夏草

Yokohama, Minato-mirai 横浜、みなとみらい
DSC08709.JPG Landmark Tower, the tallest building in Japan
DSC08632.JPG Yokohama harbor
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DSC08410.JPG Landmark Plaza sculpture
DSC08889.JPG Pacifico Yokohama, home of the Inter-University Center
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The temples of Kamakura 鎌倉のお寺
DSC08255.JPG There’s some sort of Hawaiian restaurant boom going on in Japan, I think
DSC08256.JPG Waffle houses are always a good sign
DSC08262.JPG The garden of Hase-dera
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DSC08268.JPG There are a lot of stray cats in Kamakura
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DSC08275.JPG The candles say “Mizuko funeral service.” Mizuko are the spirits of aborted or deceased children.
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DSC08278.JPG Toys for the spirits
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DSC08287.JPG This girl prays for her mother’s illness
DSC08289.JPG The Pacific Ocean!
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DSC08300.JPG Potato ice cream!
DSC08303.JPG Me and the Great Buddha of Kamakura
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DSC08307.JPG The famous jet pack of Amida Nyorai
DSC08319.JPG The Buddha’s shoes, in case he wants to go for a walk later
DSC08338.JPG Peekaboo!
DSC08339.JPG “Living, Peace, the Environment. Moving government with the people: the Japanese Communist Party”
 
Opening Ceremony
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DSC_0154 I feel as dorky as I look
 
Sōji-ji 総持寺

The Sōji-ji (総持寺) is the main temple for the Sōtō Sect of Zen. We visited it as part of a class field trip. The buildings in these photos are much larger than they appear, two or three times the standard size for Japanese temples.

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画像 011 This tour group got a little confused and accidentally joined ours
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Monks chanting.
 
Going to Ōsaka 大阪へ

I visited my former host-family in Ōsaka one weekend. The host-nieces are growing up. Their new dog is growing down.

DSC08374.JPG Shinkansen
DSC08377.JPG Kyōto
DSC08379.JPG Tōji
DSC08384.JPG Nagase’s neighborhood
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Ōfuna Kwannon 大船観音
DSC08385.JPG Ōfuna Kwannon peeks over the mountain
DSC08392.JPG It turns out she has no legs!
 
Going to concerts コンサート
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DSC08353.JPG The Metalchicks
New song by the Metalchicks
Dude rocks out to the Metalchicks
DSC08417.JPG 8-bit supergroup YMCK
YMCK
YMCK plus… Oh no! Bear is driving car!
Domo Arigato YMCK “Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto” Cover

I consider that part of the concert to be basically the high point of my time in Japan, at least as far as concerts go.

DSC08423.JPG Buffalo Daughter
Buffalo Daughter - Rhythm and Basement “Rhythm and Basement”
Buffalo Daughter - Pshychic A-Go-Go “Pshychic A-Go-Go”
Buffalo Daughter - Li303ve “Li303ve”
De De Mouse 1 De De Mouse
De De Mouse 2
DSC08360.JPG Capsule Hotel, Capsule Inn Shibuya
DSC08361.JPG No tatoos in the Capsule Inn
 
Kabuki + Karaoké 歌舞伎╳カラオケ
DSC00156 Serious visitors to the National Kabuki Theater

The performance was Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura (義経千本桜), or “Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees.” The story is about a drum, a magical fox, and (possibly) class resentment. It was pretty good, but we weren't allowed to take pictures during the play, so here are pictures of us hanging out afterwards in Shibuya instead.

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DSC08434.JPG Mmmm, Japan-cakes…
DSC00168 Singing our guts out high above the crowded streets of Shibuya
DSC00169 “Please stop persisting in the belief that you are able to handle Jini’s style…”
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Jason Erb’s Big Adventure to the Deep North アーブさんの大冒険

I lent my classmate Jason my camera one weekend when he went on a trip up to a salt making shrine in the Deep North (Miyagi). Here are some pictures he took.

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DSC08466.JPG Apparently, there’s a god in this well…
 
Field trip to Keiō and Zōjō-ji 慶応大学、増上寺
DSC08474.JPG Keiō University
DSC08476.JPG Tōkyō Tower
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DSC08482.JPG Fukuzawa Yukichi, the dude on the ¥10,000 bill
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画像 019 Weird look on my face
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DSC08483.JPG Cemetery of the Zōjō-ji
DSC08490.JPG The lanterns say Western Kwannon
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DSC08495.JPG I resisted the urge not to photograph this because of the construction
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Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū 鶴岡八幡宮

Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū (鶴岡八幡宮) is a major shrine in Kamakura. Before the Meiji era, it was also a major temple due to the syncretism of Shintō and Buddhism. During the Meiji era, however, the syncretism of Shintō and Buddhism was officially prohibited and the Buddhist features of the shrine were removed.

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DSC08521.JPG Elixir of the gods
 
Summer of “Natsu-kusa” 『夏草』の夏
 
In front of a Chinatown temple Continue to second half →