12/26/2010

Happy Planet Index

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Happy Planet Index





A site that measures the well-being of people in the nations of the world while taking into account their environmental impact.

http://www.happyplanetindex.org/



The Happy Planet Index
reveals the ecological efficiency with which human well-being is delivered

The index combines environmental impact with human well-being to measure the environmental efficiency with which, country by country, people live long and happy lives. Learn about the ideas behind the HPI, how it is calculated, why we need it and what it can teach us.


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New Economics Foundadion nef

Economics as if people and the planet mattered.
nef is an independent think-and- do tank that inspires and demonstrates real economic well-being.

http://www.neweconomics.org/


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Bhutan - Gross National Happiness



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12/25/2010

Christmas Day

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Christmas Day -
the snowflakes dance
in cold sunshine



The nightly minus was 3, the daily warm is now
plus zero ...
and few more days like this to come.

The Sea of Japan side is enjoying heavy snowfalls.




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virtual gifts
with no wrappings ...
eco christmas




. . . friends on facebook


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12/24/2010

pipi leaks

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pipi leaks -
an old man wonders
about his health









Thanks for the inspiration to a friend on facebook !



. . . some real wiki leaks


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Christmas Eve

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Christmas eve -
I dream about Germany
in Japanese



. Haiku by Immigrants  






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12/22/2010

moonlight

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moon chasing clouds
behind the bamboo grove -
equinox plus one




. Equinox 2010 .  



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a single breath

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There is a Zen story about
how a single breath can free us
from the confines of our intellectualizing
and unite us with all creation.

Tokusan was a brilliant scripture scholar who went
to study with Zen Master Ryutan.
One night as Tokusan was leaving to go home to bed after a long evening of discussion, he noticed that it was pitch black outside.
Zen master Ryutan lit a lantern and handed it to Tokusan.
Just as Tokusan reached for the lantern, Ryutan blew it out.

In that moment,
Tokusan experienced enlightenment and bowed in gratitude.

Tokusan realized that he was not dependent upon words and teachings to light the way for him. Even in times of darkness,
he could experience his essential nature directly
and be a lamp unto himself.


. — Ellen Birx in "Healing Zen"
Buddhist Wisdom on Compassion, Caring, and Caregiving —
for Yourself and Others







haiku -
a single breath
can free us



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12/21/2010

long long night

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this long long night -
even the moon
feels pale



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hoping for no clouds
in the sky
in the mind



There should be an eclipse visible in our region, from around sunset at 17:00 until 18:00. Let us hope the weather is fine and the full moon is visible!


Unfortunately, it was raining all day and most of the night.
We could only see a glimpse of the eclipse on TV, from Hokkaido.


Later in the night,
the full moon came out for a short while, immersing the lowly clouds in the valley with a whitish shimmer ...




. Winter solstice (tooji) .


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12/20/2010

silence of sunshine

  
  




43 water on stone OK



autumn brook -
the silence of sunshine
on stones





45 stone under water










. Okutsu, September 2007   


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12/18/2010

QUOTE : English Language

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"In our language there is no word
to say inferior or superiority or equality
because we are equal; it's a known fact.


But life has become very complicated
since the newcomers came here.
And how does your spirit react to it?.

It's painful.
You have to be strong to walk through the storm.
I know I'm a bridge between two worlds.
All I ask is for people to wash their feet
before they try to walk on me."

-- Alanis Obomsawin, ABENAKI


For native people who speak their language, English can be very confusing.
Many times you cannot express in English the true meaning of Indian words.
When we hear something in English we sometimes react or our spirit reacts.
Sometimes we need to use English words out of order to express our true meanings.

We need to be patient and pray.
Living in two worlds can be difficult.
Life is painful sometimes.
The pain of life is where the lessons are learned.

Creator, let me learn the lessons You have taught my people.

Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 13
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php





. My QUOTES with HAIKU


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12/17/2010

winter sunset

  
  





01 pink sunset



winter sunset -
a little pink hope
for tomorrow





02 pink sunset moves on END









. Sunset (nichibotsu, yuuhi, hi no iri)
KIGO


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Today the sunrise was also a very PINK one.


winter sunrise -
a little pink hope
for tomorrow



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I have always been delighted
at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try,
one more start,
with perhaps a bit of magic waiting
somewhere behind the morning.

J.B. Priestley



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12/16/2010

first snow

  
 

 


07 snow on our roofs



08 roof with powder snow




first snow -
the patterns of roof tiles
in black and white




10 tile patterns END







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. First Snow - hatsuyuki
at GokuRakuAn .




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morning meditation

  
  



meditating
for peace in the world -
how about you ?



02 O-Tsu morning meditation







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12/13/2010

Kamakura Gingko Tree

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CLICK for more photos



Kamakura and the old Gingko Tree...


March 10, 2010

just saw the news, it fell down this morning ...

can you believe it, a tree of more than 800 years ... is now lying there like a dead elder ...

