Green Tea Break

Nattō

2010-10-29T19:08:00.000-07:00

Nattō (なっとう or 納豆) is a traditional Japanese food made from soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilis. It is popular especially as a breakfast food. Nattō can be an acquired taste because of its powerful smell, strong flavor, and slippery texture. Wanna try some?!

Ainu, First People of Japan

2008-04-12T21:05:00.004-07:00

Ainu, First Peoples of Japan. The Ainu arrived in Japan maybe 14,000 years ago, 10,000 years before the Japanese. They were killed, enslaved and driven off their lands, taking refuge in the northern islands of Japan where they now number less than 25,000.

Japanese Highway on Motorcycle

2008-04-12T21:05:00.001-07:00

Hold on to your helmet!

Fushimi Inari Shrine

2008-03-14T19:37:00.002-07:00

Tokyo Dance Trooper in Shibuya!

2008-03-14T19:37:00.001-07:00

I just had to post it again!

Ukiyo-e

2008-03-14T19:37:00.000-07:00

View of Mount Fuji from Numazu, part of the Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō series by Hiroshige, published 1850

Toshusai Sharaku – Otani Oniji II, dated 1794 .
The Kabuki actor Otani Oniji II in the role of Yakko (manservant) Edobe.

Ukiyo-e (浮世絵), "pictures of the floating world", is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints (or woodcuts) and paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, and the theatre.

Ukiyo, meaning "floating world", refers to the impetuous young culture that bloomed in the urban centers of Edo (modern-day Tokyo), Osaka, and Kyoto that were a world unto themselves. It is an ironic allusion to the homophone term "Sorrowful World" (憂き世), the earthly plane of death and rebirth from which Buddhists sought release.

The art form rose to great popularity in the metropolitan culture of Edo (Tokyo) during the second half of the 17th century, originating with the single-color works of Hishikawa Moronobu in the 1670s. At first, only India ink was used, then some prints were manually colored with a brush, but in the 18th century Suzuki Harunobu developed the technique of polychrome printing to produce nishiki-e.

Ukiyo-e were affordable because they could be mass-produced. They were meant for mainly townsmen, who were generally not wealthy enough to afford an original painting. The original subject of ukiyo-e was city life, in particular activities and scenes from the entertainment district. Beautiful courtesans, bulky sumo wrestlers and popular actors would be portrayed while engaged in appealing activities. Later on landscapes also became popular.

Weather in Tokyo, Japan

2008-03-10T07:08:00.001-07:00

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=tokyo

Weather in Mutsu City, Aomori, Japan

2008-03-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/47576.html

*Be sure to pack a sweatshirt and umbrella!

Japanese Culture

2008-03-02T14:52:00.001-08:00

Sushi Lab

2008-03-02T14:52:00.000-08:00

Japanese Candy

2008-02-28T18:57:00.000-08:00

Yum!

Ready?

2008-02-25T20:34:00.001-08:00

Only 9 more weeks...

田 = Rice Paddy Field

2008-02-25T20:34:00.000-08:00

rice paddy

rice cookers

vending machines selling rice

rice wine

"Do the Cat Wave!"

2008-02-19T19:08:00.002-08:00

Maneki Neko

2008-02-19T19:08:00.001-08:00

The Maneki Neko (招き猫, literally "Beckoning Cat"; also known as Welcoming Cat, Lucky Cat, Money Cat or Fortune Cat) is a common Japanese sculpture, often made of porcelain or ceramic, which is believed to bring good luck to the owner. The sculpture depicts a cat (traditionally a Japanese Bobtail) beckoning with an upright paw, and is usually displayed—many times at the entrance—in shops, restaurants, and other businesses. A raised right paw supposedly attracts money, while a raised left paw attracts customers.

Maneki Neko come in different colors, styles, and degrees of ornateness. In addition to sculptures, Maneki Neko can be found as keychains, piggy banks, air fresheners, and miscellaneous ornaments.

Maneki Neko come in all sorts of colors. While originally the colors may have been simply decorative, different colors are now associated with different attributes.

Tricolor (Calico/Tortie and White): The background is white with random black and orange patches. This coloring is considered especially lucky and is the most popular color for maneki neko. This belief may be related to the rarity of this coloring in the Japanese bobtail cats, after which the Maneki Neko is modeled. Also note that in Japan the colour is called Mi-ke, meaning three-fur.

White: White cats indicate purity and are the second most popular type.

Black: Black Maneki Neko are believed to bring good health and keep away evil. These are especially popular with women as they are supposed to be particularly effective at keeping away stalkers. Like red, they can be associated with good health, but very occasionally.

Red: Red is also a protective color, and is believed to keep away evil spirits and illness.

Gold: Associated with wealth.

Pink: While not a traditional color this color is popular now and is associated with love.

Green: Believed to bring academic achievement.

Japanese legend holds that long ago an emperor was traveling on horseback when he spotted a small cat waving at him. After the emperor dismounted from his horse to get a closer look the horse was struck by lightning and killed. Subsequently, the emperor pronounced that cats in general should be respected as sacred animals and thus was born the legend of the beckoning Maneki Neko. This is just one of several popular tales regarding the origin of Japan’s most famous cat.

Today in Japan you are likely to spot a Maneki Neko figure waving at you from within just about every Japanese place of business. The legendary kitty has been transformed from an emperor saving Samaritan to a bringer of money and good fortune to all Japanese. There are basically three types of Maneki Neko: The first and oldest type is waving a single paw in an effort to attract people to it (just like the emperor’s savior). Another newer version (yet still likely centuries old) is a Maneki Neko waving one paw while holding an old fashioned Japanese coin in the other paw. This second type is thought to bring wealth to its owner. The final type of Maneki Neko is a modern version which waves both paws. Still further variations exist with additional meaning even ascribed to such things as the color and pattern of the coat. Maneki Neko are usually ceramic and are often used as piggy banks. Piggy bank Maneki Neko will have a slot in their back to receive coins and a hole in the bottom for their removal. Many modern Maneki Neko are purely decorative (no piggy bank) and may be made of papier-mache or cloth in addition to the traditional ceramic styles.

Japanese Superstitions

2008-02-19T19:08:00.000-08:00

The number four: The number four is considered inauspicious because it is pronounced the same as the word for death (shi). Therefore, one should not make presents that consist of four pieces, etc. In some hotels and hospitals the room number four is skipped. This superstition is, for obvious reasons, most commonly observed in hospitals. In a maternity ward, the number 43 would be a major faux-pas as it can be pronounced "shi-zan", which also means still-birth. While the number four is associated with death, the number nine is pronounced "ku", the same as the word for pain or suffering. So this number is also considered unlucky.

Death of course means funerals, and traditional Buddhist funerals have certain rites and rituals. The night before the funeral itself, the dead body is laid out with the head facing north. So at home many people will not sleep this way, refreed to as "kita makura".

One aspect of the funeral ceremony is to stick chopsticks into a bowl of rice placed on the altar. For this reason, people will never do this at the dinner table.

Another example is that bone fragments of the cremated body are passed from person to person using chopsticks before being placed in an urn. Again for this reason, when eating people never pass food from one pair of chopsticks to another.

If a funeral car passes you should hide your thumb.

If you cut your nails at night, you will not be with your parents when they die.

Lie down after eating: If you lie down immedeately after eating, you will become a cow.

If you whistle in the night, a snake will come to you.

There are also some imported superstitions such as the believe that black cats crossing the street in front of you cause bad luck.

You'll get bad luck if you talk back to someone talking in their sleep.

If your nose itches, someone that you know will have a baby.

If you sneeze once, you're being spoken of well.

If you sneeze twice, people are saying bad things about you.

The third time, someone loves you, and, finally, the fourth time, you have a cold.

If your ear itches, you'll hear good news.

You will have bad luck if you break a comb, strap of gata, zori, or wooden shoe.

You should always throw salt where a beggar has just been.

If the first person you meet on any given day is a woman, you will have good luck.

If it is a Buddhist priest, be prepared for a bad day.

A good omen is getting a bird dropping on your head.

If you are overtaken by a funeral procession on the street, you will have bad luck.

Avoid badgers whenever possible, because they are evil and mischievous.

In many shrines, temples and souvenir shops, amulets are sold that are supposed to bring luck, safety or good fortune. There are amulets for money, health, love, success on exams, safety on the streets, etc. Small pieces of paper (omikuji) that predict your future are also available. These pieces of paper are tied around the branch of a tree after reading; either to make the good fortune come true or to avoid the predicted bad fortune.

In taxis, there are always girl dolls, to keep away the female ghosts.

Over the fireplace, there is a potholder charm in the shape of the kanji to keep the fire from spreading.

Small charms with kanji on them keep away evil spirits.

A material (paper or wood) wrapped in cloth brings you good luck if you keep it near you at all times.

Hina-matsuri

2008-02-17T19:28:00.000-08:00

The Japanese Doll Festival (雛祭り), or Girls' Day, is held on March 3, the third day of the third month. Platforms with a red hi-mōsen are used to display a set of ornamental dolls representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period.

The top tier holds two dolls representing the Emperor and Empress. The dolls are usually placed in front of a miniature gold folding screen.

The second tier holds three court ladies. Each holds a sake-filler.

The third tier holds five male musicians. Each holds a musical instrument except the singer, who holds a fan.

On the fourth, fifth, and lower tiers display a variety of miniature furniture, tools, carriages. Two ministers may be displayed on the fourth tier: the Right Minister and the Left Minister.

The custom of displaying dolls began during the Heian period. Formerly, people believed the dolls possessed the power to contain bad spirits. Hinamatsuri traces its origins to an ancient Japanese custom called hina-nagashi (lit. "doll floating"), in which straw hina dolls are set afloat on a boat and sent down a river to the sea, supposedly taking troubles or bad spirits with them.

To Keep the Cats Away

2008-02-12T18:58:00.002-08:00

But does it really work?

Seagaia Ocean Dome

2008-02-12T18:58:00.001-08:00

The Seagaia Ocean Dome was the world's largest indoor water park, located in Miyazaki, Japan. The Ocean Dome, which was a part of the Sheraton Seagaia Resort, measures 300 metres in length and 100 metres in width, and was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. It opened in 1993, and visitor numbers peaked in 1995 at 1.25 million a year.

Miyazaki Prefecture

The Ocean Dome sported a fake flame-spitting volcano, artificial sand and the world's largest retractable roof, which provided a permanently blue sky even on a rainy day. The air temperature was always held at around 30 degrees celsius and the water at around 28.
Entrance cost was approximately ¥2600 per adult and ¥1600 for children, depending on the season.

The indoor water park Ocean Dome at Phoenix Seagaia Resort closed on Monday, October 1, 2007.

Japanese Middle Schools

2008-02-12T18:58:00.000-08:00

Secondary Education in Japan is split into middle schools (中学校 chūgakkō), which cover the seventh through ninth years, and high schools (高等学校 kōtōgakkō) which mostly cover years ten through twelve.

Lower-secondary school covers grades seven, eight, and nine—children between the ages of roughly twelve and fifteen—with increased focus on academic studies. Although it is still possible to leave the formal education system after completing lower secondary school and find employment, fewer than 4% did so by the late 1980s.

The teaching force in lower-secondary schools is two-thirds male. Schools are headed by principals, 99% of whom are men. Classes are large, with thirty-eight students per class on average, and each class is assigned a homeroom teacher who doubles as counselor.

Unlike elementary students, middle school students have different teachers for different subjects. The teacher, however, rather than the students, moves to a new room for each fifty-minute period.

All course contents are specified in the Course of Study for Lower-Secondary Schools. Other subjects, such as foreign-language study (usually English) begin at this level. The curriculum covers Japanese language, social studies, mathematics, science, music, fine arts, health, and physical education. All students also are exposed to either industrial arts or homemaking. Moral education and special activities continue to receive attention.

Students also attend mandatory club meetings during school hours, and many also participate in after-school clubs.

Japanese Elementary Schools

2008-02-11T18:50:00.000-08:00

Shōgakkō (小学校) are elementary schools in Japan. More than 99% of Japanese elementary school-age children are enrolled in school. All children enter first grade at age six, and starting school is considered a very important event in a child's life.

Virtually all elementary education takes place in public schools; less than 1% of the schools are private. Private schools tended to be costly, although the rate of cost increases in tuition for these schools had slowed in the 1980s. Some private elementary schools are prestigious, and they serve as a first step to higher-level private schools with which they are affiliated, and thence to a university. Competition to enter some of these "ladder schools" is quite intense.

Although public elementary education is free, some school expenses are borne by parents, for example, school lunches and supplies. For many families, there are also nonschool educational expenses, for extra books, or private lessons, or juku（塾). Such expenses rose throughout the 1980s, reaching an average of 184,000 Yen in FY 1987 for each child. Costs for private elementary schools are substantially higher.

Elementary school classes are large, about thirty-one students per class on average, but higher numbers are permitted. Students are usually organized into small work groups, which have both academic and disciplinary functions. Discipline also is maintained, and a sense of responsibility encouraged, by the use of student monitors and by having the students assume responsibility for the physical appearance of their classroom and school.

Cleaning the school

11 weeks and counting...

