Latest news with #Kannon
Yomiuri Shimbun
19-07-2025
- General
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Nagasaki: 3D Image Data of Buddhist Statue to Be Provided to South Korean Temple; For Creation of Replica of Original
TSUSHIMA, Nagasaki — A temple in Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture, earlier this month provided a South Korean temple with 3D image data of a Buddhist statue, of which both claim ownership, so that a replica can be made of it. The statue, Kanzeon Bosatsu Zazo (Seated statue of the Bodhisattva Kannon), was returned to Tsushima earlier this year, having been stolen from Kannonji temple and brought to South Korea in 2012. South Korea's Buseoksa temple had claimed ownership of the statue, which it said had been plundered by Japanese pirates in the 14th century. Sekko Tanaka, 78, a former chief priest of Kannonji temple, said he was asked by Buseoksa temple and its worshipers, as well as the mayor of the city where the temple is located, to have the statue measured during exchanges over its return. Since the statue is now stored at Tsushima Museum, there have also been calls from Kannonji's parishioners to create a replica and place it at the temple, so the 3D data is expected to be used for that as well. 'I hope the replica will be treasured at Buseoksa,' Tanaka said.
Yomiuri Shimbun
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan Emperor Visits Center of Mongolian Buddhism in Ulaanbaatar; High School Students in Mongolia Tell Emperor Their Dreams
ULAANBAATAR — The Emperor visited Gandan Monastery in Ulaanbaatar on Thursday during the Imperial couple's trip to Mongolia. At the monastery, which is regarded as the center of Buddhism in Mongolia, the Emperor saw the 26-meter-tall Buddhist statue of Avalokitesvara, which is known as Kannon in Japan, and watched the traditional Mongolian masked dance called tsam. According to the monastery's abbot, he told the Emperor that he prays for world peace while engaging in his daily activities. The abbot said the Emperor told him that it is a very important thing to do. A 10-year-old monk offered a bouquet of flowers to the Emperor. The boy later said that he is now interested in Japan after the Emperor told him to visit the country. Ahead of the visit to the monastery, the Emperor observed a Japanese lesson at Shine Mongol School, a private school in Ulaanbaatar. When the high school students there told the Emperor of their future dreams, such as becoming a physics teacher and studying in Japan, the Emperor smiled and said, 'I'm glad to know that you are studying Japanese with high aspirations.'
Japan Forward
04-07-2025
- Japan Forward
Whale-Themed Festivals Make a Special Summer Splash Across Japan
このページを 日本語 で読む This summer, coastal communities across Japan are celebrating their enduring ties to whales with a series of vibrant local festivals. From ancient legends to traditional whaling reenactments, each event offers a unique window into the region's maritime culture. Why not dive into Japan's whale-themed festivities of 2025? This lively festival, held annually on July 14, gives thanks for abundant catches and prays for safe voyages at sea. It is actually rooted in a local legend passed down through generations — the story of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy, who once appeared riding a whale. A giant whale float — featuring a parent-and-child pair — parades through the streets to the rhythm of the Osatsu Ondo, danced by the region's famous female ama divers. The highlight comes when the floats are carried into the sea for a maritime procession, complete with a dramatic kujira (whale) spouting performance. Held in Toba City's Osatsu Town district, the festival also features karaoke, food stalls, and a dazzling fireworks show, making it a fun-filled day for all. Participants in the Osatsu Tenno Kujira Festival parade the whale around on a cart. (©Kujira Town) Date: Monday, July 14, 2025 Time: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM (Fireworks begin at 8:30 PM) Location: Osatsu Town in Toba City, Mie Prefecture 517-0032 Access: By bus: About 35 minutes on the Kamome Bus from Toba Bus Center. Get off at Osatsu. By car: Around 30 minutes from the Toba exit on the Ise-Futami-Toba Line (via Ise Expressway Ise IC). Reference: For past festival videos, see these [in English] and [in Japanese]. History comes to life in this festival with a reenactment of traditional whaling practices. Festivities are centered in Kayoi, a coastal area once known for the whales that entered its bay-like waters. During the Edo period, the town thrived as a base for organized whaling. The spectacle features participants in red fundoshi loincloths recreating whale hunts using harpoons and nets. Later in the program, performers sing the Kayoi Kujira Uta, a folk song traditionally sung in remembrance of whales taken in the hunt. It's a powerful look into Yamaguchi's maritime heritage and its complex relationship with whales. Collage of the Kayoi Kujira Festival in Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. (©Kujira Town) Date: Sunday, July 20, 2025 Time: 9:00 AM – 12:15 PM Venue: Kayoi Koura Reclamation Grounds (about 100 meters from the Whale Museum) Address: 382-1 Kayoi, Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture 759-4107 Access: By bus: Around 30 minutes from JR Nagatoshi Station (San'in Line). Take a Kayoi-bound bus and get off at Koura. The venue is a short walk away. By car: About 60 minutes from the Mine IC on the Chugoku Expressway. Reference: For past festival videos featuring different generations celebrating whales in their culture, see these [in Japanese] and [shorter, also in Japanese]. A signature summer event in