Thanks to Blue, we now have the long version of the Father Travels SoftBank commercial, as well as the translation for the commercial and the accompanying song! Thank you, Blue!
***At the Sunami Station***
Father (Cream Shiba) is coming out of the small countryside station.
***On the steps of alleys***
Father is running up and down on stone steps of very narrow alleys.
Father's voiceover: I'm sure I will come across Tada-Tomo that I have not seen yet.
[Tada-Tomo is the WhiteBanks' calling plan that permits members to call each other for free. Tada means "free" and Tomo is the abbreviation of Tomodachi, which means "a friend."]
***Jodo-ji Temple***
Father runs through a flock of pigeons.
***In the middle of a rice paddy***
Father is sitting at the bus stop with a cute school girl.
Father is walking in the rain.
***At the small harbor***
Father is getting on a boat.
***At the very traditional Japanese inn (Ryokan)***
Father is looking down at the scenery from the window as the maid is serving tea.
A woman who wears Yukata and Haori coat is walking in a courtyard.
***At the beach***
A woman, who turns out to be young and pretty, is making a call from the beach.
Father gets a call and probably he thinks it is from that woman.
Mother: Where are you roaming around?
Father: I'm sorry.
***At the Rotenburo***
Father is walking by the Rotenburo.
[Rotenburo is the outside of a hot spring or hot tub. This particular one seems to have a ceiling but no wall. As Japanese usually bathe in the nude, Rotenburo are surrounded by privacy fences.]
Father is coming out of the female section of the hot spring.
Father: I made a mistake.
Male voiceover: Free calling among family members for 24 hours. SoftBank.
[Contextual Information: Sunami Station is in Mihara City of Hiroshima prefecture, and Jodo-ji Temple is in Onomichi City, which is also within Hiroshima prefecture. Other locations are unknown. However, most likely this film was shot around these two cities as they are located side by side. Onomichi is well known as the city with very pretty scenery. The old parents from Tokyo Story, which is regarded as one of the best movies ever made, resided in this city.]
Here are the lyrics to the accompanying song, which can also be found in this earlier entry:
Iihi Tabidachi (Taking Off On A Fine Day)
I look up to the sky of the North where snow will melt soon
As I call out for the dreams from the days that have passed away
Faces of people who I will never see again come to my mind
So today I will be on the road by myself
Somewhere in Japan, someone special is waiting for me
Taking off on a fine day to look for a red sunset
With the song that I heard on my mother's back as my only company
On the tip of the cape, a boy is fishing
Will he take the pass with tall green grasses when he goes home
In order to make a memory
I will write "Goodbye" on the beach sand with a wooden stick
Somewhere in Japan, someone special is waiting for me
Taking off on a fine day to look for a cloud shaped like a sheep
With the song that my father taught me as my only company
Somewhere in Japan, someone special is waiting for me
Taking off on a fine day to look for my happiness
With the song that I sang in my childhood as my only company
It has taken me hours of research to figure all of this out, but the song that accompanies the commercial above can be purchased from CD Japan. It is called Taking Off On A Fine Day (いい日旅立ち) [thanks to Blue for the correct translation of the title], and is performed by Shinji Tanimura. In 1978, the song was made famous by a female artist named Momoe Yamaguchi, and was used by Japanese National Railways to promote travel. You can read more about it on Wikipedia. You can also watch a video of Momoe Yamaguchi performing the song here.
Thanks to Blue, we now have the translated lyrics to the song that accompanies the commercial above! Thanks, Blue!
Iihi Tabidachi (Taking Off On A Fine Day)
I look up to the sky of the North where snow will melt soon
As I call out for the dreams from the days that have passed away
Faces of people who I will never see again come to my mind
So today I will be on the road by myself
Somewhere in Japan, someone special is waiting for me
Taking off on a fine day to look for a red sunset
With the song that I heard on my mother's back as my only company
On the tip of the cape, a boy is fishing
Will he take the pass with tall green grasses when he goes home
In order to make a memory
I will write "Goodbye" on the beach sand with a wooden stick
Somewhere in Japan, someone special is waiting for me
Taking off on a fine day to look for a cloud shaped like a sheep
With the song that my father taught me as my only company
Somewhere in Japan, someone special is waiting for me
Taking off on a fine day to look for my happiness
With the song that I sang in my childhood as my only company
[Edited on February 17, 2008: Once again, we are so grateful to Blue for providing the translations and cultural background information for these commercials. Thank you so much!]
