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An alternate title for this video could be how to keep a kid happy during a solid month of rain. The Japanese use the word tsuyu (alternately baiu) to describe the early summer weather pattern of extensive rain which affects most of the Japanese islands. In most areas the rainy season begins in early June and lasts until mid July although regional variations do exits. Though it does not typically rain every day during the rainy season it may certainly seem to be the case after many long days of intense downpour. The term tsuyuu literally means plum rain and this name is significant as the rainy season does normally coincide with the time when plums are ripening on the trees.

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A relaxing summer bicycle ride in the mountains of Japan turns into an exciting thunderstorm adventure!

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I met Brian and Eric via YouTube and was excited to learn that they were coming to Japan. I offered to give them a tour of Shizuoka and was delighted when they accepted my offer and we made arrangements to meet. We began the day with a visit to one of the more beautiful and famous Shinto shrines in our area followed by a brief tour of a bonsai tree nursery. We then left the city and headed for the hills where we enjoyed lunch and swimming at a lovely little river and hiking in the deep mountains. We explored several small villages and met some very nice locals who treated us kindly and shared about their life in the Japanese countryside. The day wound up with a dinner party at my in-laws home where my family was happy to meet and spend time with our new friends. It was a real pleasure to spend this day with Brian and Eric and my family and I hope they will return soon.

Video notes: The shrine at the start of this video is the Kunouzan Toushougu jinja located near Suruga Bay in Shizuoka city. The river is a tributary of the Abekawanakakochi river, and the village is called Kuchisenmata. This small community is located in the mountains between Shizuoka City and the town of Ikawa near the Japan Southern Alps. Its a very small community on a lonely little road which has little traffic or visitors.

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done

On July 22nd 2009 the longest lasting eclipse of the century swept over much of Asia and was visible in varying degrees of totality throughout Japan. There are two forms of eclipse visible from Earth which are called either solar or lunar. A solar eclipse is caused when the path of the moon interferes with light from the sun, causing a shadow-like disk to appear and cross over the solar body. The eclipse may be partial or total depending upon the accuracy of alignment of Earth, Moon and Sun. In a total eclipse the suns disk may be nearly completely obscured which may allow an observer on Earth the rare chance to see the solar corona, which is a ray-like halo surrounding the surface of the sun and extending far into space. The corona is the source of the solar wind which causes the northern and southern lights and can interfere with radio and communications systems on Earth. A lunar eclipse happens when the shadow of the Earth passes over the moon. Solar eclipses occur during the day while lunar eclipses are a nighttime phenomenon.

The students of Salesio elementary school were provided with special light shields and guidance regarding safe viewing practices during this particular solar eclipse. Many of the children were quite moved by the experience though heavy cloud cover limited our viewing opportunities.

Photo credit: “1999 Complete Solar Eclipse” by Luc Viatour

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This interesting structure appears to be a bar and was found under the bridge of the Tomei Expressway near the seaside in Okitsu, Japan.

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My destination was the old and historic community of Yui, located just over the Satta Pass from Okitsu and nearby Shizuoka city. Yui is a small and charming seaside town and one of the original 53 stages of the old Tokaido highway (as are Okitsu and many communities within Shizuoka). My interest on this day though was not the town of Yui itself, but instead the historic old pass which crosses over the once treacherous Satta Pass. The original Tokaido route over Satta Pass is regarded by many historians as having been one of the most dangerous sections of the old highway. The danger was due to the precipitous slopes as well as the many remote and lonely stretches which were once the haunt of bandits. I had hoped to cross Satta Pass on the original route between Okitsu and Yui which is today quite safe and a pleasant place to hike and explore, with several stunning vista points offering spectacular views of Mt. Fuji (when the clouds and weather permit).