Mie, the Great Yokkaichi Festival takes place annually on the first Sunday of August. It also includes the preceding Saturday. The first day, known as Dance Day, features performances and parades from local dance troupes. Sunday, the second day, focuses on cultural heritage and traditional performing arts. It includes ornate floats and o-neri processions with portable shrines unique to Yokkaichi. A highlight in 2025 is the return of the Seishu-maru, a whale boat-shaped float from the Seishu-gumi group. (The group is based in the city center.) Historically, Yokkaichi's whaling floats were operated by three groups: Myojin-maru (based in Minaminaya Town), Shoichi-maru (Higashifukuro Town), and Seishu-gumi (Kitanaya Town). According to tradition, each group reenacted whaling scenes under different weather conditions — rain, sun, and storm. The original Seishu-gumi float was retired in 1962 and later transferred to another district. About a decade ago, local volunteers in central Yokkaichi revived the tradition. With the support of whale boat enthusiasts across the city, they brought the float back to life in the new Seishu-maru. Great Yokkaichi Kujira Festival in Mie Prefecture. (©Kujira Town) Dates: Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3, 2025 Note: For venue details and full schedule, please visit the official website. Reference: Videos of past festivals can be viewed at these sites [for 2024] and [for an earlier festival video]. First held in 1953, the Oshika Kujira Festival honors Ishinomaki City's longstanding ties to whaling. The event honors the spirits of whales, commemorates lives lost at sea, and promotes the preservation of local culture. Now in its 64th year, the festival begins with a solemn memorial service for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake, followed by a ceremony honoring the spirits of whales. Throughout the day, local students perform taiko drumming and traditional dances on a stage near the historic whaling ship on display. Visitors can also enjoy free samples of chargrilled whale at a dedicated tasting corner — available while supplies last. As the sun sets, fireworks light up the sky over Ayukawa Port. From morning until night, the festival offers a full lineup of events and experiences for all ages. Learn more on Whale Town Oshika, the city of Ishinomaki homepage, and on Poster for the Oshika Kujira Festival, Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, on August 9, 2025. Date: Saturday, August 9, 2025 Time: 8:40 AM – 8:30 PM 8:40 AM – Memorial service & whale spirit ceremony (Nyoirinzan Kannon-ji Temple) 10:00 AM – Opening ceremony 10:10 AM – Stage performances begin 11:00 AM – Chargrilled whale tasting (while supplies last) 7:30 PM – Fireworks display Venue: Kujira Town, Oshika, open area in front of the whaling ship Address: Ayukawa Hama Minamiji, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-2523 Reference: For past festival videos, see this one from August 2024 [in English and Japanese] and also this overview [from 2023]. This article was first published on Whaling Today, a JAPAN Forward website about whales in Japanese culture and communities, in cooperation with the nonprofit Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR). Author: Whaling Today このページを 日本語 で読む
Daily Mail
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Inside Japan's secretive execution jails where death row inmates are given minutes notice before facing the noose - as serial killer dubbed 'hanging pro' is sent to the gallows
From the outside, the Tokyo Detention House looks much like the other tall, austere buildings native to Katsushika City, but its drab facade and tree-lined grounds conceal a far more sinister reality. It is here that Japan's most deplorable criminals are plucked from their cells and hanged underneath fluorescent lights in a cold, bare wood-panelled room. There is a chillingly theatrical element to how the condemned are executed in the East Asian country - the only member of the G7 besides the US that still metes out capital punishment. Shackled prisoners are led past a small gold statue of Kannon, a Buddhist figure associated with compassion, as they enter their sterile execution chamber. Here, they are forced to stand on a spot marked by an ominous red square - the trapdoor that will give way to send them on a short and sharp journey to their deaths. Bright blue curtains are withdrawn to reveal a viewing gallery, where officials and families of victims are separated from the prisoner by nothing but a thin pane of glass. Executioners then place a hood and blindfold on the condemned, fit the noose around their neck and step back to pull the lever. The trapdoor is released, and gravity does the rest. But it is the unpredictable and sudden nature of the execution process that sets Japanese executions apart from those in the US. Unlike in the States, where death row inmates typically receive their date of execution weeks or months in advance, Japanese prisoners are often given as little as an hour's notice - a decision the UN Committee against Torture claimed causes the families additional stress. Last week's execution of the 'hanging pro' or 'Twitter killer' - a man who preyed on vulnerable women and girls before raping and killing them in his apartment in Japan - has reignited debate over the cold and clinical execution practices. Journalists stand outside the grey Tokyo Detention House in Katsushika, November 20, 2018. There is a chilling theatrical element to how the East Asian country hangs the condemned Takahiro Shiraishi, known as the ' Twitter killer,' was sentenced to death in 2020 for murdering nine victims in 2017. He was also convicted of sexually abusing his female victims. Police arrested him later that year after finding the bodies of eight teenage girls and women, as well as one man, in cold-storage cases in his apartment. Investigators said Shiraishi styled himself as a valiant helper, providing a way out for those with suicidal thoughts or those who had attempted suicide and failed. On Twitter - the social media platform he used to reach out to potential victims - his profile featured a manga cartoon drawing showing a man whose neck and wrist are scarred, wearing a rope around his neck. The profile bio described his expertise in hanging and his Twitter handle was '@hangingpro'. 