Editorial: Where Was Japan at E3?
On the Tuesday before E3 , the big "press conference day," I was watching Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft, and Sony trot out their new games and "experiences" to an international audience. As the day went on, I believe I had this subconscious concern enter my head, but it didn't really pop out until after Sony's press conference was done. After watching their presentation with Uncharted 3, NBA 2K12, some more games with guns, and the re-unveiling of the PS Vita and all its neat-o software, I asked out loud, "Uh, were there any Japanese games there?"
I exaggerated, of course; Street Fighter X Tekken on Vita was a big deal, and the Vita teaser reel had some obvious Japanese titles in there. But combine that with Microsoft's presentation and the unexpectedly action-packed lineups from EA and Ubisoft, Japan had a surprisingly dim presence. Nintendo, ever the reliable entity, had plenty of Japan-borne stuff to show, including the Wii U and some choice upcoming 3DS games. But the most Japanese things about E3 were the game consoles. PS3, PS Vita, Wii U, 3DS -- all meticulously designed and presented to the world by Japanese companies, if not literally Japanese people holding them in their hands onstage.
Despite being in Los Angeles, E3 is typically seen as an international show for the industry. It's where Nintendo has announced their new systems ever since the Nintendo DS; where companies like Ubisoft can show off surprises like Rayman: Origins ; and where marginalized European PC game developers can try and get some eyes on their product. It's pretty cool that way. Some surprises from Japan are left over for the Tokyo Game Show later in the year, but it's during E3 when people really pay attention. So what happened, Japanese Game Industry?
People may answer that it's the economy's fault, or more recently the Tohoku earthquake, but I think it's more complicated than that. Others may attribute it to the general, undeniable decline of Japan's game industry, where creativity seems to be faltering in favor of pandering. In some respects, they're right; Japanese games aren't as big in scale, mindshare or ideas as they used to be. But even among the biggest troubles in their industry, Japan still has big games worth caring about, and you'd expect more than a few to show up at E3.
I can't help but wonder whether this is related to that huge TGS snafu last year. It wouldn't be surprising if many Japanese developers are saving their major works for TGS just to keep CESA happy. For those who don't know what I'm referring to: (IIRC) Basically, when Europe's Gamescom announced their date last year, Japanese publishers realized that it was less than a month before TGS. Not wanting to waste money on two exhibits in such a short timeframe, they started to hint that they would pick Gamescom, the bigger convention, over TGS. CESA retorted with an ultimatum: Choose TGS over Gamescom, or else (Not sure about the exact details). Not wanting to harm domestic relations, the Japanese publishers chose TGS, and the few that still had an exhibit at Gamescom went the minimalist route, as Capcom made Dead Rising 2 the only major part of their booth, saving the bulk of their stuff for TGS.
Japanese Sword Makers - News
But if the makers were just banking on the fact that people would see a hot Britney and jump on any product she endorsed, wellthey could have at least given her a samurai sword. It's fair to assume that most stars only signed on to these projects
Besides maybe The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (which wasn't a brand-new appearance anyway), the highest-profile Japanese game at E3 was Final Fantasy XIII-2. And, well, not everyone's going to be salivating over that one.
At this time, we should take a stand and show our attitude, but must also dare to unsheathe our sword." (Interview with Maj-Gen Luo Yuan, deputy secretary-general, People's Liberation Army Academy of Military Sciences) (21) 3. ".
In combat, you start off with some basic sword attacks and super-sized punches, but with experience you can unlock the real good stuff. Not to spoil anything for you but there may be options like buzz-saws, giant hammers, and a jet involved.
We desperately want to see more of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, which is perhaps the console's most high-profile and hotly-anticipated title to date. Nintendo's E3 keynotes are always a little hit and miss. Sometimes, like the debut of the Wii
The Katana – sword cutting day 24th Jun | Shudokan Black Belt Academy
A little about the katana HISTORY
The katana evolved as a more sleek and compact alternative to the tachi. Its origins go at least as far back as the Kamakura Period, with several blades dated from that time residing in various national repositories.
