YESTERDAY
I went for one of my walks. I started at about noon and walked for the better part of 6 hrs. around the mountain to dojoji temple in the neighboring town. By car it's probably 20 minutes of winding roads. It's a great place that a monk apparently took shelter from a farm-girl turned dragon. She accused him of seducing her and when he didn't feel the love in return she turned into a dragon and chased him. The monks of the temple hid him in the temple bell that was SO heavy the dragon couldn't lift it so she torched it then went and drowned herself in the sea.
borrowed from google
Of course the poor guy was cooked to ash, the dragon was dead and all that was left was the bell which is a relic now. It was a nice walk and I snapped this picture yesterday of one of the buildings:
Yes, this is heavily edited I thought it would
be more intersting this way. I wasn't there
at night nor have I EVER seen the moon
this big.
be more intersting this way. I wasn't there
at night nor have I EVER seen the moon
this big.
I had some manju (like a donut-this one was in the shape of the bell and still hot too) and some candied ginger which was great and man did I feel like it opened up my lungs! I have to learn how to make it it was delicious.
At the temple I also saw the first cherry blossums of the season too. Very early but the weather has been so nice it's no surprise. The Japanese have a thing about sitting under cherry trees and enjoying the blossums and eating picnics. They will actually stake out territory under the trees and are very agressive about it (for Japanese). I personally don't dig on cherry trees, sure they're pretty, but there are so many wonderful flowers in the country. I prefer one's that smell nice; like plum trees but sadly they're already out of bloom.. :(
At the temple I also saw the first cherry blossums of the season too. Very early but the weather has been so nice it's no surprise. The Japanese have a thing about sitting under cherry trees and enjoying the blossums and eating picnics. They will actually stake out territory under the trees and are very agressive about it (for Japanese). I personally don't dig on cherry trees, sure they're pretty, but there are so many wonderful flowers in the country. I prefer one's that smell nice; like plum trees but sadly they're already out of bloom.. :(
aren't they purdy?
a buddha at dojoji
SATURDAY
There are two groups of sumo the east and the west
which mean nothing since they change teams
every year. Before the match the pros 'warm-up,'
the ring with the east and the west getting on and doing
a little dance like the three amigos.
The aprons they wear for this can cost 4-6k$!
1. touch the ground with anything but your feet.
2. get tossed out of the ring.
The traditions of sumo date back a long time and it is said that the gods themselves decided the fate of Japan once with a sumo match. It is a very religious affair despite the clashing of flesh. The use of purification rituals is throughout the match and women are absolutely not allowed into the ring. The mayor of Osaka (a woman) requests every year to be allowed to give the winning trophy (in the ring) and every year she is told no.
The thing that I found greatest of all was the smell of the sumo. They use a fragrent wax to stiffen their hair and it was awesome. The sumo are only allowed to shampoo their hair once a week and usually it requires 1/2 a bottle of shampoo to get all the wax out! GROSS. I did see one the ameture players with the worst dandruff you can possibly imagine, but once you get that big.. well I suppose it doesn't matter. I imagine running into one of these guys is like trying to stop a mac truck using your mom as a cushion.
The gymnasium where the spring basho (meet) was held.
the current yokozuna-朝青龍 (asashoryu)
- or morning blue dragon
- or morning blue dragon
lots of people came to watch
sumo
After that we bummed around town a bit, I ate mexican and loved it.. I so wanted just to smear it over my face in an orgy of delight but managed (barely) to keep my cool. The week before I was also in Osaka to see sumo, but it was sold out :( so here's a few pictures from then and last saturday to close up. Last week on the brightside we found a parade with only the strangest folks out for it..
does your mind automatically read this a certain way?
My does..what do they sell here?!
two groups of strange-o's out on the prowl.
They are characters from japanese
comics.
They are characters from japanese
comics.
an amusment 'crane' game where
instead of a stuffed teddybear you
try to grab a lobster..for what? dinner a pet?!
part of Osaka castle's wall. These are the largest rocks used in castle construction in all of Japan. Osaka wasn't the nicest castle I went to and it was very closed by the time I got there. I recommend Himejijo if you want a good castle.
Osaka castle
last picture, I saw this guy and a bunch of guys dressed up as the KKK!? How long do you think it would take the swat team to drop hot lead injections all over this foo's ass in the states? You can buy these gun anywhere in Japan (it's a toy that shoots little plastic BB's)
出