Hello Kitty Samurai!
Hello Kitty Samurai!!!
Hello Kitty Samurai
I was visiting Hikone which lies an hour north of Kyoto when I chanced upon a unusual figure in samurai armor. What struck me immediately as odd was that it didn’t have the typical scowl I had usually come to associate with statues and the like depicting samurai. On closer inspection I realized it was Japan’s official tourism ambassador, Hello Kitty, all decked out like a samurai warrior of bygone ages.
Hikone Castle is one Japan’s few preserved castles
Hikone was home to Ii clan. The land was given to their first lord Ii Naomasa whose scowling visage can be seen frozen in bronze outside of the train station.
The fierce Ii Naomasa scowls welcomingly to visitors
Naomasa served Tokugawa Ieyasu who became Shogun or military ruler over all of Japan in 1603. Naomasa fought in numerous battles and was wounded scores of times. His men were famous for painting their armor red. They were known as the Red Devils and the sight of them brought out screams of terror from their enemies.
Red Devil Armor
Now the Red Devils are tastefully emasculated with this lovely recreation of them in Hello Kitty dolls and the sight of them brings out squeals of delight from Japanese schoolgirls.
The Hello Kitty Red Devils
Off to storm the castle
Only in Japan!
2 Comments »
Leave a comment
-
Recent
- Tayu Oiran in Kyoto
- Japanese Craft Beer&History – Yanaka Beer
- Unicorn Gundam in Tokyo
- Japanese Bowing Deer of Nara
- Outdoor Sumo at Yasukuni Shrine
- Samurai Girls Do Battle!!!
- Sumo – Hakuho vs Harumafuji at Outdoor Sumo Event at Yasukuni Shrine
- Samurai Warlord’s Kyoto Cherry Blossom Festival – Taiko Hanami Gyoretsu
- Samurai Battle Festival – Battle of Sekigahara Festival
- Japanese St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Harajuku, Tokyo
- Japanese Devils Beat You For Good Luck on Setsubun
- Wakakusayama Yaki – Japanese Mountain Fire Festival in Nara
-
Links
-
Archives
- September 2018 (3)
- September 2013 (1)
- May 2013 (2)
- April 2013 (3)
- March 2013 (1)
- February 2013 (3)
- January 2013 (1)
- December 2012 (5)
- November 2012 (3)
- October 2012 (3)
- September 2012 (6)
- May 2012 (2)
-
Categories
- 1066
- 1914
- 1950s
- 1970s
- 1980s
- 1990s
- 2000
- 2001
- 2007
- 2008
- 2008 Presidential Race
- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
- 2012
- 47 Ronin
- 50cent
- 911
- A-Team
- abashiri
- acrobatics
- action figures
- aikido
- air combat
- airplanes
- akihabara
- akihito
- Akita
- ako gishi
- ako roshi
- alcohol
- aliens
- american pop culture
- Amy Fisher
- ancient egypt
- Anglo-Saxons
- animals
- Anime
- Anti-Semitism
- Aoba Matsuri
- aomori
- aomori prefecture
- Apocalypse
- Archery
- armistice day
- art
- Asakusa
- asashoryu
- ashikaga
- Ashikaga Yoshimasa
- Australia
- autumn
- avant-garde
- ayukawa
- Battle of Hastings
- Bavaria
- Bayern
- beautiful girls
- beefeater
- beer
- belly dancing
- Bill Murray
- birthday
- biwa
- blog
- Blogroll
- blowing bubbles
- boating
- boats
- Bobbit
- Bon Odori
- Bonseki
- brawl
- brazil
- buddhism
- bull fighting
- bulls
- Burger King
- busker
- busking
- cairo
- california energy crisis
- Canada
- cannon
- carnaval
- carnival
- castle
- Catholic
- cello
- Celtic
- celtic music
- Charles Schultz
- Charlie Brown
- cheops
- cherry blossoms
- chichibu
- chimes
- chinese food
- Christianity
- christmas
- Christmas in the Trenches
- Christmas Truce
- chuck norris
- chusingura
- CIA
- classical music
- Clinton
- clock tower
- clubbing
- coins
- comedy
- Coming of Age Day