Part 12
***At a busy street corner***
Aya is waiting for someone.
She calls but hears only the artificial voice of the voice mail.
The street has been deserted and Aya tries to call again.
She turnes around and finds the guy for whom she has been waiting.
They run toward each other.
Dad (Cream Shiba): That's enough for today!
Mother nods
Male voiceover: Merry Christmas, SoftBank.
Japanese started to enjoy (not celebrate) Christmas even before the War. Now, Japan has a huge and 100% commercial Christmas. It provides them with a reason to party and a very romantic night for lovers.
Contrary to popular belief, Japanese are very, very agnostic. Yes, they do have many temples and shrines but they are more like cultural heritages and do not have much religious meanings to them anymore.
Part 13
***At a busy street corner***
Aya is waiting for someone.
She gets a call and turns around, there he is.
They run toward each other.
Dad: Ahhhh...
They hug.
Dad: Maybe, it is okay for today.
Mother and son smile.
Male voiceover: Merry Christmas, SoftBank.
Part 14
***In the bathroom***
Son is giving a bath to his dad.
Dad (Cream Shiba): What is "Tada-Tomo"?
("Tada" means free and "Tomo" is the abbreviation of "Tomodachi" which means a friend.)
Son: It is the "White" (calling) plan to cost 980 yen for one month, until 9pm (from 1pm) free domestic calling between SoftBank members.
Dad: Ouch, that's hot!
Son: I'm sorry, dad.
***At the dining table***
Aya: Where is dad?
Mother: He's bathing.
Male voiceover: Spreading the circle of "Tada-Tomo."
As usual, the shiba has an attitude of a very traditional Japanese dad, very stubborn and tyrant-like. And the son is very obedient.
You may wonder why the shiba is washed outside of the tub. Japanese bath tubs are very deep and filled with hot water, and are strictly for enjoying being in hot water, like a hot tub. Therefore, they wash themselves outside of the bathtub. And, Japanese kids used to wash their dads' back. I guess some of them still do.
Part 15
Silent Night is the most popular Christmas song in Japan. Every kindergarten student learns this with the translated lyrics.
Part 16
Part 17 (this one is pure genius)
***In the classroom***
Taller boy: It is not a lie.
Shorter boy: That's not believable.
Girl: Stop that!
Shorter boy: He says SoftBank will start the (unthinkably) super student discount.
Taller boy: It is not a lie.
Cream shiba enters the classroom.
Girl: Sensei (means a teacher).
Dad: Stop arguing!
Shorter boy: Why do we have to listen to what that dog says?
Girl: What are you saying to our teacher?
Shorter boy: But the dog is a dog.
Dad: Do not judge by what it looks like.
Shorter boy: Then what should we judge with?
Dad: With the eyes of your mind.
Shorter boy: With the eyes of my mind?
Taller boy: Sensei.
Girl: Sensei.
All kids: Sensei.
***In the livingroom***
Aya: What a nice thing you said to the kids, Sensei!
Dad: Do not call me "Sensei" at home.
Male voiceover: Finally, "White (calling plan)" student discount has started.
Part 17 (Alternate Ending)
***In the classroom***
Taller boy: It is not a lie.
Shorter boy: That's not believable.
Girl: Stop that!
Shorter boy: He says SoftBank will start the (unthinkably) super student discount.
Taller boy: It is not a lie.
Cream shiba enters the classroom.
Girl: Sensei (means a teacher).
Dad: Stop arguing!
Shorter boy: Why do we have to listen to what that dog says?
Girl: What are you saying to our teacher?
Shorter boy: But the dog is a dog.
Dad: Do not judge by what it looks like.
Shorter boy: Then what should we judge with?
Dad: With the eyes of your mind.
Shorter boy: With the eyes of my mind?
Taller boy: Sensei.
Girl: Sensei.
All kids: Sensei.
Shiba barks or more like howls.
***In the livingroom***
Aya: So you barked again?
