Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Portable shrine Omikoshi

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Mikoshi (also know as omikoshi when the honorific “o” is added) or Portable shrines are used on shrine’s festivals to take the god of the local shrine around the neighborhood. The size varies from the small ones, about 50kg, carried by the childrens on the early days of the festivals, to the very large ones, of over one ton, used by the very old shrines.

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The shrine festival and the omikoshi parade are one of the most looked forward festivals on neighborhoods. Everybody dress up on “happy coats” decorated with the neighbordhood emblem, organizers are happy to lend them if you register in advance to carry the mikoshi.

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The Omikoshi is paraded around the neighborhood, bouncing it in coordination to the music and participants cheers, a different cheer is used in each area of japan. I personally prefer to join the smaller shrines festivals where you can actually participate as oppose to the most famous and bigger shrines where is difficult to join the action.


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Friday, May 21, 2010

Azalea festival at Nezu shrine

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Nezu shrine in Bunkyo Tokyo, celebrates the Azalea festival in late April early May.

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Dates change every year to go with the blooming of the Azaleas; weekends are extremely busy during the festival as the shrine receives a very large number of visitors.

Nezu shrine
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Bronze lantern
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Nezu shrine is said to have been established over 1900 years ago. Tsunayoshi Tokugawa built the structures standing today in 1705, accordingly the main hall, the worship hall, the offering hall and the bronze lanterns have been designated as important cultural properties, being the oldest original constructions in Tokyo.

Romon
Karamon
west gate
sukibei
The Roumon (tower gate), the karamon, the west gate and the wall are also designated important cultural properties.

Komagome Inari shrine
Komagome inari Jinja
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Otome inari

At the same premises, at the west, the Otome inari and the komagome inari are dedicated to the godess of rice inari, with their colorful tori gates.

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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Lazona Shopping mall

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Lazona is a popular shopping mall in Kawasaki, Kanagawa prefecture. The mall opened in 2006 and is located next to the Kawasaki station west exit.

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The name is a combination of the words, Lazo (lasso) and Zona (region), the roof was designed by the Spanish architect Ricardo Biofill the plaza is very distinctive as it gives the impression of ground floor despite being a second level.

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The large number of stores at Lazona, currently over 280, is with no doubt one of the reasons of the popularity, additionally one of the two IMAX theaters in Japan is located there (the other is located in Saitama, a no so short trip from Tokyo).
The place is always full of customers, especially on weekends.

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Sunday, May 9, 2010

Children’s day in Japan

Children's day armor
Japan celebrated the children’s day last May 5th. This day is to celebrate only the boys as girls are celebrated on doll’s day.

Koi nobori
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Similar to doll’s day, families with boys decorate the house with a Japanese warrior helmet, and lately with the full Japanese warrior armor. Additionally Koi nobori flags are raised on that week, symbols of a strong and healthy boys. The three Koi (carp) represent the Father, the mother and the boy.

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Thursday, May 6, 2010

Golden Week in Japan

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Japan is celebrating the “golden week”, a very long holiday weekend. Most of people take extra days off at work to make it a weeklong holiday.

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Most of the people in Tokyo goes out of town to visit their hometown, congesting the already busy highways. I personally avoid going out on this holiday as I have bad memories of being trapped in traffic for hours and hours.

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As the weather has been good everyday during the holiday, sunny and warm, I headed to the pond at a nerby park to cool off the heat and relax.

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Wednesday, May 5, 2010

The Architecture Museum Meiji-Mura Part2

Imperial Hotel
One of the most impressive buildings is the Main entrance hall and lobby of the famous Imperial hotel. Constructed in 1923, the hotel was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright one of the greatest architect of the twentieth century.

Imperial hotel main entrance
Inside the reconstructed lobby, there is the table used to sign the Treaty of Portsmouth an a cafeteria with live music

Miyazu district court
Miyazu district court (inside)
The Miyasu Court district from the Kyoto prefecture (1886), wax figures recreate a court scene of that era.

cabinet library & HO Kawasaki bank
cabinet Library & Shin-ohashi bridge
The cabinet library, formerly at Chiyoda ku Tokyo (1911), This library was used as the central library of the Meiji government.
The Bank of Kawasaki formely at Nihonbashi Tokyo (1927). The building was part of the old center of Japan.
The Shinohashi bridge, formely at Koto ku Tokyo, over Sumida River (1912). During the kanto earthquake in 1923, many lives were saved when the other bridges were destroyed and this bridge was used as scape route.

main gate, Kanazawa prision
Main gate of the Kanazawa prision formely at Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture (1907).

St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral
St. Xavier Cathedral
The St. Francis Xavier’s Cathedral, formely at Chukyoku in Kyoto (1890). The cathedral was built commemorate the missionary, it is used now to perform wedding ceremonies.

Kurehaza theater
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Kurehaza theater (interior)
Kurehaza theater, an “Important Cultural Property” formerly at Nishihonmachi ikeda, Osaka prefecture (1892), the theater is currently used for performances.

Kinotoko barbershop and lafcadio Hearn' house
Summer house of Lafcadio Hearn, formely at Jounokoshi, Yaizu, Shizuoka prefecture (1868), and the Kinotocho barber shop (1910), formely at Bunkyo ku tokyo.

Ujiyamada post office
Ujiyamada Post Office
The Ujiyama Post office “Important Cultural Property”, formerly at Ise Mie prefecture (1909), the post office is still in operation and you can send postcards from this place.

Machinery hall
Shinbashi factory of JR
Ring Spinning frame
The Machinary hall, Formerly at Oimachi, Shinagawa in Tokyo (1872). At this building there is also the Ring Spinning frame “Important Cultural Property” (1983), the last machine used in the cotton spinning process.

Japanese evangelical church
Japanese Immigrants' Hall
Between the buildings from overseas, the most outstanding are the Japanese evangelical church, formerly in Seattle, Washington (1907), and the Japanese Immigrants’ assembly hall from Hilo, Hawaii (1889), both used by the Japanese immigrants of the era.

Museido Gymnasium for the martial artsMuseido Gymnasium
Mused Gymnasium for martial Arts, Fourth national High school. Originally at Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture (1917).


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