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Photo taken in Jan. 2006.62 views
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Seta Karahashi Bridge, east end62 views
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Seta Riverbank62 views
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Seta Castle site62 views
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Seta Castle stone lantern62 views
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Mt. Yukinoyama and Hino River 雪野山と日野川62 views
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Trail flanked by ferns62 views
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Inside the Ritto Archaeological Center. 栗東市出土文化財センター62 views
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Obata dolls 小幡人形62 views
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Made in Hinohara, displayed in the coffee shop.62 views
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Salt Jizo 塩地蔵62 views
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Fudo Hall from the 14th century, Important Cultural Property 不動堂 (重要文化財)62 views
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Fork in the road. Turned left for the waterfall trail.62 views
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Hondo hall 本堂62 views
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The procession started at 3:30 pm at a nearby shrine.62 views
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Lookout point 清涼台62 views
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Track switching point62 views
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The area is part of the Chichibu-Tama National Park.62 views
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Anegawa River is a shallow river.62 views
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Anegawa River62 views
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Anegawa River, looking upstream62 views
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Verse 4 photos (Chikubushima)62 views
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Cherry trees along the Sotobori Moat. Formerly a moat of Edo Castle, this canal stretching from Iidabashi Station to Ichigaya Station along the Chuo Line.62 views
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How it looks from the end of the moat.62 views
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Cherry tree shadow62 views
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Petals and tree roots.62 views
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Hanamomo62 views
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View from Koyo-tei62 views
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Tenso Shrine 天祖神社62 views
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Another nearby shrine is Tenso Jinja, a 5-min. walk from Ontakesan Station. This is the schedule for their annual Negi-no-Mai Dance held on April 21.62 views
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In case you fall into the pond...62 views
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Big flower62 views
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10th panel showing Oguchi Taro song monument and his grave and house in Okaya, Nagano.62 views
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Lake Biwa Rowing Course clubhouse, in front of which the awards ceremony was held. It is next to the finish line. The facillity is operated by Shiga Prefecture.62 views
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Operated by the city, Lucci Plaza is a multi-purpose facility with a concert hall, public library, restaurant, and health and welfare center.62 views
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2nd panel showing Verse 2 (Omatsu or Omi-Maiko)62 views
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Friends Forever at Punchbowl62 views
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View from Punchbowl62 views
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Yukimi Stone Lantern62 views
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Corner of railing on Kannon-do62 views
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Stoves62 views
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Finally in 2002, the house was moved to and restored at this location. Dirt-floored kitchen with fire stoves. 土間62 views
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Riverside Mall shopping street in Izumi62 views
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Benzaiten Shrine next to the pond.62 views
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Locomotive nameplate "SL Kita-Biwako" (SL stands for steam locomotive.)62 views
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Sports figures62 views
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The Yokozuna Rikishi Memorial Monument is also flanked by this smaller monument on the left. This is for sumo rikishi who acheived more than 50 consecutive wins.62 views
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This Rikishi Monument for Over 50 Consecutive Wins has 10 sides, and only five sides are inscribed with names. Which means only five rikishi have achieved more than 50 consecutive wins. One of them is Chiyonofuji.62 views
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Ozeki Rikishi Monument 大関力士碑62 views
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JR Date-Mombetsu Station overpass. The station has a certain weathered, rustic charm.62 views
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Rest House windows62 views
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The Jodan-no-Ma has elevated tatami mats on which the VIP sat and slept. This is called the Gyokuza. The room size is 8 tatami mats. Tsuchiyama Honjin address: 滋賀県甲賀市土山町北土山1628 玉座62 views
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Kiri-e and souvenirs of Tsuchiyama-juku62 views
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Tsuchiyama is also famous for tea production which started here way back in 1356 by a temple priest at Jomyoji temple. Tsuchiyama boasts Shiga's largest tea cultivation area (300 hectares) and production volume.62 views
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Deck below the bridge. During the Tamura Matsuri Festival (Bad Luck Expulsion Festival), the shrine's biggest festival during Feb. 17-19, this deck is piled with dropped offerings.62 views
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Stalls where they sell souvenirs during festivals.62 views
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The taume girls enter the rice paddy at about 2 pm.62 views
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The boys in blue on both ends are holding a string to serve as a guide for planting the seedlings in a straight line.62 views
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Besides the rice planters, there are rice-planting dancers who dance along the paddy's perimeter. They dance to the rice-planting song sung on stage. 御田植踊62 views