2008-02-09T22:05:00.000-08:00

Shinjuku

Capsule Inn Akihabara

2008-02-08T20:03:00.001-08:00

[from http://www.capsuleinn.com/]

A Capsule hotel is a unique style of accommodation in Japan, inspired by the pursuit of efficiency of space and functional comfort, originating from the adaptive, creative spirit of the Japanese mind. A typical Capsule Hotel is composed of two major sections; a public lounge space including bathing, and the other is a private space where the sleeping rooms (capsules) are arranged. The actual sleeping room is a capsule unit made of reinforced plastic and designed in the image of a jet airplane's cockpit. In the capsule unit, all the required amenities are provided; TV, radio, alarm clock, adjustable lighting... almost everything is provided! Every device is within your reach and you can control everything in a sleeping position.For the numerous business people working hard until after midnight and who miss their train, and for all the people coming to Tokyo on a short business trip, or holiday; young and old, men and women, a wide range of people stay at Capsule hotels in Tokyo. The Capsule Inn Akihabara is the best place to learn about the latest in Japanese modern culture, direct from the people staying at our hotel!Everybody that travels to Japan should experience this unique accommodation, at least once! One of the most unique accommodations in the world! Come and visit the Capsule Inn Akihabara.

Cost: about $40

Chinese New Year in Japan

2008-02-06T19:35:00.000-08:00

Only in Japan would CNY celebrations be so organized! I love it!

Dance Vader & Stormtrooper

2008-01-31T19:04:00.001-08:00

I think the Stormtrooper has better rhythm than Darth.

Tokyo Dance Trooper

2008-01-31T19:04:00.000-08:00

Too much! I love it!!

Questions for PASD Junior Ambassadors

2008-01-28T19:18:00.000-08:00

What do you want to see while we're in KYOTO?

Please leave a comment with the top two sites you REALLY want to see in Kyoto. To refresh your memory on each site, refer to the archives. In your comment, be sure to say if your SMS or PAHS; your name isn't necessary (especially your last name).

1. Gion
2. Sanjusangen-do
3. Pontocho Alley
4. Yasaka Shrine
5. Nanzen-ji
6. Ginkaku-ji
7. Kinkaku-ji
8. Ryoan-ji
9. Rushimi
10. Kiyomizu dera

ATTACKED by Deer - Miyajima

2008-01-28T10:54:00.001-08:00

Taiko Drummers at Miyajima Island

2008-01-28T10:54:00.000-08:00

Itsukushima

2008-01-27T19:32:00.000-08:00

Itsukushima (厳島) is an island in the Inland Sea of Japan. It is popularly known as Miyajima (宮島), the Shrine Island. Itsukushima is part of the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture. The island was the town of Miyajima prior to the 2005 merger with Hatsukaichi.

Itsukushima is famous for the Itsukushima Shrine. According to records, the shrine was established in the time of Empress Suiko. The warrior-courtier Taira no Kiyomori gave the shrine its present form. In 1555, Mori Motonari defeated Sue Harukata at the Battle of Miyajima. Toyotomi Hideyoshi built a large building, the Senjō-kaku, on a hill above the shrine.

The island of Itsukushima, including the waters around it (part of Seto Inland Sea), and are within Setonaikai National Park.

Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社) is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima. The Japanese government has designated several buildings and possessions as national treasures.
The shrine dates back to the 6th century, and has been in its present form since 1168 when funds were provided by the warlord Taira no Kiyomori. The shrine's construction, consisting of pier-like structures built over the bay, is due to the holy status that the island once commanded. Commoners were historically not allowed to set foot on the island, and had to approach by boat, entering through the gate that appears to float. Beside the shrine is a noh stage.

Retaining the purity of the shrine is so important that since 1878, no deaths or births were permitted at the shrine. To this day, burials on the island are still forbidden.On September 5, 2004, the shrine was severely damaged by Typhoon Songda. The boardwalks and roof were partially destroyed, leading to its temporary closure.

The dramatic gate (torii) of Itsukushima Shrine is one of Japan's most popular tourist attraction, and the view of the gate in front of the island's Mount Misen is classified as one of the Three Views of Japan (along with the sand bar Amanohashidate, and Matsushima Bay). The gate has existed since 1168, though the current gate dates back to 1875. The gate, built of camphor wood, is about 16 metres high and was built in a four-legged style to provide additional stability.

The Three Views of Japan (日本三景, Nihon sankei) is the canonical list of Japan's most famous sights, somewhat akin to the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The list is usually attributed to scholar Hayashi Razan, who first listed them in 1643. The Three Views are: #1 Matsushima Bay, Miyagi Prefecture; #2 Amanohashidate, Kyoto Prefecture; and #3 Itsukushima, Hiroshima Prefecture.

The gate only appears to be floating at high tide; when the tide is low, the gate is surrounded by mud and can be accessed on foot from the island. It is common practice for visitors to place coins in the cracks of the legs of the gate and make a wish. Gathering shellfish near the gate is also popular at low tide. At night, powerful lights on the shore illuminate the gate.

Itsukushima is mountainous and sparsely settled. It does have an elementary school and a middle school. There are no traffic signals.

Frequent ferry services, operated by JR West (JR Miyajima ferry) and by Miyajima Matsudai Tourist Ship, carry traffic between the island and the mainland. The trip takes about ten minutes. There is an hourly express passenger ferry to Hiroshima harbour.

Miyajima's maple trees are renowned throughout Japan, and blanket the island in crimson in the autumn. Momiji manju, pastries filled with azuki jam or custard, are popular souvenirs, and carry maple-leaf emblems. Many other varieties such as chocolate and cheese are also available. Because the island is sacred, trees may not be cut for lumber. Deer and monkeys roam freely. Deer are considered sacred in the native Shinto religion because they are considered messengers of the gods.

A style of wooden spoon used to serve cooked rice, without impairing the taste, is said to have been invented by a monk who lived on the island. This style of spoon is a popular souvenir and there are some outsized examples around the shopping district.

The peak of Mount Misen, at 535 m, is the highest point on the island. Miyajima Ropeway carries visitors to within a 30-minute hike to the top. There are several sites related to the historical Buddhist priest Kobo Daishi near the top. The island also contains the Miyajima Natural Botanical Garden.

Japanese Festival Food

2008-01-26T21:02:00.001-08:00

Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima

2008-01-23T19:06:00.001-08:00

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park (広島平和記念公園) is a large park in the center of Hiroshima. It is dedicated to the legacy of Hiroshima as the first city in the world to suffer a nuclear attack (August 6, 1945), which led to the death of as many as 140,000 people by the end of 1945.

There are a variety of monuments and buildings in the park, each dedicated to a different aspect of the bombing.

The location of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was once the city’s busiest downtown commercial and residential district. The park was built on open field that was created by the explosion. Today there are a number of memorials and monuments, museums, and lecture halls which draw over a million visitors annually. The annual 6 August Peace Memorial Ceremony, which is sponsored by the city of Hiroshima, is, also, held in the park. The purpose of the Peach Memorial Park and the city Hiroshima not only memorialized atomic victims, but also established the meaning of a memory of nuclear horrors and a world peace.

The A-Bomb Dome is the skeletal ruins of the former Industrial Promotion Hall. It is the building closest to the hypocenter of the nuclear bomb that remained at least partially standing. It was left how it was after the bombing in memory of the casualties. The A-Bomb Dome, which a sense of sacredness and transcendence has been attributed, is situated in a distant ceremonial view that is visible from the Peace Memorial Park’s central cenotaph. It is an officially designated site of memory for the nation’s and humanity’s collectively shared heritage of catastrophe.

Children's Peace Monument is a monyment for peace to commemorate Sadako Sasaki and the thousands of child victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and is located in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The monument was built using monies derived from a fund-raising campaign by Jaanese school children including Sadako's classmates, with the main statue entitled A-bomb Children; the statue was unveiled on the 5th of May, Children's Day in Japan. Sadako is immortalized at the top of the statue, where she holds a crane. Thousands or origami cranes from all over the world are offered around the monument on a daily basis, with ancient Japanse tradition holding that one who folds a thousand cranes can have one wish granted. They serve as a sign that the children who make them and those who visit the statue desire a world without nuclear war, having been tied to the statue by the fact that Sadako died from radion-induced leukemia after folding over a thousand cranes, wishing for world peace. Beneath the main structure lies a bronze crane that works as a wind chime when pushed against a traditional peace bell from which it is suspended, the two pieces having been donated by Nobel Laureate in Physics Hideki Yukawa.

The Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound is a large, grass-covered knoll that contains the ashes of 70,000 unidentified victims of the bomb.

Cenotaph for Korean Victims. Tens of thousands of Koreans are said to have been present in Hiroshima when the attack happened. The monument reads: "Souls of the dead ride to heaven on the backs of turtles." Although Japanese government provided the Korean memorial, its location had been a problem because the memorial stands outside the administrative boundaries of the Peace Park. According to the records, among the 350,000 to 400,000 people who were attacked by the atom bomb or exposed to lethal post-explosion radiation, at least 45,000 were Korean. Approximately 300,000 survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki returned to Korea after liberation with other former colonial subjects. However, only half of survivors are known to live in the Republic of Korea. Many records have vagueness of the Korean dead in their estimates from 5,000 to 50,000 because the racially and ethnically minoritized population has been neglected. The memorial plays an important role as a space of discursive intervention for Japan’s former colonial subjects. The memorial, beautified as it is with Korean national symbols, signifies the victories of Koreans who survived Japanese colonialism, the war, and even the atomic bomb. The Korean memorial concurrently serves as a nationalist icon, embodying the pride and glory of the Republic of Korea.

Memorial Cenotaph. Near the center of the park is a concrete, saddle-shaped monument that covers a Cenotaph holding the names of all of the people killed by the bomb. The Cenotaph carries the epitaph, "Repose ye in Peace, for the error shall not be repeated." Through the monument you can see the Peace Flame and the A-Bomb Dome. Memorial Cenotaph was one of the first memorial monuments built on open field on August 6, 1952. It is built in Shinto style. The arch shape represents a shelter for the souls of the victims.

The Peace Flame is another monument to the victims of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima, but it has an additional symbolic purpose. The flame has burned continously since it was lit in 1964, and will remain lit until all nuclear bombs on the planet are destroyed and the planet is free from the threat of nuclear annihilation.

The Peace Bell stands near the memorial to the A-Bomb Children and consists of a large Japanese bell hanging inside a small open-sided structure. Visitors are encouraged to ring the bell for world peace and the loud and melodious tolling of this bell rings out regularly throughout the Peace Park. The inscriptions on the bell are in Greek, Japanese and Sanskrit. It is translated as "Know yourself." The Greek embassy donated the bell to the Peace Park, and pick out the most appropriate ancient Greek philosophical quote of Socrates.

The Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall is an effort by the Japanese national government to remember and mourn the sacred sacrifice of the atomic bomb victims. It is also an expression of Japan's desire for genuine and lasting peace. The Hall contains a number of displays. On the roof, near the entrance (the museum is underground) is a clock frozen at 8:15, the time the bomb went off. The museum contains a seminar room, library, temporary exhibition area, and victims' information area. Additionally, one of the more stunning areas is The Hall of Remembrance which contains a a 360 degree panorama of the destroyed Hiroshima recreated using 140,000 tiles - the number of people estimated to have died from the bomb by the end of 1945.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is the primary museum in the park dedicated to educating visitors about the bomb. The Museum has exhibits and information covering the build up to war, the role of Hiroshima in the war up to the bombing, and extensive information on the bombing and its effects, along with substantial memorabilia and pictures from the bombing. The building also offers some marvelous views of the Memorial Cenotaph, Peace Flame, and A-Bomb Dome.

Sadako Sasaki

2008-01-23T19:06:00.000-08:00

Sadako Sasaki (January 7, 1943 -- October 25, 1955) was a Japanese girl who lived near Misasa Bridge in Hiroshima, Japan. She was only two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. At the moment of explosion she was at her home, about 1 mile from ground zero. As she grew up, Sadako was a strong, courageous and athletic girl. In 1954, at age eleven, while training for a big race, she became dizzy and fell to the ground. Sadako was diagnosed with leukemia, the "atom bomb disease".Sadako's best friend told her of an old Japanese legend which said that anyone who folds a thousand origami paper cranes would be granted a wish. Sadako hoped that the gods would grant her a wish to get well so that she could run again. However, it was not just for herself that she wished healing. It is said that what made the girl truly special in her effort was her additional wish to end all such suffering, to bring peace and healing to the victims of the world. She spent fourteen months in the hospital, and she folded over 1,300 paper cranes before dying at the age of twelve. She folded the cranes out of her medicine bottle wrappers and any other paper she could find in hopes of getting better. (A popular version of the story, given in Eleanor Coerr's "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes", is that she fell short of her goal of folding 1,000 cranes, having folded only 644 before her death, and that her friends completed the remaining 356 cranes and buried all 1,000 cranes with her.)After her death, her friends and schoolmates published a collection of letters to raise funds to build a memorial to her and all of the children who died from the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. It was also a popular cause for children and others in Japan. In 1958, a statue of Sadako holding a golden crane was unveiled in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. At the foot of the statue is a plaque which reads, "This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world."There is also a statue of her in the Seattle Peace Park. Sadako has become a leading symbol of the impact of a nuclear war. Sadako is a heroine for many young girls.Sadako's story became familiar to many schoolchildren around the world through the novel "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes" by Eleanor Coerr, first published in 1977. Sadako is also briefly mentioned in "Children of the Ashes", Robert Jungk's historical account of the lives of Hiroshima victims and survivors. Her story continues to inspire millions to hope for lasting peace in the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadako_S...

Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Reenactment

2008-01-21T19:08:00.001-08:00

Drinking Kiyo-mizu

2008-01-21T19:08:00.000-08:00

Kiyomizu-dera

2008-01-20T19:32:00.000-08:00

Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera (音羽山清水寺) in Eastern Kyoto is one of the best known sights of the city. The temple dates back to 798, but the present buildings were constructed in 1633.

