Ancient Japanese Shrines And Temples

A heady witches' brew of midsummer nightmares

Still, this is the time of the year when ghosts traditionally make their appearance, and some magazines run stories about frightening phenomena, just part of the huge genre of the supernatural that includes books — aimed at both juveniles and adults — manga and animated films.

In past columns we've covered some of the famous places in Tokyo and environs where paranormal incidents have reportedly occurred. There's a tunnel in Sendagaya, Shibuya Ward that late-night taxi drivers are said to insist on avoiding, and also a public telephone booth in a park in Nerima Ward, where nocturnal apparitions supposedly appear.

Another creepy landmark is situated right in the heart of the Otemachi business district. In A.D. 940, a nobleman named Taira no Masakado was executed by decapitation for leading a rebellion. According to legend, Masakado's head flew on its own from Kyoto to a fishing village that later became Edo (present-day Tokyo). His kubizuka (skull mound) rests at the base of a high-rise building, and any signs of disrespect can result in dire consequences, even to this day. Which is why the neighboring office is said to carefully arrange workers' desks so that a seated person's buttocks do not point in Masakado's direction.

In addition to paranormal "hot spots," another type of scary story that the weeklies have regularly featured in their mid-summer issues involves bad things that happen to students or newly hired company employees who move to Tokyo each March, just before the start of the business and academic year. Because they're unfamiliar with the big city, and because they are wont to seek out affordable lodgings, they are easy prey for sly real estate agents who introduce them to apartments with an unpleasant history — such as a previous tenant who was murdered, or committed suicide, therein.

Several weeks after moving in, a typical story might run, the new tenant might see appliances turn on and off by themselves, or glimpse a woman's face peering in from outside an upper-story window. Or perhaps they'll awaken at night to a noise and be terrified by the sight of blood dripping from the bathroom ceiling.

Articles 20VN | Candles - A Brief History | Candle | candles ...

Before Candles

Man, woman, fire, water and a whole bunch of animals trying to eat man and woman! That was the scene some millenia ago. Perhaps fire was man's main protection from predatory animals that roamed the ancient world? We know it served to cook their food, light their shelter and obviously keep them warm. This rudimentary need for fire in and around our lives is in our genes. Fire fulfills some long held deep need within each and every one of us. Candles, Open fires, wood burners etc are becoming more desirable today. It's an animal thing and helps make our homes more Cosey and inviting. This article provides a brief history of candles in particular, the people who made them, the societies that used them and the materials they were made from.

Candles In The Ancient World

Candles as early as 3000 BC have been recorded. The Egyptians produced candles out of beeswax. Whale fat candles were made by the Chinese during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). Tapers made with wax from insects and seeds, wrapped in paper were produced in early Japan and China. Cinnamon was boiled and the resulting wax used for temple candles in ancient India. The first century AD saw groups of people in the Pacific Northwest fusing oil from the Eulachon (or "candle fish"), to make a rudimentary candle. Candles have been in use for a long time in one form or another.

To 1300 AD

Ancient Romans used tallow candles. Made from suet, Tallow is a crumbly animal fat and was very smokey to burn but was easy to obtain and process into candles. The Romans forgave the smoke as the light produced was very useful. In ancient Rome, these tallow candles were used everywhere. At altars, shrines, in temples and in many private homes, Candles were very popular. Producing tallow candles was a straight forward affair. The tallow was Put into a melting pot and poured into bronze moulds. The wick was usually a cord made from the pith of rushes and was hung from a horizontal rod over the mould when the molten tallow was poured.

Crime and punishment

War and peace

Romeo and Juliet

And Then There Were None

Nickeled and dimed