Category: Photos

He resides in Asukadera, in the town of Asuka Mura, where I stayed for five months when I first came to Japan 13 years ago. We visited our relatives’ church there a few days ago.
The most amazing thing about this Buddha is that he survived fires and earthquakes that ravaged the very temple built around him – he was the only thing left standing, and the villagers protected him by wrapping him in straw. The current temple was rebuilt for him around 180 years ago. Unfortunately, whoever tried to repair his face did a very poor job of it, but he still projects a lot of power.
He’s the oldest Buddha in Japan.

An elusive Japanese Hummingbird Moth, aka “?????”
I finally caught one on film card, and he’s a color I’ve never seen before!

This is the Sumoto River. It joins the sea just under the bridge. It is rich in mullet, and not much else, although they used to farm unagi in this area, before the big typhoon.

I’ve always liked this bridge, ever since I first saw it – when I came here for the job interview six years ago. Ironically, the cops like setting speedtraps right around the spot I took this picture and it’s the only place in the world I’ve gotten a non-parking related ticket.

A loading door on the top floor of the new city gymnasium, near Jusco (aka ” Mecca of Awaji”).

First, an item that should prove immensely popular overseas:

JAPAN no kaori (“the scent of Japan”)
That’s right, it’s JAPAN branded toilet paper! Embroidered with the characters for “Takeshima” and “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere,” using it will surely evoke visions of a glorious, chrysanthemum-scented future! Made with 100% sandalwood pulp.
…
Next up is the greatest thing since sliced mochi:

Sour cream in a tube!
Possibly taking their cue from Kewpie Mayonnaise, Nakazawa has replaced their line of tiny 130ml cups of sour cream with tiny 100ml tubes of the same! Brilliant!
(note: On closer inspection, the cup image I linked to is a 1 liter tub that I’ve never seen in stores, but it looks much the same as its smaller brother. Also, I always thought the mayonnaise-in-tube thing was strictly a Japanese phenomenon, but I encountered the same thing in Europe, albeit in wholly foil tubes, not plastic-covered foil.)

Behold two separate gifts from two different people, one from a person who doesn’t smoke, and another from a person who… doesn’t brush?
At first I thought it genius that a tobacco company would sell a toothbrush specifically to remove tar, but the logos aren”t exactly alike.
This product (the toothbrush) is just so… Japanese, somehow, although I can’t explain it. It has something to so with the free packs of Larks they used to hand out at ski lifts, and Mickey Rourke doing commercials for them as a matador (“Speak Lark.”), but I can’t pin it down any better than that.