The temple takes its name from the waterfall within the complex, which runs off the nearby hills. Kiyomizu (清水) literally means pure water, clear water or limpid water is notable for its vast veranda, supported by hundreds of pillars, that juts out over the hillside and offers impressive views of the city.

Kiyomizu commands an exalted spot on a steep hill in eastern Kyoto. The quaint street leading up to the temple is lined with souvenir shops, restaurants and ryokan (Japanese-style inns).

The main hall of Kiyomizudera is notable for its vast veranda, supported by hundreds of wooden pillars, which juts out over the hillside and offers beautiful views of the city.

Beneath the main hall is the waterfall Otowa-no-taki, where three channels of water drop into a pond. Visitors to the temple collect the water, which is believed to have therapeutic properties, from the waterfall in metal cups or commemorative plastic cups. It is said that drinking the water of the three streams confers health, longevity, and success in studies.

The temple complex contains several other shrines, notably Jishu-jinja, dedicated to Okuninushino-Mikoto, a god of love and "good matches". Jishu-jinja possesses a pair of "love stones" placed 18 metres apart, which lonely visitors attempt to walk between with their eyes closed. Success in reaching the other stone, eyes closed, is taken as a presage that the pilgrim will find love. One can be assisted in the crossing, but this is taken to mean that an intermediary will be needed. The person's romantic interest can assist them as well.

The complex also includes all the fixtures of a popular temple, being one of the most-visited attractions of the city: hawkers offering various talismans, incense, and o-mikuji (paper fortunes ranging from "great fortune" to "great ill") abound. The site is particularly popular during festivals (especially New Year's and o-bon in the summer) when additional booths fill the grounds selling traditional holiday foodstuffs, among other things, and the crowds are immense.

The temple is also a particular haven for students wishing the aid of deities in graduation, and is well known for having trees (and backdrops, etc.) covered with paper wishes tied there by the hopeful.

The popular expression "to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu" (「清水の舞台から飛び降りる」) is the Japanese equivalent of the English expression "to take the plunge". This refers to an Edo period tradition that held that, if one were to survive jumping from the stage, one's wish would be granted.

Only in Japan...

2008-01-19T21:50:00.000-08:00

While in Japan, would you DARE????

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Yes or No?

Fushimi Inari Taisha

2008-01-17T19:09:00.003-08:00

Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社) is the head shrine of Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto. It is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Inari, the god of rice, sake, and prosperity. "Fushimi" is simply the location, added to the name to distinguish it from other Inari shrines. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain also named Inari, and includes trails up the mountain to many smaller shrines.

One of Kyoto's oldest (founded in 711 AD) and most revered Shinto shrines, Fushimi Inari serves as the headquarters for all the 40,000 shrines dedicated to Inari across Japan.
Originally the god of rice, Inari now governs the modern equivalent: success and prosperity in business. Fushimi Inari Shrine draws thousands of businessmen and tradespeople seeking blessings for their enterprises, especially at the first prayers of the New Year.

Fushimi Inari is noted for its remarkable sight of some 10,000 small torii (shrine gates) that arch over a long path up the hill behind the shrine. It takes about two hours to walk along the whole trail, and there are nice views of Kyoto from the top. Donated and inscribed by businesses and individuals thankful for their prosperity, the long tunnel of torii is one of the most iconic visions of Kyoto.

Along the hiking trail, small restaurants serve Kitsune Udon ("Fox Udon"), a noodle soup topped with pieces of aburaage (fried tofu), a treat favored by foxes. You can also try Inari sushi, which is fried tofu wrapped around sweetened rice (One of my favorite things to eat!).

At the bottom of the hill are the rōmon (楼門, "main gate") and the Go-Honden (御本殿, "main shrine"). Behind them in the middle of the mountain, the Oku miya (奥宮, "inner shrine") is reachable by a path lined with thousands of torii. To the top of the mountain are tens of thousands of tsuka (塚, "mound") for private worship.

Kitsune holding a key in its mouth, at the main gate of the Fushimi Inari shrine.

If possible, visit Furshimi Inari near dusk — you'll be much more likely to wander alone through the tunnels of torii in the quiet woods, which is a magical experience as daylight fades. Foxes are said to be the messengers of Inari, and stern bronze foxes (kitsune) can be seen throughout the shrine. Inari's foxes are generally considered helpful, but they have also been said to bewitch people.

Ryoan-ji Temple

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Ryoan-ji Temple

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Ryōan-ji (The Temple of the Peaceful Dragon) is a Zen temple located in Kyoto. Belonging to the Myōshinji school of the Rinzai branch of Zen Buddhism, the temple is one of Kyoto's loveliest temples.

The site of the temple was originally a Fujiwara family estate. It eventually came into the hands of the Hosokawa clan branch of the Fujiwaras. Hosokawa Katsumoto inherited the residence, and lived here before the Ōnin War. After Katsumoto's death, he willed the war-ravaged property to be converted into a Zen sect temple complex. Later Hosokawa emperors are grouped together in what are today known as the "Seven Imperial Tombs" at Ryoan-ji. The burial places of these emperors -- Uda, Kazan, Ichijō, Go-Suzaku, Go-Reizei, Go-Sanjō, and Horikawa -- would have been comparatively humble in the period after their deaths. These tombs reached their present state as a result of the 19th century restoration of imperial sepulchers (misasagi) which were ordered by Emperor Meiji.

To many, the temple's name is synonymous with the temple's famous karesansui (dry landscape) rock garden, thought to have been built in the late 1400s. The garden consists of raked gravel and fifteen moss-covered boulders, which are placed so that, when looking at the garden from any angle (other than from above) only fourteen of the boulders are visible at one time.

It is traditionally said that only through attaining enlightenment would one be able to view the fifteenth boulder (Also, if facing the garden from the far right and about 8 feet back a person of about 1.82m (6ft) in height can see all 15 boulders, though the small boulder farthest to the left appears to be part of the much larger boulder immediately next to it).

Ware tada taru wo shiru - I try to be satisfied. I never have ambitions beyond my capacity.

A tsukubai is a small basin provided in Japanese Buddhist temples for visitors to purify themselves by the ritual washing of hands and rinsing of the mouth. This type of ritual cleansing is also the custom for guests attending a Tea ceremony.

Tsukubai are usually of stone, and are often provided with a small scoop, laid across the top, ready for use. A supply of water is provided via a bamboo pipe called a kakei.

Kinkaku - the Golden Pavilion

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The Buzz of Tokyo City Life

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I can't wait to be in the midst of it all again!

Kamo Shrines

2008-01-13T18:39:00.000-08:00

The Kamo Shrines, Kamigamo Jinja (上賀茂神社) and Shimogamo Jinja (下鴨神社) are a pair of Shinto shrines in Kyoto, Japan. They are among the oldest shrines in the country. Both shrines are dedicated to Kamo Wake-ikazuchi, the kami of thunder, and both feature prominently in the Aoi Festival, which occurs in May and involves a procession between the two shrines, horse races, and archery.

Kamigamo Shrine (Upper Kamo Shrine) is the more recently founded of the pair, dating most likely from the 7th century. It is famous for its Haiden (worship hall), rebuilt in 1628. A number of priests' residences are situated on its grounds, and one, the Nishimura House, is open to the public. Kamigamo Shrine is also known as "Kamowakeikazuchi Shrine." Its two large conical sand mounds memorialize the holy trees that once served to welcome spirits.

Shimogamo Shrine (Lower Kamo Shrine), is believed to be 100 years older, dating back to the 6th century. The shrine was later rebuilt to protect the capital city of Heian-kyo (as Kyoto was then called) when it was founded in 794. It has since become one of the key shrines in the area, being associated with prayers to ensure the success of the annual rice harvest.

Shimogamo Shrine is located within Tadasu no Mori (糺の森), 'the forest of truth,' a primeval forest that is supposed to have never been burned or chopped down. The forest has in fact suffered some damage over the centuries, as Kyoto was burned during successive revolts and wars, but its growth has rebounded and is widely considered to be mainly natural, not pruned or planted by human beings. Shimogamo Shrine is also known as "Kamomioya Shrine" (賀茂御祖神社).

Ginkaku-ji Temple

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Ginkaku-ji

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Ginkaku-ji (銀閣寺) the "Temple of the Silver Pavilion," is a Buddhist temple in the Sakyo ward of Kyoto. The official name is Jishō-ji (慈照寺, "Temple of Shining Mercy"). It was built in 1474 by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, who sought to emulate the golden Kinkaku-ji commissioned by his grandfather AshikagA Yoshimitsu.

The Kannon hall is the main building at the temple. It is popularly known as Ginkaku, the Silver Pavilion. There is a popular account: "The intention was to cover it in silver, but due to the increasing severity of the Ōnin War, which broke out several years earlier in 1467, construction was halted, and the silver covering never placed on the pavilion".

However, time-honored trees and great stones which were collected from various places in Japan are used for the temple, thus, cost was spent luxuriously to build the temple. Therefore, it is difficult to consider that only the cost of the silver foil was saved. And, the silver has not been detected at all as for scientific researches done in January 2007. Therefore, the present appearance of the temple is thought as be based on the original intention of Ashikaga Yoshimasa, that is "wabi-sabi". [Wabi-sabi 侘寂) represents a comprehensive Japanese world view or aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete."]

Like Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji was originally built to serve as a place of rest and solitude for the Shogun. During his reign as Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimasa inspired a new outpouring of traditional culture, which came to be known as Higashiyama Bunka, the Culture of the Eastern Mountain. Having retired to the villa, it is said Yoshimasa sat in the pavilion, contemplating the calm and beauty of the gardens as the Ōnin War worsened and Kyoto was burned to the ground. In 1485, Yoshimasa became a Zen Buddhist monk, and after his death the villa became a Buddhist temple, renamed Jishō-ji.

In addition to that building, the temple features wooded grounds covered with a variety of mosses, and a Japanese garden, supposedly designed by the great landscape artist Soami. The rock and sand garden of Ginkaku-ji is particularly famous, and a pile of sand said to symbolize Mount Fuji has now come to be a part of the garden.

Panorama of Nanzen-ji's Rock Garden

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Nanzen-ji

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Nanzenji (南禅寺, or Zuiryusan Nanzenji) is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto. Emperor Kameyama established it in 1291 on the site of his palace, and it became one of the most important Rinzai temples in Japan.

Like the nearby temple of Ginkaku-ji, Nanzenji is a former aristocratic retirement villa that was turned into a temple on the death of its owner.

Emperor Kameyama (1249-1305) built his detached palace here in 1264. He later became a student of the Zen Master Busshin Daimin Kokushi, and he dedicated the palace as a Zen temple in 1291.

Nanzenji went on to become one of the Five Great Zen Temples of Kyoto. As the headquarters of the Nanzenji branch of the Rinzai school of Zen, it is also one of the most important Zen temples in the world. Throughout its history, the abbot of Nanzenji was always chosen as the best Rinzai Zen Master in each period.

Rinzai Zen was introduced to Japan by the Chinese priest Ensai in 1191 and emphasizes the use of koans, paradoxical puzzles or questions that help the practitioner to overcome the normal boundaries of logic.

The 15th-century Onin Civil War demolished the original temple buildings, but some were rebuilt during the 16th century. The temple's large entrance gate (Sanmon) was completed in 1628.

Sanmon Gate

You enter the temple through the Sanmon (Triple Gate), the classic "gateless" gate of Zen Buddhism that symbolizes entrance into the most sacred part of the temple precincts. The grand wooden structure was built in 1628 by Todo Takatora in memory of those who died in the civil war.

Don't miss the statue of Goemon Ishikawa, a Robin Hood-style outlaw of Japan who hid in this gate until his capture. From the top floor of the gate you can view Kyoto spread out below.

Through the gate is the Hojo (Abbots' Quarters), a National Treasure. Inside, sliding doors (fusuma) with impressive 16th-century paintings divide the chambers. These wall panels of the Twenty-Four Paragons of Filial Piety and Hermits were created by Eitoku Kano (1543-90) of the Kano school.

Attached to the Hojo is a Zen garden, known as the "Leaping Tiger Garden." An excellent example of the karesansui style (seen more famously at Ryoanji), the rock-and-gravel garden was created by Kobori Enshu. It has the unusual feature of having its large rocks grouped with clipped azaleas, maples, pines, and moss, all positioned against a plain white wall behind the raked gravel.

Within Nanzen-ji's 27 forested acres is an aqueduct built in 1890 and several other temples, known more for their gardens than for their buildings.

One temple worth visiting if you have time is Nanzen-in, directly behind the aqueduct. Nanzen-in is not as famous as other temples, making it a peaceful place to visit. Once the temporary abode of Emperor Kameyama, Nanzen-in has a mausoleum and a garden that dates from the 14th century; a small creek passes through it. The garden is particularly spectacular with autumn leaves.

Also worth a look is the rarely-visited Konchiin, southwest of the Sanmon gate.

Jidai Matsuri

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The Jidai Matsuri (時代祭, Festival of Eras) is held annually on October 22. The festival commemorates the transfer of the capital to Kyoto in 794 and was first held in 1895.
The Jidai Matsuri is one of Kyoto's renowned three great festivals, with the other two being the Aoi Matsuri, held annually on May 15, and the Gion Matsuri, which is held annually from July 17 to 24.

The festival was originally created to raise Kyoto's morale after the loss of the capital and Imperial Court to Tokyo in 1868. It begins with the mikoshi (portable shrines) of the first and last Kyoto emperors being carried to the Old Imperial Palace, whereafter a procession of approximately 2,000 then embarks on a five hour, 2 km route to the Heian Shrine, led by drums and fife bands. The participants in the procession wear period costumes representing styles from throughout Kyoto's history, beginning with the modernized soldiers of the Meiji era, corresponding with the end of the Kyoto capital in 1868, back to the founding of the capital with characters from the Heian period.

