Archive for category japan
A New Face for the Cat
Posted by J. Quigley in Issa, japan, Photography, Poetry on January 9, 2012
Linda Butler
Rural Japan
Noh and KyÔ gen Masks, Yamagata-ken
on the year’s last night
a new face for the cat…
devil’s mask
Issa
Fish Shop of the Town
Posted by J. Quigley in Buddhism, Culture, Fish, japan, Photography on November 25, 2011
All rights reserved by sora018
Rolleiflex SL66SE Planar 80mm
In Japan, the fish means well-being, happiness and freedom. It is one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols used in Buddhism imported from China. The fish symbolises living in a state of fearlessness, without danger of drowning in the ocean of sufferings, and migrating from place to place freely and spontaneously.
Hashiguchi Goyo
Posted by J. Quigley in 20th Century, art, japan, japanese art on January 29, 2011
Cherry Blossoms
Posted by J. Quigley in art, japan, japanese art, ray Morimura on January 21, 2011
Ray Morimura, Cherry Blossoms at Yamaka, 1994
NUKEKUBI
Posted by J. Quigley in art, edo period, japan, life and death, painting, Uncategorized on December 10, 2010
Nukekubi (ぬけくび) from the Bakemono-Dukushi Yumoto-C
Author unknown
Edo period
Nukekubi are monsters found in Japanese folklore. By day, nukekubi appear to be normal human beings. By night, however, their heads detach at the neck smoothly from their bodies and fly about independently in search of human prey. These heads attack by screaming (to increase their victims’ fright), then closing in and biting.
While the head is detached, the body of a nukekubi becomes inanimate. In some legends, this serves as one of the creature’s few weaknesses; if a nukekubi’s head cannot locate and reattach to its body by sunrise, the creature dies. Legends often tell of would-be victims foiling the creatures by destroying or hiding their bodies while the heads are elsewhere.
By day, nukekubi often try to blend into human society. They sometimes live in groups, impersonating normal human families. The only way to tell a nukekubi from a normal human being is a line of red symbols around the base of the neck where the head detaches. Even this small detail is easily concealed beneath clothing or jewelry.
Yin Yang 
