Tokyo Times

Photographs from a small group of islands

Culture

3 Comments

Fiery footsteps

Some Buddhist sects here conduct walking-over-fire rituals, with worshippers gingerly crossing smoldering hot ground created by the burning of religious amulets. And recently in western Tokyo, some itinerant priests supervised such an event (if that’s the right word).

The woman in the picture however looks like she just happened to be on her way back from the supermarket, but a slightly wrong turn meant that before she knew it her shoes had been removed and she was being guided (complete with shopping) across the glowing ground.

walking on fire

3 Comments

Synthetic sakura

Cherry blossom season is an important part of the Japanese calendar, and for those who wish they could see the beautiful blossoms all year round, lighting company Ryoukou has kindly stepped in with a man-made version.

fake cherry blossom

A spokesperson said, “This is the flower that has been loved and admired by the Japanese since ancient times. We have reproduced this cherry blossom to perfection so we can show the rest of the world.”

To achieve this, each tree is fitted with 7,680 light-emitting diodes that are spread over 40 branches. Creating an effect that Ryoukou claims will be “relaxing and comforting for others”.

There are however a few drawbacks. As you can imagine, 40 branches will require a lot of space, and the whole thing weighs in at a rather hefty 500 kg. Although these potential pitfalls are nothing compared to the price tag. The white blossom version will set you back a whopping 3.5 million yen (17,500 pound). But thankfully it’s not all doom and gloom, as for those willing to make do with a mixture of white and red lights, one can be picked up for the bargain bin price of 2.65 million yen (13,250 pound).

And if that isn’t enough to tempt you, the tree consumes no more than 410 watts of power. Making it both comforting and cost-effective.

2 Comments

Cultural cake contest

Yesterday saw Kyoto’s Daigo Temple host its annual rice cake lifting contest. But don’t for a minute think that the lifting of cakes is easy and not worthy of being classed a sport.

For starters the desserts in question aren’t light and fluffy sponge cakes, rather two big and hefty rice cakes. Weighing in at a gut-busting 90-kilogrammes for the ladies, and 150-kilogrammes for the men.

cake lifting

And to make the event even more challenging, competitors have to lift the cakes in the air whilst not resting or balancing them on their stomachs. Then when this unenviable feat has been achieved, whoever can hold the cakes up the longest will be crowned cake-lifting champion. A title that presumably grants the winner a lifetime of respect, honour, and financial security.

8 Comments

Disney dolls

March 3rd is Hina Matsuri (Girl’s Festival), a time when families with girls display traditional hina dolls and pray for the health and happiness of their female offspring.

hina matsuri

This festival has been a part of Japanese culture since the Edo Period (1603-1867), and is said to have originated in China along with the custom of transferring bad luck from people to dolls. But such a long history hasn’t stopped Mickey Mouse and his pals from hijacking proceedings, turning the event into just another cute and cuddly moment.

disney hina matsuri

29 Comments

Sumo give away

Before each of the six annual sumo tournaments, a banzuke is released.

sumo banzuke

Banzuke – like the badly photographed one above – are ranking sheets that not only list all the wrestlers (around 600), but also all the staff connected with the sport. And as each tournament has a hand written original with a unique calligraphy style, they are practically works of art.

This type of banzuke has been around since 1757, and due to a rather tenuous link to the sumo world, I have acquired an extra one that I’m willing to post off to a Tokyo Times reader. If you are in any way interested, leave a comment below. The one that either amuses or interests me the most will receive the pictured banzuke, plus a photograph from the recent tournament if I can get my pictures developed in time.