I knew a direct route through Shizuoka and Okitsu to the start of Satta Pass, though as I was eager to leave the city I opted to enter the mountains at a location I was only mildly familiar with. After a while I became convinced that the small farm road on which I was riding might in fact be an alternate route over the mountains to Yui. I encountered two dead-ends before finally summiting the mountains and beginning my confident descent into Yui. Upon reaching the canyon below I was surprised to discover a small village next to a fairly large (for the area) river. The sea was nowhere in sight and I could only assume that I had become disoriented and lost while traversing the mountains. I elected to follow the river to the sea from which point I was sure I could regain my bearing. I realized my mistake after reaching the sea and could see the Okitsu side of Satta Pass nearby. I had, in fact, never been on Satta Pass and had instead been wandering through a small range of mountains I had previously never explored. In the end though I was disappointed in my mistake I was happy to have found a new and very interesting area ripe for exploration and discovery. The road to Yui, however, must wait for another day.

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In Japan the story is told of two lovers separated by a great river and only able to cross and meet but once a year. The couple are Orihime (the star Vega) and Hikoboshi (Altair) and the river which separates them is the great Milky Way (called Amanogawa in Japanese). The day of meeting is the seventh day of the seventh month, when it is said that celestial magpies arrive to carry Orihime across the brilliant stream. However, if it is raining on this day then the magpies cannot come and Orihime and Hikoboshi must wait another year. July 7th is thus a festival day in Japan, when the story of the heavenly couple is retold and families prepare special festive displays made of bamboo boughs decorated with colorful paper ornaments and hung with paper strips bearing the family’s prayers and wishes. A traditional poem sums up well the sentiment and atmosphere of Tanabata:

The bamboo leaves rustle, rustle
Shaking away in the eaves
The stars go twinkle, twinkle
Gold and silver grains of sand

In Japanese Romaji:

Sasa no ha sara-sara
Nokiba ni yureru
Ohoshi-sama kira-kira
Kingin sunago

Many communities in Japan will hold a special Tanabata festival where summertime revelers can stroll streets decorated with traditional and modern versions of the Tanabata displays. Food and game vendors make the festival a lively affair, and for some the Tanabata festival marks the start of the true summer season in Japan.

The festival Emily and I attended in this video took place in the seaside community of Shimizu located near Mt. Fuji. Emily and I had a terrific time though sadly Yumiko could not join us this evening. We returned home with toys, goldfish, full tummies and many happy stories to share with Yumiko and the grandparents.

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This video describes a simple procedure for removing leeches from the body. The idea is to break the mouth and sucker suction which the leech uses to hold on to the skin. This can be done fairly easily be simply slipping a fingernail between the skin and the mouth and again between the skin and the posterior sucker (or vice versa). This procedure has some advantages over other methods such as the use of salt, soy sauce or heat as no tools are required and most importantly it avoids causing the leech much trauma, which could induce the animal to regurgitate into the wound and possibly transmit parasites or infections into the host animals body. I have used this method several times since learning about it from a YouTube viewer and it seems to work very well. I apologize that I cannot remember the name of the viewer who suggested this technique to me, though I would like to extend my thanks if they happen to read this.

This video was shot by eight year old Emily and was filmed in a wet and very narrow canyon deep in the mountains near Shizuoka City, Japan. In the video I commented that the leech had not yet had a chance to bite me; however, I soon discovered that I was wrong as the wound began to bleed. Interestingly though, the blood did clot rather quickly which leads me to think that the leech had, in fact, only recently become attached and had not yet had a chance to inject very much anticoagulant. This was one of two leeches which managed to climb onto me during this particular hike though Emily spotted the second on my shoe before it could get to the skin. Fortunately neither Emily or Yumiko were leech victims on this hike.

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Of all the summertime insects one can encounter in Japan a sure favorite of mine is the Goma Kamikiri Mushi beetle (aka Asian Longhorned Beetle). These medium to large size insects are very active and can often be spotted flying through gardens and moving actively over foliage. The insects wings make a fairly loud buzzing hum which can be easily heard as the beetle flies past. The beetles can use their large biting mandibles to chew holes into trees.

