More glimpses of unfamiliar Japan

On Thursday I started walking the Iwami 33 Kannon pilgrimage. The second and third temples lie around the base of Mount Sanbe (1126m) ...

The Aki Nada Islands are a chain of islands in the Inland Sea off the coast of Hiroshima Prefecture that run approximately from near K...

Last Saturday was the opening night of our villages matsuri and matsuri begins in the evening with ceremonies in the shrine. Most shri...

Historically komainu, the pair of guardian statues at most shrines and some temples, have gone by various names,... shishi and kara sh...

This is one of the most aesthetically pleasing and also unusual torii that I can remember seeing. It is at the entrance to Akiy...

Last saturday the villages of Matsukawa had their matsuris, so we started out in Tsuchi, home to one of the best kagura groups in the ...

After the round of ceremonies at Nakano Omoto Matsuri it was time for more dancing and first up was some very young kids dancing Hachi...

Wednesday night was Omoto Matsuri up in Nakano. Honoring the local kami Omotojin, these matsuris only take place, in the villages that...

Around 2:30am the kagura group took a break, something I have never seen before. I suspect that as the village has shrunk, so has the ...