More glimpses of unfamiliar Japan

It is believed that the root of Japanese religion, AND the root of Japanese performing arts lie in shamanic trance. Shamanic kagura was once...

This should really be "daily harvest", as we get eggs every day. We currently have 15 chickens, from a high of about 25 a few mont...

I was down in Hiroshima today, and when I saw this guy my spirits were really lifted. His sign says "nekkozureokami" which means &...

One aspect of Japanese culture that I find often overbearing is the kawaii culture. usually translated into english as "cute", it ...

Nio, sometimes called kongorikishi, are pairs of statues found guarding many temples. Often found in the entrance gates to temples (niomon),...

I've had a bit of correspondence recently concerning freeganism in Japan, so...... I'm not exactly sure what freeganism is, except i...

This is the view up the valley from Tanijyugo. I live on the other side of the mountain on the left. Which has nothing to do with this post ...

The Otoshi Shrine in Hamada is built on a small rise overlooking the harbor. The shrine looks abandoned, but the usual stack of rakes and sh...

Some more architecture pics not from Japan. When I first saw this amazing building I was surprised to learn that it was in Birmingham, a fai...

There was a documentary on TV last night about Iwaishima, and it's prompted me to post this. This is Mr. H, a resident of Iwaishima, a s...