The Asian Longhorned Beetle is a well known pest in many parts of the world where the beetles larvae are responsible for the damage and death of several tree species, including Poplar, Willow and Birch among others. The beetles lay their eggs within the trees and the hatched larvae then bore damaging holes through the inner bark as well as into the heartwood. These insects are found through much of East Asia though they are also found in other areas of the world where they have been introduced through the import of infested wood products.

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Emily and I joined her grandparents recently to visit an elderly woman who lives alone in her old farmhouse in a small village near our home in Japan. The woman is a family friend and her big house sits on a very large property with farmland extending up the side of the mountain and a large and well-cared for garden accessible from the courtyard. The old woman spends time outdoors each day tending to her kitchen garden, though she is now too old to take on more difficult tasks such as pruning the old ornamental pine trees (matsu) on her property. While we were visiting an older couple were busy trimming back the new growth on a stately 100 year old pine. The couple seemed a bit camera shy and I did not wish to make them uncomfortable so my footage is brief and simple. The woman told me that the key to pruning such a tree is to simply cut off the new grown which are clearly visible. The couple are neighbors in this very small community of just 11 houses, where most members of the village drop by often to check on the old woman and to help her with the few simple farming and household tasks which need to be done. My in-laws help out as well by bringing her fresh water from their filtered water system as the home’s only other water supply is direct from the nearby stream.

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I found this old garden along a very lonely road in the high mountains surrounding Shizuoka, Japan. This area is rather remote and I have never seen another person while exploring the area, though there are several tea fields which appear well cared for. Before embarking on this particular hike I asked a man I met at the last village I passed about what I might find in the mountains beyond. He gave me a puzzled look and simply replied in Japanese that I would find…nothing. What I think he meant was that there are no people living in this area, though there does remain much evidence of people who did once call these mountains home. Abandoned houses and farms are found at intervals along the road, along with various structures such as farm sheds, carefully constructed stone walls and even a hidden Shinto shrine I spotted from across the canyon, but which I was unable to reach due to the steep cliffs and heavy brush which seem to guard the shrine from access (don’t worry, it’s in my plans to reach this shrine eventually!). Numerous trailheads can be found along the road which are marked by old machinery rusting in the dense green foliage. Each of these trails undoubtedly leads to some cleared farmland or terraces long ago cut and cleared from the mountain slopes above. I’m certain that an exploration of any one of these trails would yield a wonderful experience in uncovering the life work of a proud farmer from Japan’s past who is now gone and perhaps nearly forgotten.

The concept of forgotten is the subject of this particular video. I shot this footage after spending some time on my return hike examining an old fence-like structure situated near some abandoned buildings along the road. After a while I decided that the fence surrounded a plot of land which must have once been a garden, possibly a kitchen garden for one of the empty homes nearby. The land within the garden plot had been almost completely reclaimed by nature with the exception of patches of pretty yellow and white flowers seen here and there within and outside the fenced plot. The flowers could be found in little clumps within the immediate area though no such flowers were seen anywhere else during my hike. The evidence of the flowers in conjunction with the garden fences and gates gave rise to some whimsical thoughts which I would like to share with you now via the video. I hope that you enjoy this small glimpse into the life of some unknown Japanese farmer who once cultivated this little patch of mountain paradise, and who’s memory lives on each spring in the colorful faces of his now-feral flowers.

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The teachers, sisters, staff and students of Salesio were delighted to welcome our guests from Bairnsdale and Saint Mary’s elementary school on Monday, June 29th 2009. Ron, Vicki, Anne Maree and Sophie arrived early in the morning and were welcomed by our students and treated to performances by our 4th and 6th grade classes in Mary Auditorium. Our guests then received a tour of our campus including the junior and senior high schools before spending time with nearly every class in the elementary school. The children of Salesio were delighted to have an opportunity to meet you and everyone is looking forward to their chance to one day come to Australia and see you again when they become 6th graders. We hope that this visit may be the first of many from our friends in Bairnsdale, as we welcome the chance to extend to you the same kind hospitality you have shown us for so many years. Thank you for visiting us Ron, Vicki, Anne Maree and Sophie… We hope you enjoy a safe and comfortable flight home.

