I had only been to Miyajima (宮島) once before, on 27th March 2006. Miyajima, the popular name of the island Itsukushima (厳島), is a small island in the Inland Sea, just off the coast of Hiroshima. I remember liking Miyajima, but I also remember dashing about like a mad thing because I had travelled from … Continue reading
Introducing the latest addition to my kokeshi doll family… My friend rescued this kokeshi for me from the internet as an early birthday present. She’s absolutely gorgeous, but I don’t know anything about her origin. She has a slight wonkiness about her, which I like. The head was separate and just slots on with a … Continue reading
Whilst I was at HYPER JAPAN recently I came across a stall selling old kokeshi (こけし) dolls (the stall was part of Kimono De Go). As a collector of kokeshi I was curious to see how much they were charging for dolls which were probably found at flea markets. They hand a range of dolls in … Continue reading
It’s time for ‘Japan by Prefecture‘ again! This is the series that aims to provide the highlights of each prefecture of Japan, along with my personal favourites and suggestions from readers. This week, we’re looking at Gunma Prefecture (群馬県). Gunma Prefecture is part of the Kanto region (関東地方), just north-west of Tokyo. It’s an area mostly known for its hot springs, … Continue reading
In my last post I wrote about a morning visit to Shiogama (塩釜), and left you waiting for me to move on to Matsushima (松島). So, here goes! After visiting Shiogama Shrine, I made my way back to Hon-Shiogama Station and waited for the next sightseeing boat to Matsushima. It was a dull day, and … Continue reading
This week’s Weekly Photo Challenge is on the theme of ‘yellow’, and yesterday I just happened to pick up a brand new sunshiny addition to my kokeshi (こけし) doll family: ‘Yellow’ is making me think about this beautiful piece of craft right now. She’s my first yellow traditional kokeshi doll – most of my other … Continue reading
Continuing on from my Naruko Onsen (Part 1) post, I’m finally back with Part 2! (Sorry it’s taking me forever to write up my Japan adventures!) On Wednesday 28th May, I woke up relaxed and refreshed in Naruko Onsen (鳴子温泉) and ate the most amazing breakfast at the Taishokan (大正館) ryokan. The food there was just so good – … Continue reading
On Tuesday 27th May my Tohoku adventure continued. Just before midday I left Yamagata Station on the Tsubasa shinkansen and travelled north to Shinjo. At Shinjo I changed to the JR Rikku East Line, a local line with small trains full of character. My destination? Naruko Onsen (鳴子温泉). The journey to Naruko was simply gorgeous. The … Continue reading
Thank you to everyone who entered my competition for a chance to win a copy of Japanese Dolls: The Fascinating World of Ningyō by Alan Scott Pate (see the review and competition post here). The winner has been selected by a random draw, and will be contacted shortly. I’m delighted to announce that the winner is… ☆★☆ … Continue reading
After the excitement of Rokkonsai I opted for a more solitary day, taking my first steps along haiku poet Matsuo Basho’s ‘Narrow Road to the North’, or ‘Oku no hosomichi‘ (奥の細道). In the late spring of 1689 Matsuo Basho (松尾 芭蕉) and his haiku poet apprentice Kawai Sora (河合 曾良) set out on their epic journey, and … Continue reading
Haikugirl's Japan 