"Octopus" is written as "蛸" in Chinese character in Japan but there is something wrong with this - the left half of this Chinese character "虫" means an insect. Why does "octopus" contain an insect?
Netsuke "Octopus" - Is Octopus An Insect? 根付「蛸」- 蛸はなぜ虫偏？
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
This is an ivory netsuke of an octopus carved by Hosen Miyazawa, which I saw last year at the Tokyo National Museum.
Netsuke "Fukurokuju" 根付「福禄寿」
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
This is a netsuke titled 'Fukurokuju' by Ryushi Komada. It's 3-4 cm tall and carved from ivory. I saw this tiny sculpture at the Tokyo National Museum last year.
Netsuke "Carps" - Is Japanese Vague? 根付「鯉」 - 日本語は曖昧？
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
This is a porcelain netsuke titled 'Carps' by Armin Muller. It is quite unique, as netsuke are usually made of ivory, boxwood, ebony, coral, or amber.
Netsuke - "Ground Cherry" Is Scary😱 根付 -「ほおずき」は怖い😱
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
This is Ground Cherry, a netsuke carved from amber with lacquer by Akemi Sasaki. I saw this at the Tokyo National Museum last August.
Galanthus Nivalis (Snowdrop) 待雪草（スノードロップ）
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
The shape and the contrast between green and white stood out and cawaii😊!! They are galanthus nivalis or commonly snowdrops.
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| Galanthus Nivalis 待雪草 |
Edgeworthia (Paper Bush) ミツマタ（黄瑞香）
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
This is edgeworthia or paper bush in the neighborhood. I first saw paper bush last year at Ueno Peony Garden in Tokyo, so I went to the garden to see this plant again early January, but although I enjoyed more than 20 types of peonies, wintersweet and Japanese apricot, paper bush was not yet in bloom at that time. Then I happened to find this paper bush in my neighborhood in mid-January.
This is edgeworthia or paper bush in the neighborhood. I first saw paper bush last year at Ueno Peony Garden in Tokyo, so I went to the garden to see this plant again early January, but although I enjoyed more than 20 types of peonies, wintersweet and Japanese apricot, paper bush was not yet in bloom at that time. Then I happened to find this paper bush in my neighborhood in mid-January.
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| Edgeworthia 三叉 |
Netsuke "Bodhidharma (Daruma)" 根付 「達磨」
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
This is a netsuke titled 'Daruma,' carved from ivory by Hosen Miyazawa. I saw this 3-cm-tall netsuke at the Tokyo National Museum early last year.
Netsuke "Eating Toffee" - Is It A Toad or Frog? 根付「あめ玉」 - カエルは英語で何？
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
This is a netsuke titled 'Eating Toffee,' carved from boxwood and tortoiseshell by Zanmai Onosato. I saw this 3 cm tall piece at the Tokyo National Museum early last year.
Pink Dahlia ピンクのダリア（天竺牡丹）
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
This is dahlia. I saw this in my neighborhood on December 29 last year.
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| Pink dahlia ピンクのダリア |
Chimonanthus Praecox (Wintersweet) in Tokyo 上野牡丹園の蝋梅
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
This is Chimonanthus praecox, or wintersweet, at the Ueno Peony Garden in Tokyo, where you can enjoy more than 20 types of peonies. But that’s not all—the garden also features other flowers, including this beautiful wintersweet. Surrounded by mostly pink and red peonies, these yellow blossoms stand out beautifully, creating a stark contrast against the blue sky.
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| Chimonanthus praecox at Ueno Peony Garden 上野牡丹園の蠟梅（漢字が難しい） |
Peony Peony Peony in Tokyo!! 今年も上野牡丹園に行きました！
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
These are peonies I saw at the Ueno Peony Garden. You might wonder why purple kale is planted in the peony garden. This is because kale is called ha-botan (or 'leaf peony') in Japan due to the similarity of its leaf and petal shapes. This leaf cabbage is often used in Japan for New Year decorations.
