You don’t have to go to Kyoto to experience a tunnel of torii gates. Today’s photo is from the Sanno Inari Jinja (山王稲荷神社) in Tokyo’s Akasaka district (東京赤坂). This shrine is basically on the same property as the Hie Shrine (日枝神社).

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While on an Amsterdam canal cruise tour I took today’s top photo of some Dutch buildings. I think the tour guide was describing the details at the top of each building. The building on the right, by the way, is a “Coffeeshop.” I’m not sure if you can really buy coffee there or not. The main item on the menus in Amsterdam’s coffee shops is marijuana–all perfectly legal.

Anyway, back to the tops of these buildings…

At the top of Amsterdam’s houses you will notice hooks suspended near the top called hijsbalk. With the use of a rope and pulley the Dutch can hoist large, heavy items in and out of their homes rather than have to try and haul them up their steep, narrow staircases.

While scanning the buildings to find examples of this system I came across this one…

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As I’ve mentioned previously, the swastika was commonplace before the Nazis. Now you don’t see it much, except in Japan where it is still usual to see the swastika represent a Buddhist temple on a map or in religious architecture like at this Shinto shrine. Today’s photo is from Nezu Jinja (根津神社) in Tokyo. I’m not sure when this particular temizu basin was created, but this Shinto shrine has been in existence for over 300 years.

Notice the senja fuda (千社札) or stickers on the posts of the covering over the temizubachi (手水鉢). These name stickers were much more common in the Edo Period than they are now, but you still see them. Shrine visitors paste or stick senjafuda on the temple gate or shrine buildings to prove that they visited that temple or shrine and to obtain good luck or good fortune.

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Tokyo and Mt. Fuji

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In early December fall colors can still be seen on the trees and on the ground in Tokyo. Today’s photo was taken at Nezu Jinja.

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Nyhavn, Copenhagen, Denmark – July 2011

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There are Toshogu shrines all over Japan, but the one in Nikko is the granddaddy of them all.

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I picked up Spellcaster’s “Under the Spell” at their show in Medford a couple nights ago. After a couple of listenings I have come to the conclusion that they sound most like an obscure band called Powermad. Although I don’t listen to it often, I find Powermad’s “Absolute Power” most enjoyable. “Under the Spell” is great too.

For more Spellcaster photos and video, check out my other blog.

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From the beach in Kamakura, Japan I spotted this guy who I thought was about to take up his sail in order to windsurf like the guys in the distance behind him.

Instead…

… he picked up his fishing pole and proceeded to engage in, perhaps, Japan’s favorite pastime.

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