Editor's Note

     Affogato, often is considered as the best among some coffee goers. At first, its mixed taste of cold ice cream and hot espresso makes your tongue confused. When it gets used to it, however combining coffee’s bitterness and softened vanilla ice cream will hold a feast of tastes. It just allows us to taste a deep flavor all the more.

One taste does not always mean pure. Sometimes, blending gives us a greater pleasure than one. The traditional Korean food, Bibimbap also can be classified as this kind. ‘Bibim’ means mingling everything, the idea of mixture of everything.. Well it does not seem to be that cool, does it? Let me briefly introduce the recipe. It includes vegetables such as mushrooms and spinach with beef and egg fries. You can taste freshness of vegetable with juicy and tender meat at the same time. Put rice, it will be ideal if it just is cooked. Oh, don’t forget the red pepper paste, ‘Gochuzang’ which will add some spiciness to Bibimbap. Hmm… How does it sound?

  

      We, the students in this English class have all multiple cultural backgrounds. After reading everyone’s postings, I realized this once again. Each one of us has different interests and thinking. In this blog, we look at the world with a variety of topics starting from the advertisements which we can easily access in daily life, to a big issue such as poverty and euthanasia.  

For this week, Liliia described the beauty of the Japanese food arrangement in ’Japanese Food – What Is It?’. Not only this, but also she showed us her great insight of the development of Japanese food. Very simple introduction for various traditional costumes, written by Miyu, this article would be very interesting as well, especially for people who just had a vague image of traditional Chinese clothes. She introduced Cheongsam very passionately by giving historical background and conversations with Candy.  

Three postings about sports have been updated. Especially Kimura’s ‘U.S.A where the MLB and base ball were created’ was quite interesting. Frankly, I didn’t have much knowledge about baseball before I read it. So it was the opportunity to get some ideas of the new field. He also provided the good explanations that change had been made in the relationship of white and black people through baseball in his writing. It’s worthwhile to have a look.

The blog committee was appreciated about the product. Not just as a member of them, but also as a reader, I was entertained by everyone’s postings. Actually we were worried at first, since we did not have unified topic. Contrary to out expectation, it made this blog more interesting and living. We have different toppings. Someone put vegetable while others make egg fries. There is a no comparison with others but joyfulness. I think we made a solid foundation to the next step.

   Just flip over through. As we are covering the broad range of topics, you’ll find the writing which takes you to the new world that you never imagined before. Hope you enjoy it!

Very simple introduction for various traditional costumes by Miyu

Cheongsam: Elegant Chinese dress

I chose ‘traditional costume in the world’ as my blog topic because simply I am interested in it and I though it is important to know about foreign country’s culture. As there are less and less opportunities to wear traditional costume, more and more people, especially young people, don’t know or care about their own countries’ traditional costumes. I think traditional costume is not only old, out of time and inconvenient but also full of the wisdom and idea of the old. When we learn more about traditional costume, we can know local people’s way of living, thinking, and customs. Knowing other countries’ traditional costumes may help us to understand their culture it-self because it represents the country’s background and history. I think trying to understand other culture and accept it is the important thing for us who living in this international society and learning international relations.

Cheongsam is an elegant one-piece Chinese dress for women. The name ‘Cheongsam’ simply means ‘long dress’ in Cantonese. The dress fits the body and has a high neck and the slits on the sides and often made of silk with frog-button closures and high collars.

It was started to be worn during the Ching Dynasty (1644-1911 AD), which was established by the Manchu people who were from Northern China. It is now worn for formal occasions such as weddings, engagements, and on the Chinese New Year.

The evolution of the cheongsam is interesting. The traditional Cheongsam was just a long loosely-fitted and baggy dress and the women were required to wear it. It does not reveal much, only the head, hands and the toes. But through the years, it becomes more fitting and modern to fit the standard cheongsam we know today. It can either be long or short, unlined or interlined, woolen or made of silk floss. We often see red Cheongsam with gold dragon or flower pattern on TV and images. People are always wearing red Cheongsam in the movies. I think it’s a kind of stereotype about the Cheongsam.

Nicole Kidman is wearing red Cheongsam with a sexy keyhole in her movie, “Australia” (2008).

