chopping board

We got a new chopping board from kiri powlownia wood and it smells so lovely when we come in the kitchen each morning ... smell of wood ... the new chopping board still dreaming

Here is more on the Japanese chopping board and haiku !

Manaita, Chopping Board まな板


WASHOKU ... Japanese Food SAIJIKI



. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Begging Monk

begging monk - beads of sweat dripping from his nose

He was standing all alone by the road crossing in Okayama center, mumbling his prayers, standing in the sunshine, sweating, waiting for the evening cool.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



begging monk —
beads of wisdom form
on his forehead

Kumarendra Mallick, Hyderabad, India


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


托鉢
Takuhatsu ... Begging Monk


Begging Bowls



. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

WKD - Miyazawa Kenji

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　


暑さにも負けず遍路の道長き


atsusa ni mo
makezu henro no
michi nagaki


not even yielding
to the great heat ...
pilgrim on the road




Today I visited a temple in Yamaguchi ... online of course ...

. . . 龍蔵寺 . . . Ryuzo-Ji



My daily duty walk along our rural memorial pilgrimage of Shikoku was really HOT, 36 degrees in the shadow ... atsusa ni mo makezu ... kept ringing in my mind all the way ... :o)


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


source :　Tomikichiro Tokuriki 1902-1999


Miyazawa Kenji wrote this famous poem ...

ame ni mo makezu

ame ni mo makezu
kaze ni mo makezu
yuki ni mo natsu no atsusa ni mo makenu

jōbu na karada wo mochi
yoku wa naku
kesshite ikarazu
itsu mo shizuka ni waratte iru
ichi nichi ni genmai yon gō to
miso to sukoshi no yasai wo tabe
arayuru koto wo
jibun wo kanjō ni irezu ni
yoku mikiki shi wakari
soshite wasurezu
nohara no matsu no hayashi no kage no
chiisa na kayabuki no koya ni ite
higashi ni byōki no kodomo areba
itte kanbyō shite yari
nishi ni tsukareta haha areba
itte sono ine no taba wo oi
minami ni shinisō na hito areba
itte kowagaranakute mo ii to ii
kita ni kenka ya soshō ga areba
tsumaranai kara yamero to ii
hidori no toki wa namida wo nagashi
samusa no natsu wa oro-oro aruki

minna ni deku-no-bō to yobare
homerare mo sezu
ku ni mo sarezu
sō iu mono ni
watashi wa naritai


not losing to the rain
not losing to the wind
not losing to the snow or to the heat of the summer
with a strong body
unfettered by desire
never losing temper
cultivating a quiet joy
every day four bowls of brown rice
miso and some vegetables to eat
in everything
count yourself last and put others before you
watching and listening, and understanding
and never forgetting
in the shade of the woods of the pines of the fields
being in a little thatched hut
if there is a sick child to the east
going and nursing over them
if there is a tired mother to the west
going and shouldering her sheaf of rice
if there is someone near death to the south
going and saying there's no need to be afraid
if there is a quarrel or a suit to the north
telling them to leave off with such waste
when there's drought, shedding tears of sympathy
when the summer's cold, walk in concern and empathy
called a blockhead by everyone
without being praised
without being blamed
such a person
I want to become

©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !




kokeshi with this poem

..................................................................................


Bending neither to the rain
Nor to the wind
Nor to snow nor to summer heat,
Firm in body, yet
Geoffrey Bownas and Anthony Thwaite,
The Penguin Book of Japanese Verse, 1964


Neither rain
nor wind
nor snow nor summer’s heat
will affect his robust body. . . .
Makoto Ueda,
Modern Japanese Writers and the Nature of Literature, 1982


Undaunted by the rain,
Undaunted by the wind,
Undaunted by the snow or the summer heat,
With a strong body
Donald Keene,
Dawn to the West, 1984


Strong in the rain
Strong in the wind
Strong against the summer heat and snow
He is healthy and robust
Roger Pulvers,
Kenji Miyazawa: Poems, 1997

source : 　japanfocus.org

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::




Kenji Miyazawa 宮沢 賢治, Miyazawa Kenji

27 August 1896 - 21 September 1933,
Hanamaki, Iwate, Japan
was a poet and author of children's literature in early Shōwa period Japan. He was also known as a devout Buddhist, vegetarian and social activist.

