Japan Quake 2011: The things I've learned

Some things, that have popped into my head these days

In the last 4 days my blog had over 6000 visits, because I was updating on the situation in Taiwan and Taipei right after the horrific earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on March 11. Even in this very moment people are still googling things like "Is it safe to go to Taiwan", "Has Taiwan been affected by the tsunami" or "Will Taiwan be hit by the tsunami" and coming to my blog. All this makes me think about life and people, be it the ones close to me or the ones I've read and hear about in the media. Here are some things I've learned or realized these days and I would like to share them with you.

1 Reporting on Taiwan in English sucked

Check some of the comments I received on my previous post:

"I stumbled across your blog while looking for news on Taiwan. Thanks so much for the update (it's the best I've seen yet)!" by Bunny

"Thank you for the updates, you're currently the best source on the web." by Tim Poultney

"Thank you. Sitting half a world away wondering about my wifes family. Google search for tsunami taiwan 2011 gave me your site, and your news was the only I could find, better than CNN and BBC afas the situation for Tawian." By Anonymous

I was lucky to be at home, when the quake hit Japan. I felt I need to report the things I saw here in Taipei, share my view from Taiwan, especially after CNN announced that the tsunami might hit us as well. Those two hours were very nerve-racking and even though I knew Taipei will be safe, I was really worried for the good people in Keelung, Ilan, Hualien and Taitong. Interestingly, it seemed that nobody was really prepared for a huge tsunami here, life continued pretty normally even after these things were reported and warnings were issued. It was a surreal feeling, as if people knew that nothing will happen. Luckily, they were right, but I'm still wondering, why people seemed to be so indifferent. Who knows, maybe my perception was wrong, but that's how I saw everything. It is sad, that I was one of the best sources in English about what's exactly going on here. Don't news networks know that people are hungry for news? Some were planning to fly to Taiwan these days, some had friends and family here and of course they were worried.

2 People don't really know a lot about Taiwan

Those foreigners, who are here, are experts on Taiwan. We know every spot, every city, we know how close we are to China and how far from Japan. But generally, people don't know a lot about this country. That also includes my mum. She knows where I am, she knows it's in East Asia, close to China, Japan, Korea... but that's all. Most people just can't imagine how Taiwan really is. Even, if you see tons of photos and videos, it's still not enough. You need to come here and then you'll realize how wrong your idea of Taiwan was before you came. I know that happened to me and I am well traveled, always interested in geography and I see myself as fairly well educated. But Taiwan was something else for me, when I first set foot on the island: The smells, the noise, the scooters, the people, the languages, the architecture, the food... so many new things for me and of course most of them were a pleasant surprise. Some of them were challenges, but I overcame them very quickly.

3 New things to worry about

Being in Taiwan not always easy, especially when you think of of the tricky political situation and China's missiles pointed at us. I'm still not used to this, partly because I've nearly missed a real war in 1991. Although we were lucky back then, I won't ever forget the fear I had felt when the conflict was unfolding. And now in addition to the fear of war, the recent events in Japan added a fear of a big natural disaster happening here as well. We have nuclear power plants and a high population density and that's something that does make me feel a little uneasy. I really really hope that Taiwan will not experience anything comparable to the quake and tsunami in Japan, but that's all I can hope for, I have to say I feel a little helpless in all this. I don't like remarks of the sort "nature is angry". Nature has always been this way, these quakes are normal. They just happen in heavily populated areas and do a lot of damage to the people, that's why we feel very shocked and saddened. Had a quake of the same magnitude happened in Antarctica, how many of us would really have these apocalyptic feelings right now?

4 Disasters bring out the best and worst in people

These days you can read all kinds of messages, some will touch you, some will appall you. It's incredible how humane and helping people can become in such catastrophic times and also how vicious and evil some others can be. I guess that's what you get, when half of the world is connected via internet. The most funny thing is, that even though the internet is the biggest information source in the world, some people still don't have a good understanding of Pearl Harbor, World War II and Nagasaki and Hiroshima. One of the things I have realized these days is how stupid people can be, sometimes so deeply stupid, that I'm not sure whether I should laugh or cry or do both at the same time. It is just mind boggling.

