 Image search results - "Toshi" |
JR Sugamo Station on the Yamanote Line. 巣鴨駅
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In front of JR Sugamo Station
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Main road in front of JR Sugamo Station
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Cherry blossoms near JR Sugamo Station
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Statue of Hijikata Toshizo from Shinsengumi. 土方歳三像
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Statue of Hijikata Toshizo. 土方歳三像
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Rear view of Hijikata Toshizo statue
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We weren't the only ones there.
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The Ki-otoshi slope, and one of the icons of the festival. This is the larger slope for Ki-otoshi compared to the one for the Kami-sha Shrine in Chino. 木落とし坂
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The Ki-otoshi slope up close. Very rough-looking. 木落とし坂
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People everywhere along the edge of the slope.
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The numerous people and trees made it impossible to see the slope itself.
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It was very steep and uncomfortable to sit on, so I decided to leave this place.
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I was forced to join this crowd.
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The crowd extended all the way to the rear. All to see the 3pm Ki-otoshi log drop.
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This was my view of the slope.
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Thank goodness for telephoto lenses.
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We waited for the log scheduled to come down at 3 pm, but it was delayed by 2 hours...
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We sat there for hours.
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Finally, people pulling the log appeared.
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The log pullers split into two.
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Then came the log, and a lotta dust which made it difficult to see what was going on.
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This was Log No. 1 for Shimo-sha's Harunomiya Shrine.
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But my camera captured the log going down, even though I could hardly see it. Onbashira Festival, Shimosuwa, Nagano. 木落とし坂 春宮一之柱
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It was over after a few seconds. We walked for an hour from the train station and waited hours for just a few seconds of mostly dust.
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Now we walked back together with hundreds of thousands of people...
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Entrance to Sugamo Jizo-dori shopping street 巣鴨地蔵通り商店街
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Sugamo Jizo-dori shopping street 巣鴨地蔵通り商店街「おばあちゃんの原宿」
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The clothing shops are geared for elderly women. Sugamo is the fashion capital for elderly women. 「おばあちゃんの原宿」
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Nakasendo road marker.
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The Onbashira Festival's main event takes place at four different times in early April and early May, centering on Chino city and Shimosuwa town. It is the festival of Suwa Taisha Shrine consisting of the Kami-sha Shrine and Shimo-sha Shrine.
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Most of the clothing items are price low, around 1,000 yen which might be affordable by people living on social security.
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Both the Kami-sha Shrine (in Chino and Suwa cities) and Shimo-sha Shrine (in Shimosuwa town) consist of a pair of shrines. So there are actually a total of four shrines involved in the festival.
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Hat shop
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Held every 6 years (1998, 2004, 2010, etc.), this festival brings new logs from the mountain forest to all four shrines where they are erected. Each shrine receives four logs, so a total of 16 logs are cut and hauled to the shrines.Only a rope keeps the log from going down.
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Sugamo Jizo-dori shopping street 巣鴨地蔵通り商店街
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The hauling of the logs from the forest to a resting place near the shrine is called Yamadashi. The hauling route and schedule for the Kami-sha and Shimo-sha Shrines are different.
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The Yamadashi log hauling for the Kami-sha Shrine was held during April 2-4, 2004. Along the hauling route is a slope where the log is slid down while men ride on it.
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These photos show the slope for the Ki-otoshi (Log Drop) along the log-hauling route to Kami-sha Shrine in Chino and Suwa.
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This log drop is one of the highlights of the festival.
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This is one log about to go down the slope. A total of 8 logs will go down this slope.
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The log is dragged to the edge of the top of the slope.
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The log is tilted upward.
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At the bottom of the slope is a huge crowd watching the spectacle, Ki-otoshi or Log Drop, Onbashira-sai Festival.
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Ki-otoshi or Log Drop, Onbashira-sai Festival.
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The slope is near the train tracks.
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Kōgan-ji Temple (高岩寺)
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Gate to Koganji temple, a famous spot along the shopping street.
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Koganji temple. The temple's popular name is "Togenuki Jizo-son." It sells magic paper called osugata which supposed to remove a thorn or splinter from your skin. Affix it to the thorn and it will be extracted. とげぬき地蔵尊
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Togenuki means thorn-extracting. Koganji temple incense burner
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Each log is preceded by flag bearers.
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Koganji temple Hondo hall. This is a Zen temple belonging to the Soto-shu school. The temple was founded in 1596 and moved to Sugamo in 1891.
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Inside Koganji temple Hondo. The temple houses the Togenuki Jizo statue which is not visible to the public.
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Another log coming to the slope.
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Grounds of Koganji temple as seen from the Hondo hall.
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People line up to wash the famous Kannon statue. The line gets longer on weekends.
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People in line for the Arai (Washable) Kannon statue. Anybody can line up and scrub the statue. No charge.
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Arai Kannon statue. Wash the part of the body to cure the corresponding part of your own body. 洗い観音
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They used to have a tawashi brush to wash the statue, but that wore out the statue. So the replacement statue is now washed/rubbed with a towel instead.
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Jizo statue
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Jizo statue
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People relax in front of the temple.
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The ax man is ready to cut the rope.
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In one swing, he cuts the rope.
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The rope snaps and the log slides down the slope.
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Another log comes to the slope.
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A total of 8 logs are slid down this slope.
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Everything is very ceremonial.
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The shopping street is quite long, going all the way to Nishi-Sugamo on the Mita subway line.
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The famous red underwear. Supposed to keep you warmer. For men and women.
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Umbrella shop
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Tokyo Toden streetcar, Koshin-zuka Station.
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My lunch. Ball-shaped gyoza. The skin is slightly crunchy.
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Inside the gyoza restaurant are placards written by past customers boasting the number of gyoza they ate (or couldn't finish).
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Sign near Bannaji temple saying that the warrior procession would start at 7 pm.
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On the way to Bannaji temple, this statue of the Ashikaga lord.
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Gate to Bannaji temple. It is actually an arched bridge.
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Gate to Bannaji temple.
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Behind the gate to Bannaji temple.
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After going through the gate, there's this path to the temple hall. Now lined with food stalls during the festival.
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Plum trees
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Bannaji temple main hall. National Treasure built by Ashikaga Takauji's father. A rare example of a main temple hall from the Kamakura Period.
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Carrying wooden boxes of beans.
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At one point along the procession route (a major road), there was a rest station where they served free ama-zake (sweet sake). The hot drink warmed us up.
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On Feb. 3, the Yoroi Toshikoshi Shuko festival is held in the evening with a warrior procession going to Bannaji. Start of the warrior procession consisting of local children, men, and women. The procession started at Orihime Kominkan. 織姫公民館
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Since it is held at night in the middle of winter, dress warmly.
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Going over the arched bridge at Bannaji temple.
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Yoroi Toshikoshi Shuko festival, Ashikaga, Tochigi.
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Once in a while, they would shout a war cry.
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Yoroi Toshikoshi Shuko festival, Ashikaga, Tochigi.
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I saw at least two foreigners also dressed up as well.
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Yoroi Toshikoshi Shuko festival, Ashikaga, Tochigi.
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They all entered Bannaji temple by crossing the narrow arched bridge.
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Within the grounds of Bannaji temple, they all gathered at this small outdoor stage.
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After a few speeches, they got boxes of beans and threw them at us, but only the people up front got hit with beans.
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The bean throwing was very short, both time-wise and distance-wise.
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The bean-throwing was disappointing at Yoroi Toshikoshi Shuko festival in Ashikaga, Tochigi. Few beans and they hardly reached anybody.
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Japan's oldest school.
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Entrance to Adachi City Urban Agricultural Park (Toshi Nogyo Koen Park).
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Adachi City Urban Agricultural Park is a riverside park at the corner of Arakawa River and Shin-Shibakawa River growing many varieties of cherry blossoms including those from Washington, DC planted here in 1981-82.
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The most prominent cherry blossoms from Washington, DC are the Somei-Yoshino cherry blossoms named "America." They bloom in late March along Shin-Shibakawa River.
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These Somei-Yoshino "America" cherry blossoms are right behind the park's Visitors' Center. The America trees stretch along Shin-Shibakawa River for a few hundred meters, one of the park's major cherry blossom clusters.
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I visited one or two days before peak bloom, so they don't look as fluffy or full. The weather forecast was for cloudy or rainy skies after this day.
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"America" cherry blossom tree ID tag on a sakura tree.
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This was one in full bloom.
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"America" cherry trees in Adachi, Tokyo.
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"America" cherry blossoms in full bloom.
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"America" Somei-Yoshino cherry blossoms decorated the Shin-Shibakawa riverbank from here. They were in parallel with a riverside walking/cycling path on the left.
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These were still one or two days before peak bloom.
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Hanami picnic under the America cherry blossoms. Feeling the Spirit of America.
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A long cycling path goes along Shin-Shibakawa River and the America cherry blossoms.
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This is the end of the "America" Somei-Yoshino cherry blossoms.
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The park also has this Reagan Sakura cherry tree planted here in April 2012 to mark the centennial of Tokyo gifting cherry trees from Adachi Ward to the US in 1912.This tree came from the original "Reagan Sakura" cherry tree planted in Nov. 1982 from a sapling given to Japan by Nancy Reagan in 1981. The sapling came from the original cherry tree planted in Washington, DC's Tidal Basin by Mrs. Helen Taft, the wife of President Willian Taft, in 1912.
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About Adachi Ward's Japan-US Cherry Blossom connection and centennial in 2012.
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Entering Toshi Nogyo Park along Arakawa River in Adachi Ward, Tokyo. The centennial ceremony was held during the Goshiki Cherry Blossom Festival in April 2012.
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Toshi Nogyo Park has numerous cherry trees from America. These trees were planted here 30 years ago from American saplings taken from cherry trees which originally came from Adachi Ward in 1912. They are called "homecoming trees" (里帰りの
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On April 22, 2012, Adachi Ward in Tokyo marked the centennial of its cherry tree gift to the US. The ceremony was held at Toshi Nogyo Park along the Arakawa River in Adachi Ward. The mayor of Adachi and other dignitaries attended and gave...The ceremony was held at Toshi Nogyo Park along the Arakawa River in Adachi Ward. The mayor of Adachi and other dignitaries attended and gave speeches. The day's events included tree-plantings, sumo exhibition matches, and slide show talks by people who went to Washington, DC. This is a flyer for the centennial ceremony.
