MAM Day Seventeen – March Thaw, Bunraku, and Back to Japan
It’s that time of year…
Spring thaw on Sodom PondCan you hear the sap plink plinking into the bucket? – maple sugaring time!
My neighbors are boiling sap today. I love to stop by and inhale that sweet maple steam. Ahhhhhh.
Now on to something more Japanesey
When I was in New York I took a workshop at the Japan Society from a master puppeteer on manipulating Bunraku puppets. What fun! Only sorry I didn’t get to see any performances while in Japan. Guess I’ll have to make another trip there.
Speaking of which, continuing on our vicarious journey through Japan.
Two shrines? Well, actually one is an eco-outhouse and the other is a shrine, but for what or for whom I do not know.Walking down the street in Nagano in the late afternoon. At last a chance to window shop.On that same street – a Christmas tree in front of a wedding gown shop (yes they do celebrate Christmas in Japan!). The green frog is a sign for a real estate agency. The red sign is an advertisement for a vehicle that turns from a can into a truck??? An odd sense of humor. And the little statue with a red apron is a shrine for the children’s god – Jizo.The Viking is in a drink vending machine where they sell hot and cold drinks. Don’t know quite what he’s doing there. The panel on the left is a cigarette vending machine even though the Japanese are trying hard to have people kick the habit. Maybe that’s why the guy in the machine looks so creepy. The middle panel is a creemee advertisement. And the Japanese do love their cows even though they don’t eat much dairy at all.Cow statue in front of a store.
Here’s another bunch of odd things found in one of the hotels we were staying at.
Upper left – can you guess what that is? It’s a self message gadget. On the right is a display case with masks and I don’t know what the other thing is. On the bottom is a bunch of ghoulish creatures in a bell jar. Oh my!
coppsky 