Posted in travel and places, religion and philosophy, museums, temples, kyoto on Apr 13th, 2007 No Comments »
There is one very special image of Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha, one that claims to be modeled after the Buddha himself, during his lifetime, and that therefore became the object of a particularly fervent popular cult in Japan in the 13th century. This wondrous image still can be seen in the Shaka-do, the Sakyamuni Hall […]
Posted in calendar, religion and philosophy, temples, kyoto on Apr 1st, 2007 No Comments »
One of the nicest festivals in the Buddhist calendar is April 8, when the Buddha’s birthday is celebrated. The official name is Kanbutsu-e (”the bathing of Buddha”), and popularly its is called Hana Matsuri or Flower Festival. It takes place just as the sakura and other flowers are in full spring bloom. Many Buddhist temples […]
Posted in culture, religion and philosophy, intercultural on Mar 19th, 2007 1 Comment »
At the rear of a building at the crossroads between Nakayamatedori and Kitanodori, in central Kobe, a metal fence is opened every night to reveal a peculiar stone statue. The figure is lighted up which makes it even more eerie. A plaque at the back tell that this is a good luck deity called “biriken.”
[Billiken […]
Posted in culture, religion and philosophy, temples, kyoto on Jan 14th, 2007 No Comments »
Torii gates are symbols of Shinto shrines and mark their sacred space from the mundane world. The basic structure consists of two pillars with a top rail and a little below that a second horizontal rail piercing both columns, providing stability to the structure.
The greatest orgy of torii gates can be seen on the mountain […]
Posted in writing and poetry, history, religion and philosophy, gardens, temples, kyoto on Dec 6th, 2006 No Comments »
One of Kyoto’s most magic places stands in the northwestern part of the city, hidden behind an unobtrusive gateway.
Fifty years ago still countryside, now this has squarely become part of the city. But Shisendo, the Hall of the Poetry Immortals, is in itself contained, a form shut off from its surroundings by tall trees, in […]
Posted in travel and places, religion and philosophy, temples, kyoto on Nov 30th, 2006 No Comments »
The Phoenix Hall of Byodo-in in Uji is so famous that it adorns one side of the 10 yen coin. The hall, with its wings and tail indeed resembling a bird, is an architectural wonder, and it is an even greater wonder that it has survived the ravages of more than nine centuries. Inside sits […]
Posted in travel and places, religion and philosophy, temples on Nov 28th, 2006 No Comments »
What makes Heirinji famous nowadays is the patch of green in which it stands, a rarity in the sprawling metropolis of Tokyo. It is the only spot where the memory of Musashino, as the area was called in the past, still survives in the form of a small forest of pine, spruce and mixed trees […]
Posted in history, travel and places, religion and philosophy, temples on Nov 23rd, 2006 No Comments »
Asuka, in the southern part of the Nara basin, is the cradle of Japanese civilization. In Asuka the first Japanese capital was founded and here Japan was transformed from a loose alliance of clan lords to a state with a clear national consciousness.
Asuka contained magnificent palaces and courtly residences, as well as Japan’s first-ever Buddhist […]
Posted in Japan, art and photography, religion and philosophy on Oct 26th, 2006 1 Comment »
Until December 3, the Tokyo National Museum is hosting an exhibition of Buddhist statues in the so-called ichiboku style under the title Shaping Faith. Sculptures in the ichiboku style have been carved from one piece of wood instead of being made by fitting a number of wooden blocks together (and pasting over the lines between […]
Posted in travel and places, religion and philosophy, gardens, temples on Jul 30th, 2006 No Comments »
In Takagamine, in the quiet northern part of Kyoto, stands Koetsuji, famous for a fence of bamboo designed by the artist Hon’ami Koetsu. It is more an explosion of green than a temple, particularly when we visit in the hottest and wettest month of the year, August. After a shower, the smell of earth and […]
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