Heian Jingū

2008-01-10T19:20:00.000-08:00

The Heian Jingū (平安神宮) is a Shinto shrine located in Kyoto, Japan. The torii before the main gate is one of the largest in Japan, and the main building, or shaden (社殿), is designed to imitate the Kyoto Imperial Palace.

The Heian Jingū was built in 1895 for the 1,100th anniversary of the establishment of Heiankyō (the old name of Kyoto). The shrine is dedicated to Emperor Kanmu and Emperor Kōmei. The former moved the capital to Heiankyō, and the latter was the last before Emperor Meiji, who moved the capital to Tokyo.

Heian Shrine, located in Okazaki Area, is one of Kyoto's largest and newest shrines. It was intended to help boost the city's morale and economy - both at a low ebb after Tokyo was made capital in 1868.

The Heian Jingū hosts the Jidai Matsuri, one of the three most important festivals of Kyoto. The procession of this festival begins at the old Imperial palace, and includes carrying the mikoshi (portable shrines) of Emperors Kanmu and Kōmei to the Heian Jingū.

Yasaka Shrine Visit

2008-01-09T20:05:00.004-08:00

Yasaka Shrine

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Yasaka Shrine (八坂神社), once called Gion Shrine, is a Shinto shrine in the Gion District of Kyoto. Situated at the east end of Shijō-dōri (Fourth Avenue), it was built originally in 656. The shrine includes several buildings, including gates, a main hall and a stage.

In 869 the mikoshi (portable shrines) of Gion Shrine were paraded through the streets of Kyoto to ward off an epidemic that had hit the city. This was the beginning of the Gion Matsuri, an annual festival which has become world famous.

Today, in addition to hosting the Gion Matsuri, Yasaka Shrine welcomes thousands of people every New Year, for traditional Japanese New Year rituals and celebrations. In April, the crowds pass through the temple on their way to Maruyama Park, a popular hanami (cherry blossom viewing) site. Lanterns decorate the stage with the names of festival sponsors.

Gion

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Gion Kouta

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Maiko Miehina dances and Geiko Fumiyu plays shamisen while visiting Swinton Park during the 2006 festival of Japan.

Gion Kouta - A song made popular in the 1930 film "Gion kouta ehigasa". (The song was actually composed before 1930).

Gion District

2008-01-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

Gion (祇園) is a district of Kyoto, originally developed in the middle ages, in front of Yasaka Shrine. The district was built to accommodate the needs of travelers and visitors to the shrine. It eventually evolved to become one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in all of Japan.

The geisha in the Gion district do not refer to themselves as geisha; instead, Gion geisha use the local term geiko. While the term geisha means "artist," the more direct term geiko means specifically "a woman of art."

This neighborhood in Kyoto has two hanamachi (geiko communities) : Gion Kobu (祇園甲部) and Gion Higashi (祇園東). Despite the considerable decline in the number of geisha in Gion in the last one hundred years, it is still famous for the preservation of forms of traditional architecture and entertainment.

Part of this district has been declared a national historical preservation district. Recently, the City of Kyoto completed a project to restore the streets of Gion, which included such plans as moving all overhead utilities underground as part of the ongoing effort to preserve the original beauty of Gion.

Gion remains dotted with old-style Japanese houses called machiya, which roughly translated means "city house," some of which are ochaya or "tea house." These are traditional establishments where the patrons of Gion -- from the samurai of old to modern-day businessmen -- have been entertained by geiko in an exclusive manner for centuries.
Inside the ochaya is a private and closed world where the evening's entertainment may include cocktails, conversation, and games as well as traditional Japanese music, singing and dancing. To this day, geiko and maiko in full regalia can still be seen in the evenings as they move about through the streets of Gion to and from their various engagements at the ochaya.

There is a popular misconception that Gion was a red-light district. However, as it was a geisha district, and as geisha are entertainers, not prostitutes, Gion is not, and never was, a red-light district.

The geiko of Gion still maintain the annual dances, the most popular being the Miyako Odori, "Cherry Blossom Dances" or "Dances of the Old Capital," staged by the geisha of Gion Kobu. The dances run from April 1 through April 30 each year during the height of the cherry blossom (sakura) season. Spectators from Japan and worldwide attend the events, which range from "cheap" seats on tatami mats on the floor (approximately $15.00 U.S.), to reserved seats with a small tea ceremony beforehand (approximately $40.00 U.S.).

Pontochō Alley

2008-01-07T19:27:00.001-08:00

Pontochō (先斗町) is a district in Kyoto, Japan, known for geisha and home to many geisha houses and traditional tea houses. Like Gion, Pontochō is famous for the preservation of forms of traditional architecture and entertainment.

The name Pontochō is said to be a portmanteau of the English word "point" or the Portuguese word "ponto" (also meaning point) and the Japanese word meaning town, street, or road. The district crest is a stylized water plover or chidori.

Pontochō centres around one long, narrow, cobbled alley running from Shijo-dōri to Sanjo-dōri, one block west of the Kamo River (Kamogawa). This is also the traditional location of the start of kabuki, and a statue of Okuni still stands on the opposite side of the river.

Geisha have existed in Pontochō since at least the 1500s, as have other forms of entertainment. Today the area, lit by traditional lanterns at night, contains a mix of very expensive restaurants—often featuring outdoor riverside dining on wooden patios—geisha houses and tea houses, and cheap eateries.

The area is also home to the Pontochō Kaburenjō Theatre at the Sanjo-dōri end of the street. This theatre functions as a practice hall for geisha and twice a year since the 1870s Kyoto geisha perform the Kamogawa Odori—Kamogawa river dancing, a combination of traditional dance, kabuki-like theatre, singing and the playing of traditional instruments—there, offering a rare chance for ordinary people to see performances by real geisha.

Pontochō is also home to the tiny Tanuki ("Badger") Shrine. In 1978 a fire broke out in Pontochō, taking the life of a geisha. where it stopped, a ceramic tanuki was found shattered by the heat. Believing that Mr. Tanuki has sacrificed himself on their behalf, the residents built this little shrine to house his remains. Throw in a coin and record a message imparts such pearls of wisdom as "beware of fire."

Pontochō is also the location of the geisha house where American anthropologist Liza Dalby apprenticed.

Nijo Castle

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Nijō Castle (二条城), located in Kyoto, is best known for its unusually ornate interiors and so-called nightingale floors. The floors were designed to make bird-like squeaking sounds when walked upon, a warning of possible intruders.

Karamon Gate This Momoyama-period gate has a Chinese-style gable and gold-plated fixtures.

In 1601, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of Tokugawa Shogunate, ordered all the feudal lords in Western Japan to contribute to the construction of the Nijō Castle. The construction was completed during the reign of Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1626. It was built as the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa Shoguns.

The central keep or donjon was struck by lightning and burned to the ground in 1750.
In 1788 the Inner Palace was destroyed by a city-wide fire. The site remained empty until 1862.

Entrance to Palace

The Nijō Castle has two concentric rings of fortifications, both consisting of a wall and a wide moat. There is also a much simpler wall surrounding the Ninomaru Palace. The outer wall has three gates while the inner wall has two. In the southwest corner of the inner wall the are the foundations of a five-storey keep, destroyed by a fire in 1750. The inner walls contain the Honmaru Palace with its garden. Between the two main rings of fortifications are located the Ninomaru Palace, Kitchens, Guard House and several gardens.

The focus of Nijo Castle is the Ninomaru reception rooms, a staggered group of buildings interconnected by covered wooden walkways.

Ninomaru Palace
The 3300 square meter Ninomaru Palace is built almost entirely of Hinoki cypress. The decoration includes lavish quantities of gold leaf and elaborate wood carvings, intended to impress visitors with the power and wealth of the shoguns. The sliding doors and walls of each room are decorated with wall paintings by artists of the Kanō school.

The castle is an excellent example of social control manifested in architectural space. Low-ranking visitors were received in the outer, more gaudy regions of the Ninomaru, whereas high-ranking visitors were shown the more subtle inner chambers. Rather than attempt to conceal the entrances to the rooms for bodyguards (as was done in many castles), the Tokugawas chose to display them prominently. Thus, the construction lent itself to expressing intimidation and power to Edo-period visitors.

The building houses several different reception chambers, offices and the living quarters of the shogun, where only female attendants were allowed. One of the most striking features of Nijō Castle are the "nightingale floors" in the corridors. To protect the occupants from sneak attacks and assassins, the builders constructed the floors of the corridors in such a way as to squeak like birds when anyone walks on them.

Some of the rooms in the castle also contained special doors where the emperor's bodyguard could come out and protect him.

Honmaru Palace
The Honmaru Palace has a surface area of 1600 square meters. The complex has four parts: living quarters, reception and entertainment rooms, entrance halls and kitchen area. The different areas are connected by corridors and courtyards. The architectural style is late Edo period. The palace displays paintings by several famous masters, such as Kanō Eigaku.
The Honmaru Palace was originally known as the Katsura Palace before relocated to the present site and renamed. Originally the palace had 55 buildings, but only a small part was relocated.

Sanjūsangen-dō or Rengeō-in

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Sanjūsangendō (三十三間堂) is a Buddhist temple in Higashiyama District of Kyoto. Officially known as "Rengeō-in"(蓮華王院), Sanjusangendo belongs to and is run by the Myoho-in temple, a part of the Tendai school of Buddhism. The temple name literally means Hall with thirty three spaces between columns, describing the architecture of the long main hall of the temple.

Rengeō-in induces an almost hallucinatory effect on its visitors who, once inside its elongated main hall, find themselves face to face with ranks of nearly identical Kannon (goddess of mercy) images - 1,001 of them to be precise - all glimmering in the dark. The effect is magical, and a bit eerie.

Taira no Kiyomori completed the temple under order of Emperor Go-Shirakawa in 1164. The temple complex suffered a fire in 1249 and only the main hall was rebuilt in 1266. Sanjusangen-do is the longest wooden structure in the world.

The main deity of the temple is Sahasrabhuja-arya-avalokiteśvara or the Thousand Armed Kannon, carved in 1254 by the Kamakura sculptor Tankei (at the age of 82). The sculpture is a National Treasure of Japan. Upon its head are ten other heads, including a miniature image of the Amida Buddha. Stretching out on either side of the main image are 1,000 other smaller images. Kannon was believed to have 33 manifestations, so the faithful would have invoked the mercy of 33,033 Kannons.

The one thousand life-size statues of the Thousand Armed Kannon stand on both the right and left sides of the main statue in 10 rows and 50 columns. Of these, 124 statues are from the original temple, rescued from the fire of 1249, while the remaining 876 statues were constructed in the 13th century. The statues are made of Japanese cypress. Around the 1000 Kannon statues stand 28 statues of guardian deities. There are also two famous statues of Fujin and Raijin.

In January, the temple has an event known as the Rite of the Willow (柳枝のお加持), where worshippers are touched on the head with a sacred willow branch to cure and prevent headaches.

A popular archery tournament known as Tōshiya (通し矢) is also held here on January 15, Coming of Age Day, the same date since the Edo period. The contest is for young women who shoot arrows from one end of the veranda of the main hall to the other.

Kyoto Station

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Kyoto Station (京都駅) is Japan's second-largest train station building (after Nagoya Station) and is one of the country's largest buildings, incorporating a shopping mall, hotel, movie theater, Isetan department store, and several local government facilities under one 15-story roof. It also housed the Kyoto City Air Terminal until August 31, 2002.

Movie Theater

The first Kyoto Station opened for service by decree of Emperor Meiji on February 5, 1877. It was replaced by a newer, Renaissance-inspired facility in 1914, which featured a broad square leading from the station to Shichijo Avenue. Before and during World War II, the square was often used by imperial motorcades when Emperor Showa traveled between Kyoto and Tokyo: the image of Kyoto Station with its giant Rising Sun flags became a well-known image of the imperial era. This station burned to the ground in 1950 and was replaced by a more utilitarian concrete facility in 1952.

The current Kyoto Station opened in 1997, commemorating Kyoto's 1,200th anniversary. It is 70 meters high and 470 meters from east to west, with a total floor area of 238,000 square meters. Architecturally, it exhibits many characteristics of futurism, with a slightly irregular cubic facade of plate glass over a steel frame. The architect was Hiroshi Hara, a Tokyo University professor. His design triumphed in an international competition.

Kyoto, one of the least modern cities in Japan by virtue of its many cultural heritage sites, was largely reluctant to accept such an ambitious structure in the mid-1990s: The station's completion began a wave of new high-rise developments in the city that culminated with the 20-story Kyocera Building. For this, there are opinions criticizing the station design for taking part in breaking down the traditional cityscape.

To the Top of Kyoto Station!

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Tō-ji Temple (東寺)

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Tō-ji Temple, Kyoto

2008-01-04T20:15:00.000-08:00

Tō-ji Temple (Kyō-ō-gokoku-ji, 教王護国寺) is impressive by the sheer weight of its history. Its Buddhas have been watching over the city of Kyoto ever since Kukai founded the temple in 796. The city's religious foundations were laid here, and teh echoes of bygone rituals seem to linger in Tō-ji hallowed halls.

Kukai turned Tō-ji into the main headquarters of Shignon Buddhism. The sect's esoteric rituals relied heavily on mandalas, and in the Kodo (lecture hall), 21 statues form a three-dimensional mandala, at the center of which is Dainichi Nyorai, the cosmic Buddha who first expounded the esoteric teachings. About 1,200 years old, these and other major images were carved from single blocks of wood.

Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of healing, and his attendants Gakko and Nikko, are enshrined in the two-story Kondo (main hall). First built in 796, the present structure dates from 1603 and is considered a masterpiece.

Rebuilt in 1644, Tō-ji 's magnificent five-story pagoda - at 180-feet, the tallest wooden structure in Japan - has become a symbol of Kyoto. Inside are images of four Buddhas and their followers.

Northwest of the Kodo is the Miei-do or Taishi-do (great teacher's hall) where Kukai lived. It houses a Secret Buddha, a Fudo Myo-o image, shown on rare occasions, as well as an image of Kukai. A National Treasure, the graceful structure dates from 1380.

Kukai's death is commemorated on the 21st of each month, when a flew market called Kobo-san by the locals, is held in the temple precincts. Many shoppers take time out for a brief pilgrimage to the Miei-do, where they offer money and incense, some rubbing the incense smoke onto whatever body part is troubling them.

Kyoto

2008-01-03T19:01:00.000-08:00

Kyoto (京都市) is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.

Symbol of Kyoto

Heian-kyō (平安京 "tranquility and peace capital"), became the seat of Japan's imperial court in 794. In the 11th century, the city was renamed Kyoto ("capital city"). Kyoto remained Japan's capital until the transfer of the government to Edo in 1868 at the time of the Imperial Restoration. After Edo was renamed Tokyo (meaning "Eastern Capital"), Kyoto was known for a short time as Saikyō (西京, "Western Capital").

The city suffered extensive destruction in the Ōnin War of 1467-1477, and did not really recover until the mid-16th century. Battles between samurai factions spilled into the streets, and came to involve the court nobility and religious factions as well. Nobles' mansions were transformed into fortresses, deep trenches dug throughout the city for defense and as firebreaks, and numerous buildings burned. The city has not seen such widespread destruction since. Although there was some consideration by the United States of targeting Kyoto with an atomic bomb at the end of World War II, in the end it was decided to remove the city from the list of targets because, as an intellectual center of Japan, it had a population "better able to appreciate the significance of the weapon." The city was spared from conventional bombing as well.

As a result, Kyoto is the only large Japanese city that still has an abundance of prewar buildings, such as the traditional townhouses known as machiya. However, modernization is continually breaking down the traditional Kyoto in favor of newer architecture, such as the Kyoto Station complex.

Kyoto Station

Kyoto became a city designated by government ordinance on September 1, 1956. In 1997, Kyoto hosted the conference that resulted in the protocol on greenhouse gas emissions that bears the city's name.

A common English pronunciation of Kyoto has three syllables as /key-oh-toe/ [kʰi'otəʊ]; however, the Japanese pronunciation has only two: [kʲoːto].

Maiko or Geisha Putting on Face Make-up, Kyoto

2008-01-02T19:11:00.001-08:00

Geisha & Maiko

2008-01-02T19:11:00.000-08:00

Geisha (芸者) or Geiko (芸妓) are traditional, female Japanese entertainers, whose skills include performing various Japanese arts, such as classical music and dance. Contrary to popular western belief, geisha are not prostitutes.

Geisha consists of two kanji, 芸 (gei) meaning "art" and 者 (sha) meaning "person" or "doer". The most direct translation of geisha into English would be "artist" or "performing artist."

Another term used in Japan is geiko, a word from the kyoto dialect. Full-fledged geisha in Kyoto are called geiko. This term is also commonly used in the region to distinguish geisha practiced in traditional arts. True geisha usually have the luxury of a professional aide to help them in the difficult process of dressing; their clothing is made up of several layers of kimono and undergarments, and an obi is more than a simple band of cloth. Dressing could take over an hour, even with professional help.

Apprentice geisha are called maiko. This word is made of the kanji 舞 (mai) meaning "dancing" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". It is the maiko, with her white make-up and elaborate kimono and hairstyle, that has become the stereotype of a "geisha" to westerners, rather than the true geisha.

Tokyo geisha generally do not follow the ritualized Kyoto maiko apprentice process. The training period can be six months to a year - notably shorter than a Kyoto maiko - before she debuts as a full geisha. The trainee is referred to as a han'gyoku (半玉) or "half-jewel", or by the more generic term o-shaku (御酌), lit. "one who pours (alcohol)." On average, Tokyo geisha tend to be older than their Kyoto counterparts, many holding formal degrees from university.

Gion District, Kyoto

Stages of Training

Traditionally, they began their training at a very young age. Although some girls were sold to geisha houses (okiya) as children, this was not common practice in reputable districts. Daughters of geisha were often brought up as geisha themselves, usually as the successor (atotori, meaning heir) or daughter-role (musume-bun) to the okiya.

The first stage of training was called shikomi. When girls first arrived at the okiya, they would be put to work as maids, or do everything they are told. The work was difficult with the intent to "make" and "break" the new girls. The most junior shikomi of the house would have to wait late into the night for the senior geisha to return from engagements, sometimes as late as two or three in the morning. During this stage of training, the shikomi would go to classes at the hanamachi's geisha school. In modern times, this stage still exists, mostly to accustom the girls to the traditional dialect, traditions and dress of the karyūkai.

Once the recruit became proficient with the geisha arts, and passed a final, difficult dance exam, she would be promoted to the second stage of training: minarai. Minarai are relieved from their housekeeping duties. The minarai stage focuses on training in the field. Although minarai attend ozashiki (banquets in which guests are attended by geisha), they do not participate at an advanced level. Their kimono, more elaborate than even a maiko's, are intended to do the talking for them. Minarai can be hired for parties, but are usually uninvited (yet welcomed) guests at parties that their onee-san ("onee-san" meaning "older sister", and is the Minarai's senior) attends. They charge 1/3 hanadai. Minarai generally work closely with a particular tea house (minarai-jaya) learning from the "okaa-san" (proprietor of the house). These techniques are not taught in school, as skills such as conversation and gaming can only be absorbed through practice. This stage lasts only about a month or so.

After a short period of time, the third (and most famous) stage of training began, called maiko. Maiko are apprentice geisha, and this stage can last for years. Maiko learn from their senior geisha mentor and follow them around to all their engagements. The onee-san/imouto-san (junior) relationship is extremely important. Since the onee-san teaches her maiko everything about working in the hanamachi, her teaching is vital. She will teach her proper ways of serving tea, playing shamisen, and dancing, the casual talk of conversation, which is also important for a maiko to learn for future invitations to more teahouses and gatherings. The onee-san will even help pick the maiko's new professional name with kanji or symbols related to her own name. One would suggest that geisha are prone to "flirt," but it is only their nature to seem demure and innocent. Regional variations exist, as the han'gyoku of Tokyo are known for being sassy and the Kyoto maiko are known for being demure.

After a period as short as six months (in Tokyo) or as long as five years (in Kyoto), the maiko is promoted to a full-fledged geisha, and charges full price for her time. Geisha remain as such until they retire.

Modern Geisha

Modern geisha still live in traditional geisha houses called okiya in areas called hanamachi (花街 "flower towns"), particularly during their apprenticeship. Many experienced geisha who are successful enough choose to live independently. The elegant, high-culture world that geisha are a part of is called karyūkai (花柳界 "the flower and willow world").

Young women who wish to become geisha now most often begin their training after completing junior high school or even high school or college, with many women beginning their careers in adulthood. Geisha still study traditional instruments like the shamisen, shakuhachi (bamboo flute), and drums, as well as traditional songs, Japanese traditional dance, tea ceremony, literature and poetry. By watching other geisha, and with the assistance of the owner of the geisha house, apprentices also become skilled in the complex traditions surrounding selecting and wearing kimono, and in dealing with clients.

Kyoto is considered by many to be where the geisha tradition is the strongest today, including Gion Kobu. The geisha in these districts are known as geiko. The Tokyo hanamachi of Shimbashi, Asakusa and Kagurazaka are also well known.

In modern Japan, geisha and maiko are now a rare sight outside hanamachi. In the 1920s there were over 80,000 geisha in Japan, but today there are far fewer. The exact number is unknown to outsiders, and is estimated to be from 1,000 to 2,000, mostly in the resort town of Atami. Most common are sightings of tourists who pay a fee to be dressed up as a maiko. A sluggish economy, declining interest in the traditional arts, the exclusive nature of the flower and willow world, and the expense of being entertained by geisha have all contributed to the tradition's decline.

Geisha are often hired to attend parties and gatherings, traditionally at tea houses (茶屋, ochaya) or at traditional Japanese restaurants (ryōtei). Their time is measured by the time it takes an incense stick to burn, and is called senkōdai (線香代, "incense stick fee") or gyokudai (玉代 "jewel fee"). In Kyoto the terms "ohana" (お花）and "hanadai" (花代), meaning "flower fees", are preferred. The customer makes arrangements through the geisha union office (検番 kenban), which keeps each geisha's schedule and makes her appointments both for entertaining and for training.

Makeup

Today, the traditional make-up of the apprentice geisha is one of their most recognizable characteristics, though established geisha generally only wear full white face makeup characteristic of maiko during special performances.

The traditional makeup of an apprentice geisha features a thick white base with red lipstick and red and black accents around the eyes and eyebrows. Originally the white base mask was made with lead, but after the discovery that it poisoned the skin and caused terrible skin and back problems for the older geisha towards the end of the Meiji Era, it was replaced with rice powder.

The application of makeup is hard to perfect and is a time-consuming process. Makeup is applied before dressing to avoid dirtying the kimono. First, a wax or oil substance, called bintsuke-abura, is applied to the skin. Next, white powder is mixed with water into a paste and applied with a bamboo brush starting from the neck, up. The white makeup covers the face, neck, and chest, with two or three unwhitened areas (forming a "W" or "V" shape, usually a traditional "W" shape) left on the nape, to accentuate this traditionally erotic area, and a line of bare skin around the hairline, which creates the illusion of a mask.

After the foundation layer is applied, a sponge is patted all over the face, throat, chest, the nape and neck to remove excess moisture and to blend the foundation. Next the eyes and eyebrows are drawn in. Traditionally charcoal was used, but today modern cosmetics are used. The eyebrows and edges of the eyes are colored black with a thin charcoal; a maiko also applies red around her eyes.

The lips are filled in using a small brush. The color comes in a small stick, which is melted in water. Crystallized sugar is then added to give the lips lustre. Rarely will a geisha color in both lips fully in the Western style, as white creates optical illusions. The lower lip is colored in partially and the upper lip left white for maiko, and newly full-fledged geisha will color in only the top lip fully. Most geisha wear the top lip colored in fully or stylized, and the bottom lip in a curved stripe that does not follow the shape of the lip.

Maiko who are in their first stage of training will sometimes color their teeth black for a short period of time. This practice used to be common among many different classes of women in Japan, but survives only in some districts, or even families.

For the first three years, a maiko wears this heavy makeup almost constantly. During her initiation the maiko is helped with her makeup by either her onee-san or "older sister" (an experienced geisha who is her mentor) or by the okaa-san or "mother" of her geisha house. After this she applies the makeup herself.

After a maiko has been working for three years, she changes her make-up to a more subdued style. The reason for this is that she has now become mature, and the simpler style shows her own natural beauty. For formal occasions, the mature geisha will still apply white make-up. For geisha over thirty, the heavy white make-up is only worn during special dances which require her to wear make up for her part.

Hairstyles

The hairstyles of geisha have varied through history. In the past, it has been common for women to wear their hair down in some periods, but up in others. During the 17th century, women began putting all their hair up again, and it is during this time that the traditional shimada hairstyle, a type of traditional chignon worn by most established geisha, developed.
There are four major types of the shimada: the taka shimada, a high chignon usually worn by young, single women; the tsubushi shimada, a more flattened chignon generally worn by older women; the uiwata, a chignon that is usually bound up with a piece of colored cotton crepe; and a style that resembles a divided peach, which is worn only by maiko. This is sometimes called "Momoware," or "Split Peach." Additional hairstyles: Ofuku, Katsuyama, Yakko-shimada, and sakko. Maiko of Miyagawa-cho and Pontocho will wear an additional 6 hairstyle leading up to the sakko. Some include: Umemodoki, Osidori no Hina, Kikugasane, and Osafune.
These hairstyles are decorated with elaborate haircombs and hairpins (kanzashi).

In the seventeenth century and after the Meiji Restoration period, hair-combs were large and conspicuous, generally more ornate for higher-class women. Following the Meiji Restoration and into the modern era, smaller and less conspicuous hair-combs became more popular.
Geisha were trained to sleep with their necks on small supports (takamakura), instead of pillows, so they could keep their hairstyle perfect. To reinforce this habit, their mentors would pour rice around the base of the support. If the geisha's head rolled off the support while she slept, rice would stick to the pomade in her hair. The geisha would thus have to repeat the tiresome process of having her hair elaborately styled. Without this happening, a geisha will have her hair styled every week or so.

Many modern geisha use wigs in their professional lives, while maiko use their natural hair. However, either one must be regularly tended by highly skilled artisans. Traditional hairstyling is a slowly dying art. One reason for this is that the hairstyle over time, can cause balding on the top of the head.

A Japanese Shrine on New Year's Day

2008-01-01T12:40:00.001-08:00

Japanese New Year

2008-01-01T12:40:00.000-08:00

The Japanese celebrate New Year's Day on January 1 each year. Before 1873, the date of the Japanese New Year (正月) was based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar and celebrated at the beginning of Spring, just as the contemporary Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese New Years are celebrated to this day. However, in 1873, five years after the Meiji Restoration, Japan adopted the Catholic Gregorian calendar, so the first day of January is the official New Year's Day in modern Japan. It is considered by most Japanese to be one of the most important annual festivals and has been celebrated for centuries with its own unique customs.

