Potato Anyone?

Today was Avery's first field trip ever. In Japan, it is a big tradition for children to go on a "potato dig". They go to a local farm and actually dig up their own potatoes and then go for a picnic afterwards. Avery was so excited about going and then she was so excited about what she had gotten. See the pictures below.

Guess who gets to cook those now???? You guessed it....me! Recipes anyone???

Kamakura and the "Big Buddha"

As you can tell from our front page, we went to see the "big Buddha" today. I'll confess that that particular photo was not taken by me, but it is a scanned postcard that we bought. All the other photos that appear on this site are actually taken by myself or Deana.

The trip today was to Kamakura, which is about an hour away via train and has many temples and shrines. Based on the brochure/ gaijin map, there are about 50 temples in the area and we spent about 7 hours total seeing 4 or 5 of them. I'll post some photos of the temples and I'll quote from the brochure so you have a little history and information.

The first place we went to was the Hasedera Temple (ha-say dare-uh)
The Origins of Kamakura’s Hasedera Temple, according to legend, in 721 AD the pious monk Tokudo Shonin discovered a large camphor tree in the mountain forests near the village of Hase in the Nara region. He realized the trunk of the tree was so large that it provided enough material for carving two statues of the eleven-headed Kannon. The statue he commissioned to be carved from the lower part of the truck was enshrined in Hasedera Temple near Nara; the statue from the upper half (actually the larger of the two) was thrown into the sea with a prayer that it would reappear to save the people. Fifteen years later in 736 on the night of June 18, it washed ashore at Nagai Beach on the Miura Peninsula not far from Kamakura, sending out rays of light as it did. The statue was then brought to Kamakura and a temple was constructed to honor it. Since time immemorial, Hasedera Temple has been known as the 4th station among the 33 holy places in the Kanto area.

Areas within the Hasedera Temple:

Kannon-do Hall

The magnificent statue of Hase Kannon is housed here for all to see and worship. It is 30.1 feet tall and has 11 heads in addition to it's main one: 3 in front, 3 to the left, 3 to the right, one at the top (facing forward), and one at the back. Each face has a different expression, signifying that the deity listens to the wishes of all types of people. Hase Kannon is unique in that it holds a staff made of tin in its right hand and a vase of lotus flowers in it's left. Gold leaf was applied to to the statue in 1342. Although Kannon is usually described in English as "the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy", strictly speaking it is neither masculine or feminine. Kannon is Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva (a Bodhisattva is a future Buddha, destined for enlightenment, who has vowed to save all sentient beings) and represents compassion, mercy, and love.

Amida-do Hall

Next to Kannon-do is a building where a golden seated statue of Yakuyoke (Protector from evil spirits) Amida Buddha, one of Kamakura's six principle statues of Amida, is enshrined. In 1194 Minamoto Yorimoto, the first Shogun of Japan, commissioned the statue. It measures 9.2 feet in height.

Shoro Belfry

To the right of Amida-do is Hasedera Temple's massive bronze bell. The thatched roof belfry was constructed in 1955. Following Buddhist tradition, the bell is rung 108 times beginning around midnight on December 31 each year to dispel the 108 sufferings of humanity. This ritual is called joya no kane.

Jizo-do Hall

Halfway down the steps to the lower level is a small building, in which Fukuju Jizo, or "Happy" Jizo, is enshrined. Surrounding the hall are thousands of little Jizo stone statues standing in long rows, some wearing bibs or knitted caps and festooned with cute charms. These statues are there to comfort the souls of unborn children. Jizo-Bostatsu is a Bodhisattva possessing great powers including all the blessings of the Earth.

Kyozo Sutra Archive

Directly in front of the restaurant is this interesting building. Inside are rotating bookracks, called rinzo, where the important Buddhist sutras for the temple are kept. By turning the rinzo, it is said that you can earn the same merit as from reading all the sutras.

Here is the view from the temple area:

---END HASEDERA TEMPLE---

Next stop on the Tour was "The Great Buddha"

This bronze statue of Amita Buddha was was cast in 1252 A.D. by the sculptors Ono-Goroemon and Tanji-Hisatomo at the request of Miss Inadano-Tsubone and Priest Joko, who not only originated the idea of building this large statue and the temple covering it, but also collected donations for it.

In 1498, a tidal wave swept away the great temple of the Buddha, leaving only the foundation stones. In the 500 years since then, the holy statue has been exposed to sunshine, storms, and snow. The statue is 13.35 meters tall and weighs 121 tons.

That concludes today's tour. I hope you did not find it too awfully boring.

I'll paste some other miscellaneous photos from today at the bottom of the post for your viewing enjoyment.

We welcome your comments and/ or questions!!

Curtis

Trick or Treat!!

Who said that Halloween wasn't a celebrated in Japan??? It is true that many houses don't participate in the tradition of Halloween but the children sure do!!! First, Avery had a Halloween party at school today including a parade which we got to attend. The local newspaper was there taking pictures and asked specifically to take a picture of Avery...we will see if she makes it in the news.

