2016 Kyoto Gion Matsuri Atomatsuri Float Procession 京都祇園祭 後祭り 山鉾巡行 100,000 onlookers watched and enjoyed this year's latter Parade of 10 floats in Kyoto "Oofune-hoko" (大船鉾) returned in 2014 after150 years absence. This year Oofune-hoko had a new face : A wood carved new Dragon Head with height 195cm weighing 200kgs. Oofunehoko's another proud name is "Hoko of Triumph" and is always responsible to bring up the rear of the succe… Read more

Rainy Season was over in all regions of Japan (July18:Kyushu,Shikoku,Kinki,Tokai 22th:Hokuriku 28th:Kanto,Koshin 29th:Tohoku) Mount Fuji and clouds over Lake Ashi (Ashi-no-ko)… Read more

Late afternoon July 27 I had a car accident. I was driving my sedan car home from shopping with f a m i l y. A young man ignored red traffic signal and hit my car abeam. A door was completely broken but luckily no fatal injuries including myself, wife and f a m i l y. I went to a hospital and and now for time being I'm alright. For many of you who have sent me concerns I would like to thank you for your warm words. You are my friends ! I would recover my health and try to return to the same "Pai-chan" as your Japanese counterpart hopefully in a few days. Again thank you very much and plea… Read more

Pai-chan's Glossary of Japan Travel Concise Edition 2016 - Japanese to English - issue July 27, 2016 Air-kon (エアコン) = AC, sometimes called "Kuucho" Akarui (明るい) = bright Arigato gozaimasu (有難うございます) = thank you very much Arigato gozaimashita (有難うございました) = the past tense of above "thank you very much" Atarashii (新しい) = new Atsui (熱い、あつい) = hot (Atsui also means hot weather, spelled as "暑い" ) Choudo Ii (丁度 いい) = just good (e.g. the onsen water is "Choudo-ii") Daietto (ダイエット) = diet e.g. "Daietto-shoku" = diet meal Dame desu (だめ です) = it's not allowed = "Dame" means… Read more

Tenjin-sai (天神祭) was held yesterday in Osaka. It's one of the 3 big summer festivals (Kyoto Gion Matsuri, Tokyo Kanda Matsuri and this Osaka Tenjinsai) of Japan. 5,000 fireworks along Osaka's main river, Yodogawa in the evening. Daytime, "Rikutogyo" or land parade, "Funatogyo" or river cruise and a lively "Gal-Mikoshi (gals-only) : It's HOT summer in Osaka and Kyoto but Tokyo is still in the annual "umbrella" season !!!… Read more

The Japanese ryokan embodies many of the best elements from the Japan of olden times, such as culture, technology, art, and customs. Ryokans are the place to go to experience the lifestyle treasured and handed down by the Japanese people; staying at a Japanese ryokan is surely the ideal way of getting to know the true 'Japan'. The origins of the Japanese ryokan can be traced back to the so-called 'fuseya' of the Nara Period (710-784). 'Fuseya', which were free rest houses, are thought to have been the first faci… Read more

Hanagasa Dance by Kyoto Maiko of Miyagawa-cho, July 24 at Yasaka Jinja (One of the Kyoto Gion Festival events)… Read more

25th: Kyogen Performance 　狂言奉納 At 13:00, the Shigeyama F a m i l y will perform special kyogen (traditional comical theatre) plays at Yasaka Shrine. 28th: Mikoshi Arai (Purification)　神輿洗い As on the 10th, the mikoshi are again purified on Shijo Bridge at 20:30 before they are stored away until the following year. 31st: Nagoshi Summer (Purification)　疫神社 夏越祭 This event completes the one-month-… Read more

Odawara, Ninomiya, Hiratsuka, Chigasaki, Tsujido, Fujisawa, Ofuna, and bridge to Enoshima-island, summer fireworks there Behind is Miura peninsula, overlooking Yokohama ,Tokyo and some part of Chiba-ken… Read more