'I want to help people who are really in pain. Please DM me anytime,' it read. 'There must be many people in society who are suffering after attempting suicide, though their cases are not reported in the news. I want to help such people.' He also worked to ensure his victims severed ties with friends and family members in advance of meeting them. 'It is not good to tell friends, family members and social networking sites that you are going to die before committing suicide,' he wrote in one post. He killed the three teenage girls and five women after raping them. He also killed the boyfriend of one of the women to silence him. 'The case caused extremely serious outcomes and dealt a major shockwave and unease to society,' Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki told an emergency news conference following Shiraishi's execution. He said he signed the execution, but did not personally witness the hanging. On Twitter - the social media platform he used to reach out to potential victims - his profile featured a manga cartoon drawing showing a man whose neck and wrist are scarred, wearing a rope around his neck The abrupt nature of the Japanese approach to execution was revealed in 2021 by Yoshikuni Noguchi, a lawyer and former prison officer who recounted the system to a Japanese newspaper. Convicts are only notified they will be executed that very morning, without warning, Noguchi said. As soon as the announcement is made, they are moved to a special room and constantly monitored by security officers to prevent any attempts at escape or suicide. The message is then supposed to be relayed to the inmate's family - though UN reports have suggested that loved ones are only told after the condemned is confirmed dead. Once the execution is ordered, the process is quick. The prisoner is plucked from the 'waiting room', shackled by guards and ushered towards the execution chamber. Once they are blindfolded and cuffed with the noose around their neck, an official gives a signal for the trapdoor to be opened. Viewers watch as the condemned promptly drops through the floor, never to be seen again. Below the execution chamber, their limp body dangles from a rope in a grey, tiled room. A doctor steps in to check their pulse, and once satisfied, wipes the body clean before directing orderlies to cut them down and take them to the morgue. Noguchi told the media how he resigned from his role as a prison officer after about four years in the job, recalling how faint he felt reflecting on his involvement in the execution of a prisoner with little more than a nod and the pull of a lever. In January last year, another killer was sentenced to death despite calls for the death penalty to be abolished. Yuki Endo was just 19 when the girl he liked spurned his advances in 2021. Angry and despairing, the teenager sought revenge by targeting those closest to his muse, marching to the house of her parents in Kofu on October 12 and stabbing her 55-year-old father and 50-year-old mother to death in cold blood. Endo then attacked the couple's second daughter with a machete, injuring her, and burned the house to the ground. After his arrest, judges determined he was fully criminally responsible and showed no remorse for the crime, making it unlikely he could be rehabilitated in their view. Endo also became the first person in Japan sentenced to death for a crime committed between the ages of 18 and 19 after Japan's courts brought down the legal age of adult criminal responsibility in 2022. The change to the law was intended to get younger people to 'gain awareness of their responsibilities' and rehabilitate them more effectively. Meanwhile, officials have opposed calls from human rights groups to end the death penalty. Justice Minister Suzuki this week justified the need for the execution in Japan, noting a recent government survey shows an overwhelming majority of the public still supports capital punishment, though opposition has somewhat increased. 'I believe it is not appropriate to abolish execution,' Suzuki said, adding that there is growing concern about serious crime. The case of Yuki Endo shares striking similarities with that of Tomohiro Kato, author of the atrocious 2008 Akihabara massacre. On June 8, 2008, the then-25-year-old rented a two-ton Isuzu Elf truck and drove it into a lunchtime crowd of pedestrians at the Akihabara shopping district, killing three people. Kato proceeded to stab onlookers with a dagger, killing four and wounding eight. During his trial, Kato revealed that online bullying had driven him to madness. Prosecutors painted a picture of a troubled young man who was demoralised after a girl he was talking to online abruptly cut contact after he sent a photo of himself. His rampage prompted outcry and discussion around preventative measures that should be taken to stop angry and alienated young people from lashing out in brazen displays of indiscriminate violence. Knife laws were tightened, and Kato was sentenced to death in 2011. It would be another 11 years before Kato would face his penalty in the Tokyo Detention House.