Candy and Linda, my Chinese friends told me that the most popular Cheongsam is red one with gold pattern as we imagine. In china, each color has a meaning and red is the color of good luck, happiness, joy, and for brides, since it is of energy as symbolized by fire. They told me that cheap Cheongsam is available to buy at fifty thousand yen. A high-quality and luxury Cheongsam is extremely expensive so they don’t know how much it costs. Also unfortunately, they told me that although cheongsam is suitable for wearing in all seasons by old and young, very few people wear Cheongsam and they had worn it only a few times in their lives.

I hope you get interested in Cheongsam and keep in your mind about it. If you have any opportunity to wear Cheongsam, let’s wear it! I’m sure that you can feel Chinese people’s feelings and culture (a little) because Cheongsam features strong national flavor and embodies beauty of Chinese traditional costume.

Reference

Hongxia, Liu. (2009). Asian culture and history: The Cheongsam—the treasure of Chinese national apparel (vol. 1, no. 1, pp55- 57). Canada: Canadian Center of Science and Education.

That Black Bitter Beverage You Drink Every Day Come from… Where?-NAMI

That Black Bitter Beverage You Drink Every Day Come from… Where?

           Millions of people wake up in morning and drink a cup of coffee before get out home to go for work. And when you want to wake yourself up, calm yourself down, or when you just feel like it, you drink a cup, right? You can get it in any café, or from Vending machine, in everywhere. But only few of us are actually curious about its origin. Like myself, I have been drinking coffee almost every day more than 10 years since I was a primary school student and I am sort of addicted with it. But I am not well-informed of detailed knowledge of coffee. Therefore, I would like to search it by myself and share interesting facts here.

           Today, as my first contribution for coffee, I will briefly tell you about the history and the geographical information of coffee.

           You may think that the history of coffee is short and was mostly used in recent ages but in fact coffee has a rich and colorful history dating back over a thousand years. The flavors and how to brew may be changed over such a long term, but it is sure to state that its ability to energize people is not spoiled.

           Coffee was first discovered in Eastern Africa in an area we know today as Ethiopia.[1] According to the legend, an Arabian shepherd named Kaldi found his goats dancing joyously around a dark green leafed shrub with bright red cherries in the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Kaldi soon determined that it was the bright red cherries on the shrub that were causing the peculiar euphoria and after trying the cherries himself, he learned of their powerful effect. The stimulating effect was then exploited by monks at a local monastery to stay awake during extended hours of prayer and distributed to other monasteries around the world.[2] Coffee, as a beverage, was born.



           Coffee berries were transported from Ethiopia to the Arabian Peninsula, and were first cultivated in what today is the country of Yemen. From there, coffee traveled to Turkey where coffee beans were roasted for the first time over open fires. The roasted beans were crushed, and then boiled in water, creating a crude version of the beverage we enjoy today.[3]

Coffee first arrived on the European continent by means of Venetian trade merchants. Once in Europe this new beverage fell under harsh criticism from the Catholic Church. Many felt the pope should ban coffee, calling it the drink of the devil. To their surprise, the pope, already a coffee drinker, blessed coffee declaring it a truly Christian beverage. Coffee houses spread quickly across Europe becoming centers for intellectual exchange. Many great minds of Europe used this beverage, and forum, as a springboard to heightened thought and creativity.

In the 1700's, coffee found its way to the Americas by means of a French infantry captain who nurtured one small plant on its long journey across the Atlantic. This one plant, transplanted to the Caribbean Island of Martinique, became the predecessor of over 19 million trees on the island within 50 years. It was from this humble beginning that the coffee plant found its way to the rest of the tropical regions of South and Central America. Coffee was declared the national drink of the then colonized United States by the Continental Congress, in protest of the excessive tax on tea levied by the British crown.[4]

Today, coffee is a giant global industry employing more than 20 million people. This commodity ranks second only to petroleum in terms of dollars traded worldwide. With over 400 billion cups consumed every year, coffee is the world's most popular beverage. If you can imagine, in Brazil alone, over 5 million people are employed in the cultivation and harvesting of over 3 billion coffee plants.[5] Sales of premium specialty coffees in the United States have reached the multi-billion dollar level, and are increasing significantly on an annual basis.

