Dave Wilson, Nova Scotia’s opposition Liberal party health critic, thinks the government’s health officials have lost their marbles on this one— although he can’t say that because “losing your marbles” is one of the government’s blacklisted phrases.
— The National Post, on government censorship of "outdated, negative, inappropriate" languageOsaka Castle blossoms
We only had time for a brief visit to Osaka Castle. That still took nearly two hours, since the place was filled with cherry blossoms and their fans.
The iPhone/Washlet convergence
I do not want this. Using a smartphone app to remotely control a high-tech Japanese toilet is carrying things just a bit too far.
Occupy Nara!
They just want their fair share of the crackers.
Obligatory Golden Pavilion Photo
It’s one of the laws of tourism.
Other blossoms
The Kyoto Botanical Garden had all sorts of blooms. Here’s one of the non-cherry blossoms:
Just don’t ask me what this thing is…
One more cherry blossom
Culture for its own sake
Just in case you plan to set up a backyard saké brewery, here’s how you go about it, courtesy of the folks at Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum.
Readable full-size version here. The museum is a fun little side trip, by the way, with a gift shop and tasting bar. The “retro” saké they only sell there is sweeter than most current products; several bottles made it into our luggage, along with their plum wine.
Next trip, we’ll have to visit the Suntory Yamazaki beer and whisky museums, as Jeffrey Friedl did here and here.
Specialized vocabulary
This is a hakama, most commonly seen today on martial artists and miko:
