Posted in culture, life, intercultural on Apr 11th, 2007 1 Comment »
A visitor from outer space, studying the different peoples of the earth, could easily get the impression that Japan is a devout Christian nation.
After all, our space traveler would observe that churches are so popular here that you even see them on the roofs of other buildings. Here an old English country church has been […]
Posted in books, culture, movies, intercultural on Apr 8th, 2007 No Comments »
Japanese Schoolgirl Inferno: Tokyo Teen Fashion Subculture Handbook looks so much like a beautiful piece of candy that it is difficult to resist the temptation to pick a copy up when coming across it in a bookstore. And “eye candy” it certainly is, with great illustrations by Kazumi Nonaka and graphic design by Izumi […]
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 travel and places, intercultural on Mar 16th, 2007 No Comments »
There is an old Chinese legend telling that the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty (Qin Shihuangdi, 259-210 BCE) sent his court sorcerer, Xu Fu, with 3,000 virgin girls and boys overseas to find the elixer of eternal youth and eternal life. Supposedly, that elixer could be found on Penglai, a paradisical island-mountain in the […]
Posted in food, intercultural on Mar 9th, 2007 No Comments »
This is a pet bottle of Tochu-cha, tea made from the leaves of the Eucommia tree, in China called Duzhong. The Duzhong has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine. The bark of the 15 meter high tree is, for example, believed to alleviate lower back pain and aching knees.
The deciduous leaves contain rubber (it […]
Posted in food, technology, intercultural on Jan 6th, 2007 2 Comments »
This is not an advertisement for milk cacao drinks from Bourbon - although the contents of this small bottle tasted not bad. No, when buying this plastic bottle with a hot beverage in it, I was reminded of the fact that Japan is perhaps the only country in the world where hot beverages are sold […]
Posted in culture, gardens, intercultural on Jan 6th, 2007 No Comments »
[Flowering kale. Photo Ad Blankestijn]
When I first saw this type of planting, many years ago in China, I thought somebody had tried to be funny by stuffing a pot full of cabbages. Yes, it looks ornamental, but my first reaction is to put my teeth in those leaves, rather then feasting on them with my […]
Posted in food, design, intercultural on Dec 30th, 2006 No Comments »
Saw this advertisement for Iemon green tea from Suntory today on the JR Tozai line in Osaka. It has the form of a noren, a traditional shop curtain, and is indeed made from textile rather than paper. Also the New Year decoration (shimekazari) attached to the curtain is real - including the straw and […]
Posted in culture, calendar, intercultural on Dec 29th, 2006 No Comments »
In case you were still wondering what zodiac animal will be called into service next year, just look at this shop window in the Otesuji Shopping Arcade in Fushimi (Momoyamagoryo St on the Keihan line in Kyoto) with its collection of eto: it is going to be the year of the boar!
Although the animal […]
Posted in food, calendar, intercultural, kyoto on Dec 29th, 2006 No Comments »
[Namagashi shop Kano in Fushimi. Photo Ad Blankestijn]
This namagashi shop near the Otesuji Shopping Arcade in Fushimi (Momoyamagoryo St on the Keihan line in Kyoto) is in full swing to produce mochi (glutinous ricecakes) for the New Year festivities.
They are placed on racks in front of the shop to dry and judging by their size […]
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