Blog #10: Japanese Anime in America

Hello this is Kaori Shimamoto and I apologize for the late publish.

Today I will introduce the difference I have found in Japanese anime shown in America.
While I lived in America for 18 years, my grandmother sent me videos and dvd's to keep me updated to Japanese culture and anime. Since anime became so famous in America, American TV channel, "Adult Swim" started showing Japanese Anime in English dub. By watching both Japanese and English versions, I've thought they would be the same, but I realized one day the something was different.

I was watching a anime film called "Inuyasha", written by Rumiko Takahashi, and it was a scene where a half women, half snake looking monster attacking a girl. In the Japanese version the upper body of the women showed the womanly figure, but in the American version, the upper body was flat, like a mens upper body.

In another anime titled, "Dragon Ball Z", by Akira Toriyama, the scene where the little boy, Goku, jumps into the lake, naked, to catch the fish-monster that had escaped. In the original version, Goku is naked top to bottom, but in America, he had underwear on. Not only that, but this same scene showed a girl trying to catch the fish-monster again by tricking him with a girls underwear. However, in American version, it showed the girl fishing the fish-monster with money.

The difference between these shows the culture of each country and it was very interesting to see this through anime films. America thinks negatively about showing naked people, even if that is a drawn cartoon character, but in Japan they show womanly figure or naked young children in anime. The use of money to catch a fish symbolized how American people think differently to Japan and how money would attract people more then perverted things like girls under wears.

It is interesting to see Japanese anime's shown throughout the world and to hear them in another language. I have only noticed few scenes that were different, but if I would to go and compare other anime, I think there are more anime's that are changed slightly to fit each culture.

Thank you for reading and if anybody has ever found differences like this(not only anime but other films) please share! I would like to see more and if I do find others I will definitely share it in this blog!

Blog #8: The Next Innovation

Hello! Here is another blog I have not been able to publish. 

Hi, this is Kaori Shimamoto. 

Has everybody heard about the big news?! Yes! Apple has announced that they are releasing iPhone 5!! I still use what everybody in Japan calls, "Gara-kei", when many people are switching their phones to a "smart phone".  However, are smart phones really smart?

High-tech devices are now part of peoples lives and have made our living better. This unique and useful tool may be "smart", but people who are using it are not being smart to themselves. There are many risks in using their smart phones too much.

I read a article on the BBC news about how smartphone users are risking health with overuse of devices. This article mentions that people are becoming "screen slaves" and are overworking. Society says that those people being attached to their phones have bad postures which leads to back and neck pain. It is unnatural for people to look down constantly, creating pressure on your neck and backbone. This all becomes a chain reaction and causes stress and make workers physically and mentally ill. Especially in Japan, people already work more then those in other countries. On the train, in the streets, and even at home. Workers and students continue tapping on their smart phones.

Not only that, but the constant usage of phones itself are very dangerous in daily life. For example, there are many people, young and old, who uses their phones while walking. Those people are so focused on texting and using the internet that they are not cautious of what is happening around them. They have risks of getting into car accidents or bumping into poles and injuring themselves. 

Like the saying, "Don't drink and drive", people should start following the new saying, "Don't tap and walk", to reduce the risk of injuries. Smart phones might be convenient, but it would be much better to turn off your smart phones and give your device and yourself a rest.

Blog #7: Summer Boot Camp

Hello! This is Kaori Shimamoto and I am sorry for the late upload.

I thought I have successfully published this blog that was due a long time ago, but I failed to do so, but here it is!!

Hi! This is Kaori Shimamoto and I just came back from a deadly boot camp. 

As some people might know, I'm involved in Gakushuin University's American Football Team, and I work as a manager/ trainer. Every summer the team goes out into the nature to train themselves physically and mentally. This year we went to Iiyama, Nagano, and stayed there for 10 days. It was my first time to be part of this camp and was very excited but it was nothing I've expected. As the lowest grade in the team, I had to get up at four in the morning to clean out the garbage cans that we put on each floor. Then, get ready for practice and head to the kitchen to help the cooks take out the dishes for breakfast. After all that has been done, the upper grade men wakes up and we eat breakfast together. This is how our daily schedule had went.

