Indigo dyeing and goldfish

Frames of goldfish scoops with indigo-dyed papers as ornaments

Yamato-koriyama City, several minutes train ride from the Nara Park area,

 is a small town with the Koriyama Castle as its center.

Two of the specialties of the town is indigo-dyeing and goldfish cultivation.

The area with a stream running down along the main street used to be 

full of dye houses.

You can try indigo-dyeing at the Konya, the indigo-dyeing studio 

which was renovated from the oldest house in the city.
How about dyeing handkerchief or stole with your own indigo blue?

Yamato-koriyama City is one of the top goldfish-producing cities of Japan.

Goldfish were mainly raised by almost jobless samurai warriors as their sideline business

during the mid-Edo period (18.19C).

The improved species were exhibited at a U.S. trade fair in the early 20th century 
to become a worldly-known industry of Yamato-koriyama.

Goldfish scooping, a popular feature at summer festivals, has become

"Goldfish Scooping World Championship" held every August.

Don't you feel bizarre to watch at the live goldfish dancing in an old TV set?
A public telephone booth is another unique goldfish tank in this town.

Goldfish motif is widely seen around the city.

 Summer heat is still lingering with autumn in the air.
It's great walking up a good sweat.
Perfectly lovely when I indulge myself with some refreshments after the walks.
Chestnut sweets are my favorites this season.

a cake, chestnuts and custard cream wrapped in the crepe
a "manjyu", chestnuts and smashed red beans wrapped in dough of grated yam and rice

Until next time!

Linked to Mosaic Monday

Art Aquarium of Goldfish at the Nijyo-jyo

Nijyo-jyo (Nijyo Castle since 1603) used to be the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Shogunate.  Its Ninomaru Palace was the stage of “Taisei Hokan (1867)”, the declaration of the returning the authority to the Imperial Court by the last Shogunate. The next year the Imperial Cabinet was installed in the castle.

To commemorate the 150^th anniversary of the Restoration of Imperial Rule, Art Aquarium Castle is held in the garden of Honmaru Palace inside the inner walls, which is not open to the public usually.  The Hommaru Palace Garden is transformed into a magical world with large scale installation of art aquarium of goldfish, light, and sound.

The main star is thousands of Goldfish.

The ambience is totally Japonism.

Movement of goldfish, their shadows, light of changing colors, and projection mapping create the phantasmagorical sequences of the folding screen.

Concave, convex, double, and other various lenses are put to an aquarium.

The fish swimming inside are seen small, big, double, or distorted, which creates a mysterious world.

Here is a kaleidoscope of goldfish.

Edo-Kiriko (since 1824) cut glasses are used as fish bowls.  

Edo-Kiriko is authentic Japanese craft made with traditional technique.  

Clear colors and delicate patterns are cut into glass.

There are many various different varieties of goldfish.

I wondered why these are named 頂天眼/ Celestial Eye.
Because their eyes are always gazing at the sky?

There is lymph in the bubble-like cornea of 水泡眼/Bubble Eye.

Most of the aquarium is polyhedron to make use of refraction effect.
The main aquarium, 18-sided polyhedron, shines like a diamond in illumination.
It is surrounded by the terraced goldfish tanks.

Surreal goldfish universe!

The reflections in the rippled water is also fascinating.

Gold fish is a popular pet like tropical fish.
I would have them in a glass bowl with loving care and attention at home.
To watch them swimming in a bowl was relaxing and peaceful.

At the Art Aquarium, I found them mesmerizing, enchanting, and even psychederic
 in a riot of color.

Weekend Reflections
Mosaic Monday