Tag Archives: Tourism

Art, Manhole Covers, Oyama-Ashigara, Shizuoka Prefecture, Tourism, Urban Art

Manhole Covers in Shizuoka Prefecture 51: Oyama Ashigara!

March 17, 2019 dragonlife Leave a comment

Fire Hydrant cover common to many places. You have to check the “logo/sigil”!

This particular search turned into a real adventure! I started with a mistake getting off at Suruga-Oyama Station where I found out that the local Tourism Information had been closed for good for more than a year! I had to take a bus and walk for quite a while to find my target at the Fujinomiya Rest Area!

The circle logo/sigil means it belongs to Oyama Ashigara area!

My target! The only color Oyama manhole cover exhibited inside the information office at the Fujinomiya Rest Area! Great staff there incidentally!

Cute, aren’t they?

Pressurized air valve cover with Oyama Ashigara sigil!

I had found out previously that none of Oyama Ashigara covers could be found around Suruga Oyama Station so I asked the staff where I could find them. They replied theris was the only one to be seen. But I had seen photographs of uncolored ones near a station. So It could be only Ashigara Statio, the one station before!
I ignored the advice and decided to walk all the way to Ahigara Station!

On the way I found this different typeof fire hydrant cover!

The kanji for “water” inside the sigil meant it was a common cver used in many parts of Japan!

After a full hour walk my stubborness was rewrded!

Ashigara (unmanned) Station along the Gootemba Railway Line!

There were not one but half a dozen of them!

I also discovered this old fashioned rectangular fire hydrant cover with the Oyama Ashigara sigil!

Never give up! LOL

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Art, Atami City, Manhole Covers, Shizuoka Prefecture, Tourism, Urban Art

Manhole Covers in Shizuoka Prefecture 8 bis: New Covers in Atami City!

December 3, 2018 dragonlife Leave a comment

Atami City at the entrance of the Izu Peninsula has always been borring of the the fame of the Peninsula, especially stories from the Nbel Prize writer Yoshinori Kawabata, famous for the Izu Odoriko as featured in Atami Yacht harbor by a statue of the famous scene representing a man kicking his lover with his geta/Japanese clog!

Along the pavement opposite on the far side of the street opposite of the city you will find interesting covers!

All right, you will find this tyoe all over Japan! LOL

Now, this the is the one you will be looking for!
But there is another one…

You will have to walk a bit, though, befor you will find it in front (there is only one of its kind!) of the first station of the railway line leading to Ito City!

Beautifui, isn’t it?

You will find them in their mint forms at the Atami Waterwoks Office!

Walking down from the station you will discover this sall sized one found only in a few cities in Japan commerating Natiojnal Land Survey!

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Art, Fujieda City, Japan, Manhole Covers, Photography, Shizuoka Prefecture, Tourism

Manhole Covers in Shizuoka Prefecture 23 bis: Old and New Manhole Covers Roundup in Fujieda City!

December 3, 2018 dragonlife Leave a comment

I heard tehre have been some additions to manhole covers in Fujieda City and I decided to investigate!
If you get down the south exit of Fujieda JR Station you will notice a new one on your right abot 50 meters away on the pavement!

Here it is !

Fujieda City is arguably the City where the first game of football/soccer was played in Japan, hence the soccer ball!
The gentleman is a famous TV talent and the lady a local TV announcer!

The wisteria (fuji/藤　in Japanese) is the emblem flower of Fujieda City which incidentally means “wisteria branch”!

This manhole cover was obviously sponsored by a TV Company!

Here and there you will find this cover representing both Mount Fuji (“Fuji” is being used as pictorial pun as it both means Mount Fuji and wisteria). This kind i getting a bit old and it has become difficult to distinguish the slight differences in color of the two original ones. the bird featured there is the city emblem bird, the “mejiro/Japanese White-eye!

Now if you go to the beautiful Rengeiji Flower Park you will find a new cover ust before the entrance!

Different materials used!

Of course you willfind the same design without he colors and in two different sizes in many locations!

This is a far older type with the Fujieda City logo in the middle!

Another old one with the same central logo!

And still another one with the same logo but in rectangular shape!

And to finish one with a cute mejiro among flowers!

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Festivals, Fuji City, Japan, Japan Festivals, Japan Tourism, Shizuoka Prefecture, Tourism, Yoshiwara Gion Festival

Gion Festival in Yoshiwara, Fuji City (2016) 6): The O-Mikoshi/Portable Shrines!

