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<title>Thank you for downloading Nihon no Otaku!</title>
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This is a bigger and incomparably better version of an older set, Nihon Mania, that was never even released on my site. As you've probably noticed, it's a Candybar set on a Japanese theme, which someone required a stretch of the imagination. Here's a word about the objects used for each icon:
<p><b>Finder</b>: I offer two new versions of the finder face: manga (戯画) and ukiyo-e (浮世絵).</p>
<p><b>Computer</b>: The <i>original</i> computer!</p>
<p><b>Home</b>: Based on my friends' village house.</p>
<p><b>Documents, clipping, folders</b>: Origami (折り紙) paper and a folded pocket for the folders.</p>
<p><b>Documents folder</b>: Origami paper is sometimes sold in fanned-out packs.</p>
<p><b>System and Classic folders</b>: Japan's current flag and the more ancient Emperor's standard (I know it's still in use, it's just much older).</p>
<p><b>Desktop</b>: A desk all set for calligraphy work!</p>
<p><b>Users</b>: 3 Noh (能面）masks.</p>
<p><b>Applications</b>: fude (筆), the calligraphy brush.</p>
<p><b>Delete</b>: tantou (短剣), the dagger that accompanied all warriors besides their swords.</p>
<p><b>Eject</b>: The background motif comes from a Japanese family crest.</p>
<p><b>Customize</b>: Bonsai basami (鋏), the shears used to "customise" and care for bonsai.</p>
<p><b>Burn</b>: hibachi (火鉢), the brazier.</p>
<p><b>CD, CD-R, DVD, DVD-R</b>: I used tsuba (鍔), sword guards, whose circular shape was appropriate; the simple shape is for CDs, the more elaborate one for DVDs, and the blank version of each is for the recordable devices.</p>
<p><b>Internal HD</b>: Tansu (箪笥), a wooden chest. Obviously the place to store everything else.</p>
<p><b>External HD</b>: Ishidourou (石灯籠), the stone lantern that is erected in gardens. It's external and it's hard...</p>
<p><b>Removeable HD</b>: Inrou (印籠), a medicine purse that was carried around hanging from the belt.(</p>
<p><b>iPod</b>: Wouldn't this baby look wonderful as an inrou? :^)</p>
<p><b>Favorites</b>: Maneki-neko (招き猫), of course!</p>
<p><b>Find</b>: Shikoku, a Japanese dog breed. Fetch!</p>
<p><b>Drop box</b>: Tokkuri (徳利), the sake bottle. After all, everyone pours from it instead of drinking directly from each other's cups...</p>
<p><b>Library</b>: A scroll.</p>
<p><b>Public and Private</b>: The torii (鳥居) is a large archway that marks the entrance to a Shinto shrine. In contrast, Jizou-bosatsu (地蔵菩薩) represents the effigy of the deity, usually hidden within the shrine. Hence the public/private folders.</p>
<p><b>Movies</b>: Classics of Japanese cinema, Kurosawa to be more accurate.</p>
<p><b>Music</b>: Biwa (琵琶), the Japanese lute.</p>
<p><b>Pictures</b>: From a karuta (card) game.</p>
<p><b>Trash</b>: Choose between the Daruma doll (達磨) whose eyes are colored in when the trash is full, or the open/closed kasa (傘)</p>
<p><b>Network and sites folder</b>: Based on an ancient Japanese map.</p>
<p><b>iDisk</b>: Noren (暖簾), an entrance curtain omnipresent in Japan. It consists of two or more flaps of fabric one walks right through, with a design printed over both. </p>
<p><b>Fonts</b>: I'm sure you've guessed it – the Kanji for "character".</p>
<p><b>System preferences</b>: An example of sumi-e (墨絵), ink painting.</p>
<p><b>Icons folder</b>: Double reference, as the icons used literally are Japanese icons.</p>
<p><b>Extra icons just for fun</b>: A happi (半纏) or worker's jacket, a shamisen (三味線), which is a string instrument, an o-mamori (御守), a kind of talisman, a chouchin (提灯) or paper lantern, and a family of koi (鯉), the sacred carps.</p>
<p>I owe much to Nicholas Bornoff's and Michael Freeman's wonderful book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=962593782X/thequillandthebrA/">Things Japanese</a>, without which I couldn't have made it. Special thanks to <a href="http://www.jadering.tk">Jordan Scott</a> for giving me the nudge necessary to take this set to completion.
<br><br><small>Legal stuff: This set may NOT be used, in part or its entirety, for anything other than their intended private use, i.e on a private computer. They can be redistributed by using the .zip file in its integrity, exactly as downloaded.</small></center>
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