More glimpses of unfamiliar Japan

Here in Shimane we have more museums and galleries per capita than any other Prefecture bar one. This may partially be due to the continued ...

During the evenings usually the only light on in the house is a small lamp above my desk. It tends to attract all kinds of bugs. The other n...

Went to watch some kagura last night and was very excited to see a dance I had never seen before. The Kifune dance tells the story of a Kyot...

Inasehagi Shrine is located in the tiny fishing village of Sagiura on the coast of the western end of the Shimane Peninsular. and is a relat...

It's been a very long time since I finished a new mask. Garden, firewood, and home maintenance seem to have taken more of my time than u...

And she has been busy making more bags using Ainu designs and embroidery. These first two are made of wool and much bigger than the ones she...

Korakuen in Okayama City is one of the three top ranked gardens in Japan. Before posting some shots of the garden, I thought I would show so...

The small shrine on Bentenjima (Benten Island) enshrines the female kami/goddess Benten, sometimes known as Benzaiten. Associated with water...

Displaying one of the best examples of the art of camouflage, the Stick Insect, known as nanafushi in Japanese, are usually difficult to spo...

On saturday evening we went upriver for the annual summer festival in Kawamoto. One street is blocked off to traffic and a stage erected. Al...