Category: Japan

  • HAPPY MIDSUMMER

    It is Summer Solstice. Do you celebrate, and how? Japanese June is quite rainy, very different from Europe and USA.Not much sun, yet very very humid.Which prevents us from celebrate the day as a festival.However, at Ise ([ise]), Wakayama prefecture, where AmaTeras [amateras] the Goddess of the Sun is worshiped, holds an important festival on…

  • Japanese Spring with Plum Blossoms

    Japanese Spring with Plum Blossoms

    Before anything, I must express my heart filled with sorrow for the people in Ukraine.I am against any form of violence.Though I know violence is quite a main and entertaining part of performing arts, the reason I am in the perfroming art is to make the world peaceful. By saying that, today, I am going…

  • Tenkawa Dai BenzaiTen

    Travel Japan with ELICA MIWA. This is a very rare place. Not many people, even a Japanese, actually visit, for the place is located really deep in the mountains in deep Nara. It is TenKawa Dai BenZaiTen Shrine.This shrine is the head of all shrines for performing arts!(BenZaiTen is the name of the god of…

  • Plum Blossoms in Odawara

    Plum Blossoms in Odawara

    Before I deliver this blog, I must share my deep sorrow and prayer for UKRAINE who suffer without a reason. I cannot pretend as if  nothing is happening and write my usual blog. But at the same time, one may need to stay calm and bless the world. Though the wind and politics are savage,…

  • Enjoy Soothing Sunset of Japan

    Hello from ELICA MIWA.I have just made a video clip of a beautiful sunset scene in Japan. Filmed at the ancient part of Nara. It is very soothing. I hope you enjoy watching it, probably before going to sleep. For actors, suitable for after acting on stage, too, to bring your soul back to normal…

  • The Oldest Shrines in Japan:  Miwa Jinja

    The Oldest Shrines in Japan: Miwa Jinja

    Do you know the oldest shrine in Japan?It is Miwa Jinja in Nara. (“Jinja” means “shrine”.)As you might have guessed, my name is given from this shrine.Last summer in Japan, the pandemic eased down for a few months, and I took the opportunity to visit there.Enjoy watching!

  • AshiNo-Ko, Lake at Hakone

    AshiNo-Ko, Lake at Hakone

    You may have heard of Mt. Fuji.There is another great sightseeing spot near Mt Fuji called Hakone. The Name Hakone is the name of an active volcano and there is a huge crater lake called AshiNo.We Japanese call it as AshiNo-Ko.“Ashi” is “reed”.”No” is “of”.”Ko” is “lake”.Yes, the lake of reed, Reed Lake. How to…

  • Tanzawa Lake and Japanese Farm House Life

    Tanzawa Lake and Japanese Farm House Life

    One cloudy day, I went to TanZawa Lake. It provides water for Kanagawa prefecture. You can only approach by car, which means theare are not so many people there. That means the air is crisp and clean. The atmosphere is quite different from Okutama Lake of Tokyo, though Okutama is also beautiful and clean. How…

  • Red & Golden Autumn

    Red & Golden Autumn

    Why Do I Write Travel Blog? Acting is about looking inside yourself. We actors (and directors and writers) need to experience as much as possible, as long as it is safe and nobody gets hurt. This is why I put travel diary in my Zen Acting blog. Though you may see me just having fun,…

  • Kawamata River High Bridge

    Kawamata River High Bridge

    Another beautiful Japanese autumn view spot.When you go visit the beautiful DoRyu Waterfall, don’t forget to put your step onto a long and high bridge of Kawamata River. The deep valley overlooking the river Kawamata at the bottom, you are surrounded by the beautiful multi colored hills.The bridge is settled at the very high point and…