Full DisClothesure » Japan

So Wasabi With You?

jrotem — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:18:45 +0000

It’s November and with Thanksgiving coming in a few weeks our thoughts turn to food, even more than usual! So here’s another foody design, one with a touch of “kawaii”* that imagines a sushi bar conversation — between a norimaki and the wasabi.

And you know, I just had to shoyu.* Hahahahahaha…

Available at Rotem Gear on tees, sweatshirts, hoodies, in a range of colors.

*Japanese for “cute.”
* Japanese for tamari/soy sauce.

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Kappa Kappa Maki Revealed!

jrotem — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:29:45 +0000

Ah, the good old days.

Bunny, Buffy and Sheila were typical college girls–– going for hayrides, cheering their school on at football games, and getting back to the dorm by curfew to make hot chocolate and rinse out their stockings.

So when Rush Week came around, the three of them knew there was only one sorority worth pledging: the exclusive Kappa Kappa Maki.

Kappa Kappa Maki was the doorway to society, certain guarantee to well-heeled connections, and the key to a life of the world’s best sushi.

Despite the secret ceremonies, the closed tea parties, the clandestine pillow fights, we have managed to infiltrate the organization to obtain and reproduce the much coveted Kappa Kappa Maki coat of arms.

Now becoming part of this illustrious sorority takes no more effort than clicking a link and buying a t-shirt. I can’t guarantee an entry into society, but who knows, you might score some free kappa maki (cucumber roll) if you wear it to your favorite sushi bar.

Shown here: Women's Organic Fitted Tee; other options available.

Little Japan-related factoid: Do you know how kappa maki sushi got its name?

In Japanese mythology, the kappa are amphibious creatures who live in rivers and lakes. They are mischievous, not always in a benign way; they have beak-like mouths, webbed feet and hands, and a bowl-like indentation on top of their heads that must stay filled with magical water for their survival outside of their watery environments. They are fond of etiquette and may not wreak havoc when respected.

Long the subject of folk tales, in modern day Japan “kawaii” kappa toys and trinkets are available, and some rivers and lakes actually have signs warning visitors of kappa infestation!

Kappa love love LOVE cucumbers; hence, small cucumber rolls, sometimes called “bullets” in Japanese-American communities because their appearance, are known as kappa maki (lit., “kappa rolls.”)

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A Gei Old Time

jrotem — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:08:31 +0000

A little while ago I was tickled to see some Rotem Gear tops featured in a fashion blog from Spain. When I popped over there in order to add them my blog list and looked around, I found that MundoChica is much more than a shopping blog; it’s plump with some fun looks at fashion throughout the ages and around the world.

One video I immediately found on MundoChica shows a maiko, or apprentice geisha, going through the pain-staking process of applying her make-up. It’s a bit long, but the transformation is amazing and quite interesting, if you haven’t seen such a thing before.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvyskAURwCs

By the way, for those who do not know, geisha are not, have never been, prostitutes. The word is generally mis-used. Gei means “art” and sha “person” (hmph, my kanji are not showing up after publishing, must learn how to do that in WordPress) so a geisha is someone who is steeped in the arts, in this case, singing, dancing, tea ceremony, engaging in witty conversation and banter — all activities for which geisha train for years — and making guests feel welcome and happy.

A girl can become maiko at around 17 (generations ago it was around 12); modern Japanese law requires children to attend school through age 16.

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