5 Life is precious, we have to cherish it

These days we see how short and precious life can be and how fast it can end. It must be so saddening for those people who argued with someone on March 10 and the next day he or she was gone forever. We can't reverse the events in Japan, but we can learn from them. We can at least try to be more sensitive to the people we love and cherish small things life much more. Live your life every day as if it was the last time. Do things that you never have thought of doing before, be spontaneous, be friendly, spend time in nature, surprise your dear ones... just appreciate life.

Photo on the left is Queen's Head, located in Yeliu. For me, "she" is the symbol of Taiwan. I think as long as she stands there and rules over Taiwan so proudly, I will feel safe and secure.

Read more about Taiwan here>>

Taiwan tsunami warning: We are safe!

I'm currently in Taipei, Taiwan, watching the news. Latest updates on top!

LATEST UPDATE: Taiwan is safe to visit! No tsunami here. The food is fine!

A useful link: Taiwan lifts tsunami warning

Nobody here worries about radiated food, please don't panic. Food is holy for Taiwanese and if any serious radiation would've been found, it would've been reported already. If they find a small thing, that doesn't mean food is unsafe here. Please don't worry about food, radiation and tsunamis. Taiwan is 2200 km away from Fukushima, that's almost twice as far as Chernobyl and Central Europe. Come to Taiwan and enjoy your holidays. We're safe here!

12. UPDATE: Really the last update, Taipei 12.01 pm local time

This will really be my last update. It's now Tuesday, 4 days after the Japan quake and tsunami and I want to make it clear for everyone: Taiwan is safe. Traveling to Taiwan or Taipei is very safe. We had no quake, no tsunami, no damage, nothing: We were lucky. Whatever you planned for your Taiwan trip, go ahead, everything's fine. It's Tuesday now, the weather is cloud in Taipei, around 15 degrees maybe. The coming Friday will be sunny, the rest of the days may be cloud or even rainy. The only thing you need to prepare may be an umbrella. Everything's running smoothly in Taipei, so please don't have any worries. We were not hit, thank god. But we keep getting scary images from Japan and of course that worries us. But nobody has any fears of things like this happening to Taiwan these days. We do worry about quakes, but they're usually of lesser magnitude. And the worst evil are typhoons here, but they come in late summer and autumn, so please again: Don't worry. Taiwan is safe. Hong Kong is safe, Malaysia is safe. This was a Japanese tragedy and we should only think about how to help Japan to rebuild their country. My hearts goes out to them.

11. UPDATE: The next day, Taipei 11.10 am local time

Today is Saturday, March 12, one day after the epic earthquake and a devastating tsunami in Japan. Taiwan was lucky and hasn't sustained any damage, the tsunami warning turned out to be false, only 15cm "big" waves hit the northern coast. Taipei seems to be a little foggy this morning, but it's not so cold. The rain stopped and I'm happy about that. Let me make this clear: Everybody in Taiwan is ok and traveling here is totally safe. So please, no worries, no panic, no fears: We're fine here. Wish everybody a lovely day.

10. UPDATE: We're fine, Taipei 19.24 local time

I can now say with most certainty that Taiwan has avoided a tsunami. I've seen on TV, how the authorities released some fishermen from Keelung, who were priorly evacuated. Life's getting back to normal here and that's obvious when you switch on the TV: All the news channels are now only reporting on Japan. Taiwan was very lucky this time, probably because of the location. It's located too far to the West and somewhat covered by Okinawa and other islets in the region. We dodged a bullet today, that's for sure, but it's always good to be prepared for the worst and not take these things lightly. We've seen what the tsunami did to some parts of Japan and and that was pretty scary. Taiwan is safe and everybody should sleep well tonight. I may update again tomorrow for those who plan to travel to Taiwan and want to be updated on the situation here.

9. UPDATE: Everything looks fine, Taipei 18.43 local time

Thank you everybody for your kind comments. From what I've seen on Taiwanese TV just now, there won't be any tsunami hitting Taiwan, people are safe. If you have love ones here, don't worry. All that happened were some high waves, that's all: No real tsunami here, no casualties, no major damage. I won't update as often now, but in case something very unexpected happens, I will update again (although I feel that's very unlikely). Thank you for following my updates and I'm very happy that Taiwan and all the people here are safe and sound. I hope the rest of the Pacific area will be safe as well. Thanks again. It was a pleasure to help you.

