Futon Daiko: Kaidan

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The Futon Daiko festival at Mozu-Hachiman Shrine in Sakai, Japan is an amazing event. Each of the nine towns have their own float, or dashi. Two teams of fifty to seventy men are needed to carry these two and a half ton structures. And they do not simply carry them, but march in a straight-legged gait and sing.

The real trial for these men are the steps, or kaidan, that lead to the main shrine. After carrying the dashi all day, the floats are taken up and down these steps multiple times. It is a dangerous maneuver, but a crowd pleaser. Click on the image for a larger view.

Futon Daiko - William Ash

Winter Salt Marsh

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morse_mountain_winter_marsh_iceSalt marshes are amazing places. Some of the toughest environments exist right between the land and the sea. Places where extreme changes in salinity, temperatures, and water level can be a daily event.  This marsh is on the eastern edge of the Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area along the Morse River. Click on the image for a larger view.

Blue Wood Lettuce—Edible Weeds

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Wild lettuce comes in many varieties and is hard to identify. It is important to refer to guidebooks or local foraging experts to identify plants. Please look at our posts as starting points, not as definitive references on plants.
_HKR1490_tall_blue_lettuce_3Blue wood lettuce or tall blue lettuce, Lactuca biennia, is a common species of wild lettuce. The accounts we have read are contradictory: some say it is edible, some not.  The leaves can be very bitter. We use very young leaves in smoothies with other greens. We do not eat this very often.
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Like the Canada wild lettuce, this can grow to great heights. The flowering head is very different from Canada wild lettuce.

Hakusan Creation cannot take responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant or consuming unknown or wild plants.

Canada Wild Lettuce—Edible Weeds

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Like most of our cultivate crops, lettuce came from a more primitive ancestor. Wild lettuce comes in many varieties and is hard to identify. It is important to refer to guidebooks or local foraging experts to identify plants. Please look at our posts as starting points, not as definitive references on plants.
_HKR1497_canada_lettuce_3Canada wild lettuce or tall lettuce, Lactuca canadansis, is thought to be native to North America. In its first year, it hugs the ground very much like dandelion. In the second year, this plant can take off—we have plants over eight feet tall, tall lettuce indeed. The thin leaves are best when young or the plant reaches about a foot—mature leaves can be very bitter. We use this in salads, smoothies, or cooked like spinach. Avoid the white sap.
_HKR1497_canada_lettuce_2 The yellow flowers of Canada wild lettuce are small. Except for its amazing height, this plant is not grown for its beauty.

Hakusan Creation cannot take responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant or consuming unknown or wild plants.

Kanda, the Book District of Tokyo

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life_in_tokyo_kanda_bookshopsWhen Tokyo was being built in the 17th century—it was called Edo then—the city was planned into districts and quarters based of crafts or markets. Starting with the Confucian academy in the late 1600s, Kanda became a center of learning and publishing. These divisions blended and dissolved with the growth of the city. Today, the streets of Kanda are still punctuated by small used bookstores.

As someone who grew up reading, walking into a bookstore in Japan was really humbling. You figure there would be enough information to at least find major categories of books, like photographic books. It is not that easy. If you really want to know how debilitating illiteracy is, visit a Japanese bookstore.

Alpine Gardens, Mt. Washington

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mt_washington_alpine_gardensJust below the summit of Mt. Washington in the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire is a place called the Alpine Garden. A trail between the heads of Tuckerman Ravine and Huntington Ravine takes you through this rich alpine meadow. This image is taken from the top of Huntington Ravine looking south into Pinkham Notch. Click on the image for a larger view.