Dad: I did (in a kind of embarrassed way).
Part 18
***At the SoftBank store counter***
High School Kid: "White" student discount?
Aya: Yes, for students who join the White plan there is no basic charge for three years and unlimited usage of the package starts from 0 yen.
High School Kid: If you do that much for me,...
Aya: If we do that much,...(what?)
High School Kid: I feel almost sorry.
Dad: Do not be so reserved!
High School Kid: Sensei.
Aya: Dad.
Dad: This is Emoto from my class.
High School Kid: Nice to see you, and sensei has been very kind to me always.
Aya: You have been very nice to my dad.
Dad: Can I say something to you?
High School Kid: What is it, sensei?
Dad: Boys, be ambitious!
Dad: Why are you looking at me like that?
Male voiceover: "White" student discount. For three years, there is no basic charge.
"Boys, be ambitious" are the famous words from Doctor William Clark who came to Hokkaido, the northern part of Japan, from the U.S. to be the first principal of Hokkaido University in 1876. When he left, he said to his students, "Boys, be ambitious (at that time, the university had only male students)!" Since then, these have become such precious words for the Japanese educators' community and for boys. However, it probably sounds too old fashioned for young kids now. And, by using these words, this dad reveals how old fashioned he is, and it just does not fit with discussion about cellphone calling plans. I guess the dad meant that boys should be ambitious with this discount plan.
First, a disclaimer: I have not actually ordered anything from Amazon Japan, but I went through the steps last night, and it seems like it's possible to place an order and have it shipped to the U.S.. However, it looks like you can only order certain items (books, cds, DVDs, and videos), and only those that are being sold directly through Amazon, not through 3rd party sellers. Furthermore, international shipping to North America (for books and videos) starts at ￥2,700 ($24.30), and is ￥300 ($2.70) for each additional item. So, this will probably make it a pretty unappealing option for all but the most motivated (or well-heeled) buyers.
With that out of the way, here's what I think has to be done to order from Amazon Japan.
1.) Figure out the characters for some products that you'd like to purchase (easier said than done, I'll admit). Here are the characters for Shiba Wanko (しばわんこ), shiba inu (柴犬), and Shi-Ba Magazine (シーバ) to get you started.
2.) Go to the Amazon Japan Homepage, and enter the characters into the search field. Search as you would normally.
3.) The Google language tools are your friend. Copy the URL of your search's results page into the "Translate a Web Page" field on the Google Language Tools page. Select "Japanese to English." This will provide a pretty good translation of the results page of your search (at least good enough that you can basically figure out what you're looking at, e.g., "Oh, it's a calendar!" Or, "Oh, it's a puzzle!").
4.) Add items to your shopping cart as usual. This button seems to be translated clearly, so you shouldn't have any trouble recognizing it.
5.) Proceed to the checkout as usual, and there will be options to see the checkout pages in English. When you're asked to enter your address info, there is a little blue link in the upper left for "international" orders. You'll need to click this in order to enter your address correctly (you'll know when to look for it, because your zip code won't fit in the field). Hopefully, everything should be pretty easy from this point forward.
6.) Don't forget, DVDs are region-specific, so unless you have a region-free DVD player, you probably won't be able to play DVDs that are purchased from Japan.
If you actually order something, let me know how it goes.
First off, I want to give credit where credit is due. Most of the translations below came from this thread on Dogster. The person who was nice enough to post them is not a member of Dogster, so I couldn't send them a message to ask for permission to include the translations here. However, I hope they won't mind if I share the transcripts to these funny shiba commercials with you guys. Also, I would never have known about this thread, if it wasn't for our authority on all things Japanese, Blue (who also provided translations for all of the commercials that had not already been transcribed).
According to the person who did the translations on Dogster, the funniest part of these ads is the extremely unorthodox casting. The mother and daughter are normal looking Japanese people, but the dad is the cream shiba, and the son is the black guy. This is not meant to imply that a Japanese family adopted a black son, it's just super silly casting that is meant to be absurd.
The name of the cellular phone plan being advertised is "White Family 24," and the name of the service provider is SoftBank.
Characters
Father: Cream Shiba
Mother
Daughter: Aya
Son
On to the commercials...
