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Biwako Ohashi Bridge as seen from Pieri Moriyama.67 views
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Mikoshi starts to leave.67 views
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At the entrance of Agri-Park Ryuo is a dragon statue. The dragon is a symbol of Ryuo which means Dragon King.67 views
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Azalea bushes67 views
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Nigori-ike Koen Park, local park with a pond noted for cherry blossoms. MAP67 views
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Former Honjin moved building from Kashiwabara-juku in Maibara, Shiga.67 views
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Behind the gate.67 views
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The big red torii ahead.67 views
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Map of Nangu Taisha Shrine.67 views
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Maiden Dance Stage at Nangu Taisha.67 views
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Wood carving on corridor.67 views
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紫雲閣（中町）義経千本桜（よしつねせんぼんざくら） 67 views
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They started pulling the Shiunkaku float through the main street.67 views
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In front of Yaegaki Shrine, next to the elementary school.67 views
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July 7 is also during Japan's rainy season, so it is unusual to see Tanabata on July 7. As you can see here, it did rain a bit. The festival is now held by the city government.67 views
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There are about 80 large Tanabata streamers on the main street called Shonan Star Mall.67 views
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Chuo-dori boulevard in Nihonbashi 日本橋 中央通り67 views
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Inside Coredo67 views
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Aiea Hongwanji Judo Club67 views
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There were 12 races this day, and before each race the horses were paraded around the paddock for all to see.67 views
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Meigetsu-in Yagura cavern.67 views
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Ride the moat boat on the Inner Moat (内堀) around the Honmaru. Operates once an hour from 10 am to 3 pm. The 45-min. tour has a Japanese guide narrating the sights.67 views
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Little Grebe, Shiga's official bird.67 views
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Kids gathered to caryy their mikoshi portable shrine.67 views
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Minakuchi Hikiyama Festival is famous for Minakuchi-bayashi festival music with flutes, taiko drums, and bells. During the festival eve, they play the music in front of their floats in the storehouse. This is Komeya-machi. 米屋町67 views
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Poor guy waiting...67 views
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The Tamachi-Katamachi float entering Minakuchi Shrine.67 views
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Pipe engraved with "Minakuchi."67 views
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The only part of the castle that looks like a castle is the small, rectangular area (connected by a short bridge) seen on the left side of the map. The large square area on the right is now an athletic/sports ground as you can see in the next picture.67 views
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Under a hoinobori, made of bamboo strips wrapped with paper and attached with paper flowers, usually pink.67 views
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Zeze Castle monument 膳所城跡公園67 views
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Later, young men carried this huge column made of straw looking like a torch. Are they gonna light this too?? 67 views
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View from the hill.67 views
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Inside a classroom67 views
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Green Park Santo tennis courts67 views
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The Hokule'a visited Yokohama from Hawaii in 2007.67 views
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Higashi-Omi City Hall 67 views
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Another one marches on.67 views
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Happy Road goes straight to this road which leads to Fureai Road, another dance venue and Saty shopping mall (now AEON) at the end of the road. The entire route quite short.67 views
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Moat on right side of Ninomaru Higashi Otemon Gate.67 views
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Another gate at the Ninomaru Higashi Otemon Gate67 views
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Second floor has more exhibits.67 views
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Wearing an autographed Hannaryz T-shirt, the mayor of Kyoto city also speaks.67 views
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Ogawa goes for a jump shot.67 views
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Another successful layup by Chris.67 views
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Final score: Hannaryz 73, Lakestars 82. I can sympathize with Kyoto losing its debut game in the bj-league. The Lakestars also lost its debut game a year ago.67 views
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At one end of the summit area is a hiking trail leading to the far end of Lake Yogo, toward Yogo Station. The trail is 3.9 km.67 views
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Inside Kishiwada Castle tower is a modern museum.67 views
