Everyone knows that Japan is famous for fresh fish!  Sushi and sashimi are enjoyed around the world and these foods are especially delicious when enjoyed in Japan! Less well known however is the old Japanese custom of grilling small freshwater fish on skewers over charcoal briquettes. Modern travelers in the Japanese countryside may sometimes spot large grills set up in front of country stores and restaurants where visitors can stop and grill their lunch of fish purchased from and prepared by the store proprietor. The fish are normally freshly caught (often from an aquarium set up inside the store) and are dressed and salted on the spot. Diners cook their own meal and then enjoy their delicious feast outdoors while taking in the country scenery and imaging the “good old days” of country living before Japan’s rapid economic rise.

The restaurant featured in this video is located near the Arakawa river which runs through the town of Nagatoro in Saitama prefecture. Our family was camping and exploring in this area during our summer vacation and we all enjoyed our visit to this unique and special Japanese-style restaurant

A moss-covered stone lantern set amidst a beautiful forest setting at a remote mountain shrine.

Okame, also known as Uzume or Otafuku is the name for the female half* of a traditional Japanese Kyogen theatre pair. She is considered to be the goddess of mirth and is frequently seen in Japanese art. Her full cheeks and merry eyes are an unforgettable sight and a delight to behold. Some Japanese scholars theorize that long ago, when the first Okame images were created, they may have represented an idealized form of feminine beauty. Styles and tastes are subject to change, and the ancient Japanese might be surprised to learn that the name Okame is today sometimes used as a less-than-appreciated joking taunt by Japanese husbands and boyfriends who haven’t yet learned better. In contrast, a famous and contemporary Japanese Kyogen actor once commented that the countenance of Okame is what every man hopes his bride will look like on his wedding night…

* Okame’s male companion is “Usobuki.”

An old and weathered Buddhist Jizo statue found deep in the woods along a trail in the mountains of central Japan.

Summer is the time for festivals throughout Japan, and major events are enjoyed in nearly every large town and city, complete with dancing parades and large fireworks displays. These big events are fun and exciting, however I tend to enjoy more the smaller community festivals which are organized by nearly every small town and village. Small community festivals are typically held on the grounds of the local Shinto (native religion of Japan) shrine where a wooden platform is erected for use by dancers and taiko drummers.In our community of Yada, nearly everyone reports to the shrine the day before the festival in order to prepare the grounds for the big event. Loud firecrackers are used to wake everyone up and summon them to the shrine to begin work. The women and children busy themselves with raking leaves and clearing the shrine grounds while the men work together to assemble the tents and the wooden dance platform. When this work is done everyone enjoys a short party with food and drinks which helps to get the community into the proper mood for the upcoming festival. On the day of the festival adults and children take turns performing for the community after which everyone dances around the platform and enjoys popular festival foods such as yakisoba, roasted corn, shaved ice and drinks such as Ramune soda. After nightfall fireworks bring the event to an exciting climax.

Nearly every face at a small community festival is familiar and those in attendance can enjoy a relaxing evening watching their neighbors perform and enjoying the sight of children running and playing in traditional Japanese summer costume. In this video the insects which are seen flying about the light during the fireworks are cicada (semi) and the masked dancer is yours truly.

Dancers filling the streets of downtown Shimizu Japan during the 2007 Minato Matsuri (harbor festival). Watch for Emily and Yumiko dancing together at the end of the video!

A little bit of paradise in the high mountains of central Japan.

While hiking through some tea field in the mountains of central Japan I found Japanese Mountain Leech (Yama Biru) waiting in ambush along the trail.

While walking along a small road in the high mountains of central Japan I discovered an curious bit of roadside engineering designed to give travelers access to an important artifact of Japan’s past.

If you take a stroll along nearly any road in Japan you are likely to periodically spot small stone statues set along the roadside, especially at highway intersections and at the boundaries of small towns and villages. These statues frequently represent the Buddhist divinity Jizo who is the patron god of travelers and pilgrims as well as expectant mothers, children, and even firemen. Jizo is a bodhisattva or one who has achieved enlightenment yet has remained behind to help others along the spiritual path. Jizo has a particular interest in children who may be trapped in hell, and the divinity is thought to often intervene on the their behalf and even hide little ones within the sleeves of his robe when roving demons are on the prowl. Jizo has long been a very popular figure in Japanese Buddhism where he is described as “a friend to all” and “never frightening, even to children”. Though of Indian origin and originally female, Jizo did first appear in Japan during the Nara period (710-94) where her popularity quickly grew and she was soon regarded as the deity of the common people. For various reasons Jizo did eventually transform into a male figure in Japan. However, the divinity’s feminine roots are still evident in the translation of his name which can mean either “womb of the earth” or “earth treasure”. In fact, Jizo is still sometimes found in Japan in female form especially as the Koyasu (child-giving) Jizo. Roadside images of Jizo are often found alone or in groupings of six. The number six being representative of the six realms of reincarnation which encompass all beings trapped within the wheel of life. We can imagine then that to travelers of old Japan the sight of a roadside Jizo must have been a comforting reminder of the deity’s promise to look after and protect any and all on the road to enlightenment.

One of our local drumming groups performing in downtown Shizuoka city, Japan.  This particular group includes many school age kids.  Drums are called taiko in Japan where drumming has a long tradition within the spheres of entertainment, religion and warfare.  The Japanese have produced several distinct drum styles of various sizes, most of which are played with a stick (though hand drums are also used).  Traditional drummers may perform alone or in the company of wind and string musicians.  Ensemble style taiko performances called kumi-daiko (as seen in this video) are a relatively recent development in the world of Japanese drumming and a style which has gained the attention of many outside Japan.  Kumi-daiko performances are typically very impressive with numerous drummers beating out distinct rhythms on various sized taiko.  The drummers can produce deep, resonant tones which carry for long distances and produce an unforgettable and almost visceral experience in the hearer.  Taiko drum heads are made of cowhide dried and tightly stretched before being attached to the drum by iron nails (byou-uchi daiko style) or sewn onto iron rings (tsukushime-daiko style).  Drum heads may be used for several years before needing to be re-stretched, though the cowhide is normally discarded after one or two stretches.  Most Japanese drums are formed from the limb or even the trunk of the Japanese Elm (keyaki) tree while other types of wood are also sometimes used.  Especially large drums may have been made from ancient trees (up to 1200 years old!) which are thought to imbibe the drum with a spiritual significance and presence.