Miyazawa was born in what is now Hanamaki city, Iwate Prefecture as the eldest son of a wealthy pawnbroker. From an early age, he was disturbed by what he perceived to be the social inequity between his well-to-do family, who lived by lending money to the impoverished farmers in the area. In 1918, he graduated from Morioka Agriculture and Forestry College. He was a bright student, so his academic advisor wanted him as an assistant professor. However, differences with his father over religion (he converted to the more activist Nichiren sect), and his repugnance for the family pawnshop business (he yielded his inheritance to his younger brother), created much unhappiness in his early life, and in 1921, he departed Hanamaki for Tokyo.

In Tokyo, while staying with a friend, he was introduced to the works of poet Sakutarō Hagiwara, and was encouraged to start writing. After eight months in Tokyo, during which time he began to write children's stories, he returned to Hanamaki due to the illness and subsequent death of his younger sister.

He found employment as a teacher in agricultural science at Hanamaki Agricultural High School (花巻農学校). Saving his meagre salary, he was able to finance the publication of his first collection of children's stories and fairy tales (Chūmon no Ōi Ryōriten - 注文の多い料理店 - The Restaurant of Many Orders) and a portion of a collection of free-verse poems (Haru to Shura - 春と修羅 - Spring and Asura) in 1924. Although neither work was a commercial success, his writings came to the attention of poets Kotaro Takamura and Shimpei Kusano, who admired his writing greatly and introduced it to the literary world.

...

Miyazawa's works were influenced by contemporary trends of romanticism and the proletarian literature movement, but above all were influenced by his devotion to the Lotus Sutra in particular.
Miyazawa struggled with pleurisy for many years, and was often incapacitated for months at a time. He died in 1933 of pneumonia.

It may also be noted that Miyazawa had at least a passing interest in Esperanto. He loved his native province, and Ihatov (or Ihatovo), the name of the fictional location that appeared in his works, was constructed from the name Iwate (Ihate in the older spelling) in a manner similar to Esperanto.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !



Gingatetsudō no Yoru
Night on the Galactic Railroad

1996 marked the 100th anniversary year of the birth of Kenji Miyazawa.



Miyazawa's mix of East and West begins with the names of the two young characters of the story: Jovanni (Giovanni) and Kanpanera (Campanella). The story takes place during the imaginary "Centaurus" Festival, a time when lanterns are lit to show deceased ancestors the way home. This imaginary festival occurs in August, and in the story, Miyazawa images children running and scampering, yelling that Centaurus is "dropping dew" [no doubt, a somewhat misplaced reference to the Perseids].

The Milky Way Train: Celebrating Kenji Miyazawa
By: Steve Renshaw and Saori Ihara, 1999


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Miyazawa Kenji wrote a famous book about a bear hunter

なめとこ山の熊 Nametoko yama no kuma
The bears of Nametoko Mountain



It's interesting, that business of the bears on Mt. Nametoko. Nametoko is a large mountain, and the Fuchizawa River starts somewhere inside it. On most days of the year, the mountain breathes in and breathes out cold mists and clouds. The peaks all around it, too, are like blackish green slugs or bald sea goblins..........

