Photo, photo challenge

Weekly Photo Challenge: Window

201401-032

Typically, a shape and purpose of a window are common. It is a mostly square hole to the world. The reason why the shape of windows is square seems to be caused by how to make it. It is easier to make a square window.

A traditional house in Japan has large windows, which are, exactly saying, not a kind of window but a door. You can feel a cool wind in Summer, thanks to the large apertural area. A question is how to get out of the cold.

201401-033

This challenge was set by the Daily Post.

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Bonne journée, Cross Cultural, Photo, photo panoramique

New year’s visits

201401-001The last day of 2013 was calm and passing gently in Yokohama. At least, it seemed to be suitable for spending a time with my family. A sound of a bell of temple was telling the new year.

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at a Buddhist temple

Though common Japanese are not devotional as I wrote ever, new year’s visit to a shrine or a temple is ordinary custom. Exactly saying, visiting temple is completely different from praying at shrine.

To ding a bell of a Buddhist temple is done around the midnight of the last day and, in general, it should be 108 times. Maybe as you know, its tone is very low. Interestingly,  people may visit a shrine also in order to pray a happy year. The first picture was taken at a Buddhist temple just after finishing preparation of year-end ringing a bell.

at a shrine
at a small shrine

The third picture was taken at a shrine, close to the temple in the first and the second pic, where many people were praying for 2014.

at Yokohama, Japan.

年末年始は、比較的穏やかな陽気となった。風もさほど強くなく、気温も徐々に上がって、春めいていて感じられる。今年一年が良い年となることを祈りつつ、横浜より。

201401-004