Un ensemble de dix photographies est entré récemment dans les collections du cabinet des estampes et de la photographie à la Bibliothèque nationale. La Bnf a procédé à l’acquisition de cinq photographies et j’en ai remis gracieusement cinq autres.

[ Deuxième station, Kawasaki • La Route du Tôkaidô © Thierry Girard 1997.

Tirage argentique 36 x 44 cm ]

À l’automne dernier, j’avais déjà été sollicité pour participer indirectement à l’exposition sur l’estampe japonaise (cf. mon compte-rendu d’alors : Le goût du Japon) en autorisant la mise en ligne sur le site de l’exposition d’un ensemble de 25 photographies en relation avec le travail d’Hiroshige Ando.
Nous avions alors considéré avec Anne Biroleau, qu’il pouvait être judicieux que cette série, que je considère comme importante et qui est déjà présente dans d’autres collections (Fnac, Mnam Paris, Mamc Strasbourg etc…) soit bien représentée à la Bnf avec un choix qui ne recoupe quasiment pas les sélections précédentes. Un autre ensemble devrait être acquis ultérieurement.

[ Onzième station, Mishima • La Route du Tôkaidô © Thierry Girard 1997.

Tirage argentique 36 x 44 cm ]

On peut également consulter ce travail sur mon site web, ici.

Come join me for a pleasant afternoon ride and hike from Shizuoka city to the top of nearby Mt. Ryuso. This particular outing takes us from the busy city to a mist-shrouded peak seemingly removed from the bustle of the Japanese metropolis below. This hike can easily be enjoyed in a day and there are several excellent places to rest and picnic. Expect crowds on the weekends though you will likely enjoy having the mountain to yourself if you pick a weekday for your hike.

My Ryuso is actually two peaks very closely situated to one another. On a clear day Mt. Monjudake (1041m) and Mt. Yakushidake (1051m) are visible from almost any location within Shizuoka city, and provide a backdrop and tantalizing hint at the much higher and more rugged peaks of the Japan Southern Alps beyond. Japanese people have been climbing these mountains for centuries as both peaks are considered holy sites within both the Buddhist and Shinto traditions. The summits can be reached via three separate trails originating from the area around the Abe river (near Gojima village I think), central Shizuoka (at Sengen shrine) and the area between Shizuoka and nearby Shimizu (the route and trail used in this video).

Google Earth Info:
You can visit Mt Ryuso yourself via Goggle Earth at the following coordinates: Lat: 35° 5′2.79″N Long: 138°24′3.47″E

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Shinto shrines are often a great place to find shelter from the heat and rain when hiking during the early summer in Japan. Shrines are found at the center of nearly every Japanese community and many shrines will include one or more roofed structures where the hiker is welcome to sit under the eves to rest while waiting for a summer shower to pass. These locations do also provide an excellent vantage point from which to view the shrine grounds and enjoy a close-up inspection of the shrine architecture. So when hiking in Japan during the warm and rainy months do remember to bring a thermos of hot tea and a snack, and find some time to rest within the sanctuary of a Japanese Shinto shrine.

Video Notes: I produced this video several summers back while exploring in the mountains surrounding the Japan Southern Alps. The shrine is located in the village of Kamiochiai just south of the village entrance and next to a Buddhist cemetery. The people of this small community are exceptionally kind and the peaceful high-mountain setting is both tranquil and invigorating.

