Sonos in Japan 2009: Kiriku and Hie Jinja

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Last week a number of Sonosians had the great pleasure to see Kiriku, the latest ensemble started by Japanese handbell superstar Taiko Otsubo, a protege of Kodama. The concert was at the same hall (Hamarikyu) we had been in just a few days before! They had a *great* audience - their single event netted almost as large an audience as our *two* concerts. :/ We also learned from them to offer to sign autographs after the concert - brings in a *huge* crowd of people! I guess the Japanese love personalized stuff; good for us. We now sign autographs after every concert.

As always, the playing was superb and intensely personal and musical. They set an amazing standard for any handbell ensemble, small or full. This was a special concert as it was one of the first they played *without* Taiko, who had recently had her third (and cutest) baby, Yuan - she and Michitaka's first girl. Taiko did a little playing, but it was mostly entirely covered by the other members of Kiriku.

Here's a group picture after the concert:

A close-up of Taiko, Michitaka, their baby Yuan, Ryoko, Eri, Michele, and (argh!):

Yoshimichi headed us out to lunch, aiming at a fish market district not far from the concert hall. Seen on a menu:

(God knows what this is!)

After lunch we decided to head to a shrine in Tokyo (Nagata-cho, specifically), the Hie Jinja. It became the official shrine of the shogunate after Tokugawa Ieyasu moved it within his new capitol complex in Edo. Here's the main shrine building:

The shrine is home to a major festival on my birthday (June 15th)! Sorry I won't be around to attend. :/ The central courtyard contained a straw ring suspended vertically. Apparently stepping through it has something to do with my birthday ceremony. The man in white is a monk at the shrine: