「ようこそジャパン」 (Yokoso Japan!) means “Welcome to Japan!“, and is the Japan National Tourism Organization‘s official slogan of their campaign to attract foreign visitors to Japan.
「Yokoso Japan!」 logo
Here are some of their Yokoso Japan! campaign ads.
Most of the scenes in this first one are of Tokyo (there are a few shots of Osaka, etc…but most of it is Tokyo):
These show many parts of Japan:
Do they make you want to visit this beautiful country?
A number of years ago, Japan gave America 桜の木 (Cherry blossom trees) as a symbol of friendship.
They’re planted in Washington DC.
桜 (Cherry blossoms) are very popular in Japan. They are a symbol of Spring in Japan.
Japanese love them not only for their beauty…but also their fragility. They only stay in bloom for a week or so…and then gently fall to the ground like a beautiful pink snowfall. They’re like a symbol of the beauty and shortness of life.
Every Spring, Japanese people sit under the 桜の木 (Cherry blossom trees) to have a picnic together and enjoy the view.
It’s called 「花見」 (Hanami)…or “Cherry Blossom Viewing”.
I was surprised that America has Japanese-style 花見 (Cherry Blossom Viewing) festivals every Spring in Washington DC under the 桜の木 (Cherry blossom trees) from Japan.
Are these festivals popular in America like they are in Japan? Have you ever been?
At this year’s 花見 (Cherry Blossom Viewing) festival in Washington DC on March 28, Jero will be performing.
Jero is a 27-year old Enka singer.
Enka is a traditional Japanese blues type music that is popular mostly with older Japanese people.
So, it’s surprising that Jero is a young Enka singer. But more surprising is that he’s a black American. And he sings Enka while dressed in hip-hop fashion (Enka singers usually wear 着物 (kimono).
ジェロ (Jero)
I wrote a post about Jero before. Click here to read it.
Yesterday was 節分 (Setsubun).
Click here to read a post I wrote last week about it.
On this holiday (the first day of Spring in the old Lunar calendar), people (usually children) throw soy beans at someone dressed as the 鬼 (demon) (usually the father) while shouting 「鬼は外！福は内！」 (“Bad luck out! Fortune in!”).
Setsubun demon masks.
Also, many temples and shrines have festivals on 節分 (Setsubun) that often include sumo wrestlers and other celebrities throwing beans at the crowd.
Tokyo’s 増上寺 (Zoujyouji Temple) is one of the most popular places at 節分 (Setsubun).
Setsubun 2009 at Zoujyouji
This year’s celebrities at 増上寺 (Zoujyouji Temple) included Chadha, the Indian singer of Japanese Enka music and Tamao Nakamura, an actress.
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Tomorrow, the world famous annual 札幌雪祭 (Sapporo Snow Festival) begins and goes for one week.
2009 札幌雪まつり
I went to this festival in 1992. It was great! I’d like to go again one day.
A highlight of the festival are the big, elaborate snow sculptures.
Click here to visit the 札幌雪祭 (Sapporo Snow Festival) website in 日本語…or click here to visit the English version.
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横浜中華街 (Yokohama Chinatown) is having various 春節 (Chinese New Year) events until February 28.
You should check it out if you have a chance…even though the best parts (lion dance, dragon dance, etc) were on January 26, the date of Chinese New Year this year…there are still parades are other things scheduled various days this month.
Click here to visit the official 横浜中華街 (Yokohama Chinatown) website’s 春節 (Chinese New Year) page. (Japanese only).
I wrote a post about Chinese New Year (click here to see it) and I mention in that post about the difference between the Chinese dragon dance and the Japanese one.
At New Years time, both China and Japan also have lion dances…but, just like the Chinese and Japanese dragons are quite different, so are the Chinese and Japanese lions.
The Chinese one:
Chinese Lion dance
The Japanese one looks and moves quite different. In Japan, it’s called 「獅子舞」 (Shishimai):
Japanese "Shishimai" Lion Dance
It’s kinda old news now…but there’s a new popular Enka singer in Japan.
“Enka” is a traditional type of Japanese music, often called Japanese Blues.
It is extremely popular with elderly Japanese people. That generation listened to Enka since they were young…but young people today don’t usually listen to Enka. They like pop music.
But “Jero“, the 26 year old Enka singer, is re-introducing Enka music to young fans.
The most surprising thing about “Jero” isn’t that he’s young. It’s that he’s a black American from Pennsylvania who sings these traditional Japanese songs while wearing hip-hop style clothes!
His real name is Jerome White and he’s 1/4 Japanese. His Japanese grandmother introduced him to Enka music.
He studied the Japanese language and came to Tokyo about five years ago. He’s fluent in the Japanese language now. And he made his debut last February with the song 「海雪」 (“Umi-yuki”).
I don’t really like Enka music much (I don’t like American Blues music either)…and the novelty of Jero doesn’t make me listen to Enka, so I never give him much thought.
But I was reminded of him because I just saw him in a TV commercial for a canned coffee. So I decided to write a blog about the first foreign Enka singer.
Tokyo Five 
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