Imagine a grotesque red face, straggling thick hair, pointed horns and a creature enveloped in straw which hangs down to the waist. Straw armbands and straw sandals complete the clothing, and in its hand is a staff. Pierced cheeks and … Read the rest
When Isabella Bird arrived in Aomori in 1878, she was far from pleased with the town, calling it ‘a miserable looking place, a town of grey houses, grey roofs, and grey stones on roofs, built … Read the rest
This is Part Five of my journey the length of Japan, from the extreme north of Hokkaido to the southernmost train station in Honshu (Ibusuki). The material is extracted from a longer account to be published in due course. (For … Read the rest
Feb 3 is Setsubun and a time for throwing beans at demons. It takes place at shrines, temples and people’s homes.
Here’s Wikipedia’s succinct overview of the custom and its origins:
Setsubun is the day … Read the rest
In the section below of Isabella Bird’s account of the Ainu (Unbeaten Tracks in Japan, p. 275), she deals with the most famous aspect of the religion – the cult of the bear. Most people today think of … Read the rest
It’s said that ancestor worship is Japan’s true religion, and in my experience that’s true. The sense of continuity that this gives is reassuring, and the sense of immortality it conveys is a wonderful antidote to the finality of death. … Read the rest
Normally at this time the Gion Matsuri would be filling Kyoto’s streets, but irony of ironies this year it is not taking place. What’s the irony? Well, it’s a festival that originated and was perpetuated in a desire to dispel … Read the rest
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