White Family - Part 1
***At the service counter of SoftBank.***
Male customer: What is "White Family 24"?
Aya: If you join, domestic calling to your family members is free 24 hours a day.
***Aya comes home tired from work.***
Mother: Hey, Aya.
Aya: Mmm?
Mother: What is "White Family 24"?
Aya: I don't wanna talk about my job at home.
Son: I'd like to know, too.
Aya: Bro, too? I thought you said you would be home late today.
Son: I didn't hear that.
Aya: What are you saying?
Father (Cream Shiba): I want to know, too.
Aya: Dad, too?
Mother: You do not have to know.
Father: How come?
Son: [laughs out loud.]
Father: What is so funny?
Son: I'm sorry, dad.
Mother: So what is it, "WhiteFamily 24"?
Daughter: What?
Male voiceover: Free domestic calling to family members. Softbank.
Contextual Note: The mother and daughter treat the father (who talks and acts like a tyrant) like nothing, only the son is obedient.
White Family - Part 2
Doesn't include any shibas.
White Family - Part 3
***At the service counter of SoftBank.***
Aya: Thank you very much!
Next customer, please. Thank for your waiting.
Son: Aya.
Aya: Bro!
Son: Aya, I have something to ask you.
Aya: What is it (you have to come here for that)?
Son: Can I ask just one thing?
Aya: So, what is it?
Son: What is "White Kazoku(means family) 24"?
Aya: That means, if you join this calling plan, you can call your family members for free 24 hours a day, if it is within our country. Isn't that awesome?
Son: That is great! But, why so? I don't understand.
Aya: Why? I don't know why, either. I don't even know why my father is a dog.
Father: Everything has a reason.
Aya: A reason? What is the reason, dad?
Father: You are still too young to understand!
Male voiceover: Domestic calling to your family members is free 24 hours a day. SoftBank.
White Family - Part 4
The pink cell phone rings and Aya picks up.
Aya: Yes, mom, what is it?
Mother: Do you know where my dorayaki is (a traditional Japanese pastry made from sweet red bean sauce that is sandwiched between two small pancakes)?
Aya: Maybe bro knows, or ate it.
Mother: Yeah, maybe so. I will ask him.
Mother: Hello.
Son: I don't know.
Mother: What? I haven't said anything, yet. Oh dear, everybody is here (I didn't realize that).
Aya: Yeah.
***Mother talks to father. ***
Mother: Do you know where my dorayaki....
Father: [walks away]
Mother: Where are you going?
***Mother chases him.***
***Father enters his study.***
Father: I am in trouble.
***Mother bangs on the door. ***
Mother: Open this door now!
***Mother calls him.***
Mother: My dorayaki!
Father: I ate it.
Contextual Note: Even though the father talks and acts like the boss of the family, the mother and daughter do not treat him that way.
White Family - Part 5
***Two white poodles are in the park.***
Female poodle (Shiroko): Shiro (which means white in Japanese), phone me more.
Male poodle (Shiro): Yes, I will definitely do that, Shiroko (the female version of the name Shiro).
Shiroko & Shiro: We are Shiro and Shiroko, double white.
Shiro: It's very economical.
Shiroko: Yes!
Male voiceover: More economical. Double White (the name of the calling plan).
The family members are watching the TV at their home.
Aya: This ad doesn't mention that you can get 50% off with Double White, even when you call someone who has another provider.
Mother: Is that so?
Son: I didn't know that.
Aya: This ad is no good.
Father: Do not say, "No good."
Mother & Aya: How come?
Father: These dogs are doing their best.
Aya: How can you tell?
Father: How? I can tell because I look deep deep into their eyes.
Male voiceover: 50% off with Double White. SoftBank.
Contextual Note: It is so ridiculous that the shiba sounds like a typical traditional stubborn Japanese dad, which is very rare recently.
White Family - Part 6
***Five dogs are having a talk in the park.***
Dalmatian: How is the number of applicants for our cell service increasing?
One of the dogs: SoftBank was number one, even in July.
Dalmatian: What? July again?
Father: Finally, it's happening!
***Mother and Aya are having a cup of tea at their Tokyo middle to upper middle class home.***
Aya: Mom, what dad is doing?
