STORMS OVER JAPAN

Rain, thunderstorms, heat, and humidity continue to beleaguer Japan, bring death and destruction.

Storm clouds over Ichinokura, Gifu Prefecture.

Storm rising at Ichinokura

After the storm.

Copyright 2014 by Hayato Tokugawa and Aoi Tokugawa.  All rights reserved.

MUSEUM OF MODERN CERAMIC ART (岐阜県現代陶芸美術館)

Museum of Modern Ceramic Art (岐阜県現代陶芸美術館) ~ Higashi-machi, Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture. It's a great place to visit. You can just sit, have a picnic, think, enjoy nature and the peace and quiet if you like. It's never crowded. And it's not far from our house! 

Copyright 2014 by Hayato Tokugawa.  All Rights reserved.

PAINTING OF A PAINTED WALL: Tajimi, Japan

A watercolor of a window featuring local cermaics, that was itself painted on the wall of a brick building in the village of Ichinokura, in the city of Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture. By Hayato Tokugawa

ELEPHANT ROCKS II

ALONG THE NATURAL TRAIL: Oniwa Park, Mitake, Gifu-ken.

ELEPHANT ROCKS I

     "ELEPHANT ROCKS" along the nature trail to Matsuno Lake at Oniwa Park, Mitake, Gifu Prefecture.

ONIWA HOTEL: CHA-CHA

Oniwa Hotel ~

flirtatious laughter

a band playing the cha-cha

can you hear them too?

ONIWA HOTEL: STRANGE SHAPES

Oniwa Hotel ~ 

strange shapes through the glass

a faint moaning down the hall

just ghosts making love

A PALACE FOR BATS

the trains have now passed

tiny eyes watch from above

a palace for bats

AN ELEGANT FAN

an elegant fan

for fashionable ladies

on the JR Line

KUMANO SHRINE: Shimenawa

Kumano Shrine ~ 

old shimenawa

soiled shide in the breeze

abandoned prayers

KUMANO SHRINE: HEAVENLY MAIDEN

Kumano Shrine ~ 

heavenly maiden

her flute playing for eons

only ghosts listen

KUMANO SHRINE: Ceiling Art

Kumano Shrine ~

faded shapes above

visions of centuries past

from Hearn’s ghostly world

KUMANO SHRINE

kumano shrine ~
the kami sits invisibly,
cradling his head in his hands
no one comes to call.

KUMONO SHRINE: BAA SAKURA

Kumano Shrine ~

baa sakura

lonely national treasure

no one strokes her hair

FIELD OF FLOWERS: Kumano Shrine

FIELD OF FLOWERS

All the brightness and color of youth now fades,

turns brown and withers away.

Autumn approaches quickly...too quickly.

So, I suppose, it is with all of us

KUMANO SHRINE: The first of a series

KUMANO SHRINE. (Based on a photograph by Aoi Tokugawa). 

No one comes here any longer. 

The shrine slowly weathers and crumbles into dust.

 Are we so advanced that we can forget the kami?

Thoughts From A Takayama Rooftop

THOUGHTS FROM A TAKAYAMA ROOFTOP

Minna-san Konnichiwa!

Irasshaimase!

Thank you for visiting.

I began writing essays about Japanese art, culture, aesthetics, history, Budo, Bushido, and even politics several years ago. When placed on the Internet in the form of a blog, these essays (much to my surprise) grew immensely popular. But blog hosting sites come and go, things disappear or suddenly become inaccessible. As a consequence, we have had many requests both from long-time readers and new, to re-print the early essays and articles. To that end we have created this blog. We have also had numerous suggestions and requests to compile many of the articles, essays, poetry and stories into some sort of printed collection. To that end, we are working toward finding a solution.

I am a writer, artist, I hope sometimes a poet, and a teacher of several forms of martial arts and Budo. I have even been accused of being a humorist. We shall see! Often the source of what I write is not so much any particular muse, although if I had to name one, it would be my wife Aoi. Often my thoughts, ideas, coming from walking the streets lined with old shops and buildings, walking by the river, or just sitting up on the rooftop. Thus the title of this collection, “Thoughts from a Takayama Rooftop.”

I hope that you will visit us often as I try to discuss a variety of topics from Japanese art and culture, to Bushido, Asian philosophy, and even the weather and find enjoyment here.

-Tokugawa Hayato-
15 October 2008