What Does the Number 753 Stand for in Japan?

The number 753, seven five three, has a special meaning in Japan.

Three and seven year-old girls and three and five year-old boys get a celebration on the nearest weekend around November 15.
We call the day 753, Shichi-Go-San in Japanese.

Children were dressed up in their best clothes and held a ceremony of purification at a local shrine.

Lion dance known as Shishi-Mai in Japanese is performed at the Futarasan shirne.

Kikusui-sai Autumn Festival

Kikusui-sai autumn festival was held in the city center last Saturday and Sunday.

I took these pictures on Saturday.

They must have had a traditional Japanese Yabusame or a horseback mounted archery on Sunday.

Unfortunately, I did not have time to see them yesterday.



Day by day, it becomes cooler in Utsunomiya.

Rina, my younger daughter, is preparing for her college exams which are scheduled to be held in coming February.

She still has more three to four months. In another words, we have only several months to live together.

Definitely, she'll leave us and go to Tokyo for her college.
To think about it makes me more cooler.

Ten-nou-sai Summer Festival

I know that they do time trial races at Ten-nou-sai summer festival.

But, actually it was my first time to see these races.

They have to carry an Omikoshi or a portable shrine and run up 95 steps to the shrine gate.

That was a really exciting moment of the festival.

Unseasonable Snowfall Caps Over My City

Futara-yama Shrine (futarasan)

An unseasonable snowfall capped over our city Utsunomiya last week.

On a day of snowing, I’m always asked by my friends or colleagues if it’s possible to go to office and back from it by bike.
Some of them seem to be very worry about my 13km-bike-ride (about 0.8 mile) between home and office.


I know that I should say to them, “Thanks” for their kind words, but, to tell the truth, I’m enjoying every minute of my bike ride even on a snowing day; it’s exciting and thrilling. ha-ha

No falling down, no traffic accident so far, …knock on wood.

OTARIYA "Between Winter and Spring" Festival in Futarasan Shrine

Kibuna toy fish are sold for1500yen, US$20, in front of Futarasan Shrine.

As legend goes, a long time ago in Utsunomiya city, a bad disease or a smallpox had spread across the city.

When people didn't know how to cope with it. A guy living in the city fished a yellow carp in Tagawa river.

He gave the fish to a sick person. The sick person after eating it  got over the illness immediately.

After the incident, people in the city buy a toy fish with a yellow body, a red head and green fins and decorate it in their house to prevent contracting diseases in the new year days.

The yellow toy fish is called Kibuna in our city.

Kikusui-Sai Festival

The other day, I happened to meet an autumn festival called Kikushui-Sai near my condominium. I’ve lived in Utsunomiya city for more than fifteen years, but it’s the first time for me to see the splendid autumn festival.

Many people wearing traditional samurai clothes marched with horses in the central Utsunomiya city. It’s very beautiful and they held mind boggling Yabusame practices.


Yabusame is a traditional Japanese mounted archery in which an archer on a running horse shoots wooden targets.


Why haven’t I seen the festival for years?

Miya Matsuri Summer Festival in 2011

Miyamatsuri Summer Festival 2011 fell on a rainy day again this year.

Tens of thousands of people came to Odori Avenue in front of Futarasan shrine to watch the bustle of festival one week ago. I also went out to watch it with cans of beer and cameras.
It was a great fun to me.

Music Days in Utsunomiya

We’ve had a series of music concerts at the front yard of Futara-yama shine, or Banba-Hiroba, next to my condominium since a month ago.

From the world famous sax player to unknown amateur singers, I often ran into a mini concert when I was walking into or out of my condo.

I enjoy the moments of coming across a concert and listening to the live music with other passers-by.

About Saxophonist Sadao Watanabe

Born on February 1, 1933, in Utsunomiya, Japan; son of an electrician who played and taught the biwa, a four-stringed Japanese lute; married Mitsuko Itoh, 1957; children: Mako.Education: Graduated from the Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, 1965.

Started playing clarinet in his teens, later picked up alto saxophone; formed a “Jafro” band (jazz and African music), joined pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi’s Cozy Quartet, worked with Big Four Band, c. 1950s; became leader of Cozy Quartet, 1960; performed and recorded with Chico Hamilton and Gary McFarland in New York, 1965-66; returned to Japan, formed a quartet, started a jazz school, 1966; performed at Newport Jazz Festival, 1968; began hosting radio program, 1969; performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival, 1970; organized Bravas Club festival (later known as Kirin the Club), 1985-; toured North and South America, Europe, and Africa, 1990-92; organized charity concert for Great Hanshin earthquake victims, 1995; toured Brazil, 1995; visited Tibet, 1996; toured Southeast Asia, 1996; traveled to Kenya, India, and Tibet to film the documentary, Sadao Watanabe Explores the Last Unknown Regions of the Earth, 1997; published his book of photographs, Vanishing Tibet, 1998; toured Europe, including the Montreux Jazz Festival, 1998; toured with Four Beat Band, 1999; worldwide tour to celebrate 50 years playing jazz, 2001.

Awards: Swing Journal, Best Japanese alto saxophonist, 1959-1987; Sluing Journal, Jazz Man of the Year eleven times, 1968-87; Art Festival Grand Prix Award (Japanese Grammy) for Sadao Watanabe Recital, 1977; Ministry of Education Award, 1986; City of Los Angeles Citizenship Citation for promoting friendship between U.S. and Japan through music, 1988; Honorable Cultural Award, Tokyo, 1995; honorary doctorate degree, Berklee College of Music, 1995; Medal with Purple Ribbon, Emperor of Japan, 1995.
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Cherry Blossoms at Night

Night viewing of illuminated cherry trees is popular in Japan.

I walked to Futarasan or Futara-yama shrine last night; Several big cherry trees were in full bloom there. I also was able to see the full moon behind cherry blossoms.
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Damages Done by The Earthquake in Utsunomiya

Thank you for kind messages. We are receiving messages, encouragements, offers and supports from many countries. These kindness will help us and our lives. I never forget you guys.

The sign says, "DANGER: Do not come close." in Futara-yama shrine.↓

The wall of a parking lot has fallen and hit the car.↓

Gravestones have fallen over in a cemetery.↓

A Summer Festival Season Has Come In Utsunomiya.

Rainy season has been over here in Tochigi and a summer festival season has come.
Ten-nou-sai summer festival is the first summer festival in the year in Utsunomiya city.
We had it yesterday and the day before yesterday.

After practicing tennis with my colleagues as usual on Saturday, I went to the center area of Utsunomiya city and took some pictures.

A Spring Day in Futara-yama Shrine

It’s been warmer and warmer in Utsunomiya.

It had been raining in the morning, so I gave up playing tennis and lazily took a morning nap after eating breakfast.

I slept for a couple of hours and got up around noon. Luckily, it cleared up in the sky.

I went to Futara-yama shrine to feel a spring breeze. It’s about a ten-minute-biking away from my home.
Going up along stone steps, I found several religious people and lots of pigeons as usual.
A small difference was that I found a full-bloomed white plum tree in the shrine yard.
It’s beautifully blooming in the sacred and warmer spring atmosphere.

I couldn’t ask for a nicer spring afternoon like today.

I’m sure that an exciting cherry blossom season is coming soon.