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Her Obituary
A long-time friend passed away Yesterday I found out that a long-time friend of mine passed away almost a year ago. She was the very person that introduced me and my husband. We two couples used to get together often, like going to plays, celebrating New Year’s and the Fourth of July. But over time…
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I Bought Flowers for 24 People with A Little Hope to Change Their Lives
Just like it changed mine 30 years ago This morning I went to the wholesaler to buy flowers for 24 people. Twenty-four people who will try Ikebana, the Japanese flower arrangement, for the first time tomorrow! Each person will use only two kinds of materials: one kind of green branches and one kind of flowers. …
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Ghost of Tomoe: Lover and a Woman Samurai Warrior
Another ghost story from Noh plays When a Buddhist monk from Kiso came across a field near Lake Biwa, he saw a woman crying in front of a little shrine. When asked why she was crying, the woman told the monk that a famous samurai warrior Yoshinaka, also from Kiso, was enshrined there. The woman…
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The Terracotta Walrus Faces Once Marvelled Now Look Like Ghosts
Can we no longer build things beautiful? This unique 8-story building has been standing on the northwest corner of 3rd Avenue and Cherry Street in downtown Seattle for 118 years. It was originally built as a home to the Arctic Club, a social institution formed by those men who returned to Seattle after “striking it…
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Ghost of Atsumori
Noh Plays are full of Ghosts Photo: “Ichi-no-Tani Battle Map Screen” held by Eisei Bunko, Noh Mask Story of Noh Play “Atsumori” （敦盛） Atsumori was only 16 years old when he was killed by Kumagai at the battlefield of Ichi no tani. It was not easy even for a fierce samurai worrier of Genji Clan…
