http://blogs.bootsnall.com/samuraidave travel, culture, history, and oddity with a focus on Japan Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:04:29 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The Secret Desire of the Ninja These stealthy assassins of yore...what lurks deep in their hearts? Their whole lives are dedicated to their craft...to stealth, to sabotage, to espionage, to theft, and to assassination. But what do they dream of when they allow themselves to succumb to sleep's gentle embrace? What is it ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/samuraidave/the-secret-desire-of-the-ninja.html Chance Encounter with Zen Priest Komuso were Zen Buddhist Priests who used to travel about playing the Shakuhachi (Japanese Flute) for meditation and alms. Komuso means "Priest of Nothingness." I encountered this Komuso while I was in Nagoya. Komuso ceased to exist from the late 19th Century onwards. The titles are bits of ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/samuraidave/zen-priest-playing-shakuhachi-flute.html I went to a wacked-out monthly dance event in Tokyo called Tokyo Decadance where people dress in wild outfits and such. This guy was a mix of Resident Evil, Predator, Transformers, and Star Wars. Music by: Koko T Check it out: It's also up for votes for possible broadcast on Current TV so please: Register and ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/samuraidave/the-tokyo-light-saber-techno-ballet.html Tokyo Youtube Gathering at a Hub Pub in Shibuya courtesy of Tokyo Cooney. We talk about Tokyo, Youtube, and our lives which are often intertwined.This is the second half of the Tokyo Youtube Hanami Gathering on March 30, 2008. I missed the first part with the hanami at Yoyogi Park ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/samuraidave/tokyo-youtube-gathering-at-a-tokyo-bar.html Violence, Robots, Cherry Blossoms, and more Violence!It’s a Youtuber Hanami Gathering in Tokyo! See Youtuber ShotAmerican mercilessly pummel fellow Youtuber TkyoSam repeatedly!!!! This all came about because Tokyocooney put together Tokyo Youtube Hanami Gathering: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJm18Y… This footage is from the pre-hanami gathering the night before in Ueno Park. In attendance were: Gimmeabreakman who lives in Nagoya: http://www.youtube.com/gimmeabreakman ShotAmerican ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/samuraidave/a-tokyo-hanami-cherry-blossom-viewing-party-youtuber-gathering.html Sakura - Japanese Cherry Blossoms have been a part of Japanese culture for over a thousand years. They're the subject of countless poems from waka to haiku. The Short Happy Life of the Cherry Blossom This is a photo montage I actually put up a year ago but never made public. It ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/samuraidave/sakura-japanese-cherry-blossom-montage-video.html Here I face off against the deadly Juhyo - Japanese Monster trees of Mt. Zao - and live to tell the tale! Juhyo trees are created by snow and ice mixed together by freezing strong Siberian winds that turns them into distorted monsters. Juhyo Japanese Monster Trees http://blogs.bootsnall.com/samuraidave/samurai-dave-vs-the-juhyo-japanese-monster-trees-of-mt-zao.html I went to the Honen-Sai Fertility festival again in the Nagoya area. I bumped into a fellow Youtuber, Gimmeabreakman, who has quite a market share of subscribers and views. He does a number of videos on Japanese culture, language, and on the Youtube community. Here’s a cool vid he just put up about ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/samuraidave/samurai-dave-meets-youtuber-gimmeabreakman-at-japanese-penis-festival.html Here’s a video and blog I did on Dezomeshiki - A firefighting demonstration and parade put on every year by the Tokyo Fire Department. It features the hikeshi - old Japanese firefighters - doing acrobatics on ladders. The girl in the video who helps me pronounce Dezomeshiki is one of ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/samuraidave/dezomeshiki-firefighting-japanese-style.html Here’s a video I made last year about St. Patrick’s Day festivities in an Irish Pub in the heart of Tokyo with a brief interlude of Danny Boy being sung at a festival Enka Style. Blog on St.Patrick's Day: St. Patrick’s Day Represents Celtic Survival http://blogs.bootsnall.com/samuraidave/st-patricks-day-in-an-irish-pub-in-tokyo.html