NEWS OF TRAVEL JAPAN

Previously, I wrote about “ mizuhiki” (the lower picture above, red and white stings ), which is used for an expression of celebration on a gift. It is thought that the custom of the mizuhiki has a history of approximately seven centuries. In many good situations when Japanese people send gifts of celebration, the thing on the right above the mizuhiki knot in the picture is used to express celebration with the mizuhiki. It’s called a “noshi”, but many Japanese people including me don’t know its true meaning. I knew its meaning and the story of its beginning when I visited Toba city, Mie prefecture for the first time. The long history of the noshi The whole form illustrating the noshi is pictured above. Speaking in more detail, the part of the red and white paper envelope is called the noshi, and the part of the long yellow band is called the “noshi-awabi”. The noshi-awabi means an abalone which was stretched out. The original type of the noshi-awabi is pictured above. ...

My wife and I revisited Shinmei Shrine in Ohsatsu for the first time in 4 and a half years. In Japan there are several Shinmei shrines and Shinmei denotes that it warships Amaterasu-Omikami, who is the highest god for The Imperial Family and Japanese people (she is enshrined in Ise Shrine) . So the main god of Shinmei Shrine in Ohsatsu is Amaterasu-Omikami, then we thanked the god for our peaceful lives and prayed peace of Japan and the world to the god. This time, there was a big circle, through which people can pass, which is made by grass straws behind the inner gate of the sanctuary of Amaterasu-Ominami. A note board indicated to turn back as going around the circle three times as drawing a figure of eight, to the left-side of the circle after passing the circle firstly, to the right-side next and to the left-side again. The series of the actions of the indication is to make an invisible knot with the circle, and it may be that the series of the actions means to make relatio...

Himeji Castle is one of the first world culture heritage sites selected in Japan and it has many foreign visitors. Himeji Castle, of course, is a fortification to protect ourselves. It has weapon-rooms with walls for storing spears and waiting rooms for samurais in the main tower. And it has stone walls which are one of the characteristics of Japanese castles for guarding against an army. One of interesting things for visitors is its powers, but what attracts many foreign visitors may be the beauty of the castle. So I will try to go deep into the beauty of the castle. The large size of the castle Himeji Castle looks magnificent and it is the largest remaining castle with the main tower in Japan. Historically speaking there were many larger castles than Himeji Castle but this castle has a reason for the large size excepting the appearance of power and the largeness of staff. Himeji is the key place between western regions of Japan and Kyoto. Himeji had had castles o...

There are many Zen temples in Kyoto. Foreign travelers can enjoy the atmosphere of every Zen temple or Zen garden. By the way, Shoukoku-ji Temple historically had a high level of social status as a Zen temple but nowadays it has few visitors. What’s the mean of the high level of social status? If you come to Kyoto for visiting temples of Buddhism, probably you will know that there are Kinkaku-ji Temple and Ginkaku-ji Temple among the many temples which are recommended. Yes, Kinkaku-ji Temple and Ginkaku-ji Temple are famous and always filled with foreign visitors, but you may not know that Shoukoku-ji Temple is the parent temple of two popular temples. In olden times Shoukoku-ji Temple was a great cathedral of Zen, but it was burned many times, then a lot of its treasures and works of art were burned too. Nowadays Shoukoku-ji Temple has a few tourist attractions. The reason of burning that is different from other existing popular temples from those origins was that it was ...