Category Archives: Statues

Fireworks, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka, Statues, Tourism, 手筒花火

Fireworks Statue in Arai Machi, Hamamatsu city!

March 19, 2014 dragonlife 2 Comments

If you get off from the south exit of Arai Machi JR Stations (3rd station for Hamamatsu City to Nagoya City) you will discover this group of statues!

“遠州新居手筒花火” means “hand-held Fireworks of Enshuu Arai”!

SEE VIDEOS OF THOSE FIREWORKS HERE!

This very special (there are other similar ones in Japan, but this THE BIG ONE!) fireworks is usually held on the last Friday and Saturday of July every year.
I will check and inform you as I plan to report on it!

These thinly clad young men actually carry small fireworks!
The heavier ones are carried by more protected participants!

And it is held in the heat of the night!

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Design, 静岡県, 観光, Japan, Japanese Culture, Kappa, Life, Life in Japan, Photography, Statues, Tourism, Yaizu City, 河童

Kappa (Water Goblins) Street in Yaizu City!

February 11, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Kimono-clad female kappa!

If you get off at Nishi Yaizu JR Station and go to the Kappa Museum, you will discover at one moment little stone statues of kappa (water goblins) in front of homes or stores indirectly advertising that Yaizu City holds a Guinness World Record in the shape of a 10,000+ collection of kappa in a private museum (report coming soon)!
For more information on Kappa/河童, read HERE!

These are all very cute kappa, but do remember they are still feared in some areas in Japan!

The kimono-clad female kappa in front of a cake shop!

Kappa enjoying his sake!
A kappa cannot live without a river, sake, cucumbers and plenty of raucous fun!

Cucumber-eating kappa!
Have you ever wondered what was the meaning of a “Sushi Kappa Maki”? Now, you know!

Tortoise-riding Kappa!

A Kappa calling for a refill!

A Kappa sleeping off his sake!

A kappa builder!

A studious young Kappa!

A beckoning Kappa!
Careful with that one!

A welcoming Kappa!
Careful with that one, too!

A young Kappa bringing flowers to her Mummy!

Naturally in front of a flower shop!

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Contentment? Happiness? Unconcern?

February 1, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

i found this small statue in a park by an Edo period Inn!

I wonder what the artist wanted to impress on onlookers: Contenetment? Happiness? Unconcern?

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観光, Japan, Japanese Culture, Parks, Photography, Statues, Tourism, 公園

Kanazawa City Symbol: Kanazawa Kenroku Park Stone Lantern!

January 9, 2014 dragonlife 4 Comments

This stone lantern in Kenroku Park is the symbol of that City!
You will see on every tourism pamphlet.
I know that some buffs take picture of that single art piece every season in every weather!

The city is very proud of it and does hesitate to show it at your feet!

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Environment, 観光, Japan, Japanese Culture, Photography, Statues, Tourism

Giant Pot in Kanazawa City!

January 9, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Right from the exit of the Kanazawa JR Station you have to keep your eyes wide open for many interesting photography opportunities!

As this is a very cold part of Japan in winter the hot water pot is always on the fire!
Mind you would need a lot of water and fuel for this one! LOL

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Environment, 金沢市, 観光, Japan, Japanese Culture, Kanazawa City, Photography, Statues, Tourism

“Running Amok” in Kanazawa City!

January 9, 2014 dragonlife 2 Comments

I was walking around the hotel on the last evening spent in Kanazawa City while the Dragon was going through her girlie shopping when I noticed those legs running on grassy slope!

I certainly felt a lot humor and artistry in this artistic creation!
I wnodered if the artist meant speed, escape or plain human running!

Looking at it at the back you can ascertain it is made of a single “loop”!
Very clever!
It must be an inspiration to the local kids!
Who said the Japanese didn’t have a sense of humor?

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Culture, Environment, 静岡県, 静岡市, 観光, Hiroshige, History, Japan, Japanese Culture, Photography, Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Statues, Tourism, Ukiyo-e

Hiroshige Wood Block Prints for All in Gofuku Cho Street in Shizuoka City! 31~45

December 3, 2013 dragonlife 2 Comments

Wood Block Print 31)
Hamamatsu (Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture)!

SYNOPSIS

Utagawa Hiroshige (Japanese: 歌川広重), also Andō Hiroshige (Japanese: 安藤広重; 1797 – 12 October 1858) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, considered the last great master of that tradition.
Hiroshige is best known for his landscapes, such as the series The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō.

Although you can see all 53 wood block prints at the Hiroshige Museum in Yui, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City, did you know you can see 45 (at the final check today!) of them daily if you walk along Gofuku Cho Street?

I’m preparing a total compilation of the ukiyo-e only, including the ones missing, that is a total of 53+2= 57!

Before I proceed with the last ukiyo-e of this series I want to show you a few more pictures of art works created with them!

Gofuku Cho Street Sign at the entrance of Gofuku Cho Street!

Double bar bench?

Geisha’s Face!

Geisha and Suitor’s faces!

Alright, let’s proceed to the pedestals and wood block prints!

Pedestal 31)
Geisha in the Wind!

Pedestal 32)
Traveling Porter!

Wood Block Print 32)
27th Station: Fukuroi (Fukuroi City, Shizuoka Prefecture)!

Pedestal 33)
Traveling Mother and Child!

Wood Block Print 33)
25th Station: Nissaka (presently in Kakekagawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture)!

Pedestal 34)
Shamisen-Playing Geisha!

Wood Block Print 34)
23rd Station: Shimada (Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture)!

Pedestal 35)
Mother Carrying Child on her Back!

Wood Block Print 35)
21st Station: Okabe (presently in Fujieda City, Shizuoka Prefecture)!

Pedestal 36)
Mother Carrying her Son on her Back!

