Archive for 'Culture'
Top Three Japanese Shintō Shrines Posted by Ginny on Jun 9, 2011
There’s quite a few Shintō Shrines that you can visit in Japan, but here are the top three Shintō Shrines that have a rapport in Japan. Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社) is a Shintō shrine built on the island of Itsukushima. This Island is located in Hiroshima Prefecture (広島県). Itsukushima Shrine is a famous shrine because its…
Japanese Festivals in June Posted by Ginny on Jun 3, 2011
There are quite a few interesting festivals in Japan for the month of June. If you have some free time this summer, why not go to the Dontsuku Festival (どんつく祭り) in the town of Higashiizu (東伊豆町)? The Town is located in Shizuoka Prefecture (静岡県). In the Dontsuku Festival the townspeople carry large phalluses through the…
Japanese Folktales Posted by Ginny on May 30, 2011
Today’s post will be on Japanese folktales. Kiyohime (清姫) is one of the folktales that we will be looking at today. Kiyohime is a story about a fatal attraction between a priest and a woman. The story begins when a traveling priest stops by an inn that is owned by Kiyohime’s parents. Soon after the…
Famous Japanese Temple in Kyōto Posted by Ginny on May 28, 2011
Kyōto is a city that has some of the best Buddhist temples in Japan. For example Kinkakuji (金閣寺) is one of the most popular temples in Japan. It’s name means ‘Golden Pavilion Temple’. It’s called that because two stories of the temple are covered in gold leaf. Kinkakuji is a temple that houses relics of…
Japanese Lanterns Posted by Ginny on May 25, 2011
Before the invention of electricity, Japanese people used paper lanterns for light. Paper lanterns are still used today in Japan, but not as much as they were before electricity was introduced to Japan. There are different kinds of paper lanterns in Japan. One variety is called Akachōchin (あかちょうちん), which means “red lantern” in Japanese. These…
Japanese Paintings Posted by Ginny on May 23, 2011
So much can be written about Japanese paintings. There are so many styles and influences that a single museum would be hard pressed to display all the different styles of Japanese paintings. No matter what era or period you come from, the awe of Japanese paintings never goes away! Tani Bunchō (谷文晁) was from a…
Famous Japanese Gardens Posted by Ginny on May 17, 2011
There are so many gardens in Japan, but if you want to see some a famous garden, go to the Mōtsūji Teien or Mōtsūji Garden (毛越寺庭園) in Enryūji or Enryū Temple (圓隆寺) in Iwate Prefecture (岩手県). The rocks of Mōtsūji Garden are arranged so as to symbolize the rocky coast of Iwate. In the center…