8. UPDATE: Still waiting, Taipei 18.24 local time

One whole hour has passed now and still nothing happened in Taiwan. The media is only reporting on Japan, but there are no official statements saying that the tsunami threat has passed and that Taiwan is safe. I do feel that it's unlikely that Taiwan will be heavily hit, but I am not sure, only speculating. I hope we don't get a very unpleasant surprise. More updates from me soon.

6. UPDATE: Still waiting, Taipei 18.24 local time

Some said it's possible that Taiwan has avoided a massive tsunami due to the location (by Cindy Sui). The internet is incredibly slow around this time, I guess many people are curious about what's going on. I'm watching Taiwanese news and they only report about Japan now, no reports about Taiwanese coastal cities. So I guess there won't be anything major happening here. I have no proof for that, but because the experts said the tsunami should've hit Taiwan over 30min ago, however nothing happened, I feel a little less anxious now. Still feel sad for people in Japan.

5. UPDATE: Still waiting, Taipei 18.04 local time

Still waiting for the tsunami to arrive Taiwan. I guess the estimate was not accurate. If there are any changes and something big happens, I will update again. It's getting dark now in Taipei, the weather is cold and rainy, like for many days now. It may be a little hard to see the waves coming now.

4. UPDATE: There will be no tsunami in Taipei, Taipei 17.51 local time

Waiting for the tsunami to hit Taiwan at any time now. I've heard the waves are arriving at the coast of Taiwan right now and they're smaller than expected (maybe 15cm to 1m), according to Anthony Chen, ETTV Journalist. Let's hope for the best.

3. UPDATE: There will be no tsunami in Taipei, Taipei 17.24 local time

There is no tsunami expected in Taipei! No tsunami warnings for Taipei! Taipei should be safe. Tsunami may hit Keelung, Hualien and other parts on the eastern coast within 10 minutes! Tsunami is estimated to hit Taiwan at 17.40 local time (9.40 GMT London Time)!

2. UPDATE: Taiwan tsunami maps and predictions, Taipei 15.53 local time

Here are some maps for your reference. As you can see it's very hard to predict which exact areas of Taiwan might be hit. I think Taipei is generally safe, because it's not close to the sea and surrounded by mountains. For more predictions, scroll down:

Show bigger map

As you can see, the west coast including Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung should be safe, but places on the north and east like Keelung, Yilan, Luodong, Hualien, Changbin, Chenggong, Donghe, Taitung and parts of Kenting national park, as well as Guishan Island, Green Island and Orchid Island should be hit by the tsunami. We don't know for sure and I don't want to spread panic, but please be careful, if you're in one of these places. Don't go near the beach in the upcoming hours. Better stay in upper floors or go to mountainous areas.

1. UPDATE: Taiwan will be hit by the tsunami, Taipei 15.09 local time

Japan's been hit by an 8.9 earthquake 1 hour ago, which is a huge magnitude. And now I'm watching the tsunami erasing everything on its way in parts of Japan's east coast. It's frightening. The water is unstoppable. And I've heard Taiwan might be hit by the tsunami as well (via Taiwan Central Weather Bureau), it's estimated that it will arrive at 17.30 local time around Taiwan's northern and eastern coast. That's in about 2 hours.

If you're in Keelung 基隆 (tsunami estimated to hit at 17.32), Yilan 宜蘭, Hualien 花蓮 or Taitung 台東 (tsunami estimated to hit 17.36), possibly Kenting (I'm not sure), please go away from the coast as further as possible. I think Taipei, Hsinchu, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung should be fine. I can't be sure (I'm just guessing), but I think there is no reason to panic on the western part of Taiwan. The eastern part however should prepare well! I hope the authorities are monitoring the situation and are prepared for possible evacuations and immediate help. I will update this post, in case there are some further developments.

When White guys speak East Asian langauges, it's amazing!

When East Asian guys speak European languages, it's not. Why?

tysstyle - Canadian guy speaking Mandarin

MrHarlequin2009 - French guy speaking Japanese

trueheart101 - Canadian guy singing in Korean

Have you ever noticed, that if White guys speak one of the big East Asian languages (Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese or Korean), it's totally amazing. Everyone's like: Wow, impressive. Dude, you're so cool. And of course many East Asian girls would say it's so cute to see a White guy speak their native language, even if it sounds broken or the knowledge is limited. A little effort from White guys would massively increase their chances with East Asian girls.

