アニメとゲーム　Animations + Games

'Hyakunin-Isshu,' One Hundred Cards Game (A1F)

The One Hundred Cards Game has been played in Japan since ancient times for fun. This game is often played around the New Year. By playing this game at the New Year, it helps us to get excited about the new year. The One Hundred Cards Game was started about 750 years ago, during the Kamakura period, and was selected by a famous poet as the official game of the Fujiwara Family.
The game is based on separate poems of the 5-7-5-7-7 sylable pattern. All of the cards are spread out in front of the players and someone reads the 5-7-5 and you have to find the card with the last 7-7 on it and grab it before someone else does.

'Kamen Rider' (A1M)

We wrote about a famous character in Japan, 'Kamen Rider', a masked rider. Kamen Rider was reorganized by the evil called 'Shocker.' But he was saved before his brain was reorganized, and he decided to defeat the Shocker.
Kamen Rider has the following powers:
a) C-eyes which are like the compound eyes of an insect. Kamen Rider can see anything in the darkness.
b) Ultra-sense-of-touch antenna with which he can recognize any sound within 2.5 square miles.
c) Converter Lungs which are artificial lungs that change wind taken by 'Typhoon' into energy.
d) Typhoon, which is a device that disguises a man as Kamen Rider by receiving energy.
Kamen Rider rides a motor cycle called 'Cyclone.'

Japanese Animation(A3F)

We are going to introduce you to some Japanese Animation characters.
Do you know 'Doraemon' ? Doraemon (on the left) is a robot cat from the 21st century. Doraemon has a pocket from which he can produce all different tools and devices to help his friend Nobita, a boy who cannot do anything right. Doraemon has been on TV for 21 years and is very interesting.
Next, we would like to introduce 'Sazae-san.' This show started off as a comic strip and later became a TV show. There are also English translations of Sazae, so if you see it at the book store, please take a look. All of the characters in this animation have names that are somehow connected with the ocean. For example, her sister's name is the word for seaweed and her mother's name is the character for boat. The story is always about something that happens around Sazae.
There are many other very interesting Japanese animated shows like these. Of course, 'Pokemon' is also on TV here as well. Lately, the Gold and Silver Pokemon Gameboy games are very popular. There are many new Pokemon coming out. We hope that you enjoyed our talk about Japanese Animation and that we have helped you to understand it better.

Popular Video Games in Japan (A6M)

The play which is popular now among the Japanese children is a video game. It is said that Pokemon made a hit in the U.S., it is also popular in Japan as well. By the way, Pokemon is the game software which a company called Japanese Nintendo Co.,Ltd. developed. The gold and silver package of Pokemon were on the market in Japan last November. The packages include new Pokemon characters.
Play Station 2 will be on the market soon in Japan. The sequel of the present Play Station games and some new games will be included.
There are many people who want to be a game programmer in Japan, but it is very difficult to get work. It is also difficult to make a game to sell even if we could become game programmers, too. As for a game to sell well in Japan, games made in the famous game companies are the most.
Let me introduce just a part of the Japanese game companies: Nintendo, Square, Sega, Enix. As for the softwares: Pokemon, Final Fantasy, Virtualon, Dragon Quest, and so on.

The New Series of POKEMON (B4M)

The New Series of POKEMON games consist of 251 kinds of brand new pocket monsters. The new pokemons are divided into different sexes, and can lay eggs.
The story of the new game begins in Wakaba Town in the area called Jouto 3 years after the end of the last game. The pokemons which the professor gives us first are Waninoko (Zenigame in the last game), Chikolita (Fushigidane) and Hinoarashi (Hitokage). We select one from the three and begin an adventure. There are 16 gym leaders and 5 pokemons of the legend (Houou, Lugia, Entei, Suikun, and Raiko) in total.
The new game has some new functions. First, a pokemon can lay eggs. Second, you can exchange items in random, which is called a 'mysterious gift.' Since the new game has improved so much, please get one when it comes out.

'Hanafuda' and 'Shogi,' Two of Famous Japanese Games (D1M)

There are many types of games in Japan, but we would like to introduce to you hanafuda, a Japanese card game. In Hanafuda you battle your opponents to gain the most points. You play Hanafuda with 3 people and use cards with all different kinds of flowers on them.
Another Japanese game is called Shogi, which is very similar to chess. The object of the game is to capture the king.

Japanese Animations (D3F)

We will introduce 'poke-mon' which we have heard is also popular in America.
It is also popular in Japan, and is familiar to us through card games, animation, character goods, and so on.
Other than that, 'Doraemon,' and 'Konan, the Detective' is popular, too.
'Doraemon' is tremendously popular through animation and cartoons. It is very interesting because its character is very friendly and because we can enjoy items which are seen on the show.
'Konan' is a story about a high school detective who was forced to take a special medicine to become a child. Therefore he is trying to find the crime organization that forced him to take the medicine. Since there are more than 150 episodes, it is one of the most famous cartoons in Japan.
Although I don't think you know that well, I will introduce another interesting animation. Its name is 'WeiB KrueZ.' It is a story about very good-looking men. They work for a flower shop in the daytime, but they also fight crime. If it is broadcasted or its comic books are sold in America, pleace check them out.

Doraemon (D6F)

We would like to introduce you to Doraemon, a Japanese animation character, as well as some of the other characters from this show.
Doraemon is a robot cat from the 21st century. His favorite food is called Dora-yaki, a small cake that is filled with anco, a sweet bean paste. Although he is a cat, Doraemon is very scared of mice and every time he sees one he faints. Doraemon also has a special pocket from which he can produce various items and gadgets.
Doraemon's younger sister's name is Dorami. Dorami is much more serious than her older brother.
Nobita is the name of the 5th grade boy who Doraemon is best friends with. Doraemon lives in Nobita's closet and without Doraemon's help Nobita would not be able to accomplish anything. Although he is really a nice boy, Nobita is always getting himself into trouble and making Doraemon upset with him.
Shizuka, which means calm or peaceful, is the girl that Nobita likes and she is exactly as her name would suggest. Shizuka loves to take baths and is always in the bath.
Jaian is the name of a boy who is violent, and always bullies Nobita. He is disliked because he forces his friends listen to his songs although his voice is terrible.
Suneo is a follower to Jaian, and is always around him. He is from a very rich family and is too much pfoud of himself.
Now we would like to introduce you to various items and gadgets which Doraemon produces from his pocket.
a) Take-copter makes you fly in the sky when you stick it on top of your head.
b) Dokodemo-door makes you go anywhere you want with just opening it.
c) A time machine exists inside of a drawer of Nobita's desk.
d) Big/small light makes anything big or small with just lightening it.
e) Time Furoshiki makes anything into old/new one.
f) Kuki-Hoe is a cannon using air.
g) Momotaro-marked Kibidango makes any animals obey you if the animals eat it.

Pocket Monsters (D6M)

Pocket Monsters are made by Nintendo and are very popular in Japan. In Japan we have many pocket monster games for Nintendo's Game Boy. There are red, green and blue Pikachu and gold and silver Pokemon games. In the red, blue and green Pikachu there are 15 different types of Pokemon and in the gold and silver versions there are 250 different Pokemon characters. Depending on the version (color) different Pokemon appear. In the gold and silver versions the graphics are completely different. In the same versions before a new character's name is announced, Pikachu says 'Pichuu'.