Mastering Season Words – Haiku, a form of Japanese short poetry
I have just become a member of a Haiku society. I have long had a smouldering interest in haiku, but while I could read and understand some, there were others I...
Clay cat exhibition at Koenji, Tokyo
From March 7th through March 15th, Risa Takahashi held a personal exhibition in a small gallery called KIYA in Koenji, Tokyo. Despite concern over the impact of...
Ise Shrine & 25th Maneki-neko Festival – 2/2
On September 29th, from 9:29 in the morning, it will be the day when 929 Kicchou Shofuku Bells (auspicious good luck charm bell) that received purification by t...
Ise Shrine & 25th Maneki-neko Festival – 1/2
On September 28th (Saturday) and 29th (Sunday), I visited the Maneki-Neko Festival (Beckoning Cat and Lucky Cat Festival) held in Ise City, Mie Prefecture, wher...
Fun Bonsai workshop at Bonsai Village, Saitama
The vibrant and twisted trunk of a Goyomatsu (Japanese white pine) brings an invigorating freshness to the tips of each green leaf in the beautifully pruned fol...