June 19, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Every year on the second week-end of June a very old Japanese Festival is held in Yoshiwara/吉原 in Fuji City/富士市 called Yoshiwara Gion Festival/吉原祇園祭り.
Although it is a well-known festival in Our Prefecture, it seems they welcome more visitors from Tokyo than from Shizuoka City!
A great pity indeed!
I was able at last to witness it, that is part of it as I had to unfortunately come back early in the evening missing the floats parade.
I still manage quite a few pictures to give a good idea of what to enjoy next year!
As there are too many photos for a single report I divided them according to their genre or subject.
This sixth one is about the O-Mikoshi!

Small O-Mikoshi, probably for children to carry along!

O-Mikoshi/御神輿 is an integral part of Japanese Festivals as the latter are usually related to the Shinto religion. They can be roughly translated as portable shrines and they are usually stored inside Shinto Shrines all year long to be taken out on the day of the Shrine Festivals or on other Festivals.

These can be relatively small or near enormous.
The one used during the Yoshiwara Gion Festival needs at least 20 strong men to carry along the streets of Yoshiwara!

In other Festivals you will sometimes notice ladies helping with carrying, but in Yoshiwara only men are allowed to!

The reason to carry and shake an O-Mikoshi around is to wake up the deity inside and make him/her happy enough to dispense his/her benevolence onto worshipers!

The carrying around of the O-Mikoshi will take all afternoon as all the 21 Districts will take care of it in turns!

The worshipers bowing in love and respect before carrying their deity around!

The men may do the carrying but the ladies are always near wit water and sake!

Smiling under the stress!

Starting to feel the strain!

But certainly not giving up!

The next District team bow to the O-Mikoshi while the Kannushi/神主/Shinto priest goes through his rituals to bless the portable shrine and his bearers!

Each district will contribute its own gifts and sake! Bear in mind that “sake”‘s original meaning is “Food of the Gods”!

Very serious about it!

Sake is then poured onto the shrine!
The “sasa/笹/a kind of bamboo tied to the shrine in the Yoshiwara fashion will be taken off branch by branch by the carriers to stay in their home until the next Festival for luck and prosperity!

Of late foreigners take part in such festivals and Yoshiwara Gion Festival is no exception. There no less than three of them for this particular district!

But all the shouting was done in Japanese!

The bare-chested carriers belong to the local judo club. Others wear shirts mimicking the tattoos of bearers of old!

Another expat sweating along!

Grimacing under the effort!

The last spurt!

See you again next year!

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Festivals, Fuji City, Japan, Japan Festivals, Japan Tourism, Tourism, Yoshiwara Gion Festival

Gion Festival in Yoshiwara, Fuji City (2016) 5): The Floats!

June 19, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

It was a bit unfortunate I had to leave before the festival floats were due to go out on the streets just before the night set with all the lanterns alight and drummers and revelers riding them.
Well, that will be my goal next year!
At least I walked around to gather some information.
My steps brought me into the Minami/South District where one of them was standing in its hangar.

I noticed the sake barrel and bottle and I was told that each of the 21 districts parading its float had its own barrel and bottles markd with the name of their district. All sake is honjozo brewed by Makino Brewery in Fujinomiya City (there hasn’t been a sake brewery in the City of Fuji for quite a long time!).

The Minami District float inside its shelter/hangar!

Carved Dragon!

The float from the Moku District San Chome!

What is that fierce deity?

The float from the Rokken District!

Kintaroo, the legendary hero!

Looking after Mount Fuji!

Lion guards!

Next year I will concentrate on these floats at night!
Promise!

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Gion Festival in Yoshiwara, Fuji City (2016) ４): The Drummers!

June 16, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Drummers are part and parcel of any Japanese Festival as they help wake up the Gods!
It is always a good subject for photography!

As in any other place it is also a good idea to first wander around places far from the “real action” where you can discover really dedicated locals!

Naturally other forms of percussion can be discovered!

In Fuji City there are enough men to take care of the drums but some tough ladies can also be found!

The drumming usually is featured before the o-mikoshi/portable shines procession to warn all revelers beforehand!

it is an occasion for youngsters to try their hands!

The representatives of a different district!

A good time for ladies to take pictures of their “Men”!

Different teams keep relaying each other!

Still another district!

These know they are good! LOL

Actually more and more expat residents participate to the drumming at many other venues!

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Gion Festival in Yoshiwara, Fuji City (2016) 3): The “Faces”!

June 15, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Hefty members of the local judo community!

When you attend a typical Japanese festival it s always a good idea to take photographs working on the theme of the participants’ faces.
40 years or more ago that could have been a bit difficult as disreputable members of the Japanese society were more or less in control of such events, but nowadays Japan is so peaceful and bereft of sinister members that it has to actually mimic the latter whereas traditions are kept intact!

Some of the senior members of the Festival!
I did ask them politely to look fierce but they just couldn’t help smiling at the notion!
Mind you, this is Shizuoka Prefecture, one of the most peaceful regions of the Japanese Archipelago!
Osaka and Kyushu Island denizens do look fierce there without being asked!

