Sunday, May 20, 2007

Living in a box


Artist: Living in a Box
Album: Living in a Box
Year: 1987

Woke up this morning
Closed in on all sides
Nothing doing
I feel resistance
As I open my eyes
Someone's fooling
I've found a way to break
Through this cellophane line
Cause I know what's going on
In my own mind
Am I living in a box
Am I living in a cardboard box
Am I living in a box
Am I living in a cardboard box
Am I living in a box
Life goes in circles
Around and around circulation
I sometimes wonder
What's moving underground
I'm escaping
I've found a way ...
I've found a way ...
Am I living in a cardboard box
Am I living in a box (living)
Am I living in a cardboard box
Am I living in a box (living)
Am I living in a cardboard box
Am I living in a box (living)
Am I living in a cardboard box
Am I living am I living am I living
Am I living am I living am I living
(In a box)
Am I living am I living
Am I living in cardboard box
Am I living in a box
Am I living am I living
Am I living in a cardboard box
Am I living in a box

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Namahage

Namahage is a tradition that is observed throughout the Oga Peninsula peninsula that juts out into the Sea of Japan from northern Honshū, Japan. The ritual is carried out to cleanse the soul and offer prayers that the year to come will be a good one.

On New Year's Eve, villagers dress up as fierce monsters (鬼) called Namahage enter the houses of the village asking if any misbehaving children live there. The Namahage, wearing large masks, straw raincoats and waist-bands, holding wooden knives and pails, go around visiting the houses at night, dancing along as they give out strange cries. They shout out menacing cries such as: "Any children crying?" "Any children disobeying their parents?" or "Any lazy daughters-in-law neglecting their work?"
The small children are often frightened and run and hide. The parents will reassure the Namahage that no bad children live in their house, and offer the Namahage refreshments.



An obvious purpose of the festival is to encourage young children to obey their parents and to behave, important qualities in Japan's heavily structured society.

Friday, May 4, 2007

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices - 東京都庁

The Metropolitan Buildings consist of three main buildings:
  1. Tokyo Metropolitan Main Building No.1: 243 meters (797 ft) high with forty-eight stories above and three stories below ground.
  2. Tokyo Metropolitan Main Building No.2:163 meters (535 ft) high with thirty-four stories above and three stories below ground.
  3. Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Building: 41 meters (135 ft) high with seven stories above and one story below ground.

The two pictures below were taken from the observatory deck at 45th floor of the North Tower.