Stone Carving

That creepy stone Monk carving was found at the Seiganji Temple (清厳寺) in Utsunomiya city, Tochigi Prefecture. Stone carvings like that (though not always creepy) can be found at Buddhist temples and they are relatively new. I assume that they are sort of eye-catching mascots with vague significance both in history and religion...

This is a Sepia Scenes #123 and Alphabe-Thursday entry (V is for vague).

           

Utmost For His Highest

These are members of the Aizu Mass Choir from Aizu Wakamatsu city (合図若松市), who were invited to express their love for Jesus at an ice candle ceremony commemorating the liberation of a place where untold numbers of Jews lost their lives - Auschwitz. The candle lighting, Jesus-loving event was held at the Auschwitz Peace Museum (アウシュビッツ平和博物館) in Fukushima Prefecture (I am not kidding)!!!

Yes, there is an Auschwitz museum in Japan and we blogged about this place here and about the ice candle ceremonies here (in 2010) and there (in 2011).

If you want to listen to their music, we have a video.




This is an Alphabe-Thursday entry (U is for utmost).

Ameno Uzume

Daidai Kagura (太々神楽) is a traditional dance performance that is dedicated to the Shinto deities. The script is based on Japan mythology. Shinto priests wear masks to play the roles of particular gods and dance along with the traditional orchestra.

In this photo, an old male priest wore a mask called Okame (オカメ) and was playing a Shinto goddess, Ameno Uzume (or Amano Uzume /天鈿女命). Her husband is Sarutahiko (猿田彦). He is one of my favorite deities and I photographed him during the Daidai kagura performance as well.

 

If you want to know more about him and how Ame no Uzume got married him, we posted this article on our blog, Budget Trouble.
 

This is a Sepia Scenes #122, Alphabe-Thursday entry (T is for tradition), and Thursday Challenge. The theme is "MOVEMENT"

        

Shrine Trees

Photographed at Futaarayama Shrine at night. The stage to the left is called Kaguraden Hall (神楽殿) where a traditional dance performance, Kagura (神楽), is dedicated to the Shinto deities.


This is an entry for Sky Watch Friday and Thursday challenge. The theme is "trees".

Dance Performance

Four shinto priests from Toshogu shrine (東照宮) dedicate a traditional dance performance, called Azuma asobi (東遊の舞), to Ieyasu TOKUGAWA (徳川家康). It takes place at a place between Haiden Hall and Honden Main Hall of Otabisho (御旅所) at the World Heritage site in Nikko city, Tochigi prefecture. It's a rare occasion to be able to see this dance performance; once in Spring and the other in Autumn for 1000 Samurai warriors parade (百物揃千人行列).

Image from Tsukuba University Library

This is a Sepia Scenes #120, Alphabe-Thursday entry (R is for rare), and Thursday Challenge. The theme is "TEXTURE", Best Posts of the Week and brand new meme Weekend Portrait #1.


             

Oh and one more.This is also an entry for Show Me Japan Vol 1, Issue 13. If you want to see nice photos taken in Japan, don't forget to visit!

Matsugamine Church

Matsugamine Catholic Church (松が峰教会) history goes back to 1888. The current Church, as shown in this photo, was designed by Max Hinder (Swiss) and founded in 1932. The Church complex comprises of three floors - on the ground floor there is a kindergarten and the second floor is for the Chapel (main worship hall).

This is the largest building made of Oya stone (大谷石) in the world. The stone is called that because it is quarried out at Oya town in Utsunomiya city. Since it's been over-mined, the quantity of the remaining stone is quite small...

As you can easily guess, this is photographed with my favorite lens, Sigma 15mm Diagonal Fisheye, attached to film camera, Nikon F801S.


This is a Sepia Scenes #119 and Alphabe-Thursday entry. Q is for quarry, quantity, and, quite.

             

A Pair Of Monkeys Part 2

Photographed in Nikko city, Tochigi Prefecture. A poor little baby is clinging to its mom.

If you want to know more about them, please click the image below.

This is a Sepia Scenes #118 and Alphabe-Thursday entry. P is for Pair and Poor.

           

Abatsumara

I am pleased to announce that, finally, this is the last entry (part 4) of the Buddhist Guardian series. I am sure that all of you guys are relieved to hear that.

He is "The last Statue Standing", named Abatsumara (阿跋摩羅), one of the four Guardians at Yashamon Gate (夜叉門) of Taiyuin (大猷院) at the World Heritage site in Nikko city, Tochigi Prefecture. Taiyuin is a Buddhist temple at which the 3rd Tokugawa Shogun, Iemitsu Tokugawa (徳川家光) is worshipped.

Abatsumara is not as explicit as Kendara, but more than Bidara and Umarokya. Like Kendara, his knees are naked, whereas in the case of Bidara and Umarokya, their knees have companion kneepads of catfish and elephant, respectively.

He holds a golden stick in his right hand as a weapon and his left forefinger is pointing upward (toward heaven?). I am not sure of the significance of this pose...

Let's take a closer look at him.

Close-up view of his face

Close-up view of his waist

   











His orange hair is all standing up. Unlike others, he has no fierce fangs but shining white teeth. Well, his eyebrows need to be trimmed... Note the skin of white tiger around his waist. It's a unique feature of him. He does not have a pair of shoes.

He's a guardian of the "East".

Before ending this series, I would like to mention the background, which is carved with flowers. Can you tell what these flowers are?

Lower one is covered with Goldl!!!

They are all Peonies that appear behind all of the four statues. I am not certain why peony was chosen. Anyway, based on that, Yashamon Gate is also called Botanmon gate (牡丹門; Botan - Peony, Mon - Gate).

Tokugawa Clan's Emblem

Can you see the emblem above? I know it's hard to find but it is the emblem (家紋) of the Tokugawa clan (徳川氏).

All right. That's it!

Thanks for your patience.

This is a Alphabe-Thursday entry. "N" is for Nikko.

If you haven't seen his friends, be prepared to be thrilled!

Umarokya

Bidara

Kendara