Hiroshima FF 09, In the Night

In the night, when they are lit in the park behind Peace Memorial Museum.

Hiroshima FF 09, Flower Candle Message

Message candles which made by students from schools around the city.

One thing I found it interesting is when these students  come back  to search their work and proudly show it to their parents.

Yuri San: Kawaii yo (they're cute)

Hiro San: So desu (yup)

Hiroshima FF 09, Getting Ready

Tens of bird-shaped origamis symbolizing peace in the Peace Memorial Park.

Second day of the festival, May 4, 09. As the main attraction of the festival each  year, candles are put in all open area like in this Pond of Peace, in front of Peace Memorial Park.

Hiroshima Flower Festival 09, Welcome Again

Bird-shaped origami ready to be lit in the night.

Welcome to Hiroshima Flower Festival 2009. Hiroshima Flower Festival has been held every year from the 3rd to the 5th of May, during Golden Week since 1977. The festival is located on Peace Boulevard, one of the main streets in Hiroshima city and within Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park area.

My new theme for this week (or maybe longer :)). This time we're going a tour in the city. It takes about 40 minutes by train from Saijo station to Hiroshima station.

Yuri San: Nani de Hiroshima ni ikimasuka? (How are we going to Hiroshima?)

Hiro San: Densha de ikimasu (We take train)

Mitsujo Tumulus (V)

Different point of views of this ancient burial mound.

Horse-shaped haniwa. The second time I came to this site, they were already replaced with new horse-shaped haniwas like we see on the right image. 

Image on the left is the sunshade-shaped haniwa. It was modeled after a sunshade of the Kofun period. The underpart of this represents the shade and top of it is a model of an osprey. Image on the right shows a house-shaped haniwa. The ruler lived in the house similar to this one during his lifetime. 

The Japanese word Haniwa means "cicle of clays" and it refers to the unglazed red clay cylinders which were placed around imperial burial mound to stabilized the ground and support the roof of the tomb. First produced by the guild craftsmen of the Kofun period, Japan's Iron Age (3rd-6th centuries), haniwa evolved from simple cylinders into representations of people, animals and houses.

*Thanks Gary, for the link.

The last tumulus is Mitsujo No.3. This facility has a rectangular stone coffin about 1,5 meters tall and 0,2 to 0,5 meters wide. Nothing was discovered inside this coffin. It is now covered with tiles replicating the remains underneath.

The original tumuli were restored after they had laid for in the earth about 0,7 meters on deep.

These photos end my Mitsujo theme today. I hope you enjoyed them.

I am coming with a new theme tomorrow.

Hiro San: Kairimashoo (Let's go home)

Yuri San: Haik (Okey)

Mitsujo Tumulus (IV)

This facility has a rectangular stone coffin, however much is still unknown about this coffin because some of the relics were lost. For this reason, the coffin is covered with red brick sand.

This girl is sitting on the tumulus No.2. Mitsujo Tumulus No.2 is a circular mound of about 25 meters wide and about 3,5 to 5 meters high. This tumulus also has paved stone around the slope of the mound but has no haniwa encircling it.

* Tomorrow, I'll show some details of this tumulus which are called Haniwa (Vogon Poet asked about them in my first post of this theme).

Mitsujo Tumulus (III)

The original stone coffins can be seen through the hard glass.

Here they are, the three facilities which have rectagular stone coffins. 

On the third level of Mitsujo Tulus No.1 is the round rear part of the keyhole-shaped mound. This part of the mound is where the person's remains were buried.

*I'm sorry for not posting two days. I was in Hiroshima city watching Hiroshima Flower Festival   which was held from the 3rd to the 5th of May this year.

Hiro San: Kino, doko ni ikimashita ka? (Where did you go yesterday?)

Yuri San: Hiroshima ni ikimashita (I went to Hiroshima)

Mitsujo Tumulus (II)

The square projection on the right side of the keyhole-shaped mound.

As we can see, the square projection on the left side of the keyhole-shaped mound.
On the third/top level of tumulus No.1. This is called Zenpobu. This long front area of the mound was originally the place where the burial rites were performed. But it lost its original function when this tumulus was built and is only for display.

Yuri San: Takai ne (it's so high)

Hiro San: So desu (it is)

Mitsujo Tumulus (I)

The burial mound of this tumulus has three levels with Haniwa, a type of earthenware, around the circumference of each level.
Next to the cemetery I posted yesterday is Mitsujo Tumulus. In ancient times, a grave was constructed by piling earth up into a high mound called a "Kofun" (ancient mound) or Takazuka (high tumulus). In Higashi Hiroshima, this mound is called Mitsujo Kofun. This historic site has three tumuli. I am starting this post in order from tumulus No.1, No.2 and No.3. 

