Skip to main content

ThingsAsian | ThingsAsian Press


ThingsAsianThingsAsian
  • Destinations
    • Afghanistan (24)
    • Armenia (3)
    • Azerbaijan (3)
    • Bangladesh (22)
    • Bhutan (30)
    • Brunei (20)
    • Cambodia (132)
    • China (548)
    • East Timor (6)
    • India (260)
    • Indochina (9)
    • Indonesia (126)
    • Iran (36)
    • Iraq (32)
    • Israel (27)
    • Japan (332)
    • Jordan (4)
    • Kazakhstan (4)
    • Korea, N (23)
    • Korea, S (67)
    • Kuwait (3)
    • Laos (70)
    • Lebanon (7)
    • Malaysia (250)
    • Maldives (3)
    • Mekong River (12)
    • Mongolia (21)
    • Mount Everest (4)
    • Myanmar (70)
    • Nepal (57)
    • Pakistan (48)
    • Philippines (164)
    • Saudi Arabia (16)
    • Singapore (89)
    • Sri Lanka (26)
    • Syria (18)
    • Taiwan (68)
    • Thailand (399)
    • Turkey (31)
    • United Arab Emirates (4)
    • Uzbekistan (6)
    • Vietnam (508)
    • Yemen (16)


  • Destinations
    • Afghanistan (24)
    • Armenia (3)
    • Azerbaijan (3)
    • Bangladesh (22)
    • Bhutan (30)
    • Brunei (20)
    • Cambodia (132)
    • China (548)
    • East Timor (6)
    • India (260)
    • Indochina (9)
    • Indonesia (126)
    • Iran (36)
    • Iraq (32)
    • Israel (27)
    • Japan (332)
    • Jordan (4)
    • Kazakhstan (4)
    • Korea, N (23)
    • Korea, S (67)
    • Kuwait (3)
    • Laos (70)
    • Lebanon (7)
    • Malaysia (250)
    • Maldives (3)
    • Mekong River (12)
    • Mongolia (21)
    • Mount Everest (4)
    • Myanmar (70)
    • Nepal (57)
    • Pakistan (48)
    • Philippines (164)
    • Saudi Arabia (16)
    • Singapore (89)
    • Sri Lanka (26)
    • Syria (18)
    • Taiwan (68)
    • Thailand (399)
    • Turkey (31)
    • United Arab Emirates (4)
    • Uzbekistan (6)
    • Vietnam (508)
    • Yemen (16)


Search form


Japanese Expressions II


by Robert George<br>Haiku by Celeste Heiter, Jun 4, 2002 | Destinations: Japan / Tokyo
The water is coldGive me strength to endure itAs I purge myselfOn the second Sunday of the New Year, wearing nothing more than loincloths called shitaobi and headbands called hachimaki, many Japanese men brave the icy waters of Teppozu Inari Jinja, a Shinto shrine in central Tokyo, to practice a yearly purification ritual.

The water is coldGive me strength to endure itAs I purge myselfOn the second Sunday of the New Year, wearing nothing more than loincloths called shitaobi and headbands called hachimaki, many Japanese men brave the icy waters of Teppozu Inari Jinja, a Shinto shrine in central Tokyo, to practice a yearly purification ritual.

