pluvial minds

Song Yuanwen（宋源文 Chinese, b.1933）

Yukari Chikura - Zaido

“Zaido, also known as Important Day Dance, is thought to have originated in the early 8th century when the Imperial Palace’s ensemble paid a visit to Hachimantai in Akita Prefecture. After the decline in state support of Shinto temple complexes, the cast-out court performers found a home in the small community, repaying their favor by teaching the locals their art. It is through this somewhat unlikely union that bugaku[editor’s note: a traditional Japanese dance] was preserved to this day. 

Before the ritual, the noshu—the people performing the sacred dance—are required to undertake a very strict purification. In the longest documented cases, some of these noshu are known to have gone through 48-day long periods of complete abstinence. During these periods of religious asceticism, the participants are prohibited from sleeping in the same room as their spouses and must avoid childbirth and death. They must also not eat the meat of any animal that walks on four legs. Though currently preserved as a part of the purification ritual in only a few of the localities, a ritual involving the performance of mizugori (cold water ablutions) also exists. This ceremony is performed regardless of the fact that the place can reach temperatures of -20°C [-4°F] in winter. From the outside, this seems like a difficult task to endure. But for them, it is all part of their life and the rituals that surround it.

These days, I fear that this special culture, which has been preserved and passed down from generation to generation through many sacrifices, is starting to disappear. And yet, regardless of how many hardships they have to endure, there are still people who are willing to protect it. Witnessing their dedication, their spirituality, and their devotion, I am able to find meaning in life again. I hope this project expresses my great respect for the villagers’ love of their local community, my gratitude for the people of that community, who opened their homes to me, and my thanks to my father, watching from Heaven, who sent me to find them.”

Women’s March & International Women’s Day in Indonesia

IWD 2017 committee’s–composed of various elements of women and men, including the national labor union, fishermen, farmers, LGBTs, students, human rights activist–demands to the Indonesian government:

Recognize the role of women in politics, engage and accommodate the interests of women in decision-making forums, especially regarding political interests and lives of women.

Recognize the role and contributions of significant social and economic through women’s work in both domestic and public sector.

Ratify policies for women, including: Justice and Gender Equality Bill, the Bill on Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, Domestic Workers Protection Bill, the Ratification of ILO Convention No. 189 on Decent Work Domestic Workers Bill of Land, Agrarian Reform and Climate Policy Fair Gender, Revised draft Fisheries, as well as the regulations and policies on drugs with the perspective of victims and gender justice.

Evaluate and revoke policies that discriminate women and marginalized groups, including: the Zero Domestic Workers roadmap, Termination of Placement for migrant domestic workers in the Middle Eastern countries, Qanun Jinayat, prohibition of prostitution which includes the assumption and the negative stigma against women and LGBT

Eliminate the death penalty, enforce the law with the perspective of gender equality and gender-sensitive judicial system that does not discriminate against women, Trans +, and other minority groups.

Eliminate discrimination against women in all its forms, racial, social class, sexual orientation, gender expression, religion, local ancestral beliefs, difable, people living with HIV, both in access to education, access to information including information Reproductive Health Rights, jobs, health care, and through education and socialization curriculum that includes women’s rights and gender justice.

Stop projects in the name of development which robs the living space and the management area of ​​women, including Mining, Construction of Cement Plant, Large Scale Expansion, NCICD, reclamation and privatization of coastal areas.

Realize the completion of agrarian conflict with the principle of gender equality and intergenerational, and bring land to women.

STOP commitment to free trade agreements that eliminate the sovereignty of women, among them RCEP and TPP.

Thoroughly investigate cases of violations of human rights, law and human rights abusers, and Reject Board of the National Harmony.

Recognise and protect women’s political choice and achieve the protection of women in conflict areas, especially women of Papua, Aceh and Poso

Eliminate discrimination in wages and realize Women Labor’s Rights of Occupational Safety Security Guarantee and Decent Work for Women Workers, both in the formal and informal sectors.

The New York Times reported on this- “According to a senior music executive who attended the meeting, and spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the internal deliberations, there was a “very spirited debate that took maybe five minutes” and included several voters’ suspicions that by recording a rock song and a country song (“Daddy Lessons”) on her album “Lemonade,” Beyoncé was trying to “run the table” on nominations in a diverse group of categories.” (LINK)

Home & Home. The final comic in my series about my heritage.

Shout out to boys who say “run Forrest run” every time they see someone running

Shout out to boys who can’t handle the mosh pit and threw up after one beer at the all ages pierce the veil concert.