Today the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west.
September 23rd.
We call this day "Shuubun no hi", Fall Equinox Day, a Japan's national holiday.
We also call this day "Higan no chuunichi" because this day is in the middle of higan, a week-long Buddhist ceremony. Higan means the next world for Buddhists.
As we believe the spirits of ancestors return to this world during higan, we visit our family graves, clean them, offer flowers and burn incense to show respect to ancestors and commemorate the deceased.
You can see (
with PC,
with Mobile Phone) what happened today around me in Koromogawa, next to Hiraizumi, next to Ichinoseki, where I visited my family graves.
You may not read my Japanese poetry with a 5-7-5 syllable but you can enjoy pictures I took today.
