Japanese Valentine

I have seen this in some Dorama and Korean Drama, and it is so kawaii. Valentine's Day in Japan and Korea is quite different from the usual Heart's Day in the Philippine. The ladys are the one who give gifts, specifically chocolates, to the guy that they like. The chocolate gifts, maybe hand-made or bought. Nevertheless, the guy maybe there husband, boyfriend and/or just a guy they like. The guy may or may not accept such trinket of love and adoration, so girls be careful or get ready to be put down.

Hey ladys! It is not our lost to spend on this day for a special guy, cause if it work out between you two. In return, he will be oblige to give you a gift thrice the value of the Valentine's day gift you gave him. The precious gift must be offered on the WHITE Day, which is on the 14th of March. So, he got a month to get to know and get ready for that fabulous offering.

GALS and GIRLS and all the bibi, get ready to whip up you chocolate recipes for your guy. Or your cash to buy him some. Happy Valentine's Day!!!

100% of ONE OK ROCK

ONE OK ROCK, my fave jrock had an English song, titled "100%". Truly, they are amazing talented bunch of guys. Can't deny their technical skill and musicianship are superb. They already captured my attention with their Japanese songs/albums which are jam pack with electrifying, energetic and raw passion for rock music. Their powerful live acts transcend over language barrier, and captured my heart.

Check this out:

The "100% " English song would be a big plus because it will prove that they can go international...hope they will have a concert here. With it their talents will truly shine a brighter flame.

Read in one posted interview, Taka in vocals mentioned that writing and singing in English is not a piece of cake because he can't fully comprehend some words, thus in my opinion can't emotinally connect and interpret it intotality in his performance. But the 100% live act is not bad, it is even at par with their usual pulsating Japanese songs.

Now, having composed, written, sang and performed a song in English is a giant effort in taking a step closer to their ever growing non-Japanese fan base. Gratitude to ONE OK ROCK for your passion in rock music.

Thank you Tomoya; Thank you Toru; Thank you Alex; Thank you Taka; Thank you Ryota.

More Power, Gambatte!!!

ITADAKIMASU

You may have read this phrase in the previous post, but I would like to formally introduce in this post a wonderful Japanese custom. The Japanese expression ITADAKIMASU is the very first phrase I learn by heart. Time and again, I always clearly hear it in most dorama or Japanese drama, jmovies and anime. And it is such pleasure to hear it before they enjoy their meal. They say it with such gusto, making our monotonous-rhythmic-lengthy Catholic prayers sounding mediocre.

A Japanese meal begins with this dining custom of stating this expressive phrase, ITADAKIMASU with a namaste gesture. Some would simple translate it as “let’s eat,” but the closes translations are “I receive,” or “I will have it/take it.” To be sure, I look it up in my Japanese dictionary; it says “I will take your life.” This is in reflection that we ask for permission and give gratitude for the lives or/and spirits that had been taken for the preparation and presentation of the food. Considering that all living things have spirit, and as the spirit of the living organisms are extinguish and offered to us in the form of food. The gratitude is extended for those who prepared the food, together with the farmers who toil the earth, the fishermen who brave the unpredictable sea and weather, the chefs who strive to extract the flavor and beauty of each plate for our palate, and all those who put their endeavor to provide a healthy and delicious meal.

Thus, please on your next meal offer a prayer to all who provide their time and their lives to give you energy. Maybe, just saying a short expression of ITADAKIMASU may suffice.

Oh! Upon finishing a meal, another polite Japanese expression is uttered "GOCHISOUSAMA DESHITA," which will be the topic of my next post.

TAKOYAKI

ITADAKIMASU...

For a person who wants to appreciate Japanese cuisine but unfortunately could not afford it…TAKOYAKI can be an introduction to such expensive dining experience. Could it be an alternative to a fine Japanese meal? Neeehhh, no I don’t think so, so save up.

Nevertheless, TAKOYAKI ga oishii desu!!! (Takoyaki is delicious!!!) If you haven’t tried it, you’re really missing a lot. It is a Japanese street food, popularize in Osaka. Literally, it means “fried octopus”. In Japanese, TAKO means octopus, while YAKI is derived from YAKU which means “to bake or to grill.” Thus, YAKI can be found in most Japanese cuisine, such as teriyaki (grilled in soy sauce marinade) or yakisakana (grilled fish) or maybe heard Hiro-san in Hero says “tamagoyaki (fried egg) .”

As takoyaki are sold in the street of Kansai. In the Philippines, takoyaki stalls are conveniently found in the mall. In Osaka, it is full of deliciousness of tako (octopus), tenkasu (tempura scraps), benishoga (pickled ginger), negi (scallions), tenkasu (rice crispies), topped with mayonnaise, aonori (green laver), okonomiyaki (what you like) sauce, and katsuobushi (type of fish shaving). Here, you kinda wonders, does my takoyaki really have katsuobushi? Because katsuobushi is quite expensive. Katsuobushi has a complex and extensive process to produce, thus it is very delicious as it is pricy. It is a vital flavoring in Japanese cooking, as it is the original Japanese "Iron Chef" Rokusaburo Michiba's trademark. Oh!!! how I would love to have some freshly shave honkare or katsuobushi in my takoyaki, I want the real thing!

As much I love to eat it, I love watching it cooked. From the moment they put the flour mix, then the little iti-bitty octopus meat, then the veggies, to the turning and adding up batter. And turning it again in a very fast phase is a sure delight. Plus, you smelling all the goodness add up the anticipation to gobble it up.

TAKOYAKI … yum yum yum …

...GOUSHIMASHITE SAMA.