And now I will talk about Coffee Belt. You may know that coffee plants can be grown up only in warm places. The specific areas are Central and South America, Africa and the Middle East, and of course Southeast Asia. They are labeled as the “Coffee Bean Belt” where all commercially grown coffee is produced.[6] The best coffee beans in the world come from these regions because of their rich soil, moist tropical climate with high altitudes and the perfect temperatures amiable for growing the best coffees in the planet.[7] So the Coffee Belt is the imaginary line that wraps around the globe and houses all of Africa’s, South America’s, Central America’s, and Asia’s best coffee-growing regions.

           I found this quick guide below on the Internet that is showing how coffees taste differently from region to region.[8] You can take a look at it. By the way, my favorite one is Kona coffee from Hawaii.



Central America

Costa Rica – medium body, citrus, nutty

Guatemala – can be spicy, smoky, chocolate, earthy or delicate, floral, fruity, sweet

Honduras – crisp, light-bodied, nutty, spicy

Mexico – light/medium bodied, milk chocolate, bright, lively, fruity

Nicaragua – mild acidity, vanilla, hazelnut, chocolate, pear

Panama – zesty, lively, spicy, lemongrass, herbal

El Salvador – pretty similar to Nicaraguas



South America

Bolivia – medium body, caramel, chocolate, can be flowery and fruity

Brazil – medium/full body, low acidity, milk chocolate, fruity

Colombia – medium body, medium acidity, fruity, nutty

Ecuador – light/medium body, medium acidity, caramel, fruit, nutty

Peru – medium body, medium acidity, spice, nutty, chocolate, earthy



Africa and Arabia

Burundi – full body, low acidity, grassy, chocolate

Congo – full body, low acidity, intense, chocolate, nutty, tobacco, vanilla, earthy, spicy

Ethiopia – the birthplace of coffee and the most diverse region in the world, it’s very hard to find terms that can accurately describe this country’s coffee; they can have full body, chocolate, cherry, creamy, earthy, blueberry or medium body, flowery, herbal, nutty

Kenya – full body, zesty, citrus, floral, herbal

Rwanda – medium body, chocolate, floral, nutty

Tanzania – medium body, woody, earthy, spicy

Uganda – full body, chocolate, creamy, vanilla

Yemen – full body, chocolate, winy

Zambia – medium body, tangy, citrus, caramel, bittersweet

Zimbabwe – medium body, woody, low acidity, herbal, vegetal, spicy



Indonesia and Asia

Bali – full body, low acidity, creamy, nutty, chocolate, vanilla, earthy

Flores – full body, low acidity, floral, earthy, woody, syrupy sweet

India – full body, spicy, medium acidity, tropical fruit; monsooned Malabars are very intense, full body, tobacco, low acidity

Java – full body, chocolate, nutty, low acidity, creamy

Myanmar – medium body, medium acidity, similar to Brazils

Papua New Guinea – full body, medium acidity, fruity, earthy,

Sumatra – full body, intense, earthy, woody, gritty, low acidity

Sulawesi – full body, low acidity, herbal, spicy, woody

Timor – full body, low acidity, floral, woody, earthy, herbal



Islands and Others

Australia – medium body, medium acidity, mild, juicy, syrupy

Dominican Republic – medium body, medium acidity, mild, sweet, caramel,

Hawaii – medium body, low acidity, creamy, vanilla, brown sugar

Jamaica – medium body, low acidity, tobacco, mellow, sweet

Puerto Rico – medium body, low acidity, smoky, creamy, buttery, nutty, sweet

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[1] Coffee Fair. The History of Coffee… Available: http://www.coffeefair.com/coffee-facts-history.htm Last accessed on 19th June 19, 2012

[2] RichInFlavor.com - Coffee at It's Best!. The History of Coffee Available: http://www.richinflavor.com/history-of-coffee/ Last accessed on 19^th June 19, 2012

[3] Ibid

[4] Ibid

[5] Ibid

[6] www.bizter.co.uk. (2008). Coffee Belt Available: http://www.bizter.co.uk/coffee-belt/

[7] a table in the corner of the café. (2012). The Coffee Belt Available: http://www.cornerofthecafe.com/coffee-101/the-coffee-belt/

[8] Ibid

About Poverty part 1 by Mayumi

We read about Area studies to know the way people how they do their studies on language, culture, customs and more. During the War and conflicts just to colonize the country. After that war Area Studies research of Russia, European countries and America about Southeast Asia led to many studies in language, culture, and strategy of adapting new knowledge. But still it is difficult to explain how or when it had started.