Osechi-ryōri
Japanese people eat a special selection of dishes during the New Year celebration called osechi-ryōri, typically shortened to osechi. A popular soup is ozōni, consisting of miso, boiled kelp), fish cakes, mashed sweet potato with chestnut, simmered burdock root, and sweetened black soybeans. Many of these dishes are sweet, sour, or dried, so they can keep without refrigeration — the culinary traditions date to a time before households had refrigerators, when most stores closed for the holidays. There are many variations of osechi, and some foods eaten in one region are not eaten in other places (or are even banned) on New Year's Day. Today, sashimi and sushi are often eaten, as well as non-Japanese foods. To let the overworked stomach rest, seven-herb rice soup is prepared on the seventh day of January, a day known as jinjitsu.

Nengajō
The end of December and the beginning of January are the busiest times for the Japanese post offices. The Japanese have a custom of sending New Year's Day postcards (年賀状, nengajō) to their friends and relatives. It is similar to the Western custom of sending Christmas cards. Japanese people send these postcards so that they arrive on the 1st of January. The post office guarantees to deliver the greeting postcards by the first of January if they are posted within a time limit, from mid-December to near the end of the month and are marked with the word nengajō.

It is customary not to send these postcards when one has had a death in the family during the year. In this case, a simple postcard is sent instead to inform friends and relatives that they should not send joyful New Year's cards, in order to show respect for the deceased.
People get their nengajō from many sources. Stationers sell preprinted cards. Most of these have the Chinese zodiac sign of the New Year as their design, or conventional greetings, or both. The Chinese zodiac has a cycle of 12 years. Each year is represented by an animal. The animals are, in order: mouse, cow, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and boar. Even with the rise in popularity of email, the nengajō remains very popular in Japan.

Otoshidama
On New Year's Day, Japanese people have a custom of giving pocket money to children, which is a custom from China. This is known as otoshidama (お年玉). It is handed out in small decorated envelopes called pochibukuro, descendants of the Chinese red packets.

Mochi
Another custom is creating rice cakes (餅, mochi). Boiled sticky rice is put in to a wooden shallow bucket-like container and patted with water by one person while another person hits it with a large wooden hammer. By mashing the rice, it gets sticky and forms a sticky white dumpling. This is made before New Year's Day and eaten during the beginning of January.
Mochi is also made into a New Year's decoration called kagami mochi (鏡餅), formed from two round cakes of mochi with a bitter orange (daidai) placed on top. The name daidai is supposed to be auspicious since it means "several generations."

Ojizō-sama

2007-12-30T20:13:00.000-08:00

Kṣitigarbha, known by the Japanese name Jizō (地蔵) or the Mandarin Chinese name Dizang (地藏 Dìzàng), is a popular Mahayana Buddhist Bodhisattva, usually depicted as a Buddhist monk in East Asia. The name Jizō may be translated as "Earth Treasury", "Earth Store", "Earth Matrix", or "Earth Womb."

Kṣitigarbha is often referred to, because of his vow not to achieve Buddhahood until all hells are emptied, as the bodhisattva of the hell beings. His famous vow recited by many Buddhists is "Not until the hells are emptied will I become a Buddha; Not until all beings are saved will I certify to Bodhi."

In Japan, Jizō, or Ojizō-sama as he is respectfully known, is one of the most loved of all Japanese divinities. His statues are a common sight, especially by roadsides and in graveyards. Traditionally, he is seen as the guardian of children, particularly children who died before their parents. Since the 1980s, the tendency developed in which he was worshipped as the guardian of the souls of mizuko, the souls of stillborn, miscarried fetuses. In Japanese mythology, it is said that the souls of children who die before their parents are unable to cross the mythical Sanzu River on their way to the afterlife because they have not had the chance to accumulate enough good deeds and because they have made the parents suffer. It is believed that Jizō saves these souls from having to pile stones eternally on the bank of the river as penance, by hiding them from demons in his robe, and letting them hear mantras.

Jizō statues are usually accompanied by a little pile of stones and pebbles, put there by people in the hope that it would shorten the time children have to suffer in the underworld (the act is derived from the tradition of building stupas as an act of merit-making) . The statues can sometimes be seen wearing tiny children's clothing or bibs, or with toys, put there by grieving parents to help their lost ones and hoping that Jizō would specially protect them. Sometimes the offerings are put there by parents to thank Jizō for saving their children from a serious illness. Jizō's features are also commonly made more babylike in order to resemble the children he protects.

As he is seen as the saviour of souls who have to suffer in the underworld, his statues are common in cemeteries. He is also believed to be the protective deity of travellers, and roadside statues of Jizō are a common sight in Japan. Firefighters are also believed to be under the protection of Jizō.

Jizo Crossing

2007-12-30T12:18:00.000-08:00

Climbing Fuji-san

2007-12-27T18:23:00.001-08:00

About the video

Video diary of climbing Mount Fuji July 2007. haha, super dramatic, but it was damn hard!!By the way... the back story on this is:I climbed Fuji with my family when I was 11. At one point I looked up and saw how much was left and decided I couldn't make it. So my father put me in a sleeping bag under a signpost and said, "wait here till we get back." I've regretted that decision ever since and vowed that I would someday conquer Fuji-san!

Fuji-san

2007-12-27T18:23:00.000-08:00

Mount Fuji (富士山), is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776 m (12,388 ft). A dormant volcano that last erupted in 1707, it straddles the boundary of Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures just west of Tokyo, from which it can be seen on a clear day. It is located near the Pacific coast of central Honshū. Three small cities surround it, they are: Gotemba (East), Fuji-Yoshida (North) and Fujinomiya (Southwest).

Mt. Fuji is surrounded by five lakes: Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Yamanaka, Lake Sai, Lake Motosu and Lake Shoji. They, and nearby Lake Ashi, provide excellent views of the mountain. It is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. It is also an active stratovolcano.

It is thought that the first ascent was in 663 by an anonymous monk. The summit has been thought of sacred since ancient times and was forbidden to women until the Meiji Era.
The first ascent by a foreigner was by Sir Rutherford Alcock in 1860. Today, it is a popular tourist destination and common destination for mountain-climbing.

Mount Fuji is an attractive volcanic cone and a frequent subject of Japanese art. The most renowned work is Ukiyo-e painter Hokusai's masterpiece 36 Views of Mount Fuji. It is also mentioned in Japanese literature throughout the ages and the subject of many poems.

2nd in Series, Red Fuji

Mt. Fuji in Clear Weather

Mt. Fuji also houses a warrior tradition: ancient samurai used the base of the mountain as a remote training area, near the present day town of Gotemba. The shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo held yabusame in the area in the early Kamakura period. As of 2006, the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the United States Marine Corps operate military bases near Mount Fuji.

The most popular period for people to hike up Mt. Fuji is from 1 July to 27 August, while huts and other facilities are operating. It is also possible to ride a mountain bike down Mt. Fuji from the summit, making for a particularly quick descent, (though it is particularly risky, as it becomes difficult to control speed, and there are often a large number of people on the descending trail).

An estimated 200,000 people climb Mount Fuji every year, 30% of whom are foreigners. The ascent can take anywhere between three and eight hours while the descent can take from two to five hours. The hike is divided into 10 stations, and there are paved roads up to the fifth station, which is about 2,300 meters above sea level. Huts at this station are not usually manned at night for climbers.

There are eight peaks around the crater at the summit. The highest point in Japan is where there used to be the Mount Fuji Radar System. Climbers are able to visit these peaks.

Aokigahara is a forest that lies at the base of the mountain. A very popular myth states that the magnetic iron deposits underground causes compasses to hopelessly malfunction causing travellers to get lost. However this myth is partially false. Japan's Self Defence Force and the US Military regularly run training practices through portions of the forest, during which military grade lensatic compasses have been verified to function properly. However the magnetic fields generated by iron deposits in the forest floor generally cause problems with commercially available compasses - it causes them to have a consistent false reading of south as north. Nevertheless, vehicles, GPS equipment, and other electronic devices function properly regardless.

The caverns found in the Aokigahara forest contain ice even during summer. Legends tell of monsters, ghosts, and goblins haunting the forest, adding to its sinister reputation.

A few reasons why I love Japan

2007-12-26T20:19:00.002-08:00

Japanese kids!

Ginza, 1964

Eating a snack

Tokyo Subway

Orderly lines for the train

Mamas with their children

Intro to Japanese

2007-12-26T20:19:00.001-08:00

Introductions

2007-12-26T20:19:00.000-08:00

Osorezan

2007-12-25T19:36:00.001-08:00

[From The Japan Times]
Friday, Dec. 22, 2006

OSOREZAN
Mountain of dread

By CHRIS BAMFORTH

The Hakkakudo (Octagonal Hall) is one of the most distinctive of Bodaiji temple's structures.

The stench of sulfur hits you long before you get off the bus. And when you do step off, it hits you all the stronger. Before you stretch the sickly, yellow-green waters of a caldera lake, whose acidity has expunged all fish life except for one hardy species (ugei or big-scaled redfin). Signs everywhere warn of the danger of poisonous mamushi pit vipers. Even at the height of the Japanese summer, the air is curiously silent, with none of the clamorous abundance of the insect life ubiquitous to Japan. The only sound is that of the raucous, ill-tempered crows that obviously have an affinity for the spot. Death seems to be built into the very fabric of things at Osorezan.

Some places have a peculiar, uneasy air about them. They provoke the sensation that things are not quite right. And that's certainly true of this place. Visitors wanting a taste of a Japan far removed from the genteel, familiar temples and festivals will not be disappointed by Osorezan and its unsettling lunar landscape.

Mystical power

Lake Usoriyama

Located at the end of hatchet-shaped Shimokita Peninsula, stretching north toward Hokkaido at the northern tip of Aomori Prefecture, Osorezan is a place that since ancient times has been venerated because of its mystical power. The lake -- Usoriyama -- still bears the Usori name by which the area was known to the Ainu. This was later phonetically altered to provide the Japanese pronunciation and etymology -- Osorezan, the mountain of dread. After Buddhism was introduced to Japan, the religion worked its way north, and when it came to Osorezan, the Buddhist cosmology was projected onto this desolate volcanic landscape of sulfur-stained rock.

Here, among the features marked on the map of Osorezan's temple, called Bodaiji, over an area of several hectares are such doleful-sounding spots as the Lake of Blood, half a dozen different hells, the Mountain of Swords and the Dry Bed of the River of Souls (Sai no Kawara) -- the desiccated river that divides the worlds of the living and dead. Slightly more cheery is the Beach of Pa-radise (Gokurakuhama) on the shores of Lake Usoriyama.

Statues of the protective bodhisattva Jizo are seen everywhere at Osorezan.

The names may sound like lurid attractions at some awful theme park, but there's no getting away from the dispiriting atmosphere that hangs over Osorezan. It is Sai no Kawara that gets perhaps the most visitor attention. With its boundary function, Sai no Kawara is often referred to as a Buddhist River Styx, but it also has the aspects of limbo. It is to this grim realm that children who predecease their parents -- and are thus unable to repay those parents for having giving birth to them -- are condemned. As penance, they are obliged to build up stone cairns, only to have foul demons with an attitude problem come along and smash them apart -- and, for good measure, tormenting the little souls with fond memories of the happiness they knew as living children. Sole protector of the children is the bodhisattva Jizo -- he of the red bib and cap and whose stone figures are seen everywhere around Japan -- driving the demons away.

Jizo images are a common sight at Osorezan, as are cairns built by visitors. Upon the cairns are often placed offerings of coins, which become blackened by the sulfurous vapors expelled by numerous volcanic vents. Many of the visitors who add to the cairns are the unfortunate ones who have lost their own young children. However one may feel about Buddhism and the afterlife, it is hard not to be moved by the presents left here -- the chocolates, plastic pinwheels, candy and small toys representing life's small pleasures, which these children will never know again. Many offerings are also made at Gokurakuhama. As well as the small cairns, along the lakeshore can be seen such items as flowers, pinwheels stuck into the soft sand and straw sandals, the latter being given to Jizo to protect his feet as he walks across the sharp rocks of Sai no Kawara. At Gokurakuhama, visitors come and perform their own small ceremonies, often done matter-of-factly. A typical one will have the visitors approach, burn incense, set flowers upon the sand, open the can of beer and onigiri they have brought along and set them by the lakeshore. They clasp their hands in prayer, call out to the departed across the lake and, the incense still burning, make their way back. What the dead can't manage of the onigiri, the crows gladly come and finish off.

Blind mediums

Cairns built by visitors on the dry bed of the River of Souls

A couple of times a year during Osorezan festivals, the living who seek direct contact with the departed can do so through the blind mediums known as itako. Though often referred to as shamans, itako are not shamans in that they do not have any supernatural calling and do not experience any shamanistic possession. Instead, itako were traditionally born into the job through their visual impairment. Clutching and rubbing long black rosaries of soapberries, to which are often festooned such objects as old coins and the teeth, claws and bones of wild animals, the itako chant and deliver their messages from the spirit world to their paying customers. If you listen long enough, you do notice that the itako seem to work within a certain repertoire: The spirits of a grandfather or a child tend to say similar sorts of things to different people. But that is clearly no problem for the customers, many of whom queue for hours for the itako and afterward are quite visibly affected after their communications with the dead.

Itako Huts

Misty bridge
On the approach to Bodaiji stands one structure that, apparently, all of us will encounter sooner or later -- a small, arched, vermilion bridge that the newly deceased have to cross. For the person who has led a virtuous life, finding and crossing the bridge will be comparatively easy. But those who fail to observe Google's wise dictum of doing no evil will hardly be able to discern the bridge: It will appear to them as nothing but the slightest hint of mist.