Mother: He is in a business meeting.
Male voiceover: The number of applicants has been number one in the industry for the last three months. SoftBank.
White Family - Part 7
Thanks to Blue, we now have a transcript for Part 7!
***Five dogs are having a talk in the park.***
One of the dogs: Unbelievable, isn't it?
One of the dogs: Unbelievable, indeed!
Lab: Unbelievable, indeed!
French Bulldog: The number of applicants for the cell service...
Dalmatian: SoftBank was number one again for the last month.
Father: It's happening!
***Mother and Aya are having a cup of tea at their Tokyo middle to upper middle class home.***
Aya: Mom, what is dad doing?
Mother: He is in a business meeting.
Male voiceover: The number of applicants has been number one in the industry for the last four months in a row. SoftBank.
Contextual Information: This is obviously an updated version of Part 6. However, their family home appears to belong to more middle class. The fact that their father has his own study makes them upper middle class considering the housing condition in Tokyo.
White Family - Part 8
***Son is on the phone and walking through a busy Tokyo street. Unlike New York, or any other big cities in the US, Tokyo has big streets and small alleyways filled with lots of small stores.***
***Son arrives at a very expensive Chinese restaurant. His family is waiting for him. ***
Son: Sorry for being late.
Father: Yeah, late.
Mother: Use your phone when you think you're running late.
Aya: It's free to make a call to family members with "White Family 24."
Son: I have been on the phone for some other business.
Father: You cannot have other business!
Son: Understand, dad.
Male voiceover: White Family 24
White Family - Part 9
***At a business meeting of SoftBank's rival corporation.
Male voice: What did Softbank start?
Young employee: It is a new project to make a calling plan where members can make free calls to their friends.
Male voice: Wow, they are doing a good one.
Senior employee: Hey you, are you listening?
Son: Sorry, I wasn't.
***At their home.***
Son: [big sigh]
Aya: That's no good, bro. You should try to be more passionate about your work. Don't you agree, dad?
Father: That is no good!
Male voiceover: New project started. SoftBank.
White Family - Part 10
Thanks to Blue, we now also have a transcript for Part 10!
***Mother and Aya (with her new shorter haircut) are walking in the park with the father. They are startled to see their son is walking with an unknown girl.***
Aya: Bro!
Son: Everybody together, I have not heard about that.
Aya: What are you saying?
Father: Oh, the discovery!
Mother: Who is she?
Aya: Gee, isn't she your girlfriend?
Son: Not yet.
Unknown girl: Tada-no-tomodachi-desu (I'm just his friend). (In this sentence, "tada" means "just.")
Mother: Just?
Aya: Does "just" mean that you are from Ameriya? (I do not know what Ameriya means. Probably the company the son works for, the competitor of SoftBank?)
Unknown girl: Yes, Tada-Tomo. (She abbreviates Tada-no-Tomodachi to Tada-Tomo. The young generation of Japanese loves to abbreviate the words.)
Father: Do not abbreviate the words thoughtlessly!
Unknown girl: Wow, you speak! How cute!
Father: Oh, really?
Mother: You! (She realized that his attitude was suddenly softened by the remark and petting from this girl.)
Aya: But making new friends is wonderful, isn't it?
Unknown girl: Huh?
Aya: Let's put our hands onto each other's like this.
Male voiceover: Let's expand the circle of Tada-Tomo. SoftBank.
Contextual Information: "Tada-Tomo" seems like SoftBank's new slogan. Tada means "just" but also means "free" (no charge). So, "Tada-Tomo" means the friends you can call for free (if you join the plan from SoftBank).
White Family - Part 11
With many thanks to Blue, we now have a transcript for Part 11.
***At their home.***
Mother: Writing a slogan (for the ad)?
Aya: Yeah, for the promotion to get more Tada-Tomo.
***The subtitle says, "Tada-Tomo: Friends you can call for free."***
Mother: Mmmm, a slogan.
Aya: How about it, bro?
Son (wearing a headband that says, "getting an idea"): That sounds hard.
Aya: Dad, do you have any?
***Father is just eating.***
Aya: Geeeeee.