Now I am talking about poverty is one of the biggest problems in world today and we have to make actions. Poverty is a state of being poor who can't afford their shelter, food and even clean water. As the economy goes up and down the gap between rich and poor also goes bigger and bigger. It is common to us to have poverty because many people work hard just to move on from that situation. Many people die hour, minute and second because of hunger, thirst and sickness because of no doctors to go to or they do not have enough money to pay. For more than a decade now issues of poverty, deprivation and social exclusion have commanded much attention from researchers and policymakers in the EU countries.

The reason of poverty situation and factors are because of lack in education, people who could not go to school because they could not afford for the tuition fees. People who are unluckily born in the situation that they cannot afford the necessities to have their needs. The overpopulation in the country that could cause poverty it is because they can't afford the things they want to supply for their family. This problems could be find in anywhere in the world for example people suffering from the disasters, in their own country like some countries in the Southeast Asia there are lots of natural disasters like flood, typhoon that destroy their crops and earthquakes that causes a lot of refugees.

The solution to solve poverty is first, to introduce scholarships for people who want to learn that they would do their best to have the improvement to change the trend of knowledge to improve the suffering from poverty. They could follow the way Japan for example they have the rule that children should go to school until Junior High School with this children do not need to work with their young age.

Second is giving job opportunities for those people with proper benefits and fair treatments. People who do not have job usually suffer because they do not have the money to supply food or necessities for his family and erasing the inequality of income. This factors are may also lead to poverty. The gender inequality is still a big problem people who are man or woman differs in income that may also lead to the gap of rich and poor. Single mother also suffer in this situation they cannot afford the tuition fees of their children.

Finally, banks can help reduce poverty by having a project in which they lend to poor people money and let them return it with a low interest. Many people suffer from debts that lead them to poverty because of the big interests that banks add when poor people making loans. The economy in each country goes high and low that is why we also need banks to support poor people. We could also follow the way in Area studies by the way of America do to help the people in Southeast Asia by getting the scholar in each country it helps the people in the Southeast Asia to find job.

I am interested about poverty because I hope that one day the gap between rich and poor will be stable. We need to solve the primary factors that may lead to poverty include overpopulation, the unequal distribution of resources in the world economy, inability to meet high standards of living and costs of living, inadequate education and employment opportunities, environmental degradation, certain economic and demographic trends, and welfare incentives. These will also affect us in the near future without knowing that we are already down to debts and we may also suffer from hunger or we may meet some disasters.

I believe that someday we can decrease the number of people who are suffering from hunger by making some scholarships, finding jobs for people who do not have and to persuade the people for more equality in gender, race and religion. We must solve the problem to show that we care not just for ourselves but also for others. We can solve the problem by discussing and knowing more about our own environment just like studying first at the Southeast Asian countries who are one of suffering from poverty.

The feature of Italian car

The feature of Italian car

     In our current era, cars are the most popular form of private transport. Cars are also used a way to showcase one’s social status. In my current blog post, I will introduce about Italian cars. World-renown brands of Italian cars are Bugatti, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Mazeratti and Paganini. The common perceptions of Italian cars are high performance and technically advanced super cars because the Ferrari and Lamborghini are famous for producing super cars. As mentioned above, it is true that Italian car companies produce high-performance sports cars. However, they do not only strictly produce super cars, contrary to popular believe. Car companies such as Fiat and Alfa Romeo, which is coincidentally Professor Stan's favorite car brand, focus on producing smaller cars like sedans and hatchbacks which are also popular.

 In general, the features of Italian cars are different from other countries. For example, Italian car usually have some features such as they have fast speed skill and most attractive design. Italy car companies do not just look at making the car as a means to move, they consider that art with the practicality of the car as a means of creating a super car. In their view, cars are also works of art and engineering supremacy, not just a means of transportation. When talking about Italians car, one must definitely know about Carrozzeria. Carrozzeria is known as the exclusive car workshop. The Carrozzeria belief is to make a car by hand with emphasis on artistic value and uniqueness, and not mass production. Moreover, have you ever heard about many Ferrari cars are designed by Carrozzeria companies? In these days with the development of the automobile industry, Carrozzeria around Turin, Italy began to dissolve due to middle-scale mergers and acquisitions by larger companies resulting in only a few of such companies left.

