Today in Tokyo

I live in Tokyo. Everything on my blog is about Japan. Except when it's not.

[todayintokyo]

Kamakura, Japan, by matcha.camera

[nihondawan]

[a-kichi]

Windbells.

[somecutething]

[ellie-lili]

しあわせ行き♡

[todayintokyo]

Lotus flowers

[todayintokyo]

Kashiwajima, Japan, by hiroki_ioi.jp

[merpmonde]

Itsukushima

"Wait, shouldn't that be Miyajima?", you might be asking. Yes, in the sense that 宮島 Miyajima is the island's nickname, meaning "the Shrine Island". That's just how famous the shrine on Itsukushima is, and the torii in the sea is the most recognisable shrine gate in the country.

Obviously, the seaside shrine is the main draw. It has existed since the 6th century, with expansions and fame coming from its associations with powerful figures of Japanese history, Taira no Kiyomori and later Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and is dedicated to the 宗像三女神 Munakata sanjoshin, three kami of the sea and daughters of Susanoo no Mikoto. Besides the torii, it is famous for its kagura dance stage and long red corridors.

The obvious downside of the main shrine is that it's very busy, and any deviation from the main path between the port and the shrine is an opportunity to escape the crowds. Or so I thought when going up to this pagoda and the Senjôkaku to the left. This large hall, said to measure 1000 tatami mats, built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi is the nearest elevated viewpoint to the shrine, so it was busy, to the point it reminded me of an airport departure hall...

No, you'd have to go even deeper to get some proper space and the impression you're doing something different. On the day I visited, three years ago to the day, it was hot and I had plans to catch the Hello Kitty Shinkansen on its afternoon run to Kyûshû (RIP). So I only got as far as Fujinotana Park, which is definitely not far. Miyajima deserves a second visit in a cooler season, to see more of the less trodden areas.

"Any post, deer?"

One last unmissable part of the Miyajima experience is the deer. Like at Nara, they're everywhere, including on the most touristic paths, and they're not very afraid of humans. Is the one below booking its spot as head of the queue for the restaurant?

[useyourimagination2020]

たいやき 「ひいらぎ」（恵比寿）

(via 何度もリピ♪一匹30分かけて焼かれる絶品たい焼き「ひいらぎ」 | 夫婦で作る「スイーツ&カフェブログ」)

[todayintokyo]

Summer in Japan by 真道 健志 / Shindo Takeshi

[todayintokyo]

Japanese wind chimes by 稲田大樹 / Daiki Inada

[disgruntled-lifeform]

Stolen from reddit where it wasn't being properly appreciated

[leiyahime]

"Indigo dyeing silk thread"

In case anyone wonders what the Japanese is saying

[torkmatic]

I just learned about this recently from a Viking reenactor! Indigo dye isn't blue until it oxidizes, so when you dye with indigo your cloth or thread doesn't come out of the water blue, it comes out and then reacts with the oxygen in the air and seems to spontaneously turn blue in front of your eyes. It's a really cool process to witness.

[tokyocandid]

Shinjuku, Tokyo

[languagelvlup]

whenever you get frustrated with Japanese bc it has way too many freaking homophones, just remember, you are exactly right

source: https://selftaughtjapanese.com/2014/03/19/research-results-homophones-in-japanese/

Research Results: Homophones in Japanese – Self Taught Japanese

[kyuubi-the-shiba]

Dont furget to stay hydrated!! 💧

[todayintokyo]

It's hot in Japan by 甲冑装束騎乗会

[sleeplessintokyo87]

Rainy season is over III