Its growth in popularity is believed to have been due to the changing nature of close-combat warfare. The quicker draw of the sword was well suited to combat where victory depended heavily on fast response times. The katana further facilitated this by being worn thrust through a belt-like sash (obi) with the bladed edge facing upwards. Ideally, samurai could draw the sword and strike down the enemy in a single motion.
The length of the blade varied considerably during the course of its history. In the late 14th and early 15th centuries, katana blades tended to be between 70 to 73 cm (27.6 to 28.7 in) in length. While during the early 16th century, the average length was closer to 60 cm (23.6 in). By the late 16th century, the average length returned to approximately 73 cm (28.7 in).
The katana was often paired with a similar smaller companion sword, such as a wakizashi There are benefits and limitations to each type of steel. High-carbon steel is harder and able to hold a sharper edge than low-carbon steel but it is more brittle and may break in combat. Having a small amount of carbon will allow the steel to be more malleable, making it able to absorb impacts without breaking but becoming blunt in the process. The makers of a katana take advantage of the best attributes of both kinds of steel. This is accomplished through a number of methods, most commonly by making a U-shaped piece of high-carbon steel (the outer edge) and placing a billet of low-carbon steel (the core) inside the U, then heating and hammering them into a single piece. Some sword-makers use four different pieces (a core, an edge, and two side pieces), and some even use as many as five.
The block of combined steel is heated and hammered over a period of several days, and then it is folded and hammered to squeeze the impurities out. Generally a katana is folded no more than sixteen times, then it is hammered into a basic sword shape. At this stage it is only slightly curved or may have no curve at all. The gentle curvature of a katana is attained by a process of quenching; the sword maker coats the blade with several layers of a wet clay slurry which is a special concoction unique to each sword maker, but generally composed of clay, water, and sometimes ash, grinding stone powder and/or rust. The edge of the blade is coated with a thinner layer than the sides and spine of the sword, then it is heated and then quenched in water (some sword makers use oil to quench the blade). The clay slurry provides heat insulation so that only the blade’s edge will be hardened with quenching and it also causes the blade to curve due to reduced lattice strain along the spine. This process also creates the distinct swerving line down the center of the blade called the hamon which can only be seen after it is polished; each hamon is distinct and serves as a katana forger’s signature.
Japanese Sword Makers - Bookshelf
The Japanese sword
One of the foremost experts on the Japanese sword describes their history andppreciations in this book, with photographs and illustrations.The craft of the Japanese sword
From raw steel to tempered blade, this text presents a visual account of thencient craft of swordmaking as practiced in modern Japan.Black Belt
Modern Sword Period: In this period, swords became illegal in Japan, and sword makers gradually became common blacksmiths. Determining the value of an old ...The Art of Japanese Sword Polishing
The Art of Japanese Sword Polishing is the first book in English to examine in great detail the polisher's techniques-skills it often takes up to ten years of ...Forza the Samurai Sword Workout, Kick Butt and Get Buff with High-Intensity Sword Fighting Moves
Drawing on the popularity of the Kill Bill movies and Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show, Forza The Samurai Sword Workout transforms ancient Japanese sword ...Everyday Articles Directory
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We offer Japanese swords, training tools, Gi,Hakama, Antiques, and Asian art ... Sword Terminology. Care of Sageo © 1996-2011 CET Inc, All Rights Reserved. ...
Paul Chen Hanwei Authentic Japanese Swords at 888 Knives R Us!
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JAPANESE SWORD INTRODUCTION ARTICLE
It is however, the fact that sword makers never considered their swords simply as weapons is what separates Japanese swords from those made in other countries. ...
Katana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The authentic Japanese sword is made from a specialized Japanese steel called " ... Some sword-makers use four different pieces (a core, an edge, and two side ...
SAMURAI SWORD HISTORY PERIODS - MilitaryItems.com
The biggest challenge of the sword maker is to successfully combine two different qualities of metal. ... of the Japanese armed forces was either issued a sword or brought ...