Archive for February, 2007
Setsubun — springtime and demons
The Setsubun festival, which is linked with risshun, the traditional start of spring according to the Japanese lunar calendar, is celebrated on the 3rd and 4th of February every year by the throwing of beans and the driving out of the demons. Setsubun is closely associated with the lunar New Year and, like so many […]
Filed under: culture, eating, festival, history, Japan, Kansai, museum, music, Osaka, personal, philosophy, religion, restaurant, society | 7 Comments
Tags: チャント, リルラ リルハ, bad habits, Chanto, 立春, 節分, demons, Dotombori, Dotonbori, driving out the demons, 道頓堀, 鬼, 豆撒き, karaoke, Kimura Kaela, mamemaki, oni, restaurant, risshun, Setsubun, spring, throwing beans, 木村カエラ
Nara redux redux
On the last day of The Bay Crew’s stay in Kansai, we headed out to Nara to see the Daibutsu at Todaiji. In fact, I think it’s the third time that I’ve been out to see Nara’s Daibutsu, and the Daibutsu and I are becoming old friends. The deer and I are becoming old friends […]
Filed under: architecture, culture, fashion, festival, Japan, Kansai, matsuri, religion, travel | 2 Comments
Tags: Arhat, Binzuru, Buddhism, 着物, 羅漢, Daibutsu, Daibutsuden, deer, deer crackers, 阿羅漢, 鹿, 鹿せんべ, Great Buddha, kimono, nara, Nigatsu-do, Omizutori Matsuri, Pindola Bharadvaja, Rakan, sunset, temple, Todaiji, view, 大仏, 大仏殿, 奈良市, 東大寺, 二月堂
Filed under: Japan, Kansai, personal, photography, scraps and bones, travel | Leave a Comment
Tags: "from the train", 雪, snow, view, winter, 冬
Kyoto miscellany
Filed under: daily life, Japan, Kansai, personal, photography, scraps and bones, travel | 2 Comments
Tags: Kyoto, miscellaneous, photographs, 京都
Kyoto: Templing
After our stay in Tokyo, the Crew and I took the shinkansen down to Kyoto where we stayed for a couple of days. If you’re in Kyoto for two days, and it’s the new year holiday, the thing to do is certainly to go templing. After arriving in Kyoto, checking into the hotel room, and […]
Filed under: culture, history, Japan, Kansai, religion, travel | Leave a Comment
Tags: おみくじ, Buddhism, Chion Temple, Chion-in, 知恩院, 祇園, 神道, dress-up maiko, 舞妓, 舞子, 芸子, 蛸薬師堂, 音羽山清水寺, 観音, fortunes, geiko, Gion, Gion Shrine, healing waters, Higashiyama, Honen, Jishu Shrine, Jishu-jinja, Jodo sect, Jodo shu, kannon, Kiyomizudera, Kyoto, lanterns, love shrine, maiko, octopus temple, omikuji, Otowa-no-taki, Pure Land Buddhism, rabbit, Ryozen Kannon, Ryozen Temple, Ryozen-ji, sacred waterfall, Shinto, Takasebune, Takoyakushido, temples, tempura, Teramachi, Teramachi-dori, Yasaka Shrine, Yasaka-jinja, Year of the Boar, 八坂神社, 寺町通, 御御籤, 東山, 法然, 浄土宗, 京都
Scenes from Lost Tokyo
If this were a film, I would call it Lost Tokyo, or maybe Hidden Bounty of Lost Tokyo. Or maybe Lost Bounty of Hidden Tokyo. But whatever I might call it, there’s no doubt that that’s Jorge up above, standing next to the original Ultraman, who’s currently schilling for pachinko parlors because he lost his […]
Filed under: architecture, culture, daily life, design, drinking, fashion, Japan, personal, photography, scraps and bones, society, travel | Leave a Comment
Tags: Aoyama, ウルトラマン, センター街, camera face, 青山, film, good-luck charms, Harajuku, Harajuku girls, Herzog and de Meuron, hotel room, liquor, Meiji Shrine, Meiji-jingu, Nakameguro, neon, photography, Prada building, referent, scramble crossing, Shibuya, signifier, Sumisho Hotel, sunny weather, Tokyo, trompe l'oiel, Ultra Man, Voigtländer, 原宿, 明治神宮, 東京, 渋谷, 中目黒