Location Link: Click here to see a map of this location. Goggle Earth coordinates: Lat: 35°10′28.77″N Long: 138°18′46.25″E

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This medium size Japanese Huntsman spider gave me a bit of a start this morning when I discovered it near my face as I fumbled for my keys at the entrance to my apartment.

I apologize for the poor quality of this video which was shot in haste and under poor lighting conditions.

The huntsman spider is found in many parts of the world and is notable for its large size and great speed. The spider shown in this video is quite small for the species and likely very young. These spiders have been measured with leg spans up to 250 mm (roughly 12 inches) and make their living by ambushing prey which they actively pursue over open ground. The spiders do not produce a web though they may trail a line of silk as they move which is used to control a fall in the event they find it necessary to jump. A distinguishing characteristic of this spider are the forward-facing two front pairs of legs. The position of the legs gives the body a lower profile compared to many other spiders and may aid the animal in subduing its prey.

Huntsman spiders will move to shelter during wet weather and will often enter homes, sheds and other areas which offer protection and a safe hunting ground. Consequently these spiders are sometimes called rain spiders or housekeeping spiders with the latter term referring to their propensity to rid a home of pests such as cockroaches and flies. Older Japanese who have grown up in the countryside have little or no fear of these spiders despite their large size and may even readily pick them up to move them outdoors. Wikipedia reports that the bite of a huntsman is not dangerous though it may cause swelling and pain. One old Japanese farmer I spoke with told me that he had been bitten by many spiders while working in his fields and indicated that the huntsmans bite was one of the least painful he had known. The Japanese words he used to describe the bite of a huntsman was kimuchi warui which translates as feels strange. My wife Yumiko grew up in an old home where huntsman were seen daily during the warm months. She describes the spiders moving quickly (and unmolested) along the walls while the family ate dinner, perched above the tub while bathing and even walking over her body while she slept. Despite her lack of fear for these large spider she nevertheless calls me (the scared one) to remove them from our apartment whenever one is discovered. Catching these spiders in the house is a difficult job as their good eyesight alerts them to an approaching human and their great speed allows them to seemingly fly from room to room with ease, eluding capture.

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Hakone was a pleasant change from the fast paced neon glory that is Tokyo. Situated in the Kanagawa Prefecture, this beautiful town boasts many onsen, views of Fuji-San, the Tokaido Road and Lake Ashi. Unfortunately I was only there for one day and one night.

Lomo LC-A + Fuji Superia 100

www.christopherjonesphotography.co.uk

Sulphur Rising, Hakone, JP

In The Kitchen, Hakone, JP

Cooking, Hakone, JP

Tourists Eating, Hakone, JP

Eggs Cooked In Sulphur Springs, Hakone, JP

Cable Car, Hakone, JP

Lake Ashi, Hakone, JP

Bus Stop, Hakone, Jp

Hakone Hotel, Hakone, JP

Clock, Odawara, JP

Shinkansen, Odaward, JP

I encountered this wonderful spider prowling amidst dense foliage along a farm road in the mountains surrounding Shizuoka City, Japan. There were several other huntsman spiders spotted within a yard of this spider on either side which lead me to believe that the hunting must have been very good. The spider shown in this video is still relatively small with a leg span of roughly 10 centimeters. The spider was especially active and moved quickly and carefully through the leaves before it sensed my presence and became more cautious and less active. The active nature of this spider was in contrast to the two other spiders I saw which were of a different species and which seemed to prefer sitting and waiting for prey to come by.

The huntsman spider is found in many parts of the world and is notable for its large size and great speed. These spiders have been measured with leg spans up to 250 mm (roughly 12 inches) and make their living by ambushing prey which they actively pursue over open ground. The spiders do not produce a web though they may trail a line of silk as they move which is used to control a fall in the event they find it necessary to jump. A distinguishing characteristic of this spider are the forward-facing two front pairs of legs. The position of the legs gives the body a lower profile compared to many other spiders and may aid the animal in subduing its prey.

