How to fix a roof

Re-thatching a roof: Community work  屋根葺き：共同作業

Modern City, Traditional Conveyance 現代都市、ゆっくりとした運搬

How to fix a roof

Re-thatching a roof: Community work  屋根葺き：共同作業

Questionnaire: Life after Death 大学生に対するアンケート（あの世について）

This is a questionnaire given to university students.  大学生に対するアンケート.

Question  問い

①　Do you have a religious belief/faith? あなたは「信仰」をお持ちですか？

Roadside community map 地区案内図

In Fukui prefecture, a hand-painted map of the all the households in the community stands at the traffic light. The family name of each household is written on the dark outline of their home. Businesses and the link are also noted.

The quiet of a fishing village 漁村の静けさ

Hedge car 珍百景の車

On route to the school entrance ceremony 入学式へ

In the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture, parents accompany their children to the “Entrance ceremony” for the first grade of elementary school. 　保護者は新一年生を入学式に連れていきます（石川県金沢市）。

Warmth of the sun on a winter day 日ざしに暖かさが感じられる

Fire truck greets the New Year 正月を迎える消防車

Auspicious decorations, celebratory rice cakes, and a sake offering (glass bottle on hood).

Questionnaire: Afterlife 大学生に対するアンケート（死後の存在について）

Question: When a person dies what sort of being does he/she become?  (Respondents allowed to choose multiple answers)

# of respondents / % / response

13  (40.6%)  Becomes nothing

Dousing the Evil Flame 米川の水かぶり

On January 12, 2017, I was witness to the Mizukaburi Festival of Yonekawa (米川の水かぶり) in the City of Tome, Miyagi prefecture. This is an annual festival which is said to be over 800 years old.

Snowingenuity 雪遊び発明の才

Demonstrating bamboo skis

Article: The Curse of the Fugitive Samurai 論文：落人の祟り

Below is an excerpt from my article The Curse of the Fugitive Samurai: A Look at Social Stratification and Conflict in Rural Japan (for details see  Publications　研究業績)

Introduction

The inhabitants of the inland village of Kogata situated in Japan’s Tōhoku region have for generations on end fought famine, flood, and fire in a climate that is widely-known as being less than hospitable. Their community along with its arable land is largely found wedged between thickly forested mountainous terrains.

Signs that winter is now upon us 冬の兆し

Persimmons being dried under the eaves　軒に干し柿が吊るしてある

Truck Art デコトラ

The truck is king of the road in Japan. And there is a special breed of truck that is both distinctively fearsome, yet elegant: kind of like Las Vegas on wheels. These trucks are called decotora, which is a melded abbreviation of the words “decorated” and “truck”.  Decotora can be seen all throughout Japan though it is said that the original decotora was driven by a trucker from Aomori prefecture.

Traffic Safety Scarecrows 案山子 (かかし） from Akita prefecture

Itasha (Anime Cars) 痛車

Anime Cars, known as itasha 痛車 (compound of the word itai 痛い meaning “pain” coupled with the sha 車 meaning, in this case, “auto”). Itasha are automobiles decorated with manga and anime logos, characters, and so forth. The meaning of the name itasha then is in effect expressing the idea that the cars being so unabashedly adorned actually hurt the sensibilities (of even the otaku, fan).