鬼は外! 福は内!

Today is Setsubun (節分) in Japan. This photo is from the Setsubun bean-throwing festivities at nearly 1,300 year-old Rinnoji (輪王寺) in Nikko. Before the bean throwing, a procession marched to the temple carrying flags, blowing horns, and performing other ritualistic behaviors (as snow fell on us all). This guy did a little sword work in front of the temple, perhaps exercising some demons in the process.

Posted on February 3rd, 2013 under Japan. Tags: nikko, people, setsubun, snow. Comments Off on Setsubun (節分)

Posted on November 2nd, 2012 under Japan. Tags: nikko, toshogu. Comments Off on Toshogu (東照宮) – Nikko, Japan

Posted on October 22nd, 2012 under Japan. Tags: lanterns, nikko, snow, toshogu. Comments Off on Snowy Toshogu in Nikko

Barrels of sake are quite common at shrines and temples in Japan. At Toshogu in Nikko I was a bit surprised to see barrels of whisky lined up. The kegs were staying dryer than I was in the snow storm.

Posted on October 5th, 2012 under Japan. Tags: nikko, shinto, snow, toshogu. Comments Off on Kegs of whiskey at Japanese shrine

I’ve posted photos of ema before. This one I saw in Nikko at Futarasan Jinja. Basically, for just a few hundred yen your wishes will come true thanks to the gods of the Futarasan Shrine. The happy couple here is Yuko 裕子 (or possibly Hiroko) and Masanori 正典 (I think). One of them wished for good relations (the heart indicating a romantic relationship I suppose) between the two of them for a long time. For all the reader knows, though, the one may not even know the other exists at this point.

Posted on August 12th, 2012 under Japan. Tags: ema, futarasan, nikko, snow. Comments Off on Love Ema from Futarasan Shrine (二荒山神社)