If this couple’s marriage is filled with as much warmth as the weather managed for them on their wedding day, then in no time at all they will definitely have more than a few good memories to go with to this one.
Traditional temple wedding togs
Culture
A thousand volcanic thoughts
The grey and sulphur smelling slopes of Tochigi Prefecture’s Chausudake volcano are slightly otherworldly to start with, an almost lunar-like landscape that the famous haiku poet, Basho, when describing the area around what’s known as the Killing Stone, declared that so many dead bees and moths were scattered about that the colour of the sand could not be determined.
And yet otherworldly quickly turns into wondrous when one sees the jumble of daintily-bonneted Jizo dotted amongst the debris.
Figures that, whilst more often than not have a decidedly melancholy meaning, are here somehow transformed into a spectacle that is really rather soothing.
A conversion that could well have something to do with the sheer number of them.
Or maybe it’s because they look so serene.
I simply don’t know.
A stony silence
For me at least, the more moss and stone a garden contains, the more fascinating it becomes, and even better if it boasts a tome ishi (æ¢çŸ³) or two; a stone with rope wrapped round it that, whilst perfectly fitting its surroundings, is also functional, meaning ‘stop’ or ‘no entry’.
The only trouble is that as it’s not a universally known symbol — and even when taking the picture above several passing couples voiced aloud their wonder about what it was — such stones are often saddled with a sign, detracting somewhat from their simpleness.
Shamisen sights and sounds
The outdoor playing of guitars, ukuleles and even wind instruments is all well and good, but from a foreign perspective at least, it’s far more fascinating to see something with a much more traditional form.
Like a shamisen for example. With its simple.
And yet strangely seductive.
Sound.
Shogi? Sure
The timer may well be ticking, but a spot of shogi on a Sunday is a considerably more welcome form of clock watching than the type worried about on a weekday.
