Year-end lights in Tokyo: Dec 26-30, 2022

Tokyo is decorated with various illuminations in the year-end season.

 

The light-up decoration in the Marunouchi-Nakadori street is famous.

The street is quite near from the Tokyo Station.

 

Hundreds of trees on the street are decorated with small lights. The lighting starts in the afternoon.

I found many people enjoying the scene.

 

The combination of skyscrapers and year-end lights was impressive in the Otemachi area, central Tokyo. Half moon was in the sky. (See also the top photo)

 

Small towns, like Kyodo in Setagaya City, also have year-end illuminations in their streets.

 

 

Winter plants and flowers: Dec 26-30, 2022

 

The Christmas season is over and we have a few days before the end of the year.

I saw various winter plants and flowers during my walks.

Many deciduous trees have already lost their leaves.

This is a scene in the Hanegi Park, in Setagaya City, western Tokyo.

 

Some trees, however, still kept leaves. Gingko trees in Otemachi area, central Tokyo, kept yellow leaves. I wondered if it was the influence of the global warming.

 

I found some flowers in the winter air.

Japanese apricot (ume) flowers were open at a temple in Setagaya City. There was a half moon in the sly behind. (See also the top photo)

This is an unseasonal apricot blossom in the Hanegi Park.

I found some other flowers in the parks, temples and walking paths.

This is a photo of daffodil flowers.

 

This is aloe flowers.

 

 

 

 

Kamakura in autumn: Nov. 19, 2022

 

I visited Kamakura, an ancient city in Kanagawa Prefecture, to watch Kagura performance (see another post) and to enjoy the autumn color.

The shogunate government was placed in Kamakura from then late 12 century (1185 or 1192) to 1333. Most shogunate government buildings have already destroyed, but shrines, temples and other historical monuments are preserved.

 

Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine locates in the center of the city. The shrine was worshipped by Minamoto Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura shogunate government, and his family. The shrine witnessed many historical events, including the assassination of the 3^rd Shogun Minamoto Sanetomo in 1219.

 

It was the season of Shichi-go-san, a ceremony to celebrate the kids at the ages of three, five and seven. I saw some children in traditional Kimono costume. (See also the top and 2nd photo) 

 

Some families visited the shrine through an approach.

 

It is a pond in the shrine.

 

I also visited Kenchoji Temple, one of most famous and prestigious temples in the city. It was built in 1253 and belongs to Rinzai school, one of Zen school. (The Kagura event was held here)

 

Many visitors were enjoyed the scene of beautiful garden.

 

The maple trees have turned red in the garden. (See also the 3rd photo)

 

The temple has many buildings in its land. Some of them stand in the hilly area.

This is a scene taken from a top of a hill.

 

Public broadcaster NHK broadcasts a historical drama titled “Kamakura dono no 13 nin” this year. Kamakura is the place of the drama. This is one of the reasons why many people visit Kamakura this year.

In my case today, I visited Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine in the early morning and found only a few people.

 

 

Kagura @ Kamakura: Nov. 19, 2022

Kagura is a traditional Japanese religious dance. They are played in shrines at special occasions, such as new year’s ceremonies and autumn festivals.

Kagura played an important role in Tohoku regions after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. It was seen as a symbol of local communities and united the people in the quake-hit areas.

Save Iwate, a NPO for recovery of the quake-hit areas in Iwate Prefecture, along with other people started a special Kagura event in 2013, two years after the disaster, in Kanto district. It aimed to get a better understanding of Kagura and earthquake-hit areas by the people in Tokyo and surrounding areas. 

The event has been held in Kenchoji Temple in Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture since 2014. Kenchoji is one of most famous and prestigious temples in Kamakura.

The event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It reopened this year.

The performance Played this year was Hayachine Otsugunai Kagura. This Kagura has been developed and succeeded in a region in Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture. It is recorded as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.

The stage was set on the tatami floor in the temple’s building. I helped some works to set up the stage.

About 200 people joined to watch the play.

Both Kagura dance players and drum and cymbal players were on the stage.

The moves of the dance players were very dynamic.

Several masks were used.

This is a lion dance. The dance is believed to get rid of disasters.

I was impressed and satisfied with the plays.

 

Imperial Palace: Nov. 9-10, 2022

There are many attractive places in and around the Imperial Palace.

I visited several places.

The palace has been developed on the site of the Edo Castle. It locates in the central Tokyo and is surrounded by Tokyo’s skyscrapers.

The emperor lives in his space in the palace.

Some places, including the East Garden, are open to the public.

There is a wide lawn field in the garden. The main building of the castle was here.

The ruin (basement) of the main tower remains over the lawn.

Many stone walls remain in the garden. (See the top and the 4th photo)

I found many foreign tourists enjoying the garden. Japan loosened its immigration control (to curve the Covid-19) in October.

The garden is nature rich. Some trees had yellow and red leaves. (See also the 2nd photo)

I found some autumn fruits in the garden. These are persimmon trees.

The palace is surrounded by moats. Water birds were swimming.

Walking paths are well arranged around the moats.

This is a scene of Chiforigafuchi. People enjoyed the autumn color.

The norther part is uses as a park. There are several facilities including Nippon Budokan (a building for martial arts and other activities).

People enter the park through an Edo-period style gate. (See the 3rd phot)

Lunar eclipse: Nov.8, 2022

Japan had a lunar eclipse today.

It started at 6:09 pm in Tokyo, became total eclipse from 7:16 to 8: 42, and returned to full moon at 9:45, according to National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.

The moon was red and darker than usual when it was total eclipse. Compare the two photos (above is total eclipse photo, below is usual full moon) 

The brightness is completely different. This is a eclipse moon over a city.

This is a usual full moon.

With the end of total eclipse, the moon started to return its brightness.

It is the first step of the recovery.

It loos like a crescent moon, but it is different. The dark part is reddish brown, not black.

It is almost half-and-half.

The eclipse is about to end.

I enjoyed the astronomical show in 2022 autumn.