Men, too, should wear kimono! Hōkan, an endangered species of entertainer 2/2
In my most recent contribution to this blog, which is now 3 months ago, I wrote about a memorable encounter with a hōkan, Shichiko Sakuragawa. I was impressed w...
Hōkan, an Endangered Species of Entertainer – 1/2
As a magazine editor and writer, I sometimes have the opportunity to meet people in unusual professions. For example, “幇間 (Hōkan).” And many of you will probabl...
Mastering Season Words – Haiku, a form of Japanese short poetry
I have just become a member of a Haiku society. I have long had a smouldering interest in haiku, but while I could read and understand some, there were others I...
Clay cat exhibition at Koenji, Tokyo
From March 7th through March 15th, Risa Takahashi held a personal exhibition in a small gallery called KIYA in Koenji, Tokyo. Despite concern over the impact of...
Ise Shrine & 25th Maneki-neko Festival – 2/2
On September 29th, from 9:29 in the morning, it will be the day when 929 Kicchou Shofuku Bells (auspicious good luck charm bell) that received purification by t...
Ise Shrine & 25th Maneki-neko Festival – 1/2
On September 28th (Saturday) and 29th (Sunday), I visited the Maneki-Neko Festival (Beckoning Cat and Lucky Cat Festival) held in Ise City, Mie Prefecture, wher...