Jomyo-Yama: Gion Matsuri!, a set on Flickr. This float derives its name from the “Hashi-gassen” (literally “Bridge Combat”) chapter of “The Tale of the Heike” (“Heike Monogatari”), a noted military epic written in the early 13th century. During the fighting in 1180 between the Heike and Genji clans Jomyo Tsutsui, a Genji military monk, stood on a beam of the Continue reading «Jomyo-Yama: Gion Matsuri!»

The Garden of A Poet: Futai-ji Temple!, a set on Flickr. This is a small temple not so far from the city center of Nara. It actually is on the “Rekishino-Michi” hiking path. Some of the sides on this trail are burial mounds of past Emperors and a few more temples. The path is about a 4-kilometer-long route and is Continue reading «The Garden of A Poet: Futai-ji Temple!»

Iwato-Yama: Gion Matsuri!, a set on Flickr. This float depicts the famous Japanese myth of the dark world returning to light when Amaterasu Omikami (the Goddess of the Sun), opens the Amano Iwato, a celestial-rock-gate, and emerges from the cave she was hiding in. Though called a “Yama” Iwato-yama has been a Hoko-like drawn-type wheeled float since as long ago Continue reading «Iwato-Yama: Gion Matsuri!»