Season's Greetings

 

Season's Greetings

Cultural differences, customs, and religions... Despite all the variety, I think it’s important to cherish beautiful traditions, like sending a kind word to reconnect.

In Australia, around Christmas time, friends often send "Season's Greetings" along with New Year's wishes. It's becoming less common to get messages celebrating Christmas itself, though.

Since many of my friends come from different backgrounds, it makes sense that the holidays and celebrations vary. Some even celebrate the Lunar New Year.

I appreciate the updates on recent events or how people are doing, especially during these times.

Late Autumn at the Beach and the Ashiya Sand Sculpture Exhibition

The beach gets lively during the "Ashiya Sand Sculpture Exhibition," where incredible sand sculptures by famous artists from around the world are displayed outdoors.

Fine Detail in Sand Sculpting

It turns out that the finer the sand, the better it is for creating sand sculptures.

The History of the Tea Ceremony and the Ashiya Kettle

A long time ago, during the flourishing of tea ceremony culture, special tea kettles were highly prized.

Of the nine existing important cultural property tea kettles, eight are known as "Ashiya Kettles."

This has a lot to do with the fine sand from the mouth of the Onga River, combined with the skill of local metalworkers.

Bishamonten Statue at Takakura Shrine

In the town of Okagaki, there’s a Bishamonten statue made by a local craftsman that’s been designated as an important cultural asset.

Takakura Shrine, which also has ties to Empress Jingu, is one of many shrines around northern Kyushu linked to historical legends.

Aging Trees and the Takakura Shrine

On the shrine grounds, there’s an ancient cedar tree, the "Aya-sugi," that was hollowed out by an accidental fire but still stands tall with its lush green leaves.

History of the Bishamonten Statue

The Bishamonten statue was originally placed outdoors on a small hill near the Inari Shrine. 

After some restoration, it was moved back to the shrine grounds, where it stood outside for several years.

It’s now housed in a smaller shrine, but its history is still very much alive. 

The detailed records of the statue’s origin give us a glimpse into the past.

The Face of the Jya-ki(Demon) at the Bishamonten Statue

What fascinates me most, though, isn’t necessarily the cultural or historical significance of the statue.

It's actually the expression and gesture of the Jya-ki at the feet of Bishamonten.

It really draws you in.

Okagaki’s Loquats

Okagaki is known for growing loquats, and the Takakura area, in particular, produces a lot of them.

During this season, the loquat trees were in full bloom

Refreshed by Noodles

By this point, I was completely chilled, so I headed to a nearby town for some delicious, hearty "ankake" (thick sauce) Chinese-style noodles at a local udon shop.

It definitely revived me!