Apply for the 2012 Spring Henro Pilgrimage Experience Now!!

The 2012 Spring Henro Experience is here!

This year's Henro Pilgrimage will be bigger and better than ever! We are going to visit the temples around Zentsuji City - but that's not all! This time, we will be fully immersed in culture and history as we also trek to ancient Japanese kofun tombs, the Zentsuji Flowe...r and Garden Festival, and various other sites in addition to the temples.

But best of all, our participants this time can stay the night at Zentsuji Temple to see what the life of a Buddhist monk is really like.
 

Access the 2012 Spring Henro Application form and e-mail it to us at  kfunet@gmail.com
Be sure to turn it in via e-mail or post by May 8, 2012 (limit first 40 who apply).

We can't wait to have you join us for this two-day, extensive historical and cultural adventure!

Details:
1. Date and Time: Saturday 19th – Sunday 20th May 2012
Saturday Meeting Point: Zentsuji Station 8:20 a.m.
Sunday Finishing Point: Tadotsu Station 11:00 a.m.

2. Participation Fee
*6,000 for both days (covers accommodation, breakfast, dinner, and recreation insurance)
*200 for 19th May only (covers recreation insurance)
The cost of transport to and from the meeting points must be covered by participants.

Kagawa Prefecture's 8th Henro Pilgrimage Experience for Foreign Residents/Visitors

On October 29, 2011, we started off Kagawa Prefecture's 8th Henro Pilgrimage Experience for Foreign Residents and Visitors with a visit to the beautiful Honen-ike Dam in Kanonji.  This is a wonderful piece of Taisho period (1912-1926) architecture.  

Sakaide Summer Festival 2011

This is the third year that we have been bringing international residents to participate in the annual Sakaide Summer Festival, and once again we enjoyed all of the spectacle, sweat, tears, muscle-ache, and excitement of hefting a two-ton taikodai (enormous, traditional Japanese festival float) in the air and maneuvering it throughout the Sakaide Station Square.

Kagawa Prefecture's 7th Henro Pilgrimage Experience for Foreign Residents/Visitors

On May 14, 2011, Kagawa Prefecture held its 7th Henro Pilgrimage Experience for Foreign Residents and Visitors in the western part of the prefecture.  We walked 15.1 km between Daikoji (Temple No. 67) and Kannonji/Jinnein (Temples Nos. 68 & 69, the only temples located together in one location).  The weather was perfect, and we enjoyed the nature, history, and exercise from our day on the Henro Path.

Every Little Bit Counts - Volunteering at Second Hand

 On Saturday April 23rd, K-FUN took nine volunteers to Second Hand to help them prepare their all important quarterly newsletter.  The newsletter goes out to more than 4,500 organizations and individuals throughout Japan, keeping them updated on how they can help this Takamatsu-based non-profit organization continue to help victims of the Eastern Japan Earthquake and developing communities in Cambodia.

Be sure to read our previous article about what Second Hand is doing to help the people of northeastern Japan deal with recovering from the March 11th earthquake and tsunami. 

Second Hand is active with lots of events in Takamatsu (including their "Retro Fair" from April 25 through May 7, 2011) and Marugame (including a booth at the Marugame Castle Festival on May 3 and May 4, 2011).   If you want to know how you can volunteer with Second Hand, then check out their homepage, send them and e-mail or give them a call at the following:

Homepage: http://2nd-hand.main.jp/
E-mail : jimukyoku2hand@yahoo.co.jp
TEL:  087-861-9928

Acting Locally, Making a Difference Right Now: Second Hand Helping Tohoku

Second Hand is an non-profit organization that provides sustainable development assistance to Cambodia via its Japanese second hand stores and fund-raising efforts, and its headquarters are located right here in Takamatsu, Kagawa.  They are currently putting a massive focus on helping the victims of the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami.  Below is a three-point outline of what they are doing and how you can help:

Second Hand Homepage:
http://2nd-hand.main.jp/index.php?English

Second Hand Tohoku Disaster Relief Blog:
http://nposecondhand.wordpress.com/

 

Contents of this Article:
1.  Donation Drives
2.  Cash for Work Project – How You Can Contribute
3.  Volunteers Needed!!!
4.  Outline of Relief Activities

Poems from the 4th Kagawa English Haiku Event!

We held the 4th Kagawa English Haiku Gathering at Ritsurin Garden’s Kikugetsutei Tea House on Sunday March 27, 2011.  Five local Japanese residents and 14 international residents from 9 different countries (including the U.K., Bangladesh, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, etc.) participated.

Under the instruction of Fumiko Hara-sensei, Vice-President of the Kagawa Branch of the Haiku Poet’s Association, everyone challenged themselves to write beautiful haiku poems.  This was the largest English Haiku Gathering yet to be held in Kagawa, and the atmosphere truly had an international feel to it.  Below you can find all of the haiku that was composed in the serene space of the Tea House – please enjoy!

