 Most viewed - Ota-ku 大田区 |
Taiko drum performance in early April in front of the temple.36 views
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Incense burner36 views
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The bean throwers included minor celebrities, former pro wrestlers, and men and women born in the Year of the Monkey.36 views
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The ANA (and JAL) Maintenance Facilities are next to each other near Shin Seibijo Station on the Haneda Monorail going to Haneda Airport from JR Hamamatsucho Station.36 views
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In front of the station.36 views
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The varieties of plum blossoms at Ikegami Baien Garden.35 views
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Stone steps to the temple amid cherry blossoms. 此経難持坂35 views
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Ogre (oni) appear in a procession.35 views
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Crowd starts to gather for the bean throwing.35 views
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Former yokozuna Akebono was also supposed to throw beans, but he had to be hospitalized for a swollen right leg. Too bad. 35 views
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My lucky beans. The beans are in little plastic bags with a paper bottom.35 views
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The plum blossom is Ota Ward's official flower.34 views
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Walk further into the garden to see a few more plum trees.34 views
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Somon Gate, the first gate you pass through to enter the temple and one of the few structures which were not destroyed during World War II. 総門34 views
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Statue of Nichiren 日蓮聖人像34 views
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Before the bean throwing, a few taiko drummer friends performed at 1 pm for 20 min. on the bean-throwing platform in front of the temple's Hondo main hall.34 views
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Pretty cold day, but it was sunny with little wind.34 views
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Beating a drum-like instrument.34 views
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Bringing out large baskets of beans.34 views
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The bean throwing was going to start at 3 pm. We stood in front of the platform at 2:15 pm. They sectioned off this area for kids (and elderly).34 views
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There are steps to go up the slope of plum trees.33 views
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Small lookout deck at the top of the hillside of plum trees.33 views
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Setsubun ceremonies on Feb. 3 start at 1 pm. Bean throwing (mamemaki) at 3 pm.33 views
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They entered the temple and held a service at 2 pm. 33 views
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That's the temple's official mascot (Kozo-kun). 33 views
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Because of the temple's Rikidozan connection, there were a number of pro wrestlers as well. (No sumo wrestlers.)33 views
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They threw a lot of beans. I think just about everyone was able to catch beans.33 views
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They will throw beans on both the left and right sides of the platform.32 views
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Crowd goes home after setsubun.32 views
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Ikegami Station on the Tokyu Ikegami Line32 views
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Everyone paraded to the temple and entered the temple for prayers, then dispersed. The lantern parade lasted from 6 pm till about 11 pm or so.32 views
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Prayers in the main worship hall.32 views
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A spring ceremony is held in early April.31 views
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Prayers inside the pagoda.31 views
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Taiko drummer31 views
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About 20 min. later, the place got full.31 views
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The beans included a square piece of caramel candy. The paper says "Lucky beans," "Setsubun," the name of the temple, and an ad for a local business.31 views
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On Oct. 12, the annual Oeshiki Festival (お会式) was held at Ikegami Honmonji temple. It commemorates the anniversary of Nichiren's death. He died here in 1282.31 views
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Ikegami Honmonji taiko drummers.31 views
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Interacting with the crowd. They love foreigners and babies in the crowd. They let them beat their drum.31 views
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In front were two minor "idol" singers and a red oni. It was nice that they posted the names of the celebrities, but I didn't know any of them except one...30 views
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Maybe about 300,000 spectators lined the streets from the train station to the temple.30 views
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Since most of Japan's big festivals are Shinto, it's nice to see a large-scale Buddhist festival.29 views
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The festival's main event is an evening lantern parade (called Mando) of thousands of Nichiren believers from all over Japan. They come in groups according to their respective temple or district.29 views
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At the end of each group is a flowery (cherry blossoms) lantern float (called mando). It's a lantern pagoda with flowery streamers.29 views
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Following the firemen's standards are musicians. The drummers are the most prominent. They beat handheld, fan-shaped taiko drums (called uchiwa daiko). Amazing how loud these little flat drums can be.29 views
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Each group is led by firemen's standards (matoi) which are poles with streamers. These were originally used by firemen's units in the Edo Period as their banner. Now used at festivals and for ceremonial purposes only.29 views
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Marching priests.28 views
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Path to the temple.28 views
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