.t.c, promotion and ‘being yourself’ are commonly more accepted.
However, there is still a lack in TV shows and movies (especially for younger ages) breaking stereotypes.
When Girl Meets World was still being released, fans were sure that ‘the change in the plot line’ meant Maya Hart (the main character’s ‘badass’ best friend) was going to discover her love for Riley Matthews (the main character). The ‘change in the plot line’ was not, however, that the main characters were gay. Much to disappoint me because, not only was I obsessed with the TV show, but also because the show is about growing up and the world so therefore should present different aspects of growing up and changes people face.
Other TV shows have shown positive signs of the LGBT+ community being represented-however. Such as American Horror Story with Lana Winters (who was taken to a mental asylum due to her sexuality) and later on Liz Taylor. The show has proudly presented LGBT+ community rights.
Yet, why do kids TV shows fail to represent these important topics? Which could help children’s understanding the future?
The fact that children have to be presented with nicey-nicey TV shows and idols is frustrating. When a child only knows of blonde skinny white idols, insecurity and pressure to be like the idol can become difficult at a young age.
The unfairness is, is that 2016 failed to being in LGBT+, badass, gender stereotype breaking characters into the child’s pop franchise. However, the pressure is on for 2017, with social media fighting for freedom.
Okay, I’m gonna phrase this simply-I hate (okay, maybe dislike)where I live. So bloody much. The people, my school-a lot. And that can make me feel like shit because a positive side is hard to see.
However, I wrote this in case any of you feel the same negative way as I do about your surroundings. Here we go:
Ugh. I live in the most conservative place, honestly. Sometimes I find it really dull due to it being in the suburbs/country side because there isn’t very much to do and I cannot go anywhere by myself.
However! Like I mentioned in a previous article-there will be positives about everything, including your dull town, e.t.c. Sometimes I find it really hard to enjoy and I just think oh no , why don’t I live somewhere cool? But then I have to remember that then I wouldn’t have the same super cheap local Chinese buffet if I lived somewhere else.
If it helps, list as many positives as you can! Everyday if you have to. It can really help!
Not liking your friends is the worst thing! Of course I like some of them! Actually I like all of them just not all the time.
The things is with friends, is that they are annoying and friendships change. You have to remember that they care for you and you care for them. No matter how boring or stupid you find them, you have to keep the friendship going because having no friends would be even worse.
A way you can do this is take breaks from your friends. Sometimes they get too much. Spend time alone, spend time with your family or other friends.
You could also try and find something you and your friend both enjoy. Maybe you both love baseball and you can play it together?
Try and take breaks but also find a middle ground!
Being positive in general:
Do you have those super perky annoying kids at your school? SAME HERE! Wow. We have so much in common! Well-embrace your inner annoying perky kid. Yes, you heard me correctly.
Having a positive attitude really helps! Maybe you have to list positives or maybe listen to some new music because the old stuff is about a breakup and is super sad.
Being positive can be done in many ways. Some ideas are:
-Changing what TV you watch and what music you listen to:
If you like music made by generally very sad people-then the lyrics and songs sound sad! Music often tends to have reflective emotions on its listeners. Like if you listen to a sad song, you feel sad. Same goes with happy songs. You might have to change what you listen to, to feel more positive! Or maybe you are like me and love horror shows which are generally quite depressing. Well, watch something happier if you feel like it is effecting you.
-Dressing how you want:
When you find an outfit which you love but makes you look awful but you can’t help but laugh at yourself-wear it! Wearing what you want and making your own decisions makes you feel super free in yourself.
It helps to list positives of each situation.
E.g: Say you’re in the most boring Maths lesson, some positives can be:
This can benefit my future.
I have friends in this class.
School ends in 30 minutes.
Hope this helped!
This may take a long time but will keep you busy throughout the Summer! You don’t have to plan too much in depth but planning helps you not mess up with the story line, e.t.c.
5. Join a local sports club-or any club!
6. Plan and hold a dinner party
7. Learn how to cook
8. Make a magazine (Just what we did!)
9. Learn how to play an instrument
10. Learn a new language
11. Buy some new art media forms (paints, pencils, oil pastels, e.t.c) and experiment with them
12. Throw a party
13. Be a tourist in your own town for a day (visit attractions, eat at cafes, have a picnic in the park, learn about local history, e.t.c)
14. Have a picnic and go on a long walk
15. camp in your back yard
16. Create a reading list and read, read, read.
17. Watch and read as many Stephen King books/movies as you can.
18. Take cringy photos to look back on in the future.
19.Write cringy poetry to read in the future.
20. Form a band or fake a solo career
21. Play your favourite video game over and over and over
22. Plan your dream holiday
23. Create art!
24. Watch every Harry Potter movie and read every Harry Potter book
25. Go to local events
26. Find a new band to obsess over
27. Make a summer playlist and listen to it over and over
28. Throw a pool party
29. Swim swim swim!
30. Learn about summer traditions all over the world
Anxiety is something which every human on the planet experiences. The only difference is how extreme the anxiety is. Whether you’re worried about tomorrow’s maths test or just worried in general-this will help!
