DenisEvents

Earth Hour in Japan was too bright

Special Earth Hour Sutra

Candles at Fushimi Inari Kyoto

Did you see any difference?

Kyoto’s Secrets

A Traditional Umbrella Shop in Kyoto

Blue sky and rice stars Umbrella Kyoto

*

Head Monk at the Chishaku-In June 15th 2008

Honen-In Is One of Kyoto’s Secret

Honen-In Kyoto

L’éphémère beauté des cerisiers en fleurs

Par Denis Plamondon
Photos: Sandra D'Sylva et Denis Plamondon

Cerisiers en fleurs et Azur profond

Cerisier en fleurs Variété

La période de l’éphémère beauté des cerisiers en fleurs est en cours au Japon. Le phénomène en croissance s’observe à partir du sud en montant vers le nord du pays et traverse le cœur de Kyoto vers la fin mars, début avril.

Cerisier en fleurs au Palais Impérial de Kyoto

Qui n’a pas vu, depuis sa naissance,  de ces images pastelles ou l’expression de cette merveille de la nature au cinéma, dans les livres ou dans les œuvres d’artistes de talent? Qui ne se rappelle pas de la pluie de fleurs de cerisiers à la fin du film « Le dernier Samouraï »? Qui ne garde pas en secret dans ses coffres de rêves, le désir de vivre un jour l’expérience d’une ballade champêtre au milieu d’une telle symphonie florale?

Clocher au temps des cerisiers

Temple Hirano Porte Jinja

Porte Shito Temple Heian Kyoto

La fleur du cerisier

La sérénité jaillit en silence alors que la manifestation de la douceur s’acharne à nous charmer de l’intérieur.

Les abricotiers en fleurs précèdent l’événement dans les derniers jours de février alors que le temple Shinto Kitano Tenmangu accueille dans ses enceintes le festival des abricots (25 février).

Geisha au Festival des Apricots Kitano Tenmangu Kyoto

Les abricotiers en fleurs

Pont entre les cerisiers Kyoto

Cumul des fleurs de cerisier au sol

Origami : An inspiring Video

http://www.mabonaorigami.com/en/videos/origami-in-the-pursuit-of-perfection.html

En préparation: Un Article sur les cerisiers en Fleurs

Pont entre les cerisiers Kyoto

La saison des cerisiers en fleurs est commencée ou s’approche selon le lieu géographique où vous vous trouvez. Je publierai bientôt un court texte et un montage de photos sur les cerisiers en fleurs à Kyoto. Vous pouvez aussi vous inspirer de la simulation de cette floraison grâce au lien suivant:

http://weathernews.jp/sakura/simulator/ :

Cliquez sur l’onglet avancer pour amorcer l’animation. Si le lien ne fonctionne pas, cherchez-le dans la colonne de droite sous la rubrique “Plan a trip to Japan?” – Cherry Blossom Map.

Mrs. Tambourine Woman in Shibuya

Mrs Tambourine Women in Kimonos advertizing for a Slot Machine in Shibuya

Sunday March 15th,

A burlesque fanfare captivated my attention while walking through the animated streets of Shibuya, Tokyo. A clarinetist performs his jazz on his corner while two lively women dressed in Kimonos keep the beat on their drums to attract customers into the Slot Machine Parlor just behind them. The sign of her board says something like “It’s a 5 Yen Slot, Anyway, Play”.

Mrs Tambourine Women Shibuya

Pedestrians pass by, more amused than interested. It is just funny to see a traditional outfit with such a vaudeville like performance. The “manga” cartoon behind them has something to do with being in the middle of a big tilt.

Mrs Tamoubine Woman by a Screamer

I stayed a while to see how successful they would be to bring in customers in the Pachinko building. But they don’t seem to have such luck. Meanwhile, there is a foreigner distributing some pamphlets behind me. He delivers them, one at the time, parsimoniously, choosing his target. He offers me one. There is a shop with good sales, nearby, apparently. But this is not the reason he came to me. I did not shave this morning, because my pearl comes back from overseas tonight; she likes this kind of rough look of an unshaven man. Is it why this fellow asks me if I want to get some “Guja” or “Gaja”?

I said “What?” A bit surprised. I do have an idea of what he is referring to, but I never knew the term, here in Japan. So, he repeated something like “Want some Gaja”?. I ask him to say it again, because I couldn’t understand clearly with his so “cool” accent. He lowers his voice like Austin Power would do with something else in mind, though, and mentions that he has some marijuana to sell! Well, well. I could only decline. If you read this blog and you know the right term, please bring me out of ignorance and give a comment on this short article.

Mrs Tambourine Women Tsukuji

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, The Tambourine Women advertize another delicacy in the Tsukuji area, around the fish market. Life must go on.

Fushimi Inari Kyoto

A Marvel in the Sake Land

By Denis Plamondon
Photos by Denis Plamondon/Sandra D'Sylva

Fushimi Gates Outer View

Going to Fushimi Inari Shrine is certainly one of the best destinations in Kyoto. If you are looking for an inspiring environment, trigger your soul with a set of surprising locations and give your body a journey to breath in fresh air with a good pulse, you should pay a visit to this exceptional site.

Fushimi Inari Shops

Once you past the typical souvenirs and local’s shops – try the sweets or the famous sake – you will start to go uphill.

Celestial Gates Fushimi Inari

The orange gates with a black base are numerous. They form two long tunnels in which you enter with a certain amount of admiration until you wonder why they so many are.

Choose your way in Fushimi Inari

Each door is a donation from a benefactor and bears its name, the emperor’s period and replaces the old one. Before you begin your excursion, use the long rod of the wooden spoon to reach the water and pour it on your hands in a gesture of respect, of yourself.

Water purify your soul

As you may already know, the site is a Shinto Shrine dedicated to the god of rice, sake and prosperity – if you like sake, the Fushimi Area offers great opportunities to visit a sake factory. Why don’t you join the two events while you are around?

Shrine Inari with wooden shoes

On your way up, you will encounter many little shrines and two foxes at the entrance of each one. These are not gods but Inari’s messengers and servants.

Foxes Guardian of Inari

As you ascend the mountain and the countless stairs, you will reach a nice little pound. This is a good place to pause and to contemplate. Feel the silence, enjoy the enlightenment of your thoughts while following these nice and patient birds flying over the lake.

Bird on the Roof

The shrine there has a nice altar and the monks will help you with your any donation.

Shinto Altar

Along the way, one finds Japanese style restaurants and automatic machine for refreshments. The magic will not be gone because of it, though. You will get used to it in Japan. On a hot day, you will appreciate a cold drink.

Lantern at Fushimi Inari

If you are not fit when you arrive in Japan, you will when you leave. Unless you stay put in front of your TV at your hotel. You will spend many hours there as the loop is long, although you can choose to a certain extent how far you are ready to go for the health of your spirit and body.

Access from Kyoto Station: JR Nara Line, Inari Station

To read more:

(http://www.sacred-destinations.com/japan/kyoto-fushimi-inari.htm )

(http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/fox-inari-university-of-wiscon.htm)

October 22sd is a great day to be in Kyoto (Jidai-Matsuri) and Kurama (Hi-Matsuri). The site of the later festival is absolutely exciting. Take the Train from Demachi-Yanagi until the last station. Arrive early and warmly dressed because there are lots of people and it gets quite chilly at night. The big torches are lighted at dark and the participants parade up and down a couple of long streets reciting a mantra like sound to scare the demons away. The climax happens when all the torches are aligned in the stairs going up the temple in the mountain.

Please come back later

This blog is just shaping up!

DenisEvents©