On the other hand, if East Asian guys speak one of the big European languages (such as English, German, French or Spanish), it's not seen as amazing at all. Nobody's like: Wow, impressive. Dude, you're so cool. And of course most of White girls would not think it's cute to see East Asian guys speak their native language. If it sounds broken or the knowledge is limited, it would rather appear funny than cool. East Asian guys can put a lot of effort in learning a European language, however that won't increase their chances with White girls.

How come there's such a big difference?

[Photo by Lawel Style]

Back to the White guys, who speak an East Asian language perfectly. Do you know Mark Henry Roswell? He's probably the most famous Westerner (a Canadian) in China and he's speaking Mandarin like a native speaker. Everybody knows him under the name Dashan (大山, lit. "big mountain"), check this amazing video. Then there's Julien Gaudfroy, a Frenchman doing stand-up comedy in Mandarin. Or Pierre Deporte, the first White guy (he's also French) who starred in a leading role in a Korean drama. It was called Tamra, the Island, aired in 2009 (*video with Pierre's fluent Korean). Of course there are many more Western guys, who speak one of the East Asian languages and they're not famous. You can find a lot of them on You-Tube, such as the two funny guys on the video below. So what's your opinion on Westerners or Whites in particular learning East Asian languages. Is it for the career? Interest in culture? Looking for love or sex?

So hot, she made his nose bleed!

Have you ever watched Japanese anime and saw guys getting a nosebleed (like the pic on the left), when they saw a beautiful girl? I did a little research and this explains the prominent phenomenon best:

"In Japanese anime and manga, the nosebleed is a visual shorthand/euphemism for sexual arousal, specifically an erection in males [...]. When blood shoots from the nose explosively, and in ridiculous quantity, the implication is an actual ejaculation." [source]

Now you wonder why I am telling you that. Well, I [and most likely you] always thought that this can only happen in animation. We were all wrong! Check the pics below, taken at a computer fair in China.

Sexy show girls at the fair, don't they look hot? ▼
Uncle came to make some nice photos... ▼
Oh, no, uncle, what happened to your nose? ▼
Oh no, this is bad, nose is bleeding, here's a tissue. ▼
Poor uncle, a bit embarrassing, don't you think? ▼
Leaving fast, hoping there's no blood on the camera. ▼

I have no idea, if his nosebleed was caused by the beauty of that girl, but if it was, I'm not really shocked. I feel a bit bad for the uncle. What do you think? :-)

What is your reaction, when you see a beautiful woman or man?

[Photos: Source]

You gotta love the Japanese!

No more drama! It was all a misunderstanding. The post Carina wrote was meant sarcastic, but I took it literally. I'm so sorry for my reaction, Carina. I made a mistake, I just didn't get it. I'm really sorry and embarrassed. So no more drama, we talked about it and let's move on. It was a nontroversy.

After such a stressful day today, I need some relief. I didn't feel so good the whole day, I need some rest. Let's just enjoy this video and be positive.

[I found this video on http://theinternetisterrible.com]


It's funny to see the Pope an Putin as evil, haha. But I really have no clue what this is about, I just know it's silly and that Japan is very good in stuff like this. Don't you agree?

Have a lovely weekend! :-)

I like women with nice nails

I like women with nice long nails like that Korean cutie above. [source]
I prefer mild light colors. Black is a turn-off, flashy looks cheap.

This picture was sent to me by a Japanese friend. She's a nail artist.
In Japan, nail art is very popular, especially when it comes to weddings.

I must say I look at people's nails. Be it men or women, it doesn't matter to me. And if I see some untidy nails, it makes me cringe. I hate it when I see long male nails with dirt underneath. It's really disgusting for me. I can hardly see myself being around someone who can hardly take care of his basic hygene. I have some high standards for my nails. Sure, it sometimes happens to me as well that I go to town and forget to cut my finger nails, but once I'm noticing that, I'm keeping them under the radar, I'm trying to hide them as much as I can. But these days that basically never happens, because I'm working outside a lot and my hands are all dirty. So I really try hard to clean my hands and nails everytime I deal with soil and cement.

