Simple Stone Lantern

I love this stone lantern because of how simple and plain it is. This is in the front of a small neighborhood temple in Otawara Tochigi-ken.

The Beehive House

This large lantern is located at the entrance of a very nice house in Otawara, Tochigi-ken. I bet you're wondering why I call this the Beehive House. It's because that's what the sign says. It says Hachisu or Hachinosu which means a beehive. The name of the family that lives at this house is named Hachisu or Hachinosu. Thanks to Takahiro Yamamoto who informed me of that.   

Samurai Manhole

This is a manhole photo in Otawara I posted this last year but I wanted to post it again since I found who I believe the samurai is. I believe this is Nasu no Yoichi. There is a statue in Otawara that also is Nasu no Yoichi so he must be a symbol of the city.

Nasu no Yoichi (那須 与一?) (c. 1169 – c. 1232) was a samurai who fought alongside the Minamoto clan in the Genpei War. He is particularly famous for his actions at the Battle of Yashima in 1184. According to the Heike Monogatari, the enemy Taira placed a fan atop the mast of one of their ships, claiming it protected the ship from arrows, and daring the Minamoto warriors to shoot it off. Sitting atop his mount in the waves, his target atop the ship rocking as well, Nasu nevertheless shot it down with only one shot. (Wikipedia)

Nasu no Yoichi, as depicted in a hanging scroll in the Watanabe Museum. (Wikipedia)

Otawara Lord's Residence?

While walking in Otawara in Tochigi-ken I came across this really interesting gate. When I saw it I thought it reminded me of a gate to the Edo residence of a minor Daimyo or some other Tokugawa official. But it is not in Edo but in a very average neighborhood in Otawara. I tried to peak through the gate and I think it's just someone's residence. I would love to live in a house with an entrance like this.

Never Forget

Quake Damaged Cemetery

On my recent visit to Otawara in Tochigi Prefecture, I noticed a fair amount of earthquake damage from the March 11 disaster, especially to the local cemeteries. I was a bit surprised as I would have thought this type of damage would have been repaired by now but I guess many of the residents just have not had a chance to repair the cemeteries yet. Of course this damage pales in comparison to the damage closer to the quake zone along the coast.

Why did Japan surrender? - Boston.com

Why did Japan surrender? - Boston.com: "Sixty-six years ago, we dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima. Now, some historians say that’s not what ended the war."

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