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The company sells a large variety of skin-care products.67 views
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Sometimes the ball went way up, and once it went up on the roof. These players weren't so skilled in my opinion.67 views
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Finally, a foreign runner. This is Joseph Muwaniki (#146) the first foreigner to cross the finish line to come in 6th place to claim 500,000 yen in prize money. He lives in Tokyo and sponsored by a camera company.67 views
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The lookout point on Hachiman Misaki Park can be seen.67 views
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Katsuura Lighthouse and cherry blossoms67 views
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Card player?67 views
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"Home Run" is the title of this display. Obvious reference to Tokyo Dome's baseball diamond and to the word "ran" which means orchid.67 views
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Italy67 views
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Atami Ginza is quite deserted during the day.67 views
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This elevated structure served as a storehouse.67 views
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Cohey gives the signal.67 views
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I went during Golden Week when they had flowers and various events and entertainment. I recommend visiting here on a weekend or holiday period. That's when they have more events and entertainment. The crowds are not unbearable.67 views
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Aoni-yoshi Parade is a great photo op.67 views
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Overlapping pillar holes. The hole was reused.67 views
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Almost got run over by this one.67 views
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Food stalls67 views
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Kashiwabara-juku is the sixtieth station or post town (shukuba) of the sixty-nine stations on the Nakasendo Road. It is the first Nakasendo station in Shiga (following Imasu-juku in Gifu), and one of ten Nakasendo stations in Shiga.67 views
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Hiroshige's woodblock print of Tarui-juku from his Kisokaido series. It shows a daimyo procession.67 views
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They carried the mikoshi around a few times.67 views
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Tokaido Road: Otsu67 views
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Maibara Station as seen from a train platform. The station's focal point is the huge window wall at the center.67 views
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Pi`i Minns67 views
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The original tree might still grow.67 views
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Captain's quarters. Outfitted with some communications gear at his bedside.67 views
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Looks very complicated.67 views
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Old movie theater projectors67 views
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Notogawa Station's west side has a shopping mall whose entrance has a waterwheel motif.67 views
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I was waiting for this. Sacred dances by shrine maidens who looked to be high school girls.67 views
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Kinomoto is a former post town along the old Hokkoku Kaido Road going to the Hokuriku region. This is Jizo-zaka slope leading to the Kinomoto Jizo-in temple. 地蔵坂67 views
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Where the castle palace once stood.67 views
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Always scenic to see Hikone Castle overlooking Genkyuen Garden.67 views
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Boat landing.67 views
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Inside Hosho-dai tea house. They actually serve tea for a fee. 鳳翔台67 views
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Entrance to Keyaki Goten Palace or Rakuraku-en. Completed in 1679 by the fourth castle lord Ii Naooki as a familiy residence. It took two years to build. It was highly admired for its beauty. 槻御殿67 views
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Ikaho Onsen is a well-known hot spring resort in Shibukawa, Gunma Prefecture. It is on hilly terrain, near mountains, making it cooler than Tokyo in summer.67 views
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Greetings in English by Furusato. ¥9,000 per night including a sumptuous breakfast and dinner. 67 views
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Next to Furusato is another minshuku named Hisamatsu in Shirakawa-go. Looks almost the same on the outside.67 views
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Tokyo Skytree at Kameido Tenjin Shrine with the wisteria in bloom in the evening.67 views
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Bon Dance Panel 4 - From Bon Odori to Bon Dance67 viewsIn the 1950s, Hawai’i's Japanese community shifted from the issei to the nisei and the "bon odori" began transforming into a Hawai’i-style "bon dance."
Bon dances got infused with new songs based on Hawai’i's lifestyle and Hawai’i-themed songs composed in Japan. The old "Hole-hole-bushi" song sung by Japanese laborers in the sugar plantations got a new version composed by Japanese composer Raymond Hattori in 1957 at Columbia Records in Japan. In the 1960s, Buddhist bon dance songs like Bukkyo Odori, Daishi Ondo, and Shinran Ondo were also introduced. Likely due to the bon dance's strong connection with Buddhist temples. ("Bukkyo" means Buddhism, "Daishi" is an honorific title for a Buddhist sect's founder, and "Shinran" is the name of the founder of the Jodo Shinshu Sect.)