On the other hand, I love girls/women with nice nails. It's sexy! Well, to really fit my perfect idea of nice sexy nails, they have to be long but not too long. The ones on the right [photo by my friend] are probably my favorites. They could be a little shorter, but they're still acceptable that long.
Of course, I don't want a woman who's busy with her nails all day (like ah lian). Why can't smart intellectual women also have nice nails and feel sexy and still be taken seriously in an intellectual sense? Nice nails and a sexy way of dressing up doesn't mean that the woman is dumb or shallow. Of course, I wouldn't want my woman to go into extremes and dress up slutty and behave that way. Even if she's smart, she will hardly be taken seriously that way. The best is to find a middle way. You can dress up casually and still have nice sexy nails and you won't give the impression of being a bimbo, but rather being a selfconfident woman, who likes to be neat and look good. How about you, guys and girls? What kind of nails do you prefer? Do you also think untidy or dirty nails are disgusting and make a person look really bad? Looking forward to your views on this topic.

'Japanese only' and Debito Arudou

Today I stumbled accross a blog that discusses various things regarding Japan. There was an article about the word 'gaijin' (Japanese for 'foreigner') and it was asked wheather it is a racist term or not. And the author quoted David Aldwincle, who said that the Japanese word 'gaijin' is an epithet for English 'ni**er'. I couldn't disagree more with that statement. But I don't wanna talk about the word 'gaijin' here . You can check the the link to the article (above) which is excellent and has many good comments. What I actually want to talk about here is David Aldwincle. Do you know him? I heard about him few years ago. He was a white American, who married a Japanese woman and moved to Japan (he divorced later), where he applied for Japanese citizenship. And when he got it, he changed his name to Japanese Debito Arudou. Why did he become famous? He went to an onsen (Japanese hot spring and bathing facilities) in Hokkaido, but they did not allow non-Japanese to enter (they said they implemented this policy because Russian sailors scared away Japanese visitors [source: Wiki]). Arudou sued the onsen on racial discrimination and won. He was compensated with around 25.000USD. Later he became an activist and on his website he's posting info and collecting photos of these various onsens, bars and clubs in Japan, where they prefer 'Japanese only':

Photo by KD, 2006, bar in Hiroshima

Photo by Michael Cash, 2005, Hostess Bar in Toda City

Photo by Debito Arudou, 2004, Pub in Koshigaya City

Photo by Debito Arudou, 2004, Pub in Koshigaya City


Photo by Debito Arudou, 2007, Bar in Hiroshima

Photo and translation by Debito Arudou, 2004,
Pub in Koshigaya City, the clearly racist writing says:

"Entry absolutely forbidden to Chinese and naturalized citizens, Chinese war orphans, and people with Chinese blood mixed in. Only pure-blooded Japanese males permitted."

Source of the photos is Rogues Gallery by Debito.org, the official website of Debito Arudou. Check out more photos on that page. There's like 50-60 cases of similar 'Japanese only' signs that Arudou and some other people found all over Japan. Some of these signs were removed due to complaints. So here's my question: What do you think about all that? Or if that's too general, let me ask some specific questions:

1 Do you think these signs are clearly racist? Or do you think some are clearly racist, but some others are just put out to reassure their main customers, the Japanese people, who don't like to mingle with foreigners and would therefore feel unwell or uncomfortable in a pub or club with foreigners, who in their eyes, don't know the Japanese language and rules of conduct so well? Or are Japanese people (in general) racist?

2 Do Japanese people have the right to have 'only Japanese' pubs, bars and clubs in their own country? If the same right would be applied in USA, Britain or Germany with 'only whites' would that be same? Would that be more racist or same racist? Does Japan, a historically secluded homogenous country, have the right to do that while Europe and USA, who have a more diverse and open societies, dont' have the right to do same? Are these two worlds comparable or do we have to draw a line?

3 Aren't in Europe or USA clubs and pubs where people are also sorted out based on their race, background, even looks? Isn't it the same when a bouncer rejects you entering a club because he judges you on your appearance or prejudice? Or is it up to the owner of a pub, bar or club to decide which or what kind of people he likes to let in his facilities?

4 Is it excusable, if a bar had problems with a certain group of people like drunk Russian sailors, rude American soldiers or a noisy group of Filipinos to bar those groups from entering? Can a German club bar Turks from entering, because they behave in a way that Germans don't like? Can a club owned by a black American refuse White people entering, because they want to be an exclusive club for blacks only?

