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Japan Kansai Area '74- Relatives in Kibukawa
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| Kibukawa '74 | Shigaraki | Grandma Tami's funeral and memorial | |
| Tenri | Kyoto | Nara | |
| Japan Kansai Area '74- | |||
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Right after graduating from graduate school in 1974, I went back to Japan. I did not have a place to live since my parents were in South Africa. I lived with my aunt Sumi and my grandma Tami in Kibukawa for about 6 months while I figured out what to do. Since I had time, I explored the area and was able to live a country life I never did.
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_ds190808170515.jpg Koga Tenrikyo Church, in Kibukawa. My aunt and grandma lived in a Tenrikyo community.  |
_ds190808170611.jpg About 25 families lived in this church community where my great grandfather was one of the founding members.  |
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_ds190808171515.jpg Looking at the backyard from our house.  |
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_ds190808171314.jpg Inside the church.  |
_ds190808171422.jpg In the back was a communal garden for the families.  |
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_ds190808172125.jpg Visiting family graves  |
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_ds190808172710.jpg Offerings to the grave.  |
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_ds190808173146.jpg Obon festival. Floating lanterns on the nearby Yasu River.  |
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_ds190808173334.jpg Stands selling toys.  |
_ds190808173429.jpg And fireworks.  |
_ds190808173919.jpg Roof tile making. The tiles are drying in the yard.  |
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_ds190808174014.jpg The tiles are molded and shaped by hand.  |
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_ds190808175259.jpg More drying tiles.  |
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_ds190808175828.jpg Firing kiln  |
_ds190808175937.jpg tiles are gathered.  |
_ds190808180240.jpg Ready to be shipped.  |
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_ds190808181447.jpg Rice harvesting in the fall.  |
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_ds190808182908.jpg I went to help at my cousin Shizuyos field.  |
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_ds190808180723.jpg Sorting the daikons and bunching them to dry.  |
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_ds190808180534.jpg The women in the church community gather to make 'sakurazuke' pickles, my favorite. First they wash the hinona daikon at the communal well.  |
_ds190808181137.jpg Daikons drying in the sun.  |
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_ds190808181232.jpg Drying daikons for 'takuan' pickles.  |
_ds190809153348.jpg Kibukawa is a small town by the Kusatsu railroad line  |
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_ds190809155502.jpg Some people having 'Jichinsai' (Earth calming ceremony) for their building.  |
_ds190809155813.jpg Cherry blossoms at the nearby station.  |
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Shigaraki is a nearby town known for its pottery.
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_ds190809153442.jpg Shigaraki is also famous for its 'tanuki' (raccoon) ceramic figures.  |
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_ds190809153648.jpg Shigaraki shrine  |
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_ds190809153900.jpg Shigaraki Shrine  |
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_ds190809154050.jpg Woman molding 'gama' (frog) ceramic figurs in her yard.  |
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_ds190809154522.jpg Their firing kiln is called 'noborigama' (climbing kiln)  |
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_ds190809154616.jpg Artist carves patterns on the pot.  |
_ds190809154710.jpg Turning the pot.  |
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Grandma Tami died in the spring of 1975. Tenri funeral was given by the community.
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_ds190809160756.jpg Women of the community help with making food, in the picture they are making mochi.  |
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_ds190809161159.jpg Nishizawa relatives come to pay respect.  |
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_ds190809162004.jpg Uncle Rinpei getting ready for the ceremony.  |
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_ds190809162737.jpg Aunt Sumi at the ceremony  |
_ds190809163020.jpg Musicians perform.  |
_ds190809163115.jpg Hearse is ready.  |
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_ds190809163912.jpg Temporary grave is set.  |
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_ds190809164800.jpg The feast after the funeral.  |
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October 1974. We went to Tenri city, where the main Tenrikyo church resides, for some kind of festival I cannot remember.
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_ds190809165316.jpg It was packed with people.  |
_ds190809165411.jpg The third generation leader 'Shinbashira' was present.  |
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_ds190809165601.jpg Shizuyo with her first son Yoshihiro.  |
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_ds190809170013.jpg Yoshihiro Yamada  |
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_ds190809170957.jpg Summer, 1980? Tenri with moy mother, Aunt Sumi, and cousin Isao.  |
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_ds190809171546.jpg Many construction was going on in preparation for 100th (?) year anniversary of Church's founding.  |
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_ds190809172131.jpg Cemetary for the Church officials?  |
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Kyoto 1975. I got a job at Osaka Office of ARPAK (Architects and Regional Planners Associates, Kyoto) through my father's connection. I found a cheap apartment in Katsura with shared outside toilet and laundry space. My grandma Tami was getting senile and Aunt Sumi being practically blind, I commuted to Osaka during the week and to Kibukawa on weekends.
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_ds190811140614.jpg Some festival. Living in Kyoto, there are many occasions to visit different festivals  |
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_ds190811140803.jpg View from my apartment.  |
_ds190811140857.jpg My apartment building, a two story building with about 16 very small units. Each unit had a tiny kitchen but the shared toilet and laundry space was outside.  |
_ds190811141312.jpg Pottery fair nearby.  |
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_ds190811141406.jpg Katsura town, on the way to the public bath?  |
_ds190811141513.jpg There are many temples and shrines to visit.  |
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_ds190811143048.jpg Ginkakuji, Silver Pavillion.  |
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_ds190811144221.jpg Garden at Heian Shrine.  |
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_ds190811144705.jpg Cloissone artisan.  |
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_ds190811145812.jpg Interesting antique store  |
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_ds190811145908.jpg Joruriji temple garden  |
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Nara, 1975. Noh is usually performed at the Noh Theater but in Nara it is performed outside in the open in certain seasons. In this case in May. It is called Shiba (lawn) Noh.
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_ds190811150923.jpg Kyogen is usually performed prior to the main performance.  |
_ds190811151016.jpg Shiba Noh in Nara.  |
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