Work In Progress Wednesday

Yesterday (July 30th) was World Embroidery Day, which began in 2011 as a day to celebrate stitching. I hope you were able to stitch to your heart's content! 

Now, on to this week's progress --

Clover Cutter Cover and Fob

 Japanese Pattern 16 

Christmas Treasures Afghan progress

Sardinian Filet

Grapes, Seiwa Temple, Raikoji Temple, and Yamahachiman Shrine

As I was walking between the temples and shrines I was visiting, I saw many grapes growing. Grapes in the stores where I live are quite expensive.  I see why! Each bunch of grapes hanging down are protected.

Some places even have scarecrows.

I found these three places as I was walking toward the train station. Maybe they aren't so famous, but still very impressive to me.

Seiwa Temple

Raikoji Temple

Yamahachiman Shrine

Monday Morning Star Count

 The new project progress

Progress on the bedcover quilting

Man Arrested for Putting Glue in Women's Hair

There are quite a few crazy crime stories in the news in Japan. This one is disgusting. A twenty-five year old Nagoya man was arrested for putting glue in women's hair, pretending it was bird poop, in order to pick them up. How crazy is that? 

The suspect walked up to a woman in her 30's on the street and asked directions. As she helped him, he squirted glue in her hair and alerted her to it.  He told her it looked like a bird pooped on her. According to police, he admitted to doing this to women about 10 times since last March in order to "get an opportunity to pick them up". 

I understand it can be hard to meet people, and there's a high chance of being rejected, but really, this isn't the way to do it! Maybe being arrested will make him reconsider his approach to finding a date.

Toko-ji Temple

After visiting Zenko-ji, I walked about ten minutes to arrive at Toko-ji Temple.

This is the information from the temple's website: 

A temple with a beautiful Japanese rock garden

One of the "Kofu Gozan" ("five mountains of Kofu"), a hierarchical system following the one used to organize Buddhist temples in Kyoto and Kamakura, in which Takeda Shingen chose five temples on the slopes of the Kofu basin to be placed under his protection.

Toko-ji was founded around 500 years ago and houses the graves of both Shingen’s eldest son Yoshinobu and Suwa Yorishige (whose daughter gave birth to Shingen’s last son and heir, Katsuyori). After rebelling against his father, Yoshinobu was imprisoned in the temple, where he eventually died by his own blade. Suwa Yorishige was captured and imprisoned there as well following Shingen’s invasion of Suwa, and also committed suicide by seppuku. 

Within the temple’s precincts is a rock garden famously designed by Lanxi Daolong, designated as an prefectural cultural property, that is especially beautiful when the irises are in bloom (May). The temple’s main hall enshrines the "medicine Buddha" Bhaisajyaguru and is considered an important national asset.

These tiny cats and tiny wind chime are so cute!

Friday Finish - Snowman Pillow

I finished the stitching on this last September as part of my Summer One Thread a Week Challenge.  I knew I wanted to finish it into a pillow, but I procrastinated. I'm happy it is now finished and am pleased with it. The pillow form can be removed by the flap in the back.

Zenko-ji Temple

Zenko-ji is about a 15 minute walk from Zenkoji Station, in Kofu. It is open from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm and admission to the main hall is 500 yen.

The main hall of Zenkoji is the largest wooden structure in Eastern Japan. The temple gate and statue of Amitabha Tathagata have been designated important cultural properties. 

This is the view from the gate.

I couldn't take photos inside, but it was interesting and very very old.  There were many cultural treasures.