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On stage, shrine maidens perform the Yuminomai Arrow Dance. 弓の舞62 views
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The work continues, without the singing and dancing.62 views
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Kamiko Memorial has a piece of Haiku poet Basho's paper garment (his raincoat) buried here. 紙子塚62 views
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Enshoji temple was also where Emperor Meiji once stayed.62 views
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Takamiya temple62 views
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"Lake Biwa: Life-giving Water"62 views
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Created by Ibuki High School's art dept.62 views
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Hydrangea62 views
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Tourist map of Takatsuki which has quite a few temples with a Kannon statue.62 views
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Faces of Hoshu on the wall.62 views
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Higashi Gomon Gate 東御門62 views
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Entertainment stage (I was too late to see any entertainment.)62 views
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A wooden boardwalk is provided to view the irises.62 views
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Quadruple with cox going to the start line.62 views
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Regatta starting line. By hosting a regatta, the local junior high and high school kids can learn about the hard work that goes behind a regatta.62 views
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Toju Shrine62 views
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Nakae Toju portrait62 views
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Odo-ren make their way to the dance area in front of the train station.62 views
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Before 3 pm, all the mikoshi come one after another.62 views
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Surrounding view with typical summer haze.62 views
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Steep slope62 views
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In summer, lilies bloom at sunset on Mt. Ibuki's 3rd station.62 views
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Ibukiyama gondola station and lilies62 views
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LakeStars merchandise for sale.62 views
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Congratulatory flowers at the gym entrance.62 views
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Ogawa Shinya on defense62 views
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Defense!62 views
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Ray Schafer blocking a shot.62 views
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Tokyo Apache basketball court. The bj League also focuses on entertainment and seeks fans in their localities through booster clubs. Ticket prices in Tokyo are quite cheap (as low as 2,000 yen for adults).62 views
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John62 views
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Cohey Aoki62 views
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John up again62 views
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Approaching Zeze Castle Park62 views
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"Wara curry" for sale, based on team captain FujiWARA Takamichi's family recipe.62 views
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Magnee and cheerleaders62 views
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A group played as a pre-game attraction.62 views
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Pregame practice. LakeStars on the left, and Fukuoka Rizing on the left.62 views
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Wara goes for a shot.62 views
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Players shake hands.62 views
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Looks like a prime place for fish and birds to dwell.62 views
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On the opposite side of the center is Mt. Yamamoto-yama. On this day in Feb., we saw the Steller's sea eagle perched on a tree on this mountain.62 views
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Ducks in winter. Mishima Pond is one destination in Shiga for migratory birds.62 views
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Mishima Pond Visitors' Center62 views
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Inside Mishima Pond Visitors' Center.62 views
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Koto strings made of Azai silk threads. Numerous silk threads are twisted together to make a koto string.62 views
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T-shirts for sale.62 views
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Sponsors62 views
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Dunk shot progression.62 views
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Babacar Camara again as John's nemesis.62 views
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Wara defends against Darin Maki. It was exciting to see two of my favorite teams playing each other.62 views
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Shichiri-no-watashi made Kuwana properous and busy with travelers. This is a Shichiri-no-watashi marker.62 views
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Cheerleaders in the stands to wake up the crowd. This was the second occasion for the LakeStars to play in Maibara.62 views
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These were all boys dancing, and they dance while facing backward. This dancer was skilled even with the long gown in the way of his feet.62 views
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The two boys in front are sasara players who use a bamboo whisk rubbed with another notched bamboo stick as a musical instrument. The bamboo whisk looks very similar to the puili sticks used in hula dancing.62 views
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Shishi-no-Mai or Lion Dance. These Chigo-no-Mai dances were performed three times this day at different locations. So if you missed the first performance, you can still see them later in the day. 62 views
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Pretty amazing.62 views
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The techniques used to makes these floats and decorations are top secret, known only by the hereditary craftsmen who make them.62 views
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The procession's final destination is Hachiman Shrine which is Niu Shrine's Otabisho (temporary resting point お旅所) before returning to Niu Shrine in the late afternoon..62 views
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At the end of the road at a bridge, they turned around and came back.62 views