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The cherry trees sent to Washington, DC in 1912 came from cherry trees growing along the Arakawa River in the Kohoku area (江北) of Adachi Ward. However, those cherry trees died by the end of WWII. Adachi Ward later undertook a project to regrow the...Adachi Ward later undertook a project to regrow the cherry trees with saplings taken from the trees in Washington, DC.
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The ceremony began at 10:30 am with music performed by local junior high school bands.
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The ceremony started at 10:30 am with music by local school bands, followed by short speeches by local officials. There were no representatives from the US government.
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A good crowd was present, including local dignitaries.
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The Honorable Adachi Ward Mayor Yayoi Kondo (近藤やよい), organizer of this commemorative ceremony, said a few words. See my Youtube video below for an English translation.
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Adachi Ward Mayor Yayoi Kondo (近藤やよい). See my video for an English translation of her speech.
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This ceremony was jointly held by the private Japan-US Sakura Exchange Centennial Event Committee and Adachi Ward. Committee Chairman Makoto Suzuki (鈴木誠) speaks. He is a professor at Tokyo University of Agriculture.
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Committee Chairman Makoto Suzuki (鈴木誠), professor at Tokyo University of Agriculture.
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Takao Kurita of the Nihon Sakura Society presented letter to Adachi Mayor Kondo..."We will now have a presentation of a seedling sent from a cherry tree along the Potomac River in Washington, DC last year in March. It is being raised by the Nihon Sakura Society who will make the presentation. Since the seedling is still small, a letter of intent will be presented instead and the sapling will be planted in this park later when it is large enough."
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"A sapling to mark the centennial of the cherry tree gift to the US will hereby be presented. On this day April 22, 2012, from Nihon Sakura Society Chairman Takahiro Yokomichi."
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Shigeru Yoshioka, Chairman of the Adachi Ward Council. The MC also read a message from Bob Taft, former Governor of Ohio and great-grandson of President Taft.
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They introduced people or the descendants of people who worked to bring cherry blossoms to America and Adachi Ward. Tadao Shimizu. grandson of Kengo Shimizu who was the Kohoku Village mayor in 1886 when he proposed to line the Arakawa River with cherries.Tadao Shimizu. grandson of Kengo Shimizu who was the Kohoku Village mayor in 1886 when he proposed to line the Arakawa River with cherry blossoms. It eventually lined 6 km of over 3,000 cherry trees.
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Setsu Funatsu, wife of Kanematsu Funatsu, a sakura researcher and grandson of Seisaku Funatsu a Kohoku Village native who studied and helped to cultivate hardy cherry trees after the initial trees to Washington, DC was found to be infested with insects.
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Kit Pancoast Nagamura, the great-granddaughter of botanist David Fairchild who brought the cherry trees from Japan to Washington, DC.She also writes for The Japan Times.
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Kijiro Kakuta (角田喜次郎), went to the US in Jan. 1981 to collect saplings from cherry trees which originally came from Adachi Ward. It was to mark Adachi Ward's 50th anniversary and the start of planting the "sato-kaeri" cherry trees
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Jun'ichiro Chidani principal of Tokyo Metropolitan Engei High School, an agricultural high school. He helped to raise the dogwood sapling that will be planted today.
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Sapling from the Reagan Sakura ready to be planted.
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Tree planting of a sapling from Reagan Sakura.
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Tree planting of a sapling from Reagan Sakura bythe Adachi Ward Mayor and others.
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A planting ceremony was held by the Adachi Ward woman mayor and other officials. This is a sapling from the Reagan Sakura tree.
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Reagan Sakura sapling planted at Toshi Nogyo Koen Park in Adachi Ward, Tokyo.
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Next they had dogwood tree planting. From a dogwood plant given by the US in return for the cherry blossoms in 1912.
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A dogwood sapling was also planted by the mayor and descendants of people who worked to replant cherry trees in Adachi.
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All done.
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Dogwood tree sapling planted.Tokyo Adachi-ku Toshi Nogyo koen Park sakura cherry blossoms centennial flowers us-japan
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Dogwood tree sapling planted.
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Dogwood flower from a tree given by America as a return gift for the cherry trees in 1912. (ハナミズキ).
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My video of the Japan-US Cherry Blossom Centennial ceremony in Adachi Ward, Tokyo.
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Local taiko drummers also performed well after the ceremony. They were part of the Goshiki Sakura Festival.
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These cherry trees are from America. The park has 29 species of cherry blossoms. Most of them, like these Kanzan trees, bloom later than the Somei Yoshino trees.
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At this Koryu Kaikan hall in the park, they had an exhibition and slide show lectures.
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At this Koryu-kan hall in the park, they had an exhibition and slide show lectures.
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Slide show lecture about the US-Japan cherry blossoms.
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A goodwill group from Adachi Ward visited Washington, DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival celebrating the centennial.
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People who went to the slide show lectures received a small gift.
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