At 09:30am 10 Yamaboko(floats) starts rolling under the following order : ( 1 to 10 ) 1. Hashibenkei-yama 橋弁慶山 The figures on this float depict a very famous story from Japanese history. Benkei, a monk-warrior in armor, and Ushiwakamaru, a young boy in everyday dress, had a fight on the Gojo Bridge in Kyoto. Ushiwakamaru won, despite the fact that Benkei was a very powerful warrior, who had never been defeated by anyone before. The figure of Ushiwakamaru standing on one foot and supporting the rest of h… Read more

Hashima Island (端島), commonly called Gunkanjima (軍艦島; meaning Battleship Island), is an abandoned island lying about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the city of Nagasaki, Kyushu. The island's most notable features are its abandoned concrete buildings, undisturbed except by nature, and the surrounding sea wall as a symbol of the rapid industrialization of Japan. The 6.3-hectare (16-acre) island was known for its undersea coal mines, es… Read more

HOSHINOYA Tokyo, a luxury Hotel opened on July 20, 2016 in Otemachi, Tokyo. (A Modern 17 storied-hotel with 84 Japanese atmosphere rooms) Edo - as Tokyo was known 150 years ago - was a bustling city that pulsed with a frantic energy. It was this quality that gave rise to kabuki and other performing arts, neighborhood festivals, sumo, and fireworks events - all of which are still enjoyed today. (After check-in, guests are greeted… Read more

Nachi-no-Ogi-Matsuri Festival (Nachi Fire Festival), one of the three largest fire festivals of Japan was held in the Nachi Waterfalls area, Kumano mountains of Wakayama-ken on July 14, 2016. The waved 12 huge 50-kg pine torches represent the 12 deities dwelling in Kumano as well as the 12 months of the year. The other portable shrines, which are produced in the image of the sacred falls, are filled with the spirits of the 12 gods, and then purified by the fire of the pine torches; in this manner, vitality is en… Read more

Toshogu 東照宮 - "See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil" First built in 1617 and reconstructed in 1636 by Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third Tokugawa Shogun. The whole area including the buildings is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, who is believed to be the guardian god of Japan. The Shinto shrine has two torii gates, a water font, a worship hall and a sanctuary. A torii is a gateway which marks the approach to a Shinto shrine, made from two upright pillars and two horizontal beams.… Read more

The Akashi Kaikyō Bridge (明石海峡大橋 Akashi Kaikyō Ō-hashi) is a suspension bridge, which links the city of Kobe on the mainland of Honshu to Awaji Island crossing the busy Akashi Strait. Since its completion in 1998, the bridge has had the longest central span of any suspension bridge in the world, at 1,991 metres (6,532 ft; 1.237 mi).… Read more

Nikko is located in the northwestern part of Tochigi Prefecture, about 150 km north of Tokyo. Nikko has long flourished as one of the most famous religious centers in Japan since 782, when Buddhist monk Shodo (735-817) founded a temple there. In the Edo Period (1603-1867), Nikko became the site of the Toshogu Shrine which enshrines the spirit of Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616), founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Nikko City is a part of the wider Nikko National Park which includes such scenic locations as Lake Chu… Read more

Kangensai (管弦祭) originated during the Heian period (794 - 1185 AD) and is the largest annual festival observed at Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima to take place today.　The festival starts at 16:00 Kangen is music performed by playing the flute, drums and Japanese string instruments used in Japanese court music. In the ancient capital, nobles used to enjoy the graceful orchestra festival by playing these kangen instruments on boats floated on ponds and rivers. http://blog-imgs-87.fc2.com/s/k… Read more

JR Nikko Station : Originally built in 1890 as a flat station building, and in 1912 rebuilt under design of a young architect "Torao Akashi" to the 2nd storied woody station building. A unique Station building like JR Harajuku Station (Tokyo) (The 2nd floor as a VIP waiting room has been used by the Royal f a m i l y until recently) (Around Nikko Stati… Read more

That Fisherman knows .... where exactly to plant his seeds ....… Read more