So long Phanfone, hello Vongfong… In many ways, this batch of photos is a chronicle of the week between typhoons. It starts out in Kyoto in the gloriously clear, dry weather following Phanfone’s departure, and finishes in Shimoda on the Izu Peninsula as Vongfong roars in from the South. But […] Read more
I may have said this before, but cats dig shrines. More stuff from Kyoto and environs this time. The first (and the last) batch are pictures from the Takao area, in the Western mountains outside Kyoto. This includes Kouzan-ji, a temple which should be familiar to any fan of Kyousougiga, […] Read more
So much Japan, so little time. I have a ridiculous number of photos from the last two weeks, and no real idea what to do with them or the time to do it if I did. I’m not just going to dump them all out there, but I’d like to […] Read more
The end of Obon, and the end of summer break. I already talked about the Japanese tradition of Toro Nagashi when I posted about the version at Ueno Koen (held in July because much of Kanto schedules Obon based on the old lunisolar calendar) so no need to do so […] Read more
It’s tough being a man… My knowledge of Japanese culture doesn’t really extend to Otoko wa Tsurai yo, the spectacularly popular series of 48 films starring Atsumi Kiyoshi as the luckless hero, Tora-san. I’d heard of them, but mostly because of my interest in visiting Shibamata, one of the enclaves […] Read more
Come for the cats, stay for the scenery. Given a short window of good (well, sunny – it’s still 33 degrees) weather amidst what’s looking like a stormy final week of summer break, I decided to visit one of the places that’s been on my list ever since I moved […] Read more
Mada nai, yo! Scratching another off the list of anime pilgrimages, I headed out to Chichibu today. In part I was hoping to catch a little break from the heat, but no luck there – despite its mountain setting it felt even hotter in Chichibu than Tokyo for some reason. […] Read more
Tamaya! I have gunpowder in my hair. For the second year running I attempted to brave the crowds and see the Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival, Tokyo’s most famous hanabitaikai. Last year I made it to the site and was in a halfway decent viewing spot, my body reverberating with the sound […] Read more
Damn, it’s hot. If it’s 35 degrees with 70% humidity, what else would anyone do but go outside and dance? Here’s a few pic pics and videos from a couple of Obon Odori matsuri – the first in Ebisu (I did) and the second in my village of Kagurazaka (I […] Read more
Summer has truly arrived in Tokyo. Tourou Nagashi is one of the most important rituals in Japanese spiritual life. Chouchin paper lanterns are floated down a river on the last day of Obon, the lights guiding the spirits back to the afterlife. Obon is traditionally observed in August, but by […] Read more