Muchan Tour

11/12/2023

Mt.Ynshino has been special atmosphere, as a religious place for Shugendo and also a place where two emperors' evacuations from “capital Asuka(the south from current Nara city)“ in the 7th century, "capital Kyoto“ in the 14th century.

First, what is Shugendo?
It was , I think, the fusion between Buddhism and Sh*toism. Mountains are the objects of the worship and the place of discipline.
The founder is Enogyoja who is said he got some magical power, but he was a real person living in the 7th century.

Almost the same time , Empeor Tenmu whose previous name was Prince Oama ran away from capital to avoid getting killed by his brother Emperor Tenchi.
After Tenchi's death Prince Oama fought against Tenchi's son and won, Prince Oama returned to the capital and became Emperor Tenmu.

On the other hand, Empeor Godaigo died furiously in Yoshino without returning to the capital Kyoto in the 14th century. He was kicked out of the power of politics by the first sh**un of the 2nd samurai government, named Ashikaga Takauji.

There was another Imperial Palace for the Southern Lineage in Yoshino. 2 Imperial lineages contined until the 3rd sh**un in 1392.

Yoshino is not just a countryside, I feel something sacred.

01/12/2023

27/10/2023

I have a new friend from Indonesia named Intan in her workshop in Sumida Mukojima EXPO2023 !
She is bright like sun, maybe could blow any clouds!

03/09/2023

14/08/2023

Sensoji Temple in the early night looks very different from it in day time, especially in summer 2023.
I grew up in the old town and always looked traditional and authentic statuses, buildings.
That's why it takes long time to appreciate Sensoji Temple.
Thuder God is now world renowned existence as a character of that animation ”One Piece“.
These both statues are coming toward me lively , even they have a little awkward part of the shapes.

I wish I were born as a beautiful EDOCCO geisha girl.
I would donate certain amount of money.
If somebody worried about me not to do that, I would clearly say like this,
”I never withdrow any money that once went out of the wallet ! I'm an EDOCCO still in this state“

What kind of personality those EDOCCOs?
It is difficult but a lot of fun to describe for me!!

31/03/2023

The current restored building of Tokyo Station in 2017 looks one of the similar buidings, which were made by bricks in the half early part of the 20th century.
But behind this building there are people's strugle and pride over the generations, over Great Kanto Earthquake and the defeat of WW2 as well.

Demolition is the symplest and cheapest way to get new buildings.
But this Tokyo Station is different from that way. Original building of Tokyo Station survived Great Kanto Earthquake, but got huge damaged because of the air raids.
But it did not get demolished.

The all construction finished to restore into the original building in 2017.
Actually, current building is the 3rd generation. Original one was built in 1914.
Second one was built just 2 years after the defeat of WW2, as a temporary.
Surprisingly the temporary Tokyo Station kept working for following 60 years over countless disasters.
If possible, I would have wanted to see this 2nd building standing in the just ash field.

Too long text borad readers, so now I just admired and am fascinated by this beautiful scenery the building of 3rd generation creating .

In addiction, it costs 6600 million JPY to restore Tokyo Station .

05/02/2023

-bomb_memorial_building







it was said that even a grass could not grow on this gronud just after A
bomb exploding above this building .
Moreover today's A-bomb is a lot stronger.
Wken I visited the Peace Memorial Museum first, it was too scared to sleep well. Regardlee justice and no justice,
just just just I was scared by eyerything I saw there.
I folded cranes and flyed themfrom the higher place praying God for saving stupid humans.

17/01/2023

Amazing landscape can be seen at Owakudani in Hakone.
If, if Mt fuji showed up.....,
it would be better with a lack.
Imagination could spread endlessly.
This is a kind of Zen?

12/01/2023

New Year's Eve in Gion, Kyoto. Small INarr Jinja Shrine is in showing up. I was wonderings how this irreplacable beauty has been created in Kyoto.
Strong wish to protect their local environment would belong to each of regident. It sometimes is felt stubborn and mean.

07/01/2023

Kyoto was really busy at the end of year 2022.