Even today, the bon dance is the largest social gathering of nikkei in Hawai’i. Even without understanding the Japanese language, young and old alike can dance to Japanese songs and enjoy the bon dance. Originally, the bon odori was for the Japanese to reaffirm their Japanese identity. After the war, it has become an event reflecting Hawai’i's melting pot. Today, we often see people from other ethnicities enjoying the bon dance.
Panel photos: Top photo is a bon dance food stand at Kona Hongwanji on the Big Island. Bottom photo is a bon dance at Lahaina Jodo Mission on Maui showing non-nikkei dancers.
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Bon Dance Panel 7 - Iwakuni Ondo, a Case Study67 viewsOf the many bon dance songs used in Hawai’i, there are songs that remained while others disappeared over the years as the times changed. What were the factors that caused the songs to remain or disappear?
Iwakuni Ondo is one of the three bon dance music genres that remain in Hawai’i. It is performed live with the singer on the yagura tower holding up an umbrella and singing a song having seven-and-five syllables. Many of the songs expressed the passionate emotions of the Japanese people. The songs included Japanese historical episodes and war stories such as Nikudan Sanyushi (Three Human Bullets 肉弾三勇士, about three heroic Japanese soldiers who sacrificed themselves while blowing up enemy lines in Shanghai in 1932) or Sakuma Taii Monogatari (Sakuma Teicho 佐久間艇長 or 佐久間大尉物語 about Tsutomu Sakuma, the brave commander who died when his submarine that sank off Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1910). Such songs are still popular in Hawai’i today and the yonsei and gosei have learned the story even if they don't understand Japanese. A taiko drummer at the bottom of the yagura accompanies the singer and sets the beat. The dancers dance clockwise, spinning their arms elegantly.
Most immigrants from Yamaguchi Prefecture came from specific regions so they had a strong hometown affinity among themselves. From the early 1900s, they formed hometown associations according to their village or town. These associations were later unified by the Yamaguchi Prefecture Kenjinkai Association formed in 1926. To reinforce their hometown unity, they held picnics, movie screenings, concerts, stage performances, and bon dances.
After the war, new Iwakuni Ondo songs were created. They were about Hawai’i. One song called "Nisei Soldiers" (ああ第442部隊) was about the 442nd RCT composed by Mune Ozaki to memorialize them. This song was often sung during the nisei's heyday in Hawai’i.
Panel photos: Top is James Kunichika singing Iwakuni Ondo on the yagura at a bon dance in 2001. Bottom photo is dancers dancing to the Iwakuni Ondo at a bon dance.
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Places on Maui that hold a bon dance.67 views
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Kyoto University Rowing Club's official 2017 calendar includes "Lake Biwa Rowing Song" English lyrics for the 1st time. Back cover of the calendar made by Tetsuo Oshiro.67 views
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Mainichi Shimbun article (April 12, 2017) announcing our upcoming Lake Biwa Rowing Song mini concert to be held in Imazu on April 16, 2017. 67 views
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Izumo Taisha ema prayer tablets.67 views
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Within the shrine grounds is the very impressive Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo. (島根県立古代出雲歴史博物館)67 views
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Very impressive model of the shrine.67 views
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Iwami kagura dance masks67 views
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Graves of the family of Robert Walker Irwin (1844-1925), Hawaiian Minister to Japan.67 views
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Priests throw wooden goma prayer tablets (written with people's wishes) into the fire. Tarobogu Shrine, Higashi-Omi, Shiga.67 views
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Northern Lake Biwa as seen from Mt. Shizugatake.67 views
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Yoshihara Inlet is a picturesque waterfront fishing neighborhood with boats moored right outside. Fishing village since the Edo Period. 67 viewsLocated on the north end of Isazu River (伊佐津川). "Yoshihara" means reed fields, so this area used to have reed beds on marshy land. About 20-min. walk from JR Nishi-Maizuru Station (JR Maizuru Line). Map here
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Onsenji Temple's Tahoto pagoda.67 views
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Okegawa-juku was the 6th lodging town (shukuba 宿場) on the old Nakasendo Road (中山道) that connected Tokyo (Edo) and Kyoto through an interior route passing through Saitama, Gunma, Nagano, Gifu, and Shiga Prefectures.67 viewsIt was about 526 km long and had 69 lodging towns where travelers could lodge and water their horses. A few buildings from this era still remain. This Okegawa manhole has a safflower (benibana) design. Okegawa was a major producer of safflowers.
