Every time the mikoshi was scheduled to stop somewhere, a guy would appear on a box and begin directing it in to its parking space like someone helping an airplane into the proper gate.

At the end of the day a speech was made which included the admonition to continue these traditions by including the ever-shrinking population of Japanese children in them.

At the first rest spot a Shinto ceremony took place. I wasn’t quite close enough to hear what was said.

I’ll leave you with a video I took from the first night’s festival. This was my first real video with my TZ7. I’ve been a bit underwhelmed by the quality of photos the TZ7 has been taking, but this video came out much better than I was anticipating. Not only were the lighting conditions horrible, but I was far from the stage. However, the sound and video are both very good.

Posted on September 18th, 2009 under Japan. Tags: matsuri, nishi-waseda, shinto, video. Comments: 1

Ever since the aforementioned Bon Odori, signs have been going up, and we have observed preparations, for our local shrine’s omikoshi matsuri. Saturday, the 5th, featured the children’s version (kodomomikoshi). While we watched the procession, the man directing the kids struck up a conversation with me and invited us to participate in the following day’s event. He told us to borrow some Happi Coats from the local sake dealer which we did.

At 9 o’clock on the morning of the 6th we arrived at 天祖神社 (our local shrine) decked out in our new Happi Coats and all ready to lift the mikoshi, bounce it up and down, and wave it back and forth through town. I wasn’t so sure we would get the chance given that there were hundreds of people looking to do the same and only space for a couple dozen lifters at a time.

The local elders (to the right of the above photo) gave speeches before we began, telling us to be safe, enjoy the great weather, and continue the tradition that had been happening for hundreds of years. They only take this mikoshi around town once every three years so we were lucky to be here at the right time.

The procession included not only the mikoshi but also boys dressed like Shinto priests, someone in a Tengu mask, a lady dressed in a traditional Shinto outfit with the above wagasa over her, and others.

I got my chance to carry the mikoshi at one point (that’s me on the far left) and quickly discovered that it doesn’t work so well when one person is more than half a foot taller than everyone else. Not only do the tall get stuck with far more weight, but they also tip the shrine a bit. This was a great experience, though, and I’ll post some more pictures soon…

Posted on September 17th, 2009 under Japan. Tags: festivals, japan pictures, matsuri, shinto. Comments Off on 天祖神社の御神輿　2009年9月6日　Part 1

Between our apartment and Waseda University lies 水稲荷神社, an Inari Shinto Shrine I like to stroll about. As mentioned previously, Inari shrines are famous for their foxes. The above is one of the many foxes (kitsune) on the premises.

In most udon shops one of the kinds of udon you can order is kitsune udon, which looks like the above. Kitsune udon features 油揚げ(あぶらあげ or sweetened, fried tofu). It’s one of my favorites.

If “fox udon” isn’t for you then try “raccoon dog udon” (otherwise known as tanuki udon). Instead of 油揚げ, you’ll get 天かす (tempura batter).

I don’t know why these animal names have been given to the various udon varieties, but it is fun ordering a different animal every time to see the different toppings that arrive with your new selection.

Posted on September 13th, 2009 under Japan. Tags: food, kitsune, shinto, udon. Comments Off on Kitsune Shrines and Kitsune Udon

When you think of wildlife in a big city not much comes to mind outside of the zoo. Well, maybe you think of rats and cockroaches, but we haven’t seen either of those in Tokyo. (I saw lots of cockroaches when I lived in Tokyo 20 years ago, but my dwellings at the time were pretty grim too.)

At the nearby park, 甘泉園公園, there are tons of spiders. This park is immaculate. Everything is in perfect order except the spiders and their webs. I’m guessing the grounds keeper has either given up on the spiders or just likes them. It does add a certain charm to the place.

We’ve seen lots of other little (and not so little) critters running about, like this beetle.

This lizard had no problem posing for a photograph, but what made him really cool was where he was…

…perched on a stone torii gate in the middle of a Shinto shrine (Mizu Inari Jinja to be exact).

I’ve heard a lot more from this last bug than I have had the chance to see. I’ve only seen a few, but it seems like I’ve heard millions by now. These are the ubiquitous semi (cicada) that fill the summer air with their cries.

Posted on September 12th, 2009 under Japan. Tags: insects, living things, macro, shinto, torii, 甘泉園公園. Comments Off on Japanese critters

Just in case you didn’t get enough of Meiji Jingu last time, here are some more photos.

Posted on August 30th, 2009 under Japan. Tags: clouds, japan pictures, meiji jingu, shinto, skywatch, Tokyo, torii. Comments: 2