The Art of a Bamboo Craftsman

A worker uses his chisel to cut in one of a pair of thick bamboos in a lumber yard in Tokyo. The bamboos are used as part of the stage settings in Kabuki plays, said Takashi Hoshino, a skilled worker for a lumber/bamboo company in the capital’s eastern city of Koto. In the world’s great city of Tokyo, it is a very rare scene that you can observe a craftsman in the works in the open air.

Located just east of the capital, the waterfront area, called Fukagawa, lumber/bamboo business was one of the most lucrative industries during the Tokugawa Period (1603-1868).

Today, bamboos are crafted into a bamboo fence, a bamboo screen, a fishing rod, and ceremonial use such as utensils for the tea ceremony and New Year’s ornaments.
The bamboo yard in the photo is located near the Basho Memorial Museum in Koto City.

(by Kozo)

Basho Memorial Museum:
Please visit the website for information and other details.

Cherry blossom viewing aboard Japanese boat

Amid the cherry blossoms being reflected in the water, a boat carrying holiday-goers moves through a canal in Tokyo's eastern city recently.

For Japanese people, it is a great time to be out as cherry trees burst into bloom at this time of the year. Even in northern Japan, it will be not be long before such a harbinger of the spring comes around. 

The canal in Koto City shown in the photo is called Oyoko River, one of several canals built during the Edo Period (1603-1868) as major navigable waterways for shipping wood, rice, salt, vegetables and other goods to the Shogun's capital from around the country. In that respect, part of the present Koto City used to be the center of lumber business. 


Today, the canals are mainly used by those enjoying canoeing. Even if you are visitors from abroad, it would be fun to take a time-out and feel refreshment to be a canoeist. If you are beginners, I recommend that you get a 30-minute lesson for a reasonable price: 600 yen per adult, including a kayak, paddle and life vest. The younger is half that price.

Please go to the website for information and other details: http://www.tatekawa-park.com/eng/guide/canoe

(by Kozo)

YASUKUNI SHRINE HONO-SUMO (Sumo Ceremonial Tournament)

YASUKUNI SHRINE HONO-SUMO (Sumo Ceremonial Tournament) 

held in the shrine’s precincts, Monday April 17th 2017 .

If you are interested in, or do want to know more about, “Japanese traditional SUMO ceremony”, this is an ideal event you cannot miss!

Once a year, 3rd Monday in April, here in Yasukuni Shrine, the significant dedication Sumo is held and open to public.

Sumo is one of national sports in Japan, and has a history of 1400 years.     

Referring to the official brochure prepared by Japan Sumo Association, it is said that “the first Sumo matches were a form of ritual dedicated to the gods, with prayers for a bountiful harvest and were performed together with sacred dancing and dramas within the precincts of the shrine. Since then Sumo has been maintaining its religions protocol and formalities.  And Sumo has managed to survive with its formalized ritual and traditional etiquette intact making it unique among sports.”

If you happen to be in Tokyo Monday April 17th, and if you have time, WHY not visiting Yasukuni Shrine, and experiencing Hono Zumo!

The word “Hono” means, dedication to the gods, and Zumo is dullness of Sumo.

The first Hono Zumo was held at 1869, comforting the Spirit of Yasukuni Shrine, at the enshrined festival.  Since then, this event has been held every year, without interruption.

In this event, you can have very rare opportunity to appreciate Sumo traditions, such as, comic Sumo performances, Sumo Jinku (Sumo Lively Song), Original dividing drums.  

You can see the tournaments given by 200 wrestlers, representing by Grand Champions (highest rank in sumo), Champions (second highest rank in sumo), and all rank will be lined up at this event.

The Details;  

The dedication  :  Japan Sumo Association

Date and Time  :  Monday, April 17th  2017  from 9am to 3pm

Place           :  Sumo amphitheater , Yasukuni Shrine

Admission      :  Free

Program

1. Dohyo (sumo ring) festival     9:00am  
2. Tournament starts            10:40am

Comic Sumo Performances,  Sumo Jinku,  Drumming,

3. Worship                      1:30pm
4. Intermission and Tournament (Yokozuna and higher rank of wrestlers)

2:00pm

5. End of tournament            3:00pm

Capacity

     6000 people, First come, First Served based

Useful information   

1 The main gate of Yasukuni Shrine is open at 6am.

2. The Sumo ground Amphitheater entrance is open at 8:30am or little earlier, from Central entrance, or South Entrance.   

3. All explanation and announcements are in Japanese only.  

4. Due to “First come, First Served base” , early entry is strongly recommended. These couple of years, all seats are fully occupied by 12:00pm. Once 6000 seats are fully occupied, nobody is allowed to enter the Sumo amphitheater. .

5.  Once the intermission (2pm) , you are not allowed to leave the seat till the end of the event (3pm).

6.  The nearest station to Yasukuni Shrine is either Kudanshita (Tokyo Metro Y14,  Toei Subway (T07, S04) , or Ichigaya (JR, Tokyo Metro (N09, Y14) Toei Subway (S04).  

This event is not held within Koto ward, where KEV is located, however, considering the value and richness of this Hono Zumo, KEV introduces this event.

We hope you could have a chance to see this wonderful event, and enjoy Sumo wrestling..

Using this opportunity, we express our appreciation to Public Relations Section, Yasukuni Shrine for their approval and support with regard to Hono Zumo introduction.

Please note that during most of April,  all Sumo wrestlers are on the tour around Japan. For the details, please access their home pages. http://www.sumo.or.jp/En