Tenkawa youtube video by Mr Tsuyoshi Takashiro

Dear Friends.

Today, We would love to share video footage of Tenkawa river and water.
Amazing quality if your media can handle 4K video footage, my mac book
can only handle 1080 HD.

Water is such a precious living external and internal material for us.
but not only precious, Water images teach us many things without using any words.
Sometime, words has limitation for our imagination. like a learning from water....

Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this images.

Tenkawa means " The River of heaven "

YOUTUBE ADDRESS  

Mirror system works here in Tenakawa village.

Dear Friends and readers

We are still facing hot summer days in Japan.

Today, I would love to share with friends about ceremony I documented.

This called "Tanabata" which means " Evening of Seventh "
Like a traditional star festival.

But here in Tenkawa, because of The river of heaven and 7th of July (in old calendar 13th Aug).
This has lots of meaning in Tanabata.

Tenkawa means milky way galaxy in solar system. River is representing milky way here.
and this time of year, milky way set perfectly mirror with river. so, universally connected area and
this Tanabata and Obon are meeting and welcoming ancestors, this mirror system area has lot to
do with this universal approach.

I confused in first, because now these days, Tanabata is more casual wishing day for children and
lost meaning behind, but now I understood more human, ancestor, earth and universe connection.

Here is some snap of the day.

Back stage photo,  well prepared and so real. Those foods present to Gods. 

Tanabata use lots of bamboo trees for decoration. 

Daytime before ceremony at shrine main stages. 

People wrote wishes and put on bamboo. 

If anyone wishes to send message to ancestors, wrote your name and wrap to candle for the night.

This is Koyasan style of ceremony. Every details has meaning. 

This is candle with message to ancestors. This candle was everywhere in shrine. 

Each candle with message,  someone said "candle is like a life." 

Special guest performed piano to Gods and spirits of ancestors. 

Candle was beautifully set. artistic approach without strong intention. 

Some candle representing sprit of fire. warm gentle light from bee-wax candle by master "Masanao".

Tanabata decoration. Reflection by candles, fascinating. 

Next day "Goma taki" fire ceremony was formally groundling our spirits and sublimation of ancestor's spirits.

Smoke looks like living artman. It moves like a dragon. 

There is no universal approach of fire than this. This is spirit= Universal fire. 

This has lots of means, I keep learning the source of Japanese spirits here in Tenkawa. 

 It's very universal approach I heard from Shrine Master. More I learn and more I deeply understood.
What a amazing place. Tenkawa.

Thank you for reading.

Unique Parade in rural Japan.

Dear Friends and readers.

In Tenkawa village, Dorogawa area is known for "entrance of shugendo 修験道"
Shugendo is the path of those mountain ridge opened by En no gyo ja 役行者.
World heritage by UNESCO, one of 13 only heritage in Japan. This is one of them.

This very special rural of Japan own very unique type of festival, and I would love to share my experiences with my friends and readers : )

It's called GYOJA MATSURI 行者祭り and always 2nd and 3rd of AUG.

Hyottoko ひょっとこ this mask are so unique. love to watch them....can not stop staring them...

So cute, I felt like I am in different country...

Serious monks hold place. and they are called GYOJA 行者, brought fire and set this fire in their shrine.

Check this out, it's AIR TABI. like Nike air max. but tabi....very popular in Gyoja world.

see... it's everywhere... trend setting based on comfort..

It's a big horn made with shell... big shell. amazing big mono tone with usually 3 multi tunes. 

Kimono girls with lantern parade started....beautiful atmosphere. so.... many photographers are ready...

Many granpa, Go Go Go !!

when parade comes in front of Japanese hotels, look !! so much excitement...

Kids dance are so cute and they had much fun !! lots of audiences say some words to them,  Good, Good !!

Suddenly, fearfully large man appeared, kids were scream and hide from them... it's called TENGU 天狗

after Tengu, again, cute dancers with costume step cool and uplifted. so, audiences are soo....

excited and dance like them... what a epic time of summer of love. 

Tenkawa summer is sweat memory of Japan. 

Amazing Ceder Trees

Dear Friends and Readers.

This area is next village from Tenkawa called Totsukawa (十津川村）area.
There are amazing, just amazing Ceder 杉 trees old forrest on the top of 1,100m mountain.

玉置神社　Tamaki Shrine. according to official website, shrine builded 2,000 years ago. 

神代杉  God of ceder. It's not just a tree, it has energy from spirits. Otherwise, tree will not live this long.

Detail of 神代杉　JINDAISUGI  It's hard to believe this is one tree.

Deep roots, huge trunk.

Twins

Nara's biggest tree, he is very large trunk 15m. 

Osugi "BIG CEDER" 大杉

Look out not far from top of the mountain. You can see depth of ridge of Nara mountains.

Eco museum tour at Dorogawa

Dear Friends and readers.

Our council operating a place of eco-museum in Dorogawa, Tenkawa village.
Eco-museum is sitting by the river of heaven where spring fountain start around there.
So, beautiful water source and visitors can learn WATER, HISTORY and ENVIRONMENT.

Today, I joined with eco-tour with children between 6-12 years old.
This tour today, We all go to river and catch insects lives in the river.  
After inspect, we can learn how important environment is. This following of education is
such a important. Because these insects lives here with harmony for keep a clean cycle of environment. Not just live individual, this is eco system.

Mr Kozo Tani who is environmental scientist lectured to us. He is also author of many books.

Everyone has a bucket and sieve. So, we can catch and learn about environment of river.

Mr Tani instruct kids how we can catch insects which lives underwater.

All families and enjoy seeking insects under water. Dad and Mum are also serious

Compare underwater insects data from last year and this year. River has not change at all from last year.

Mr Tani is my hero. He told kids why we should care by catching insects. It was great class to join.