14/12/2022

　





To tell the truth, I became a big fan of animation after a big and grown up person.
Beautiful illustrations and the distinctive world creators built up have attracted me (as a too big girl).
Today, I came to see "SLAM DUNK".
When I saw this animation first, illustration seemed old (because it was broadcasted many years ago) and motions were awkward.
Still the world of the story was strongly attractive. This version in 2022 gave me　a lot more realistic actions for the basketball players .
Just a small personal opinion, I like the previos voice of Hanamichi Sakuragi better than current version.

07/12/2022

Here is a store specialized in chopsticks in Ginza, Tokyo.
We, the Japanese have our own chopstics. How about in your country?

Chopsticks are used when we eat rice, which is a staple food.
Rice cultivation depends on the power of nature beyond human's efforts.
Japanese Shinto gods are thought to stay in many places to be a good hamony with nature.
Shinto has no teaching, no founder, no philosophy, so presence of Japanese Shinto gods are more like unconscious to people, no one use chopsticks thinking anything today.

When we began using chopsticks, gods were thought to stay in the top part of chopsticks because the relation with Rice - Nature - Gods. Moreover the edge of chopsticks represent of ourselves because of the saliva as a belonging to individual.

In other words, chopsticks initially worked as bridges between gods and us.

Chopsticks are pronounced "hashi" in Japanese, which means "passing along" something like soul or spirit, which is the same meaning of the role of a "bridge".

Now I've known the reason why we have our own chopsticks.

01/12/2022

humansize



Here is Ameyoko Shopping Street in Ueno.
This place are lined with shops, restaurants and diners.
Asian food diners, seefood shops, cosmetics shops, mostly foods dnd goods for locals' everyday life are delt with. To tell the truth, this shopping street is not sophisticate nor well-maintained, absolutely nothing to do with Japanese traditional beauty, such as Wabi- Sabi.
The loud voice from the shops owners to get customer's attention are flying in the air from the multiple directions, a lot of people are walking and gathering partially in front of the.popular shops.

This shopping street used be one of the black markets in Tokyo. During WW Ⅱ, Japanese Government and military section forced residents to move awaw to make a space, which helped to avoid spreading fire in the middle of the Tokyo by the air raid.

After losing the war, hungry people built the prefababricated shops in those vacant spaces on just a burned feild to “Survive Today” .
They sneakly got something good to sell in the black market out of the law and thought of efficient the way for their small business bravery.
It means people sometimes shaked hands with Yakuza and in the other time used the bribe to the government officers.

Remaining almost all of shopping streets were built on the base of blackmarkets.

And I guess the reason why I am attracted to old and quaint shopping streets that are mostly difficult to continue their businesses in future, is an admire for people's toughness and enthusiasm for “surviving today”.
Recently I was wondering how we could practically do to “survive today” in highly arranged society.

29/11/2022

I visited there as a destination of art tour.
I was overwhelmed by the arts during the pandemic.
People could create unpredictably beautiful arts out of those sad and depressed pandemic.
It was one of the happiest days this year, which was brought by the appreciation with my beautiful guests I met once in a lifetime.

25/07/2022

Tsukij area used to be a part of Tokyo Bay. After the terrible fire in1657,
Edo Sanurai government decided to reclaim this area to make the new land. That construction was too hard because of violent waves.
In those days a worker found the statue of Wisedom_king in the wave and people enshrine the statue, then it is said that the wave became calm.
This black shishi or lion protects us from trables and makes our dreams come true , if we write my dream on a wooden long shaped bar.
All the bars written peoples' dream on are put on shishi or lion's tongue once a month with prayers by a priest.
Then shishi or lion swallows peoples' wishes.

He (this black shishi) has a wife with black teeth, which is the proof of the woman getting married.

23/05/2022

【Muchan Tour vol.6】PREVIEW

May 28th Sun. 10:00~15:00
meet: in front of
The opposite of JR Harajuku Station Omotesando Gate(=Meijijingu Gate) East .

①Meijijingu Shrine
✜Why Emperor Meiji living from the end of Edo Samurai government to 1912 showed up as God , Japanese Kami in the society of the 20th century?
✜What has been Kami for the Japanese in the first place?
✜Why such a magnificent forest was created in the middle of the busy area?