Japan Today
13-06-2025
- Japan Today
10 destinations to visit during rainy season in Japan
Meigetsuin Temple is also known as the Hydrangea Temple. By Abhijit Sen Japan's rainy season (梅雨, tsuyu), often regarded as humid and depressing, particularly in June, conjures images of soggy shoes and drizzly days. People who go out during these months experience a special and magical part of the country. However, there is an upside. The rain nourishes Japan's landscapes, turning cities and countryside into lush, vibrant scenes. While the crowds of summer tourists may seek refuge indoors, you can enjoy tranquility at popular sites and witness the beauty of blooming hydrangeas and shimmering landscapes. If the downpour gets heavy, don't worry. Japan boasts numerous indoor attractions, including captivating museums, bustling shopping hubs, and soothing hot springs, allowing you to make the most of your day. Here are ten fantastic destinations that shine during the rainy season. 1. Kamakura (Kanagawa) 2. Hakone (Kanagawa) 3. Arashiyama and Sagano (Kyoto) 4. Tohoku Region 5. Mount Koya (Wakayama) 6. Koke no Mori (Nagano) 7. Yakushima (Kagoshima) 8. Misasa Onsen (Tottori) 9. Kawaguchiko (Yamanashi) 10. Kanazawa (Ishikawa) 1. Kamakura (Kanagawa) Meigetsuin Temple is also known as the Hydrangea Temple. Image: PIXTA/ yoshihiro52 Kamakura is a historic gem located just an hour south of Tokyo. Famous for its hydrangeas (ajisai), this city transforms into a colorful paradise when the rain arrives. Meigetsuin Temple, known as the 'Hydrangea Temple,' boasts spectacular displays of blue Hime Ajisai (Princess Hydrangea) that bloom magnificently during the season. Hase-dera, another must-visit site, features around 2,500 hydrangeas of various types, creating breathtaking views against the misty backdrop of Sagami Bay. On rainy days, there are fewer visitors, making it easier to enjoy the eleven-faced Kannon statue. The colors of the hydrangeas pop against the gray sky at Hasedera, and Meigetsuin's 'Window of Enlightenment' is adorned with beautiful blue hydrangeas. When : June 1-30, 2025 (Hydrangeas will be blooming in both temples) : June 1-30, 2025 (Hydrangeas will be blooming in both temples) Nearest station : Kita Kamakura (Meigetsuin), Hase (Hasedera) : Kita Kamakura (Meigetsuin), Hase (Hasedera) Address : 3-11-2 Hase, Kamakura, Kanagawa (Hasedera) : 3-11-2 Hase, Kamakura, Kanagawa (Hasedera) 189 Yamanouchi, Kamakura, Kanagawa (Meigetsu-in) 2. Hakone (Kanagawa) The Hakone Tozan Railway offers a picturesque ride. Image: Renowned for its hot springs and stunning natural scenery, Hakone is one of the best places to experience the magic of rain-soaked landscapes. The Hakone Tozan Railway offers a picturesque ride through lush greenery, where vibrant hydrangeas thrive among spectacular mountain views. The Hakone Open-Air Museum allows you to enjoy art while remaining sheltered, featuring sculptures set in landscaped gardens that are made even more enchanting by the rain. The serene ambiance of Hakone Shrine, with its rain-soaked sacred trees, invites quiet contemplation, while Sengokuhara's silver grass fields, shrouded in mist, offer a dreamlike landscape perfect for photography. When : Jun 14–Jun 30, 2025 (Hakone Hydrangea Train Service) : Jun 14–Jun 30, 2025 (Hakone Hydrangea Train Service) Nearest station : Hakone-Yumoto : Hakone-Yumoto Address: Yumoto, Hakone, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa (Map) 3. Arashiyama and Sagano (Kyoto) The bamboo groves in Arashiyama appear hauntingly beautiful amidst the rain. Kyoto, known for its timeless beauty, showcases a distinct charm during the rainy season. The quick weather changes sculpt a black and white landscape reminiscent of classic Japanese art. The bamboo groves in Arashiyama appear hauntingly beautiful amidst the rain, while Gio-ji Temple is tucked away in the Sagano area. In June, the lush greenery, grass huts, and thriving moss gardens are delightful. For a cozy adventure, ride the Sagano Romantic Train during the rainy season! The misty valleys and lush green scenery create a stunning backdrop, and the sound of rain against the window adds a magical touch. Nearest station : Torokko Arashiyama : Torokko Arashiyama Address: 4-2 Sagaogurayama Tabuchiyamacho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto (Map) 4. Aomori and Akita An under-the-radar paradise Click here to read more. External Link © GaijinPot