Read more here:
WKD : Bears as Kigo


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

落し文宛名は風の又三郎
otoshibumi atena wa Kaze no Matasaburoo

a lost letter -
the address is
Kaze no Matasaburo

Satoo Hirokazu 佐藤博一

This needs some explanation.
otoshibumi is the name of the leaf-cut weevil. The pun in Japanese does not go well if I use the name of the animal for the first line.



quote
Kaze no Matasaburô - A Wind Boy
Miyazawa's collection of stories for children, published after his death in 1933, Kaze no Matasaburô contains six stories. This book is in fine binding with illustrations by Koana Ryûichi, and an introduction by Tsubota Jôji, who had already established his position in the world of children's literature. This book was recommended by the Ministry of Education and well read. With Kaze no Matasaburô, Miyazawa became famous as an author for children.

"Kaze no Matasaburô" is about a strange boy named Takada Saburô. On a windy day, he appears in an elementary school at a mountainside. He says he has come from Hokkaido with his father. His new classmates think he might be Matasaburô, a wind boy. He spent twelve days there, studying and playing with the village children. As wind blows when he does something, the boys come to believe he is really Matasaburô. Then, on a windy day, he is gone. Although it is an unfinished work, it is regarded as the best work of Miyazawa, as well as one of the masterpieces in the history of Japanese children's literature. It is widely read today.

Kaze no Matasaburô was dramatized by Gekidan Tôdô, and made into a movie in 1940. The song at the beginning of this story became very popular. A reprint of the original edition was published by Holp Shuppan in 1971.
source : www.iiclo.or.jp


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

. Hagiwara Sakutaro 萩原朔太郎 .


I wrote the above haiku whilst researching for this

Shikoku Fudo Pilgrimage

Shikoku Henro Pilgrimage to 88 Temples


. . . Read my Haiku Archives

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- #miyazawakenji -
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

monsterlins

short night ... mijika yo at the stroke of twelve the monsters dance rainy afternoon - catching monsters and a few ghosts

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Read the full stories HERE

Fudo stabbing a Monster Cat (bakeneko)


and

More Gongen caught this afternoon !



. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

last day of june

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



last day of June ...
the broad smile
of my healthy husband




. . . . Summer Purification Ceremonies in Japan
June 30






last night of june ...
wild boars trample
through the grove


they are back! in the bamboo grove!



:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Osaka

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


looking down
from my toilet seat ...
35 floors down





Click for more photos of the Umeda Sky Building !




This was the most scary toilet I ever used ...
with glass walls to have a good look straight down ...

The German Consulate is at the 35th floor !


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


The Umeda Sky Building (梅田スカイビル, Umeda Sukai Biru) is the seventh-tallest building in Osaka City, Japan, and one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. It consists of two 40-story towers that connect at their two uppermost stories, with bridges and an escalator crossing the wide atrium-like space in the center.

Located in the Umeda district of Kita-ku, the building was originally conceived in 1988 as the "City of Air" project, which planned to create four interconnected towers in northern Osaka. Eventually, practical considerations brought the number of towers down to two.

The 173 m (568 ft) building was designed by Hiroshi Hara. It was constructed by Takenaka Corporation and was completed in 1993.

The building features a rooftop observatory, The Floating Garden Observatory, as well as an underground market that attempts to recreate the atmosphere of Osaka in the early 20th century. At the base of the towers is an urban garden with walking trails and water features.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

earthquake Iwate

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

. . . . 岩手・宮城内陸地震
Iwate Miyagi Nairiku Jishin

This was just in the news .....

They have upgraded the quake to 7.2, and depth of 8 meters only.
A lot of mountain slopes have crashed down !
First Jolt: at 8:43. Many aftershocks.
So far, at 13:00, two deaths are confirmed.



マグニチュード 7.0
2008年6月14日　8時43分ごろ


Strong earthquake in Japan, people injured
2 hours ago

TOKYO (AFP) —
A powerful earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck northern Japan on Saturday, shattering windows from some buildings and injuring a number of people, officials and reports said.

The earthquake hit in Iwate prefecture, some 500 kilometres (300 miles) north of Tokyo, and was strong enough to rattle some buildings in the capital. An aftershock was felt less than an hour later.

