Japanese Style

by Robert George, Dec 23, 2002 | Destinations: Japan / Tokyo

Although most women dress in contemporary clothing, many women still hold to the tradition of dressing in kimono for everyday wear.

Although most women dress in contemporary clothing, many women still hold to the tradition of dressing in kimono for everyday wear.

Image © 2002 Robert George

Although most women dress in contemporary clothing, many women still hold to the tradition of dressing in kimono for everyday wear.

Nestled in a quiet corner of this tiny private garden, a stone Buddha adds an element of contemplative serenity.

This ornate lantern adorns Sensoji Temple, located in the Asakusa District of Tokyo. Legend has it that, on the 18th of March in the year 628 A.D., two fishermen, Hamanari Hinokuma and his brother Takenari, cast their nets into the Sumida River and pulled out a golden statue of the Kannon Buddha. Soon thereafter, the village chief Hajino Nakamoto turned his home into a temple to house the treasured icon. Also known as Asakusa Kannon, Sensoji is Tokyo's oldest temple.

Although many Buddhist temples are weathered and simple in design, many others are adorned with dazzling color and elaborate architectural detail.

A story told with photos.

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Every year on November 15, Japan celebrates Shichi-Go-San--Children's Day. Dressed in their very finest garments, girls and boys aged three, boys aged five, and girls aged seven, go with their families to nearby shrines, where they line up, sometimes for hours, to await their turn to be blessed by the presiding priest. After the blessing, the child is presented with a gift of long sticks of candy called chitose-ame, "thousand year sweets," wrapped in ornate bags decorated with cranes and turtles, both symbols of longevity.

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