Huntsman spiders will move to shelter during wet weather and will often enter homes, sheds and other areas which offer protection and a safe hunting ground. Consequently these spiders are sometimes called rain spiders or housekeeping spiders with the latter term referring to their propensity to rid a home of pests such as cockroaches and flies. Older Japanese who have grown up in the countryside have little or no fear of these spiders despite their large size and may even readily pick them up to move them outdoors. Wikipedia reports that the bite of a huntsman is not dangerous though it may cause swelling and pain. One old Japanese farmer I spoke with told me that he had been bitten by many spiders while working in his fields and indicated that the huntsmans bite was one of the least painful he had known. The Japanese words he used to describe the bite of a huntsman was kimuchi warui which translates as feels strange. My wife Yumiko grew up in an old home where huntsman were seen daily during the warm months. She describes the spiders moving quickly (and unmolested) along the walls while the family ate dinner, perched above the tub while bathing and even walking over her body while she slept. Despite her lack of fear for these large spider she nevertheless calls me (the scared one) to remove them from our apartment whenever one is discovered. Catching these spiders in the house is a difficult job as their good eyesight alerts them to an approaching human and their great speed allows them to seemingly fly from room to room with ease, eluding capture.

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Or visit us on eBay at The Old Tokaido

Emily’s first video!

The Japanese tradition of teru teru bozu originated during the Japanese feudal period and represents a form of rain charm for either preventing or bringing rain. The words teru teru bozu translate as shiny shiny Buddhist priest with the shiny reference referring to the clean-shaven heads of most Buddhist priests. Teru teru bozu are commonly made of tissue paper tied with a rubber band and decorated with a pen-drawn face, though in the past the dolls were often made of cloth or other materials. The figures are hung outdoors, usually under the roof eaves or along a balcony, at which time a special song is sung to invoke the power of the teru teru bozu. All Japanese people are familiar with teru teru bozo though the song they know may be a simplified version of the original nursery rhyme which goes like this:

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
Like the sky in a dream sometime
If it’s sunny I’ll give you a golden bell

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
If you make my wish come true
We’ll drink lots of sweet rice wine

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
But if it’s cloudy and you are crying (i.e. it’s raining)
Then I shall snip your head off

In Japanese Romaji:

Teru-teru-bōzu, teru bōzu
Ashita tenki ni shite o-kure
Itsuka no yume no sora no yō ni
Haretara kin no suzu ageyo

Teru-teru-bōzu, teru bōzu
Ashita tenki ni shite o-kure
Watashi no negai wo kiita nara
Amai o-sake wo tanto nomasho

Teru-teru-bōzu, teru bōzu
Ashita tenki ni shite o-kure
Moshi mo kumotte naitetara
Sonata no kubi wo chon to kiru zo

(song lyrics source: Wikipedia)

The song which Emily sings at the start of the video is an example of a simpler version which simply asks for clear weather today, tomorrow and everyday.

Teru teru bozu are hung right side up when a sunny day is desired and upside down when rain is needed. Teru teru bozu are very popular with Japanese children who frequently make and hang these dolls the day before a special outdoor event is planned. In a rainy country like Japan the power and influence of teru teru bozu is much needed and greatly appreciated!

"Teru Teru Bozu" Chalkboard art by Sugawara-sensei

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Follow along as the announcer at our local elementary schools Sports Day competition calls out the fifty five bean bags tossed into this years winning teams basket.

You may notice that the woman counting bags for the winning team picks up one bag from the ground at the 54 count. This was to make up for a bag she accidentally dropped earlier.

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In the video I mentioned that the house has been empty for at least two years, however after thinking about it a bit I can recall seeing this home empty for at least the last five years. I once asked a local man about the place and he told me that the family which owns the property now lives in Shizuoka City and only periodically visit the house for maintenance.

The Jizo statue featured at the start of the video stands at the end of a bridge very close to the home. The local Shinto shrine is also only minutes from the home.

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