Awara Onsen Geisha center destroyed by fire.

A man walks scene of burn Geisha center. Japan,One of most famous Geisha performance centers and training places - about 200 square meters of wooden building, was totally destroyed by firein the early morning on Wednesday, 26th May at Awara Onsen Fukui prefecture, about 350 kilometers west of Tokyo in Japan. 

Japan,One of most famous Geisha performance centers and training places - about 200 square meters of wooden building, was totally destroyed by firein the early morning on Wednesday, 26th May at Awara Onsen Fukui prefecture, about 350 kilometers west of Tokyo in Japan.

They estimated over 10 million Yen (11,054 US$) damage by burn that amount including Geisha performer’s traditional costume (Kimono), headdress and instrument.

The Geisha entertainment center and training place locates hot spring resort city of Awara in Fukui prefecture. Awara Geisha performance center held a special event for the tourist to make them familiar with Geisha performance.

Geisha is a traditional Japanese artist-entertainer and one of a symbol of Japanese culture they entertains customers singing, dancing and playing instruments.

‘Gei' means arts or performances and ‘Sha’ means people in Japanese. Geisha were most popular in the 18th and 19th centuries in Japan.

Geisha in Awara Onsen have more than 120 year-old history. It uses to be very popular and there were more than 250 Geisha. However, now the number decreased grammatically up to 20, because people lifestyles have been changed and reduced opportunities for Geisha.

All Right @ Buddhika Weerasinghe

Baka Bayashi, Traditional Japanese drums performance festival.

Japanese man beats Taiko drums and performance during the Baka Bayashi festival in Fukui city, Japan, May 24,2010.

Japanese man beats Taiko drums and performance during the
Baka Bayashi festival in Fukui city, Japan, May 24,2010.

Baka Bayashi, Japanese men wear traditional costumes with fixed particular Noh masks beating on the Taiko drums and performance folk music, that festival held every year end of the May  at Fukui city in Japan.

Traditional Taiko drums performance weared masks have variety of expressions as well as some performances are beating on Taiko drums make comical sound by mouth.

Japanese man beats Taiko drums and performance during the
Baka Bayashi festival inFukui city, Japan, May 24,2010. 

Japanese man beats Taiko drums and performance during the
Baka Bayashi festival inFukui city, Japan, May 24,2010.

Japanese man beats Taiko drums and performance during the
Baka Bayashi festival inFukui city, Japan, May 24,2010.

Japanese childres beat Taiko drums and performance during the
Baka Bayashi festival inFukui city, Japan, May 24,2010.All Right @ Buddhika Weerasinghe

Dolls of historical Japanese float.

Mikuni Matsuri Festival is one of the biggest annual festival in Fukui prefecture. Huge paper dolls of historical Japanese figures carried on the six carts by people around the narrow street of Mikuni city. People wear traditional Japanese costume and towing the carts through the narrow roads that is so hard but every one enjoying with pulling the carts.

Mikuni Matsuri Festival is one of the biggest annual festival in Fukui prefecture. Huge paper dolls of historical Japanese figures carried on the six carts by people around the narrow street of Mikuni city. People wear traditional Japanese costume and towing the carts through the narrow roads that is so hard but every one enjoying with pulling the carts.

This festival holding conduct is unclear but more than 250 years history have been Mikuni Matsuri Festival. About 5.5 meters height dolls carrying by each cart. Those carts towing by people wearing different costume and playing different Japanese traditional music.
Mikuni Matsuri Festival takes place from 19th to 21st of May. Many visitors especially attract to visit on 20th May and thousand of people come to visit Mikuni Matsuri Festival on that day.

All Right @ Buddhika Weerasinghe

Japan reactive controversial nuclear reactor 14 years after.

Japanese peace and human right activists together protest against to Japan’s Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA)decision of controversial "fast-breeder" Monju nuclear reactor14 years after the plant was shut down following a liquid of sodium leaked and fire in 1995.

Japanese peace and human right activists together protest against to Japan’s Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA)decision of controversial "fast-breeder" Monju nuclear reactor reactive 14 years after, the plant was shut down following a liquid of sodium leaked and fire in 1995.That fast breeder Monju nuclear reactor suspended four months after start-up in August 1995 and today morning 10.30 restarted to operation.

