On August 22-23, they held an Awa Odori Festival at Mitaka which I happened
to see. Actually Awa Odori is probably originating from Tokushima where they
have a huge 4 day dance fest. All the music is "live" with the shamisens,
drums, flutes and drums and each group has their own "band" and is
choreographed accordingly. I saw men doing backflips! They have a phrase for
the Awa dancers "Fools are dancing, fools are watching! Both are fools, so
you might as well dance!"


Awa Odori 1 Awa Odori 2


Awa Odori 3

Awa Odori at Mitaka!

I love Kewpie dolls, those angelic dolls drawn by Rosie O'Neill and the ones that were made some time ago. However in Japan, the kewpie dolls have been creeping me out. I have been seeing kewpies all over Japan. They are called costume kewpies and hang on cell phone straps with melons or something miscellaneous on their heads. Or covered in cod roe! I went windowshopping with my BFF and there was a row of kewpies on sale. The one is about in the clear plastic bottle is probably to mean a Kewpie mayonnaise one, which is a very popular mayo brand in Japan. But can you see the one that must have met up with the Queen of Hearts?


Kewpie1 Kewpie2

On May 5th, Childrens'Day, the leaves of the Shobu (is this iris?) is sold at flower shops and super markets so that we can steep the fragrant leaves in the bath because it was believed that this rhizome, could treat nerve pain and gout. The sento (public bath house) near my house also steep shobu leaves in the bath water and it emits a fresh scent. For a little more than a dollar this is a wonderful day to celebrate!


Shobu leaves

This is definitely something that every country should have! These are a series of National holidays April 29, May 3,4 and 5 and this year the 6th. Tokyo clears out as everyone goes on holidays and I can snore in the subway trains. May 5th is Children's Day--actually it originally was Boy's Day and they display carp windsocks outside. When the wind is strong, the carps look like the are swimming in the sky. The pics are KABUTO which is the armour that the Japanese warriors wore to war. They are displayed on homes of people who have sons, but they are very expensive.


Kabuto Yoroi Kabuto

No, this is Domo-kun! A creature hatched from an egg! He loves NIKU JAGA and can't eat apples and can be quite a farter when nervous.... soooo cute


domo-kun

Love Japanese toilets! The norm for present Japanese toilet is what are called washlets. They do almost everything except #1 and #2 and wash your hands for you. The first time I met up with one was when I was at a company that I was visiting for business in Miyako Island and after I did my business, I couldn't find the lever or button to flush the toilet and saw on the side of the toilet bowl, a drawing with "a fountain". I pushed the button and from the toilet bowl a nozzle appeared like an alien's inner mouth and spurted water out from the bowl and hit me in crotch! I jumped back and the alien's mouth kept spitting water on the floor. I frantically pushed the buttons on the side and the fountain stopped and the nozzle retracted. That was many years ago and the present day johns open the lid, wash your butt, dries it, deodorizes, flushes and closes the lid. Here is a toilet with the function buttons on wall. Enjoy!
^( ' o ' )^^

Amazing! a 'WASHLET' in Japanese bath room1


Amazing! a 'WASHLET' in Japanese bath room2