It must be fun to walk along the approach to the pray hall together, talking freely to each other!

This shrine was built in 1920, as the same year as the previous United Nation was established after WW1st.
Japan was one of the victorious countries due to a smart diplomatic tactics.
It was only a few years less than 50 years after samurai with topknot walked on streets carrying their sword everyday.
What a tremendous change!!!!

②The Forest of Meijijingu Shrine
It is the big shock to know the plan cutting down 900 trees in Outer Plaza of Jingu. Moreover two high rising commercial buildings will be built on the site! It's hard to believe but the plan almost will be fixed.
It is inevitable to get impact to Inner forest of the shrine. So shall we enjoy the forest as much as possible before the construction starts?
Jingu forest is an artificial forest created by some remarkable botansts. Their goal was the rich and great forest would be living in 100 years in the site. They took it into consideration to the natural duration of trees and bushes, and also their circulation.
We have such a great forest now in 100 years after they planed , which is like a sanctuary without any steps of human being.

DATE: May 28th Sun. 10:00 am ~3:00 pm
MEET: in front of
The opposit building to JR Harajuku Station Omotesando Gate(=Meijijingu Gate) East.
Prince: ¥3500(lunch included)
APPLY: [email protected]
PIC: Hiroshii Kariya

09/05/2022

【Muchan Tour vol.5】May 14th Sat.
10:00am~3:00pm

②Hamarikyu Garden

This place used to be an inlet or swamp in a part of Tokyo Bay. The first sh**un in Edo Samurai government dictated feudal loads to conduct the construction of landfill. Then he built a fortress uesd as a branch of Edo Castle and created this garden in the 17th century.

In this garden the load often had falconly as a training of samurai, therefore ２duck-hunting places remain in the garden. Moreover there remain Equestrian place.
5 teahouses were built to meet guests
or relaxed himself.
Everything was taken over by Imperial Household after Meiji restoration.

The most characteristic is water of ponds is brakish water.
Waterlocks control the amount of see water coming into ponds, which turns out changing the landscape.
At high tide, the surface of the pond seems almost to reach the bottom of the bridge. At low tide, we could look down the bottom of the pond.

Second characteristic is where teahouses were built. One of them was built center of the pond, rest of them were facing the pond.
All of them are on the elevated ground or place on the calculating the degree in order that a sitting person feels floating on the water due to setting the ground out of the sight.
It's sensitive work so much so that no body notice.
I'm impressed that Japanese gardeners' typical meticulous work!

Third characteristic is a shrine in the garden.The torii gate and building survived Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923.

date: May 14th Sat.
meet: 10:00 Tsukiji 4 chome (at intersection of Harumidori Av. and Shinohashidori Av. )
price: ¥3500(lunch included)

if interested, cotactt me!!

27/03/2022

This is a statue of a grown up guy in short length casual kimono with his dog, which would seems unusual for people who don't know Saigo Takamori, because statues should be great appearance in the first place.

His name is Saigo Takamori, who is famous as a general of the army in Japanese new government that fought against Edo Samurai government in the middle of 19th C.

In result of the civil wars, Edo Samurai Government was defeated.

Saigo was doing very well as a general of army, and got the high class title in Meiji New Government .

However Meiji New Government went away with a lot of rights Samurai used to own. Then all soldiers on Samurai class were in huge trouble.
It was the issue related Samurai Spirit, which was "Samurai Honor" that was thought unnecessary in the new period.

Saigo knew that Samurai soldiers including himself were supposed to disappear for new political system.
However he also understood Samurai soldiers frustration at the same time.
Saigo resigned the title in Meiji New Government and returned to his hometown, Kagoshima.
A lot of Samurai soldiers got togeter in Kagoshima to get Saigo's protection.
Saigo decided to resist against Meiji New Government embracing all Samurai soldiers' desperation in order to eliminate Samurai existence.
Saigo devoted himself into the new political system, and died as a rebel.

That's why his statue looks too casual to see great, moreover that was what he wanted.
He was the real and last Samurai.

