Yesterday I headed out to find some more kimono material for Stefnee as she said she is looking for more. She has a slight fabric addiction, you see.....
I went over to the recycle shop across Fukui (toward Sabae) where I collected most of the kimono that people purchased for the Cam2PR Fund. I was looking for some summery yukata (light cotton colourful kimono worn during the summers) but did not find the colourful ones at this store. I did go to another store and found them for sale there, but they were a higher price and were in such a condition that people would purchase them, and wear them, not cut them up into fabric.
If you would like to take a look at all of the eight kimono I found for Stefnee, please visit my Flickr page. You can access a slide show of the kimono here.
In addition to kimono, Stefnee and others have told me that they love my little garden tanuki and that they want on. I have been searching high and low for a plastic one in stores, recycle shops, home and garden centers, even on Yahoo Auction but I can only seem to find tanuki made of pottery. These are generally too heavy to ship overseas (unless anyone wants a pottery one and then I'm happy to get one off of the auctions for you!) and thus I have been searching for a plastic one. The strangest thing is that nobody believes I actually own one; they have never heard of a plastic garden tanuki!
Yesterday when I visited the recycle shop where I usually get kimono and other gifts for people for Christmas, etc. what did I happen to lay my eyes on? A REAL Live Stuffed Tanuki for sale!!!
Holy Moly! I just had to take a photo of this because I've never seen a stuffed one before!
If you would like to learn a lot more on the folklore of the tanuki, please look to Wikipedia. The images, and the descriptions are quite enjoyable. Also, I think (not 100% sure) that there is a tale of the tanuki in the Japanese Fairy Tales book that I left with Stefnee to read to her children. If there is one in there, and if you ask her, I am sure she will give you a video reading!
I just had to share this photo with you because, to me, this kind of "find" really shows you some things about traditional Japan. For any of you who want to come and visit, I will be sure to give you many more exciting jaw-dropping experiences while you are here! You will not leave Japan disappointed, and that is my guarantee to you!
I love you!
Cam
P.S. You will notice that real tanuki do not have the monstrous testicles that the mythical ones seem to possess... I get the feeling that the mythical tanuki was invented by men with "insecurity issues"... wouldn't you say?
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