On December 9th and 12th of 1531, the Virgin Mary appeared twice to an Aztec Christian convert, Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. She has asked him to build a shrine dedicated to her on the site of her apparition, the Tepeyac Hill. When San Juan Diego approached the bishop on the second time to approve the construction of the church, the image of the Virgin Mary revealed to be imprinted in his tilma, a poncho-like cloak made of cactus fiber.
Who Is Yoko Gushiken?
Yoko Gushiken is a former Japanese professional boxer who held the WBA Light Flyweight champion title for 6 years (1976 to 1981) and defended it for 13 times. Having a professional record of 23 wins-1 loss with 15 knock-outs, he was known by his nickname “Kanmuriwashi” (Fierce Eagle).
“Art To Thinking, Art To Talking” Exhibit
The “Art to thinking, Art to talking” exhibit runs at the Hokkaidoritsu Obihiro Bijutsukan (Art Museum) showing contemporary art pieces from Seiji Yamagishi, Toshihiko Shibuya, Narumi Hiroshi Makoto, Midori Ikeda and others.
Kofu Castle Ruins
Kofu Castle Ruins is located at the Kofu City, the capital of the Yamanashi prefecture.The construction of the 400 years old Kofu Castle was ordered by the general and politician Toyotomi Hideyoshi after the fall of the feudal Takeda clan beginning in 1583. After the Battle of Sekigahara which established the Tokugawa Shogunate, the Kofu Castle was then controlled by the Tokugawa family.
Bongeunsa Temple
At the heart of the lavish Gangnam is the Buddhist temple known as Bongeunsa Temple. The Bongeunsa temple was built in 794 with the former name as Gyeonseongsa Temple at the north of the COEX building. It was founded by the monk Yeon-hoe during the 10th year of Silla King Weongseong’s reign.
Ishigaki Island
Ishigaki Island is one of the Yaeyama islands about 400 km from Okinawa. This makes it nearer to the Republic of China with about 300 km from the northeastern coast of Taiwan.
Dragon And Tiger Pagodas Of Kaohsiung
The Dragon and Tiger Pagodas is a temple located at the Lotus Lake in Zuoying District of Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. Consists of two 6-storey towers, one with a dragon entrance and the other with a tiger, it was said that it will bring good luck to visitors if they enter through the dragon’s mouth and exit out of the tiger’s mouth.
Flashnote: Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival
Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival is a small ice festival held in Shikotsuko Onsen, Chitose City located south of Sapporo. The festival place is located near the Yamasen iron bridge. There’s an entrance fee-donation of 300 yen to enter the festival. The ice sculptures were made from the water of the Lake Shikotsu which is famous for being one of the clearest water in Japan.
Flashnote: 67th Sapporo Snow Festival
Last year’s Star Wars snow sculpture was awesome but this year’s Shingeki No Kyojin is also cool. The sculpture featured the gigantic man-eating humanoid together with Sapporo’s very own Akarenga (Former Hokkaido government building) and Sapporo Clock Tower.
Prelude To Sapporo Snow Festival
Considered as one of the largest and most distinctive winter event, the Sapporo Snow Festival is held annually for a week in February (usually during the 1st to 2nd week). There are 3 main sites of the festival: Odori Park where the large snow sculptures are displayed, Susukino with the ice sculptures and Tsudome with the giant snow slides.
A Tinge Of Setsubun
Japanese celebrate Setsubun by throwing soybeans either out the door or at a person wearing an Oni (demon or ogre) mask. This is done to ward off evil spirits that bring misfortune and bad health. This custom known as mamemaki was originally introduced by the Chinese during the 8th century.
Hokkaido’s Penchant For Taxidermy
Either you are at a university or a museum, a park or a resting area, a restaurant or a souvenir shop located in Hokkaido, you will definitely notice at least one taxidermied animal. Their fondness to taxidermy is very obvious, with the basic reason of showcasing the animals native to Hokkaido.
Amoj In Wanderland 