Tsunami Destroys City
The most-viewed video clip on YouTube Japan today is a clip that shows how the March 11th tsunami engulfed and destroyed the city of Kesennuma in a few short minutes:
Shadowplay Swordfighting
Pre-WWII Japanese Animation
Pre-War Japan Documentary
Pre-War Japan Documentary from Josh Wagner on Vimeo.
My grandfather was born and raised in Japan prior to WW2. This rare footage shows life and scenes from a culture long relegated to history. Buzz Wagner narrates from his experiences.
Making Japanese Noodles
Ibonoito Somen is manufactured during a limited period between October and the following April (production peaks from December to February).
Salted water is added to flour and then kneaded well to create the dough. The dough is then stretched carefully to make one long strip of Somen. This is the traditional hand-stretching technique that originated in the Banshu area some six hundred years ago.
The dough may separate if it is forcibly stretched out to quickly make it thin. Instead, it should be stretched out as much as possible while being twisted. After it is left to ripen it is stretched out again.
This process of ripening and stretching is repeated several times to make Somen. The entire process consists of eleven steps.