Darling Baby

In most countries I’ve spent any significant amount of time in—read that as very few—children, and especially babies, are to a certain extent fashion accessories. Japan is no different, and sometimes a bit more extreme than what we’re used to in North America. Today’s featured creature is the object (or is that subject?) of someone’s overdeveloped mothering complex.

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Retro Writers

If you’ve spent any time in the Saskatchewan writing community, especially if that time was spent up to the point six or eight years ago when the Saskatchewan Writers Guild got a new logo, you’ll enjoy today’s photo.

Those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about need not despair, however. In my utterly biased opinion the photo is still worth looking at, even if you don’t get my regional Canadian corporate identity references.

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No Need For Ruby Slippers

Well, we made it. There’s no place like home—though I’m not really sure what home is at the moment—and we didn’t even need to steal any witchly footwear to get back.

What follows is a brief summary of events. Hopefully it’s coherent despite my sleep-deprived brain.

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Tobata Gion Oyamakasa

I briefly wrote about the annual summer festival that’s held in our neighbourood called Tobata Gion Oyamakasa in a previous post or two. The festival commemorates a historical event about 200 years ago where the residents of Tobata were cured of a plague or somesuch epidemic disease. I’d do further research but that will have to wait until after I have some spare time. Here are the in-blog links: a photo from the 2004 festival and a brief mention in my Sugawara Jinja post

The festival involves residents of each of four neighbourhoods carrying large lantern floats. On the first night, all of the floats converge near the Tobata ward office, and race laps around the park. On the second night, each float gets paraded through its respective neighbourhood.

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