"I was driving and my car suddenly started shaking. I saw telephone poles and buildings shaking violently. That's when I realised there was an earthquake," a disaster management official in Kurihara, a town in Miyagi prefecture near the epicentre, told public broadcaster NHK.

But one house crumbled in Ichinoseki city of Iwate prefecture, injuring one person, NHK said.

Elsewhere in Iwate, window panes broke at a child care centre and another building in Oshu city, injuring children and at least one teacher, NHK said.

But initial signs did not point to widespread damage. A television helicopter from NHK flew over some of the worst-hit areas, where there was no visible damage to farms and homes and traffic flowed as normal.

The meteorological agency did not issue a tsunami warning.

However, the US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cautioned that there was the possibility of local tsunamis "that can be destructive within a hundred kilometres of the earthquake epicentre."

Bullet trains in northern Japan were automatically shut down as a precaution.

The Onagawa nuclear power plant in Miyagi prefecture was working as normal, but its operator Tohoku Electric was checking if there was any damage, NHK said.

An earthquake last year in central Japan caused a small radioactive leak from the world's largest nuclear plant at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, heightening public concern.

Japan endures some 20 percent of the world's powerful earthquakes. It has built an infrastructure intended to withstand tremors.

A new earthquake warning system kicked in for the latest quake, with public broadcaster NHK flashing an alert moments before it struck.
...afp.google.com/



Will keep you updated.
It is far away from my place, but our friend Uwe lives there in Morioka!

GABI

We just saw Morioka on TV.
It was only magnitude 4.something there and not much damage done.




. . . . . UPDATES in the English News !



Sunday Evening

9 dead, 7 still burried in landslides, 11 missing.

The damage to homes, other than the ones hit by landslides, is rather small compared to the strength of the quake.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


　. . . UPDATES 日本語　. . .



　© mainichi.jp

..........................................





　© sankei.jp.msn.com



岩手県奥州市と宮城県栗原市

震度6強
岩手県
岩手県内陸南部　奥州市　奥州市衣川区
宮城県
宮城県北部　栗原市　栗原市一迫

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Yonago Temple Town

peace for the world ! just some flowers by the temple gate

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Join me on my walk through

Yonago Temple Town


This "Peace Pole" stands in front of many temples in Japan and in other places.
So my haiku is just a bit of shasei, sketching what is in front of my eyes.

May Peace Prevail on Earth !


http://worldpeace.org/blog/?p=18

. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Fresh tea and kigo

meditating on a rainy day ... new green tea

The sad truth after the earthquake on March 11, 2011

first tea harvest -
the geiger counter keeps ticking
and ticking


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


kigo for late spring

茶摘み chatsumi, picking tea leaves
茶摘歌 chatsumi uta, song of the tea pickers
chatsumime 茶摘女（ちゃつみめ）girls picking tea
In olden times, girls dressed in special kimono and headgear would go out to pick the tea leaves.
Click HERE to look at photos.
chatsumigasa 茶摘笠（ちゃつみがさ）straw hat of the tea pickers

chatsumikago 茶摘籠（ちゃつみかご）basket for the tea leaves
CLICK here for PHOTOS !


te hajime 手始（てはじめ）first picking (of tea leaves)
ichibancha 一番茶（いちばんちゃ）first picked tea
nibancha 二番茶（にばんちゃ）second picked tea
sanbancha 三番茶（さんばんちゃ）third picked tea
yobancha 四番茶（よばんちゃ）fourth picked tea

chayama 茶山（ちゃやま）mountain with tea plants
chayamadoki 茶山時（ちゃやまどき）time to go in the mountain with tea plants (for picking)
chatsumidoki 茶摘時（ちゃつみどき）time for picking (plucking) tea


.................................................................................