5 Is it ok for a foreign person going to another country and demand to be treated the same way as the natives? Or do you have to accept that as a foreigner, if you're trying to be part of a very homogenous secluded society, that you may never be fully accepted as one of them, no matter how hard you try? Is it worth to fight for these 'Japanese only' signs to be removed, while it's clear that (wheather there's a sign or not), you're as a non-native not always everywhere welcome. Isn't it better to accept that some will places will never welcome you and you therefore just go to a different place where you are welcome as a guest?

6 Does that mean that Japan is a racist country? Or does it prove nothing, because 60 signs (or even if there was 1000 or more) in a country with around 130 million inhabitants is insignificant? How do you know if a society in general is racist and ignorant towards foreigners? When does it pose a real problem and when is it just a small thing blown out of proportion? Are we in the West really that better? Or are we even worse with our phony political correctness, because in real we are racist, but we pretend not to be?

This topic is very complex, that's why I hid my opinion in questions, which I hope some of you are willing to answer for me. I don't have straight or simple answers on this topic and I guess it's because there are none. Or are there?

[Photos: Source]

MPD-Psycho

"mAlice spreads like a disease."

Confused? It's certainly a Strange New World (too strange and fucked up for most people to grasp; ignorance is truly bliss). Your working knowledge of MK [Mind-Kontrol; any and all forms of psychological/mental manipulation (from the least extreme ((simple suggestion, being under the influence of someone etc)) to the most extreme of intentionally ((trauma)) induced, specifically programmed MPD/DID ((and the many programming themes/techniques/methods used in the programming process))) and all symbols/motifs/allegories etc associated with MK] should significantly help you to understand what this manga and miniseries 'Multiple Personality Detective Psycho' is about I think; for instance there is a lot of total dismemberment here (losing a part of your self [mentally (I covered this a lot in the 'Lynch Mob' post)], there is nothing more traumatic than losing both arms and legs [giving the victim a sense of having no control; total helplessness]), flower MK symbolism ([you cultivate a flower so it blooms into a beautiful rose or whatever; this 'cultivation' process is analogous to programming a human mind, usually a young child ((the bloomed flower = final programmed product, a sex-slave or whatever function they've been programmed for)); this is also shown in 'mind control cults' ((from the Dionysian mystery cults up to today's 'Children of God' and many others))/cults in general ((and religion)) are 100% programming ((cult/cultivation of the human mind; wiki link for cult, gone into this before but the constant repetitive worship/chanting/praying/etc involved in religion/cults is programming which has obviously been hugely successful in mass-conditioning the planet; as a global society we've been very "well cultivated" over millennia by the powers that be who controlled the building of Churches/Mosques/etc, I personally feel it's only now we can break out of this intentional global programming))] similar to the Asian poster for the fractured Aileen Wuornos), and obviously standard MK motifs like the iris/brain/dehumanization/bondage/barcode/etc. Hopefully the masses' awesome powers for cognitive dissonance will start to wane slightly soon... the 'barcode eye-tattooed killers' [barcode = manufactured product/ownership] is a metaphor for the global army of MK'd/programmed individuals used in an infinite number of ways.

Yôsuke Kobayashi is a detective and is on the case of a serial killer who dismembers his victims. The killer later sends Yôsuke's girlfriend dismembered but kept alive.^[1] Yôsuke hunts down the killer and due to the events, loses his sanity and develops Dissociative identity disorder with the two main personalities being Kazuhiko Amamiya, a cool headed detective and Shinji Nishizono, a reckless psychopath.^[1] After being placed in prison for murderering the killer, Yôsuke Kobayashi is released and works for an independent detective agency ran by Machi Isono.^[1] Later serial killers are appearing with barcodes in their left eyes, which Yôsuke Kobayashi also has. Yôsuke Kobayashi investigations lead him to believe he is not who he thinks he is and that his Kazuhiko and Shinji personality existed since childhood. During the Lucy Seven case, Shinji gains control of Yôsuke Kobayashi and disappears.^[2][3]

Later, it is found out that the Gakuso organization is behind the barcodes. Machi investigates and learns that Kazuhiko Amamiya and Shinji Nishizono are personalities genetically created so that they could merge into a personality that is alike to Lucy Monostone. It is revealed that there are multiple Shinji Nishizono personalities and that one exists in Machi's sister, Miwa.^[4] Miwa meanwhile runs into Yôsuke Kobayashi on a plane and manages to absorb the Kazuhiko Amamiya personality.^[5] At the same time, Tetora Nishizono escapes from the Gakuso organization and runs into Miwa.^[6] She later gives the Kazuhiko personality to Tetoro who she asks to keep Kazuhiko alive.^[6]

A few years later, Tetora continues his run from the Gakuso organization.

