Crazy

Now I like bathing just as much as the other guy but this is going a little too far.

Actually these I am assuming Budhist priests or accolates are going through a purification ritual of course in the middle of winter and in freezing cold water. This is in Koyasan in Wakayama Prefecture. Click on the link to find out more.

Gunma

This guys was quite the rice planter!

On the second day we went hiking. The 4 different classes all going on a different course.
I was on the Omine numa course. Here is some of the flora we saw on the way.

Country

Even though it has gotten rather convenient where I live, if you just walk aboout 5 or 10 minutes you can really feel like you are in the country side. I was surprised even to find what looked like a private shrine on someone's property. And with the start of Golden Week this is common sight that you don't often see in the city any more. Glad to see some people still have the space to do something like this.By the way this is my first picture on my new cell phone. Probably would have turned out better had I taken the plastic film off that is covering the lens and making this picture a little blurred.

Spring

Spring is here, but if you want to see snow you can still do it. This road through the Japan alps is a famous tourist spot just for what you are seeing here. Someday I'd like to make the trip. I just wonder how long it takes all of it to melt.

Fukushima

http://www.town.shimogo.fukushima.jp/kankou/place02.htmlIf all works out well this next weekend, I hop to make it to this little village nestled in the middle of nowhere in northern Japan. Wish me luck.

Gotemba

Like I said we had a good 3 day camp with rain in the middle, but after the rain lifted it made for some beautiful scenery.
Here is a better picture of Fuji, yesterday's picture was on my cell phone with a really poor voom, this one is a lot better.

Orientation Camp

Well back from 3 days of orientation camp with J1 students. It was a good camp, despite one day of rain. But the rain did clear up the skies and this was the Mt. fuji that greeted us this morning. It was very unusual not a clout in the sky and it stayed that way for most of the morning.

Ate too much and didn't get enough sleep, which is typical of school excursions. I need to start walking or do something to keep my weight down and get ready for my trip to Florida this summer. It is always a killer to have all that food around and it is so easy to just jump right in and eat everything that is in front of me.

Miyajima

Picture taken last summer on my trip with Drew. Tomorrow I am headed off for our spring staff retreat in Yunokoya, near Minakami. We will stop at one of my favorite hot springs on the way there, Takaragawa, and hopefully I'll have some nice pictures to share when I get back.

Hot spring

This was taken a couple of years ago on a trip to Shichimi onsen, this place wasn't open when I was there but it is obvious that they have a lot of thermal water. The place that we stayed at was very nice and I found out on my second visit with Susan that the Tanuki's come and visit the inn. In fact Susan said they came by the bath when she was getting out.

Green Stairs

These steps are in Kamakura I forget at which temple but I thought ther were really cool. And if you couldn't tell they aren't used anymore, you have to walk around. I guess they want everyone to enjoy the beauty of the moss.

Surviving a Cold

Haven't posted this week mostly because by the time I have gotten home I just wanted to go to bed. I have been fighting a cold or sinus or something not sure exactly but it has beeen exhausting. I think I'll run to the Dr. this morning and see if he can't do anything for me.

I really enjoy looking at blogs rather than reading, so for those of you like me here is this weeks view of Japan.

Hadaka Matsuri

This is one of the 3 biggest "naked festivals" in Japan. I went there 3 years ago. It takes place in Okayama on the 3rd Sat. of February in the middle of the night.


This photo was taken just before midnight, right before the main event. Before they get to this point they run around the temple grounds and through a pool of water.


Then at midnight they turn off all the lights and they drop down a phallic symbol into the crowd and they all scramble to get the prize and gain good luck for the coming year.

If anyone is bored this coming weekend you might want to check it out, with the weather being so nice recently you probably won't freeze your butt off.

On a side note, it is interesting that in many festivals in Japan the standard attire often includes the fundoshi or in this case just the fundoshi. Once a Japanese pastor said to me that maybe when Japanese men were baptized they should wear a fundoshi. Interesting thought that I don't think anyone has ever followed through with given how much Japanese Christians often tend to throw out most things that would have any similarities to anything of traditional Japanese culture.

Takaragawa Onsen

One of my favorite bathing spots.

Mt. Fuji

View of Mt. Fuji from IzuOne nice thing about winter is that if I get to leave work early enough I can see Fuji on my way home as I cross the Tama river.

Waterfall

I took this picture a couple of years ago on one of our school outings in Gunma prefecture. It wasn't really a great waterfall but at least it was worth the trek even if was to just get this picture.

Zenkoji Temple

Zenkoji Temple in Nagano city, probably fimiliar because this was the location for many broadcasts of the Nagano Olyimpics.

I thought that I would start something new, Japan as seen by me. I will ge boing through some of my pictures and hopefully snapping some cool new ones and posting them. To give you a view of Japan.