Winter snows Tomida

The devil in disguise

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February 3rd 2012
Today marked the festival of Setsubun in Japan. For weeks I'd been intrigued by the displays of demon masks alongside packets of monkey nuts and roasted soybeans, and today it all became clear. Setsubun is a bean throwing ceremony, that heralds the beginning of spring (although you wouldn't know it here by the temperature!). The spring festival was previously thought of as a new year ... read more

Asia » Japan » Nagano » Takagi

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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