平成23年3月27日、栗林公園の掬月亭で第４回英語の俳句会を行い、イギリス、バングラデシュ、ベトナム、ジンバブエなど９カ国から14名の県在住外国人と５名の県民が参加しました。

俳人協会香川県支部副支部長の原文子先生の指導をいただきながら、全員で英語による俳句づくりにチャレンジしました。これまでで参加者数最大で、とても国際的な顔ぶれでした。句会の素晴らしい作品を掲載しますので、是非ご覧ください。

Must Read Article About Japanese Earthquake, Heroism, and Suffering - English translation in text

Original article, with photo, can be found here:
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/politics/news/110329/lcl11032913240000-n1.htm

English Translation:

East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami:
Female Worker Gives Life Broadcasting Emergency Information Until the Last Second
- Mother of the young woman, who was making preparations for her upcoming wedding ceremony: “She gave everything for us.”-

March 29, 2011   13:19

She single-mindedly continued to broadcast evacuation information, telling people to evacuate to higher ground and escape the incoming tsunami wave that followed the massive quake that shook the town.  Miki Endo (24) was the civil servant in charge of Disaster Information Broadcasting in Miyagi Prefecture’s Minami Sanriku, one of the towns devastated by the tsunami that followed the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011.  Her whereabouts are still unknown.  “She always gave her all, in whatever she was doing.  But to give her life like this...,” her mother’s voice trembles with sorrow and regret.  Ms. Endo had been making preparations for her wedding ceremony this autumn.

Kagawa Prefecture's 6th Henro Pilgrimage Experience

On Sunday November 14, 2010, Kagawa's International Affairs Division held the 6th Henro Experience for International Residents and Visitors.  We returned to the route of the inaugural experience from three years earlier - the beautiful Goshikidai Plateau in Sakaide.

Three years ago, we traveled through the plateau's lush greenery on a suprisingly hot late spring day.  This time, we enjoyed the cool weather of late fall and the stunning foliage of the autumn leaves surrounding us.  Though we walked the exact same path on each experience, the change in the atmosphere between the two was truly a testament to the power of nature and the beauty of its seasonal changes.

Sakaide Fall Matsuri

                                  (Photo courtesy of Justin Bussies)

Continuing the proud Sakaide Festival Tradition, we set out on October 17th (in a large group of two!!) to haul a two-ton o-mikoshi (portable festival shrine) around town again with a friendly team of locals.  This time, the main event was a massive gathering in front of the Hachiman Shrine.  There was something quite powerful and cultural about lifting the o-mikoshi here.  Beer and karage (fried chicken) helped fuel the festivities!

                                  (Photo courtesy of Justin Bussies)

Teshima Island Art Trip

As we set out to enjoy the Setouchi International Art Festival at its halfway point, the perfect weather on this day was both a blessing and a curse: it brought a nice comfortable day of exploration around Teshima, but it also brought a slew of other people to the island with us.  However, the waiting in line for boats, busses, food, etc. was all well worth it.  The art and the surrounding nature on Teshima were gorgeous!

                                  (Photo courtesy of Julia Mace)

Our group of 13 foreign and local residents hopped the boat from Takamatsu to Teshima and arrived at the teeming port of Ieura.  We enjoyed the art at the port and then managed to get our whole group on the bus and to the Kou Area on the island's south side.  Over the course of the day, we made our way around the whole island, and conquered a majority of Teshima's artwork..

Among the highlights of the day were:

Cameron Robbins's "Sea-Songs of the Subconscious" in which the sea's waves were mysteriously transmitted through an overturned boat to become a sadly beautiful F-minor chord wafting through the air.

                                  (Photo courtesy of Kurt Nepogoda)

Sakaide Summer Matsuri

Our intrepid band of foreign residents ventured to Sakaide, where we donned happi coats and hachimaki headbands and then proceeded to heft two tons worth of o-mikoshi (a portable festival shrine) for the better part of the evening.

The highlight of the night was when we gathered at Sakaide Station for the festival finale.  People thronged from all over, spilling out of the shopping arcade, the nearby SATY, and the neighboring houses.  The train platform was full of lookers-on as well.

At around 8 p.m., all 11 teams gathered in the station plaza and hoisted their massive o-mikoshi together.  It was spectacular to watch the other teams literally throw their two-ton shrines up in the air...and it was terrifying when our own team did the same! However, everyone emerged from the nigh uscathed, and after we toted our shrine back to the gathering spot, we were treated with some delicious food and some much appreciated libations!.

The 5th Henro Pilgrimage Experience Blessed with Gorgeous Weather!

On Saturday April 24, 2010, the cloudy skies, with their threat of rain, opened up on us as we reached the summit of our trek and the day's main destination, Iyadaniji Temple.  On the 5th Henro Pilgrimage Experience for Foreign Residents and Visitors, we hiked from our initial point of Motoyamaji Temple through 11 km of the low, rolling hills of Mitoyo City, all the way up to the top of Mt. Kengozan (in whose folds Iyadaniji Temple is secretly tucked away), and then  7 more km to the coast and Kaiganji Station.  The walk was invigorating, the weather was beautiful, and the experience as Shikoku henro pilgrims was as spiritual as ever.

Purifying our hearts, minds, and bodies before entering the temple.

See more great photos of the trek after the jump!