Two organizations of right activists separate time morning and afternoon protest against to restarted "fast-breeder" Monju nuclear reactor. Fukui Kenmin Kagi joint right organization about 30 activists held protest rally and march to entrance of Monju then later hand over the petition and appeal suspend the operation of Monju.
Shrasaka Kzyhe, activist of “No more Hiroshima, No more Nagasaki Action” organization said, “Why they use 98% plutonium? We think they try to make nuclear bomb power of their politics. Five of members of their organization come from Tokyo and Toyama protest and strongly condemned of Japan Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and reactive Monju.
Japan police person more than protesters guard and arrange tight security around the Monju in land and see. As well as  some additional police officers without uniform too facilitate  to  security for Monju.

The fast breeder Monju reactor locates in Shiraki coastal town, Tsuruga, Fukui prefecture about 350 kilometers northwest of Tokyo in Japan. Shiraki is small coastal village and few people live in that village lack of facilities most of people shift to town. Each day have five public transport buses from Tsuruga station to village from morning to evening. Nothing any shop in the village. How ever around that village environment is making beautiful by mountain range and beach. Opposite the village brow of the mountain of see Monju located.

Anyone of Shiraki village didn’t joint protest and their accept Monju. But out of the village some people worried about security and safety of them and country.

Fukui Governor Issei Nishikawa gave his approval on 26th April to the resumption of operation of the prototype fast-breeder Monju reactor during the meeting with central government Ministers of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Tatsuo Kawabata; and Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Masayuki Naoshima in Tokyo. Local media reported JAEA firstly planned to resume operation of Monju end of March 2010. But it delayed Fukui prefecture government demanded from central government clearly promises to implement certain situation measure including extending Shinkansen bullet train into the Fukui prefecture.

All Right @ Buddhika Weerasinghe

Eco-friendly paddy cultivates in Japan.

Japanese farmers planting paddy in their paddy-field at Fukui city, about 320 kilometers from Tokyo, Japan. Fukui has cultivates rice and variety of agricultural food.

Fukui prefecture’s Ikeda village farmers must do not use chemical in the process of paddy planting rather they maintain an eco-friendly cultivation process that clearly reflects positively on the plants. Though less is harvested through this process, the outcome is rice that delivers in taste and visual appeal. It also has the advantage of being even healthier. 

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"We are doesn’t using chemical for planting of paddy any moreWe maintain eco-friendly cultivate way plant to paddy in Ikeda city. Without chemical applied paddy’s leaf so green that seen make a beauty to eyes. That way is harvest less but taste of rice delicious and quality is good for health too," said Sabi Chieko Ikeda village farmer.   Without chemical applied paddy’s leaf so green that seen make a beauty to eyes. That way is harvest less but taste of rice delicious and quality is good for health too, said Sabi Chieko Ikeda village farmer.

Chieko is 78 years old lady who cultivated paddy about 100 to 25 square meters land in Ikeda city. Ikeda city is mostly eco-friendly cultivating method apply plant to paddy and vegetables. Around Fukui prefecture Ikeda paddy is more famous and Chieko said some people come from Osaka buy to rice from her. 

This year is some delay started to paddy cultivates in Fukui prefecture for the reason that heavy snow during the winter and delay spring appears.

Fukui prefecture is placed northwest part of Japan and total population about 827,000 living about 4,189 square kilometers. Where ever possible every piece of land their cultivate paddy and vegetable. As well as Japan have intensive irrigation system for cultivation  and their use modern mechanism for paddy cultivate after Japan become a third largest economic country in the world

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All Right @ Buddhika Weerasinghe

Children performance traditional dance in Golden Week

Japanese girls wear traditional dress and perform traditional dance festival during the “Golden Week” in Fukui northwestern part of Japan. The end of April through around 5thMay is called Golden Week

Japanese girls wear traditional dress and perform traditional dance festival during the “Golden Week” in Fukui northwestern part of Japan. The end of April through around 5thMay is called Golden Week.

The first national holiday during Golden Week is April 29, which was the birthday of the former emperor Shouwa. Now, this day is called showa-no-hi (Showa Day). The second holiday is kenpou-kinen-bi (Constitution Memorial Day), May 3. The new Japanese constitution was put into effect on May 3, 1947. Then, May 4 is called midori-no-hi (Greenery Day) during which we show appreciation for nature.The last holiday during Golden Week is kodomono-hi (Children's Day) on May 5th. It's Japanese Boy's Festival.

During the Golden Week many Japanese office close and people take a vacation and travel around the country or abroad.

All Right @ Buddhika Weerasinghe