Avery & teacher Ms. Yona

Tonight, we went out trick or treating around Honmoku-Wada (our neighborhood). Many houses didn't participate but the ones that did were packed!!! Kids were waiting in long lines for the treats. Many of the home owners dressed up themselves and joined in on the fun. Here are a few pics from this evening.


Ohhhh, and please feel free to leave any comments you want. Curtis set it up to where you don't have to have an account to leave a comment. You can just sign your name in the body of the comment and check the "anonymous" box. We really look forward to reading what you have to say.

Aren't they cute!!!

Japanese Cooking With A Twist of History

Tonight I made my first Japanese meal at home. I made Yakisoba, which is a noodle dish that is usually vegetarian. So I think even my sister would like it (hahaha). Here is a picture of the finished product. They made it for us at our welcome BBQ and they were nice enough to share their secret with me.

I thought I would give you a little history about the city we live in, Yokohoma, for you history buffs. Yokohoma, Japan's second largest city, has been a center for shipping, trade, foreign contact, and modern ideas since the mid-19th century. Formerly a small fishing village on the Tokaido road, it was made a treaty port in 1859; there followed an influx of foreign traders, especially Chinese and British, making it the biggest port in Asia by the early 1900's. The 1923 Kanto Earthquake wiped out 95% of the city, killing 40,000 people, then WWII bombing again destroyed half the city. After the war, Yokohoma became a base for US soldiers. By the 1970's, it was once more japan's largest port. The heart of the city is compact and walkable. (Eyewitness Travel Guides: Japan).

Ok...you didn't really think that I was THAT good at history did you?

Happy Birthday Curtis!

Yesterday, to celebrate Curtis's birthday, he and I went to a professional soccer game. The game was played at the Nissan Stadium and we were watching the Nissan F-Marinos. We had a really good time and the fans were NUTS! They chanted the ENTIRE time. Not just yelling, but actual chanting. It was really neat.

Tonight, Avery and I greeted him at the door with a cake that I made. We ate taco salad, that I made, and watched episodes of The Office that Avery and I got him from the states for his birthday. Not as great as being in the states, but we tried.

Ok, this last photo was the name of one of the concession stands at the soccer game. Anyone up for a "Funky" hotdog?

Sankeien Garden

Today we went to the Sankeien Garden that is about a 15 minute walk from our house. It was absolutely beautiful! We have been told that in November and in the spring (cherry blossom time) that it is even more beautiful. What really amazed me, is that all the structures in the garden are older than our own country. There was a museum that contained many OLD artifacts and you could be taught how to perform a tea ceremony (which we did not do). Take a look at the photos. They really don't do it justice.

Just Thought I'd Share....

I just thought I would share a cute picture of Avery in her Halloween costume that Aunt Tessi sent her. They don't celebrate Halloween here but her school is having a party and parade and the kids are to dress up.

Next, i wanted to share a picture of my bed partner....yes, it is a centipede and it woke me up with a "nice friendly" BITE on the scalp. I felt the bite and it woke me up...I thought I might be dreaming...until it crawled down my face. I jumped up and woke Curtis up. We didn't know what it was and we searched and searched. Finally, Curtis saw it crawl across my clean clothes that were folded on the love seat. Needless to say...we had the house bombed today. Thank goodness it wasn't poisonous, but the bite still hurts today and the Internet said that it could continue to hurt and sting for the next 2 weeks. Man.....burned hand, bit head...I'm afraid to see what is next....Stay Tuned.

Our Holiday Weekend

We had a 3 day weekend here in Japan. Monday (today) was some type of Japanese Holiday. Curtis asked some guys at work what holiday it was and they really didn't seem to know. they just said "happy Monday?" Whatever it was...we got out and enjoyed it.

Saturday we went into Yokohoma City and did some shopping. Nothing real big..no pics to show on that.

Sunday, we went to a BBQ that some guys at Curtis's work gave us. Sekiya (say keya), who Curtis worked with in Decherd, organized it. It was at a park at the beach and we had a great time! Everyone was so nice and really made us welcomed. We then went over to Sea Paradise, which is an amusement park based around marine life. They have an aquarium, rides, and an area where you get up close and personal with dolphins and whales and other marine life. The park did a fireworks display before closing that was synchronized to music. It was really neat. See some pics below.

Sea Paradise Park

Today (Monday), we walked around China Town and then to a famous park here, Yamashita Park. It was a gorgeous day!!! The park is on the ocean and it is beautiful.

Yamashita Park

The Pictures Say It All

Guess what Curtis had for dinner!!! We actually watched the guy get the live fish out of the tank with a net. The next thing we knew....it was on his plate. Avery had KFC and I had Tempura (fried shrimp, etc) and rice.

We did a lot of walking today (the best we can calculate about 10- 13 miles). And just look at we found! Of course Curtis had to have a picture of it.

This is a picture of me and Avery at Yamashita Park in Yokohoma Bay.

Hommoku Temple & Shrine

Today after taking Avery to school, I decided to take a walk and visit the local temple and shrine near our house. It is called the Hommoku Temple & Shrine (no, I didn't spell it wrong...we live in Honmoku but the temple name is Hommoku).

This is the view from the top of the hill. It is a view of Honmoku, where we live.