Not being one of any particular taste just what looks pretty any thing in Las Vegas including this...

Ed, well yes, I quite like the Japanese culture, and it has always fascinated me.

im especially Fascinated with The Tokugawa Period, the Shogunate and if I might say so, The Samurai and Particularly the Ninja fascinate me the most, in fact, a series called "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" () started my fascination. Im not much of a Book reader (too short an attention span, but I love documantation books) I ts just the Codes of Honour, the Way of dress, and I think as you have noticed, the way of making weaponry, the way that has been perfected through ages of use, every limitation was almost cancelled, the blade at its peak was so light that it could barely be counted as weight at all, with the centerpoint resting mainly in the Tsuka (hilt) but the blade was strong enough as it was and sharp enough to cut through steel. the First time I heard such a thing I was just astounded with amazement. Let alone see pictures of it happening.

as for the Matchlock rack (see?? I know my weaponry ) thanks, im what you can call a bit rusty on Japanese, and don't really know how the characters are supposed to be portrayed.

Anyway, the first Time I saw a picture of Himeji (I believe the translation for Himeji is swan) castle at age 9, I think I fell in Love, the smooth curves, he general aura of peace and harmony that come off it, it was just so beautifull.

*round of applause for Loc*

the Japanese are a superior culture. in every way. I detest the foisting of superficial western customs and fashions on them. I too admire the Tokugawa Shogunate period.

i like the great pyramids at Giza, it amazes me how a civilazation that had no modern tools for building could make something like that


Edited by - spinnaker on 10/15/2004 3:37:47 PM

The ancient Egyptians had brains. Don't sell them short on that. They had tools too and they knew how make best use of them. And, today, they don't think slave labor had anything to do with their construction except, perhaps, in a contributory way as part of a much larger voluntary work force.

<Edit1>

The Tokugawa Period is looked upon fondly on Japanese TV. There are many programs set in that age. Well, sword fighting shows are still common in Japan, much like the old western shows that used to dominate US viewing.

As for the imposing of Western ways on Japan, this has long been a friction point among the culturalists.

However, Japan's history is one in which foreign culture is imported and adapted. That has been the case since the Koreans brought Chinese culture to Japan. Indeed, Buddhism/Zen, silk, Confucianism, porcelain, lacquer making, architecture, writing, countless other crafts and skills and some even dare say rice all came to Japan from China via Korea.

The point is that it is part of Japanese culture to slowly adapt the newly imported novation or innovation into something more suited to the Japanese. This takes time. The manifestation of Japanese culture that the West found in Tokugawa Japan was the result of adaptations of Chinese ways that had gone on for 6 centuries or more. Japan has been westernized only since the 1880's. It is going to take some more time.

Edited by - Indy11 on 10/15/2004 5:45:27 PM

<Edit2>

@Code. When you walk by that building, it is smaller than it feels in the photos.
This is an example of corporate architechture that is meant to provide the corporation with a visual emblem. I neither like nor dislike this building. The utilitarian in me, however, bemoans the inefficient use of space that this bulding demonstrates.

Edited by - Indy11 on 10/15/2004 5:56:56 PM

spinnaker, to build on what Indy said,

They transported the bricks down the river. Though the Egyptians were geniuses, and many experts believe that since they obviously didnt have cranes or heavy machinery, they used bronze and wooden levers. Ever heard the quote "give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum strong enough, and i'll move the earth"...its amazing how they were able to figure this out thousands of years ago. Around the time that they started building the pyramids out of granite, they would remove the granite from quarries. The Aswan quarries are the only ones that have been studied in detail. An estimated 45000 cubic meters of granite was removed from the quarries, which is I believe about 2600 kilograms per cubic meter which comes out to nearly 6000 lbs per cubic meter, which then translates into 1170000000 kg or 2574000000 lbs in total...and thats just from one site

oh yeah, the egyptians were geniuses, do you know that the difference of the two side of the Kufu (not how you spell it ) pyramid is only 0.5 inches? thats pretty crazy, considering they didnt have all the advanced tools we have today.

PS yes i have heard that quote before but i forgot who said it, jog my memory if you want