Of these peonies, my favorite is Kamata-fuji. (Scroll down to see the photo!) I hope you enjoy these peonies, as well as the five-story pagoda of Kan'eiji Temple nearby, as viewed from the garden.
These are peonies I saw at the Ueno Peony Garden. You might wonder why purple kale is planted in the peony garden. This is because kale is called ha-botan (or 'leaf peony') in Japan due to the similarity of its leaf and petal shapes. This leaf cabbage is often used in Japan for New Year decorations.
Of these peonies, my favorite is Kamata-fuji. (Scroll down to see the photo!) I hope you enjoy these peonies, as well as the five-story pagoda of Kan'eiji Temple nearby, as viewed from the garden.
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| Shima daijin 島大臣 |
A Gift From Global Warming? 温暖化の証拠
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
I saw this hydrangea on December 29, 2020. It's heart shaped and cute. I just wondered if it was still alive.....
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| Photo taken on December 29, 2020 |
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| Is this still alive? まだ生きてる？ |
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| This may be dead but beautiful! 枯れてるかもしれないけどきれい！ |
Global warming exists, and because of that I was able to see this green, pink and blue hydrangeas and red bougainvillea still in bloom in winter.
(If you wish to post your comment but don't have a Google account, select "anonymous" from the drop down menu titled "comment as"!)
去年の12月29日に撮った写真です。きれいですよね。でもこれ生きてるんでしょうか？それとも枯れてるんでしょうか？
温暖化は実在します。そしてそのせい（おかげ？）でこの緑/ピンク/青の紫陽花と真っ赤なブーゲンビリアに会うことができました。
(Google アカウントを持ってない方は、コメント記入後に「Google アカウント」をクリックし、「匿名」か「名前/URL」を選択してからご記入ください！)
A Mosque in Tokyo 東京にモスクがあるってご存じですか？
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
This is Tokyo Camii & Turkish Culture Center, a mosque in Yoyogi Uehara, Tokyo.
The mosque was established by Kazan Turks who migrated from Russia to Japan when the Soviet Union took power in 1917. I knew that Russian Jews had been persecuted, but I didn't know about Russian Muslims. How many Japanese people know this history, or that Japan even has mosques? I bet very few do. Japanese people have very few opportunities to think about religious discrimination.
This is Tokyo Camii & Turkish Culture Center, a mosque in Yoyogi Uehara, Tokyo.
I went to the mosque because I had seen its beautiful stained-glass windows on TV and realized that I'd never been to an Islamic building in my life. I'd been to temples, shrines, and churches, but never a mosque.
Like most Japanese people, I'm officially a Buddhist but practically an atheist. I don't believe in the existence of a single Supreme God, but that doesn't mean I don't believe in the concept of a god. Rather, I believe in the existence of all gods. So, I visit temples, shrines, churches, and mosques, as long as they exist for a good reason. I also respect those who believe in something and act according to their beliefs—except for those who believe "too much." Japan has a proverb, "Too much can be as bad as too little." Someone who believes in something too much without listening to others is no longer a believer, but a fanatic.
Like most Japanese people, I'm officially a Buddhist but practically an atheist. I don't believe in the existence of a single Supreme God, but that doesn't mean I don't believe in the concept of a god. Rather, I believe in the existence of all gods. So, I visit temples, shrines, churches, and mosques, as long as they exist for a good reason. I also respect those who believe in something and act according to their beliefs—except for those who believe "too much." Japan has a proverb, "Too much can be as bad as too little." Someone who believes in something too much without listening to others is no longer a believer, but a fanatic.
The mosque was established by Kazan Turks who migrated from Russia to Japan when the Soviet Union took power in 1917. I knew that Russian Jews had been persecuted, but I didn't know about Russian Muslims. How many Japanese people know this history, or that Japan even has mosques? I bet very few do. Japanese people have very few opportunities to think about religious discrimination.
The prayer room, the stained glass, the minaret, and everything else in the mosque were beautiful, and the people there were humble, kind, and calm.
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| Tokyo Camii & Turkish Culture Center 東京ジャーミイ・トルコ文化センター |