Kami

The beginning of Noh Theater dates back to 11th century Japan. At this time entertainment was taking a turn toward musical form and dramatic nature. Poetry had been flourishing in Japan for many years, and performance art began to develop by way of influences from China and Korea. Two of these types of entertainment, the sarugaku and the dengaku, merged, and Noh theater blossomed. Saragaku offered a choreographic element, and the dengaku brought an element of the dramatic. A very popular Noh…

THE NATURE OF GOD. The nature of God shows His characteristics, His attributes and His qualities. These attributes set God aside from human beings and other supernatural beings. It also reveals to us how he deals with mankind. The way he created human beings and made them superior over other creations and the order in which he creates shows his character as a powerful and orderly being. He is described as the Holy Trinity for he is God the father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. It’s…

Order. It is found in the majority of the most prominent natural things: plants, anatomy, physics. Order is also found in the context of human societies and their arrangements. The way a civilization organizes itself is very significant and can make or break said civilization. If there is too little order, chaos ensues and the culture decomposes. If there is too much order, people can become dissatisfied with their lives and revolt. A very delicate balance must be maintained in order for a…

paintings and sculptures of gods and even the Shinto deities portrayed by human gods, or paintings of Buddha in harmony with nature. Hiroshi Ikeda, special research chair of the Tokyo National Museum, said that “there were no iconographic rules for Shinto kami statues, as there are for Buddhist ones, they were represented more freely, modelling court style.” People prayed to the gods and respected nature, and this idea was passed down over many years and still exists in modern…

Reader, Nick TA – Heidi Hong AMST 101, Section: [Friday, 9:00 AM] Throughout this process I have learned a lot about high school basketball and how it relates to race and class in Los Angeles. I set out to research the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball scene in Los Angeles and identify issues of race and class within it. As a team manager for the USC basketball team, I have great interest in basketball and wanted to learn more about the sport I love and how it relates to this class. I…

Their Descents, Their Reasons The world was created by many methods for various reasons; according to the myths, a lot of gods and goddesses were born after this world was created. By their own roles, they have ruled over from a small tribe to a big society that is larger than a country with diverse names. Inanna, Ishtar, and Aphrodite are the goddesses who have similar roles, personalities, and characteristics but different names because those three regions of myths are adjoined. However, the…

The American Dream A Myth of Meritocracy It is a universal thought that America is something of a promise land. People from around the world know of the proclamations of the great opportunity you can receive in America. However, many immigrants instead find deeply rooted systemic racism and oppression. From the 1580s, when the first Asian Immigrants came to North America, to present day 2015, Asian Immigrants have received unfair treatment caused by the combination of both political…

A few years before I came along my dad was a manager at a restaurant called Shoney’s and at the same place my mom was a waitress there. My mom’s name is Jenni Lynn Bryant and my dad is Timothy Eugene Bryant. My mom and dad did not get along at along at all. They both had ideas on how to run a restaurant and their ideas completely clashed. This feud went on for about six months and eventually my dad asked her out. They moved in together after a few months of dating. They dated for two years and…

cultural ties to the film’s historic setting. This move by Myizaki to stress religion goes hand in hand with the decay of Shinto reverence in Japanese culture and the subsequent rise in urban metropoles. Explained in “Shinto in History: Ways of the Kami” John Breen highlights this cultural transition eloquently: “The period of rapid economic growth from the 1960s to the 1980s has done particularly severe damage to the country’s natural environment through overdevelopment and frequent pollution.…

I've been thinking about the beach, waters and the sands for weeks now realizing I haven't even shared our Canyon Cove getaway yet. It is something that is worth sharing for and I can't believe I almost forget to blog about it. So without further adieu, here is the story of our first long drive (just the three of us) and beach escapade. The best part is, it was well an unplanned trip. January was supposed to be a month for our barkada (college friends) outing. Our personal belongings were all…