Kappa Hunting in Tono

Just south of me there's an area called the Tono Valley, famous for a race of mythical creatures called the "Kappa". They're man-sized creatures that resemble turtles with small bowls of water carried on their head (so they can survive outside of the water)

Take a look:


Usually they're depicted as cute, cuddly creatures with a mischievous streak. This is their friendly, marketable, plush-toy-on-a-keychain side. It helps you to forget that Kappas also ravage crops, feast on sleeping children, and might just suck your soul out of your body through your ass.

How do you protect yourself from something so unpleasant?

Bow at them. Being polite themselves, these creatures will return your gesture, spill the water from their heads and be forced to flee into the nearest body of water.

On the way there:

This is the Kappa Pool behind a small shrine in Tono. Legends claim that Kappas helped put out a fire at the shrine many years ago. Point for cuddly.

Stake marking the Kappa Pool:

Another local legend tells of the Horse Lady (there is probably a more literary-sounding title). Basic plot summary: girl-meets-horse, girl falls in love with horse, girl becomes man and wife with horse in the barn.

Girl's father discovers the relationship and is very disappointed.

The probably very shook up old dude freaks out and drags the horse outside and cuts its throat under a tree, where the girl finds it the next day. At this point I skipped to the end of the pamphlet to avoid further plot developments and the two ascended to heaven.


This is their house:Inside is the trunk of the tree where the horse died. It's a place of pilgramige (sp?) for expecting women and young mothers.

Which is a little weird, when you think about it.


Another temple complex nearby that we went to:

The sky is burning!

also:
SLAM

I have posted nothing on this website for so long but now I am doing not that

Sorry for not having written anything for so long, but I've had a run of almost comical bad luck these past couple of months and have just recently started getting my life running again. I know people back home read this to see if I am alive and, well, I am.

TWO MAJOR DECISIONS:

1. I will update here once a week from now on, if only for something to do. THAT MEANS THAT you may only be reading an awkwardly shaped hunk of my consciousness scanned into internefinity. But there will be pictures. I promise.

2. I am not going to recontract. I think that also means I am headed home sometime next year, but when exactly isn't so easy to figure out. I... really can't think more than one or two steps ahead (see: my horrible chess game and shuffling walk)

The stuff I have posted below is from my sister and mother's visit to Japan. the large number of photos may mean this is the biggest. post. ever. but enjoy

HIROSHIMA

Nice little garden behind the art museum there. Try to find the turtle...


Alyson and I meandering about the park:

Alyson does her best Godzilla-Rocky impression:






Now she is looking heroically to the east where there is air conditioning.
(it was hot. really really hot)




view of (most of) the garden:


we found air conditioning.
and ice cream.
thank god.

on to miyajima, the island shrine on all them postcards

there are deer... there


FLAPJACKS???


at the main temple:






we hiked! about 50 feet up to a smaller temple to take this picture looking down on the complex


at another shrine nestled away in the mountain:




We get to Kyoto:



stopped at this very, eh, interesting? restaurant that sold vegetarian food.
it looked cool, but, maybe not again...






this moss does not respect your opinions


the moss other moss wants to be


the common people


NIKKOOOOOOOOOO!!!!


yup, this too:







AOMOOOOOOORI


also continues her search for air conditioning
at the lake of death!







hanging out with some mutsu friends:

(mutsu is the place I used to live, but dont anymore)
(only in my heart)