むつ市

2007-12-25T19:36:00.000-08:00

Mutsu (むつ市) is a city located in Aomori in Tohoku region of Japan.

As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 49,217.

The city was founded as Ōminatotanabu-shi on September 1, 1959, from the merger of the two towns, Ōminato (大湊) and Tanabu (田名部). The city was renamed to Mutsu on August 1, 1960.

The city is the economic and administrative center of Shimokita Peninsula, the northeast end of Honshū island. The city was originally called Ōminato-Tanabu (coupling of the names of two antecedent towns), but the name was changed to Mutsu in 1960. It is the first city with a hiragana name (むつ), which was adopted to avoid confusion with the original kanji word Mutsu (陸奥) which indicates an old province covering a large area of the Tohoku region.

It had a naval base until World War II.

The city is also the location for various facilities of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency. Additionally, Mutsu is the port for the Mutsu research vessel, which was one of the few nuclear powered commercial ships when it still had a reactor.

Sushi ya

2007-12-23T12:45:00.001-08:00

Sushi

2007-12-23T12:45:00.000-08:00

Sushi (寿司, 鮨, 鮓) is a food made of vinegared rice, usually topped with other ingredients including fish (cooked or uncooked) and vegetables. The original word written in kanji, means "snack" and refers to the rice, not the fish or other toppings.

fatty tuna belly

sushi

There are various types of sushi: sushi served rolled inside nori (dried and pressed layer sheets of seaweed or alga) called makizushi (巻き) or rolls; sushi made with toppings laid with hand-formed clumps of rice called nigirizushi (にぎり); toppings stuffed into a small pouch of fried tofu called inarizushi; and toppings served scattered over a bowl of sushi rice called chirashi-zushi (ちらし).

1. Nigiri-zushi (握り寿司, "hand-formed sushi").

This is the most typical form of sushi in restaurants. It consists of an oblong mound of sushi rice that is pressed between the palms of the hands, with a speck of wasabi and a slice of topping called neta draped over it. This is possibly bound with a thin band of nori, and is often served in pairs.

Gunkan-maki (軍艦巻, "warship roll") is a special type of nigiri-zushi: an oval, hand-formed clump of sushi rice that has a strip of nori wrapped around its perimeter to form a vessel that is filled in with topping(s). The topping is typically some soft, loose or fine-chopped ingredient that requires the confinement of nori such as roe, natto, oysters, and quail eggs.

2. Makizushi (巻き寿司, "rolled sushi").

Makizushi is a cylindrical piece, formed with the help of a bamboo mat. Makizushi is generally wrapped in nori, but can occasionally be found wrapped in a thin omelette, sesame seeds, cucumber, or parsley. Makizushi is usually cut into six or eight pieces, which constitutes an order. Here are some common types of makizushi, but many other kinds exist.

Futomaki (太巻き, "large or fat rolls") is a large cylindrical piece, with nori on the outside. A typical futomaki is three or four centimeters (1.5 in) in diameter. They are often made with two or three fillings that are chosen for their complementary tastes and colors. Futomaki is generally vegetarian, but may include toppings such as tiny fish eggs.

Hosomaki (細巻き, "thin rolls")is a small cylindrical piece, with the nori on the outside. A typical hosomaki has a diameter of about two centimeters (0.75 in). They generally contain only one filling, often tuna, cucumber, kanpyō, thinly sliced carrots, or, more recently, avocado. Kappamaki, (河童巻き) a kind of Hosomaki filled with cucumber, is named after the Japanese legendary water imp fond of cucumbers called the kappa. Traditionally, Kappamaki is consumed to clear the palate between eating raw fish and other kinds of food, so that the flavors of the fish are distinct from the tastes of other foods.

Tekkamaki (鉄火巻き) is a kind of Hosomaki filled with raw tuna. Although some believe that the name "Tekka", meaning 'red hot iron', alludes to the color of the tuna flesh, it actually originated as a quick snack to eat in gambling dens called "Tekkaba (鉄火場)", much like the sandwich.

Uramaki (裏巻き, "inside-out rolls") is a medium-sized cylindrical piece, with two or more fillings. Uramaki differs from other maki because the rice is on the outside and the nori inside. The filling is in the center surrounded by nori, then a layer of rice, and an outer coating of some other ingredients such as roe or toasted sesame seeds. It can be made with different fillings such as tuna, crab meat, avocado, mayonnaise, cucumber, carrots. This is typically thought of as an invention to suit the American palate, and is not commonly seen in Japan. The increasing popularity of sushi in North America, as well as around the world, has resulted in numerous kinds of uramaki and regional off-shoots being created, such as the California roll.

Temaki (手巻き, "hand rolls") is a large cone-shaped piece of nori on the outside and the ingredients spilling out the wide end. A typical temaki is about ten centimeters (4 in) long, and is eaten with fingers because it is too awkward to pick it up with chopsticks. For optimal taste and texture, Temaki must be eaten quickly after being made because the nori cone soon absorbs moisture from the filling and loses its crispness and becomes somewhat difficult to bite.

Inari-zushi (稲荷寿司, "stuffed sushi") is a pouch of fried tofu filled with usually just sushi rice. It is named after the Shinto god Inari, who is believed to have a fondness for fried tofu.

3. Oshizushi (押し寿司, "pressed sushi") is a block-shaped piece formed using a wooden mold, called an oshibako. The chef lines the bottom of the oshibako with the toppings, covers them with sushi rice, and then presses the lid of the mold down to create a compact, rectilinear block. The block is removed from the mold and then cut into bite-sized pieces.

4. Chirashizushi (ちらし寿司, "scattered sushi") is a bowl of sushi rice with other ingredients mixed in (also refers to barazushi). It is commonly eaten in Japan because it is filling, fast and easy to make. Chirashizushi most often varies regionally because it is eaten annually as a part of the Doll Festival, celebrated only during March in Japan.

5. Narezushi (熟れ寿司, "matured sushi") is an older form of sushi. Skinned and gutted fish are stuffed with salt, placed in a wooden barrel, doused with salt again, and then weighed down with a heavy tsukemonoishi (pickling stone). They are supposedly salted for ten days to a month, then placed in water for 15 minutes to an hour. They are then placed in another barrel, sandwiched, and layered with cooled steamed rice and fish. Then the mixture is again partially sealed with otoshibuta and a pickling stone. As days pass, water seeps out, which must be removed. Six months later, this funazushi can be eaten, and remains edible for another six months or more.

6. Temarizushi are ball-shaped sushi made by pressing rice and fish into a ball-shaped form by hand using a plastic wrap. They are quite easy to make and thus a good starting point for beginners.

How Much for One Melon?!?!

2007-12-21T20:30:00.000-08:00

US$1 = 113 JPY

That's about $45 for one canteloupe! Wow.

Sashimi

2007-12-21T13:05:00.000-08:00

Sashimi (刺身) is a Japanese delicacy primarily consisting of very fresh raw seafoods, sliced into thin pieces and served with only a dipping sauce (soy sauce with wasabi paste and thin-sliced ginger root or ponzu), and a simple garnish such as shiso and shredded daikon radish.

The word sashimi means "pierced body."

Sashimi often is the first course in a formal Japanese meal, but can also be the main course, presented with rice and Miso soup in separate bowls. Many Japanese people believe that sashimi, traditionally considered the finest dish in Japanese cuisine, should be eaten before other strong flavors affect the palate.

Salmon Rose

A reputed motivation for serving wasabi with sashimi (and also gari, pickled ginger), besides its flavor, is killing harmful bacteria and parasites that could be present in raw seafood.

Lunch at the Tsukiji Fish Market

"Chopsticks Master"

2007-12-21T05:33:00.001-08:00

This was a project that the 2 younger kids made for their English school in Japan. Enjoy!!

How to Use Chopsticks

2007-12-21T05:33:00.000-08:00

Practice makes perfect!!

Nihon Ryōri, 日本料理

2007-12-18T18:57:00.000-08:00

Japanese cuisine as a national cuisine has evolved over the centuries from many political and social changes. The modern term "Japanese cuisine" (nihon ryōri, 日本料理) means traditional-style Japanese food.

Japanese cuisine is known for its emphasis on seasonality of food, quality of ingredients and presentation. Japanese cuisine is based on combining staple foods, typically rice or noodles, with a soup and okazu - dishes made from fish, meat, vegetable, and tofu to add flavor to the staple food. These are typically flavored with dashi (kelp), miso, and soy sauce and are usually low in fat and high in salt.

Miso-shiru

Miso is a traditional Japanese food produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and the mold kōjikin. The most typical miso is made with soy. The typical result is a thick paste used for sauces and spreads, pickling vegetables or meats, and mixing with dashi soup stock to serve as miso soup called Miso-shiru, a Japanese culinary staple. High in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals, miso plays an important nutritional role. Miso is still very widely used in Japan, both in traditional and modern cooking, and has been gaining world-wide interest. Miso is typically salty, but its flavor and aroma depend on various factors. Different varieties of miso have been described as salty, sweet, earthy, fruity, and savoury, and there is an extremely wide variety of miso available.

Tamago kake gohan (left), Tsukemono and Miso-shiru (miso soup)

A standard Japanese meal generally consists of several different okazu accompanying a bowl of cooked gohan (white Japanese rice), a bowl of soup and some tsukemono (pickles). The most standard meal comprises three okazu and is termed ichijū-sansai ("one soup, three sides"). Different cooking techniques are applied to each of the three okazu; they may be raw (sashimi), grilled, simmered (sometimes called boiled), steamed, deep-fried, vinegared, or dressed.

sashimi

As an island nation, Japanese eat a lot of seafood.

Noodles are an essential part of Japanese cuisine usually as an alternative to a rice-based meal. Soba (thin, grayish-brown noodles containing buckwheat flour) and udon (thick wheat noodles) are the main traditional noodles and are served hot or cold with soy-dashi flavorings. Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat stock broth known as ramen have become extremely popular over the last century.

Shimokita Peninsula

2007-12-18T13:56:00.000-08:00

The Shimokita Peninsula (下北半島) is the remote northeastern cape of the Japanese island of Honshū, stretching out towards Hokkaidō. The area is a part of Aomori Prefecture. Shaped like an axe pointing west, the peninsula has a thin "axe handle" connecting the mountainous "axe blade" to the mainland. The coasts maintain a thin scattering of population but the interior is practically uninhabited.

Shimokita is best known as the site of Mount Osore, the mythical Japanese location of the entrance to Hell. The lush Yagen Valley, known for its hot springs, is also located in Shimokita, as is Hotoke-ga-ura, wind-carved cliffs said to resemble Buddhas.

The Hotoke-ga-ura (仏ヶ浦) are a series of rock formations naturally carved from the cliffs in village of Sai on the west coast of the Shimokita Peninsula. Said to resemble Buddhas, the unusually shaped pillars of rock are a tourist attraction for visitors to this remote part of Japan.

Hotoke-ga-ura

Yagen Valley

Food!

2007-12-17T21:58:00.000-08:00

This one is useful for those who haven't experienced a lot of Japanese food.

And this commercial is pretty funny!

Aomori Prefecture

2007-12-16T18:37:00.002-08:00

Aomori Prefecture is the northernmost prefecture on Honshū and faces Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait. It borders Akita and Iwate Prefectures in the south. The Shimokita and Tsugaru Peninsulas enclose Mutsu Bay. Between those peninsulas lies the Natsudomari Peninsula, the northern end of the Ōu Mountains. The three peninsulas are prominently visible in the prefecture's symbol, a stylized map.

Symbol of Aomori Prefecture

Lake Towada, a crater lake, straddles Aomori's boundary with Akita Prefecture.

Ten cities located in Aomori Prefecture:
Aomori (capital)
Goshogawara
Hachinohe
Hirakawa
Hirosaki
Kuroishi
Misawa
* Mutsu *
Towada
Tsugaru

Mt. Osorezan

2007-12-16T18:37:00.001-08:00

[About the video from the filmmaker...]

Eerie. Sulfuric. Hissing. A few of the words used in our travel guide, and more intriguing than those of a typical Japanese destination. We headed north to the Aomori prefecture to witness these curious adjectives first hand.

Once in Mutsu, we boarded the local bus to Mt. Osorezen. The road up the mountain proved scenic. Subtly, quietly, slow chanting was piped through the buses intercom, electronic ghosts in the crackling of broken speakers. A glance at the only other foreigner we'd seen for half a week brought a moment of comfort as we shared a similar edition of the Lonely Planet. Comrades via travelogue!

The brakes squeaked in discordant harmony and there was an unannounced, (or perhaps announced - who knows) roadside stop to a mountain spring. The locals escaped the bus to fill waiting cups with cool water. Willing to try anything we participated in drinking. A sudden flash of potential intestinal regret, but we shrugged it off and returned to the crackling.

As the bus rolled to the top of the mountain the initial impression was normalcy, but then the breeze picked up and you could hear a squeaking rising in volume with the swirls of the gusts. We walked onto temple grounds and the pinwheels left behind by grieving parents came into view, thousands of colorful sticks whirling, some intact, some forced apart, others lying sideways on the rock cairns. The images viewed through a lens seemed limitless.

A few shooting hours later, hungry and completely windblown, we entered the only cafe for a cool ice cream treat. Was it ice cream? We don't know. It was cold... sorta. Paying the bill the waitress asked hastily, "Bus-Ka?" Without our answer she ran out of the restaurant flagging down the latest return ride into town. Many "X" hand gestures later we convinced her we were not ready to leave.