Also in these days, there are some people who want their own unique car. Carrozzeria companies are making custom cars catering to individual tastes and preferences. Still, currently creating the world's most beautiful car was the foundation of Italian luxury brands. Carrozzeria let customers to choose their car’s design from the wheel size and shape, right down to the color of the safety belt. Carrozzeria makes their cars by the handiwork of professional car designers and artisans; therefore they can satisfy the customers’ needs. Not only had the Carrozzeria had, the other companies also let customers to choose their cars’ inner interior.

Carrozzeria and other Italian car companies seem to create a whole different market of automobiles, totally embodying style, comfort, elegance and performance in an artistic wonder within a car.  Simply Carrozzeria and Italian Car Company are making not only a means of moving on the road but also make them as works of art. For these reasons, the cars made by Italian car companies and Carrozzeria are in a whole different league as compared to conventional car companies such as Toyota and Honda. This is the reason why Italian cars are so famous and well known as one of the most beautiful designed car in the world. These methods of making the car made Italian car as coveted for many people.

  

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The rules of Islam

The rules of Islam

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Kato Satona

Eleven years ago, on 9.11, I saw shocking image on the TV. At that time I was a second year student in elementary school and I got a bad image of Islam. But in high school, I learn world history, and I find Islam is not dangerous religion. And I think it is very interesting religion. And I want to learn more in university. So I am going to write about the Islam, its teachings, problem, radicals, and modern life. And today, I want to write about what is Islam.

“The religion and philosophy of Islam, is based upon the belief that God (Allah) transmitted knowledge to Muhammad (c. 570–632) and other prophets (Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus). The followers of Islamic religion, muslims, believe that this revelation to humanity was written down in the Quran, which is the word of God.”[1]
The theology of the Islamic scriptures informs most aspects of muslim life and culture. There are Five Pillars and six basic beliefs of Islam.

The Five Pillars are

“Shahahada” -confessing every time muslim worship

“Salat”- pray god five times a day

“Zakat”- pay money to the poor

“Ramadan”- fast during Ramadan

“Hajj”- pilgrimage to Mecca, the holy ground of Islam

And the six basic beliefs are

“Allah”- one and only and absolute God, Almighty God

“Malaika”- an intermediary between God and people

“Kitab”- a divine revelation(Koran)

“Nabi”- all prophets and messengers

“Akhirat”- the day of judgement

“Qadar”- all action of people is created by God

And jihad is also important rule in Koran. Jihad is the word means fighting for Allah. Originally Muhammad told to fight against various enemies in our own heart. This word has wide meaning. This is the duty for community of muslim. And muslim have to fight as thorough their life depended on it. And also Koran say “Any type of aggression would make Jihad null and void” (2:190-191).

Radicals who cause terrorism often say that their action is one of the Jihad. But they give a broad interpretation. [2] Some muslim say “In islam, killing people who are innocent is most big crime. I was shocked when I hear the fact that Bin Laden declare of Jihad to America. Because Jihad is not such  meaning.”[3]

Muslim people pray five times every day even if they are in company, station, and so on. Most of Japanese people don’t have such a strong faith. So sometimes we can’t understand why they stick to religion. We must learn their history and belief more and more.

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[1] Introduction to Islamic Religion and Arabic Philosophers. Retrieved June 13, 2012, from http://www.spaceandmotion.com/religion-islam-muslim-islamic-quran.htm

[2] The study of Islam(4) about Jihad. The study of Islam. Retrieved June 13, 2012, from http://www.geocities.jp/jukutabi2/newpage6.htm

[3] “Jihad is not such meaning” confuse English muslim(2011). BLOGOS. Retrieved June 13, 2012, from http://blogos.com/article/23809/

Medicines Sans Frontieres (MSF)- Mai

Medicines Sans Frontieres

ID#1521120008-9 Kusakabe Mai

Medicines Sans Frontieres (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare. It offers assistance to people based on need, regardless of race, religion, gender or political affiliation. Its actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of neutrality and impartiality. It reserves the right to speak out to bring attention to neglected crises, to challenge inadequacies or abuse of the aid system, and to support for improved medical treatments and protocols.

First, MSF was founded in Paris, France in 1971. Its principles are described in the organization’s founding declaration. It is a non-profit, self –governed organization. Today, MSF is a worldwide movement of 23 associations. The work of MFS is carried out by thousands of health professionals, logical and administrative staff. The vast majority of MSF staffs come from the countries where the organization provides medical assistance. Together, they manage projects in more than 60 countries worldwide.

