Tuesday, January 27, 2009

A FUN weekend in Tokyo

Wowee! I had an action packed 4-day weekend! From my first Kabuki show, to Shrines, Zen artist exhibits, the Gibli museum, the Blue Man group, meeting up with friends, to Picasso and Klee exhibits... it was a fun whirlwind of a weekend in Tokyo.Pictured above is a "Blue Man" from the show on Saturday night. He posed for pictures with throngs of Japanese fans completely in character, that is, expressionless. I hung out for a while just watching and when groups cleared away, I went in for a shot.

I whispered "so, where are you from?" And he looked at me with that alien, expressionless face and broke into a little smile and said, "Iowa." "VT," I responded. Then he gave me a big smile and told me that another cast member was from Vermont. Yow-ee, what are the chances?!
The above picture is from the Gibli Museum. Check out Hayato Miyazaki films if you can, they're great! (Miyazaki is the man who started the company).Pictured above is the Meiji Shrine just outside of Harajuku. It's lovely, with extensive parks, museums and places to pray. You almost forget that you're in a big city, until you catch a glimpse of a skyscraper in the distance. The contrasts between traditional Japan and modern Japan is something that continues to fascinate me.
These two shots are from Asakusa. Pictured below are walkways leading up to a gorgeous Buddhist temple. The walkway was lined with stalls and vendors selling all sorts of Japanese crafts, goods and gadgets. Above is a shot inside one of these stalls. The masks reminded me of a mask collection that hung in my house as a little girl. ;)

Monday, January 12, 2009

A Snowy Day

Today is January 9th and it is the first heavy snow that I've experienced in Kanazawa. This region is known for its harsh winters and heavy snow (thus all of the tree supports). Even though the winters are wet and very slushy, some flowers survive and the ducks do not fly South!

The following pictures are of tree supports throughout Kenrokuen gardens.




The picture below is of a famous foot bridge in Kenrokuen.
(Below) A glass roof covered in snow.

Monday, January 5, 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This new year was much more spiritual then the New Year celebrations in the states, which was a very nice change for me. The pictures below are taken at a large and lovely Buddhist temple called Natadera. There are winding paths through the woods into the surrounding hills and there are various places to pray (some of which are built within caves). In short, it was beautiful.