Sake

In recent years and for a number of trivial reasons I cannot be bothered to dwell on just now, I have started developing a certain interest about Japanese culture. This is kind of new, but you might have noticed it on this blog. So yes, a few days ago, looking at the stocks of alcohol we have, I was wondering if I should not try sake again, if I can find any good quality sake nearby. I say try again, because I did drink sake once, back in 1996(!), in a course about world's literature(!!). The teacher had given us samples to try at the end of a class. I had not been impressed then: I thought it had a papery taste. But my tastes in alcohol have evolved a lot since and I am wondering if I should give it another try. If you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments. Also, tell me if you have any experience drinking sake.

Shinkansen (Bullet Train)

I took this picture on our last visit at the National Railway Museum in York. It is a Shinkansen, also known as Bullet Train. An old version of it of course, the new ones look much leaner. When you enter this one, you can see a video about it and you can have a Shinkansen experience, as if you were traveling there in the 60s. I love old fashhion European luxury trainsand old steamies, but I have also developed inr ecent a fascination for this marvel of Japanese technology. It's just really gorgeous and impressive. If we ever visit Japan, I want to use the Shinkansen.

Tekkō-kagi (claws)

A long, long time ago, sometimes in the eighties, martial art action movies were all the rage. Kids my age were particularly fascinated by ninjas and their weaponry. I was no exception. I was not as fanatically into ninja lore/mythos as my friends were, but I found them cool all the same. I especially enjoyed some articles of their weaponry. There is one in particular, which I only found recently the term for it: the tekkō-kagi. Metallic claws worn over the hands (yes, like a certain superhero, and also like the villain Shredder). I have always always been skeptical of its practicality, but I thought it looked cool all the same. It's one of these nasty blade weapons which I thought could be used for kick in crime or spy fiction. Anyway, be that as it may, tekko-kagi is the word of the day.

Bullet Train Explosion

If Netflix has its flaws, sometimes it allows us to find real gems. I discovered one recently, a Japanese action thriller, part survival action flick, part crime fiction. It's titled Bullet Train Explosion in English. A bit of a blunt title, but while it does what it says on the tin, it has way more soul and character than any Hollywood equivalent. In fact, there is no real Hollywood equivalent to it. Yes, the premisse is similar to Speed: a mysterious terrorist places bombs on the Shinkansen, bombs that will explode if the train goes below100KM/hour. The terrorist also demands a ridiculous amont of money to defuse the bomb. But instead of one cliché hero, you have an ensemble cast playing men and women of different walks of life, all doing their jobs in a time of crisis. It's an action movie with a soul, as I said above. And with all the cultural flavours and colours of Japan. In spite of its sometimes far fetched premisse and execution, it feels real. The film is a sequel to a more obscure film from the 1975, The Bullet Train, which from what I understand has a cult following in Japan. You don't need to have seen it to enjoy its sequel. Of course, I like every movie when a train is featured (extensively or not), but this one truly is something worth watching.

Goldorak U

J'ai appris il y a quelques jours une bonne ouvelle pour les animateurs de dessins animés japonais nostalgiques. Et désolé si je suis en retard dans les nouvelles et si vous le savez déjà. Mais enfin bref: il y a une nouvelle série de Goldorak. Ca s'appelle Goldorak U. Au Québec, elle est disponible sur ICI Tou.tv Extra et elle pourra être visionnée à la télévision de Radio Can en automne. Goldorak n'a jamais été mon héros préféré, mais j'ai quand même passé des heures de plaisir à le regarder se battre contre des monstres robotiques abominables.

Japanese Crime

Every time of year, or almost, is a good time to read crime fiction for me. Except between August and October, when I read horror. Anyway, I recently started reading Three Assassins by Kotaro Isaka. I last year for various reasons, one of them being that I have never read Japanese crime fiction. I am expanding my horizons. So far, so great: it's smart, witty, suitably dark and it has heart too. I should probably add exotic, at least compared to what I am used to in crime fiction. It makes me want to visit Japan one day. In some way, maybe I am already visiting it, through the pages of this novel. In any case, if I carry on enjoying it, I will read more Japanese crime fiction.

Japanese Trains

My brother PJ is taking holidays in Japan at the moment. His second trip. I am not a fascinated as he is, or as I should be, towards the cultures of the Far East, but I do envy him for one thing: he has been traveling by train. I love all sorts of trains.  My favourite are the old fashioned steam trains, but Japanese trains, with their out of this world speed and high tech, well, they must be something too. So I watch this picture he took, the picture of a trin taken from a train, and I hope I can experience it.

Ryokan (mot du jour)

 Mon frère PJ est en voyage au Japon (le chanceux). C'est la deuxième fois qu'il s'y rend, il semble donc vraiment aimer ça. Il nous a envoyé des photos de son voyage. Celle-ci est celle du ryokan où il réside. Un ryokan est une auberge traditionnelle japonaise. Je ne connaissais pas le terme, c'est donc le mot du jour. La photo a beaucoup impressionné son neveu. Moi aussi, je dois dire. J'ai fait ma part de séjours dans des hôtels luxueux, mais celui-ci est en plus exotique.

Three Assassins at Hand

I blogged before about my wish to get my hands on Three Assassins by Kotaro Isaka. Before I go exotic sometimes when I read crime fiction. Well, my local bookshop ordered it for me and I purchased it last week. Japanese crime fiction, this will be a first for me. But I will not read it just yet. I have plenty to go through in my to be read list before the end of summer, when I switch to a very different genre (you know the one). But I digress. My brother PJ is going on holiday to Japan again, so I suggested he should read it too.

