WHat are things that you have brought back from Japan that you really like alot
 

I am digging this CD of okoto music that I bought in Osaka. 20 songs, some very traditional and sad, some have "dueling okotos", some almost sound like Japanese bluegrass w/very upbeat and catchy tunes.
I think it is my favorite thing that I brought back. It has alot of "life" to it.

So what things that you've brought back do you particularly like, things that bring back the memories or just get you going thinking about Japan?

my favorite keep-sake is my copy of emd"s trip report of 2005...

oh, you are sweet, but tell us the truth.

Is it that empty sake bottle you keep in the kitchen window (or is that kuranosuke?)

Do tell.

The big (2 square meters) festive banners I bought at Kitano fleamarket in Kyoto. They represent fishes, "takarabune" (fortune ship) and announce either a festival or the return of fishing vessels with a good catch. You can see them in front of foodstalls in local festivals. Bright colors, sturdy cotton, I use them as an awning in front of the house, bed covers or garden tent for the kids, etc.

Your banners sound great. I am trying to visualize them, but unfortunately I was so taken w/the food and chefs at the Toji stalls that I don't recall the flags, if they were there. But I did see many flags and wonder if I saw any of those. Do they have fish or ships on them?
Kitano is one of many things that were "the one that got away" for me. I can't wait to go there. Next trip will include the 25th.

a piece of calligraphy that I got after spending 3 hours in the artist's home and studio; a piece of old fabric and some Japanese woodblock prints that I bought from a wonderful old man in kyoto.

You can see it on the www. Please go to www.billk.org and click on "Japan, Bali, Hong". See the top-left picture labelled "Meiji Shrine, Tokyo". That image is my favorite thing. It was my first photo ever in Japan. And I have a Hakata doll, a geisha that I have named Yuki after a kind girl on the Osaka subway.

Re. Banners. I knew most people would have a hard time finding out what I was talking about so I looked for something on the web (note to self: have to find time and way to post some of my pictures somewhere).

http://www.city.choshi.chiba.jp/engl...g/winter06.jpg
http://www.easterwood.org/japan97/photos/IMG0040.jpg


Mine look more like the ones in the first picture. I bought about 10 in all, price ranging from Y 1000 (slighly dirty at To-Ji) to Y 2500.

There were also very big, narrow ones (about 40 cm wide and 3 m long) depicting samourais in battle, but they were rather expensive (about Y 10'000 at least) and I wouldn't have been able to use them without cutting them, which would have been a shame.

Florence, I couldn't get the first site to open, but I did see the 2nd ones w/the characters. I saw some of those. Very colorful, and perhaps you know what your say if they have characters on them (I am not there- yet.)

mrw: The first time I went to your site and saw that little beauty I thought "wow", and I can see why anyone would be smitten w/her (shrine, what shrine?) I wonder what she looks like now, and if she has retained the amazing innocence in that face.

glorialf, I am interested in your calligraphy experience. Was that from a personal invitation or is it open to those who want to do it? We so enjoyed our Yuzen textile painting experience, and I am looking into other artistic experiences w/art, handicrafts, and the artists in Kyoto for my next trip. There is such amazing art of all forms there, old and new. Right down the street from the Westin was a small independent "art space" and I saw a woman changing the exhibits one day. I wish I would have gone in and talked to her.

Florence, yours is probably what is called tairyo-ki (tairyo - big fishing & ki - flag. as you said "the return of fishing vessels with a good catch"). You see on your first photo, the flags are attched to boats. The 2nd ones are called Nobori (like Koi Nobori) that is also a kind of flags.

How about the following images? Looking like those you described.
http://homepage3.nifty.com/tairyouki/
(then, clikk on the 3rd fish on the left)
http://www.joaf.co.jp/hata/tairyo-ba...iryoubata-.htm

Whoa, kappa! I can only get the 1st one to open but those are just phenomenal! They would really liven up my patio garden. If they are anything like that, no wonder florence bought so many (and let me guess, a new suitcase to bring them home?)