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At the end, the three festival floats are pulled into the shrine.62 views
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And there you see it. Look ma, no support poles! How is it supported like that...62 views
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The Nishihama (西浜) group go through their neighborhood along the shore of Lake Biwa. About 30 men carry the mikoshi.62 views
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Some local people come out to watch.62 views
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At Kaizuten Shrine, kids light their torches.62 views
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Sushikiri Matsuri festival started about 400 years ago.62 views
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It takes 3 or 4 years to ferment the fish with salt and rice. It's Shiga's most famous delicacy. In the old days, it was common for people to make their own funa-zushi. Today, few make their own. Most buy it at the supermarket, fish shop, etc.62 views
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Then very stylishly, they wield their long metal chopsticks and a large knife to start cutting. Everything was done in unison between the two boys.62 views
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The shrne priest refuses another round of sake.62 views
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The Sushikiri ceremony was over after about an hour. Then was the Naginata procession.62 views
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Other side of the lake as seen from Moriyama. The giant and rusting ferris wheel is at the defunct Biwako Tower amusement park.62 views
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Entering Ryuo-cho town by bus, heading for Oguchi 小口62 views
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Goats too. Putting golf range even. For more info call 0748-57-1311 (in Japanese).62 views
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Next door to the Shimoda-yaki hall is this hall for trying traditional crafts. たくみの家62 views
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There's a large parking lot at the top.62 views
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In early May.62 views
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JR Tarui Station, north side62 views
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The main torii is next to the shinkansen train tracks. It's a landmark for shinkansen passengers.62 views
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You can also watch the race inside on a large monitor.62 views
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The iris garden also has some hydrangea, but they were withered by the time I visited the garden in mid-June.62 views
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Tenjin-machi hikiyama float entering Minakuchi Shrine. 62 views
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They ran at full speed while pulling the float.62 views
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Group photo in front of Yuya-machi hikiyama.62 views
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Higashi-machi float's decoration was a model of Okayama Castle in Minakuchi.62 views
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Here and there along the way, you'll see storehouses for the hikiyama floats. During the Minakuchi Hikiyama Matsuri festival on April 19-20, they are taken out to be decorated before being paraded to Minakuchi Shrine.62 views
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1: Honjin, 2: Waki-Honjin, 3: Kosatsu bulletib board. Daikoji temple can also be seen on the upper left.62 views
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A short walk from Minakuchi Ishibashi Station is Minakuchi Chubu Community Center.62 views
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Minakuchi Shrine62 views
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Minakuchi Hikiyama float storehouse62 views
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Old Tokaido Road62 views
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A duo called Lake Reed.62 views
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Ajisai or hydrangea need water. They can wither on sunny days.62 views
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Kamo Ike-so ryokan, restaurant and spa62 views
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三鷹飛粋連62 views
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江戸の阿波 蛍（小金井）62 views
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She could drum, even with soft-looking arms.62 views
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道志連62 views
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Waaahh, I want my mommy!!62 views
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This is Niiza Kobushi-ren, from the city of Niiza in Saitama Prefecture. They had a very distinct-sounding beat. 新座こぶし連62 views
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These pictures show most, but not all the eleven dance troupes who performed. I missed a few. 62 views
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Musashi-Aoi-ren performing in front of Saty (now AEON), a shopping mall. Here too, it wasn't super crowded.62 views
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The lighting was dark here, like most of the parade route.62 views
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Musashi-Aoi-ren on Happy Road. One of the girls lost her balance and fell. See my YouTube video here. 62 views
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Musashi-Aoi-ren 62 views
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Still renovating the stone walls.62 views
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After the paint job, they are dressed in a belly band and happi coat.62 views
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The gourd was the canteen of the old days.62 views
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Fukube-furi kids waving a wand attached with a gourd. Small bells were attached to the gourd. ふくべ振り62 views
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A few food and game stalls during the sumo festival.62 views
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Finally, the bow twirling ceremony (called Yumitori-shiki). Notice that he faces the shrine.62 views
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Congratulatory flowers for the Lakestars' first home game from the Kunimatsu Yoshitsugu, former Shiga governor and current chairman of Shiga's sports federation.62 views
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Mike Hall62 views
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Gary Hamilton #2 62 views
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Shoji Kazuhiro #10 of the Five Arrows fouls Gary Hamilton #2 who crashes to the floor.62 views
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Top floor of Kishiwada Castle tower.62 views
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