The Japanese film industry is more awash with MK themes than Western (I would like to cover as many as possible in future [had a great recommendation from a commenter a while back in 'Bad Guy' + there's so many more]); MK is a global issue that needs to be finally brought to the surface... (obviously the Japanese were just as useful in perfecting programming [they were just as well known for human experimentation as the Nazis were] as German "scientists" in the organized chaos of World War 2)... The House of Dolls never ended [Edit: (more general info on Nazi sexual enslavement, I can't stress enough that these examples make up only a small fraction of sexual enslavement on the planet throughout history and up to modern times) + I should link to the Japanese example of this organized sexual slavery in WW2 (I posted a video on it and more info regarding Japan/modern sex-slaves/etc here)].

Mirrorcle World

Quick post (ended up being longer with her music videos), some more Asian MK with Ayumi Hamasaki; interestingly blatant, portraying monarch butterflies, the M/W mirror symbolism (also I've posted a while back on that style of W, with two overlapping V's), even the mira/mirror similar sound I've discussed. I've had a quick scan through some of her videos and they seem to have themes worth posting on (i.e. in Rainbow below she chases her self/twin, note the leopard print chairs also).

Interesting that she made her debut with a song called 'Poker Face'.

Ayumi Hamasaki - RAINBOW - 浜崎あゆみ
'Part of Me' [clear MK in the name, as with 'Rainbow', and 'Mirrorcle World' of course, a tonne of blatant ones too like 'Butterfly'] starts off with a reflection and she is made to look like a porcelain Geisha doll, a butterfly is killed by a cricket causing her to fall down too (she is a butterfly yes?), when she's passed out... on comes the snake! (+more)

Ayumi Hamasaki - part of Me -
In this post's title song 'Mirrorcle World', the video is set in Paris with the Eiffel Tower used symbolically (phallic) + she is chased by a bunch of guys and trapped in a phonebox.

Ayumi Hamasaki - Mirrorcle World -
In 'Heaven' some conscious checkerboard symbolism (framed behind her and slowly zoomed out revealing it).

Hamasaki Ayumi - HEAVEN -
Some subliminal checkerboard symbolism in 'Evolution', and obviously it's a narrative of her reality as a 'star' (she also wears leopard-print).

Ayumi Hamasaki - Evolution -

Lots of 'one eye' covering, alter symbolism, pyramid symbolism and general theme of sexual slavery in 'Because of You'.

Ayumi Hamasaki - Because Of You - 浜崎あゆみ
Extremely MK symbolic one here for 'Free and Easy', I don't feel I need to interpret it. Bit annoying that I can't go through them all as I'm sure there is just as much in the rest of them.

Finish with her arguably most blatant video with called 'Alterna', she is even made into a Marionette, a "singing machine" and more overt MK imagery (mannequin/loss of limbs/compartmentalization/etc [the white/albino ((reminding me of Pink's Sober video, see 'Playing with Pink's Delirium' post)) I think symbolizes losing all their personality/"colour" in programming and probably something to do with purity or something]). It starts with a spinning electric fan then onto the usual stuff (I've said before that Asia in particular is insanely overt with it's MK in things like anime [obviously my focus tends to be more on the Western/UK/American side of things due to my location/programming]), I've included a few screen captures (not in order) because this youtube isn't great quality.

Lastly her video for 'Marionette', which portrays exactly what you'd expect; you can pick up on a lot of the stuff if you watch it [they're on a spinning platform and the black/white colours, Satan/Lucifer horned frieze and such] (don't forget to connect the dots; i.e. the monarch butterflies up top combined with all this marionette/puppet/mirror symbolism). She's put out a lot of videos, I think I only looked through a small amount and you'd probably find more stuff if you checked out her others. Had a brief look at some of the other Japanese artists (i.e Kumi Koda) and it's exactly the same over there as it is over here and everywhere else, kind of depressing really how saturated it is across the global media and shows how controlled it is.

Ayumi Hamasaki - Marionette -