Posted in Uncategorized, tagged archery, Asakusa, deer, Japan, Kusajishi, Sensoji, target on April 30, 2009 | 1 Comment »
On April 18, 2009, a Kusajishi (Grass Deer Target) and Yabusame archery events was held near Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan.
The basic system of archery training was developed during the Heian period. Male offspring of samurai were given a bamboo grass horse and a bow to shoot at the grass deer target [...]
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Dan Brown, Hollywood, Japan, movies, Paramount, poster, sony, Star Trek, Tom Hanks on April 28, 2009 | 10 Comments »
Two upcoming movies that I want to watch are the new Star Trek and Angels and Demons movies.
Sony Pictures Angels and Demons starring Tom Hanks (playing the same role in Da Vinci Code) is opening in Japan on May 15, coinciding with its worldwide release (which is unusual). The Japanese movie poster is shown below.
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Posted in Uncategorized, tagged buddhism, Heian, Japan, Kanamara, Kawasaki, pagoda, temple, Tokyo on April 26, 2009 | 2 Comments »
I had traveled to Kawasaki, about 30 minutes by train from Tokyo, to attend the Kanamara Festival, but ended up first in the Kawasaki Daishi (Heikenji Temple), instead of the Kanamara Shrine. Clearly, I am quite ignorant and can’t tell the difference between a Buddhist temple and a Shinto shrine – fail!
On the [...]
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged economy, Japan, jobs, recession, salary, unemployment, wages on April 24, 2009 | 4 Comments »
A recent Bloomberg article titled Japan Eases Recession Pain as Wage Cuts Support Jobs describes how Japan’s unemployment rate has remained relatively low amid the worse recession since World War II.
Japan’s unemployment rate is around 4.4% compared to 8.5% in the US. In addition to cutting temporary staff (which does not count under the jobless [...]
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged 1964, 2016, budokan, gymnasium, IOC, Japan, olympics, park, stadium, Tokyo on April 22, 2009 | 7 Comments »
On October 10, 1964, Tokyo held its breath as Yoshinori Sakai, a 19-year-old runner born in Hiroshima an hour and a half after the atomic bomb was dropped, took to the podium in the Tokyo National Stadium to light the Olympic flame. With the opening of the 1964 games, Japan became the first Asian [...]
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Japan, Meiji, Shinto, shrine, wedding on April 20, 2009 | 4 Comments »
Meiji Jingu (Meiji Shrine) is a very popular place for Shinto weddings so if you drop by during any weekend, you will probably be able to witness one.
The formal wedding photographs are also taken around the beautiful shrine grounds.
More wedding portrait photos of the lovely couples dressed in traditional garments.
Finally, a couple [...]
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Calpis, drink, Japan, lactic acid, Shibuya, soda, water, yogurt on April 18, 2009 | 14 Comments »
My favorite non-alcoholic drink in Japan is called Calpis Water. This beverage is an non-carbonated drink, manufactured by Calpis Co., Ltd., headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, with a light, somewhat milky, and slightly acidic flavor, similar to plain or vanilla-flavored yogurt (I like yogurt). Its ingredients include water, nonfat dry milk and lactic acid, and is [...]
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Asakusa, crane, dance, heron, Japan, Sensoji, Shirasagi, temple, Tokyo, white on April 16, 2009 | 8 Comments »
Shirasagi no Mai (White Heron Dance) festival, founded by Asakusa Tourist Federation in November 1968 in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Meiji period, was held in Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan on April 12, 2009.
The white heron (shirasagi) dance is one thousand years old. It is a religious rite to [...]
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged festival, HIV, Japan, Kanamara, Kawasaki, matsuri, penis, phallus, pink on April 14, 2009 | 5 Comments »
*** Warning: This blog post contains adult (but no nudity) content ***
I have attended many Japanese festivals this past year, but one of the strangest and most crowded is the Kanamara Matsuri (also called Festival of the Steel Phallus in English), an annual Shinto fertility festival held in Kawasaki, just outside Tokyo, on April 5, [...]
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged art, cube, Japan, light, Roppongi, Tokyo, Torayan on April 13, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
From sunset to sunrise for one magical night on March 28, the entire townscape of Roppongi was transformed into a giant canvas of encounters with art, culture, people and wonder. Fusing an entire town with art, the theme of the Roppongi Art Night was called “Encounters”, with art of all types appeared in a [...]