more kigo for late spring

seicha 製茶 (せいちゃ ) processing tea leaves
..... chatsukuri, cha tsukuri 茶つくり（ちゃつくり）
chamomi 茶揉み（ちゃもみ）massaging tea leaves
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
hoiroba 焙炉場（ほいろば）place for roasting tea leaves
hoiroshi 焙炉師（ほいろし）tea rosting master
cha no ha eri 茶の葉選り（ちゃのはえり）selecting tea leaves


kikicha 聞茶 (ききちゃ ) tasting tea ("listening to tea" )
..... kikicha 利茶（ききちゃ）
kagicha 嗅茶（かぎちゃ）smelling tea
..... kagicha 嚊茶（かぎちゃ）
cha no kokoromi 茶の試み（ちゃのこころみ）testing tea
after the tea leaves are processed, the first tea is tested in the company.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


新茶 shincha, new tea, fresh green tea
Tea Ceremony Saijiki
kigo for early summer


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Daruma san, 達磨さん、
the Indian Monk Bodhidaruma, founder of the Zen sect, practised Zazen for long hours.
When he got sleepy, he cut off his eyelids and threw them away.
Later he found a plant had grown out of them.
He collected the leaves and brewed the first tea
... says the legend.


. KIGO with Daruma San


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


tea is a topic in coffee land Yemen.
So I need some kigo to point out when I drink it.
Here we use a tea glass.


the tea glass
warms up farmers' hands -
mountain dew

Heike Gevi
Kigo Hotline


. YEMEN SAIJIKI 　



:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



Shincha (新茶, Shincha), literally "new tea", represents the first month's harvest of Sencha. Over three quarters of all tea produced in Japanese tea gardens is Sencha, a tea selected for its pleasant sharpness and fresh qualities complementing a leaf of high uniformity and rich emerald color. Today Sencha is steam treated before further processing with hot-air drying and finally pan-frying.

Regions: Most regions make a number of kinds of Sencha, which are named according to the kind of processing used. Needle leaf Sencha is processed in Shizuoka and in the Yame region of Fukuoka. In other areas, including Kyushu, the comma-shaped leaf form is processed.

Popularity: Available for a limited time during the first crop of tea it is popular in Japan and is available in only limited amounts outside of it.

Flavor/Aroma: The earliest season Shincha (first month's Sencha harvest) is available in April in the south of Japan, and prized for its high vitamin content, sweetness and superior flavor. The flavour is full, robust, grassy and vegetal with a resinous aroma and minimal astringency.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !



More Reference !

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


菅笠を着て覗き見る茶摘かな
suge-gasa o kite nozoki miru chatsumi kana

Tea-leaf picking:
Trying on her reed kasa,
She gazes in the mirror.


Shikou (1664-1731)
Tr. Blyth


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

sanmon o dereba nihon zo chatsumi uta

outside the temple gate
it's Japan again!
song of the tea leaf pickers

. Tagami Kikusha 田上菊舎 .
Discussing the translation


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


妻亡くし一人の夜の新茶かな　　
tsuma nakushi hitori no yo no shincha kana

I lost my wife ...
alone at night I drink
new green tea
Tr. Gabi Greve

©　樋口吉威 Horiguchi


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



CLICK for more Japanese Haiga !


oshiego kara shincha todoku Shizuoka san

from my student
new tea arrives ...
from famous Shizuoka
Tr. Gabi Greve

©　石狼 Stone Fox


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Cross-cultural flowers ...

Green tea with milk and sugar ...
Stash Green Chai Spice

Indian Chai is enjoyed in cities and the smallest of villages, and is usually offered to every visitor to a home.
Chai is usually brewed very strong with lots of sugar and milk and often concentrated. Traditional Indian Chai combines rich black tea that is boiled in milk, and flavored with local spices such as sweet cinnamon, sharp clove, penetrating cardamom, and occasionally black peppercorns, pungent ginger and hot red chilies, and sweetened with sugar.
Chai can be both calming and stimulating, encouraging both conversation and relaxation. Stash Green Chai Spice lends a modern twist to the traditional Chai by blending Lung Ching or Dragonwell Chinese green tea with cinnamon, whole cloves, cardamom, ginger root and sarsaparilla. The result is a flavorful and spicy tea that goes well with milk and sugar and may be enjoyed any time of the day.
　© www.stashtea.com/
Thanks to Cat for introducing this beverage!