Son: Oh, how about this, "Yosogai-no..." (This actor has become quite famous in Japan because of these ads and is nicknamed "Yoso-guy," as yosogai means "unexpectedly." I guess this nickname came from this silly casting.)
Father: No, no, no good!
Aya: (sigh) Is there any slogan writer?
Mother: How about asking Uncle Shinone?
Aya: Ahhh!
***Aya is on the bullet train and eating Ekiben (Eki-Ben).*** (Eki means station and Ben is the abbreviation of bento, which is a box-lunch. All of the major stations in Japan have their own box lunch featuring their regional specialities and delicacies. They are cooked and arranged in such a neat way in small containers. One of the joys of traveling through the Japanese countryside is tasting these Eki-Bens.)
Aya: I wonder if Uncle is doing fine.
***Aya is running to...***
Aya: Uncle!
Uncle (beluga whale, another case of the super silly casting): Aya, you are all grown up.
Aya: Do you have any good slogans, uncle?
Uncle: Wa, wa, wa (means circle or ring).
Aya: Wa, I see. Wa of Tada-Tomo.
***At their home.***
Mother: Wa, he said.
Father: Uncle, you really beat me (I have nothing but a praise for you).
These are the last of the dog-related pictures from Japan. There aren't any shibas in them, but I hope you enjoy them anyway.
All I can say is, Yoshi & Tsuki are so lucky that I didn't see these until my last day in Japan, at which point I was preoccupied with worrying about whether or not we were going to have room in our luggage to get everything home that we had already bought. In case it's hard to tell, these are geisha wigs, kimono, and happi for dogs.
This was a sign at Shiba Park. I found the little illustration really hilarious for some reason.
...so much so, that I had to get a close-up.
This dog looks Akita-ish to me, but I have no idea what the sign says.
A pet shop in Kabuki-cho (the red-light district).
They put pictures of all of the available puppies in the front window, which I thought was very clever. That way, if the puppies are sleeping, you can still see what they all look like.
Each puppy had a cute, little bed with a matching toy strawberry.
This little wildman made fast friends with my husband. He'd bark like crazy if you stopped paying attention to him. I'm sure he's back in Tokyo driving someone nuts right now.
Not all of the puppies were quite so wild.
And, as cute as they were, the beds did not seem to be a big hit.
Well, that's it, the last of the Japan pictures. I hope you've enjoyed them.
As best I can tell, these are little signs that tell you to keep your dog on a leash. These were posted all around a mall called Yebisu Garden Place, located in the Ebisu section of Tokyo.
Edit: Upon further consideration, the one above could actually be a kai ken, rather than a shiba.
These next signs were posted at the Senso-ji Temple. I'm not sure what they mean, but if anyone knows, I'd love to find out.
These first pictures are from a ubiquitous ad campaign for Softbank, which is a cell phone store that is equivalent to something like Cingular in the United States.
This was in a dog boutique called Dog Dept. What was funny about this store is that it claimed to be based in Santa Monica, California, but it's actually based in Japan. In the same way that Americans think Japanese stuff is cool, there seems to be a certain coolness to having American stuff in Japan, so some stores try to go for an American feel or style.
My memory is fading a bit here, but this was displayed by either a pet food or veterinary pharmaceutical company at World Animal Day. This is a day set aside to give thanks to animals, which I thought was a sweet idea.
This was from one of the ubiquitous photo printing stores. I can't believe that I have used the word ubiquitous twice in one post, but there's no other word to describe HOW MANY places you can have photos printed in Tokyo. They're as common as Starbucks. Really.
This was in the store guide outside of Decks, in Odaiba. It may be an ad for Puppy* the World, but I honestly can't tell.
This was from an ad for label makers, which my husband saw in the Akihabara section of Tokyo.
Here's where the memory really fades. I have no idea what this is for, or where it's from. But, there's a shiba in it, and it seems to be an ad, so it gets put in the blog.
This is from an arcade game called Wantame Music Channel. It's available for the Nintendo DS, but it's all in Japanese, which we figured would make it pretty hard to play.
Here's a YouTube video of the arcade version.
The rest of these are from an arcade game called Taiko Drum Master, or Taiko no Tatsujin. My husband and I were addicted to this game, even before we got to the screen with the dancing shibas. It has been released in North America for the PS2, but it must have been a while ago, because not many on-line retailers carry it.