Kappa,

Doomo sumimasen. I did not know the name of those flags, but have now been able to find lots of them, even shops making them (although I cannot display kanji on my browser). Most of mine are not as spectacular, although I like them much, and have to fight friends and relative who would like to have them.

Emd, look a those! http://www.ok-flag.co.jp/products/flag/tairyouki.html

(you can access more by googling "tairyouki")

Guess I'll make the luggage industry in Japan happy for the foreseeable future ;-)

and those ! http://hanten.jp/renewal/flame/tairyouki.htm

Wow! I like the one of Fujisan and the turtle, but the huge fish are cool also- what a catch! I never would have caught on to these if you hadn't posted on them, I had no idea you could buy them.

Maybe we should look into investing together in a luggage co. in Japan.

I do have an idea of something that might be a viable product in Japan, a need that I observed while I was there and a niche that might be waiting to be filled. I wonder what the process is to get a simple product market tested there and if it flies, get it to market. Could be interesting.

I just remembered I had a big pillow case with such motif that I bought in Kiddy Land, Omote-sando longtime ago.

Florence, in case you are interested, on the last web page you gave, you will notice on each flag, there is a group of 3-4 kanji caracters (the biggest ones - the other smaller ones are a company or shop's name) which ends always with the same kanji(3 strokes). That reads "maru" and traditionally ships are named in such way, always ending with MARU. Only on the photos, they are not real boats'names as I see there are names as Nakamise (asakusa) - Maru. In samurai periode, boys (and often male dogs) were named like this too such as Jiro-maru.

kappa, you probably have so many things you like from Japan, but anything really special to you? BTW, I am looking at my little samurai here in my office as I write.

Thanks for the interesting info on the flags. Boys and male dogs, hmmm. They didn't name girls like ships I guess.

emd; you just about hit it on the head. i don't have the empty bottle, but i have the label so i can buy it again during my next visit, i have a tape of kitajima saburo(enka singer, and actor who protrayed the edo fire chief during shogun yoshimune's era), and a noren, which i have yet to hang up over the dining room entry way.

once in a while, i will put on kitajima, sip a sake, close my eyes, and reminisce about the sights, sounds, and smell of the aka-chochin in hiroo.

emd, here is my last buy. Usually I don't buy ukiyoe and especially I don't look for typical ukiyoe ("beautiful"women or kabuki caracters, etc) but this is the closest I ever bought. A girl in kimono looking down a man in a coverned boat on a snowy day. Or actually she may be getting on the boat for the secret meeting with the man (if you know what I mean.). This is a Utamaro who is more universally known for "beautiful"women or kabuki caracters" but was handprinted by today's carftman by tradtional method. That's why it costed only 6000yen. The original if existed should cost 100 times or more? That was a spur of a moment buy. I was walking on the "old book store street" in Kanda Jinbo-cho and saw this one displayed in the window of Hara Art Book store whose 2nd floor is specialized in ukiyoe prints. This looked so nice that I found the price rather low. The kimono on the woman is so fine.

http://photobucket.com/albums/v214/n...ukiyoe0001.jpg

The followings may also not be typical ukiyoes we know. "A black bird in the rain " and "Dreams of Jigoku-Dayu (Hell - High Class prostitute)". Both hand printed by a master craftman Mr Iwai in Asakusa. He has an gallery-workshop and last time I was there 3 years ago, he was still printing in the back. A man of almost 80 years old in kimono.

http://photobucket.com/albums/v214/n...ukiyoe0002.jpg

http://photobucket.com/albums/v214/n...anga%20Japan/?
action=view&current=2005_0406jigokudayu0001.jp g

And this one is a head of a "bunraku" doll theater caracter, a woman in scarf. This is a tenugui hand-towel with which I obviously never dry my hands. http://photobucket.com/albums/v214/n...ukiyoe0007.jpg

kuranosuke, you should really buy one of those cool old men's robes that they have in the temple markets, and wear that while you sip, listen, reminisce, and wax nostalgically.

kappa, I know of Utamaro, and was pleasantly surprised at how much exposure his work has all over the places I went. I'm going to check out all of those sites. This is the same "photobucket" where you directed me to look for your samurai, so I suppose this is your personal photo collection?