Santa came to Yokohama on December 26, Boxing Day.

I had the luck to meet Mr. Jon Mitchell again and had dinner with him at an Italian restaurant in Yokohama. Jon is a British journalist who writes articles for The Japan Times regularly. He is also a lecturer at Tokyo Institute of Technology, a very prestigious university aka Tokodai; Former Prime Minister Naoto Kan is an alumnus of Tokodai.Jon also teaches English at Meiji Gakuin University.

We renewed our friendship at the restaurant.

Jon gave me a copy of his anthology titled 'MARCH AND AFTER' which he compiled and published.

On page 32 he introduces a poem about Kashima Shrine which we visited in April this year. 

A photo taken at Kashima Shrine on April 13,2011

I was also given a warm-hearted X'mas card by Jon.

Written and posted by Mitsutoshi Masunari
P.S.

To read Jon's blog, click here.

December 23 is Emperor's birthday

  

We entered the Imperial Place from the main gate under severe surveillance and

walked from the gate to the balcony

We waited for their appearance.

From left to right, Princess Masako, Crown Prince, Emperor, Empress, Prince Akishino, Princess Kiko and Princess Mako(Elder daughter of Akishino Family)

Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa of Tokyo

Senso-ji Temple is the oldest temple in Tokyo. It is said that this temple was built in 645. In the mid 9th century, the then highest ranking Tendai Duddhist Ennin(794-864) aka Jigaku-Daishi visited the temple and carved a statue which could be shown to and worshipped by the people. Since then Senso-ji temple had belonged to Tendai Buddhism until it declared independece after World War Ⅱ.

This is the entrance gate to Senso-ji Temple. From the center of the lintel, a big red lantern is hanging with two Chinese charactors 'Thunder Gate' on it.  In each four corner of the gate there is a statue. The existing gate was built by the donation of Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of Panasonic in 1960. 

On the right corner of the front side there is a statue 'Fujin' which literally means Wind God.

On the left corner of the front side there is another statue 'Raijin' which literally means Thunder God or Thor.

The English explanation of Kaminari-mon Gate

At the back of Raijin there is a statue 'Kinryu',  which is Goddess for water. 

On the left side of Kinryu there is another statue 'Tenryu', which is God for water.

From the entrance to the main hall there are shops on both sides of 'Nakamise Street'.

Nakamise literally means shops in a precinct of a temple or a shrine.

Hozo-mon Gate. Hozo literally means a storage which keeps treasure. Mon means a gate.

A pair of Nioh, A-gyo and Un-gyo are standing on both sides of the gate. Nioh is a guardian god to pretect a temple. The above statue is A-gyo.

This is Un-gyo. Have you heard of sumo wrestling? Sumo wrestling is a national sport in Japan. Two Sumo wrestlers who fight on a ring have to maintain a rule ' A- Un start'. This 'A-Un' is derived from the pair of Nioh.

Incense is used to cure people's weekness: both physical and mental. 

The main Hall of Senso-ji Temple

Inside the main hall

A photo taken from the hall

Sky Tree from Senso-ji Temple

This tower is 634 meters tall and is the tallest tower in the world. Don't you want to know why the height is fixed as 634 meters?

 

Meiji-jingu Shrine on Dec.11,'11

On Dec. 10,'11,  a Japanese television program ' Discover world misteries' treated Meiji-jingu Shrine and introduced something new to me. So, the next day I went there for the first time since June 14 this year and introduce those new things here. 

This is a scene of the new year's ceremony at Meiji-jingu Shrine on January 1, '11. A Shinto priest is beating a drum. Then the sun rises from the east end of Ometesando street. This shrine is on the ley line.

 On the TV program the woman said, ' This is the power spot'. In Japan we use these two words to mean ' a mystical energy source'. The well was dug by Kiyomasa Kato(1562-1611)  a warrior who lived during the age of wars.

So, I went to see the well.

 The well is in another garden which is called Meiji-jinngu Gyoen.

In the garden I enjoyed colored leaves.

On the right side of the approach to the main hall there were barrels of Sake.

Sake barrels

On the left side there were barrels of wine.

A barrel of very expensive French wine

This board explains why there are barrels of wine.

In the precinct we see many heart shaped marks like this one below.

This mark was symbolized from an eye of an animal. Then, what is the animal? 

The answer is a wild boar.

A wild boar's head

The last film is not from TV program but the one I took by myself.

This film shows the main hall of Meiji-jingu Shrine and the yard.

One Sunny Sunday in Kamakura

I went to Kamakura to make a tour plan. It was fine today, so I took some pictures and videos.

Every shrine has a trough where worshippers wash their hands before they pray to God. So does Tsurugaoka-hachmangu Shrine.

On the stage in front of the main hall there was a wedding ceremony going on.

The main hall on a hill and the stage. Gradually, foreign tourists are increasing. I wish I would be busy next year.

Then, I went to Kotoku-in Temple to introduce 'Big Statue of Buddha' with a video film. I tried to upload a film taken with my digital camera but failed . It seems to be longer. Sorry for the unclear film taken by my mobile phone. This statue is 13.4 meters tall including the podium.

A squirrel on the roof of a building in the precinct of Kotoku-in Temple.

Colored leaves at Hase-dera Temple

A dry landscape garden at Hase-dera Temple

This film is not so long that I could succeed in uploading it.

PS:

Thank you very much for my follower's comment on Sankei-en Garden. I am glad that she enjoyed my free guided tour in my blog.

Sankei-en Garden in Autumn

Sankei-en Garden is owned and operated by Yokohama City. So, Yokohama citizens over 65 years old are free of charge. In Autumn we can enjoy chrysanthemum flowers.

The minature garden was awarded by Yokohama mayor.

This three storied pagoda was tranferred from Kyoto.

This farm house was transferred from Gifu Prefecture.

A fireplace in the farm house

Rinshunkaku was transferred from Wakayama.

 

Omotesando, the main approach to Meiji-jingu Shrine

Omote-samdo means the main approach to a shrine. In this case the main shrine to Meiji-jingu Shrine.Meiji-jingu Shrine was founded to commemorate Meiji Emperor, great grandfather of the current Emperor. 

Omotesando Hills

Omotesando Street

I felt as if I was walking along the famous street in Paris 'Les Champs-Elysees'

Written and posted by Mitsutoshi Masunari.

Let's go to the Harajuku area

Get off at Harajuku Station and you will find the sign of Takeshita Exit.

This is the entrance to Takeshita Street.

Takeshita Street is very popular for not only Japanese but also for foreigners.

I took this film on Nov. 24,'11 which was Thursday, a weekday. Still, it was a busy street.