I'll start the entry with the one thing that I really regret not buying. I just couldn't figure out how to get this home without it getting ruined, and shipping things was going to be complicated and expensive, so I left it behind.
Another cute thing that I figured would get broken in my luggage.
These keychains had little flashing lights on them, hence the name, Twinky.
You can even get shiba items in vending machines (known as gashapon)! This is no ordinary shiba, of course, this is Shiba Wanko.
This is a display of Shiba Wanko figures. These are sold as collectibles in Japan, and come in various series. In Japan, the boxes are sealed, so that you cannot see which item from the series you are purchasing (sort of like the collectible card games that are sold in the U.S. -- you don't know what cards you are getting until you open the package). My assumption is that in Japan you are meant to trade these figures with friends and other collectors, and you help each other to obtain the complete set.
However, there are also stores in Japan that make money by opening the boxes, and then selling the figures in plastic, so that you can see which figure you are purchasing. This allows you to easily complete your set, without purchasing duplicates or finding people with which to trade. J-list has some of these figures for sale, if you're interested.
A display of Shiba Wanko plush toys.
Yet another plush shiba. Maybe I regret not buying this one a little bit.
This plush shiba was almost life-size! In fact, it probably was Tsuki-size.
Another shiba statue. Too bad I couldn't manage to get its ears in the picture.
And, finally, the insane amount of shiba stuff that I brought home. This was taken on our last night in Tokyo, as we were trying to figure out how we were going to get everything back with us. In the end, we had to buy an extra suitcase!
This is the entry where I post pictures of *real* shibas living in Japan. These aren't the only shibas that we saw, but they are the only ones that we managed to take pictures of.
We saw this shiba-ish dog at Kumano Jinja (a shrine), which is located in Shinjuku Central Park. It seemed like he lived there. He certainly wasn't too keen on having us skulking around.
Coincidentally, we saw this shiba just outside of Shiba Park. I actually ran down a crowded street chasing this poor woman, just so that I could get this crappy picture of her dog. Oh, and a Japanese colleague told me that Shiba Park has nothing to do with shiba inu. In this context, the word shiba means lawn. She said the written character is different than the one for shiba inu.
These three shibas were outside a store called Puppy* the World. I don't know why there's an asterisk after the word puppy, but there is.
Puppy* the World was kind of a strange place, and was actually two stores. One was just a dog boutique, but the other was a place where you could rent a room to bathe your dog, or you could RENT A DOG! I know these businesses are beginning to appear in the U.S. now, but ick, what a terrible idea. Poor dogs. Puppy* the World was located at a mall called Decks, in the Odaiba section of Tokyo.
This hardworking shiba-ish little lady was helping to advertise the Save Animals Love Animals (SALA) Network. I don't know if she was looking for a home, or if she belonged to one of the rescue workers, but we couldn't resist stopping to say hello.
Here is a sign for the SALA Network that contains a very shiba-ish looking face. Fair Warning: Their site contains some very sad pictures of shibas and other dogs, so you may not want to explore.
Since we're on the topic if animal rescue organizations, here's a sign for the Japan Rescue Association, which also had some shibas and akitas looking for homes.
Okay, time for some happier pictures...
This sweet little lady was out for a walk with her dad at the Senso-ji Temple (also known as Asakusa Kannon), located in the Asakusa section of Tokyo.
Her dad was nice enough to let us stop and say hello, so we were able to get a few pictures of this happy girl.
The shibas in Japan are so advanced that they even have their own post office and fire station. It's only a matter of time until it happens here.
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a couple of conferences in Tokyo. Fortunately, my work involves animals, so even when I was working, I was on the lookout for shibas. Here are some shibas that appeared in the literature that I picked up at the conferences.
This is from a brochure for Hill's b/d prescription diet, which is purported to "fight age-related behavioral changes in older dogs." The brochure was distributed by Hill's Japan
This is probably my favorite shiba thing from the conference. It's a body condition chart for veterinarians. It was distributed by the Pet Food Institute, which is based in Washington, DC. They include a local Japanese phone number on the back, so maybe they have an office in Japan?
