Haneto of Aomori Nebuta (青森ねぶたのハネト) - Anatomy of a costume

If you were fortunate enough to see the nebuta in their fully-lit debut glory during the 2007 Nisei Week parade you might find yourself itching to join as a crazy, leaping, chanting, haneto dancer. Angelenos are lucky that 2010 is the third year the Aomori Nebuta will be in town. And it's easy to sign up for.

You can buy or rent these indigo-dyed costumes around August in Aomori, Japan or online at Homura Matsuri. They're damn near impossible to pick up secondhand or used unless you know someone. I picked mine up at Zenshuji for cash :p

The official kit includes:
-花笠 [はながさ] or hanagasa (flower hat)
-浴衣 [ゆかた] or yukata (summer robe)
-襷; 手繦 [たすき] or tasuki (sleeve tie)
-しごき帯 [おび] or ,shigoki-obi (soft belt)
-お腰 [おこし] or okoshi (underskirt)
-腰紐 [こしひも] koshihimo (waist cord)
-手拭い tenugui no mame-shibori (polka dot towels)


The diagram above includes a velcro 'magic belt', but they're made of non-slip rubber and non-breathable polyester so they instantly add 10 degrees. It's been a cool summer, but I personally didn't go this route. This often comes standard if you own kimono accessories. You can used a contrasting koshihimo as well, or a hanhaba obi if it doesn't restrict your movement.


Common motifs for haneto yukata include:
-the words 青森ねぶた祭 'aomori nebuta'
-warriors
-bijin or beautiful women
-bells on cords
-flowing water or waves
-bunny rabbits (because 'haneru' means bounce)

It's common in pictures to see people wearing non-standard costumes (like regular non-haneto yukata), as long as they were dressed 'properly', but I think it defeats the spirit of the float. Plenty of volunteers were wearing only the 2010 Nebuta shirts. Otherwise, you can always join in at the end of the parade on First Street.

Yelp LA invades Little Tokyo

From Monday, August 2 to Sunday, August 8!

This week long promotion showcases select local Little Tokyo businesses that are offering exclusive discounts to Yelp passport holders.

Discounts galore:

Aloha Café (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
"Buy one, receive one 1/2 off" special on the following items:
Shave Ice
Spam Musubi
Hawaiian Breakfast

Blue Whale Bar (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Free entry all week long (no cover).

Bunkado, Inc. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Receive a free gift with purchase. ($8.95 value)

Chado Tea Room (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Receive 20% off your bill or 35% off "Champagne Afternoon Tea." (regularly $28)

Cube Boutique (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Receive 20% off any item.

The Far Bar/Chop Suey (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Receive a free Cali-Yelp Roll with your purchase of $10 or more. (Limit one per person.)

Four Leaf - Tea and Crepes (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) Receive a free Green Tea or Black Tea Latte with the purchase of any crepe/waffle.

Fugetsu-Do (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Receive 10% off your total purchase.

Hold Up Art (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Receive 12% off any piece (from $20 posters to $1,500 originals).

Izakaya Fu-ga (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Receive 15% off your bill.

Kimski Makes (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Receive an exclusive Kimski designer t-shirt with the purchase of $20 or more.

Kinokuniya Bookstores (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) Receive a $5 gift certificate towards your next visit with the purchase of $20 or more.

Kushi Shabu (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Receive 20% off of the Kobe beef AYCE (regularly $38 per person) or the Marbled beef AYCE (regularly $45 per person).

Lazy Ox Canteen (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Receive 20% off your bill. (Excludes Friday and Saturday dinners.)

Mitsuru Café (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Receive a free imagawayaki (famous red bean cake) with the purchase of a menu item meal. (Dine-in only. Valid only on Tuesday, August 3 to Friday, August 6.)

Nail Service (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Receive 15% off OPI's new Axxium Gel 14-day manicure (regularly $35) and/or a half-set lash extension for only $110 (full set regularly $300).

N°A - Number A Boutique (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Receive 15% off your entire purchase.

Oiwake (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Receive 15% off your bill. (Excludes alcohol and specially priced menu items.)

RIF Los Angeles (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Receive a free t-shirt with any purchase.

Six Taste (Food Tours in Los Angeles) (http://www.yelp.com/bi... 20% off Little Tokyo tours on Friday, August 6th and Saturday, August 7th, 2010.
(When booking online, please use Promo Code: YELPPASS10)

Spitz (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) Receive a free order of street cart fries or cinnamon sugar pita strips with the purchase of any sandwich, wrap, salad, plate or döner.