TIME SCHEDULE

4:00AM-Freshman cleans garbage

5:00-Gets ready for practice

6:00-Helps set breakfast

7:00-Eat breakfast

8:15-Group A gets on bus

8:30-Group B gets on bus

9:00-Morning practice starts

11:30-Morning practice ends

12:00-Lunch Time

1:00PM-Freshman gets ready for afternoon practice

1:15-Group A Bus

1:30-Group B Bus

2:00-Afternoon Practice starts

6:00-Afternoon Practice ends

7:00-Dinner

8:00-Clean up

9:00~12:00-Meeting

It was really hard for us freshmen to do all the work from early in the morning to late at night. The meeting never ended at midnight and we had to plan how to move the water during practice. The menu of practice changes every day, so the movement of water that we, managers, have to give to the players, changes. It has to run smoothly and we cannot make any mistake. 

This is the football field we used at camp.

I took this picture from the hill that managers had to go up to in order to video tape all practice games.

I did not expect camps to be this devastating. Even though the athletes were much more exhausted then us, I really felt like crying. However, there were some good things. During practice, in the hot humid temperature, everybody is about to faint. When I went to one player to give water, he thanked me even when he was out of breath. I felt a great sense of satisfaction during the 10 days of nightmare.

This was my summer break and I came back with a nice tan skin and tan lines from my T-shirt. My friends thought I went to a beach resort but they thought wrong! It was nothing like paradise and I did not want to do it a second time. Next year would be a little better since I would become a sophomore, but it was a really good experience and I was able to know how important it is to work hard for someone or something. It's great to be part of a team and double the happiness and decrease sorrow.

How was everybody else's summer? 

Blog #9: Deceptions

Hello! This is Kaori Shimamoto!

Today I would like to introduce to you one of the TED lecture about lies. The speaker, Jeff Hancock, studies how people interact through the use of text messages, e-mails, and media blips. This lecture was taken place on September 13, 2012 at Winnipeg, Canada.

Here's the link of his speech:
http://www.ted.com/talks/jeff_hancock_3_types_of_digital_lies.html

This lecture caught my attention since I have recently changed my phone to a "smart" phone and have been using the free online chatting application,"Line", to communicate with friends. You look around in the train and you see almost everybody clicking (or should I say, "touching") on their phones, either texting or using the internet. Almost every person in the world use this new technology device to interact with friends. Though this, Hancock analysis how much people can be deceptive in their daily life. The new invention of blogs, chat, and text messages has changed the way people lie. He states that people lie every now and then, and especially on the internet. New types of deception has been developed and Hancock introduces three types of lies; Butlers, sock puppets, and the chinese water army. He uses the example of Facebook profiles and how some of the information's like height and age are somewhat changed to look good.

The interesting part of this lecture was how much communication has changed and how everybody's deceptive comments can be seen throughout the world. We can see who we are by looking back at the massive records we have left. As Hancock has said, from small ones to big ones, people lie. I, myself will admit that I have lied before in my 19 years of life. While texting, your friend might say "I have things to do, gotta go". When you hear this it can be a lie. I suspect it to be untrue because I sometimes use this phrase because I am bored and want to do something else. Small lies wouldn't hurt much, but lies said on the internet can be very dangerous. It is a good thing for people like Hancock who studies peoples deceptive comments but there is never a benefit in lies.

Internet has become a great tool for us, but it has also become the most unreliable source. This lecture has made me rethink about the use of the internet and the comments I make. Hancock made a great point about the relationship between the technological development and human deception. However, his theme about lies were not very clear of how dangerous it can be. He just gave examples of the lies made by his experiment. However, this speech can be recommended to those who are interested in human communication and how they use the newly technology developed in recent years.

Blog #10: Cinema Therapy

Hi, this is Yu Yamanashi.

In this blog, I would like to introduce you a type of therapy called cinema thrapy. Has anyone ever heard of this term? Well, I haven't. I came across for the first time it in my search for a topic on this blog, googling for any relation between films and psychology.

Segen's Medical Dictionary defines the term in this way.

