夏草

Yokohama, Minato-mirai 横浜、みなとみらい: Landmark Tower, the tallest building in Japan; Yokohama harbor; Landmark Plaza sculpture; Pacifico Yokohama, home of the Inter-University Center

The temples of Kamakura 鎌倉のお寺: There’s some sort of Hawaiian restaurant boom going on in Japan, I think; Waffle houses are always a good sign; The garden of Hase-dera; There are a lot of stray cats in Kamakura; The candles say “Mizuko funeral service.” Mizuko are the spirits of aborted or deceased children.; Toys for the spirits; This girl prays for her mother’s illness; The Pacific Ocean!; Potato ice cream!; Me and the Great Buddha of Kamakura; The famous jet pack of Amida Nyorai; The Buddha’s shoes, in case he wants to go for a walk later; Peekaboo!; “Living, Peace, the Environment. Moving government with the people: the Japanese Communist Party”

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.; This tour group got a little confused and accidentally joined ours

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.; Shinkansen; Kyōto; Tōji; Nagase’s neighborhood

Ōfuna Kwannon 大船観音: Ōfuna Kwannon peeks over the mountain; It turns out she has no legs!

Going to concerts コンサート: The Metalchicks; 8-bit supergroup 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.; Buffalo Daughter; “Rhythm and Basement”; “Pshychic A-Go-Go”; “Li303ve”; De De Mouse; Capsule Hotel, Capsule Inn Shibuya; No tatoos in the Capsule Inn

Kabuki + Karaoké 歌舞伎╳カラオケ: 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.; Mmmm, Japan-cakes…; Singing our guts out high above the crowded streets of Shibuya; “Please stop persisting in the belief that you are able to handle Jini’s style…”

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.; Apparently, there’s a god in this well…

Field trip to Keiō and Zōjō-ji 慶応大学、増上寺: Keiō University; Tōkyō Tower; Fukuzawa Yukichi, the dude on the ¥10,000 bill; Weird look on my face; Cemetery of the Zōjō-ji; The lanterns say Western Kwannon; I resisted the urge not to photograph this because of the construction

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.; Elixir of the gods