Read more in my Daruma Museum:
The Old Tea and Horses Road from Yunnan to Lhasa
茶馬古道（ちゃばこどう) Chaba Kodoo

"West Lake Dragon Well" 西湖龍井
Tea from China: Lung Ching, Long Jing


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Daruma Doll and Zazen
座禅のだるまさん


© PHOTO :　だるまさん色々


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

More Daruma Dolls doing Zazen

These are clay dolls from Nakano.
中野土人形・座禅だるま




Photos from my friend Ishino.


Nakano clay dolls and Daruma

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


More of my MEDITATION Haiku


. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

WKD - road michi

この道や行く人なしに秋の暮れ this road where no one travelles - autumn dusk Matsuo Basho

道 MICHI . Painting by Higashiyama Kaii
Tr. Gabi Greve

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


For Higashiyama, painting was like a prayer. He felt the divine presence in nature and tried to capture it on canvas, just as a Buddhist sculptor feels the divine in a piece of wood and helps it to come alive in a statue.

Because of the exhibition we see a lot of features about Higashiyama these days.


My details are HERE:
. . . Higashiyama Kaii 東山魁夷


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


"The way in which the elements of nature are singled out
for sensory consumption is remarkably similar to how a good haiku works."

A look at the spirituality of Kaii Higashiyama
C.B. LIDDELL in the Japan Times, May 2008


There are two primary ways in which art can give a sense of spirituality. One is by portraying religious iconography and spiritual concepts. The other is by fostering a meditative, transcendent feeling in the viewer.

As far as I understand it, the latter type of artistic spirituality, in Western culture, began with the 18th Century European philosophic concept of the Sublime, which in turn influenced the 19th Century American concept of Transcendentalism.

For a discussion of this:
http://www.groveart.com/grove-owned/art/spirituality_public.html

I like Higashiyama Kaii's "The Road" quite a bit, not only for its appeal to emotion, but also for its semi-abstract style. That road is a long, narrow rectangle that simultaneously goes into the landscape's distance, and stays on the plane of the painting's surface.

　© Compiled by Larry Bole
Haiku Information Board


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Special Thanks for this page go to Larry Bole!


Buddhist Sculptors Gallery



More translations of

kono michi ya yuku hito nashi ni aki no kure

... kono michi ya ... this road ...


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


一本の道を微笑の金魚売　　
ippon no michi o mishoo no kingyo uri

a goldfish seller
with a smile
on this straight road

　　　　　　　　　
Hirahata Seito (Hirahata Seitoo) 平畑静塔
Reference

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


spring mud -
the bumpy road ahead
for Japan

Gabi Greve, March 11, 2011

. Japan - after the BIG earthquake . 　

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



The word road (michi), just like that, is a topic for haiku.
The same holds for

bumpy road
muddy road
etc.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


on bends in the road,
the sound of rolling potatoes
from the trunk

- Shared by Tomislav Maretic -
Joys of Japan, 2012


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

observance kigo for early autumn

bon michi 盆路 (ぼんみち) road for O-Bon
bonmichi zukuri 盆路作り（ぼんみちづくり）making a Bon-road
tsuitachi michi 朔日路（ついたちみち）road on the first day
shooryoomichi 精霊路（しょうりょうみち）road for the souls
michikari 路刈り（みちかり）cutting grass along the road
michinagi 路薙ぎ（みちなぎ） cleaning the road

In preparation for the arrival of the souls of the ancestors.
It used to be the first day of the seventh lunar month, now in August 1.
The roads along the graveyard are cleaned.