A really useful thing to do is list all the good things that will happen. Every morning I make myself list 3-5 things that are positive for the day ahead. For example, say I’m really worried about a German speaking test, my list would look like this:
1. I’m going to see my friends at school
2. Even if I fail, I can learn how to improve by seeing what I did wrong
3. It’s good practice for future German speaking
4. I only have to speak in front of my teacher whom I trust
5.I get to hang out with my friends after school
It’s also good to repeat these things to yourself throughout the day. Remind yourself of the positives because it really helps.
Another useful thing is having a positive outlook. This might require lying to yourself, almost. The amount of times we are given a test and people say ‘I’m going to fail’. No! Don’t say that! You have to lie sometimes. You should say ‘My score is going to be okay!’ because it probably will be.
Maybe you have a presentation coming up. Instead of saying ‘I can’t do it, I can’t do it, I can’t do it’ say ‘I can do it because…’ and give a reason. Otherwise you will convince yourself that you can’t when you can. I know I sound like your Year 6 teacher right now, but trust me, if there’s anything I’m qualified to talk about-it’s this.
Fidget toys are the most bloody annoying thing on the planet but they can really help! I personally have some beads on a string which I fiddle with when anxious. (The beads don’t make an annoying noise which is also a bonus.) Something to hold, move around, anything can help. It’s like a distraction which doesn’t exactly distract you.
Meditation really helps as well. It sounds cheesy and ‘hippie’ but cleaning your mind really helps. There are many YouTube guides to help you. You can meditate at home, before school, before bed, any time you want. There are many calming activities which really help.
Hobbies are also super helpful! They can engage you and distract you. Drawing, playing an instrument, anything that you can do as much as you can (try everyday!) will really help you.
Live is small town? Same here. If you’re like me, it gets more than dull sometimes. With a small range to become friends with and a lack of activity-finding something to do can be hard.
Well, I thought I’d make this guide on coping!
Sometimes I get really bored at the weekends and due to where my house is, I can’t go anywhere by myself. A good thing to do is to go on a walk in your surrounding area. If you live in the countryside, walks can be very pretty and interesting. Maybe take a friend! Another fun thing to do is document the wildlife you see or bring a book on plants and/or animals and tick off the ones you see.
Making the most of your town is important! In my town, we have a few art galleries and small museums along with a park. Over a period of time, you could visit each art gallery and museum. Maybe take notes on what you find or really study the art. What media was used? Why do you think the artist made this piece of work? Make yourself completely fascinated!
Another thing I really like about my town is the many Asian supermarkets! I love Japan-especially the food. My best friend and I visit them often and buy different food each time. Taste tests are fun-especially when you’ve never even heard of the food before!
Thinking about what makes your town different can help. Does it have a unique history? Any upcoming events? Any independent shops?
Small towns might have a lot of second hand shops. Some are good and some are not. If you don’t have a lot of money, this can be fun. Try on all the wacky cheap clothes! I love to buy annuals such as Bunty. Second-hand stores nearly almost have some strange content you can make the most of!
Basically, every town is different. A great way to entertain yourself is by experiencing new things. Your town may not be entertaining, but you will find something. Maybe that something hasn’t been mentioned-but it will be there. Good luck!
13’th May 2017-popularity and a Starbucks mess up
Today was not the most exciting day I’ve had. My best friend and I went into town-where we bumped into her brother, whom she was not happy to see. But the real reason we were in town was due to my parent’s catalogue release at a local art gallery.
We spent all day walking around town and then sitting on the floor watching concert videos in the art gallery.
But today in Starbucks I ordered a drink and the lady asked my name and I said ‘Ryan’ (as in Ryan Ross cos why not?) and she frowned at me like ‘what the hell’ and wrote ‘Rya’ on the cup. It was kinda funny. Then I decided to put cinnamon on my drink and the drink spilt everywhere in my bag. Which was also funny. (*Me trying to think of what to write. Wow. Only interesting story I have?*)
But the main reason why I’m writing today is because of this thought of being ‘popular’. My friend and I were talking about the concept throughout the day. What does it actually mean to be ‘popular’? All the ‘popular’ kids at my school all have a lot in common. They all dress a certain way, they all like the same music but besides from that there is a huge lack undesirable taste.
Why would you want to be friends with someone who intends to be rude to those who are not praying at their feet? Why would you want to be friends with someone that is constantly starting drama and whispering behind his/her friend’s backs?
The question has been rattling through me all day. The final conclusion is insecurity. Being friends with someone holding ugly traits is desirable because they are ‘popular’ and (weirdly) liked. So are we only friends with people due to insecurities? Or what we like? Factors all add up, of course.