More Heads, More Theories, Funny Story & Sudden Travel ✈️ (Patreon)

Hey hey 🖐️🖐️, Everyone~

I'm revisiting the Mai Kubi / Dancing Heads because so many good thoughts.

First, Dave! Thank you, you mentioned it first: do they have any connection with the Kashira (Heads) in Spirited Away. I don't know. But I would think so. I mean, it kind of makes sense. Mizuki Hayao would absolutely be familiar with these old works. Maybe a little nod to the Mai-kubi?

Then next, DollarRain also mentioned something I read and didn't write in the last post, but probably should have. Does everyone know what the mitsudomoe / 三つ巴 symbol is? It kind of a comma-shaped swirl design. Yeah. What does that look like?

The mitsudomoe is strongly associated with things like warrior culture, Hachiman shrines, and even used as a talisman for fire protection. It's thought to be an image resembling swirling water or as Meiji Jingū says: it derives from the image of a water vortex.

Now you have the Mai-kubi that are basically three heads that "dance" or chase each other circling around and around in the water. And, yes! they do somewhat look like a human mitsudomoe, but they also create those little rotating swirls as they fight. It's also said that by day the Mai-kubi create tomoe-shaped waves on the surface of the sea, by night the seawater looks like blood. Because of this an area of deep sea at Manzaru (Kanagawa Prefecture) has been named "tomoe ga fuchi / 巴が淵." A fuchi is a deep (abyss) place in water (ocean or rivers).

It's also said if you see mitsudomoe-shaped waves it's bad luck and fishermen and sailors would stay out of the water for fear of shipwrecks or other catastrophes.

Lots of questions, but it makes me wonder if the images in Ehon Hyakumonogatari are something like what Toriyama Sekien used to do...draw a cool picture, add a slice of a story, and the whole thing is actually kind of a pun, wordplay, or visual jokes. Everything had double meanings and layers.

Now for something completely different...

The Story -- Plastic Garbage Day

And now let me tell you a something that happened to me that started off badly but ended goodly.

Plastic recyclable garbage is on Thursdays. So last Thursday morning, early, I walked down the street to drop my little bag into the net-covered box. An older man was just leaving as I was arriving and he was giving me the old up and down glare. Who dragged that into the neighborhood? I mean, it was early and it's not like I dressed up to take out the trash. So, yeah, I get it.

But he kept looking back over his shoulder angrily as I approached and put my trash in the container. He didn't seem very happy seeing me there. Whatever. I watched him go inside and walked my merrily way home.

But, just as I get to the driveway, some guy comes up behind me on a bicycle. It's him. Like perfect timing, too. I'm just turning into the property, as he slows down and starts mumbling, and staring, and mumbling.

Now. I have this huge character flaw. It's a long story that comes from childhood, but if I ever feel like I'm being cornered or really unfairly "attacked," I get a little (lot) defensive. So instead of continuing on my way and just ignoring him, I stopped, turned, and confronted him.

Oh gee. <-- my rational brain is telling me.

He was still muttering under his breath. So I walked toward him and asked if I could help him with anything.

Oh gee.

And he's peeved. And I'm peeved. So he asks: Who are you and why do you live here? This isn't going to end well, I think. But I take a breath and start to explain a little. I live here. I'm cleaning up and stuff. And then he says: This is Ko-chan's house. Why are you in Ko-chan's house?

The clouds part, the sun comes out.

Ko-chan is the super friendly nickname for my father-in-law. It's what all his friends and family called him. I immediately lighten up and say, yes, yes!

And then suddenly we start chatting like we're old friends. Turns out he's not only a "distant relative" his father use to work with my father-in-law at the kamaboko (fish cakes) plant and, oh boy, we're just chatting away about EVERYTHING. He knew a lot about the family but not that the oldest son married a foreigner. He said, how did I not know that? But he kept asking my name and repeating it to remember. By the end of the conversation, we're waving bye to each other and stop by anytime, I will, so nice to meet you.

He also said something that was heartening, actually. I told you my ex husband wants to tear down the house and sell the land as soon as he can. Well, my new friend said it's too beautiful a house to do that (I agree), and it would cost tens of thousands of dollars just to tear it down and haul it all away. Also, no one is buying houses or land in this area. Other people have been trying to sell for years. Nothing.

So, that's good! For me at least. Maybe. I have no control over it. But if he said: It's a buyer's market, I would have been depressed.

~~~

We had an insane thunder and lightning story blow through. I went out the next morning and took a photo.

Also...Julyan and Kaho-chan asked me to visit them for a couple days. Weird. They are super busy. But they went and bought me tickets and everything. Yes. I'm nervous. Very nervous. What the what? I'm leaving in a couple hours.

And ironically enough (because this is how my luck likes to work itself out), I got the final pdf of the Dark Tales from Japan book. Just now, a few minutes ago. Only I can't log in to open the file. Something wrong with the permissions. But I only have a couple days to read the whole thing and flag any small changes AND she said she had to make a handful of line cuts and I'm REALLY worried about what she cut. There were some stories she wanted to cut things that were absolutely integral to the story...so I'm cold sweating over here, trying to log in, can't, think I've tried so many times I'm probably blocked, email her, but it's night there and no way she's online. And I'm leaving in two hours for a whirlwind trip...😭😑. But I guess I'll have two days after I get back to try and get the file and do a super focused read. Let's hope the news from Hokkaido isn't something that will throw me for loop and I CAN concentrate. Life is nuts.

Here. I finally got to get shaved ice (kakigōri). It's a summer treat and really one of the best things about summer in Japan. I've been so busy, I haven't been able to get out and have one. Strawberry sauce with strawberry bits and condensed milk.

Itte kimasu~~! Off to Hokkaido...I'll share photos if I run across anything interesting.

XOOX,

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