Probably not uprooted by the snowstorm, but because the roots have been eaten up by old age and could not hold it any more.
He was always a great joy with the yellow leaves in autumn.

It looked like an old friend dead on the ground.

For more than 15 years, I used to go regularly to the the Archery Hall in Hachimangu to practise Kyudo and looking at this huge tree was always a comfort and joy.

The tree was dedignated as a natural monument of Kanagawa prefecture in 1955.


Today, March 10,
The priests and shrine maiden poored consecrated sake over the uprooted trunk, put salt on it and performed purification rituals.
I wonder what will happen to this tree now.


This is a great shock to all who love Kamakura !!




quote from mainichi.jp

. . . CLICK here for Photos !




my giant old friend
has taken a final fall ...
spring storm





quote from 47news.jp




quote from chugoku-np.co.jp


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The tree had a trunk circumference of 6.8 meters
and was about 30 meters high.
It is said to have witnessed the
assasination of Minamoto no Sanetomo
源 実朝, September 17, 1192 – February 13, 1219.


Assassination



Under heavy snow on the evening of February 12, 1219
(Jōkyū 1, 26th day of the 1st month), Sanetomo was coming down from the Senior Shrine at Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū after assisting to a ceremony celebrating his nomination to Udaijin.
His nephew (the son of second shogun Minamoto no Yoriie) Kugyō (Minamoto no Yoshinari) came out from next to the stone stairway of the shrine, then suddenly attacked and assassinated him.
For his act he was himself beheaded few hours later, thus bringing the Seiwa Genji line of the Minamoto clan and their rule in Kamakura to a sudden end.
© More about Sanetomo in the WIKIPEDIA !




At the left of its stairway used to stand a 1000 year old ginkgo, but the tree was uprooted by a storm at about 4am on March 10, 2010.
© More about the shrine Hachimangu in the WIKIPEDIA !


. . . More English reference


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A 1,000-year-old giant ginkgo tree
in front of the main hall of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine here has been knocked down, apparently by strong winds.

At around 4:40 a.m. on Wednesday, a security guard at the shrine found the famous tree -- designated as a natural monument by Kanagawa Prefecture in 1955 -- knocked down with its trunk snapped.

The security guard reportedly heard a loud thumping sound, like that of "heavy covering of snow falling to the ground," about three times at around 4:15 a.m. After hearing a sound like a lightening strike, he found the tree collapsed on the ground.

The maximum wind velocity at that time was 12 meters per second, according to the Fire Fighting Head Office in Kamakura.

Chikayasu Hamano, a professor at Tokyo University of Agriculture, attributed a blizzard from late Tuesday afternoon as the main cause of the tree's collapse, in addition to heavy rain from February that softened the ground. Hamano also commented that it is impossible to save the tree.

At the end of 2009, the shrine started to consider conservation steps for the giant tree, with inspections by Hamano finding no problems with the health of the tree.

Shigeho Yoshida, the chief priest of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, is too shocked to comment on the matter, a shrine official said. Other priests, who are also in shock, made spiritual gestures by offering rice and sake to the collapsed tree.

The giant ginkgo tree, well known as a symbol of the shrine, was dubbed
"Kakure Icho" (hidden ginkgo) since monk Kugyo hid behind the tree when he assassinated Minamoto no Sanetomo, the third shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate, in January 1219.

source : mdn.mainichi.jp



. WASHOKU
BIG FONT LINK
 


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Photos from my friend Mark Schumacher in Kamakura
(click for enlargement)

Gingko in Kamakura, photos by Mark tree 01


mark tree 02


mark tree 03


mark tree 04 END


Mark Schumacher, Kamakura
GODS of Japan, A-to-Z Photo Dictionary of Japanese Buddhism


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鶴岡八幡宮:
大銀杏、倒れる 樹齢1000年、実朝暗殺の舞台

10日午前4時40分ごろ、神奈川県鎌倉市雪ノ下の鶴岡八幡宮(吉田茂穂宮司)の本殿前にある県指定天然記念物「大(おお)銀杏(いちょう)」が、根元付近から折れて倒れているのを警備員が見つけた。9日夕から続いた強風が原因とみられる。けが人はなかった。大銀杏は鎌倉幕府三代将軍、源実朝(さねとも)の暗殺事件の「隠れ銀杏」として知られる。同八幡宮関係者は「あり得ないことだ」とぼうぜんとしている。

八幡宮によると、大銀杏は幹回り6・8メートル、高さ約30メートルで樹齢は1000年とされる。午前4時15分ごろ、当直の警備員が3回ほど「ドンドン」という音を聞いた。警備員は「積もった雪が落ちる音だと思った」という。その後、落雷のような音がしたため、様子を見に行くと大銀杏が倒れていた。市消防本部によると、当時の最大瞬間風速は12メートル。

source
http://mainichi.jp/select/weathernews/news/20100310dde041040006000c.html


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Update March 13, 2010

Maybe they can revitalize the big Gingko Tree ?
Professor Hamano Chikayasu from the Tokyo University of Agriculture is working hard on the problem.



