In early 1868, Japan was in turmoil. A few months earlier, the conflict over whether power should revert to the newly enthroned emperor Meiji or remain in the hands of the Tokugawa shogunate that had ruled Japan for the previous 250 years had ignited into war. Needless to say, the conflict ultimately centered on Edo, … Continue reading Shoto-en: a hidden historical garden
Old Edo was a firetrap. One and two-story structures, made mostly of wood, straw and paper, standing cheek-by-jowl with the neighbors, with everyone cooking and heating with open fires or charcoal braziers. Any little fire quickly got out of control and equally quickly spread to neighboring structures. Major fires were so common in the Edo … Continue reading Hashigo-nori (ladder-top acrobatics) at Ikegami Honmonji
I find the Ikegami area of Tokyo historically fascinating and generally interesting as a microcosm of residential Tokyo. I’ve written elsewhere about the neighborhood and about the o-eshiki ceremony that commemorates the life and death of the Buddhist saint, Nichiren (1222-1282) every year on the night of October 12. But this year, I was privileged … Continue reading An inside look at the O-eshiki commemoration of Saint Nichiren
On a hot summer afternoon, as I sit in my living room reading, with the windows wide open, I hear two distinctly "summer" sounds. The first is the cicadas, a somewhat irritating sound that just reminds me of how hot it is. The second, a far more welcome sound, is the soft tinkle of my … Continue reading Enjoying the sounds of summer
This article describes the O-eshiki festival that takes place at Ikegami Honmonji Temple from October 11 to 13 every year, with the major parade and ceremonies from nightfall to midnight on the night of October 12. (Archived article - Originally published by Japan Today.)
Jigsaw Japan 