yuge62

Anyone for Sake at 7AM?

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October 16th 2006
The autumn harvest festivals have begun. What are the autumn harvest festivals? Good question. In short, they include waking up at the crack of dawn to carry a huge, very heavy portable shrine (in which the rice god lives) and another huge, even heavier carriage (in which four children play the taiko/drum). The portable shrine is called a mikoshi and the carriage for the children is called a danji ... read more

Asia » Japan » Ehime » Ochi » Kamijima

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In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered in a long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to secure its power. For 250 years this policy enabled Japan to enjoy stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Fol... ... read more