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Archive for January, 2012

#OccupyJapan!

Friday, January 13th, 2012

Made in Occupied Japan ceramic figurine. #OccupyWallStreet

Made in Occupied Japan hand painted ceramic figurine base.

So all this business didn’t start with #WallStreet.  Been there, done that…

“Made In Occupied Japan”: Thus Launcheth the Juggernaut.  Getting a running start in 1945, one of the initiatives to get the factories of Japan producing once again. Especially items which with it would be difficult to invade, kill or make war.

Made In Occupied Japan ceramic toothpick holder, European man.

Cute, trite, pseudo-European knick-knacks that got the Marshall Plan rolling.  Part of the grand plan to allow Japan to get back on its feet, feed itself, prosper; lessons learned from Weimar Germany after WWI.

Made in Occupied Japan ceramic figurine red base.

As my mom had a small antiques & collectibles boutique back in the old ‘hood I got saddled with a number of these tchothckes.

Made in Occupied Japan sugar bowl with sakura cherry blossoms handpainted.

These are quite collectible now, witness this website on all things OCCUPIED.  http://www.occupiedjapan.net/
Made in Occupied Japan base stamp, ceramic figurine. #OccupyWallStreet

‘Bye!  Come along my love….

Back of Made in Occupied Japan couple ceramic figurine.


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Congratulations! to all the kids Coming of Age today…

Monday, January 9th, 2012

Kyoto cute Japanese girls dressed in kimono with fluffy collars for Coming of Age Day.

The party is now officially over.  (and sayonara to otoshi-dama New Year’s money from parents and relatives.)

Hope you all had wonderful childhoods, cuz it can be fun while it lasted.


Posted in art, culture, fashion, girls, japan, kyoto, photography | No Comments »

I-I-I-I-I’m not your stepping stone!

Saturday, January 7th, 2012

Japanese old traditional buckwheat (soba) mill stones.

Ahmmm, actually, yes you are.

Foot stepping onto Japanese granite buckwheat millstone steps.

Been getting a hold of some sets of traditional Japanese hand-carved mill stones, for milling buckwheat (soba そば） into flour.  Can find them here and there, some used and cheap, some not so much.  Range in size from about 24cm diameter up to 50cm or more.  Those pictured above are about 34 or 35cm across and 12-14cm tall.

Make great, solid steps and also get placed vertically into stone walls. (Pictures to follow of some about 1 meter across holding down a stone wall in Shigaraki!).

3 Japanese millstones as front steps to a house, near Kyoto.

OK…enough is enough with the stones already!!!


Posted in architecture, art, culture, fashion, japan, kyoto, natural beauty | No Comments »