Category Archives: Japan, Travel & Culture

On Our Way to Tanigumi Kegonji: Part One of Five

Posted on March 27, 2014 by Lynda Philippsen

We are lost. Not exactly lost as our driver and the rest of us know are in Gifu on our way to Tanigumi Kegonji. Continue reading →

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Ise Jingu, Grand Shrine of Ise

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Lynda Philippsen

Famous people—Nobel laureates, historians and writers—have remarked on Ise Jingu’s palpable power as well. I too feel that neck-prickling force which prompts spontaneous tears. Continue reading →

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3. 11. 2014

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Lynda Philippsen

We cry out for what we have lost, and we remember you again. ~ Leonard Cohen ~

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An Encounter with the Ancestors

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Lynda Philippsen

Now I understand why I was laughing. Who knew I would meet my ancestors so far from home? Continue reading →

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Evening in the Tokugawa Museum Gardens

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Lynda Philippsen

Why is it that when one is away from home adventure is not only possible but desirable? Continue reading →

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Musings from the Nagoya/Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Posted on February 7, 2014 by Lynda Philippsen

The Nagoya/Boston Museum of Fine Arts is home to numerous old manuscripts and some of Japan’s great wood block artists’ prints. Continue reading →

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Semantic Tangles over a JR Rail Pass

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Lynda Philippsen

The JR Rail Pass can only be obtained outside Japan by non-Japanese and allows visitors almost unlimited riding on the JR Train system as well as some ferries and buses. Continue reading →

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Miyajima: The Body of God

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Lynda Philippsen

Miyajima was traditionally believed to be not only the residence of God but also the body of God. Continue reading →

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Miyajima Deer

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Lynda Philippsen

I give the creatures a wide berth. Like cranky toddlers, when not instantly appeased the deer can become quite nasty. Continue reading →

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Pruners on Miyajima (Shrine Island)

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Lynda Philippsen

What visitors looking at Japanese garden landscapes may not realize is that the vista is more than meticulous grooming and sophisticated garden design. Continue reading →

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