Suehiro Cafe (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Receive 15% off your bill.

Threads Café & Lounge (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Receive a free snack with the purchase of $3 or more.

Tofu Village (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Receive 15% off the total bill. (Not valid on All-You-Can-Eat menu.)

San Diego Comic-Con 2010

I returned from San Diego on Sunday evening. Made some emergency dinner for my lovely boyfriend, and proceeded to rub his back in gratitude after the marathon 3 hour drive home. He's such a trooper for indulging me and my comic-obsessed antics.

The weekend highlights included:

THE GOOD
-nostalgic signings by the oh-so-kind Michael Zulli
-meeting all FIVE of the Mythbusters (Adam, Jamie, Grant, Tori, Kari)
-a doodle by famed Italian illustrator Milo Manara (whose erotic-themed works I know best, but publicly I shall admit only X-Women)

THE BAD
-the Fables panel overlapped with the Mythbusters, so I missed it (shh! Bill Willingham is not a man to slight)
-DC has a habit of not announcing their guests and signings until the artist checks in at the booth, so it's anyone's guess who is attending and what a fan like me with limited duffel bag space can bring
-some panels & signings are too popular for their own good so I had to forfeit them with the certainty that they will return in the future (True Blood & Charlaine Harris, JJ Abrams, Joss Whedon, anything Seth MacFarlane)

THE UGLY
-on-site registration for next year's 4-Day + Preview Night was sold out by approx. 3:30pm Sunday, which may lead to a mass panic whenever online reg goes up, even though most people are simply hedging their bets as to whether they'll even go to Preview Night if cost is not a factor...

Y'know, I'ved worked SDCC for 4 years - was even offered a minion-staff position, too - and in years past I always heard the phrase "Comic-Con has the best attendees in the world." I certainly didn't hear it this year. But please, don't get me wrong - I had a great time and I'm pleased with where I spent my energies.

PAM: Fusion Friday China

PMX Meeting

Yay Pasadena!

Lots of seating areas and space to gather (and have a drink). Outdoor patio area for smokers.

A Starbucks inside the hotel, plus a mini-market for snacks and convenience.

I think people will be really happy here.

Zocalo at MoCA

Furoshiki-shiki

The furoshiki workshop was so much fun. Any time you have to partner up with someone you've only just met to try something you don't know much about really gets the room in an extroverted mood.

And as a bonus gift, we all took home our own furoshiki to make good use of our lessons.

Thanks Kyoto no Furoshiki Kenkyu Kai (Furoshiki Study Group of Kyoto).

Celebration on the Colorado Street Bridge

Selling t-shirts to increasingly drunk people. A moral dilemma or clever non-profit? You decide.

Barista competition

The good thing about being on the Coffee Bean mailing list is that you sometimes hear about Barista competitions. Enjoy free coffee while watching some of the most unique drinks being made on stage. And if you're lucky, you can snag a sip or two from the competitor's table.

Creamy vanilla soft serve with a shot of espresso poured over. The empty cups are not mine, I swear.

Anime Expo 2010

There was quite a bit of controversy prior to the start of AX this year. Rumors of a greenhorn, micro-managing, power-hungry new CEO and lackeys. Mass resignations (or firings) of division heads, managers and assorted veteran staffers. Lack of top-bottom communication to even the attendees. All of this has happened before, and will happen again... (Remember Mike Tatsugawa anyone? Anyone?)

VolStaff seemed crippled by their paperwork demands (no computers this year). I'm told every department had staff and budget cuts, and if you were in the company of a staffer for more than 30 seconds they could easily recite a list of grievances (even on Day 0). I do know that volunteers aren't guaranteed meals at AX any longer. On one day they were able to scrounge up some sandwich packs from a generous nearby hotel. All-Con-ers had it rough (housing wasn't finalized until past 11pm the night before Con started), which means the nerve-wracking potential that poor, tired, hungry people could have been sleeping in the streets...

The weather was good, temperatures were mild for this time of year, even overcast at times. Not as many GOOD cosplayers as in years past, exhibit hall seemed smaller, vendors not offering the best discounts. Lanyards were cheap and badges were very, very hackable. Some interesting panel and workshop choices, despite the irritating practice of room clearing. While I heard all sorts of things about autograph line mismanagement after, I had no problems whatsoever with Yuu Asagawa at BOTH of her signings, where she stayed overtime to finish out her lines.