It all started in the middle of the 9th century. Summer was always the season for increased disasters: illness, floods, and devastating fires. So the emperor ordered people to offer prayers for relief at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto's Gion district. Before long, the prayers were being offered with such regularity that the people made an … Continue reading Gion Matsuri – centuries-old purification rites (and a great summertime party)
Japan has a long history of various kinds of metallurgy beginning with swordmaking, but certainly not ending there. I have learned that Japan has an appreciation for cast iron cookware similar to what my mother instilled in me, although, like many things with Japan, they've taken it to a different level. When I was a … Continue reading A different kind of “Iron Man”
I first read about Tanabata back in the 1970s in James Michener's 1954 novel "Sayonara" and it's fascinated me ever since. Celebrated by the Japanese on the seventh day of the seventh month and also sometimes called "The Star Festival", the novel referred to it as "the most romantic night of the year". That is … Continue reading Tanabata – the most romantic night of the year
Tokyo is hot and sticky in summer and you just want to escape. Sure, you can hang out in the air conditioning, but then you're missing the sense of the season. Instead, escape from the heat with a pleasant evening on the water--a cruise in Tokyo Bay. There are lots of ways to get on … Continue reading Get on the water to forget the summer heat
Kyoto was the imperial capital of Japan for over a thousand years (although there are locals who say Kyoto is still the capital and the emperor is just on a business trip to Tokyo). It is this long history, and in particular, the religious and cultural sophistication that developed over the centuries, that still attracts … Continue reading Murin-an: a glimpse of fin de siècle Kyoto
My friend, Tajima-san, is a big sumo fan. So much so that he is an active supporter of the Arashio sumo-beya (a/k/a stable). And he kindly offered to take us along to a "keiko" (training session) at the stable. Sumo is Japan's indigenous national sport, with references to it found in Japan's earliest written histories. … Continue reading Sunday brunch at a Sumo stable
Japan is host to a variety of annual festivals, often seasonally driven, and often associated with Shinto shrines. These festivals usually involve music, dancing, fair food and portable shrines that are paraded through the local neighborhood. One of the more unusual of these annual festivals takes place on the first Sunday of April (in 2017: … Continue reading Kanamara Matsuri: A unique celebration of the pink of spring
In many cultures, fire is regarded as a great purifier. Japanese Buddhism is one such culture, and one of the most dramatic purification rituals is firewalking. A chance to observe this tradition first hand is coming up on March 12, 2017, so if you'll be in Tokyo, mark your calendar and make plans to go … Continue reading Firewalking at Mt. Takao-a dramatic way to purify
One of the many things I love about winter in Japan is that it is the season when plum trees bloom (at least in the coastal areas). I admire the tenacity of those little flowers, which open themselves in the dead of winter and continue to bloom--and send their pretty fragrance into the cold winter … Continue reading Plum Blossoms: Harbingers of Spring
Earlier this week I was privileged to attend a Tokyo preview screening of Silence, Martin Scorsese's film adaptation of Shusaku Endo's 1966 novel. I had read the novel more than 30 years ago and am pleased to see it brought to life relatively faithfully. The story centers on a fictitious 17th century Jesuit priest, Father … Continue reading Silence: On the trail of Japan’s Hidden Christians
I ease my freshly scrubbed self into the hotel's large bath. It's very hot, but not so hot that I am unable to sit myself down. I immerse up to my chin, close my eyes and sigh. La dolce far niente! Although I'm not in Italy, this is the phrase that runs through my mind … Continue reading Taking the waters at Kusatsu Onsen
This article takes readers on a walk to visit Japan's seven lucky gods at shrines and temples in the historic Yanaka neighborhood of Tokyo. Such walks are a popular new year's activity, said to bring luck and fortune to participants. (Archived article - Originally published by Japan Today.)
Jigsaw Japan 