A local lady ready to serve sake to the participants, especially the o-mikoshi/御神輿/portable shrine bearers!
I found out that each district had its own bottles of sake designed with a different label by Makino Brewery in Fujinomiya City!

These gentle-looking portable shrine bearers gracefully agreed to pose with their bottle of sake!

You do not see tattoo-exhibiting revelers any more and the body decorations have to be represented by special garments!
Actually the police these days would automatically apprehend or at least ask questions to people exhibiting tattoos in a provocative manner. Well, at least in Shizuoka Prefecture, following the demise of large underworld groups based in Fujinomiya City and Atami City!
But be somewhat careful in other regions!

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Gion Festival in Yoshiwara, Fuji City (2016) 2): Fire Brigade Parade!

June 14, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Firemen with hapi/festival coat emblazoned with “鮫/same/shark” as they represent a district callled “Samejima/Sharks Island” related with the fishing of sharks!

Fires being the scourge of old Japan, firemen were probably the most respected society group in those times, even more than any security or soldiering forces.
Most of them were more or less volunteer but they certainly had their say in the feudal Japanese society!

The parade is led by two stern looking “officials” holding special metal stick they bang on the ground as they proceed forward!

Interestingly enough they represent the whole of Fuji City!
I suspect those two officials are real fire brigade officers!
Although there are plenty of professional firemen in Japan, their work is helped by many volunteers!

Each main secondary/district fire brigade is represented by a pole holder who agitates the “matoi/纏” as it is called up and down and in circles!

Hard work which has to be regularly relayed!

This particular matoi represents the whole city of Fuji!

in spite of the festive occasion participants are all very serious about it!

Now, these men carry scythes mounted on long poles.
At the time carrying water to a fire site would have taken too long, so the houses on fire were pulled down as soon as possible. Neighboring houses would suffer the same fate as to create a fire void!

It must have been the most dangerous work of the time!

And of course the whole important ladder made of two long green bamboo trunks which are practically impossible to burn!

Meet you there again next year!

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Gion Festival in Yoshiwara, Fuji City (2016) 1): Kimono-clad Girls

June 13, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Note the modern footwear!

Hungry girls enjoying a treat!

Little ones with a girl wearing traditional geta/下駄/wooden clogs!

Definitely the more traditional kind!

Enjoying shaved ice in the heat!

Cold drinks in the shade!

The modern kind? LOL

Note the fans!

Meet you there again next year!

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Japan, Japan Tourism, Manhole Covers, Shizuoka City, Tourism, Uncategorized

Manhole Covers in Shizuoka Prefecture 44: Former Shizuoka City Hall Dome in Shizuoka City!

May 29, 2016 dragonlife 1 Comment

The former City Hall of Shizuoka City was built in 1934　although the City of Shizuoka got its present name and status in 1868 succeeding to the City called Sumpu when Tokugawa Ieaysu retired from politics to settle in Fuchu.

In 1996, when the new Shizuoka City Hall had been completed, the Shzuoka City Mayor of the time, Shingo Amano, ordered the former building to be pulled down but fortunately a petition from the citizens of Shizuoka prevented him to do so and the building the same year became an intangible Shizuoka City Culture Asset thus preventing anyone to change it.
It subsequently became the hoe of the Shizuoka City Council among others.

Probably the same year the first manhole cover representing the former City Hall surrounded by swallows, the official birds of Shizuoka City at the time appeared on the streets of Shizuoka City.
Although the City Hall is located north of Shizuoka JR Station , most former city hall designed manhole covers are found south of Shizuoka JR Station!

These manhole covers are found over accesses to road maintenance subterranean networks.
The Shizuoka City logo is the old one with the kanji character for “city”.
The colored manhole cover is unique and can be found only at the bottom of the steps leadin to Toshogun Shrine in Kunozan, Suruga Ku, Shizuoka City.

Most neutral versions are to be found along the main road going south from Shizuoka JR Station south exit and near Shizuoka University!

Check the logo if you find one!

There is also a unique one, not in neutral metal, but varnished in black in front of the former Shizuoka Prefecture Hall across the the Shizuoka City Hall!

In 2003, with the advent of Shimizu City being merged to Shizuoka City, a new type was created with a blue instead green background and pink instead of blue swallows!
The one above can be found on the pavement not far from Apita Store in Suruga Ku, Shizuoka City!

The logo of Shizuoka City was hence changed to a double geometric design!

There are only two samples of the colored version, the second one in front of the former Shizuoka Prefecture being unfortunately partly covered!

Strangely enough the modern version is very rare, as I found only three along the road between Ikeda Primary School and Honkaku Temple in Ikeda, Suruga Ku, Shizuoka City!