- confessions
- cosplay
- costumes
- craft beer
- crickets
- Croatia
- crossdressing
- Crucifixition
- culture
- culture day
- current tv
- Current TV Promo
- cute
- Dairokuten-no-Hadaka Matsuri
- dance
- Date Masamune
- death
- Democrats
- demons
- design festa
- Deutschland
- devils
- Dezomeshiki
- documentary
- Don't Know Why
- Dracula
- dragons
- drift ice
- drinking
- drums
- Earth Celebration
- earthquake
- easter
- easter bunny
- easter eggs
- Eastern Europe
- egypt
- eine kleine nachtmusik
- elections
- electronica
- England
- english teacher
- english teaching
- enka
- enron
- enron scandal
- entertainment
- environment
- Ernest Hemingway
- europe
- european history
- event
- extreme sports
- Eyeball Love Globe
- fall
- fertility
- fertility festival
- festival
- Festival of Ages
- FIFA
- fight
- fire
- fire dancing
- Fire Department
- fire festival
- fire twirling
- Fire Walking
- firefighter
- firefighting
- fireworks
- flame-twirling
- floats
- flute
- flying saucers
- folklore
- food
- fukushima
- Funekko Nagashi
- furisode
- gadget
- geek
- geibikei
- Geiko
- geisha
- Geisha Dance
- Gempei War
- Genghis Khan
- Germany
- Ghost Stories
- Ghosts
- GI Joe
- Gion
- girls
- girls kissing
- Givemeabreakman
- giza
- Glitterball
- global warming
- Gokaicho
- Golden Dragon
- Golden Dragon Dance
- Golden Fleece
- Golden Week
- goryo
- goshogawara
- Goth Girls
- goth lolita
- government cover-up
- Graham Hancock
- greasers
- Great Pumpkin
- great pyramid
- greenpeace
- Groundhog Day
- Guinness
- gun control
- Gundam
- Hadaka
- hagoita
- hakodate
- halloween
- hamburger
- hanami
- Harajuku
- Harold Godwinson
- Haunted
- Hauntings
- heavy metal
- heike monogatari
- Hello Kitty
- High School Musical
- hikeshi
- Hikone
- hirohito
- hirosaki
- history
- hojo
- hokkaido
- Horror
- horse racing
- horses
- Hosokawa Sansai
- Howitzer
- humor
- ice
- ice sculptures
- Ii Naomasa
- indie
- Ireland
- Irish
- iwate
- Iwate Swan
- IWC
- j-horror
- j-pop
- j-rock
- japan
- Japan Earthquake
- Japan Vlogger
- Japanese Anime
- japanese archery
- japanese beer
- japanese beer vending machine
- japanese culture
- japanese emperor
- Japanese festival
- japanese folklore
- japanese ghost stories
- Japanese Ghosts
- Japanese girls
- japanese goldfish scooping
- japanese history
- Japanese Horror
- japanese imperial palace
- Japanese martial arts
- Japanese subculture
- Japanese Tea Ceremony
- Jean-Michel Jarre
- Jesus
- Jews
- Jidai Matsuri
- jigokudani
- job searching
- John McCutcheon
- Jomon
- jpop
- Ju-on
- juhyo
- Kairaku-en
- Kamakura Matsuri
- kamogawa odori
- karaoke
- karate
- kawaii
- Kendo
- kenneth lay
- khufu
- kimono
- kingyo sukui
- Kinryu-no-Mai
- Kodo
- kokyo
- komuso
- koukyo
- kurama-no-himatsuri
- kwaidan
- Kyoto
- kyudo
- Lafcadio Hearn
- leaves
- Lee Van Cleef
- life
- light saber
- Lilo&Stitch
- Lost in Translation
- macaque
- madonna
- maiko
- marine life
- Mark Twain
- martial arts
- Master Ninja
- matsuri
- McCain
- media
- medieval
- Meiji
- meiji shrine
- metal
- Metropolis Magazine
- Middle Ages
- Middle East
- Millennium
- misogi
- mito
- moira cameron
- momote shiki
- Monica Lewinsky
- monkey
- monster trees
- montage
- morioka
- mounted archery
- movie review
- mozart
- MST3K
- mt. kurama
- Mt. Zao
- Mudslinging
- Munchen
- Munich
- murfreesboro
- museum
- music
- music concert
- music videos
- musicians
- musicians in Japan
- Mystery Science Theater 3000
- mythology
- nagano
- Nagoya
- Naked Festival
- Namahage
- Nara
- nashville
- nature
- nebuta
- neputa
