Tag Archives: Asia

The diverse cultures and complex history of Asia continue to inspire LEGO builders all over the world. China, Japan, and Korea also have large and active LEGO fan communities that contribute to the global conversation through their LEGO models. This page features LEGO models inspired by Asia, coverage of events that happen in Asia, and background about models by Asian builders.

Kukai (Kobo Daishi)

Name: Kukai (空海) / Kobo Daishi (弘法大師こうぼうだいし)
Dates: 774-835

Biography: Known after his death as Kobo Daishi, Kukai was the founder of Shingon-shu, one of the major sects of Japanese Buddhism. In 804, Kukai traveled to China, where he studied under Hui-kuo. Kukai returned to Japan in 806, bearing religious texts from various faiths. He founded a monastery at Mt. Koya outside Kyoto, where he was buried upon his death, and which continues to be the headquarters for Shingon Buddhism to this day.
Further reading:

Wikipedia (English), Wikipedia (日本語), Shingon Buddhist Int’l, Koyasan.org.

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Hattori Hanzou

Name: Hattori Hanzou (服部半蔵はっとりはんぞう)
Dates: 1541-1596
Biography: Member of the famous Iga Ninja clan, little is known about this mysterious man.
Further reading: Wikipedia (English), Wikipedia (日本語), Real Ultimate Power, Ninja Village

Hinamatsuri Continues

The Japanese Girl’s Day festival (Hinamatsuri) has inspired a number of great creations recently, including two I’ve featured here on PPB — by Izzo and Nelson Yrizarry.

Mumu joins these builders with his own version:

Joe Vig the Gaijin

Joe discovers that there are grave consequences for foreigners who fail to remove their shoes upon entering a Japanese home.

(The image is a link to the gallery, when public. “Gaijin” means “foreigner” in Japanese.)

Miyamoto Musashi

Name: Miyamoto Musashi (宮本武蔵みやもとむさし)
Dates: ca. 1584-1645
Biography: Musashi was a famous swordsman of the Edo period. He is said to have won sixty duels, the first at age 13. According to legend, he arrived late at his last battle, with another famous swordsman named Sasaki Kojiro. Kojiro was so angry that he threw away his sword’s sheath. Musashi then said, “You have lost, Kojiro. Those who need no sheath are those who will die!” Musashi was also an author and a painter.
Further reading: The Book of Five Rings, Musashi, The Lone Samurai.

Minamoto no Yorimitsu

Name: Minamoto no Yorimitsu (源頼光みなもとのよりみつ)
Dates: 944-1021
Biography: Yorimitsu was a legendary warrior from the Heian period of Japanese history. Although famous for many real-life exploits, he appears in several legends, including one in which he defeats the ogre (oni) Shuten Doji, disguised as an ascetic Buddhist monk, or yamabushi.
Further reading: Wikipedia (English), Wikipedia (日本語).

Star Wars Hina Doll Display by Izzo

This is just too funny to pass up. A couple weeks before Girl’s Day (Hina-Matsuri) on March 3, families with young girls display a multi-tiered stand of dolls (picture). You can see a minifig-scale version in Nelson Yrizarry’s recent vignette in this picture.

Izzo has turned this idea on its head with his Star Wars Hinamatsuri:

Note the brick-built Jabba the Hutt between Boba Fett and the Gamorrean Guard, as well as the mini-scale AT-AT and AT-STs. Sweet.

Valentine’s Day in Japan

Bruce just posted a Valentine’s Day vignette by mumu, so why am I posting about it here on Pan-Pacific Bricks? Isn’t Valentine’s Day common to both the U.S. and Japan? Look closely at the minifigs in this vignette:

In Japan, girls are the ones expected to give chocolate to boys — not the other way around. The interesting thing is, Valentine’s Day on February 14th is followed a month later on March 14th by “White Day,” on which men give women chocolate. You can read all about Valentine’s Day in Japan here.

And what PPB post would be complete without a little something by Izzo? Nothing specifically Japanese about this, but it’s a lovely bar of chocolate:

Mmmmm… Chocolate…

Boy’s Day Vignette by Nelson Yrizarry

Following up on his Hina-Matsuri vignette (previous PPB post), Nelson Yrizarry presents a vignette based on celebrations of Tango no Sekku, or Boy’s Day (now celebrated as “Children’s Day”).

Here’s what Nelson has to say:

Now known as “Children’s Day” in Japan (a National holiday), this is the day when sons are traditionally honored. Most notable are the large koinobori (carp) banners that are flown – one for each male son. The carp is considered as the most spirited of all fish, able to overcome obstacles such as strong currents – hence, it serves as a symbol of the desired strength and success of the family’s male childen.

I have incorporated other aspects of the Japanese culture – Father enjoying sake; a katanakake (sword stand); a small Zen garden, etc.

Mao Asada -> Sweet-Potato Vendor

A couple more entries in the shiritori word game.

First up, Uda-san posts a vignette of figure-skater Mao Asada receiving a bag full of LEGO goodies from a fan:

Nigou continues the game, from Uda-san’s Mao Asada to her sweet-potato vendor’s cart (manned by Hagrid). These vendors sell sweet-potatoes baked on a bed of red-hot stones. Today, they most often drive around in little trucks, with their oven on the back, so these traditional carts are a rare sight:

Piece of Peace: UNESCO World Heritage Sites in LEGO

Earlier this week, Bruce (of VignetteBricks) posted on Classic-Castle.com about a LEGO exhibit in Japan. I’d seen links to this on Japanese LEGO blogs, but that was before I started Pan-Pacific Bricks (and then I forgot).

The “Piece of Peace” exhibit, sponsored by McDonald’s and Yahoo! Kids, was a charity event in which the proceeds from ticket and souvenir sales benefited UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. With the motto “It takes a lot of pieces to build peace,” the exhibit showcased UNESCO World Heritage Sites in LEGO, built with the assistance of Japanese LEGO Master Builder Kazuyoshi Naoe.

Here’s Mont St. Michelle in France:

And Machu Picchu in Peru:

This page lists each of the sites recreated in LEGO for the exhibit. Unfortunately, it’s in Japanese. LUGNET user M. Moolhuysen assembled a site-by-site list in English (with links), so I’ll link to his list instead of duplicating it here.

For even better pictures, watch the wonderful 20-minute video (in Windows Media Format) available at three bit rates toward the bottom of this page. The video shows close-up shots of each LEGO creation, from many different angles. A Japanese explanation appears on-screen, but each site is also identified in English. The end of the video also shows several interesting non-UNESCO LEGO creations by contemporary artists and graphic designers. Well worth watching.

The bad news is that the exhibit now appears to be over; the last listed date is October through November of 2005.

Hatena-gumi

Name: Hatena-gumi
Occupation: Charitable organization.
Interests: Security, international trade, banking, real estate, shipping, pharmaceuticals, construction, heavy industry, government, agriculture.