Photographs from a small group of islands
During the early days of January in particular, when it seems the whole nation moves en masse to a shrine or temple, picking an omikuji (randomly chosen fortune) is a very popular practice indeed, with even the purchasing of one being quite pleasant.
The only trouble is, having read them from a very early age, an especially bad one can wind up being a bit of a worry for some.
Fortunately, however, these can be conveniently tied onto something appropriate, and happily forgotten.
Hopefully.
There are temples and shrines all over the place in Tokyo, and yet as a whole, the Japanese really aren’t all that religious. Superstitious, on the other hand, may well be a different story, but pious? Probably not.
Come New Year’s Day, however, an absolutely massive number of people head to one of these many places of worship and rather refreshingly eat, drink, have a really good time, and even pray for something they could do with in the coming year: money maybe, or a decent score in a dreaded exam.
But for some, less of a scene and much more silence is what’s called for, and fortunately for this fella, he found such a place.
As 2011 is the year of the rabbit, I hope that yours is as comfortable.
And carefree.
As the one this previously posted little fella is looking forward to.
Happy New Year!
Pretty much every abandoned building I’ve been to has had its fair share of memories and mysteries, but some, without a doubt, are more interesting than others; so here, following on from the year’s photo round-up, are my favourite haikyo from the past 12 months — each paragraph of which contains a link to the original post and the full set of pictures.
Topping the list is definitely the enka singer’s house, as not only had it never (at least to my knowledge) been explored before, but it also offered up enough clues and personal details to piece together at least some parts of the life of the singer who once lived there.
After that it’s a tough choice, but probably the old pachinko parlor would sneak in second; not necessarily for any particular details that were left lying about, but because I’d always been on the look-out for such a place. And, to find one so intact as well as incredibly peaceful, was a real treat.
Next is Nichitsu mining town, the only haikyo I’ve ever returned to, as my first trip there was curtailed somewhat by fading light and a security patrol, meaning I never got to fully explore the quiet and memory filled old school. A place that turned out to be surprisingly pleasant in the daylight, and definitely made the return visit worthwhile.
Plus, going back also meant there was the chance for one last look at the now even more decayed doctor’s office.
For something very different, and at the same time utterly disgusting, the Japan Snake Center certainly deserves to be on the list; a set of photos that, even now, still remind me of the hideous smell of hundreds, possibly even thousands, of rotting snakes.
And finally, the Higashi Izu-cho Isolation Ward must get a mention. A silent, very sombre place, steadily decaying in a dark and damp bamboo forrest. One that, considering that the majority (if not all) of those who went there, did so to die, makes it by far the saddest haikyo I’ve ever visited.
Over the past 12 months I’ve taken more than a few photos, some of which I like as they bring back memories, acting as a visual diary of sorts, and others quite simply because of the moments they capture.
So here, as a bit of an end of year round-up, are a few of my personal favourites, with a click on any picture taking you to the original post. And, as an added bonus, there’s also a bit of music to go with them, made by a friend who was with me when a fair number of the photos were taken.