In this picture is Mitsujo No.1 Tumulus, a keyhole-shaped mound about 92 meters wide. It is the largest tumulus in Hiroshima Prefecture.

The tumulus was designated as historic site on June 3, 1982, because it is very sacred to this area's cultural heritage.

This is going to be my theme this week.

Yuri San: Kore wa nan desuka? (What is this?)

Hiro San: Bochi desu, ookii bochi desu (It's a big cemetery)

*All the explanation of this photos is taken from this historic site.

Happy weekend everyone...

Gravestone in Japanese is called Haka. Both notes in Kanji and Romaji on that haka are really making me confused.
Weekend soon and here I am with some photos from a cemetery in Saijo. They were taken about three weeks ago. This cemetery is located behind Saijo City Library,  the largest cemetery I have seen so far, as many of them are located in private area and belong to some certain families.

Hiro San: Kono tabiwa, makoto ni goshushosama deshita (please accept my condolences)

Yuri San: ........ (........)

Kumori

Just love it, the darker the better :).

You have bajillion photos but don't know which to post today. Does it happen to you, too? I'm back with not so appealing photos from the street in front of my apaato. I was heading to an Indian restaurant, when got caught by rain. I liked it, unfortunately my camera didn't.

Hiro San: Ame no naka ni utatteiru (I'm singing in the rain...)

Yuri San: Ee, Jamie Cullum? (Jamie Cullum?)

* Kumori=cloudy, about to rain.

O namae wa?

He kept staring at me. What's so special? :)
Each person can only register one seal to avoid fraud things.  Starting as lowest as 100Yen to the most expensive one, it depends on the quality.

Yesterday while wandering the area behind my apaato I saw this little shop selling all seal stuff. Inkan or signature seal is a personal seal used in place of signature. There are registered seals (jitsuin) for official document purpose and private seals (mitomein). Is it interesting to have our own stamp-seal like those Japanese, Korean and Chinese people do?. 

Yuri San : O namae wa? (What's your name?)

Hiro San: Hiro desu (Hiro)

Treasure Hunt

This lid is about 50cm diameter, fits one man. It is for dirty water pipe hole.

For covering drinking water valve.

Looking down on the street, I found many steel lids covering holes that may compete the numbers of vending machines around the town. Don't stop your car on this orange lid, something electrifying is happening beneath.
In the middle of the lid is city emblem of Higashi Hiroshima. According to the city website, the characters of bird-like shape are equivalent to the “Hi’s” in Higashihiroshima and represent a Japanese alpahbet "Hi". This expresses the hope of the academic city, surrounded by greenery, for Higashihiroshima City’s unlimited flight and development.

Yuri San : Koko de tomatte mo ii? (Can we stop here?)
Hiro San : Abunai desyoo (It's dangerous)

Hanami at Kagamiyama Park

What a great time they had.

An intimate escape.

While others were speaking loudly, these people spending their time in silence using sign language.



The latest version of Mozilla Firefox vs Google Chrome. What do you think?
I now have them both installed in my PC. I'm happy to have me back again, hope it will last :).
Last week was like Hansel and Gretel missing some of their breadcrumbs, I lost track of some favorite daily photos I follow.
How are you all? Wish you a nice weekend and have some beautiful shots.
There's no more Sakura left, but I can't resist the feeling to upload my Sakura and Hanami shots. Hope you like them. They were taken at Kagamiyama Koen (Park) on April 12.

Hiro San: O hisashiburi, o genki desuka? (Long time no see, how are you?)
Yuri San : Haik, genki desu (Yes, I'm fine)

Otsukaresama desuta...

And the winner is....

A show performed by one of the sake house employees.

Not only adults, children also took part performing a drama of sake making.

Sake brands from some region in Japan. From left top clockwise, Shikoku Kyushu region, Chugoku region ( Hiroshima area), Kinki region and Chubu region.

For your sake and green tea.

Sake barrels in front of a house.
The last post of sake houses, today I also uploaded some photos of sake festival in October 08.
I'm sorry I wasn't around for five days, have some trouble with Mozilla Firefox and Blogspot everytime I try to click links, it shut off.
Yuri San: Otsukaresama desuta (Finally, we're done)
Hiro San: Otsukaresama desuta. Ja ne (Finally. See you later)