Bond Night Party a Big Success!

On March 27th, this year's first Bond Night Party was held at the 007 Muesum on Naoshima Island, with the Ishii Brothers, Jeremy Lanig, and Danny and Lindsay Boots performing a terrific live set.  International visitors and local island residents alike enjoyed the festivities while soaking in the 007 atmosphere.  All the energy created by the party will certainly help the prefecture in its bid to get the next James Bond movie to be filmed on Naoshima Island!

A packed house cheers on the musical groups.

3rd Kagawa English Haiku Gathering Held at Ritsurin Garden

On March 28, 2010, we held the 3rd Kagawa English Haiku Gathering at the Kikugetsu-tei Teahouse in Ritsurin Garden.  Four participants from foreign countries and five Kagawa citizens participated.  After learning about the basics of haiku from Fumiko Hara-sensei, the Vice-President of the Kagawa Branch of the Association of Haiku Poets, we then composed English-language haiku poems together while enjoying the beautiful view of the cherry blossoms out in the garden.

Please enjoy the haiku selected by all of the participants as the best poems of the Gathering!

Selected Works from the 3rd Kagawa English Haiku Gathering:

Takamatsu City Art Museum and the "Metamorphose" Exhibit

The Art of Art
by Pat Scanlon

In my pre Takamatsu existence, I was once an education officer in a government art gallery and have kept up a life-long interest in the visual arts all my life. One of the pleasant surprises Takamatsu City has to offer is a very beautiful multi-storied monolith that is the city’s gallery. This building is an exercise in modern, clean design and one of the most visitor- friendly galleries I’ve ever been to. Walking in the entrance the natural light and spaciousness of the first floor is immediately calming and beautiful. Alright, OK, so lots of people just go to the annexes there to sit in the Miles Van der Rhoe ‘Barcelona chairs’ and snooze away the afternoons. But it looks a pretty attractive and cool idea to wile away a summer's lunchtime if you ask me …

Times: 9:30~7:00 weekdays. 9:30~5:00 weekends and holidays.

The Third Kagawa English Haiku Gathering

On March 28th (the day following our World of Artists and 007 Events) we will be holding our third Kagawa English Haiku Gathering to commemorate the beginning of the cherry blossom season. This will be the second time that this semiannual event will be held in Ritsurin Garden’s Kikugetsu-tei Teahouse.  This is a rare and wonderful chance to experience writing haiku poetry, one of Japan’s most prized literary traditions, as you enjoy the view of Ritsurin’s beautiful landscapes and cherry blossoms from the exquisitely designed space of the Kikugetsu-tei.    

Date and time:
Sunday March 28th, 13:00 to 15:30

Location:
Kikugetsu-tei Teahouse, Ritsurin Garden

Cost:
Entrance to Ritsurin Garden (400 yen) + Entrance to Kikugetsu-tei (500 yen)
[Pay each fee at the respective entrances to the garden and teahouse.  Entrance fee for Kikugetsu-tei includes matcha tea and sweets]

Special Guest Lecturer:
Ms. Fumiko Hara, Vice Chairperson, Kagawa Branch, Haiku Poets Association


Application:
Please apply by e-mailing kfunet@gmail.com by Friday March 19, 2010.
This event is limited to the first 10 people who reply, so please apply as soon as possible.

Other:
Before the haiku event, we will be distributing a list of important terms and useful haiku vocabulary to all participants.  If you would like to bring haiku poems that you have composed before hand, you are welcome to do so.  However, no prior experience or prior preparation is necessary.  Please bring the vocabulary list, a notebook, and a pen or pencil to the event.

Daffodil Festival on Ogijima!!

Come and enjoy  sights and fragrances of thousands of daffodils
blowing in the island winds on Ogijima!





Details:
Daffodil Festival on Ogijima
Date: Sunday, February 14, 2010
Time: 8:00am - 2:00pm
Location: Ogijima (Takamatsu)
Ogi's website - http://ww8.tiki.ne.jp/~ogi-island/

Join our Marugame International Marathon Participant Salute

We are running a salute to all of the foreign residents and visitors who completed the Marugame International Half Marathon on Sunday February 7, 2010. If you finished the Half Marathon and would like to be included in the salute on our blog page, please write to kfunet@gmail.com with the following information:

First name:
Impressions of the race:
Current town of residence:
Half Marthon Time (optional):
Did you reach your goal for the race: yes/no (optional)
Photographs (optional):

Please write with your information by Monday Feb. 15th! The profiles will be uploaded next week, so be sure to check out our blog, k-funet.blogspot.com!

K-FUN Event: Bond Night Party!!!

 

A night of food, drinks, music...and 007!!!  As we continue our efforts to attract to Kagawa Prefecture the filming of the next James Bond, we hope that you will join us on Naoshima for this "spy-tacular" event!

Date and time:       
Saturday March 27, 2010, 15:30 - 20:00

Location:              
007 Museum, Naoshima (near the Marine Station Naoshima at Miyanoura  Port)

Musical Acts:
Ishii Brothers
Danny and Lindsay Boots
Jeremy Lanig