Ken Chin-Purcell
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Kiln Firing #2
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Potting Bench Rehab
Started by taking off the rotted out shelves and sanding it down. But the top was sagging So I tried weighing the top down overnight Which didn’t do any good. Plan B did work, which was to screw two 2×4’s to the underside. Next was water based primer, used about half of one quart. Then…
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Japan day 19: Headed Home
Well, that’s the trip. We’re at Haneda airport early. It’s raining 3-4 inches today so we figured we might as well head out. We had one last okanomiyake at the airport, this time Hiroshima style with noodles and an omelet wrap. It was a great trip, I’m glad I wrote this travel diary to look…
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Japan day 18: Shopping
Our trip is winding down, today is a shopping day before we get on the plane tomorrow. Shinjuku was looking bright and cheery this morning. Actually we’re just north of Shinjuku in a rather ethnically diverse neighborhood. Lots of Halal restaurants and shops, along with Nepalese and Uighur. It’s a contrast to the slick Ginza…
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Japan day 17.2: …until you’ve seen Nikko
On the way out of the big Tosho-gu complex was this five level pagoda. From the base up the levels represent Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Void. We were wondering if the four elements theme (minus the Zen Void/Ether) had a common origin with Aristotle’s four elements. The natural suroundings are serene and majestic. There…
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Japan day 17.1: Never say Kekko…
It was the last day our JR Pass was active, so I had booked us a day trip up to Nikko, a large area of shrines and temples in the mountains north of Tokyo. In 1600 the daimyo Tokugawa Ieyasu won a big battle and consolidated his power as the first shogun of Japan, beginning…
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Japan day 16: Sensei
For Michele (and Ryoko) this was the big day, a four hour afternoon lesson with Suzuki Sensei. Michele and Ryoko were both nervous, talking about how they hadn’t had the time or space to practice properly, did they have their payment envelopes ready, and so on. We travelled out from the center of Tokyo for…
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Japan day 15: Ramen Museum
On our way back to Tokyo we stopped off in Shin-Yokohama at the Ramen Museum. Or maybe it’s Raumen Museum, which is how it’s spelled here. Once inside you get a floor of exhibits on the history of Ramen. Short version: it is a microcosm of Japan’s love-hate relationship with China, including honored visiting scholars,…
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Japan day 14.2: Big Zori
A few more blocks up the road is the well known tsunami defying Buddha. He was cast in 1248, was gilded at one time, and has survived major storms, earthquakes, and a great tsunami in 1498. His surrounding temple has blown or washed away a couple of times, and his base crumbled and was rebuilt…
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Japan day 14.1: Kamakura
Kyoto was the official capital of Japan for about a thousand years, but Kamakura was a “de facto” capital for about 150 years beginning in 1185. Being a capital, de facto or not, seems to lead to a lot of temples and shrines, and like Kyoto, Kamakura has it’s share of beautiful spots. Unlike Kyoto…
Krum Bunny 🐇 