. Bon Festival, O-Bon, Obon お盆 .


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Golden Week

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


summer visitors ...
the mind cluttered
with trivia






Golden Week in Japan,
public holidays from April 29 to May 6 ...

Golden Week in Haiku





:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Road to Izumo

Momiji in Spring: Red Dragon Branches dragon branches all in red ... another spring

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


I invite you to join me on a trip along the
Old Road to Izumo ... Izumo Kaido

............... On the road to Mikamo

Keep going for the NEXT station of the road.

Enjoy the Cherry Blossoms of Mikamo and Shinjo Village
and the God for the Rich in Kamochi ...




. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Spring Festival

procession of the children procession of the 25 Bodhisattvas starts Bosatsu with a flute spring ceremony - he leads his Buddha by the hand

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Tanjo-Ji Neirkuyo 誕生時　練り供養

Procession of the 25 Bodhisattvas in honour of the parents of Saint Honen Shonin, who was born here.

The masks do not provide much vision for the wearer, so eack Bosatsu is trusting its leader on the way. It is a special honour to be choosen as one of the 25 each year.

The Amida Prayer 　Namu Amida Butsu was chanted the whole day via loudspeakers in the temple compound.



. Check the PHOTO ALBUM from here to Nr. 34



. Temple Tanjo-Ji ant Saint Honen


25 Bosatsu



. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Kagura Kaido

[ . BACK to TOP . ]

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Bitchu Kagura Poster The Bitchu Kagura Ritual Dance originated in the ancient belief, held by the local people of Nariwa, that natural disasters, disease and other such misfortunes were brought upon them by a wild god named Kojin. This special dance was created in order to appease the angry god. Kagura Kaido Mountain Road　かぐら街道 At a rest area close to the Matsunaga Bridge there is a special dramatical exhibition ... deep in the mountains a dragon unfolds ... Bitchu Kagura SUSANO AND THE GIANT SERPENT Susano was punished for his bad behavior and sent to the far away land of Ne no Kuni. As he wanders the region, he comes upon an old couple doing a dance of mournig. When he asked them, they told him of a giant serpent, which was attacking and eating the young maidens of the village, and now they fear for the safety of their own daughter. Susano wished to take their daughter as his wife, and so enlisted the help of the Deity "Matsu no Myojin" who prepared a concotion of poisonous rice wine. Susano gave this sake to the serpent and could now slay it. Thus he saved the village. gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Kagura Poster

備中中部広域農道 （かぐら街道）
Kagura Kaido
Main Entry is HERE



NEXT
Fukiya Village


BACK TO
Takahashi and Fukiya Village


Take your time for 140 photos !
Photo Album


Kagura Dance for the Gods My Information



Read my Haiku Archives

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Shuraku-En Park

Dragon Branches dragon branches - the old park is back to life 鯉の口　大きく開いて　落花飲む koi no kuchi ookiku aite rakka nomu this old carp opens his big mouth to drink petals

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Start HERE :
Tsuyama Castle


Take the SLIDE SHOW !



. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Tsuyama Hanami

just a few petals on the old stone walls - Tsuyama castle a pink cloud hanging from the sky - old castle walls ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Hiroshige Branches

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Unfortunately, the sky was overcast and it started to rain later ...
But all the trees seemed to be in full bloom !
There were only a few petals already fallen on the ground and the stone walls, a rather rare sight this year !


Continue HERE with
Shuraku-En Park



Take the SLIDE SHOW !


Background color is sakura nezumi : #e9dfe5



. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Graduation Day

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::





Today was Graduation Day of our local grammar school, where we teach the kids about International affairs.

30 students were lined up ... and their parents in rows just beside us.


graduation day -
his hankerchief moves
up and down


The few fathers (it was a normal working day) seemed even more moved than the mothers, especially when the final "Good Bye" song was performed.



:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::