Wood Block Print 36)
19th Station: Fuchu (presently Shizuoka City)!

Pedestal 37)
Two-Sword Samurai in the Wind!

Wood Block Print 37)
17th Station: Okitsu (presently in Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City)!

Pedestal 38)
Housewife!

Wood Block Print 38)
10th Station: Hakone (Hakone, Kanagawa prefecture)!

Pedestal 39)
Farmer’s Wife Carrying Produce on her Head and Son on her back!

Wood Block Print 39)
5th Station: Totsuka (presently Totsuka Ku, Yokohamam City, Kanagawa Prefecture)!

Pedestal 40)
Porter!

Wood Block Print 40)
2nd Station: Kawasaki (Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture)!

Pedestal 41)
Resting Mother and Two Children!

Wood Block Print 41)
Not a Station but the starting point at Nihonbashi, The Bridge o Japan in Edo (presently Tokyo)!

Pedestal 42)
Young Girl with Umbrella!

Wood Block Print 42)
1st Station: Shinagawa (presently in Tokyo)!

Pedestal 43)
Horse Rider!

Wood Block Print 43)
4th Station: Hodogaya (presently Hodogaya Ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture)!

Pedestal 44)
Mother Carrying Child on her Back under Unbrella!

Wood Block Print 44)
6th Station: Fujisawa (Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture)!

Pedestal 45)
Mother and Grandmother Playing with Child!

Wood Block Print 45)
11th Station: Mishiima (Mishima City, Shizuoka Prefecture)!

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Hiroshige Wood Block Prints for All in Gofuku Cho Street in Shizuoka City! 11~20

November 29, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Wood Block Print 11)
28th Station: Mitsuke (Tenryuu, presently Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture)!

SYNOPSIS

Although you can see all 53 wood block prints at the Hiroshige Museum in Yui, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City, did you know you can see 42 (that what I counted and took in pictures yesterday although I’ll double check today!) of them daily if you walk along Gofuku Cho Street?

Actually I double checked and found a few more!
Moreover, the indications to find them were slightly wrong!
You will find all these ukiyo-e and more from along Gofuku Cho Street in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City, past the first crossing up the street from Gofuku Cho Scrmable, that is where Gofuku-Cho Street crosses the main Street called Egawa Street up the Shizuoka Bank headquarters!

Geisha Visage!

Actually, these ukiyo-e/Wood Block Prints by Hiroshige is only part of a whole city decoration concept including statues and benches made of similar material with Edo period “Characters” that I thought useful to show you before proceeding with the Wood Block Prints

Boy!

Pillared bench!

Dancing Geishas!

Edo Travelers!

Riding Boy!

Mount Fuji overlooking Shizuoka City, formerly called “Fuchu” or “Sumpu”!

Ball Bench!

Hole and rest Bench!

Ring Bench!

Handle Bench!

Alright, let me take you back to the Wood Block Prints!

Pedestal 11) Two-sword Samurai!

Wood Block Print 11)
28th Station: Mitsuke (Tenryuu, presently Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture)!

Pedestal 12) Traveling Woman!

Wood Block Print 129
30th Station: Maisaka (presently part of Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture)!

Pedestal 13) Porter!

Wood Block Print 13)
31st Station: Arai (presently part of Kosai City, Shizuoka Prefecture)!

pedestal 14) Sitting Woman!

Wood Block Print 14)
35th Station: Yoshida (presently part of Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture)!

Pedestal 15) Woman with Umbrella!

Wood Block print 15)
36th Station: Akasaka (presently in Toyokawa City, Aichi Prefecture)!

Pedestal 16) Traveling Samurais!

Wood Block Print 16)
39th Station: Chiryu (Chiru City, Aichi Prefecture)!

Pedestal 17) Wooden Sword Fencing Practice!

Wood Block print 17)
41st Station: Miya (presently part of Atsuta ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture)!

Pedestal 18) Porter!

Wood Block Print 18)
43rd Station: Yokkaichi (Yokkaichi City, mie Prefecture)!

Pedestal 19) Sword dancer?

Wood Block print 19)
46th Station: Kameyama (Kameayama City, Mie Prefecture)!

Pedestal 20) Child dancer?

Wood Block Print 20)
52nd Station: Kusatsu (Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture)!

To be continued…

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“Spiky Lawn” by Bruno Maroni in Mishima City!

November 6, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

If you have the chance to visit Mishima City in the eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture I would recommend you to visit the Clematis Gardens, the more for it that they offfer a free limousine service from and to Mishima JR Station!

The Gardens include a large museum showing the works of Bruno Maroni but his most remarkable creations are exhibited all year round in the very large park either on the luscious lawns or in front of other buildings!

What could a lone man do walking through pikes on a lawn?

The grass is integral part of the whole art work!

Is the man carefully walking in awe?

Or is he half containing his laugh?

Or has he found a new world beyond the grassy spike tunnel?

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“Infinity” by Bruno Maroni in Mishima City!

November 6, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

looking too far ahead can turn you into stone!

Even so these eyes look a bit empty to me!

is infinity really beautiful?

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“Flying Death” by Bruno Maroni in Mishima City!

November 4, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

I called this particular statue “Flying Death”!

The fear of an approaching end!

Fast flying Death!

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Scarab by Bernard Buffet in Mishima City!

November 2, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

If you visit Mishima City in the Eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture you ought to visit The Clematis Garden and the Bernard Buffet Museum in one single trip as they are very near each other.
You will be surprised at the amount of art on show!

It was brought to japan all the way to Mishima as it had been created in 1975 some time before Bernard Buffet came to establish himself in Mishima City!

You will see this enormous scarab statue by Bernard Buffet who also painted the same on a big canvas on show inside the Museum (no pictures allowed there unfortunately but definitely worth a grand visit!