 MSF’s work is based on humanitarian principles. The organization is committed to bringing quality medical care to people caught in crisis, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation. MSF operates independently. MSF determines people’s needs by conducting its own evaluations on the ground. More than 90 per cent of MSF’s overall funding comes from millions of private sources, not governments. MSF is neutral. The organization does not take sides in armed conflicts, provides care on the basis of need, and pushes for independent access to victims of conflict as required under international humanitarian law. MSF medical teams often witness violence, atrocities, and neglect in the course of their work, largely in regions that receive lacking international attention. At times, MSF may speak out publicly in an effort to bring a forgotten crisis to public attention, to alert the public to abuses occurring beyond the headlines, to criticize the inadequacies of the aid system, or to challenge the diversion of humanitarian aid for political interests. MSF medical teams on the ground are in constant dialogue with local authorities, warring parties, and other aid agencies in an attempt to ensure the best possible medical care for patients and their communities and to reinforce the organization’s operational independence. MSF rejects the idea that poor countries deserve third-rate medical care and try to provide high-quality care to patients and to improve the organization’s practices.

In 1999, when MSF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the organization announced the money would go towards raising awareness of and fighting against diseases. Through the Access Campaign, and in partnership with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, this work has helped lower the price of HIV/AIDS treatment and has stimulated research and development for medicines to treat malaria and neglected diseases like sleeping sickness and kala azar.

The majority of MSF staffs are gathered from countries where are supported by MSF. They are from various countries. Maybe, they know countries’ condition that needs to support well. So it is very useful for MSF to understand such countries correctly. And this is like area studies in America. Universities in America gather professors of area studies from various countries.

An attractive performance in Japan -Mitsumi

An attractive performance in Japan

Yamamoto Mitsumi

Have you ever seen Kabuki? Whether you are Japanese or not, you often see Kabuki pictures in post cards, guidebooks, and every shop for foreigner tourists. If I ask some foreigners who do not know much about Japan, “What do you know about Japan?” Kabuki will be one of their answers. Everyone has seen or heard about this Japanese traditional performance but how many of you have actually gone to see Kabuki? Even if you are Japanese, there is little opportunity to appreciate it. These days Kabuki seems to be considered as the performance for only older audiences, not for young people. But I want younger people to get interested in it and appreciate it. If you actually go watch Kabuki, you will be mesmerized by the beautiful performance.

Okuni created the Kabuki. She is a young lady from Izumo Shrine, whom performed in the bank of river at ancient capital of Kyoto. Through her performance, Kabuki achieved a sensation and soon its scale increased; however a number of rival groups have been appeared. Early Kabuki is much different than modern day Kabuki and interestingly it was consisted by dances performed by women. Most of these women were prostitutes offstage and finally the government banned women from the stage in an effort to protect the social condition of state. However, this banning is often seen as a good action because it focused on the importance of skills to describe beauty and focus on dance shifted to drama; which lead to making Kabuki a dramatic form of art. Another development was the appearance of onnagata, which men played women’s role.

The end of 17th century was referred to as the Genroku period and it was a time of revival in the culture of Japanese townsfolk. As the main form of theatrical entertainment for the public was valued, it was a golden age of Kabuki. The actors like Ichikawa Danjuro left strong legacies that also can be seen nowadays.

After the Genroku period, in the late 18th century, came in a trend that has changed realism as well as the cultural center from Kyoto and Osaka to Edo. One consequence of this was the change of tastes in onnagata acting. When onnagata trained in Kyoto they valued soft, gentle nature of Kyoto however, audiences in Edo preferred those who showed the strong pride and nature of Edo women.

The opening of Japan to the West in 1868 affected Kabuki. Though it was freed from numerous government restrictions, Kabuki was faced with the important challenge of how to adapt to the changing world. Actors like Ichikawa Danjuro IX tried to raise the reputation of Kabuki, which since its beginning had been seen as base by the upper classes, while others like Onoe Kikugoro V worked to adapt old styles to new tastes.

I learned in academic English class that the development of area studies has connections with the regime and the situation of the country in the world. Kabuki too has changed their form, and adapted itself to the changes of the public’s tastes. Kabuki has survived with changing Japan since Okuni won its popularities in Kyoto.