Going back for a second pass, there was still plenty of viewfinder and shutter exertion remaining. A few hundred exposures later the light turned into magic hour. Perfect! Unfortunately it was time to catch the final bus to Mutsu which was anxiously idling in the parking lot 500 meters away. Grabbing our gear and making a run for it we both saw the same "must have" image. Only one of us could get it while the other held the bus.

"You can do it, get the shot!"

I ran to the eerie statues silhouetted against the hissing sulphur sky. I fired the shutter 3 times. Best shots of the day.

Tōhoku Shinkansen

2007-12-16T18:37:00.000-08:00

The Shinkansen (新幹線) is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Since the initial Tōkaidō Shinkansen opened in 1964 running at 130 mph, the network (1,528 miles) has expanded to link most major cities on the islands of Honshū and Kyūshū with running speeds of up to 188 mph.

Shinkansen literally means "New Trunk Line" and hence strictly speaking refers only to the tracks, while the trains themselves are officially referred to as "Super Express" (超特急); however, this distinction is rarely made even in Japan.

Tōhoku Shinkansen (東北新幹線) is a high-speed rail line, connecting Tokyo with Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture for a total length of 593 km, Japan's longest Shinkansen line. It runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main island Honshū. It has two spur lines, Yamagata Shinkansen and Akita Shinkansen. The line is operated by East Japan Railway
Company.

Two stops south of Hachinohe, the Iwate-Ichinohe Tunnel (岩手一戸トンネル) is a 25.810 km terrestrial railway tunnel in Japan — part of the Tōhoku Shinkansen. When opened in 2002 it was the longest terrestrial (land based) tunnel in world, but was overtaken by the Lötschberg Base Tunnel in June 2007. The tunnel is located midway between Morioka and Hachinohe. Surveying commenced in 1988. In 1991 construction began, and the tunnel holed through in 2000. The tunnel became operational when the railway line opened in 2002. Maximum depth is about 200 m.

Tokyo–Hachinohe super express train is nicknamed Hayate ("Swift Wind"). The fastest train links the two cities in 2 hours 56 minutes. By changing at Hachinohe, Aomori can be reached in 3 h 59 min.

Etiquette

2007-12-15T19:34:00.003-08:00

Customs and Etiquette

2007-12-15T19:34:00.002-08:00

1. Bowing
Bowing, is probably the feature of Japanese etiquette that is best-known outside Japan. Bowing is considered extremely important in Japan, so much so that, although children normally begin learning how to bow from a very young age, companies commonly provide training to their employees in how to execute bows correctly.

Basic bows are performed with the back straight and the hands at the sides (boys and men) or clasped in the lap (girls and women), and with the eyes down. Bows originate at the waist. Generally, the longer and deeper the bow, the stronger the emotion and the respect expressed.

Bows can be generally divided into three main types: informal, formal, and very formal. Informal bows are made at about a fifteen degree angle and more formal bows at about thirty degrees. Very formal bows are deeper.

The etiquette surrounding bowing, including the length and depth of bow, and the appropriate response, is exceedingly complex. For example, if the other person maintains his or her bow for longer than expected (generally about two or three seconds), it is polite to bow again, upon which one may receive another bow in return. This often leads to a long exchange of progressively lighter bows.

Generally speaking, an inferior bows longer, more deeply and more frequently than a superior. A superior addressing an inferior will generally only nod the head slightly, while some superiors may not bow at all and an inferior will bend forward slightly from the waist.

Bows of apology tend to be deeper and last longer than other types of bow. They tend to occur with frequency during the apology, generally at about 45 degrees with the head lowered and lasting for at least the count of three, sometimes longer. The depth, frequency and duration of the bow increases with the sincerity of the apology and the severity of the offence. Bows of thanks follow the same pattern. In extreme cases a kneeling bow is performed; this bow is sometimes so deep that the forehead touches the floor. This is called saikeirei (最敬礼), literally "most respectful bow."

When dealing with non-Japanese people, many Japanese will shake hands. Since many non-Japanese are familiar with the custom of bowing, this often leads to a combined bow and handshake which can be quite complicated to execute. Bows may be combined with handshakes or performed before or after shaking hands. Generally when bowing in close proximity, as necessitated when combining bowing and shaking hands, people turn slightly to one side (usually the left) to avoid bumping heads.

2. Eating and Drinking
Meals in Japan traditionally begin with the phrase itadakimasu (いただきます, itadakimasu) (literally, "I receive"). The phrase is similar to the phrase "bon appétit," but is used more frequently; in the case of some individuals, at every meal. It is said to express gratitude for all who had a part in preparing the food. When finished eating, Japanese use the phrase gochisōsama deshita (ごちそうさまでした, gochisōsama deshita
).
It is considered polite to clear one's plate; children are especially encouraged to do so. It is impolite to pick out certain ingredients and leave the rest. One should chew with the mouth closed.

It is acceptable to lift soup and rice bowls to your mouth so that you don't spill food. It is also appropriate to slurp certain foods, especially ramen or soba noodles, though this is not practiced universally.

Rice is generally eaten plain or sometimes with nori (dried-pressed seaweed) or furikake (various seasonings). Pouring soy sauce onto plain white rice is not a Japanese custom, nor is it common to pour soy sauce directly over sashimi or sushi. Instead, soy sauce is poured into a small dish that is provided, and the food dipped into the sauce. Furthermore, it is considered greedy and wasteful to pour an excessive amount of soy sauce into the small dish, a mistake that many foreigners are not aware of. When eating nigiri-zushi, one should dip the sushi topping side down into the sauce; leaving stray grains of rice floating in the sauce is considered uncouth.

It is still uncommon for Japanese people to eat while walking about. Some consider it rude to eat in public or on trains, but this is not a universally-held belief.

In Japanese restaurants, customers are given a rolled hand towel called oshibori (お絞り, oshibori). It is considered rude to use the towel to wipe one's face or neck; however, some people, usually men, do this at more informal restaurants.

When you must use tooth picks, you must cover your mouth with your other hand. Try to avoid blowing your nose in public, especially at a restaurant. If you must blow your nose, cover your nose with your hand, or excuse yourself to do it in the restroom.

3. Chopsticks
There are many traditions surrounding the use of chopsticks. For example, it is considered particularly taboo to pass food from chopsticks to chopsticks, as this is how bones are handled by the family of the deceased after a cremation. Mismatched chopsticks should also not be used for the same reason. Similarly, chopsticks should not be stood up in a bowl of food, as the image recalls the burning of incense sticks standing up from tray containing sand, typically at funerals.

4. Visiting Someone's House
It is the custom in every Japanese household to take one's shoes off when entering the house. It is generally considered polite to wear shoes instead of sandals, but sandal wearers may carry a pair of white socks to put over their bare feet or stockings, so that their bare feet will not touch the slippers that the host offers. The shoes are turned around so that the toe faces the door after taking them off. If during the winter time, a guest is wearing a coat or hat, the guest will take it off before the host opens the door. When the guest is leaving, he or she does not put on the coat or hat until the door has closed.

3. Gift Giving
Many people will ask a guest to open a gift, but if they do not, the Japanese will resist the urge to ask if they can open the gift. Since the act of accepting a gift can create a sense of unfulfilled obligation on the part of the receiver, gifts are sometimes refused, depending on the situation.

It is considered impolite to go to someone's house without a gift. In Japanese this is called tebura (手ぶら or "empty-handed"). A gift is usually brought in a paper bag (preferably a bag from the shop where you bought the gift) and is taken out of the bag, which is placed underneath the gift when giving it to the host, using both hands. The gift is often presented when shown into the living room, saying "tsumaranai mono desu ga"　つまらないものですが (literally "it is only a small thing, but...") to show modesty. If the host offers something, it is polite to make a soft declination saying "okizukai naku" おきずかいなく (please don't go through the trouble), but the guest can gladly accept if the host asks for the second time.

Vending Machines

2007-12-15T19:34:00.000-08:00

Everywhere you go, there are vending machines!

toilet paper

umbrellas

ramen

fried food

eggs

fyi - US$1 = 113 JPY

Business Cards

In Japan, with a high population density, limited space, a preference for shopping on foot or by bicycle, low rates of vandalism and petty crime, and a small and decreasing number of working-age people, there seems to be no limit to what is sold by vending machines. While the majority of machines in Japan are stocked with drinks, snacks, and cigarettes, one occasionally finds vending machines selling items such as bottles of liquor, cans of beer, fried food, underwear, and potted plants. Japan has the highest number of vending machines per capita, with about one machine for every 23 people.

The first vending machine in Japan was made of wood and sold postage stamps and post cards. About 80 years ago, there were vending machines that sold sweets called "Glico". In 1967, the 100-yen coin was distributed for the first time, and vending machine sales skyrocketed overnight, selling a vast variety of items everywhere.

In Japan, vending machines are known as jidō-hanbaiki (from jidō, or "automatic"; hanbai, or "vending"; and ki, or "machine"), jihanki for short.

In 1999, the estimated 5.6 million coin- and card-operated Japanese vending machines generated $53.28 billion in sales. Vending machine goods and services can cost as little as 80 yen and as much as 3,000 yen.

Scheduled for introduction in 2008, a smart card called taspo will restrict sales of cigarettes from vending machines. An embedded integrated circuit will contain information about the age of the cardholder.

Tokyo Subway

2007-12-14T19:35:00.004-08:00

Rush Hour, Anyone?

2007-12-14T19:35:00.003-08:00

Shibuya videos

2007-12-14T19:35:00.002-08:00

This is a great video to see the chaos of the crossing.

This is a good video to see what the area looks like.

Shibuya

2007-12-14T19:35:00.001-08:00

Shibuya (渋谷区) is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2005, it had an estimated population of 195,877 and a density of 12,960 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km².
The name "Shibuya" is also used to refer to the central business district of Shibuya Ward, which surrounds Shibuya Station, one of Tokyo's busiest railway stations. Shibuya is known as one of the fashion centers of Japan, particularly for young people, and as a major nightlife area.

Shibuya Tokyo Line Platforms

Shibuya is famous for its scramble crossing which is reportedly the world's busiest. It is located in front of the Shibuya Station Hachiko exit and stops vehicles in all directions to allow pedestrians to inundate the entire intersection. Three large TV screens mounted on nearby buildings overlook the crossing. The Starbucks store overlooking the crossing is also one of the busiest in the world. The 2003 American movie Lost in Translation featured a scene at the crossing.

On the northwest side of Shibuya station, there is a popular meeting place with a statue of Hachiko the dog. In 1924, Hachikō was brought to Tokyo by his owner, Hidesamuroh Ueno (上野英三郎), a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo. During his owner's life, Hachikō saw him off from the front door and greeted him at the end of the day at the nearby Shibuya Station. Even after Ueno's death in May 1925, Hachikō returned every day to the station to wait for him, and did so for the next 10 years.

There are eighteen embassies located in Shibuya.

Tokyo Dance Trooper in Shibuya

2007-12-14T19:35:00.000-08:00

I just couldn't resist this one! Too fun!!

What is Harajuku?

2007-12-12T19:34:00.001-08:00

Harajuku

2007-12-12T18:28:00.000-08:00

Harajuku is an area between Shinjuku and Shibuya. The area has two main shopping streets, Omotesandō and Takeshita-dōri. The latter caters to youth fashions and has many small stores selling gothic lolita, rockabilly, hip-hop, and punk clothing, in addition to fast food outlets and so forth.

In the 1980s large numbers of street performers and wildly dressed teens including takenoko-zoku (竹の子族, "bamboo-shoot kids") gathered on Omotesandō and the street that passes through Yoyogi Park on Sundays when the steets were closed to traffic. The streets were reopened to traffic in the 90s, and a great number of teens stopped gathering there. Today there are still teenagers hanging out in Harajuku, mostly on the bridge across the train tracks from Harajuku station to Yoyogi Park.

In recent years Omotesandō has seen a rise in branches of expensive fashion stores and is sometimes referred to as "Tokyo's Champs-Élysées". The area known as "Ura-Hara" (back streets of Harajuku) is a center of Japanese fashion for younger people — brands such as A Bathing Ape and Undercover have shops in the area.

Wedding at Meiji Jingu

2007-12-11T19:09:00.002-08:00

Meiji Jingu

2007-12-11T19:09:00.001-08:00

Entrance into Meiji Jinju

Priests & Maidens

Meiji Jingu (明治神宮) is the Shinto shrine dedicated to the souls of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken. Emperor Meiji died in 1912 and Empress Shoken in 1914. After the demise of the Emperor and Empress, this shrine was constructed to venerate them. Their souls were enshrined on November 1, 1920. The original building was destroyed during World War II. The present shrine was completed in October, 1958.

Emperor Meiji

Empress Shoken

The shrine grounds consist of two areas:

Naien, or the inner precinct/garden, centered on the shrine buildings, which include a treasure museum that houses articles of the Emperor and Empress enshrined here.

Gaien, or the outer precinct/garden, which includes the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery that houses a collection of 80 large murals illustrative of the events in the lives of the Emperor and his consort. It also includes a variety of sports facilities, including the National Stadium, and is seen as the center of Japanese sports. It also includes the Meiji Memorial Hall, which was originally used for governmental meetings, including discussions surrounding the drafting of the Meiji Constitution in the late 19th century. Today it is used for Shinto weddings.
These areas are covered by an evergreen forest of 120,000 trees of 365 different species, which were donated by people from all parts of Japan when the shrine was established. This 700,000 square-meter forest (about 175 acres) is visited by many people both as a spiritual home of the people and as a recreation and relaxation area in the center of Tokyo.

Wedding

The shrine was built in a garden area where Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken sometimes visited.

Prayer Plaques

Barrels of sake donated to Meiji Jingu