Nagasaki Kunchi 長崎くんち Dragon Dance Ja-Odori rehearsal.
YouTube Videos
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam Boat Ride at Sunset Pre-Pandemic
It’s hard to believe how much the world has changed in such a short time. After leaving Japan in October 2019, we travelled for a month in SE Asia. Our first stop was Vietnam. The insanity of the over-tourism was fully evident when we took a tour from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay. Ha Long … Continue reading Ha Long Bay, Vietnam Boat Ride at Sunset Pre-Pandemic
Lantern Festival at Kasuga Taisha Shinto Shrine
Video of a priest at Kasuga Taisha Shinto Shrine making a Hana Chochin, flower lantern, at the Chugen Mantoro lantern festival in Nara, Japan.
Japanese Zen Gardens for Peace – in Memory of Martin McKellar
Sudden News of a Friend’s Death is Never Easy Martin and I out front of the Harn Museum of Art in Gainesville, Florida in June 2021. My heart was shattered late January when I received a message from my friend Martin McKellar that he was saying goodbye— in December he had been diagnosed with stage … Continue reading Japanese Zen Gardens for Peace – in Memory of Martin McKellar
Bunraku 文楽 Puppets at Osaka Hoe-Kago Gyoretsu Parade 宝恵かご行列
https://youtu.be/TS6VGTZ5O2E Bunraku Puppets, 文楽, also known as Ningyō jōruri 人形浄瑠璃, are a form of traditional Japanese Puppet Theatre that began in Osaka in the 17th century. At the January 2019 Hoe-Kago Gyoretsu Parade in Osaka, 宝恵かご行列, I enjoyed a special performance for this annual celebration of abundance. The parade is part of the Ebisu Festival and … Continue reading Bunraku 文楽 Puppets at Osaka Hoe-Kago Gyoretsu Parade 宝恵かご行列
“Peace” 平和 Shodo Demonstration by Noriko Ukita
Watch Sensei Noriko Ukita of Kobe, Japan demonstrate the Kanji for Peace 平和 using Japanese calligraphy shodo.
Looking: Random Jumble Film No. 1 of Osaka, Japan
I’ve been putting together the myriad film clips I took in Japan and doing something with them. Learning curve for moi, reluctant Luddite, has been high, but I never give up! Hey, I can develop silver gelatin prints in a darkroom; digital, not so much. So enjoy Looking: Random Jumble Film No. 1 of Osaka, … Continue reading Looking: Random Jumble Film No. 1 of Osaka, Japan
World Kamishibai Forum Webinars on YouTube
When I attended the Kamishibai for Peace seminar in Tokyo in November 2018, I had the great pleasure of meeting Walter Ritter of Write Out Loud San Diego as well as Oakland Public Library Children's Librarian Erica Siskind. Walter has since created the World Kamishibai Forum series of seminars on YouTube that discuss Kamishibai around … Continue reading World Kamishibai Forum Webinars on YouTube
Things I Miss About Living in Japan #No. 1 – Subways and Trains
Well, the karmic payback for whatever I did in my past life continues as I wait out Covid-19 here in Orlando, Florida, U.S.A. unable to return to Japan. So, I will fantasize and keep the memories alive. This blog post started out as a Top 10 reasons why I miss living in Japan, but I … Continue reading Things I Miss About Living in Japan #No. 1 – Subways and Trains
Storytime Yoga and World Kamishibai Day for Peace December 7, 2020 –
On Monday, December 7, 2020, just before 8:00 in the morning, it will be my honor and joy to publish an episode of Storytime Yoga Kamishibai for Peace on the Storytime Yoga YouTube, telling the Inuit folktale Raven Brings the Light about the winter solstice. It's my offering for World Kamishibai Day. A day when people all over the world tell kamishibai stories for peace.
Sydney In Osaka 