“Red Berets” or “Stooges?
The other day when I was strolling at the foot of the mountains surrounding Mariko I happened onto an unusual site!
It was just between the post indicating the old Kanshyouin Temple/歓昌院 and the actual entrance gate.
Stop and approach?
There no less than 57 small statues, all different with their heads covered with knitted red berets!
Of course this is all religion lore and I’m not going to talk about the reasons behind the phenomenon, but some of the statues were really interesting for their features!
Here are a few I chose for their more intriguing expressions!
Surrender or exasperation!
Alroght, alright, shall we talk about it?
Just came back from Italy!
A snake for sale?
Hmmm, let me see…
Don’t tell me it’s going to rain……!
A gastronomy deity?
Shall I scratch my back or hit you?
RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES
Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,
Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery
SHIZUOKA GOURMET 
I went to Mt Takao when I was in Tokyo one time and this was one of the things which astonished me the most… seeing all the little statues with their little knitted caps! I always wonder – do they get a fresh cap every year (like, a newly knitted one?) and who knits them (and who puts them in place?).
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The caps seemed to be new to me, so they probably change them every year.
They are probably knitted by local followers as a gift to their Buddhist temple.
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I hope you have labelled it also in “weird Japan” 😉 It’s hilarious!
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Well, I couldn’t really. Although I’m an agnostic, it is not a good idea to antagonize some people on the other side of the fence!LOL
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