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"If you fall out, just float and do nothing. We'll grab you back in."66 viewsBefore we started off from Käylä, our guides gave us basic instructions such as what to do if we fell out of the raft. (Don't do anything and just float until someone grabs you and pull you back into the raft.)
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Wiping off the hail66 viewsMy feet was near freezing even though we were wearing boots. The hail made it even colder. Our guides made us run up and down a hill before we went back to the hail-covered raft. My feet were still cold.
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Omi-Shiotsu Station66 views
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Gate66 views
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Cherry blossom tunnel across Shinobazu Pond.66 views
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Rest house at top of the hill66 views
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Weeping plum trees part of the "waterfall"66 views
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Rest house66 views
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Senryo Matsu pine tree66 views千両松
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Garden66 views
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Kyoto Univ. practicing66 views
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Lord's crest66 views
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Exit to Heiwado66 views
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Toyotomi Hideyoshi meets Ishida Mitsunari66 views
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Low-cost tourist shuttle bus66 views
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Ohmi Railways Toriimoto Station building66 views
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Nishi Azai-cho Town Hall66 views
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Tunnels66 views
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Entrance hall and palanquin 玄関66 views
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Seta River is very scenic as you leave Lake Biwa.66 views
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Seta Castle site66 views
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Seta Castle stone lantern66 views
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The old Nagahama train station building being torn down in Jan. 2007.66 views
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Sumiyoshi Shrine torii. Notice the torches inside the shrine. 住吉神社 MAP66 viewsEvery Jan., both this shrine and Katsube Shrine light giant torches for the festival's climax. Unfortunately, you cannot see the festival at both shrines since they are held around the same time. Sumiyoshi Shrine's fire festival is smaller with fewer (six) torches which represent the head of the slain dragon.
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Great way to warm up.66 views
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書院66 views
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Shrine66 views
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Earrings66 views
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Another Kuri-chan bus.66 views
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Bus stop in front of city hall with the timetable torn off.66 views
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Sign in front of Ritto City Hall66 views
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Guest meeting room 客間66 views
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Kitchen area66 views
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Baba-dori street 馬場通り66 views
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Fire dept.66 views
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Akikawa River66 views
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White plum blossoms 白梅66 views
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Red plum blossoms66 views
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Horinkaku 宝輪閣（お札所）66 views
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Countless little Jizo statues 千体地蔵堂66 views
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JR Kameari Station, north exit66 views
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My gang enjoying the blossoms.66 views
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More waterfalls...66 views
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Steps to garden66 views
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Anegawa River Battle Memorial, dedicated to the war dead66 views
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The battle site is next to Nomura village. Nobunaga and the Azai called it the Battle at Nomura.66 views
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Anegawa River66 views
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Verse 6 Song Monument facing Chomeiji pier66 views
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Okaya One-Day Exhibition, Mar. 4, 2007 at Canora Hall, Okaya, Nagano.66 views
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Grass 大芝生66 views
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Second panel explaining Verses 3 and 4.66 views
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Walk around this post and another 50 meters away 100 times to eliminate your troubles.66 views
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They joined two sheets of kite paper together. This marked the first step in making the kite. The finished kite paper will consist of a few hundred washi paper sheets pasted together.66 views
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So the giant kite is actually made of many smaller sheets of paper joined together. Notice my "philbert" autograph on the bottom.66 views
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After every kite-making session, they take a picture of all the volunteer participants. It was very interesting. Anybody can participate on any day. Call the kite museum for schedule details: 0748-23-0081.66 views
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Some of the prizes awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. Notice the Lake Biwa Rowing Song CDs (75 copies).66 views
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