Things to do: Have your dinner blessed by a Koyasan monk

Things to do: Have your dinner blessed by a Koyasan monk

Posted on Sep 18, 2013 in History of Japan, Japanese customs, Stories about Japan, Things to do, Where to eat |

Monks have taken over the menus at restaurants in the posh Shin-Marunouchi building in Tokyo to offer real soul food. Throughout the weeklong Koyasan Cafe event, diners can fill their stomachs and their spirits with Buddhist-inspired dishes. Koyasan Cafe takes its name from the spiritual center of Japanese Buddhism, Koyasan in Wakayama Prefecture. Also known as Mount Koya, it is the last resting place of the eighth-century monk Kukai, the headquarters of the Shingon sect he...

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Things to do: Dress up in cosplay and have your picture taken

Things to do: Dress up in cosplay and have your picture taken

Posted on Sep 18, 2013 in Japanese customs, Japanese technology, News, Stories about Japan |

Cosplay (コスプレ kosupure), short for “costume play”, is an activity in which participants wear costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea from a work of fiction. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture centered on role play. A broader use of the termcosplay applies to any costumed role play in venues apart from the stage, regardless of the cultural context. Favorite sources include manga, anime, comic books, video games, and films....

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Things to do this week in Tokyo September 9 – September 15

Things to do this week in Tokyo September 9 – September 15

Posted on Sep 10, 2013 in Must see, Things to do |

‘Embrace the Animal, Strive for the Human’ Until Sat Sep 21, 2013 Vanilla Gallery You generally know what you’re going to get from a trip to Vanilla Gallery, which specialises in work that flirts with the erotic, sadistic and fetishistic. True to form, this solo show by controversial American artist John Santerineross will feature 58 ‘dark magic’ photographs that delve into Greek mythology, religion and the spiritual world. As the title...

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