Hopefully the trunk will grow new roots if properly cared for.

According to shrine officials, the trunk will be cut off about four meters above the fracture and planted near the root remaining in the ground after removing extra branches.
source : mdn.mainichi.jp



Update March 13, 2010

大銀杏(おおいちょう The Big Gingko Tree

The trunk has now been cut at 4 meters length, the new part weighing about 17 tons.
It has been replanted about 7 meters west to its old location near the stone stairs.
Many people came visiting the re-planting efforts, which finished at 1 o'clock on the 14th of March, 2010.







source
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/region/kanto/kanagawa/100313/kng1003132128012-n1.htm



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Update April 10, 2010

The first green sprouts are showing from the roots!

Three efforts to "revive" the tree:
from the roots, which were left as it fell.
from the newly planted trunk a few meters apart from the old place.
from branch grafts being grown in a tree nursery.




source : takezo
April 10, 2010

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Update December 13, 2010

Last night I was wondering about my old friend, and whow, what a surpirze today on TV.

NHK showed a live special about Hachimangu.

They showed the suzuharai, wiping the dirt and impurities of the year in preparation for the new year.
And of course, they showed the tree.

From the roots of the old tree many young spouts are coming up !

And from the implant a few meters afar also new sprouts are coming out of the old tree trunk.
Even without roots it still has the spirit and soul and power to grow and watch over the "young one" next to its side.


They also sell a new talisman with a tiny bit of the old tree branches.




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. KAMAKURA ... a Haiku Town  
Takahama Kyoshi



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12/12/2010

my blessings Masamune Daruma

  











winter sunset -
when I count my blessings
I count you twice








達磨正宗

Daruma Masamune Old Sake
with a bit of spice for cold days







With special red pepper from Hida
飛騨美濃伝統野菜・中津川市下野産の唐辛子
あじめコショウ Ajime Koshoo


An old label from Daruma Masamune





Valentine's Day -
let's have a drink
before we start !


Special Valentine offer 2012


Reference

Reference : 達磨正宗



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A speciel present to my husband
for our wedding anniversary on the
12th day of the 12th month.


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Daruma Museum
Daruma Masamune Koshu Aged Rice Wine : Sake



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. WKD : Ricewine, rice wine (sake, saké, saki) .


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

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12/11/2010

WKD - Hoarfrost

  
  



15 red leaves




hoarfrost -
new patterns emerge
on the spider nets




13 spider nets in frost






16 spider net in frost





14 red and white






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hoarfrost, called "white frost" 白霜 in Japanese


quote
Hoar frost
Hoar frost (also called radiation frost or hoarfrost or pruina)
refers to the white ice crystals, loosely deposited on the ground or exposed objects, that form on cold clear nights when heat losses into the open skies cause objects to become colder than the surrounding air. A related effect is flood frost which occurs when air cooled by ground-level radiation losses travels downhill to form pockets of very cold air in depressions, valleys, and hollows. Hoar frost can form in these areas even when the air temperature a few feet above ground is well above freezing. Nonetheless the frost itself will be at or below the freezing temperature of water.

Hoar frost may have different names depending on where it forms. For example, air hoar is a deposit of hoar frost on objects above the surface, such as tree branches, plant stems, wires; surface hoar is formed by fernlike ice crystals directly deposited on snow, ice or already frozen surfaces; crevasse hoar consists of crystals that form in glacial crevasses where water vapour can accumulate under calm weather conditions; depth hoar refers to cup shaped, faceted crystals formed within dry snow, beneath the surface.

The name hoar comes from Old English and can be used as an adjective for showing signs of old age in reference to the frost which makes trees and bushes look like elderly white hair. It may also have association with hawthorn when covered in its characteristic white spring blossom.

Surface hoar is a cause of avalanches when it forms on top of snow. Conditions are ideal for the formation of hoarfrost on cold clear nights, with a very light wind that is able to circulate more humidified air around the snow surface. Wind that is too abrupt will destroy the crystals. When buried by subsequent snows they may remain standing for easy identification, or become laid down, but still dangerous because of the weakness of the crystals. In low temperatures surface hoar can also be broken apart and blown across the surface forming yukimarimo.

Hoar frost also occurs around man-made environments such as freezers or industrial cold storage facilities. It occurs in adjacent rooms that are not well insulated against the cold or around entry locations where humidity and moisture will enter and freeze instantly depending on the freezer temperature.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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stars
falling through clouds
hoarfrost


хяруу
late autumn early morning there is a beautiful hoarfrost on grasses and it is disappeared after rising sun.
Hoarfrost and dew is symbol of holiness and clearness for mongolians.

- Shared by Zaya Nergui, Mongolia -
Joys of Japan, 2012


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