 

Cinema Therapy

A form of therapy or self-help that uses movies, particularly videos, as therapeutic tools. Cinema therapy can be a catalyst for healing and growth for those who are open to learning how movies affect people and to watching certain films with conscious awareness. Cinema therapy allows one to use the effect of imagery, plot, music, etc. in films on the psyche for insight, inspiration, emotional release or relief and natural change. Used as part of psychotherapy, cinema therapy is an innovative method based on traditional therapeutic principles.

Although this type of therapy is not known to the public yet in Japan, there are many books and websites on cinema therapy in the U.S. We all appreciate the benefits films grant us every now and then, therapical or not, and may think of cinema therapy as much of a big deal. In its progressive stage, however, cinema therapy is steadily gaining popularity as a type of therapy that people can perceive eagerly and easily in every day life. Cinema therapy lisence certificates give psychologists, nurses, and social workers special credits, which implies that the therapy is in fact being practiced on the spot of medical and welfare scenes.

If you are interested in cinema therapy, these sites may help you get a clearer view of the therapy;

http://www.cinematherapy.com/index.html
a website made by therapist Birgit Wolz, introducing you to lists of cinema therapy movies and other interesting facts.

http://cinema-therapy.com/index.html
a website introducing you to Dr. Gary Solomon, the first person to term cinema therapy.

Lastly, here is a question I want you to think about. Would you use cinema therapy or introduce it to a friend or family member? Why or why not?

 

Blog #9: TED

 Hello, this is Yu Yamanashi.

The lecture I chose from TED is "The surprising science of happiness", given by Dan Gilbert, Harvard psychologist and author. It took place on Feburary 2004 in Monterey California. I chose this lecture because it was on happiness from a cognitive psychologic aspect, a branch in psychology I happen to be studying right now and am quite interested in.
To jump to the link, click on below:

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_we_happy.html

Here is a short summary of the lecture. Dan Gilbert explains the difference between natural happiness, something we get when we get what we wanted, and synthetic happiness, something we make when we don't get what we wanted. Although in our society, we have  a strong bias that synthetic happiness is inferior to natural hapiness, in the lecture we learn that there is actually no difference.

The most interesting thing I learned in this lecture was that you are happier with something you are left no choice with than something you are allowed to change your mind about. Dan used an example of an experiment he did on his students in Harvard, making them take 12 photographs of their favorite things and choose two of their best ones. Then, they were asked to again choose between the one they wanted to keep and the one to submit to school headquarters, which would not be sent back to them. The trick was that half of the students were told that they will not be permitted to change their minds about their choice, and the other half were given opposite directions. Surprisingly, when Dan  asked the students how much they liked the photo that they chose to keep a several days later, the students who were told that they couldn't take back their choice liked their photo better than the students who were able to change their minds.

This was not the first lecture I viewed on Ted, but it was one of the most educating, interesting , and enjoyable. I liked how Dan used body jestures to express key points in his lectures and included simple jokes every now and then. His power point would have been better if it was clearer and more organized, but overall, I enjoyed the lecture very much. I would recommend it to anyone interested in psychology and being happy with your life.

Blog #8: Bouldering

Hello! This is Yu Yamanashi. In this blog, I want to talk about bouldering. Have you ever heard of this sport? It is a special type of climbing mountains, where you clamber up vertical walls with little bumps or holes that become your footage. I started bouldering this April after joining the Alpine club, and am enjoying this thrilling sport very much.

This is an example of a bouldering wall. This is an artificial indoor wall, in a bouldering gym in Shibuya. Anyone can try bouldering in these gyms that are located throughout Tokyo, for prices starting from about 1000yen free time. There, you can borrow special climbing shoes, and experienced climbers will eagerly teach you the basics in bouldering.
There are also outdoor walls, where you climb rocks and mountain faces as tall as a building. This type of bouldering is high level, and requires practice, skill and proper equipment. If you want to try them out, I advise you to get used to bouldering by practicing in gyms several times beforehand.
Here are some bouldering gyms around Tokyo that will be an excellent place to start your bouldering career if you are interested!

• Energy climbing gym (Takatanobaba)
• Gravity Bouldering Gym (Takatanobaba)
• B-Pump Tokyo (Akihabara)
• Vertical Climbing Zone J&S (Ikebukuro)

Here is a question I want to ask you.

  In what kind of situation do you start something new?



The answer could be your own experience, or a general opinion.
I will be waiting for interesting comments!