Image © 2002 Robert George
The water is coldGive me strength to endure itAs I purge myselfOn the second Sunday of the New Year, wearing nothing more than loincloths called shitaobi and headbands called hachimaki, many Japanese men brave the icy waters of Teppozu Inari Jinja, a Shinto shrine in central Tokyo, to practice a yearly purification ritual.
The Tokyo district of Rygoku is the home of one of Japan's most famous Sumo wrestling facilities. Sumo wrestlers train very strenuously for their six annual basho tournaments, and must consume up to 10,000 calories a day to achieve and maintain their enormous stature. When they're not in training however, they can be seen strolling the city sidewalks wearing blue and white cotton robes called yukata.
A tree, a buildingSometimes nature needs no helpBeauty just happensLocated in the Tokyo garden district of Shiba, Zojoji Temple was originally built by the Tokugawa Shogunate, who ruled from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Along with many national treasures, ancient scrolls, and historical monuments, Zojoji Temple still houses the Tokugawa family mausoleum and features an enormous cedar tree, a gift from President Ulysses S. Grant, who planted it while on a visit to Japan in 1879.
One of Japan's most honored traditions is the Omikoshi Matsuri, the annual Shinto festival. Nearly every Shinto shrine in Japan holds a mikoshi parade, in which a miniature replica of the shrine containing an image of the honored deity is transported through the surrounding streets on the shoulders of local patrons. Depicted here is a youthful version of a traditional mikoshi parade.

A story told with photos.


More From This Author

The Tokyo district of Rygoku is home of one of Japan's most famous Sumo wrestling facilities. Sumo wrestlers train very strenuously for their six annual basho tournaments, and must consume up to 10,000 calories a day to achieve and maintain their enormous stature. When they're not in training however, they can be seen strolling the city sidewalks wearing blue and white cotton robes called yukata.

Sumo

Japan
Robert George
Preparing a field. Dalat, Vietnam.

Dalat

Vietnam
Robert George
In contemporary Japan, urban architecture is an eclectic juxtaposition of old-world traditional, post-war Bauhaus, and ultra-modern futuristic styles. And sometimes--it's a combination of all three!

High Rise Japan

Japan
Robert George
Perhaps the most anticipated and beloved celebration in Japan is the season known as Ohanami. The word translates as flower watching, and depending upon the weather in mid-spring, sometime during the month of April, the entire nation of Japan bursts into bloom with the ubiquitous sakura, the flowering cherry tree. The sakura create a frosty-pink canopy over city parks and country hillsides alike, and the people of Japan emerge after the long winter to rejoice in this ephemeral season. Beneath a canopy of blossoms, street vendors offer an array of traditional foods, including yakitori, skewers of savory grilled chicken.

The Taste of Japan

Japan
Robert George

More Japan Stories

20 things in Tokyo

Japan
Bebe
Cherry Blossoms

Film Review: Cherry Blossoms

Japan
Celeste Heiter
Maiko

My life In Tokyo

Japan / Thailand
Stephen Bueckert

Seijin Hi: Coming of Age Day in Japan

Japan
Frank Lev

Explore Other Destinations

China

China

Myanmar

Myanmar

Vietnam

Vietnam

India

India

Malaysia

Malaysia

Japan

Japan

Cambodia

Cambodia

Thailand

Thailand

Afghanistan (24)
Armenia (3)
Azerbaijan (3)
Bangladesh (22)
Bhutan (30)
Brunei (20)
Cambodia (132)
China (548)
East Timor (6)
India (260)
Indochina (9)
Indonesia (126)
Iran (36)
Iraq (32)
Israel (27)
Japan (332)
Jordan (4)
Kazakhstan (4)
Korea, N (23)
Korea, S (67)
Kuwait (3)
Laos (70)
Lebanon (7)
Malaysia (250)
Maldives (3)
Mekong River (12)
Mongolia (21)
Mount Everest (4)
Myanmar (70)
Nepal (57)
Pakistan (48)
Philippines (164)
Saudi Arabia (16)
Singapore (89)
Sri Lanka (26)
Syria (18)
Taiwan (68)
Thailand (399)
Turkey (31)
United Arab Emirates (4)
Uzbekistan (6)
Vietnam (508)
Yemen (16)



About ThingsAsian

ThingsAsian is an Asia travel website with stories contributed by a worldwide community. Although we cover a wide range of topics, our emphasis is on art, culture, history and travel. Our writers, photographers and contributors are real people who tell you the stories of their personal travels and experiences. Some of the countries we currently cover are Burma, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Email: info@thingsasian.com


© 1994-2015 Global Directions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


Web Design by Dayspring