Readers whom have been following my “Can a feudal era General and famed military strategist act as a modern-day Cupid?” series of articles know I have a fairly close tie to the town of Tarui. During my frequent visits there, … Read More
(Writing the column article about Nangu Taisha in Tarui reminded me I had promised to write about why I considered General Hanbei TAKENAKA to be the person who brought victory to Lord Ieyasu TOKUGAWA at the Battle of Sekigahara, fought … Read More
Readers whom have been following my “Can a feudal era General and famed military strategist act as a modern day Cupid?” know I have a close tie to the town of Tarui. During my frequent visits there, I kept on … Read More
December 14th, 2017: As Yousuke’s car started climbing the mountain pass leading into Akou proper, Mrs. Terumi Kawatobi mentioned how she always cried whenever she saw any of the popular 47 Ronin/Akou Incident based TV show and movie reruns, so … Read More
One of the stops we made in Okazaki was to the Kakukyu miso factory. You are probably used to miso being translated as “soy bean paste.” However, most of the brands you see arrayed in stores should actually be called … Read More
My wife and I were legally married (i.e submitted the form to City Hall) in late April of 2016. About a week prior to the event, I enlisted the help of a friend to clear out the master bedroom which … Read More
Gosho Jinja enshrines the patron deities of my neighborhood, Zaimokuza. Plural because the shrine is an amalgamation of five shrines which was mandated by the Meiji government in 1908. The name Gosho translates to “five locations.” The patron deity of … Read More
Every morning I wake up to the sound of the Komyoji temple bell. Back in my single days, when I wasn’t sure if I would ever find my life partner, I even made a senryuu (informal haiku) wondering if I … Read More
As a resident of Kamakura, it would be remiss of me not to talk about Tsurugaoka Hachiman as the first of a series of articles about Kamakura. This shrine is the abode of the patron deity of the Minamoto Clan … Read More
Jyouchiji, in Kita Kamakura, is one of my favorite temples. It is a nice retreat from the tourist hustle and bustle. Even the air is a little different there. Jyouchiji is #4 of the five most important Zen temples in … Read More
Cana feudal era General and famed military strategist act as a modern day Cupid?(Episode One: Setting the scene) Can a feudal era General and famed military strategist act as a modern day Cupid? Episode Nine: Meeting the Parents After the … Read More
Epispde 1 Cana feudal era General and famed military strategist act as a modern day Cupid?(Episode One: Setting the scene) ペンネーム なべあきお、垂井町在住、イラストレーター Pen name : Abeakio/Living in Tarui town in Gifu prefecture/ art artist Driving back to the Kanto Plains, I … Read More