A Visit to Nakamise Shopping Street (Part 1)

A Visit to Nakamise Shopping Street (Part 1)

Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple, Senso-ji, is also one of my favorites. The massive Kaminarimon, or Thunder Gate, is one of Asakusa’s best-known landmarks: and visitors often take photos with the gate’s massive chochin, which weighs almost 1,500 pounds. But a visit to Senso-ji is not complete without a stroll down Nakamise Shopping Street – the vibrant line of shops and stalls that lines the approach to the temple. Traditionally, vendors’ stalls or shops line the approach to Japanese shrines and temples. The goods on display can vary, but they usually include a variety of tasty local specialties, like these small cakes

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An Easy Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower With Almond Butter

An Easy Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower With Almond Butter

Since I’m currently receiving chemotherapy relating to last year’s stage 1 breast cancer diagnosis, I’m exploring and creating (or modifying) a variety of recipes for tasty, healthy food that I can prepare in a short amount of time. Several friends have asked for the recipes, and since “tasty, healthy food with short prep time” isn’t just for cancer patients, I’m sharing them periodically on the blog. Today’s Recipe: Oven-Roasted Cauliflower With Almond Butter.

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Remembering the Unborn: Kiyomizudera’s Mizuko-Kannon

Remembering the Unborn: Kiyomizudera’s Mizuko-Kannon

The Japanese term mizuko (literally, “water child”) refers to a deceased baby, infant, or fetus. This includes stillborn and miscarried children as well as those who died by abortion, and in some cases also applies to babies that die shortly after birth. A funerary rite, called mizuko kuyō, is often performed on behalf of these children, and Japan has many shrines honoring mizuko–mostly in combination with statues of Jizō, a kind incarnation of the Buddha who is considred the patron and protector of mizuko. 

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Temple and Toilet Slippers in Japan

Temple and Toilet Slippers in Japan

Most Japanese people don’t wear shoes inside. Apartments and houses typically have a small, lowered area just inside the door for removing shoes and a cabinet by the door where shoes are stored. This keeps the indoor spaces clean and undefiled – and it has been the custom in Japan for many hundreds (if not thousands) of years.

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Sandals On – The Road Awaits

Sandals On – The Road Awaits

Japanese people have worn variations on woven straw sandals for over a thousand years. The simplest ones, known  as warazori, slipped over the foot and were worn for daily labor. Waraji had (and still have) ties to secure the shoe around the ankle, making them better suited for pilgrimages and other long-distance travel. People sometimes offered, or presented, waraji to Buddhist temples as a prayer for strength, either to work or to complete a special pilgrimage or journey. Sometimes the sandals were normal-sized, but in some cases – like the giant 0-waraji that adorn the back side of the hozomon at Tokyo’s Senso-ji – the sandals

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A Visit to Nezu Jinja, Part 2

A Visit to Nezu Jinja, Part 2

(To read Part 1, click here.) Like many Shintō shrines in Japan, Nezu Jinja features a subshrine dedicated to Inari Ōkami, the kami (god) of foxes, rice, sake, fertility, swordsmiths, merchants, agriculture, and worldly success (among other things). There are over 10,000 Inari shrines across Japan — and with good reason, given Japan’s historical dependence upon rice as a primary source of food (and, at one time, as the measure of wealth as well).

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A Visit to Nezu Jinja (Shrine), Part 1

A Visit to Nezu Jinja (Shrine), Part 1

Nezu Jinja lies in Tokyo’s Bunkyō ward, and has since Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi ordered the shine moved to its current location in 1705. The shrine is perhaps best known for its extensive azalea garden, which erupt in color every April (there’s even an azalea festival at the shrine each spring), but I visited for the first time last December and can attest it’s worth a visit in any season.

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Goodbye Hair – Hello to a Warrior Life

Goodbye Hair – Hello to a Warrior Life

Most people who undergo chemotherapy lose their hair. Most women who receive the A/C drug cocktail I’m receiving for breast cancer treatment begin seeing the effects of alopecia (hair loss) about 14 days after their first treatment. Apparently, I’m a bit of an overachiever. Last night in the shower, my hair began falling out in clumps – and once it dried a few hours later, I ran my hand through it and came away with a large enough portion that it was clear the time had come. I went to the bathroom and shaved my head.

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Blueberry-Cinnamon Oatmeal With Chia

Blueberry-Cinnamon Oatmeal With Chia

Since I’m currently undergoing chemotherapy following breast cancer surgery, I’ve cleaned up my act where my diet is concerned. No one can guarantee that a certain food, or diet plan, will prevent, cure, or even help with cancer treatment – but healthy foods are never a bad idea. On the days right after my treatment, I take joy in preparing my meals, and it helps my appetite (which chemo suppresses) too. In the interest of sharing – and hopefully helping other people looking for healthy, simple, and tasty recipes, I’m going to share a few of my favorites in the weeks

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