This is sort of how Yoshi looks...
...but this is how he'd like to look.
This is from a booklet published by the Ministry of the Environment. It's all about animal breeding restrictions. Can you spot the shiba?
Here's the dog page from the same booklet. Some of them are at least shiba-ish, if not actually shibas. The full brochure can be viewed here. The bunny illustrations are definitely worth seeing.
And, last but not least, especially in terms of cuteness, is this ad for a veterinary pharmaceutical company called Zenoaq
Ive been reviewing a lot of images of Japanese woodblock prints (ukiyo-e) to use in the redesign of Yoshi & Tsukis web site. In the process, I found this amazing artist named Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892)(check it out, TSUKIoka YOSHItoshi!). His name is just sort of an odd coincidence, but his art is very unlike that of his contemporaries. At times, his works almost border on surrealism. I would encourage anyone with an interest in Japanese art to have a look at his works that are available at Wikimedia Commons.
Though not particularly surreal, these are the prints that have received Yoshi & Tsukis seal of approval:
The Moon on Musashi Plain (Mushashino no tsuki)
From the series: One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (Tsuki hyakushi)
April 1, 1892
The four final prints of the One Hundred Aspects of the Moon were published in April 1892, but all of them had been designed and printed earlier. This picture of a vain vixen admiring herself in a pool was printed at the beginning of 1891, more than a year before it was issued. Foxes were thought to take human shapes, and Yoshitoshi had designed an earlier picture in the Moon series of a transformed fox returning to his own form (see The Fox Cry below). The foxs preening gesture in this print still seems quite human. The shadows in the print were hand-painted on the woodblock, and their pattern and intensity varies from impression to impression.
Source of descriptive information: Keyes, R. & Kuwayama, G. (1980). The Bizarre Imagery of Yoshitoshi: The Herbert R. Cole Collection. Museum Associates of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Los Angeles: California.
The Fox Cry (Konkai)
From the series: One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (Tsuki hyakushi)
January 1886
Konkai, meaning the cry of a fox, is the title of a kyogen, a comic interlude performed between Noh plays. In the story, an old fox, tired of being hunted, disguises himself as an old priest named Hakuzosu, known for his fondness for foxes. The fox visits the priests nephew, a hunter in the region, and speaks to him about the virtues of foxes and the punishments that await those who take life. He leaves satisfied that he has convinced the man. On the way home he begins to change back into a fox and thus loses the capacities of foresight and reason. A baited trap looks suddenly attractive, and he takes the bait and is caught. Yoshitoshi shows the stooped and elderly priest walking home by moonlight and beginning to change back into a fox.
Source of descriptive information: Keyes, R. & Kuwayama, G. (1980). The Bizarre Imagery of Yoshitoshi: The Herbert R. Cole Collection. Museum Associates of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Los Angeles: California.
The Fox Woman Kuzunoha Leaving Her Child (Kuzunoha-gitsune doji ni wakarumu no zu)
From the series: New Forms of Thirty-Six Ghosts (Shinkei sanjurokkaisen)
1890
The young nobleman, Abe no Yasuna, on his way to visit a shrine in Shinoda, in Settsu Province, encounters a young military commissioner who is hunting foxes in order to obtain their livers for use as medicine. Yasuna battles the hunter, sustaining several wounds in the process, and sets free the white fox he had trapped. Afterward, a beautiful woman named Kuzunoha comes along and helps him return to his home.
In reality, this woman is the fox he had saved, adopting human form in order to tend to his wounds. He falls in love with her, and they marry. Later, she bears him a child, Seimei, who proves prodigiously clever. Kuzunoha realizes that her son has inherited part of her supernatural nature.
Several years later, while Kuzunoha is viewing the chrysanthemums, her son catches sight of the tip of her tail. Her true nature revealed, Kuzunoha prepares to depart to return to her life in the wild. She leaves behind a farewell poem, asking her husband, Yasuna, to come to see her in Shinoda forest.
Yasuna and his son search Shinoda for Kuzunoha, and eventually she appears to them as a fox. Revealing that she is the kami, or deific spirit of Shinoda shrine, she gives her son, Seimei, the power to comprehend the language of beasts.
