In Kyoto, May means the Aoi Festival. (July is Gion Matsuri; October is the Jidai Matsuri.)
The Aoi festivities, which last the whole month, are overseen by a special ‘Saoi-dai’ who is chosen to represent the imperial princess who was … Read the rest
The plum blossom festival at Kitano Tenmangu is one of my favourites, partly because it heralds the coming of spring and partly because it is such a bustling affair with an antiques market and tea ceremony served by geisha. … Read the rest
More than most cities, Heian-kyo lay close to the spirit world. It’s as if its low-lying mists gave rise to a hidden world of unseen forces. People sought advice before embarking on journeys, and there was a six-day … Read the rest
On a research outing to north Kyoto the other day, I happened to pass Shiramine Jingu which I hadn’t visited for some years. In the meantime it has been building up its status as the home of football, with … Read the rest
This year I made two ‘hatsumode’ shrine visits. Hatsu means first, and mode is a formal word for visit, so it’s the first shrine visit of the year when traditionally one renews amulets and protective charms. People flock to … Read the rest
Kemari at Shimogamo Jinja
Japan Times JAN 2, 2014 Jun Hongo
The year of FIFA World Cup is upon us, with Brazil getting ready to host, and Japan scheduled to go head-to-head against Cote d’Ivoire, Greece and Colombia in … Read the rest
Interesting last sentence to the news article below about the openly gay US consul in Osaka… (Extract from the Japan Times article ‘Gay consul general finds partner, place in government’)
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In summer 2002, when he was working at … Read the rest
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