05/03/2022

20/02/2022

This is the five-storied pagoda constructed in the 7th century, and it stands straight still today beautifully. Never fell down, survives many earthquakes.
Please look at the edge of the roof in each layer. Those pointed part have been lined vertically straight for 1300 years because of highly matured "culture" of carpenters in the 7th century.
After the skill building shrines and temples was brought by people from China and Korea, Japanese carpenters customize the skill to Japanese climate with high precipitation.
They did it without try and error.

A famous leader of carpenters today Mr. Nishioka, who specializes in building shrines and temples said that carpenters in the 7th century grasp the characteristic of each wood. He said that woods live in nature, so each wood is not same, this wood could curve right, at the same time, the other wood could curve left on various reasons to survive in nature.
Those great capenters in old time used the lumber with opposite characteristic together, for example, they used the lumber with the characteristic that curvs right added to the lumber with the characteristic that curvs left in order to keep the initial shape for good.
In this way, the edges of five roofs look straight today.

Mr. Nishioka also said the carpenters in old days never made just a decoration, every part is part of structure, which has rational structural reason.

Wooden buildings are not fragile at all, they are absolutely flexible! I love it!

11/12/2021

's_house

[Look for Edokko!🎀]
This room brought me the image of a girl's room at an entertainment area at Mukojima in Edo, old Tokyo the 19th century .
Although I'm not sure this kind of entertainment is good or bad, I'm sure a lot of male Edokko had the happiest moment, which was something like the purpose of their everday life, such as working, drinking, gambling and sleeping with pretty girls.

Actually this room is in my friend's house in Mukoujima sumida city.
She was born and grew up in Mukoujima , so she is an Edokko in these days.
When she built her house, she designed this room with a concept of girl's room in Edo, old Tokyo. For example, sliding doors are designed with a pattern of cherryblossoms, and their color are pink.

Edokko in the 19th century was ordinary people who lived as craftspeople, so their local life was filled with their handmade arts, and close relationship in local community.

According to some documents, they were good at enjoying themselves with spending money in their community instead of saving.

11/12/2021

【Finding Eddoko】
❖"Edokko" has two meamings.
One is the craftspeople lived in Edo , old Tokyo in the Edo period (19th century).
The other is any people who was born and grew up in mainly east part of Tokyo regardless of period.

❖Kajicho and Nabecho in Chiyoda-city in Tokyo.
In these photos, they are preparing the decoration of pine trees for new year as every year custom in this area in order to have a new year with good luck that is presented auspicious pine trees because they are green throughout a year, so they are symbols of eternal life. These people don't care Christmas trees, they are straight to the decoration for new year. This place is Kajicho in chiyoda-city Tokyo, which is the traditional displyed addres that has a long history of Eddoko.
Next to Kajicho, there used to be Nabecho.
Both displayed addresses had strong relationship to residents' work in the 18-19th century,. In other word, both residents were craftspeople who were blacksmiths or making pans or the other metalic utensils.
The displayed addresses of Nabecho unfortunately disappeard but Kajicho is still alive. It brings me smile everytime I visit this area.
I've found Eddoko!

2021.12.11

【江戸っ子を探して♫】
江戸っ子には、職人としての古い限定的な意味と、東京の主に東部で生まれ育った人全体を指す2つの意味がありますが、私は江戸時代の職人の面影を探しています。

この写真の人々は、地域の神社を守りもり立てるメンバーで、お正月をおめでたく迎えるための縁起のいい松を毎年こうして飾る作業をしています。商売繁盛を願うとき、年中緑を保つ永遠の命のシンボルとして松は縁起の良いものだからです。
この場所は東京都千代田区鍛冶町です。戦前まで、江戸時代から続く伝統的な住居表示です。今はなくなってしまいましたが、ここの隣町には鍋町がありました。
どちらも住人の食経と深く結びついた住居表示です。鍛冶職人さんや、お鍋や他の金属を材料とする道具を作る職人さんたちの町だったのです。鍋町の名は残念ながらなくなってしまいました。ここへ来るといつも、ちょっと嬉しくなってニコニコしてしまいます。
今日の「江戸っ子みぃつけたっ！」

2021年12月11日