In this writing box, the tray below originally held brushes and inksticks. The round metal water-dropper that sits in a depression on the upper left side was used to add some water to the inkstone on which the inkstick was rubbed to make ink. The inkstone also sits in a fitted spce, to keep it from moving around as the inkstick is rubbed on it. The trees on the mountain include hinoki (cypress) tha, along with the cherry tree, are sometimes associated with Hatsuse Mountain in classical poetry. A large applied-silver moon looms from behind the mountain in a cloudless sky. The design on the inside of the lid shows a monkey with its baby reaching for the reflection of the thin-slivered moon in water. - abridged from description by Andrew Pekarik.
Portrait of the Empress Dowager Cixi, wife of Qing Emperor Xianfeng; she died in 1908.
Photograph of an elderly Bai woman in Yunnan, showing her dark-colored clothing and hat.
Example prices at a flower shop .
Actor Okochi Denjiro playing Tange Sazen, the one-eyed and one-armed killer, made a tremendous hit on movie-going audiences.
Expressing anti-American sentiment, American flags were painted on sidewalks to be trampled and defiled during WWII.
Mochi (rice cakes) looking very delicious.
A vending machine offering hot and cold drinks in a subway station.
A double-reed end-blown flute used in gagaku.
In the Heian period, the fragrance of aromatic wood was enjoyed by members of court society. The appreciation of incense became formalized in the Muromachi period, and many varieties of monko, literally listening to the incense" were established. Throughout the Edo period, enthusiasts of this widely popular game included members of the warrior class. This set of incense utensils is decorated with such plants and flowers as bush clover, chrysanthemum, peony, camelia, iris, and bamboo arranged in circular motifs in slightly raised gold takamaki-e lacquer." - Suzuki Norio
During my homestay I snapped a picture of my room for posterity. Note the tatami mats, futon, space heater, and "desk".
A day in the life of the Diet. The House of Representatives meets in Japan.
Photograph of crane statue in Forbidden City complex, Beijing.
Photograph of the Great Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an, China.
Gagaku, the music and dance of the Japanese imperial court, is Japan's oldest performing art. A kangen ensemble (wind and strings) accompanies the dance. The main instruments are yokobue, sho.
A cluster of 17 narrow bamboo pipes (two are decorative only). A type of flute. Has reeds, and can make a variety of chords with up to six different notes. Used mainly in gagaku.
An end-blown bamboo flute that has no reed. Used to accompany folk songs and other traditional music, and also for performances of modern music.
Benten sits on a rock, playing her Biwa as waves lap her perch.
The boat is said to have been one of Sutemaru's toys. Resembling a real boat, it has a small cabin at the helm and another at the stern. A board with wheels is attached to the bottom of the boat so that it can be pulled.
Andy Bernard and Brendan Eagan take some time out from their hike to pose with a dormant volcano in the background.
Oyoroi (literally "great armor") was the loose-fitting defensive armor of mounted archers that was developed late in the Heian period. It is made chiefly of leather and iron bound together to form horizontal tiers.
A multiple-armed Kannon Bosatsu image, ready to aid those who leave offerings. Found in Kamakura.
The Meiji Shring is a controversial shrine for many. It is where all of the war dead are entombed, including those who were executed at the end of WWII as war criminals.
This picture was taken by Prof. Edward S. Morse of Harvard, who came to Japan in 1877 at the invitation of Tokyo Imperial University to teach zoology.
