Ringing in the New Year: "West" and "East" Edition

In Japan, the coming of the new year (Shōgatsu) is far and away the most important holiday of record. (Other major holidays include Setsubun [the bean throwing festival], Tanabata [the star festival], and Obon.) In contrast to the anything-goes party aesthetic that often attends the "western" new year, Shōgatsu is a family holiday. Many people return to their hometown in order to spend the first week of the year with their parents and, rather than partying 'til dawn on the last night/first day, visit their local shrine at midnight and local temple in the next week to pray for a prosperous twelvemonth. Of course, that doesn't mean that the party 'til dawn approach to new year's isn't savored by the denizens of the city, and the beauty of living in Tokyo is that you often get the best of both worlds.

( I was fortunate this year to have the opportunity to do just that... )

All in all, this was one of the best New Year's I've ever spent, and I've spent some damn good ones over the course of my life. Here's hoping that yours was just as lovely and the coming year of the horse lovely to match...

Gundam Gangnam Style Redux

In honor of my amusing typo/Freudian slip in the previous post (now corrected thanks to metanoiac), I thought I'd post my top Gangnam Style videos for your viewing pleasure. The meme may be over, but the legacy lives on...

Original Gangnam Style Video
Lo Pan Style
Mitt Romney Style
Eton Style
Naval Academy Style
Deadpool Style
Psy and MC Hammer at the AMA: Gangnam Style v. 2 Legit 2 Quit

And, last but not least:
Gundam Style (Yeah, someone already thought of that one...)

Happy watching!