Jrock Obsession...ONE OK ROCK

As religion is the opium of the masses, Music is my lithium and Jrock is my morphine. A lethal dose of ONE OK ROCK, a jrock band, definitely I would ask for more.

Their name sounds hilarious? I admit they have a strange group name, but it is not uncommon in Japan for a great band to have such funny name. Moreover, the Japanese pronunciation of ONE OK ROCK is 'wan.oku.ruckku', would somehow explain why such talented bunch of guys could allow mediocrity. As in Japanese Language there is no distinction between r’s and l’s, thus, it sounds like one o’clock, which is significant to the band members. One o'clock is the time they used to booked there practice session.

This jpop-rock band is compose of five members, namely, Taka in vocal, Toru in vocal and guitar, Alex as lead guitarist, Ryota as bassist and Tomoya in drums. Born entertainers no doubt they are talented, evident as Toru and Ryota used to be in a rapping breakdancing group, HEADS, Ryota was so KAwaii then. While the lead vocal, Taka, is a former member of JE jpop idol boyband, NEWS. The band was formed when Toru, Ryota and Alex started it in highschool. Then, Toru adamantly convince Taka to join them. It was just in March 2007 that the last member Tomoya had joined the band. A Fairly young band to be able to skyrocket in the jrock scene, eventhough not much member's profiles are in circulation.

Nevertheless, what's so amazing with the band are not their boyband backgrounds and looks but what they are able to create…great music and the ability to transcend it consistently with their live acts. In Japan, it is rare to find a rock band whose live acts are so energize, gripping and sounding better than the recorded audio. Check out the Naihi Shinsho PV, if this is already a great music, tell you the live act is way more better.

I can feel the energy and emotion pulsating across the concert hall even as I watched ONE OK ROCK for the first time in a Nihon Channel in Skycable. And can’t help but to google and look for them in youtube, immediately after their name flashed across the TV screen.

ONE OK ROCK has 3 albums and 2 mini-albums to their rack. Their music is similar to an American indie rock, I say they are the Japanese version of the Fall Out Boys. Technically, they are more then above average but hope to hear longer guitar solo and bass blasting. The lead singer's voice, Taka, is so damn crazy amazing (good for him that he divorced his JE family.) In addition, they incorporate a little rapping that made their songs contemporary and edgy.

The ONE OK ROCK songs I'm most obsess with are:

Naihi Shinsho from Zeitakubyou Album
Kagerou from Zeitakubyou Album
Yoru ni Shika Sakanai Mangetsu from Zeitakubyou Album
Borderline from Zeitakubyou Album
Karasu from the 2nd single Yume yume
Yume Yume from Zeitakubyou Album
Koi no Aibou Kokoro no Kupido from Kanjou Effect album
Crazy Botch from Beam of Light Album
100% from Beam of Light Album
And more…
(later there will be links)

Onegai Shimasu, I strongly recommend to check them out. Ja mata ne.
Official website go to www.oneokrock.com

About the Blogger

Minasan Hajimemashite?! What's up, everyone?!
Watashi wa Sakura no Hana Hime desu.
I am Cherry Blossom Princess.

This is my ever first post to my ever first blog site so I am pretty ecstatic to start up blogging. I have been procrastinating about it for months. Plus, thank you very much for my very short-attention span…I’ll take Ritalin now! Serious months passed just looking around BlogSpot, jumping from one idea to another. Adding salt to injury, realizing my computer illiteracy is also a huge wall why I keep putting it off. Let me say, I am can type fast on Microsoft word but I am not the techie-type. I am the one who asked my friend, CyNurse, "what's a domain?" Such a LOOOOOOOOOOOSER T_T...hehe, silly me, now I know what a domain is in blogging lingo.

Let me introduce myself, I am Sakura no Hana Hime, in English, Cherry Blossom Princess. Well, it is my hastily chosen psuedonym and hoping to be my alter ego. For real, I'm no princess but I am just simple-procrastinating-dreamer, contemplative but rock, close to thirty and young who got obsess with anything about Japan and Japanese. By the way, wastahi wa kangofu desu, but on a break.

My addiction all started when I saw an amazing Japanese guy, Yuta-san, playing fire poi or fire dance on YouTube. SUGIO!!! SUGIO!!! SUGIO!!! AMAZING!!! AMAZING!!! AMAZING!!!

Wanting to learn fire poi/fire dancing through his poi community website, I need to learn Japanese Languase. So I tried learning through a free lesson offered by a friend but motivation comes when you spend dough on it. Consequently I enrolled in a Japanese Language Study Basic-1 at Philippine Nikkie Jin Kai.

When I was there I met amazing ultra kawaii (cute) people (you know who you are no need to mention.) and discovered the kawaii-ness (cuteness) of Japanese modern culture. Moreover, my interest in Japanese drama, movies, anime, fashion, food, celeberties, music and more, was fueled. It opened me to a new door of discoveries.

In conclusion, Sakura no Hana Hime was born and created this Filipino-Japanese blog. In a way an outlet for this princess's obsession. A reflection of a Filipina inspired by all things Japan and Japanese. From it's kawaii-ness (cuteness) to it's kowai-ness (scary one's) yet are all interesting.

Onegai Shimase, hope you enjoy this site.

Surely appreciate your comments. English, Nihongo and Engrish all may do…oh please use romanji for Nihongo. Eh my laptop is not equipped with a language pack ...gomen ne (sorry).

Douzo yoroshiku. Nice meeting you netzens!
Ja mata ne. Bye for now, until next time.