The haunted house was just.

Let’s put it this way – Elen and I underestimated the high school kids. Japanese high school kids. No one would’ve expected two fearless grown ups to be screaming their way out of the dark classroom, hand in hand. That was some good fun we had in a while!

春はもうすぐ来ると桜が美しく咲いて、町にこぼれ落ちます。
そして新しい開始を皆に祈っています。
悲しみ溢れる時でも、暗いときでも、希望と勇気を無くさないで。
頑張って日本！

Like many of you, I am deeply saddened by the spate of disasters that had overwhelmed beloved Japan to such an unimaginable extent, knowing that it would already take them years and years to recover from the massive losses. NHK and TBS had live broadcast channels and I spent the whole of last week just thinking and thinking about the situation in Japan, and how when it boils down to the core of existence, humans can be fragile. Watching footages of entire buildings, highways and towns wiped out, desperate attempts to curb the rising nuclear problem that posed a threat to not only themselves but neighbouring countries as well, and mostly that it has elevated to a level where there are too many bodies for crematoriums to incinerate. So awfully helpless; we overestimate ourselves all the time.

We may never ever understand the grieve they are going through. With the death toll mounting and tens of thousands displaced from their homes, it hit me so hard: you can flip the papers close, switch the television off when you’ve seen enough but the very fact that the country has been devastated remains. Some people can’t, much less have anything to return to or fall back on. The meaning of loss here is at its utmost. Like the Great Hanshin earthquake, this will never be forgotten.

Despite all these, in the face of unforgiving onslaughts, their optimism and brave fighting spirit is admirable. I am awed by how their cultural roots are never easily shaken or swept away.

It’s not too late to offer help, because the least we can do is donate. Donate to the Japanese Red Cross Society or other organisations via Google (you can make payment online which I find the most practical and effortless if you think sending in a cheque or going down to the embassy is going to take time).

Keep praying, keep hoping.

今回の地震で被害に遭われた皆様に、心よりお悔やみ、お見舞い申し上げます。

連日の報道を見れば見るほど、知れば知るほど、被災された皆さんのことが、とても心配です。

沢山のファンの方が、僕らのことまで気にかけて下さっていると聞きましたが、僕たちは全員大丈夫です。ご安心下さい。

いま、節電・節水・緊急時以外の電話の使用を控えること・義援金の協力…、東京にいる僕たちができることに努めています。きっと、小さなことの積み重ねが大きな力になることを信じて。

僕たちの活動の中で、できることは限られていると思いますが、“皆さんが少しでも笑顔になれるように…”と想いをこめて、目の前にあることに全力で取り組んでいきます。

被災地の皆さんにとって、まだまだ予断を許さない状況は続いているとは思いますが、ご家族やお友達、周りの方々と励ましあって、何とか今を乗り越えられるよう、メンバー一同願っています。

嵐

大野智,櫻井翔,相葉雅紀,二宮和也,松本潤

(source: Johnny’s net)

Download – 1280 x 960px
Winter 2010: Tennouji Zoo, Osaka, Japan.
Drop a note if you’re taking :)

I first noticed the oversized hair ribbon fad while tripping Japan in January, and it has gotten quite widespread here in recent months. I think I like ribbons very much even though I’ve never worn one as eye catching.

What was meant to be a girly scribble turned into omg have I been fed too much Japanese fashion this, which took a few hours in photoshop. She should be named Summer right? :D

I’m intrigued by this photo to no end; not only because it truly depicts the era (1880s) of Japan that is often seen only in period dramas and in illustrations, but because of the striking resemblance at first glance. I couldn’t help but imagine Ohno living in this very surreal world – he would most probably enjoy making umbrellas and fishing at lakes all day, no? 「優しい傘そっと差して行こう」嵐

See more of these, taken by Adolfo Farisa, the man who shot old Japan.

And it sure gets even more surreal. The portraits are beautiful.

Wallpaper, 1280 x 900. Picture taken at Tennouji Zoo, Osaka.

この写真は大阪にいた時、天王寺動物園で撮った。
冬だったので、あの日の気温が低くて、人も少なくて、自然な景色を撮れてよかった。
写真に動物がいないのに〜　
午後の静けさに自分で歩きながら、『冬の時の動物園がやっぱきれいだね』と思った。
いつかほかの季節になったら、あそこに戻って行きたいな。★　

写真に歌詞も付いているよ〜

大切な思い出さえ　because even the important memories
いつかは色褪せてくから　will fade of their colours someday
現実から目を逸らして　averting my eyes from reality
夢という言葉に逃げた　I escaped to the word called “dream”

明日の記憶 – 嵐

Clearly I’ve never known of the hassle that comes attached with the beautiful picture depicted by “WINTER” until I started shopping for appropriate clothes, and then deciding what exactly to wear is altogether a different issue. Due to my non-existent fashion sense, I painstakingly mixed and matched them, noting down so I would be at least a mile away from becoming a walking fashion disaster on the streets of ZOMG Japan.

First of the many firsts of this year (oh, did I mention we are ALL freaking celebrating our twenty firsts?): a holiday trip with the family to Nagoya and Osaka during winter from Jan 15-22. Is this too awesome or what??

I know it’s been long overdue – one year, spell y.e.a.r – the concert report for the finale of AAA 08 in Shanghai, but heck! Without finishing it, I’ll owe myself another one *with a kazillion and satozillion moments worth spazzing about*, that is Arashi’s 5×10 Anniversary concert in Nagoya Dome~~~~~~!!! Finale show :D This is so thrilling – the mental image of meeting them upfront again in Jappoland – that I might just pass out from an Arashi overdose at the concert XD

So far things are looking good; I’ve recovered from my bout of illnesses and more than ready to embrace the chilly winds (and snow? pretty please??); my packing is almost done and I’m only missing several items like a new wallet and a light coloured scarf; I got new brown coloured contacts today when I went to have my eyes checked, etc. Yet the itinerary is still undone. Omg.

Hello!Japan in about 24 hours :)