- never gonna give you up
- New Age
- New Age music
- New Year's Eve
- New Years
- news
- Nick Zappetti
- night out
- nightlife
- ninja
- Ninja movies
- Nishimonai
- Nishimonai Bon Odori
- noon
- Norah Jones
- Normans
- November 11th
- Obama
- Obon
- ocean
- octopus
- octopus garden
- odawara
- Oga
- ogasawara ryu
- OJ Simpson
- Oktoberfest
- oni
- Only in Japan
- onryo
- opinion
- Osu Kannon
- otaru
- painters
- painting
- Pamplona
- parade
- paranormal
- parody
- party
- peace
- Peanuts
- penis festival
- Pentagon
- Peru
- photographs
- photography
- pirates
- plum blossom
- poetry
- politics
- pool
- pop culture
- Power Rangers
- Presidential Debate
- Project Blue Book
- Pub
- purification
- pyramids
- racism
- red baron
- reindeer
- remembrance day
- Republicans
- Resurrection
- rick astley
- rick roll
- Ringo Starr
- Ringu
- rio de janeiro
- risque
- rock
- rock band
- rockabilly
- Rodger Swan
- Roller Derby
- Rolly Teranishi
- Romania
- ronin
- Roppongi
- Roswell
- Roving Ronin Report
- Ryuhyo
- S&M
- Sado Island
- sakura
- samba
- samurai
- San Fermin
- San-San-Ku Tebasami Shiki
- sansa odori
- santa claus
- sapporo
- sapporo beer
- Sarah Michelle Gellar
- satire
- scandals
- Scarlett Johansson
- Science Fiction/Double Feature
- Sea of Okhotsk
- sea shepard
- secret commonwealth
- seijin-no-hi
- Sen no Rikyu
- sendai
- sengakuji
- sengoku
- Senso-Ji
- Setsubun
- seven cycle theory
- seven patty Whopper
- sexuality
- sexy
- shakuhachi
- shinsengumi
- Shinto
- sho kosugi
- shopping
- singing
- Snagov
- Snoopy
- snow
- snow festival
- snow gleaming
- snow lantern festival
- snow monkey
- soccer
- sofia coppola
- soma nomaoi
- Spain
- Spanish Culture
- sphinx
- spies
- Spirits
- Sport
- Sports News
- spring
- St. Patrick's Day
- star wars
- Stitch
- Storytelling
- street musicians
- subculture
- sugawara no michizane
- summer
- sumo
- supernatural
- Suzume Odori
- tachi neputa
- taiko
- taiwan
- takenoko-zoku
- tall tales
- techno
- tennessee
- tenno
- terrorism. WTC
- The Beatles
- The Grudge
- The Ring
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show
- The Sushi Cabaret Club
- three kingoms
- tohoku
- tokugawa ieyasu
- tokyo
- tokyo decadance
- Tokyo Design Festa
- tokyo imperial palace
- Tokyo Kuyo-Kai
- Tokyo Swan
- Tokyo Tower
- TokyoCooney
- Tonya Harding
- tower of london
- toy
- toyotomi hideyoshi
- tradition
- traditional art
- tragedy
- travel
- trees
- true ghost stories
- TV
- ufo
- UK
- ultra-man
- ume
- Umm Khulthum
- Umm Kulthum
- Uncategorized
- Urban Tap
- vampire
- veterans day
- video
- vikings
- violins
- virginia tech
- Vlad Tepes
- vlog
- voting
- weird
- whales
- whaling
- whopper
- William the Conqueror
- Windows 7
- winter
- work
- World Cup
- World Trade Center
- world war I
- wrestling
- WTF
- X-Files
- xmas. holidays
- Y2K
- Yabusame
- Yamagata
- yamanote halloween train
- Yamanote Train
- Yanaka
- yasakuni shrine
- yasukuni shrine
- yeoman warder
- Yokote
- yokozuna
- Yomatsuri
- York
- Yoshitsune
- youtube
- Youtube Gathering
- yudanaka
- Yugoslavia
- yuki matsuri
- Yuki Onna
- yukiakari no michi
- yushima tenjin
- Zagreb
- Zao Onsen
- zen
- Zenkoji
- zojo-ji
- zombies
-
RSS
Entries RSS
Comments RSS
Well, if Japan were to change its constitution and somehow was led into war, if I were the PM, I would rather recruit those kitties than most of the young puffy-haired goofballs hanging out in Tokyo.
Comment by billywest | October 27, 2008 |
I actually like those Hello Kitty in samurai costume!!!
Comment by Katana Dave | October 28, 2008 |