Three Assassins in the Bookshop

 I blogged here and there about Japanese crime writer Kotaro Isaka, who wrote the novel that inspired Bullet Train, a wacky film which I enjoyed thoroughly. I enjoyed it enough to want to buy the source novel and, while I wasat it, the first novel of what is a trilogy. So I ordered Three Assassins from... the bookshop. I could have gone through Amazon, but I wanted to support my favourite local business. So... yeah. I received a phone call from the bookshop two days ago, saying the book had arrived. I don't know when I will be able to go there and get my hands on it, but I'm am happily surprised it arrived so quickly, in less than a week.

Looking for Three Assassins

Don't panic reading the title of this post, I mean figuratively speaking, of course. If you read this post from earlier this month, you know that I recently watched and enjoyed d Bullet Train. Which is based on a novel by Kotaro Isaka. it is actually the second book of a trilogy, starting with Three Assassins (or 3 Assassins, I have seen the title spelled both ways). Okay, so this novel will not feature extensively a train, which is one of the appeals of the film, but all the same, I love crime fiction and I want to read the trilogy in order. I could order it on Amazon, but I think I will buy it at the local bookshop.

Bullet Train (the book)

I recently watched Bullet Train on Netflix. And I loved it. Because it was a wacky action movie set in a train with just enough silliness and heart to be enjoyable. And in spite of the sillier elements, I did not feel like a complete braindead idiot watching it. I mean death and violence in a Japanese train, what's not to like? And I was happily surprised tosee that it was adapted from a novel by Kotaro Isaka. It is the second book of a series actually, so I am thinking, in spite of my TBR list, to buy it and maybe the first book as well. I read crime fiction from all around the world, so it would be nice to add Japan to the list of exotic crime location.

About Karate

 We recently received a freebie school magazine when Wolfie got back from school. Parents get it from time to time. In the freebie magazine, there is an advert for karate classes not too far from here. Near(ish) my old working place from seven years ago. Anyway, a few things struck me in this advert. The first is that self defence is barely mentioned. It' there, but not the primary benefit, apparently. I thought it was strange. Maybe my few years of in Krav Maga rubbed on to me. I think this should be the main reason why you would try any martial art. True that Krav Maga is not a martial art per se, because it is solely focused on self defence and not rituals or codes. Every time I see an advert somewhere for martial art classes, of any kind, it reminds me that I should really, but seriously, go back to do Krav Maga. The other thing it reminded me of is that karate was the first and only martial art I ever did, once at school, because we had special classes for it, and once in cégep, because I needed it for my credit. I guess I wasn't very good at it, or it was just not for me, because I never went further than that. It felt too formal and not nearly as impressive as what I could see in movies. Truly, I only felt comfortable doing Krav Maga, although again I was not very good at it. It just felt more natural.

Le Japon automnal

Comme vous le savez, mon petit frère PJ est allé au Japon le mois dernier. Il est de retour depuis peu et il nous a envoyé des photos. Celle-ci m'a beaucoup plu. On dirait presque un paysage suisse ou en Europe centrale, je n'imaginerais jamais que c'est le Japon. Mais enfin bref, c'est le Japon automnal et c'est vraiment très beau, alors j'ai décidé de la mettre ici.

Mont Fuji vu du train

 Autre photo prise au Japon par mon frère PJ. On voit le Mont Fuji à gauche. Rien à ajouter pour le moment.

Train nippon

Mon frère PJ est au Japon, il a donc eu le privilège d'essayer les trains japonais. En bon oncle consciencieux, il a aussi pris des photos des trains pour envoyer à ses neveux, lesquels aiment tous les trains, semble-t-il. Comme leurs pères et leur grand-père paternel. Mon petit loup à moi est très reconnaissant. Avouez qu'il est magnifique.

Mon frère est au Japon

Petite nouvelle familiale: mon frère PJ est en vacances au Japon et il nous a envoyé une première photo, celle-ci, que je partage ici rien que pour faire exotique. C'est je crois la première fois qu'un membre de notre famille va dans l'Orient lointain, ou en Orient tout court. Par conséquent, ça mérite d'être souligné ici. Vous voyez bien entendu Godzilla, à l'écran et en modèle, pas le vrai, enfin j'espère. C'est qu'il a l'air très réaliste.

Gâteau citron fromage japonais

Mon père m'a envoyé une photo de ce gâteau au fromage (et citron), paraît qu'il est japonais en plus. Je ne sais pas trop où il l'a acheté, mais j'ai pensé que les amateurs apprécieraient.

Japanese tea-bowl

On the treasures one can find on the Facebook page of the British Museum. This one, shared a few days ago, caught my attention. It is a te-bowl from Japan and it dates back to the 17th century. More information about it here. Not only is it beautiful, but it shows how refined and civilised tea drinking can be. As long as you drink it during a proper ritual, in a carefully designed bowl, not a common mug. And not a drop of milk in it.

GOLDORAK: Le Festin des Loups

Petite nouvelle qui m'a donné un coup de nostalgie, il y a un jeu vidéo de Goldorak qui va sortir cette année. Bon, Goldorak n'était pas mon héros d'animé japonais préféré, cela dit j'adorais Goldorak quand même. Mes parents n'aimaient guère, trouvant cela bête et violent, voire glauque, sauf que moi je m'en balançais. J'avoue que j'ai eu des frissons en regardant le trailer.